Things Change
by luci465
Summary: This is my take on how Bianca and Marissa discovered that there was something more than just friendship going on between them and spinning it forward to show their life together.
1. The Contract

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. They belong to AMC and Prospect Park. I am simply borrowing them and taking them for another spin.**

**A/N: With no AMC and no Minx, I've turned back to writing to deal with withdrawal. For this round, I decided to go back to a time before there were ugly rants and threats by ex's (along with guns). Back to a time where Bianca and Marissa don't realize that they are a couple, ****yet****. **

/

Reading the deposition of yet another failed marriage was starting to get to Marissa. She needed a break. As she put the paperwork down, she looked up and saw Bianca enter Krystal's. A smile immediately crossed her face. Just as quickly, the smile started to fade when she got a good look at Bianca. Her friend looked every bit as frustrated and tired as she felt. Bianca walked over to her table, sat down and proceeded to put her head down on the table letting out a groan.

"Uh, Bianca, I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess something's wrong."

"You are a master of deduction, counselor. Did you pick that up in one of your classes in law school?"

Marissa smirked. "Actually, the professors were amazed by my mad people reading skills. They called me a natural. I was actually able to test out of that class as a result."

Bianca couldn't hold back a laugh and looked up. "Thanks! I needed that."

"Glad to be of service. Now, do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

It had been a rough day, and Bianca knew two things. One, she needed to find Marissa because she knew that her friend would make her feel better, and two, she somehow knew where to find her. She wasn't sure how that happened, but she just knew where to find her whenever she needed her. She smiled slightly and sighed. "Well, The Miranda Center has a fundraiser coming up soon, and we are completely out of ideas for a theme."

"Seriously? You don't have any ideas? None?"

"Nothing that will work with the budget we have for it. With the economy being the way it is, we decided to keep it simple and low scale. All of the ideas we currently have are neither."

"I'm sure if we put our heads together that we can come up with something." Marissa's phone started to ring. She took one look at the caller id, and let out her own groan.

"Let me guess. JR again?"

"The man is relentless and knows no shame. You know what his latest stunt is?"

"Knowing him, it could be anything."

"It's using AJ to guilt me back into the mansion. He keeps saying it's the best thing for our son. It would make him happy. Doesn't he deserve to have both of his parents together under the same roof? He even told me that AJ asked why everyone keeps leaving _them_."

"Whoa! That's low even for JR. You left him and not your son. I guess he forgot about joint custody and how you fought for that. You are an amazing mother, and would do anything for AJ." Bianca was started to get really ticked off by JR.

"You know that, and I know that. Do you think for one minute that JR would ever make that distinction to AJ?"

"Not when it's easier to shift the blame to you."

"Exactly! I think he's incapable of accepting responsibility. Then, out of nowhere, he switches gears, apologizes and is pouring on the charm, sending flowers, stuffed animals and other gifts. I tell him to back off. I need space, but he just will not take 'no' for answer."

"And you want him to?"

"Oh God, yes! I've been there, done that, and don't want to go there again! There is no way I could ever trust him again after everything that happened with Annie. Hey, I need you to promise to do me a favor."

"Anything. Just name it."

"If you ever see me falling for his lines again, promise me you will smack some sense into me."

Bianca laughed. "Could I get something in writing to that effect?"

Marissa started laughing as well. "Covering yourself for any liabilities, huh? I could have something drawn up for you if you want."

"Well, my best friend is a pretty kick ass lawyer so I'm sure she would advise me that it would be in my best interest to have it in writing."

Marissa smirked and pulled out a legal pad quickly writing, "I, Marissa Tasker, hereby give Bianca Montgomery permission to smack some sense into me if she ever sees me falling for JR Chandler and his lines and/or games again." Their server stopped by to take their order as Marissa was finishing the document. For good measure, she had her witness it as the lawyer signed and dated it before having Bianca place her signature at the bottom. She then tore the paper from the pad, folded it and handed it to Bianca. "For you! It's the best I could do under these circumstances, but it should hold up in any court if the need arises."

Bianca was laughing so hard she snorted.

"Did you actually snort?" Marissa couldn't help but laugh when Bianca snorted again in response. She felt the tension that had built up talking about JR melt away as she looked at Bianca. The brunette had a way of doing that. She knew what to say and do to make her feel better.

When Bianca finally was able to stop laughing, Marissa reached across the table and took her hand. "Okay. Enough about me. I believe we were talking about you before my ex so rudely interrupted us. So, your turn. How can I help you?"

"You already have. I haven't laughed like that in a long time. I really needed that. Thank you!"

Marissa knew what Bianca was doing, and she was having none of it. Her friend didn't like to bother others with her problems and would deflect any offers of help if given the opportunity. Marissa had argued that it was actually a good thing to let others help sometimes. It allowed them to forget about their own problems for a while. So in effect, Bianca was actually helping others by letting them help her. The brunette couldn't come up with an answer for that line of logic, and the lawyer considered that something of a major victory. "You're welcome, but seriously, what can I do to help you out with The Miranda Center?"

Bianca started to protest but stopped herself. She really didn't like laying her problems off on anyone else, but she saw the determined look in Marissa's eyes and knew she wasn't going to let it go. Once her mind was made up about something, that was pretty much it. Bianca had learned it was easier to just accept that as a fact of life and go with it. Her head still hurt a little when she remembered the logic the lawyer had used to allow her to help Bianca out before. She had to admit that it did make her feel better talking about what was bothering her with Marissa. Just talking to the redhead in general made her feel … She couldn't find quite the right word for how it made her feel. Bianca shook her head and sighed. "Well, I could use some help coming up with a theme for the next fundraiser. The staff is exhausted, and a fresh perspective would be nice."

Their server returned with their orders, and the women, forgetting they were still holding hands, had to release them to make room for their food. Marissa offered a brilliant smile as she said, "See! It wasn't that hard to ask, now was it?"

Bianca couldn't hold back her own smile. "No. You're right, again. It wasn't. Now, let's get that brain of your's thinking."


	2. Lunchtime Reunion

**A/N: First of all, thanks for all of the great reviews. It means a lot and gives me inspiration to keep writing. Second, the plan is to continue this story for a while. I'm not sure how long, but I do have ideas for more chapters. I'm going to play with the timeline occasionally and will use a few things that happened on the show but with my own twist. Hope you enjoy the journey!**

/

Bianca checked the time. She was running late for lunch with Marissa so she sent her a quick text that she was on her way. Bianca smiled at the thought of seeing her friend again. It had been three days since they had last seen each other. They talked a couple of times every day, but it wasn't the same. Besides missing her, Bianca was worried about Marissa. AJ had been sick with a virus and had wanted his mom to stay with him. There was no way that Marissa could refuse his request. Staying with him though meant staying with JR, and Bianca didn't trust him as far as she could throw him to not use this situation to his advantage. During their calls, she had done her best to shore up the redhead's resolve not to backtrack when it came to her ex, but she wasn't sure how effective she was against JR's 24 hour a day presence. She sighed and headed over to Krystal's.

/

Marissa looked at her phone, read Bianca's text and smiled. She was really looking forward to lunch with her friend. She had missed seeing her the last three days. The daily phone calls helped, but they weren't the same. She felt better just seeing and spending time with her friend, and after the last three days, she needed to feel better. That need had nothing to do with AJ and everything to do with JR. AJ was feeling better and was pretty much back to normal. She had been so worried about her son, and when he asked if she would stay with him, she, of course, said yes. JR seemed to be equally worried about AJ as well, at first. Marissa soon saw that concern being replaced by JR being JR and trying to manipulate things.

/

Bianca spotted Marissa as soon as she entered the restaurant. Her back was to the door, but Bianca could see some tension in the redhead's shoulders. Damn, JR. She smiled as a thought came to her, and she walked across the room. When she reached the table, she playfully nudged the back of Marissa's head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Marissa turned and saw a smirk on Bianca's face.

"You've spent the last three days with JR, and I do have this contract to knock some sense into you."

"That's only if you see me falling for him again."

"Consider it as me taking preventative measures. I take my legal obligations very seriously."

"Hmmm. Well, it's not needed."

Bianca smiled. "How's AJ?"

"He's doing so much better. He is chomping at the bit to see you and the girls."

"That's good. I know they're anxious to see him too and so am I. So, how are you?"

"Tired, but good for the most part."

"Really?"

"Really. You can get that worried look off your face. I'm good especially now that I'm out of the mansion."

"How did it go with JR? Did he behave himself?"

"What do you think? Of course, he didn't. He doesn't know how."

"True enough. So, tell me what he did."

"He was kind of okay, at first, but that was when AJ was feeling his worst. Once he started to bounce back, JR went into overdrive. I have to admit he started to get to me a couple of times with the guilt, but as soon as that happened, the most interesting thing would occur."

"What?"

"My phone would ring, and it would be you! There you were pulling me back to reality!"

Bianca laughed. "You're making that up."

"No, I'm not. JR began to get kind of mad about it. It probably didn't help when I started laughing every time it happened. You must have had a sixth sense thing going on to call exactly when I needed you."

"I'm not sure about that, but I'm glad I was able to pull you back from the edge."

"You really did. JR finally backed off enough for me to do a little work for you."

"Work for me? What are you talking about?"

"The fundraiser."

"I told you that everyone loved your idea of combining budgets and just having one big event on New Year's Eve, right?"

"You did, and it got me to thinking about what else I could do to help."

"You've done more than enough, and I know how packed your schedule is. You're way too busy to do any more."

Marissa turned serious and took her friend's hand. "Bianca, I'll _never _be too busy to help you. Whenever you need me, I'll be there. Got it?"

Bianca was shocked by the intensity of Marissa's response. She finally managed to smile. "Got it."

Marissa squeezed her hand before releasing it. "Good! Don't forget it! Now, are you still wanting to have it at the Yacht Club?"

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, but I don't know if it's going to happen though. I told you about the new manager, and how he is refusing to budge on the rental fees. He was actually pretty rude when we called to see about lowering the price. He doesn't want to set a precedent by making an exception for us."

"Would you still want it if you could get it?"

"The place suits our needs the best, but I don't know about having to deal with the manager."

"What if you didn't have to deal with him?"

"That'd be great, but I don't see how that's going to happen. Why?"

"Just answer the question. Would you still want the Yacht Club if you didn't have to deal with the manager?"

"Alright. Yes. What are you up to, Tasker? Spill it!"

Marissa shrugged. "Good. Then, it's yours!"

"Are you serious? Wait. Does this have anything to do with all of the calls you've been making to my office, and the things you've been having my assistant chase down?"

"Yeah. Jan was okay getting that information for me, wasn't she?"

"She's more than happy to help you. I told her to give you whatever you needed. Did that help?"

"It did. After you told me how he treated you, I've got to admit I was pretty pissed off. I decided to do something about it. I did some research and made a few calls. I managed to talk to the owner. We had a very nice conversation. It turns out she didn't know about the new policies put in place by the manager, and she wasn't happy. There are going to be some changes made as a result. The Miranda Center has it reserved for New Year's Eve at no cost."

"What? We're getting it for free?"

"Yep!"

Bianca jumped up from the table and hugged Marissa tightly. "You are amazing! I can't believe it!"

"Well, I've been told I'm a pretty kick ass attorney."

"Pretty modest too! But you are! I can't believe you did this!"

"Let's just say I was motivated. No one treats you like that idiot manager did and can expect to get away with it!"

Bianca laughed. "Remind me to never get on your bad side."

"I don't see you ever having to worry about that."

"Wow, Marissa! I can't get over what you did! I owe you big time!"

"Bianca, you know you don't owe me anything. Besides, that smile on your face is the best payment I could ever ask for!"

If it was possible, Bianca smiled even more. _How did I get so lucky to have Marissa in my life? _"Could I at least buy you lunch?"

Marissa smiled brightly. The fact that she was able to make Bianca so happy made her day. "I guess I can let you do that."


	3. House Hunting

-1Marissa watched Bianca as she was going over the latest proposals for The Miranda Center's fundraiser. She could see her friend's eyes starting to glaze over. "We need a break!"

Bianca's head jolted up. "What? We can't. We really need to have this finished by Monday morning."

"I wasn't saying that we didn't. I'm simply saying we need a break. I mean, how much of what you were just reading were you really getting? I saw your eyes glazing over. A break is definitely in order."

"Marissa…"

"Come on. I'm talking about just a couple of hours. It's a beautiful day outside. The kids are over at Kendall's. A break will recharge our batteries. Besides, I could use your help with something."

Bianca put down the papers she had been reviewing. Marissa was right. She couldn't remember anything she had just read. They moved today's brainstorming session to Wildwind and had been cooped up there for the last four hours. "You make a pretty convincing argument there, counselor. So, what do you need my help with? Is it JR?"

"Now why would ruin a perfectly nice day by bringing him up?"

"Sorry. Reflex. Something else then?"

"Yep. Something much more fun and interesting."

"Okay. You've got my attention."

Marissa pulled out the local real estate listings and handed them to Bianca.

"You're looking for a place?"

"Yes, I am. Don't get me wrong. It's been nice staying at Tad's, but it's getting crowded over there. Plus, there's a lot of drama going on. I want my own place. A place that AJ and I"

"A place the two of you can call home."

"Exactly! What do you think?"

"I think it's a great idea! Are you looking to buy or rent?"

"Rent for now."

"I'm guessing at least two bedrooms?"

"Yep. There's one I really like"

"Hold on! Let me take a look at what you've printed off." Bianca laughed. She could see the excitement in Marissa's eyes. She loved her friend's eyes and the fact that she could tell so much about her by just looking in them.

"Well? What do you think? Which one is your favorite? Don't leave me hanging here, Montgomery!"

"You know what I think we need to do?"

"What?"

"We need to take a field trip and check these places out in person!"

"Really? You'd do that?"

"Marissa, do you really have to ask?"

The redhead shook her head. "No, but I didn't want to take too much of your time up with this."

Bianca took Marissa's hand, looking her straight in the eye so there would be no doubt about what she was saying. "I'm going to paraphrase what someone very special to me once told me. Marissa, I'll _never_ be too busy to help you. Whenever you need me, I'll be there. Got it?"

Marissa swallowed the lump forming in her throat. "Got it."

"Good!" Bianca pulled Marissa off the couch. "You drive while I read. Now, let's go find you a new place to live!"

/

"I'm sorry, Bianca. This is taking longer than I thought it would. We should get back to work."

"Stop it. We're not going back until we've gone through your list. Besides, we only have two more places to check, and your favorite is one of them. Let's check that one out next."

"Okay, if you're sure. With how my luck's been running today, it will either be gone or infested with bedbugs or mystery animals or have a chunk of the ceiling being held in place by duct tape or"

Bianca laughed. "Well, it's nice to see you're staying positive. I really do wonder how they thought they'd sneak that ceiling 'repair' by anyone. Even duct tape has it's limits. As for the one with the mystery animal, maybe you could make it a pet for AJ."

Marissa laughed for the first time in over 3 ½ hours. "You know you have a lot of people fooled. They think you're sweet and nice, but you're actually kind of twisted."

"It comes from being Erica Kane's daughter. Hope you're not disappointed."

"Oh no! I'm not disappointed. I like it. Twisted is very good sometimes." Marissa parked the car and got out. "If I remember correctly, it was actually animals, plural. I'm seeing pets for Miranda and Gabby too."

"You're funny!"

"Well, you started it!"

"You use that argument in court, counselor?"

"You know it! I just phrase it differently and use lots of big words!" Marissa snorted.

Bianca smiled brightly, just happy to make the redhead feel better.

"Sorry. I was being a bit of a downer, huh? I guess I was just hoping"

"That you'd find the perfect place right away. I get it. Feel better?"

"I do. Thanks. You always seem to know what to do to make me feel better, and you really need to stop finishing my sentences."

"I'll stop finishing your's when you stop finishing mine."

"But it's so easy."

"Yeah, I know. It's a little scary, but only a little." Bianca smirked.

Marissa spotted an older woman and a younger man by the front door who had overheard their exchange. She approached the woman and extended her hand. "You must be Mrs. Walker. I'm Marissa Tasker, and this is my friend Bianca Montgomery."

"Nice to meet you, dear. This is my son Alex. Would you like to see the house?"

"Yes, please." The two followed the Walkers inside. Marissa grabbed Bianca's hand as they entered the family room and whispered, "Bianca!"

"I know. Let's take it slow and check the rest of the place out."

It looked exactly as the listing had described. It was a story home, and there were two bedrooms with a third room that could either be another bedroom or a small home office. There were hardwood floors, a small dining room, two full bathrooms and a newly renovated kitchen in addition to the comfortable family room. There was even a small patio in the backyard. In short, it was exactly what Marissa was looking for. As they toured the home, Mrs. Walker chatted and conducted an interview with Marissa.

At the end of the tour, Marissa and Bianca stepped out onto the patio to talk. Bianca looked at Marissa and could see the excitement in her eyes. "Let me guess. You love it."

"Am I that obvious?"

"No. I just know you pretty well. Do you think you'd love it enough to buy it someday?"

Marissa shook her head. "No. I don't see myself growing old here. I still want more kids, and I'm holding out hope for finding someone for me to share my life with. All of that would mean a bigger place. For now though, it's perfect for AJ and me. Think the girls might like to visit AJ here?"

"I'm pretty sure they would. What about there mom?"

"Well, she has an open invitation! Any time, day or night!"

"Thank you! I'll keep that in mind!"

"Let's go talk to the Walkers and tell them I want the place!"

Mrs. Walker had been watching the women talk. "I really like her. If she wants the place, it's her's."

"Are you sure, mom? She's only the third person to view it."

"I'm sure. When it's right, you just know it. It's kind of like them."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, they just seem right together. Don't you think they make a nice couple?"

"Wait! You mean they're a couple?"

"Of course they are. It's as plain as the nose on your face that those two are in love."

The two women entered the house again before her son could reply. "Mrs. Walker, I'd like to rent the home if that alright with you."

"That's wonderful! Here's an application and a form for us to do a credit check, but that's just a formality. As far as I'm concerned, the place is your's!"

Marissa beamed as she took the paperwork and started to fill it out immediately. Bianca stood back and smiled as she watched her. She was sure she had never seen her friend look as happy as she was right now. If anyone deserved to be happy, it was Marissa, and Bianca was happy to be able to share this moment with her.

Marissa glanced up as she finished the paperwork and saw Bianca smiling. She gave her a brilliant smile in return along with a wink. "Here you are, Mrs. Walker. When do you think I might hear something?"

"We'll be in touch Monday morning, but I don't think you have anything to worry about."

"Thank you! It was a pleasure meeting both of you. I look forward to hearing from you Monday."

Goodbyes were exchanged as the women left. When they reached the car, Marissa couldn't hold her excitement in any longer.

"Oh my God, Bianca! Did that really just happen? Am I really getting a home for AJ and me?"

Bianca laughed. "Yep! It really happened. I could pinch you if you want."

"That's okay! Wow! Best day ever, so far! You know what made it so great?"

Bianca shook her head. "What?"

Marissa hugged Bianca tightly. "Having you here to share it with me!"

Bianca swallowed hard. She had never been as touched by someone's words as she was by Marissa's. "Thank you for letting me share it with you. Now, how about we go get the kids and grab something to eat?"

Marissa laughed. "Sounds like a plan. What do you think about us heading back to Wildwind afterwards? The kids can watch a movie while we finish our work."

"You don't have to do that. I can finish up."

"Oh no! I'm not letting you do all that by yourself. If we work together, we can finish it up in no time. That way, you can spend all day tomorrow with Miranda and Gabby."

Bianca smiled as she got into the car only slightly amazed that with everything going on that Marissa was still thinking of a way to help her. "On one condition. You let me help you shop for your new home!"

Marissa looked at Bianca and smiled. "My new home! I love the way that sounds! Deal! I could use the help of someone with a black belt in shopping!"


	4. Blocking JR

**A/N: First, sorry in the delay in uploading my last chapter. I had problem with the site for some reason last week. While I was waiting for that problem to be resolved, I was able to finish up this chapter. I'm borrowing from the original storyline. I have to admit that I didn't like Bianca helping JR in the original. I know why they had her do it. I just didn't like it so I decided to make an adjustment. I have to admit I'm liking this 'power' to change things that bothered me. I promise to only use my 'powers' for good in regards to our girls. LOL! Anyway, I hope you like my spin on this. Thanks for all of the reviews. Keep them coming!**

**/**

Marissa was running late. She hated being late especially when she was meeting Bianca, but her last meeting had run over. She sent a text to her friend telling her that she was sorry she was running behind but was on her way. Marissa couldn't wait to share her good news about winning her latest case with Bianca. It had been a tough one, but the result had been worth all of the work she had put into it. Caleb had offered to take her out to a celebratory lunch, but Marissa politely declined. There was no way she would miss her daily lunch 'date' with Bianca if she could help it. It was her second favorite part of the day next to spending time with AJ. Today, the two women decided to take the afternoon off. Bianca was helping her shop for her new home. She smiled as she thought of having her own home and raced out the door not wanting to be any more late than she already was.

/

Bianca was at their usual table at Krystal's waiting for Marissa to arrive for what had become their daily lunch 'date'. Next to being with her daughters, this had quickly become Bianca's favorite part of the day. They were able to talk about anything from their problems with work to their families. These venting sessions help keep her sane amid all the drama that seemed to swirl around Pine Valley. Bianca smiled as she remembered last Monday's lunch. Marissa had gotten the call from the Walkers telling her she had passed the credit check with flying colors, and the rental home was her's. She thought her friend was going to burst from happiness. Bianca thought for a moment. Happiness was pretty much a standard feeling for her now whenever she was with or even thought about Marissa. _Don't go there. You're overanalyzing. Marissa is only your friend, well your best friend, in fact she's the best friend you've ever had. She's no more or no less._

"Bianca."

The brunette was stunned to see JR standing in front of her. "JR. What do you want?"

"Is that any way to talk to an old friend? Mind if I join you?" He said as pulled out a chair and sat down.

"Actually, yes, I do mind. Marissa will be here any minute, but you already knew that, didn't you?"

"It's funny you should mention my wife."

Bianca sighed. "Ex-wife, JR. Marissa is your ex-wife."

"That's only a temporary situation. I'm looking to change that."

"You are?"

"Yes, I am. I want her back."

"What about Marissa and what she wants?"

"She wants me. She just doesn't know it yet."

Bianca took a deep breath and struggled to control her temper. _Of all the… You arrogant son of a bitch_

"I think Marissa's pretty sure of what she wants, JR."

"She's confused right now."

"She doesn't seem that way to me."

"Well, she is. That's why she needs our help."

"_Our_ help?"

"Your's and mine."

"You want my help?" _This should be good._

"Well, you're friends, right?"

"Right."

"You want her to be happy, don't you?"

"Of course I do."

"I do too. So, I was thinking we could work together to make that happen."

"By doing what, JR?"

"By making her see that I could make her happy."

"Because you did such a bang up job of doing that the first time."

"I've changed."

"Sure you have. Let me ask you something. This wouldn't have anything to do with her finding her own place, would it?"

"Of course not. Although, I don't see why she felt the need to do something so silly. I mean she could have a suite at the mansion without paying a dime."

"Some things come at too high of a price." Bianca muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. Go on. You were saying Marissa is confused and silly."

"You know what I mean."

"Uh huh. Marissa doesn't know what she wants."

"Exactly!"

"So, what is your plan to 'help' her?"

"Well, since the two of you are so close, I thought you could help me win her back."

"And just how would I do that?" _Why in hell would I do that is more like it._

"You could be my wing man, so to speak. You know, give me ideas and tips to get her to see that I can make her happy."

"Oh, so you want me to help you trick her into believing she's in love with you." Bianca was quickly losing patience with him.

"Exactly! Wait! That's not fair. I want you to help her refocus, to see that her life is better with me. It would also be the best thing for AJ. He'd have both of his parents together."

"Wow. I have to hand it to you, JR. You're good. If I didn't know you as well as I do, I might almost be convinced to help you."

"You won't help? Why not?"

"Because contrary to what you seem to think, Marissa _is_ better off without you. She doesn't need you to make her happy."

"Whoa! I'm seeing a little man hate."

"I don't hate men, JR. I don't even hate you, at the moment." Bianca couldn't control her anger any longer. "You're right about me knowing Marissa better than you. You want to know what I know about her? She is an extremely intelligent woman. She is fully capable of managing her own life, of knowing who and what she wants. She is one of the most caring people I know. You see that as a weakness that can be exploited, but I see that as something to be admired. She loves AJ with every fiber of her being and would do almost anything to make him happy. I say _almost_ anything because while she knows that AJ would like nothing better than to have his parents back together, she also knows that it's the wrong thing for her. She wouldn't be happy, and AJ would eventually pick up on that and would be miserable too. She won't put him through that kind of pain. You hurt her badly before, and she learned from that experience and won't let that happen again. Marissa is someone who values honesty, and you don't know the meaning of the word. She deserves so much better than you. If you expect me to trick her for your benefit than you don't know me at all. Getting back together with you would be the biggest mistake she could make! I care about her too much to stand by and watch her get sucked back into a relationship with you, to see you manipulate her for your own purposes, to see you hurt her again! I'll be damned if I'll let you do that to her!"

"Take it easy, Bianca. I'm not here to fight you. I just want what's best for her."

"The hell you do! You're just thinking about yourself, as always, and a fight is exactly what you'll get from me on this!"

JR turned his head, saw Marissa standing there, and went into spin mode. "Marissa, we were just talking about you. I'm not sure what set Bianca off like that." He got up and started to reach out to her.

Marissa instinctively stepped away from him and towards Bianca. She placed a hand on the brunette's shoulder in an effort to both calm and reassure her.

"Really, JR? You don't know what set her off?"

"I have no idea"

"You know, don't even bother. I heard enough before. I know Bianca, and she isn't someone who flies off the handle for no reason. She was defending and protecting me."

"Protecting you from your own husband? She doesn't need to do that."

"Ex-husband! We're divorced in case you didn't remember! No, Bianca doesn't need to protect me. She wants to because she's thinking about what is really best for me, and that is something that you will never understand. Leave, JR!"

"But you don't understand"

"Wrong again, JR! I do understand. Get the hell out of here, and don't even think about bothering Bianca again!"

JR stormed out, and Marissa sat down after taking a deep breath to calm herself down. She looked across at Bianca and took her hand. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I'm so sorry. I kind of lost it. I shouldn't have… I overstepped. I know you are perfectly capable of defending yourself, of protecting yourself from him. I let him get to me."

Marissa sat quietly as Bianca stumbled over her words. She had heard the entire conversation. She knew what her ex said, and she had heard every word Bianca said in reply. _Bianca is absolutely amazing. I can't believe her. I can't believe what she did, what she said. I've never had anyone defend me like that. I've never had anyone fight for me like that. Never. She did it without thinking, without me asking her to. JR would only ever do something like that as long there was something in it for him. Not Bianca. She did it because that's who she is. I don't know what I ever did to deserve to have her in my life. How did I get so lucky to have someone care so much about me? Someone I care… _Marissa pulled herself from where that train of thought was taking her, not quite sure of everything she was feeling.

"Bianca, thank you."

The brunette blinked in surprise. She had thought for sure that Marissa was upset when she didn't say anything at first. Now, she was thanking her. "For what? You mean you're not upset?"

"Thank you for defending me, protecting me. No, I'm not upset, at least not with you. Are you sure you're okay? I could kick JR's ass for getting you so upset."

"I'm okay. He just got me so mad with his smug attitude. He wants you back."

"Well, I really don't give damn what he wants. I don't want him. I don't want someone who thinks so little of me, someone who doesn't have the first clue about who I am or what I want."

Bianca nodded. "You deserve better."

"I know. You know what, let's not talk about him anymore today. I don't want him taking away from our time."

Bianca smiled. "Alright. No more talk about unpleasant things. What do you want to talk about?"

"I won my case!"

"Congratulations! I never doubted you would!"

"Ha! That makes one of us!"

"You are a great lawyer!"

"You're right, I forgot! I'm a kick ass lawyer!" Marissa smiled.

Bianca laughed and was glad the tension left in JR's wake was gone. "Exactly! Don't forget it again!"

"If I do, I'll have you to remind me." Marissa squeezed Bianca's hand and then picked up her menu. "Let's order, and then you can tell me where we're going to spend all my money! I'm guessing that folder is your 'research' for today's shopping adventure."

Bianca smiled brightly. "As a matter of fact, it is! I've got some great places for us to check out. You'll be surprised to know that I am an excellent bargain hunter!"

Marissa laughed. "You know, I don't doubt that for one second! Hand it over."


	5. Marissa's Moving Day

**A/N: Again, thank you for the wonderful reviews! It's moving day for Marissa and AJ. I'm bringing the kids into the story. It had to be done because let's face it, they're pretty adorable. Enjoy!**

**/ **

It was moving day, and Marissa was starting to feel a little overwhelmed. _Why did I tell Bianca 'No' when she offered to help today? I did it because she needed a weekend with just her and her daughters. She's been working night and day on the fundraiser, and this weekend was a rare break for her. Krystal will be over in half an hour to help, and Tad and Scott will be over later as well. So, I have plenty of help on the way. It's just that Bianca has a way of making everything seem easier, of knowing exactly what I need or want. Sometimes, she even knows before I do. I just miss her. Stop whining, Tasker. She has a life of her own no matter how much you hate to admit it._

Marissa sighed and headed over to the staircase at Tad's. "AJ! Let's get a move on, buddy! The furniture will be delivered soon, and we have to be there to let them in."

Her son bounded down the stairs, his eyes glowing with excitement. "I'm ready, Mom! Let's go!" Marissa laughed as AJ pulled her out the front door.

/

Marissa and AJ continued with the task of moving boxes from her car to the house. She was getting a little irritated because the rest of her help had yet to show up.

"Where is everybody, Mom?"

"I don't know, buddy. I'm sure they're on their way, but you are being a big help!"

AJ smiled and held the door open for his mom. She placed a box on the kitchen counter and looked up when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it, AJ. You go start unpacking that box in your room." Marissa walked to the door and opened it without looking up. "It's about time you got here."

"Well, I got here as soon as I could." Bianca was standing there holding a box with Miranda and Gabby right beside her. The three had big smiles on their faces, and Miranda and Gabby were each holding bags from Krystal's.

"Bianca! Girls! What are you doing here?"

"I'm going door to door selling boxes. Could I interest you in one?" Bianca said with a smirk, and Miranda and Gabby started laughing.

"Funny. Have you ever thought about giving comedy a try?"

"I'll think about it. Are you going to let us in? This is getting heavy."

"I'm sorry. You can put it over in that corner. Not that I'm not happy to see you, but what are the three of you doing here?" Marissa gave both Miranda and Gabby each a big hug as they entered the house.

"We stopped by Krystal's to get an early lunch. I was surprised to see Krystal still there since I thought she was helping you. It turns out that she had a cook and a server call in sick, and she was swamped. She tried to call, but you weren't answering your cell. She won't be able to make it for at least a few more hours."

"She did? I didn't hear it. Oh no! My cell! I left it"

"At Tad's. I know. He answered Krystal's last call. He won't be able to make it because he's having car trouble. I stopped over his house to get it and the rest of your boxes." Bianca pulled out Marissa's cell and handed it to her. "Looks like you missed a call from Scott too."

"I can't believe I left it over there. I swear I'd forget my head today if it weren't attached." She checked her voicemail. "Scott won't be able to make it. He got stuck picking up supplies for the gatehouse."

"Well, it's a good thing the girls and I decided to come over and help. We also come bearing lunch!"

"What about the movie and your day together?"

Miranda smiled and answered. "Mom always says helping those you care about is the most important thing you can do. You and AJ need our help. So, we decided to come here and do the movie later. Plus, we have lunch! Where's AJ?"

"He's in his room. It's at the top on steps and to the right. I'll take those bags, ladies. We'll do a picnic on the floor here. You two want to go get him? "

The two girls nodded and headed up the stairs.

Marissa turned to Bianca. "Thank you! What would I do without you?"

"Hmmm. I'm not sure. I guess it's best if you never find out. Where do we start?"

"We start with lunch. You want to grab that blanket and spread it out on the floor and get the food out? I'll get us something to drink."

As soon as the two women had everything ready, Marissa walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Kids! Let's eat!"

The three children came running down the stairs and over to the blanket.

"Hi, Bianca!" AJ gave her a big hug.

"Hey, buddy! Are you hungry?"

"I sure am! Moving is hard work!"

Miranda was excited. "AJ's room is pretty cool, Mom! He says he's getting a bunk bed!"

Marissa smiled at the girl's excitement. "He is, and it should be here in just about one hour."

The five sat down to lunch. Marissa and Bianca laughed listening to their children. Miranda was giving AJ advice on how to arrange his room.

Marissa leaned in and whispered to Bianca, "Did Gabby just roll her eyes at Miranda?"

Bianca nodded. "She thinks her sister can be a little too helpful sometimes."

"Wow. Already. They're going to be fun as teenagers."

"I know, and I really don't want to think about it yet."

Marissa laughed and checked the time. "Okay. The delivery men will be here soon. AJ, I need you to make sure you don't have anything on the floor in your room that will block them when they get here."

"Got it! Miranda and Gabby, will you help me?"

The two girls nodded, and three children headed back upstairs.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Let's get this cleaned up, and would you mind unpacking the boxes for the kitchen?"

"I'm on it."

The furniture was delivered and assembled. The cable company arrived and completed their installation. Boxes were unpacked, and before anyone knew it, it was close to 6:00.

Bianca looked over at Marissa. "How about we take a break?"

"I think that's a great idea. Time to take a break, kids. Let's go outside and stretch our legs."

AJ approached Bianca. "Bianca, would it be okay if Miranda and Gabby stayed all night?"

Miranda chimed in, "Yeah, Mom. Could we?"

"I don't, Miranda. It's their first night, and I know Marissa has got to be tired."

"What if she's okay with it? Please!" She had seen the look AJ was giving her before. It was the same look that his mother gave her when she wanted something. It was a look that said 'you know you're going to say 'yes' so you might as well not bother arguing'.

Bianca looked at the boy and sighed. _I can't say 'No' to your mother when she looks at me like that either. _"If your mom is okay with it, I'm okay with it too."

The children smiled and ran over to Marissa. "Mom, could Miranda and Gabby stay over tonight?"

"Mom says it's okay with her as long as it's okay with you."

Marissa looked at Bianca who shrugged and offered a nod in reply to the unasked question. She felt a tug on her hand and looked down at the Gabby. She knelt down next to the adorable little girl. "What is it, Sweetie?"

"Can we stay? We promise to be good. Please, Rissa."

Marissa looked into a pair of beautiful big brown eyes that looked just like her mother's. If Gabby's plea didn't do the trick, those eyes certainly did. She couldn't refuse her mother when she looked at her that way so there was no way she could refuse her daughter. Marissa looked over at AJ and Miranda who were giving her their best innocent looks and failing miserably. Gabby may be the one playing her, but they were the brains behind this plan. She looked up at Bianca again and saw a smirk on her face. They both knew she was going to agree.

"Okay. You can stay."

Gabby beamed and hugged her tightly. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." The older two children ran over to hug and thank her as well. "So, what's the plan, a campout in AJ's room?"

The three nodded excitedly and ran over to hug and thank Bianca too.

"Well, I guess we need to get pajamas, sleeping bags and toothbrushes for the two of you. Why don't you make me a list of what else you want me to bring you from home." Bianca turned to Marissa. "Are you sure you're okay with this? You've got to be tired."

"I'm fine. It'll be fun. Are you okay with them staying?"

"Yeah, I am. I know they'll be fine with you. I trust them with you like I would with Kendall."

"How long do you think they had this planned?"

"Oh, I'd say they started planning when they went to AJ's room the first time."

"I like how they had Gabby be their closer."

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, she has you wrapped around her little finger. The 'Please, Rissa' was a nice touch. I knew you were toast when she said that!"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. There was no way I was going to be able to tell her 'No' once she said that."

"So, if I want to get you to do something for me, I just have to say 'Please, Rissa'?"

"Take that smirk off your face. Don't think I didn't catch Miranda saying, 'Mom says it's okay with her if it's okay with you'. Was it AJ that played you?"

"Yeah, pretty much. He's his mother's son. You've taught him well."

Marissa smirked. "You should talk. We really do need to watch out for the triple team in the future."

Miranda gave her mother a list of things that she and Gabby would need for the night. Bianca looked it over and nodded. "Let me go pick this stuff up. Do you want me to pick up something for dinner while I'm out?"

"I was thinking pizza. How does that sound?" Marissa could tell from the kids' reactions that she had picked a winner. "I'll order if you'll pick it up on your way back then."

Bianca nodded and headed out the door. "I'll be back soon."

"Who wants to help me get our picnic blanket ready for dinner?"

Gabby jumped up. "I will Rissa!"

"Thank you, Gabby! Alright, AJ and Miranda, you are in charge of picking out a movie for us to watch."

/

After dinner, the children brushed their teeth and put on their pajamas before settling down to watch a movie. AJ and Miranda stretched out on the floor. Marissa and Bianca sat on the couch with Gabby sitting on Marissa's lap. Pretty soon the smallest Montgomery was snoring softly. Bianca smiled as she watched as her youngest child slept in Marissa's lap amazed at how crazy her daughter was about her friend, and how much her friend adored her daughter. It was a sight that tugged at her heart. Bianca wiped a tear that had escaped from her eyes. She whispered, "You should feel honored. The only other person she has asked to stay all night with is Kendall."

"Really? I didn't know that. I do feel honored." Marissa choked up slightly before managing to smile. She continued to lovingly stroke Gabby's back. She thought about the day, about how Bianca was there for her yet again without her asking, about how well all three children got along. _This is what was always missing with JR. This is what family is._

It wasn't long before AJ and Miranda were nodding off. Bianca helped them upstairs while Marissa carried Gabby. After getting the children settled and giving each one a kiss goodnight, the women headed downstairs. They quickly cleaned up the family room and kitchen.

Bianca checked the time. "I should head home."

"Are you okay to get home? I know you're exhausted. You're welcome to stay. I have a guest room."

"I'm fine. It's not that far of a drive. I'm glad it's late. Maybe I won't miss them as much. No, that's a lie. I'm going to miss them. I know it's only for one night. I know they're safe here, and you'll guard them with your life. It's just that"

"It's just that you love them. They're your children, and when they're not around, you miss them. I get it. You really can stay too, you know."

"I know, but I'm going to go. I'll be fine."

The two walked to the door. Marissa hugged Bianca tightly. "Thank you for today. It was a great day. One of my best. We'll see you tomorrow morning at Krystal's. Call me when you get home. I just want to make sure you get there safely."

Bianca smiled at Marissa's concern for her. "You're welcome, and I'll call when I get there. See you in the morning." She stopped in the doorway and turned. "It was one of the best days I've had too."


	6. Red To The Rescue

**A/N: Okay, I needed to add a little drama to the story. I'm borrowing from the original storyline again and altering it for my purposes. I thought Marissa needed a bigger role in the original one so I'm giving it to her here. **

**/**

Marissa was on her way to Krystal's for lunch hoping that Bianca would be meeting her there later. The two hadn't talked since Bianca left abruptly yesterday. She was upset because she felt Marissa was questioning her judgment. Reese was going to be in town and wanted to see the girls. It had been a while since she had contacted them, and Bianca was glad that her ex had finally decided to visit them. Miranda and Gabby missed her, and try as she might, she could not find the right words to explain why their other mother had not wanted to see them. Marissa sighed as she remembered the argument between the two of them.

"When will Reese be here?"

"In three days."

"Did she say why she decided to come to Pine Valley now?"

"No. What are you implying?"

"Nothing. I'm just wondering what brought on this sudden change of heart."

"She has every right to see them, Marissa."

"I'm not saying she doesn't, Bianca. I'm just …"

"She's not JR. She doesn't play games. You're letting your past with him cloud your judgment on this. This is completely different."

"That's not fair, Bianca, and I don't think I am. I'm just wondering why now. Why does she want to see them all of a sudden?"

"She's their mother. She should want to see them. I'm just glad she's come to her senses and is putting them ahead of any problems there are between the two of us. They miss her and want to see her."

"I understand all of that. I really do, and you're right. She should want to see them. They are amazing girls. It's just that something seems off here. First, she wants full custody. Then, she decides to drop it when she gets a big promotion. Now, out of the blue, she wants to see them again. I just have this feeling …"

"I'm not going to stop the girls from seeing her because you have a feeling that something is off. I won't keep them from her. She was a good mother."

"I'm not saying she wasn't. I would never dream of keeping a child from a parent without a good reason. Bianca, all I'm saying is that you should be careful. Don't go into this blind."

"I appreciate your concern, but we'll just have to agree to disagree on this. Look, I have to go."

"Talk to you later?"

_Bianca didn't respond to my question, and she didn't answer my texts or calls later. She was upset, and I hate that I'm the one that caused that. I probably could have handled that better. Maybe she's right. Maybe my experience with JR is causing me to not see things clearly. I just can't shake this feeling that something bad is going to happen. Something that will cause Bianca and the girls to get hurt. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. _

Marissa answered her cell. "Hi, Krystal. Slow down! I can't understand what you're saying. What's wrong?" She listened as her mother told her what was happening at the restaurant. "Okay. I'm almost there. I don't care what you have to do, but don't let them leave." Marissa shook her head. _Damn it! I knew something wasn't right._

Five minutes later, Marissa parked her car in the loading zone in front of the restaurant. She didn't have time to look for a parking space. She almost knocked Kendall over as she ran into Krystal's. She was just in time to see a man trying to coax Miranda to come with him. She recognized the voice and accent. He was Reese's attorney. AJ was in between the man and a frightened Miranda. The two children had a death grip on each other's hands. Krystal was holding a crying Gabby while keeping a woman away from her.

"Get away from her! Krystal, take the kids to the backroom."

AJ looked up at his mother. "Everything's going to be okay now, Miranda. My mom's here, and she won't let anything happen to you or Gabby. Right, Mom?"

Marissa looked at her son and smiled. "That's right, buddy. Go with the girls and grandma."

The man spoke up. "But don't you girls want to see…"

Marissa glared at him. "Don't! Krystal, take them to the backroom, now."

Her mother nodded and left with the children.

Kendall recovered from her shock and turned to her sister's friend. "What's going on, Marissa? Who are these people? Why are they trying to take the girls?"

"Ah, you must be Marissa Tasker. Ms. Montgomery's attorney. I am…"

"I know who you are. I'm not sure who she is, Kendall, but this is Reese's lawyer."

"Her lawyer! I thought Reese was coming in a couple of days. What's going on?" Kendall's anger was starting to get the better of her.

Marissa turned to her. "Kendall, why don't you check on the girls, and let me handle this. I've got it. Trust me."

Kendall looked at Marissa. Her voice and demeanor were calm, but the look in eyes could be described as nothing short of furious. She knew that there was no way in hell Marissa was going to let anything happen to her sister's children. Kendall nodded, but she stayed exactly where she was.

The redhead turned back to the man and woman. "Would you care to tell me what the hell you think you're doing here?"

"There's been a change in plans."

"A change in plans?"

"Yes, Ms. Williams will not be able to make it here for her visit."

"I see. Exactly what does that have to do with your being here?"

"My client asked us to come and bring the children home to Paris."

"They are home!" Kendall snapped.

"Kendall. I've got this. Neither my client nor myself were informed of this change of plans."

"Ms. Williams didn't think there would be a problem changing plans since the children are off school next week."

"Well, Ms. Williams was wrong. Ms. Montgomery is the custodial parent. Any final decisions concerning the children's well-being and any travel plans are made by her and her alone. She wouldn't dream of her children traveling out of the country without accompanying them herself, and she would _never_ agree to have them go with strangers."

"But my client is their mother as well."

"Yes, she is, but _my _client has full custody in case you or your client forgot. They're not going anywhere with you."

"Their mother only wants to see them."

"Then, she can here to do it. I know what you're up to."

"I'm confused here, Marissa. Exactly, what is going on?" Kendall asked.

Marissa's eyes never left the man's face as she answered Kendall. "It seems that Reese has changed her mind again. I'm not sure why, but she has. Maybe it's some sort of power play. Maybe she wants Bianca back, and this is her twisted way of making that happen. I don't know. By having the children in her custody in France though, she has the edge in any possible custody dispute. The matter will have to go through their court system to be settled."

"I thought the issue of custody was settled."

"It is. Your sister has full custody. Reese agreed to that. Signed the papers too."

"My client simply wants to see her children."

"If that were the case, she wouldn't have sent you here two days before her scheduled visit. She would have contacted my client about 'a change in plans' and not set up some sort of surprise attack. You can tell your client that if she wants to see the girls that she can simply come here to do so, and if she does, it will be a supervised visit."

The man's phone rang, and he looked at the caller id. Marissa could tell by his expression who it was. She grabbed the phone and answered it.

"Reese. Hi, this is Marissa Tasker, Bianca's attorney. Yeah, today isn't going to turn out like you thought it would. Miranda and Gabby will be staying here, at home in Pine Valley. If you want to see them, you'll have to come here, and you won't be seeing them by yourself. You just lost that right with this little stunt of your's. The only reason I won't be bringing charges this time is because it would hurt Bianca and the girls too much. Try something like this again though, and being charged with custodial interference and attempted kidnapping, we'll be the least of your worries. Nice talking to you." She flipped the phone back to the man.

"You are not permitted to address my client like that. I should report you to your state's bar."

"Go ahead. Report me. I'll have you and your friend here arrested for attempted kidnapping." The contempt was evident in her voice, and the look on her face left no doubt that she was deadly serious.

The pair had no reply and left in a huff.

Kendall could see Marissa starting to shake. She placed an arm around her. "Are you okay?"

Marissa took a deep breath. "I will be. I just need a minute."

"Take your time. I'll go get the kids and tell them the coast is clear. You know, Bianca was about you. You are a pretty kick ass attorney."

Marissa smiled slightly at the compliment. "Thanks, but I don't feel so kick ass right now. Your sister is going to be upset."

"You're right, she will be. She was hoping to keep things nice between the two of them if Reese ever decided to get in touch with the girls again. This is going to be hard for her. Bianca told me you had a feeling something was off with this. It looks like you were right."

"Kendall, you don't know how much I wanted to be wrong."

"I think I do, and Bianca will know too. Let me get the kids."

By the time the children came racing out of the backroom, Marissa had calmed down enough to greet them with a smile.

AJ reached her first and hugged her. "I told you my mom would take care of things."

Miranda nodded and hugged Marissa. "Are they gone?"

"Yes, Sweetie. They're gone. The two of you aren't going anywhere. You and Gabby are safe."

"Rissa!" Gabby reached for Marissa. Her faced was stained with tears. She clung to Marissa's neck.

"It's alright, Baby. It's going to be alright. I promise. Why don't we all sit down. Krystal, could we maybe have some milk and cookies? Kendall, could you try Bianca again? Let her know everything is okay."

The women nodded and set off to complete their assignments.

Marissa held Gabby on her lap and put an arm around Miranda, holding her tightly to her side. AJ sat next to Miranda still holding her hand. Marissa started to hum the song her father sang to her when she was scared. It had the same calming effect on the children that it had on her.

"Bianca is on her way. She was at an offsite meeting, and her cell didn't have reception."

"How did she sound?"

"As well as you can expect. Is everyone okay here?"

"I think we're getting there. Could you do me a favor and move my car? I'm blocking the loading zone for Krystal, and I think she has a delivery coming soon. Maybe hang outside for a few minutes to make sure _everything and everyone _is okay."

Kendall got the hidden meaning behind the simple request. It would be a good idea to intercept Bianca and calm her down before seeing the girls. "I'd be happy to. I'll be right back."

Marissa nodded and resumed humming her song.

Kendall was walking back from moving Marissa's car when she saw Bianca running towards Krystal's. She caught up with her right before she entered the restaurant. "Bianca!"

"Kendall! Are the girls okay?"

"They're fine. They're with Marissa. Let's sit down for a minute, okay? You don't want them to see you like this."

"You're right. Tell me what happened."

Kendall related everything that had happened. Opal had been watching the girls but needed to run a last minute errand, and she had left them with Krystal who was already watching AJ. Once Reese's lawyer showed up, everything went to hell in a hand basket.

"I can't believe Reese. What the hell was she thinking? I wanted her to see the girls, to have a relationship with them. They missed her. Now, I just don't know. I can't trust her. To pull something like this! To try and take them without me knowing! To scare them like that!"

"I don't know what to tell you. All I know is that I'm glad Marissa was here. She was amazing."

"Oh, Kendall. I was mean to her yesterday. She tried to tell me, tried to warn me, that something wasn't right, but I wouldn't listen. I shut her down, ignored her when she tried to check on me last night. All she was doing was trying to protect me and the girls. She must hate me."

"Bianca, she doesn't hate you. She cares about you and the girls too much. Whose idea do you think it was to have me wait out here for you? She wanted to make sure you were okay before you saw the girls. That's not someone who hates you. That is someone who cares about you a great deal."

"I guess you're right."

"You know I am. Are you ready to see the girls?"

Bianca took a deep breath. "Yes. Let's go."

What Bianca saw when she entered the restaurant, both broke and healed her heart at the same time. She could tell the girls had been upset, but she could also tell that Marissa had taken care of her daughters better than anyone else could have. Miranda was leaning against her as Marissa held a protective arm around her oldest daughter. AJ was sitting on the other side of Miranda, holding her hand. Gabby was in Marissa's lap and snuggled tightly against her. Marissa was softly humming to them. Bianca didn't recognize the tune, but it had a calming effect on the children.

Marissa glanced up and saw Bianca. She whispered to Miranda who looked up and immediately saw her mother and ran to her.

Bianca held her oldest daughter. "Hi, Sweetie. Are you okay?"

"I think so. That man was scary, Mom, but Marissa made him go away."

Her daughter was trying so hard to be brave. "I'm glad she was here. She's been taking good care of you?"

Miranda nodded. "Yep. AJ's been helping too."

Bianca looked over at the little boy who was still standing guard over his friend. "Thank you, AJ." She kissed him on the cheek, and he blushed.

"You're welcome. Mom was really brave. I knew everything was going to okay when I saw her."

Bianca could only nod as Marissa made her way over to them. Gabby reached for her.

"Hi, Baby. Are you okay? Do you want to go home?"

Her youngest daughter nodded and snuggled into her.

_Kendall is right. Marissa is amazing. I don't know what I'd do without her. She saved my daughters and me. I've never had anyone stand up for me like that. I've never had anyone protect my children like that. She could've been disbarred for what she said to Reese, but she did that without giving it a second thought for her career. Reese would never have done that. _Bianca's voice broke as she whispered to Marissa. "Thank you. I can never thank you enough…"

"You're welcome. You don't owe me anything. Are you okay to get home?"

"We'll be fine. Marissa, I'm sorry…"

"Bianca, don't. It's fine. We're fine. Take your girls home." Marissa hugged her tightly. "Call me later if you want to talk." She knelt down and kissed Miranda on the top her head, gave her a hug and whispered, "Love you, Miranda."

"Love you, Marissa."

Gabby reached for her again. "Love you, Rissa."

"I love you too, Gabby." She handed the adorable little girl back to Bianca. "Come on, AJ. Let's go home."

Marissa again turned back to Bianca. "Take care of yourself. Call me. It doesn't matter what time, okay?"

Bianca nodded. "I will."


	7. Clearing The Air

**A/N: Thank you for the great reviews. They are truly appreciated. This takes place shortly after the confrontation involving the girls at Krystal's. I wanted to add a little more to it. **

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Bianca stood in the doorway of her daughters' bedroom watching them sleep. She was relieved to see the peaceful looks on their faces. Last night had been much better for all of them than the night before. A shiver went through her when Bianca thought of the other day. She still didn't understand what her ex had hoped to accomplish or what she was thinking. All she knew was that girls had been frightened by the entire incident, and if truth be told, so was she. After getting the girls home, they had talked about what happened and turned in early. They had stayed in her room that night, and she was glad they did. It had been a fitful night. There had been some bad dreams, but Bianca was able to comfort them and get them back to sleep. As she watched them sleep, she had gotten a text from Marissa. The redhead had been worried and was checking to make sure everyone was okay. Bianca checked the time. It was late, but she decided to call Marissa. She needed to talk to someone. No, she wasn't being completely honest. She needed to talk to Marissa.

AJ had stayed in his mother's room that night as well. He was doing okay but had been shaken up by what had happened. Bianca was going to let her go, but Marissa wouldn't have it. She had somehow gotten her to open up, and once she started talking, Bianca was able to release the anger and fear that she had kept in check all day, hidden from her daughters. Marissa had been nothing short of a rock throughout the entire night. She had listened and provided comfort. From what Kendall had told her, she knew that the redhead had been furious, but not once had she let Bianca hear that anger. She could have reminded Bianca that she had warned her that something bad might happen, but she didn't do that either. That wasn't in Marissa's nature. She had simply been there for her when Bianca needed her the most. They had talked until the early hours of the morning, hanging up just before dawn.

Bianca was able to get a couple hours of sleep before the girls woke up. She had decided to keep them home, and the three spent the day watching movies, playing games, reading and just being together. It was exactly what they all needed. As the day wore on, it was decided that they would go to the zoo the next day. The girls had asked if Marissa and AJ could come with them. Bianca had thought that was great idea and called to invite them. After checking with AJ, Marissa had accepted, and they made plans to meet at Wildwind and drive together.

/

Bianca couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather for today for their zoo adventure. The temperature was in the low 70's with an occasional gentle breeze. The sky was a brilliant blue and white puffy clouds dotted the sky every so often. The weather seemed to reflect the change in mood from the other day. The girls had slept soundly last night. This morning they woke up excited about seeing Marissa and AJ and their trip to the zoo.

Once they got there, AJ and Miranda darted from exhibit to exhibit. Gabby wasn't too sure about the larger animals so she was content to stay with Bianca and Marissa. She walked between both of them holding their hands and skipping along with them. When they got to the monkeys, her curiosity won out, and she ran to join the two older children.

Bianca spotted Kendall and her sons walking towards them and waved. She and Marissa sat on a nearby bench while Kendall kept an eye on the children.

"You know, Miranda and Gabby think you're kind of awesome. I gotta say that I do too."

Marissa had a confused look on her face. "Me, awesome? What are you talking about?"

"What you did the other day."

"Bianca, I only did what any lawyer would've done."

The brunette shook her head. "That's not the impression I got from Kendall."

"Your sister exaggerates sometimes."

"True, but not this time according to Krystal. Kendall told me exactly what you did and what you said to both Reese and her lawyer. You could've gotten into serious trouble for that."

"The two of them have big mouths." Marissa muttered.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't want you to worry about me, like you are now. I was the least of your worries. The girls came first."

Bianca nodded. "Would you tell me now? Please?"

Marissa sighed. "I'm afraid I wasn't very professional at the end there, especially with Reese. I'm sorry if I overstepped. I let my emotions get the better of me when I saw she was calling him. What they had tried to pull really started to hit me. I was damned if I wasn't going to give her a piece of my mind. She had to know that she wasn't going to get away with hurting you and the girls. Not then. Not ever."

The redhead tried to play it off some, but Bianca could see the anger in Marissa's eyes and put her hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. You didn't overstep, not by a long shot. You were protecting my daughters and me. I just wish that you would've been a little more careful for yourself. We're talking about your career."

"I don't give a damn about my career when it comes to keeping Miranda, Gabby and you safe. Given the chance, I would probably do exactly the same thing."

Bianca smiled. "See, awesome!"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Oh please! Stop it!"

"There's something else I need to ask you about. Why didn't you tell me you had an early court date yesterday? I wouldn't have kept you up talking all night."

"How did you find out about that? Wait. Caleb told you, didn't he?"

"Yes, he did. You should've had said something."

"Isn't there anyone in this town that can keep their mouth shut? It was no big deal. I was able to hand the case over to someone else. Look, Bianca, you needed to talk, and I needed and wanted to be there for you. I didn't do anything you wouldn't have done for me."

The two women continued to look into each other's eyes. They seemed to be drawn there by some unknown force. They were jolted back to reality by Kendall.

"Move over, Red. Binx, you're up with the kids. I need a break."

"Huh? Okay, I'm on my way."

As Bianca walked away, the same thoughts went through both her and Marissa's minds. _What the hell just happened? Don't think about it! You are just friends!_ Just as quickly as the thoughts occurred, they were pushed into the back of their minds.

"Is everything okay, Marissa?" Kendall asked.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. I'll go help Bianca with the kids."

"Uh, I was hoping we could talk a little."

"You know, I'm not sure if I'm talking to you."

"What'd I do?"

"You told your sister about my conversation with Reese. I would've preferred if she hadn't known about that."

"Okay. Will you give me a couple minutes?"

"Hmmm. I have a pretty good idea of how the Kane women operate. I really don't have a choice, do I? Go ahead."

"First, I didn't get the chance to say it the other day, but thank you for taking care of my nieces, for keeping them safe, and thank you for watching out for my sister, for having her back."

"There was no way in hell that those girls were going anywhere. I wasn't going to let anyone do something like that to Bianca. You don't need to thank me, Kendall. Anyone would do what I did in that situation."

"Yeah, I did need to thank you. Second, a conversation? Is that what you would call what you had with Reese? I always thought a conversation required more than one person doing the talking. What you had? It sounded pretty one-sided to me. Not that I'm criticizing, because I'm not. You handled that far better than either my mom or I would have. Which reminds me, mom wanted me to thank you for her as well and to tell you that she was impressed."

Marissa just stared in shock at Kendall for a few minutes before she managed to speak. "Erica? You told Erica, and she was impressed? Is that all she said?"

"Yeah, she was very impressed, and actually, no, that wasn't all she said. She had quite a few choice words about Reese and her lawyer."

The redhead smirked. "I can only imagine what she had to say about them. Remind me to not get on Erica's bad side."

"It was extremely, shall we say, colorful, and that's a good call about not getting on her bad side. Now, back to my sister. Why didn't you want her to know about what you said to Reese?"

"I knew she would worry about what might happen to me. She had too much to deal with. I didn't want to add to the list."

"You know how this place is with secrets. If I didn't tell her, someone else would have. As for her not worrying about someone she cares about, you know that's not going to happen. Bianca always has and always will put everyone else before herself. It's who she is. That being said, the reverse is not always true. There haven't been too many people that have done the same for her. They take her for granted, and she ends up getting hurt. I can't even begin to tell you how that makes me feel. What I'd like to do to them for hurting her. So, you're wrong when you say anyone would do what you did. They wouldn't. They haven't. When someone does what you did for her, she deserves to know."

"Well, those people are complete idiots. I don't get it. I don't understand how anyone could hurt her, could take her for granted. She is the most caring and giving person I've ever known. She's amazing." As Marissa watched Bianca and the kids, a smile lit across her face. "She does a pretty good monkey impression too!"

"That she does!" Kendall turned from her sister to Marissa and studied the redhead. "So, how are things with JR? Is there any chance of the two of you getting back together?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Not a snowball's chance in hell. I'll do my best to get along with him for AJ's sake, but that's it. Why do you ask?"

"No reason. I'm just curious."

The kids ran over to them followed by Bianca. "The kids told me they're starving."

"Starving, huh?" Marissa laughed. "Well, we can't that. I guess we have to feed them. Let's go."

Spike and Ian pulled Kendall off the bench. "Come on, Mom!"

Bianca watched as her sister walked ahead and looked at Marissa. The two followed behind AJ and the girls. "Everything okay with the two of you?"

"Yeah, everything's fine."

"What were the two of you talking about?"

"If you must know, we were talking about you. We both agree that you're a natural at acting like a monkey!" Marissa smirked.

"Cute! Thanks! I appreciate that!" Bianca laughed.

"You're welcome! We talked about a couple of things. She asked me about JR, and if there was a chance of us getting back together."

"That's odd. Did she say why she was asking?"

"I thought it was odd too. She just said she was curious."

"What did you tell her?"

"That there was a snowball's chance in hell of that happening. Why are you asking?"

"I'm just checking to see if I need to enforce a clause in this legal agreement I have about knocking sense into someone." Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed. "You know, I'm starting to question how smart it was of me to give that to you. You seem to be enjoying the smacking me part a little too much!"


	8. Devon

**A/N: Back again! I really appreciate the reviews! You all are great! I don't recall this being dealt with too much on the show so I thought I would pursue this thread some. It will build into what I have planned for them. Hope you like this latest chapter. **

**/**

"Marissa? Are you okay? Where did you go?" Bianca asked, worried about the redhead.

"Huh? I'm fine. I won't be able to make it for lunch tomorrow. There's something I need to do."

"Okay. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No. I don't think so. It's just something I really need to do." Marissa checked the time. "I have to go. I have a brief I have to finish before tomorrow."

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Call me later if you want to talk."

Marissa nodded and headed back to work.

Bianca watched her leave and was concerned. She couldn't ever recall seeing Marissa as down as she was now. She saw Krystal behind the counter and approached her.

"Hi, Krystal. Could I ask you something? It's about Marissa."

"What about her? Is there something wrong?"

"I don't know for sure. She just seems a little down. Is there something about tomorrow that would cause that?"

"Tomorrow? Not that I know of." Krystal pulled out a calendar and checked the date. She thought for a minute and then made a connection. "Of course. I think I know why she may be feeling that way. It's the anniversary of Roy and Lydia's deaths."

"Her parents? Oh, I'm sorry, Krystal."

"That's okay. You're right. She considers them her parents, and she loves them very much. They raised her. They're responsible for her being the person she is today. They did an incredible job."

"You're right. They did. She is something special. She loves you too though."

"I suppose she does but not the same way as them. I don't blame her. Our relationship is complicated. I know she still struggles with my giving her up."

Bianca knew this was true and couldn't think of any way to respond to that statement. A thought occurred to her. "Are the Taskers buried in her hometown?"

"Yes, they're buried back in Devon. Excuse me for a minute, Bianca." A server approached Krystal with a question interrupting their conversation.

"That's okay, Krystal, I need to go."

"Bianca, would you keep an eye on Marissa for me?"

"You know I will."

/

Bianca entered the Fusion offices looking for her sister. "Hey, Kendall, I need a favor."

"Sure, Binx. What do you need?"

"Could you watch the girls tomorrow afternoon for me?"

"I'd be happy to. You know I love spending time with them"

"Yeah, I know, and they love spending time with Aunt Kendall."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I think so, at least with me."

"Okay, you've got my attention. If you're okay, then is it someone else?"

"It's Marissa. She seemed down at lunch and cancelled for tomorrow. She said she had something she needed to do. I checked with Krystal to see if she knew what might be up. It turns out tomorrow is the anniversary of her parents' deaths."

"Oh, that makes sense that she would be a little down. She was pretty close with them, wasn't she?"

"Yeah, she was. I haven't seen her that down before. I'm a little worried about her."

"I'm sure she'll be okay, Bianca, but you want to be sure of that, don't you?"

"I do, yeah. I have a feeling she's going back to Devon to visit their graves tomorrow."

"Did she give any indication that she was going out of town for the day?"

"No, it's just a hunch. I checked with Caleb on my way over here, and he confirmed that she took tomorrow off."

"What does that have to do with me watching the girls?"

"Well, if she's upset, I don't think it's a good idea for her to make that drive by herself. I've cleared my schedule for tomorrow, and I'm going to go over to her place early tomorrow morning to see if she wants company."

"You could just ask her tonight, couldn't you? I mean, aren't you taking a chance that she'll agree? What if she says no?"

"It's a chance I'm willing to take. Besides, it's harder to refuse someone to their face than over the phone."

"You've got a point. You're that worried about her?"

"I'd say I'm more concerned than worried. She's been incredible, and I just want to make sure she's okay. That she's safe. It's the least I can do after everything she's done for me."

"She has done a lot for all of us. Tell her I'm thinking about her. Do you think she'll need someone to watch AJ? If she does, I'm willing to add one more to the mix."

Bianca smiled. "I'm sure she has that covered, but I'll let her know the offer. I know she'll appreciate it. Thanks for watching the girls."

"It's not a problem. You'll just owe me one! Have a safe trip. Let me know if Marissa needs anything."

"I will, and thanks again. Talk to you tomorrow."

Kendall watched her sister as she left. _Interesting. Is it just concern or is it something else, Bianca?_

/

The next morning, Marissa saw AJ off to school. She hoped her son didn't notice her mood. She had tried hard to put on a happy face for him. No matter how hard she tried though, she just couldn't shake this feeling of melancholy that had been building the last few days. This year was a little better than last year, but this day always seemed to affect her the same way. She knew why. She still missed her parents. They had been taken far too soon. She thought about their life together and her hometown. She hadn't been back to Devon for a couple of years and felt a little guilty for not having gone back sooner. She decided a few weeks ago that this year she would make the trip. She was anxious about it and knew it wouldn't be easy, but Marissa felt she owed it to her parents. She checked the time and knew she should head out. _Maybe, I should have talked to Bianca and asked her to come with me. I know she would have come. I wouldn't be dreading this drive so much with her here. Well, it's too late now. _

She grabbed her keys and purse and headed out the door. Marissa came to a complete stop as soon as she walked outside. Bianca was getting out of her car.

"Bianca, hi. What are you doing here? Is everything okay? Did you need something?"

"Morning. Everything's fine."

"That's good. I'm actually on my way out."

"You mind if I ask where you're headed?"

Marissa looked at Bianca and knew she needed to tell her. "Today is the anniversary of the day my parents died. I'm headed to Devon to visit for the day."

"That's a bit of a drive. Would you like some company?"

"What about work and the girls?"

"My schedule is clear, and Kendall is watching the girls this afternoon. She wanted to know if you need her to watch AJ."

"That's very nice of her, but AJ's staying with Tad after school."

"So, would you like some company?"

Marissa nodded. "Yes, I would."

"I'll drive then. Are you ready?"

The redhead nodded again and got in the passenger side. Once they were on the road, she turned to Bianca. "How did you know what I was doing today?"

"You seemed so down and distracted yesterday. After you left, I asked Krystal if she had an idea of why. She remembered that today was the anniversary. I had a feeling you might be headed to Devon when Caleb told me you took today off. You don't talk about them a lot, but I know that you miss them. I thought the trip might be hard for you, and I didn't want you to go through this alone."

Marissa whispered, "Thank you."

Bianca knew better than to press her to talk. Marissa would do so when she was ready. "You're welcome."

The drive to Devon was silent. Bianca glanced at Marissa several times to check on her. She seemed lost in thought as she watched the scenery go by. Once they entered town, Marissa asked her to stop at a florist where she picked up two sets of flowers. They headed to the cemetery.

When they arrived, Bianca asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm as okay as I can be today. I won't be long."

"Take as long as you need. I'll wait over at that bench."

Marissa took a deep breath and walked to her parents' gravesites. She placed the flowers by their headstones and sat on the grass between them. "Hi, Mom. Hi, Dad. I'm sorry it's been so long since I've been here. I know what you'd say, Mom. That I shouldn't feel that way. That I should be living my life and not dwelling in the past. I'm trying, but today's hard. I miss you both. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about the both of you." Marissa sighed and wiped a tear away. "Okay, Dad, no more tears. What can I tell you about my life now? I've met Krystal. She's nice, and we're working on building a relationship. She's living in Pine Valley and convinced me to move there. You'll be proud to know that I'm a lawyer, and I'm actually pretty good at it. The best thing is that I'm a mom! I have a son. His name is AJ, and he's seven. He is the most amazing boy. While I didn't give birth to him, I couldn't love him any more than if I did. That's right. He's adopted, kind of fitting when you think about it. He's my ex-husband's son with my sister who passed away before I moved to Pine Valley. I know, it's a little confusing, but just know that AJ is the light of my life. I finally understand everything you two told me about the love a parent has for a child whether they are blood or not. We just moved to our own home. It's not the biggest, but it's perfect for us. Yeah, Dad, I'm avoiding the ex-husband talk. Let's just say that I'm pretty sure neither of you would like him too much, but I do have AJ so something good did come out of that relationship."

Marissa shifted slightly. "I'm taking care of myself so you don't have to worry about me. I've met some very nice people in Pine Valley, and they look out for me. Actually, one of them came with me today. Her name is Bianca, and she is the best friend I could ever ask for. She is absolutely amazing. You both would love her. She is the most caring and giving person I've ever known. She showed up at the house today to make the drive up with me without me asking or even telling her what I was going to do. She's one of the strongest people I know too. She's been through a lot and still has an incredible outlook on life. She reminds me a little of Dad. She has his goofy sense of humor. If you met her, you'd never believe she is Erica Kane's daughter. Yeah, I've met _the _Erica Kane. She is definitely something else, a force to be reckoned with. I guess Bianca is a little like that, but only when protecting those she cares about. She gave my ex a piece of her mind a little while back. It feels good to have someone in my corner like that. I'm talking too much about her, aren't I? I've just never had someone so special in my life." Marissa smiled. "You'd like her sister Kendall too. She's become a good friend. What else can I tell you about you about Pine Valley?"

Bianca watched as Marissa visited with her parents. She was relieved to see that the redhead's mood seemed to take a turn for the better. She looked away to give her more privacy. It was some time later that Bianca head someone singing. She looked around and realized that it was Marissa. _She has an amazing voice! That song is so familiar. Where have I heard it before? That's the song she was humming to Miranda and Gabby the day of the incident with Reese. _Bianca listened to her sing and could only stare. She was mesmerized by the scene. _It's such a lovely song made even more beautiful by Marissa's voice, and the feeling she puts behind the words. She looks so calm, so peaceful and so beautiful._

Bianca blinked as she saw Marissa stand and walk towards her. "Hey, I'm sorry I was so long."

"It's okay. How are you doing?"

"I'm better. I really am. Are you okay if we head back home? I really want to see AJ."

"Sure. I'm ready whenever you are."

They walked to car and headed back to Pine Valley. After about 10 minutes, Marissa opened up. "I'm glad I came here today. I feel closer to them here for some reason. I wish you could have known them. They were great." She sighed. "How was Krystal yesterday?"

"She was okay. Why?"

"Well, I know it had to be hard on her when she realized what was going on with me. I know she loves me, but I sometimes have a hard time understanding everything that she did. She tries, but it's complicated. I won't even go into my relationship with David. I guess I'm lucky that she gave me to my parents though. I couldn't have asked for better ones. They gave me so much love and such a wonderful childhood."

She continued to tell Bianca about her childhood and her parents on the drive back to Pine Valley. They stopped at a small diner for a late lunch along the way, and Marissa continued to share memories.

As they started back home after lunch, Bianca turned to her. "Marissa, could I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything."

"The song I heard you singing…"

"Oh my God! You heard me? I didn't realize I was singing that loud. I'm so embarrassed." Marissa covered her face.

Bianca gently pulled the redhead's hands from her face. "You shouldn't be. You have a beautiful voice, and it's a lovely song."

"Thank you." Marissa said, still slightly embarrassed.

"You're welcome. Is that the same song you were humming to the girls that day at Krystal's?"

"Yes, it is."

"I hadn't heard it before. What's the name of it?"

"It's called 'Forever More'. My dad used to sing it to me whenever I was scared. It always made me feel better. It always managed to calm me down and made me feel less afraid. It made me feel good about myself. It really is a beautiful song, isn't it?"

Bianca smiled. "Yes, it is. It calmed the girls down. I actually heard Miranda trying to hum it to herself after we got home."

"Really? I'll have to teach it to her if you don't mind."

"Why would I mind? I think she would really like that."

They soon arrived at Tad's. As soon as they pulled up to the house, AJ darted outside to greet his mother. Marissa kissed him and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much. You know how much, don't you?"

The boy nodded. "Inside out and upside down! I love you too. Are you feeling better, Mom?"

Marissa looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"You just seemed kinda sad this morning."

She smiled and remembered that nothing got by him. "Yes, I'm much better, thanks to you and Bianca."

AJ smiled and got in the car. "Hi, Bianca!"

"Hey, Buddy! Did you have a good day?"

He nodded and proceeded to tell the two about everything that had happened.

When Bianca got the pair home, AJ got out of the car and started to run to the front door. He stopped midway and ran back towards the driver's side and motioned to Bianca.

The brunette unfastened her seatbelt, opened the car door and knelt beside him. "What's up, Buddy?"

AJ hugged her tightly. "Thank you for helping Mom feel better today. Love you, Bianca."

Bianca swallowed hard. "You're welcome, AJ. I love you too."

AJ turned to Marissa and asked for the key to the front door.

"I'll be right there, AJ."

Her son nodded and ran to head inside.

Bianca noticed Marissa starting to wipe tears from her eyes. She walked over and hugged her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. I'm just thinking how lucky I really am. I have the best son anyone could ever ask for. I had wonderful parents even if it was for a short time. I really wish you could've known them."

"You know, I think I do know them some after today. From everything you've told me about them, I think you're a great deal like them."

"You do?'

"I do. You are such an amazing person and an even more amazing mother if that's possible. They would be very proud of you."

Marissa struggled to form a reply for a few seconds. "Thank you. That's the best compliment anyone has ever given me, and thank you for going with me today. I don't know if I could have gotten through it without you. That's another thing that makes me so lucky, having you in my life."

Bianca could only manage "You're welcome."

"Mom!"

Marissa smiled. "That would be me! Coming, AJ! Talk to later, and give the girls a hug and kiss from me."

"I will." Bianca's cell rang, and she answered. She smiled as Miranda was on the other end of the line.


	9. ER Run

**A/N: What can I say but thank you! You all are the greatest! There's a little drama and some humor this time around. Hope you like this latest installment. **

**/**

Marissa was jolted from a sound sleep by her cell phone ringing. She checked the time. It was 2:45 AM. She looked at the caller id and saw it was Bianca.

"Bianca. Is everything ok…"

"Marissa?"

Her heart stopped when she heard the voice on the other end. "Miranda? What's wrong, sweetie?"

"It's Mom. She's sick."

Marissa was already out of bed, grabbing a pair of jeans to put on. "What do you mean by sick?"

"She's been in the bathroom for a while, and I can hear her getting sick."

"Okay. Is there anything else? Did she say if anything hurt?"

"Her right side was hurting her before."

"Have you called your Aunt Kendall or anyone else?"

"No. Mom didn't want to call her. She doesn't know I'm talking to you. Marissa, I'm scared."

"It will be okay. I'm on my way now. How's Gabby?"

"She's still asleep. I didn't want to scare her. You promise Mom's going to be okay?"

Marissa knew she was taking a risk, but she didn't know what else to say. "I promise. I'm going to stay on the phone with you until I get there, okay? Will that make you feel a little better?"

"Yes."

Marissa continued to soothe the child as she ran into AJ's room to wake him up. After he put his shoes on, they ran to her car, and Marissa put Miranda on speaker phone so she could use both hands. She needed both because she was shaking so much. She was able to keep her voice calm so not to scare Miranda any more than she already was. What was normally a 20 minute drive was done in less than 10 minutes.

"Miranda, we're pulling into the driveway now. I need you to unlock the front door."

The girl ran down to do as she was told. When Marissa and AJ entered, she pulled Miranda into a tight hug. "Is your mom still in the bathroom?"

Miranda nodded.

"Okay. You two wait here, and I'll go check on her."

Marissa walked quickly to Bianca's bathroom and knocked on the door. "Bianca?" She heard a painful moan on the other side and opened it immediately.

For the second time that night, her heart stopped. Bianca was on the floor, curled up in a ball, in obvious pain. Marissa knelt beside her. "Bianca, I need you to tell me what's wrong. Where do you hurt?"

"I'm okay really. It's just a bug."

"Bianca, you're burning up. Miranda has said you've been getting sick for a while. I can tell you're in a lot of pain. This is not a bug."

The brunette started to protest but was stopped by another sharp pain.

Marissa couldn't stand to see her in such pain. She made a quick decision that she knew Bianca probably wouldn't like, but she'd deal with that later. "I'll be right back." She ran downstairs to Miranda and AJ. "Miranda, I need you to wake up Gabby and get her shoes and jacket on her, okay?"

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to take your mom somewhere to help her feel better."

Miranda nodded and ran to get her sister.

"AJ, do you remember where Bianca keeps her keys?"

"Uh huh."

"Good. I want you to get them."

AJ ran off to get the keys.

Marissa hurried back up to Bianca's room. "Bianca, are you able to walk?"

"I think so."

"Okay, we're going to the hospital."

"But…"

"I'm not arguing with you on this. Miranda is scared and so am I. This isn't normal. I'm either driving you to the hospital or calling an ambulance. You choose."

"No ambulance."

"Driving it is. Let me help you up."

The kids were waiting by the front door as the two women made their way slowly down the stairs. Bianca did her best to hide her pain from them, trying not to scare them anymore than they were already.

Marissa spoke to them. "I need you all to head to the car. We'll be right behind you."

The two older children each took one of Gabby's hands and hurried out the door.

"How are you doing, Bianca?"

"I've been better." Another pain hit her causing her to almost send the two down the stairs. Marissa managed to steady them.

"I've got you. I won't let you fall. Lean on me some more."

Bianca nodded as Marissa almost carried her the rest of the way to the car.

The children were already in the car and belted in when the women finally reached it. AJ handed his mother the keys, and Marissa helped Bianca in and fastened her seatbelt. She opened the back door to check on Gabby's booster seat, making sure she was in securely. She gave a quick kiss to each child and made her way to the driver's side. As she fastened her seatbelt, she could see the fear in the girls' eyes. "Your mom is going to be okay. She's not feeling too good right now so we're going to take her to hospital so they can make her feel better, okay?" The girls nodded.

Marissa drove as fast and as safely as she could to the hospital. She knew Bianca was still in pain, but she was doing her best to keep the girls from seeing it. When Marissa pulled up to the emergency room entrance, she had everyone wait in the car while she went to get help. An orderly followed her back outside with a wheelchair and helped Bianca into it. Marissa got the kids out of the car, and they followed Bianca inside. The redhead spotted Jake and called over to him. "Jake, it's Bianca!"

The doctor rushed over to them. "What are her symptoms?"

"Nausea, vomiting, fever and intense pain on her right side."

"Let me take a look and run some tests. I'll need you and the kids to wait out here. Try not to worry."

_Easier said than done, Jake. _Marissa led them into the waiting room, and they sat down on a couch. She looked at the girls. "Dr. Jake is a really good doctor and is going to take very good care of your mom. She's going to be okay." Marissa pulled Gaby, who was confused about what was going on, onto her lap and then had Miranda and AJ squeeze in tight on either side of her. She explained that the tests being done would help the doctors figure out what was making Bianca sick. Once they knew that, they would know what to do to make her feel better. They sat quietly waiting for word on Bianca's condition.

Jake found them some time later, and he asked to see Marissa privately. She promised the children that she would be right back and would let them know what was going on.

"It's her appendix. It's pretty inflamed. We're going to do an emergency appendectomy. Do you want me to talk to the girls?"

"No, I'll do it. What about her pain?"

"We've given her something for it, and she's resting comfortably."

"Can we see her before surgery?"

"We'll finish prepping her, and then I'll take you back. You'll only be able to see her a few minutes."

"Thanks, Jake."

Marissa put on her best poker face, went back over to the children and knelt in front of them. The redhead explained everything that was going on as honestly as she could. She told them that Bianca would need surgery, but it would make her feel much better afterwards. Marissa told them that they would be able to see Bianca before she went into surgery, and that they needed to be extra gentle around her right now. The doctors had given her some medicine to help her with her pain, and she might not seem like herself because of it. By the time Marissa finished, Jake returned to take them back.

It took every ounce of strength she had not to react when she saw Bianca. She looked pale and so fragile, nothing at all like the brunette normally did. Marissa led the kids to her bedside and lifted the girls onto one side of her bed while standing with AJ next to them.

Bianca slowly opened her eyes and offered a small smile. "Hey. Are you guys okay? I don't want you to worry. I'm going to be okay. I want you to be good for Marissa and do what she says, okay?" The girls nodded. "I love you both, and I'll be better in no time at all. I promise." Tears started to well in her eyes.

Miranda leaned forward and gently kissed her cheek. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you, Mommy." Gabby said as she planted a kiss on her mother as well.

Marissa lifted girls off the bed, and AJ moved closer to Bianca. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss too. "Love you, Bianca. Feel better, okay?"

"Hey, AJ. I love you too. I will."

Marissa gently wiped a tear from Bianca's cheek and took her hand. "Don't worry about them. The girls will be fine. I'll take good care of them. Everything will be fine. I'll be right here."

"Thank you."

Jake entered. "I'm sorry, but it's time to go."

Bianca was wheeled out of the room and down the hall to the OR. Marissa picked up Gabby and took Miranda's hand with AJ taking his friend's other hand. They walked to the waiting room and found a quiet corner. Once there, Marissa knew it was time to make a call she had been dreading. "I need to call your Aunt Kendall. I'm going to go over there and do it. I'll be right back, okay?" The children nodded as she pulled out her cell phone. When Kendall answered, Marissa told her where they were and what was happening with Bianca. Kendall had been frantic at first upon hearing of her sister's condition. Marissa did her best to assure her that Bianca would be fine, but she wasn't sure if that helped calm her down or not. Marissa wasn't sure if she had even helped her own self. She only knew that she had to stay calm for the kids. She took a deep breath and returned to them. Gabby climbed back onto her lap, and Miranda and AJ returned to her side. She knew the kids needed sleep so she came up with an idea.

"Miranda, you're mom told me you liked my special song. My dad used to sing it to me when I was your age. Would you like to learn the words?" The girl nodded and moved in closer. Marissa started to sing softly.

"_All through the night, near and far, we will be together. So hush, don't you cry. You will be in my arms, forevermore."_

By the time Kendall arrived, the children had all nodded off. She had rushed into the waiting room ready to start demanding answers, but she stopped when she saw the sleeping children. She quietly approached and pulled up a chair by them. Speaking softly to avoid waking the kids, she asked, "Any word yet on how things are going, Marissa?"

"Not yet. Jake said she would be in surgery for at least two hours. It's been about an hour now."

"Why didn't you call sooner?" Kendall was trying to hide the irritation in her voice, but Marissa caught it.

"I'm sorry, Kendall. Everything happened so quickly after Miranda called. I should have called you once we got here, but the girls were scared. I thought it was best to take care of them first. By the time I was able to do that, I thought I should wait until we knew something. I'm sorry."

Kendall looked at the redhead and knew she couldn't fault her thinking. She had thought of the girls first, and that's exactly what she would've done. "No, you're right. I'm sorry. You said Miranda called you. I wonder why she didn't call me."

"Bianca told her not to. I'm guessing she didn't say anything about not calling me. That's why I got the call."

Kendall smiled at her oldest niece. "Splitting hairs already. Looks like we have the makings of a lawyer."

"It looks like it. I'll make sure to teach her some of my amazing debating skills."

The tension eased, and Kendall asked, "How are you holding up? You had more than your hands full tonight."

Marissa swallowed hard and fought off tears. "I'm hanging in there. If I start talking about it now, I'll lose it, and I can't afford to do that right now around them."

"Well, I'm here to help now so we'll get through this together, okay?" Kendall gently moved AJ and took the seat next to Marissa. She placed his head in her lap and stroked his back.

They sat quietly until Jake finally came into the room.

He spoke softly. "Bianca's fine. Everything went perfectly. We were able to do a laparoscopy so her healing time will be quicker. Barring any complications, she should be able to go home tomorrow."

To say that the two women were relieved would be an understatement. Both asked at the same time, "When can we see her?"

"She's in recovery now, and we'll be moving her to a private room shortly. I'd say maybe 30 minutes. I'll have someone come get you."

"Thanks, Jake."

Marissa looked at the girls and AJ. "I'm thinking we should let them sleep as long as possible."

"I think that's a good idea."

"What about Erica? She's still in Paris, isn't she?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking I'll hold off on calling her until we see Bianca."

"I've been thinking. Bianca's going to need some help for a few days when she gets home. She won't admit to it of course. She's also going to need to take it easy, and she's going to fight us on both of those things."

"Ah, you know my sister well. Any ideas?"

"I have a couple, but I don't to step on any toes."

"Marissa, after tonight and everything you've done, trust me, that's not possible. What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking of combining our resources."

"I'm listening."

Marissa started to lay out her plan when the children started stirring. She told them that Bianca was out of surgery and was going to be okay, and they would get to see her very soon. She would be sleepy when they saw her, and they still had to be careful around her because she would be sore.

A nurse came by to get them a short while later, and they all headed back to Bianca's room.

/

A few hours later, Bianca opened her eyes. It took her a minute to get her bearings, and she realized she was in the hospital. She turned her head and saw Marissa asleep in a chair close to her bed. Bianca fixed her eyes on the redhead. She started to remember bits and pieces of the last several hours. She remembered being in a lot of pain and nearly passing out in her bathroom. The next thing she could recall was Marissa being there, helping her up off the floor and practically carrying her to the car. Bianca recalled Marissa's words. "I've got you. I won't let you fall. Everything will be fine. I'll be right here." Marissa's presence and those words somehow made their way through the pain. They gave her something to hold onto, helping her handle the pain and remain strong for her daughters. _I should be surprised that she's been here the whole time, but I'm not. I knew she would be. Was that the reason I didn't tell Miranda not to call Marissa? Did I somehow know that she would be the only one to help me get through it? What the hell am I thinking? _Bianca shifted in her bed and let out a small gasp from a twinge of pain.

Marissa immediately opened her eyes and was at the brunette's side in an instant. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Yeah, it was just a twinge. I guess I moved a little too fast. Where are the girls and AJ?"

"Kendall took them home to get something to eat and take a nap. They'll be back in a little while."

"How long have I been asleep?"

"About a couple of hours. How's the pain? It's okay if you need something. It's actually past time for another round. Be honest, Bianca."

"I could probably use something for it but just a little bit, okay?"

"I'll be right back." Marissa returned with a nurse who administered another dose of pain medication after checking the brunette's chart and then left.

"You should feel better in a few minutes. What can I do to help take your mind off of it until you do?"

"Well, you could tell me what happened. I'm remembering bits and pieces but not everything just yet."

"Okay. Miranda called me a little before 3:00 this morning. She was scared because you were getting sick. God, Bianca, she's a little you! She is an incredible little girl. She helped take care of Gabby and stayed so strong the whole time. I know that you're already proud of her, but she outdid herself."

Bianca smiled and wiped a tear away from her cheek. "So, she called you?"

"Well, she said you told her not to call Kendall. AJ and I came over. I knew things were bad when you didn't put up too much of an argument about coming to the hospital."

"I seem to remember you threatening me."

Marissa smirked. "I would call it more like strongly encouraging you. We got here, and I saw that Jake was working. He took care of you right away, and did some tests. They had to remove your appendix. I called Kendall once I found that out, and she came over while you were in surgery. They did a laparoscopy."

The pain medicine started to kick in. "They did a whatoscopy?"

Marissa couldn't help but laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. You're kind of adorable when you're loopy. A laparoscopy. Basically, you'll be able to head home quicker and heal faster with no big, ugly scar."

"I can go home quicker?" She was starting to feel drowsy again but was fighting it.

"Jake says you should be able to go home tomorrow. Go ahead and close your eyes. I'm right here."

Marissa watched as Bianca finally drifted off again. She said a silent prayer of thanks that Bianca was going to be alright and looked at her again. The tears she had somehow managed to hold off all this time started to fall. _She looks so peaceful now, so beautiful. You scared the hell out of me. I thought I might lose you there for a little while, and I don't know what I would do without you in my life. I don't ever want to find that out. You are so special to me and mean so damn much. _Marissa was startled with what she was feeling and struggled to put a word to what those feelings exactly were. _No, I can't… _She was interrupted by Kendall poking her head in the room.

"How's our favorite patient? Marissa, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. She's doing better. The nurse gave her something for the pain, and she just nodded off again. Where are the kids?"

"AJ is back at my house with the boys. JR called when we were getting ready to head over, and he wanted to talk to him. I hope that's okay."

"Yeah, he misses his dad. He's been out of the country on business for a while so it's understandable that AJ would want to talk to him. No matter how much of a jackass JR is to me, he loves his son."

"Good. The girls are charming the nurses, and showing off the get well cards they made for Bianca along with the ones the boys made too. I have an idea. Why don't you go get some rest? You won't be in any shape to deal with this one when she gets home if you don't."

_That explains it. I'm just exhausted. Some sleep will clear my mind. Bianca is my best friend and nothing more. Everything from the last several hours is finally catching up with me._

"Earth to Marissa."

"Sorry. That's a good idea. I'll head over to Wildwind, grab a couple of hours of sleep and get things ready over there. Did you call her assistant?"

"Yep. She's on board with our plan. Are you okay to drive? Bianca will kill me if something happens to you."

Marissa smiled. "I'm fine. Tell her I'll be back to check on her later."

/

Bianca was bored. She had been home from the hospital for three days and was bored out of her mind. There was nothing on TV especially since they cancelled the soap opera that she used to watch. It was a guilty pleasure that she had allowed herself and now it was gone. An idea came to her. She looked at the clock on the mantle. Marissa would be back soon from a quick trip to the office to drop off some files and pick up a new batch. Kendall would be here in an hour after picking up the girls and AJ from school and daycare. The two had been taking turns staying with her and helping with the girls since she had gotten home. While one stayed with her, the other was in charge of transporting the kids. Bianca picked up the phone and called her office. Her assistant, Jan, answered on the second ring. "Hi, Jan. How are things going?"

"Bianca! It's really good to hear from you! Things are fine here. We're managing without you, but everyone misses you. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing much better. Thank everyone for the flowers. So, is there anything I could do to help?"

"I thought you were supposed to take it easy for two weeks?"

"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I can't handle some minor paperwork." There was silence on the other end of the line.

"Um, I'm sorry, Bianca. I'm not allowed to give you any work."

"What do you mean you're not allowed to give me any work? Who told you that?"

"Well, your sister came by the other day and said we weren't supposed to give you anything in the way of work no matter how much you asked. She said that she and Marissa were handling things until you were cleared to come back to work. We know she was just thinking of you, but she was a little intimidating to be honest. Marissa just stopped by and reminded everyone that Kendall was serious. I'm sorry, but no one wants to cross your sister or even Marissa for that matter."

Bianca took a deep breath and said, "That's fine, Jan. Don't worry about it. Tell everyone that I said hi and that I'll see them soon." She hung up and started to stew over this bit of information. There wasn't much time to do so before Marissa arrived.

"Hey, Bianca. I'm back." The redhead froze in her tracks when she saw the look on Bianca's face. "Is everything okay?"

"Actually, no, it's not. I just had an interesting conversation with Jan. It seems that she's not _allowed _to give me anything in the way of work. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

Marissa took a deep breath. She knew she was busted so it was best to face this head on. "Yes, I do. Kendall and I thought the best way for you to heal was to actually relax and not do any work. I know it's a foreign concept to you."

"I can't believe you two! My sister and my, and you conspire against me! You go behind my back and tell my employees to basically ignore me! I'm not a child! I'm perfectly capable of doing something!"

"No one is treating you like a child. I'm sorry if you feel that way. All we've done is try and get you to rest so you can heal and get back to work faster. If you think that's conspiring against you, then we're guilty, but you have to admit that you are a bit of a workaholic. You've only been home for three days, and you're already bugging your staff for work! Come on, Bianca. You have to admit that's pretty bad. We're just looking out for you."

Bianca let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. It's just that I'll be buried in paperwork when I get back."

"No, you won't."

"What do you mean? There's the day to day business of The Miranda Center and the fundraiser on top of that. I'm going to be swamped."

"I mean that Kendall and I have it covered along with your staff. She's keeping an eye on the day to day things, and I've got the fundraiser. While we aren't you, I think we're maybe a distant second and doing okay keeping up on things."

Bianca felt the anger drain from her. "I'm sorry. That was kind of bitchy, wasn't it?"

Marissa laughed. "Just a little. I really am sorry we went behind your back, but we're just trying to help."

"I know, and you have. I really appreciate everything you've done. So, you're handling the fundraiser. I don't suppose I could do anything to help, could I? Help me out here, Marissa. I'm bored out of my mind. There's nothing on TV, and I can only take so many naps."

"Sorry, but I don't think so." Marissa turned to move her briefcase.

"Please, Rissa!"

Marissa stopped and turned to look at Bianca. She saw those brown eyes looking at her with a mix of amusement and pleading. _Damn it! _"I can't believe you're playing that card. You have absolutely no shame, and you don't fight fair."

Bianca smirked. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"Yeah right. Fine, I'll give you one thing to work on." She removed a file from her briefcase and handed it to the brunette. "I'm only doing this to keep you from pestering your staff, and I can keep an eye on you to make sure you're not doing too much."

"Thank you!"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Wipe that smirk off your face and don't let your sister find out I caved. If she does, I'm totally throwing you under the bus and telling Kendall that you went into my briefcase and took the file."

Bianca smiled in reply to the threat and quickly hid the file under a cushion as her sister and the kids burst into the house.


	10. The Set Up

**A/N: I cannot say thank you enough for the kind reviews! They are greatly appreciated! There is no real drama this time around. I'm giving it a little break. This is the first part of a little arc in the story. I thought about making this a longer chapter but decided against it. So, this one is short, but it is setting something up. Don't hate me too much on ending it where I did. **

**/**

Kendall entered Krystal's and immediately spotted Bianca and Marissa. It was like clockwork. Every weekday at this time, the two women could be found here at the same table.

"Binx. Red."

"Curly." Marissa smirked.

Bianca chuckled while the redhead's response caused Kendall to raise an eyebrow.

"Hmmm. Someone's in a good mood."

"Why wouldn't I be, Kendall? I'm having lunch with my best friend, and I won my latest case!"

Bianca raised her glass towards the redhead. "Ditto on lunch with my best friend and congrats on the latest win! You're racking up a very nice record for yourself, Counselor!"

Marissa raised her glass and clinked Bianca's. "Thank you! Oh, I almost forgot the best news! JR's business trip got extended so he'll be out of my hair for a while longer!"

"That is great news!"

"I know! Maybe I should buy a lottery ticket while I'm on this roll!"

While the younger women laughed, Kendall just shook her head. Yet again, Marissa and Bianca managed to close out everyone else but each other.

"Are you two done?"

"Sorry, Curly! What's up?" Bianca smirked while Marissa stifled a laugh.

"You know, Counselor, I'm thinking you're a bad influence on my little sister."

Marissa grinned. "You think so? Thanks! I try my best, but it really didn't take a lot of effort on my part! She is part Kane!"

Kendall smiled and shook her head again. "Anyway, Bianca, I have a huge favor to ask."

Marissa shivered. "Be afraid, be very afraid!"

Bianca laughed. "Trust me, I am! What is this huge favor?"

"You two think you're real cute. Look, Greenlee scheduled a meeting for a new ad account tonight. It could bring in a lot of money to Fusion."

"That's great, but what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I had made plans to meet with someone about having them do some legal consulting for us, and it's at the same time."

"You can't be in two places at the same time?"

"As much as I'd like to be able to sometimes, no, I can't. I was hoping you could meet with her, get her thoughts on a few things and give me your opinion."

Krystal approached the table at this time. "Ladies, sorry to interrupt, but Marissa, I'm in a bit of a bind, and I'm hoping you can help me out."

"I'd be happy to if I can, Krystal. What do you need?"

"You remember Mrs. Jackson? She runs the bakery across the street."

Marissa nodded.

"Her nephew, Mike, is in town today. He's thinking of relocating here. He's a graphic artist, very talented from what I'm told. Anyway, she was going to meet him for dinner after he finished up some appointments, but she has a huge order she has to fill and is down an oven since one went on the fritz. She asked if I could help entertain him, and I said that I'd be happy to. That was before I realized I gave both Sue and Lisa the night off. I'm short staffed and unable to help her out."

Marissa had been following her mother's conversation until she caught part of Kendall and Bianca's.

"Who's the meeting with again?"

"You actually know her. Do you remember Sienna? I think the two of you almost went out last year to some sort of gallery opening."

Marissa's ears perked up on the mention of this other woman's name and the news that her and Bianca almost dated. _Who in the hell is Sienna? Did Kendall say the two of them dated? No, they didn't but almost did. I haven't heard her name mentioned before. Well, I guess there's no reason I would if they didn't go out. What the hell, Kendall? It almost sounds like Kendall is trying to set her up on a date. Bianca doesn't like to be set up. You should know that. Wait. Why is this bothering me? I mean, Bianca is entitled to a social life after all. Anyone would be lucky to have her as a partner. She's absolutely beautiful. She's smart, funny, strong, caring. The list could go on forever. Who is this Sienna chick anyway, and what do we know about her? Is she remotely good enough for Bianca? I don't like this at all!_

Bianca's attention for her own conversation started to stray after overhearing Krystal.

"I hate to have to go back to her and tell her I can't help her now. I was hoping you could take him out to dinner or even meet him here. It would be my treat."

_Is Krystal trying to fix up Marissa on a blind date? It sure as hell sounds like it! Doesn't she know that Marissa hates them? She told me once that she's never had a good experience with them. Who is this Mike? He could be some sort of psycho or worse, he could be another JR! Hold on. He might be a nice guy. Krystal wouldn't set her daughter up with someone like that. She wouldn't want to see her hurt like that again. Besides, it's not even a real date. It's just dinner and helping someone out. Nothing more and what if it did turn into something more. What would be wrong with that? She deserves to find someone to make her happy. Okay, so why don't I like this and why am I getting upset?_

Both Bianca and Marissa were so distracted by their thoughts about the other that neither realized they had agreed to Kendall's and Krystal's requests.

"Great! I'll tell Sienna you'll meet her here at 6:30. Thanks! Look at the time! I'm going to be late for my next meeting!" Kendall raced out of the restaurant.

"Wait, Kendall!" Bianca was too late to stop her sister from leaving.

"Thank you so much, Marissa! I really appreciate it! I know you're busy and have to get back to the office. I'll talk to you later."

"About tonight, Krystal!"

"He'll be here at 6:00." With that, Krystal rushed back to the kitchen.

Bianca and Marissa just looked at each other.

"What the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea!"

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Neither was happy about what had happened, but they were stuck. They had given their word, apparently, and neither could back away from that.

Five minutes after the younger women left, Kendall returned and sat at the bar.

Krystal popped out of the kitchen and approached her after seeing the coast was clear.

"Well, that pretty much went like you thought it would."

"Yeah, it did. You're clear on the plan for tonight, Krystal?

She nodded. "I sure hope you're right about this, Kendall, and it doesn't blow up in our faces."

"Trust me. I'm right." _At least I hope I am._

**/**

**A/N: Trust me, Kendall has a plan!**


	11. Things Change

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting an update written and posted. The day job needed more focus this week, and it required more of my left brain. This caused a conflict with the right brain side needed for this. The result was a mini block. Anyway, I'm hoping that's gone until I get this wrapped up. Thanks again for the reviews! They helped me get through the block. That all being said. Sometimes, things don't go as planned, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Hope you like this latest chapter. **

**/**

Marissa checked herself in the mirror. She had raced home after work for a quick change. Her mind had been preoccupied since lunch. _Why am I doing this again? How did I let Krystal talk me into this? I know how. I was thinking about Bianca and 'Sienna'. Who the hell is she anyway? Was there or could there be something between them? Bianca's in a great place in her life right now, and she's happy. I'd know if she wasn't. I don't want someone to come along and hurt her. _

She had been obsessing over Bianca and Sienna all afternoon. So much so, that she wasn't able to get any work done when she got back to the office. _Thank God, I didn't have anything urgent to do. Why is this bothering me so much? _If she was being honest with herself (and she wasn't), Marissa knew the answer. It was gnawing at the back of her mind and had been for a while now. She was doing her damn best to ignore it. So far, she had been able to, but it was getting harder and harder to shut it out.

_Wait! Kendall said they were meeting at Krystal's. What time? It was 6:00 or 6:30. Damn it! What time am I supposed to meet whatshisname? Is it Mark? No wait, Mike. Whatever. I don't remember. I'll just go over now and deal with it when I get there. Right now, I've got to check this 'Sienna' out. _She made sure the sitter had her cell phone number and the number to Krystal's. Marissa gave AJ a kiss, promised him she would be back before bedtime and headed out.

/

Bianca was having a hard time concentrating. Thoughts of Marissa and Mike had been filling her head since lunch. Well, mainly it was thoughts of Marissa if she were to be honest with herself which she was still refusing to do.

_I still don't understand what Krystal is thinking. Why would she set her daughter up on what amounts to a blind date with a complete stranger? Sure, she knows his aunt, but what the hell does that mean? Okay, it's not a 'date' date, but damn it! I just don't like it! Marissa is probably the happiest I've seen her in a long time, and I don't want some jackass to ruin that. Why did I let Kendall rope me into this meeting? It's because I kept thinking about her and 'Mike'. _

Part of her knew deep down that she was being irrational and why, but she refused to acknowledge this fact. She couldn't allow herself to go there, yet. _She's supposed to meet him at Krystal's. I could get there before my meeting and check him out. That's what a friend would do, right? _

Bianca finished getting ready. She made sure the sitter had her contact information and kissed her girls. She promised to be back in time to read them each a story before they went to sleep. She was soon on her way to Krystal's.

/

When Krystal saw Marissa enter the restaurant early, she knew Kendall's carefully plan was in jeopardy. She hadn't been able to cancel with Mike, and his dinner with Marissa was a shaky plan B at best. She wished they'd had more time to work on it. Now, she was going to have to think fast to salvage any part of this plan. She could tell Marissa was distracted. No, it was more like agitated. Something was definitely on her mind, and whatever it was, was not making her happy. _Why is she here so early? I know she's not anxious about meeting this guy. I wonder if Kendall really is on to something about her and Bianca. _

"Hey, Marissa. You're here early."

"What? Oh yeah, the sitter got to the house early so I decided to head over. What time am I supposed to meet Mark?"

"It's Mike, and he's supposed to be here at 6:00."

"Right, Mike. Anyone else here yet?" Marissa's eyes scanned the room.

"Like who?"

"I don't know. Wasn't Bianca supposed to meet someone here for Kendall? I think her name is 'Sienna'."

"That's not until 6:30."

"Oh. I guess I'll just wait at a table for them, him to get here." She started to head to the table she shared daily with Bianca but stopped. For some reason, it just felt wrong to sit there with anyone else, almost like cheating. _That's ridiculous. It's just a table, but I just can't do it. _"Is there anywhere in particular you want me to sit, Krystal?"

"Why don't you sit over here? I'll be right back." Krystal had placed her at table in full view of the bar where she could be staked out for whatever might be happening. _She couldn't remember the name Mike but could Sienna. She's definitely more interested in what's going on with Bianca tonight than with herself. The face she made when she said Sienna's name was priceless. I've never seen her like this, certainly not with JR. I'll be damned! She's actually jealous! I thought there was some sort of special connection between her and Bianca, but I wasn't positive like Kendall. This pretty much confirms it on Marissa's side, at least to me. I really need to get a hold of Kendall about the change in plans. Damn, that's Mike now._

As the man entered the restaurant, Krystal went to meet him and took him to the table. "Mike, this is my daughter Marissa. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Marissa struggled to regain her focus. Not want to be rude, she exchanged small talk with him. "Krystal tells me you're a graphic artist. That sounds interesting."

"Yeah, it can be, but I'm actually thinking of switching careers. I'm told you're a lawyer."

"Yes, I specialize in family law. I find it pretty rewarding. What career are you looking into?"

"Comedy. I've always wanted to be a standup comic. Tell me if you've heard this one. What do you call 100 lawyers chained to the bottom of the ocean?"

Marissa cringed inside. _You have got to be kidding me! _She smiled. "I don't know."

"A good start! What do you get when you…"

_Seriously? He's doing his routine, and it's all bad lawyer jokes! He just asked me if I was a lawyer. What the hell?_

After a few more minutes of bad jokes, he knocked over the glass of red wine their server had just placed in front of her.

"Sorry! I get a little carried away once I get going in my routine."

"It's fine. I'll see if I can put something on this." _Thank God! How long can I hide out in the ladies room? Krystal so owes me for this!_ She glanced up at the clock and realized Bianca would be there soon. _So much for hiding out._ She did her best at reducing the stain as quickly as possible.

When she returned to the dining area, she scanned the room again and still no Bianca. She headed over to her table. Mike got up to pull out her chair. As he was doing so, Bianca entered.

The brunette immediately spotted Marissa and her 'date'. He was nice looking she supposed. He was holding Marissa's chair out for her so that was something. Bianca was so distracted by the scene playing out before her that she didn't see the chair right in front of her before it was too late. Her knee hit squarely on the corner of it causing her to wince slightly. She looked around quickly to see if anyone else had seen what she had done. That's when she saw Marissa starting to get up from her table with a concerned look on her face. Bianca blushed and waved the redhead off. She shrugged and smiled.

A conversation played out between them across the room without a word being spoken.

'_Are you okay?'_

'_I'm fine, just kind of a klutz.' _

'_You sure?'_

'_Yeah, my pride is hurt worse than my knee.'_

'_Well, you sure know how to make an entrance!' _Marissa smiled and managed to hold in a laugh.

The brunette returned the smile. _'I try!'_

Bianca looked around at her seating options and found a table that provided the best view of Marissa's table.

Krystal made her way over to Bianca's table. She decided not to mention her entrance after seeing what had passed between her and Marissa. _That was amazing! I wouldn't have believed what I just saw happen if I hadn't seen it. _"Good evening, Bianca. No sightings of your guest yet."

"My what? Oh yeah, her. That's fine. So, that's 'Mike'. How do you think it's going?"

Krystal raised an eyebrow, and she noted that Bianca's eyes hadn't left Marissa's table and the expression on her face when she said Mike's name. _Same exact reaction as Marissa's. Wow, I can't believe these two. _"It's hard to tell. What would you like to drink?" She took her order and headed off to call Kendall.

Kendall answered on the first ring. "How's it going?"

"Well, plan A is shot all to hell. Marissa got here early, and Mike showed up. I couldn't get a hold of him earlier to stop him."

"I've got more bad news for you. I haven't been able to get a hold of Greenlee so Sienna is most likely headed your way."

"Great. Well, Bianca's already here."

"Already?"

"Yep, she got here a few minutes ago, and you wouldn't believe… Wait a minute. I think Sienna just got here. I gotta go."

"Keep me posted."

Sienna recognized Bianca right away and headed to her table. It took some effort, but Bianca was able to focus on her own conversation. The women exchanged little small talk since Bianca only wanted to discuss business. _I just want to get this over with. I can't tell if Marissa is interested in him or not. I think she seems a little annoyed._

Marissa saw Sienna enter and instantly disliked the woman. It didn't matter that she hadn't actually met the woman. She always thought she was a good judge of character and believed in first impressions. With the exception of JR, she had an excellent track record. _I just know something's off with her. She's definitely not Bianca's type and definitely not good enough for her. What did Mark just say? Oh, it was just another bad joke._ Marissa had, by this time, managed to tune him out for the most part. She would smile whenever there was a pause knowing that the awful punchline was coming. _I wish I could hear what they're saying. Bianca looks a little irritated._

Bianca had managed to finish up her business quickly but had been so distracted that she didn't realize the conversation had shifted. She found herself asking the other woman why she chose to practice corporate law.

"I find that's where all of the action is. It takes a special aptitude to handle the pressure and details. I could never practice something like say family law. I just can't imagine going into that emotional minefield or listening to others' problems all day." She looked down and sent another text.

_She's texting again. She's been doing a lot. We actually had to stop our earlier discussion so she could finish a text, and she didn't even apologize, just held up a hand to put me on pause. She can't imagine listening to others' problems? You're helping them by just listening. That's what I do every day, what we do every day at the center. I know she knows about my connection to the center, and how can you not want to help others?_

Krystal stopped to take a quick break and see what was happening with her daughter and Bianca. She'd been checking on them throughout the evening and had to admit this had been more interesting than her favorite so called reality show. It was obvious to her that both were jealous of the other's 'dates'. What she saw next caused her to choke on the drink she had just taken.

Marissa was shifting in her seat for yet another look at Bianca's table when she saw Sienna touch Bianca's hand causing the redhead to nearly fall out of her chair. _Did she just grab Bianca's hand? What the hell is she doing? You need to back way the hell off and get your hands off of her! I don't want you or anyone else touching her!_ Suppressed truths came rushing to the surface. Why had she been acting like she was? It was because she was jealous. It was as simple as that. Why was she jealous though? Bianca was just her friend, right? The answer to that question took the air right out of her. _Wrong. Bianca is more than just my friend. Oh my God! I'm in love with Bianca! I can't be though. She's a woman. She's also the most amazing person I've ever known in my entire life. She's beautiful, intelligent, funny, kind, loving, caring, strong and her eyes. My God, I get lost looking in them. What's that saying? Eyes are the windows to a person's soul. In her case, truer words were never spoken. Bianca is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. How couldn't I see this earlier? _Marissa felt a tidal wave of emotions crashing down on her and knew she had to get out of the restaurant just to breathe, let alone to be able to understand what she was feeling. She desperately wanted to run out of there, but she knew if she did that Bianca would follow her. She couldn't face her just yet, not until she had time to think. _Focus. Try to breathe. Good. Now, think. How can I get out of here without causing a scene and ripping Sienna's arm off? Okay, that's not helping. Breathe. I need an excuse. _When she felt she was finally able to compose herself enough, she made the excuse of needing to get home to help her son with a school project. Mike said he understood and got up to walk her to her car. She was able to stop him at the door to Krystal's assuring him that she would be fine.

Bianca saw Marissa get up to leave and wondered if something was wrong. At least, that's all she was thinking until she saw Mike put his hand on Marissa's back. _Just what the hell is he doing? You really need to get your hands off of her and step away from her before I do it for you! Where the hell did that come from? Oh my God! I'm jealous! _In that instant, Bianca could no longer hold back the feelings she had been denying for months. _I'm in love with Marissa! No! I've done it again! I've fallen in love with my straight best friend. How did I let this happen? I was being so careful this time. Why? Because you can't pick and choose who you fall in love with. Because it doesn't matter how careful you think you are, the heart wants what the heart wants. Because it's Marissa, and there is no way I could not fall in love with her. I need to get out of here!_ Bianca could feel the wall she had carefully constructed around her heart starting to crumble. She excused herself saying she needed to get home to her daughters and left Sienna behind in mid conversation. She couldn't think of anything else other than getting out of there. She needed to think, and that wasn't going to happen here.

Krystal watched the whole scene play out and could only stand there in shock. She was absolutely amazed by what she just witnessed.

/

Bianca was able to focus enough to get home safely. Seeing her daughters allowed her to push what she was feeling aside temporarily. She read them each a story, tucked them in and kissed them goodnight. When she was finally alone in the safety of her bedroom, everything started to hit her, and the wall around her heart came crashing down._ I'm in love Marissa! I can't believe this is happening again. _She took a breath and tried to think. When did this start? She smiled as she thought of all of the time she spent with Marissa, everything they had been through together. She couldn't pick an exact date. It was impossible. She only knew that she couldn't remember when she wasn't in love with her. Bianca realized it would've been impossible to not fall in love with Marissa. She thought of her smile and how it lit up the room. How Marissa had there beside her through the divorce and all of the ugliness with Reese. How she protected Miranda and Gabby without any thought as to how that action could affect her. How she had been there for Bianca when she was sick. How she made her laugh and made everything seem even better by just being there. How she was always there whenever she needed her. How she made her feel. Bianca could see it all so clearly now. She felt her heart beat faster just thinking about Marissa. The happiness she had allowed herself to feel was soon replaced by doubt and fear. _Marissa is straight. She couldn't possibly feel the same way about me that I do about her. I'm setting myself up to be hurt again. I can't let how I feel about her affect our friendship. She's too important to me to not have her in my life somehow. _A small part of her brain, however, was listening to her heart. It was telling her that maybe, just maybe, this time was different. That Marissa was different. _What am I going to do?_

/

Thinking of AJ allowed Marissa to concentrate on the road enough to make it home in one piece. She smiled as she watched him drift off to sleep after reading with him. It gave her a brief escape from her epiphany at Krystal's. As she closed her bedroom door, she was flooded by feelings and thoughts of Bianca. She had never felt this way about anyone before, and she was terrified. What did this all mean? What did this make her? Suddenly, it was as if a light clicked on for her. It didn't make her anything other than a woman in love. She was still the same person she was this morning. No, wait. There was a difference. She finally listened to heart. She finally acknowledged what it had been trying to tell her for months. _I'm in love with Bianca! _Yes, she was a woman, but that didn't matter to her. She was simply Bianca, and labels didn't apply. She only saw the most incredible person she had ever known. Marissa smiled as she thought about Bianca. She couldn't remember a time when she wasn't in love with her. Why had it taken her so long to see what had been in front of her this entire time? Bianca had been there for her through all of the drama with JR. She refused to help him trick her into something she didn't want. She actually listened to her and understood her. She was there for her when she made the big step to get this home for her and AJ. She was there for her when she went back to Devon to visit her parents. Bianca was able to see how hard it was going to be for her and put everything else aside to be there for her, and she didn't even have to ask. Bianca just knew she needed her. She wondered what her parents would say about her being in love with Bianca. Well, they'd be surprised like she was, but Marissa somehow knew that they would be okay with it as long as she was happy. That's all they ever wanted for her. What about Bianca? _She's been hurt by so many others in the past. If I could, I'd kick every single one of their asses. Could Bianca get past all of that and take a chance with me? I can't lose her. Even if we just remain friends, I'll be okay as long as she's still in my life. Oh God, what am I going to do?_


	12. Recap

**A/N: I am almost speechless by the amazing reviews. SugarKane, I loved your short play! Okay, we're getting close. I thought it would be kind of fun to get some other characters takes on what they see going on between Bianca and Marissa and how they feel about it. Oh, timeline update, we are now the week before Christmas in the storyline. Hope you like it! **

**/**

Krystal watched Marissa as she sat waiting for Bianca. She looked tired and anxious. Krystal wondered what was going on inside that brain of her's. For herself, she was glad to hear that Kendall had invited herself today and was tagging along with her sister. By the time Krystal had a chance to call her last night to give her an update on what had happened, it had been too late. She was glad to get Kendall's call this morning telling her she would be there at lunch. They would be able to compare notes after the younger women left.

Marissa was exhausted. She had been up all night thinking about Bianca. It didn't matter how hard she tried. She hadn't been able to turn her brain off long enough for her to sleep for any period of time. She still wasn't sure how she would react when she saw Bianca today, but she did know how she felt. _I know two things. Bianca is my best friend, the best one that I've ever had and probably ever will have, and I'm in love with her. There is no getting around that. I've never felt this way about anyone else in my entire life, never. I mean just thinking about her makes me smile. I've never known anyone like her. I've never known anyone who understands me or listens to me like she does. Someone that is just always there for me no matter what. Why did it take me so long to see all of this? I need to see her. I need to know how things went last night with, oh I can't even say her name._ Marissa shook her head to clear the image from last night of the other woman and Bianca out of it. _Okay, I need to get a hold myself. I don't know how Bianca feels about me. She may not feel the same way. If that's the case, I going to need to keep my feelings to myself because no matter what, I have to have her in my life. I need to keep her in my life. If that means not telling Bianca how I feel about her, that's what I'll do, but will I be able to actually do that?_

/

Kendall glanced over to the driver's seat at her sister. Bianca had been quiet all morning. She looked worn out and like she had something on her mind. She wasn't willing to share whatever it was. Kendall didn't like not knowing exactly what was going on with her little sister. She had an idea that it was Marissa but wasn't completely sure. She was hoping seeing the two of them together would shed some light on the situation and help Kendall come up with some way to help her.

Bianca hadn't been able to sleep all night. Whenever she closed her eyes, she saw Marissa. She would see the redhead's brilliant smile and would think about how it made her feel. No matter how hard she had tried, she couldn't get that image out of her head and could no longer deny those feelings to herself. _I'm in love with Marissa. I've also been down this road before, and it has always ended badly for me. Marissa is different though. It just feels different with her. I've never had anyone in my life fight for me like she has or had someone so willing to go out on a limb for Miranda, Gabby and me. God knows, I tried to ignore what I was feeling, tried to fight it, but it was hopeless. She's amazing, and I've never met anyone quite like her. The big question is what do I do now. I don't know how Marissa feels. I don't know how she'll react. If I tell her how I feel, I could lose her, and she's too important to me for that to happen. I don't see how I can tell her how I feel. It's too big of a risk. What I do know is that I have to see her. I have to know what happened between her and him. Okay, I can do this. I can handle this, I hope._

/

Marissa looked up as soon as Bianca entered the restaurant. Their eyes locked, and a huge smile spread across both women's faces.

"Hey!" Marissa's heart skipped a beat seeing the brunette and her amazing smile.

"Hey, yourself!" Upon seeing the redhead and that incredible smile of her's, Bianca felt her stomach flip.

Kendall and Krystal looked at each other and shook their heads realizing the younger women had completely forgotten about them. They only saw each other.

"Hi, Marissa."

"Oh, hi, Kendall."

"Hello, Bianca."

"Uh, hello, Krystal."

After sitting down, Kendall looked at Marissa. "So, how'd it go last night?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Hmmm. How can I put this? First, Krystal, I'm never doing something like that for you again."

No one saw Greenlee enter. "Ladies, mind if I join you, and what aren't you doing for her again?"

Kendall smiled. "The more, the merrier! Marissa was just telling us about the date Krystal set her up on last night."

Bianca raised her head up at her sister's reference. "I thought it wasn't a date." _Please say it wasn't a date and that whatever it was went really, really bad._

Marissa sighed and threw a look at Kendall. "It wasn't a date! I was helping Krystal out, and like I just said, I'm not helping her out like that again. If you have to call it anything, you can call it a disaster."

Bianca couldn't hold back a small smile. _Thank you! A disaster! That's good, real good! I like that! _"What happened?"

"Well, he wants to be a stand-up comic which I didn't have a problem with at all. What I had a problem with were the jokes, or what he thought were jokes. He spent the whole time doing his routine which is entirely made up of bad lawyer jokes from what I can tell. It was just one after the other after the other."

The other women started to laugh.

Bianca couldn't hold back her amusement and delight. "Seriously? Did he know you're a lawyer?"

"Oh yeah, he knew, and they weren't just jokes about bad lawyers. They were bad jokes about lawyers, really bad jokes. AJ tells much better jokes than this guy. I don't think I'm being overly sensitive here. I think I have a good sense of humor."

"You have a great sense of humor!" Bianca offered.

"Thanks!" Marissa smiled at the brunette's support of her. "It was just one bad joke after another. It was torture. Oh, then he spilled wine on me because he was 'getting into his routine' and tends to get carried away when that happens."

Bianca started laughing. "Sorry."

"Oh no, please, feel free to laugh at my pain." Marissa started laughing too.

Krystal looked at Bianca. "So, how'd it go for you?"

Greenlee smiled. "Bianca, you had a date?"

"No! I was covering a meeting for Kendall."

Greenlee slid a look at Kendall who whispered, "I'll tell you later."

"Okay, how'd it go?"

Marissa held her breath. _Please say it sucked. Please say it sucked. Please say it sucked. _

"It sucked."

The redhead exhaled and did a little fist pump under the table. She did her best to conceal a smile. _Yes! "_Why?"

"Well, she was texting the whole time so I don't really know how much she was paying attention to what we were discussing. You know how much I love someone texting during a meeting."

"Yeah, that's one of your favorite things!"

"She even held her hand up one time to stop me from talking so she could finish a text."

"You're kidding me?" The redhead chuckled.

"Nope. She also said she didn't know how anyone could listen to other people's problems all day."

"Wow! I don't even know what to say to that. She knew about you and The Miranda Center, right?"

"Yeah, she knew. I know that not everyone can do that kind of work, but it felt like she was downplaying the importance of or the need for it. Like that kind of work somehow mattered less because it's not where the 'action is' like corporate law which is her specialty. Suffice it to say that I won't be meeting with her again."

Marissa was torn on how to feel about what she just heard. _I gotta say that Bianca not meeting with her again is just fine with me, but I can't believe she said that to her. It makes me want track her down and slap the shit out of her. _"Well, the work that you do does matter. It's much more important than any merger or acquisition. You're helping people put their lives back together, and I don't think that there's anything more important than that."

"Thank you. That's means a lot." The brunette beamed at Marissa's defense of what she did.

The two looked intently into each other's eyes for several seconds before Marissa was able to pull herself from Bianca's gaze. "You're welcome." _I don't know what the hell that was. Keep it together. Keep it light. Now's not the time. _"I'm not sure whose night was worse!"

Bianca inwardly blew a sigh of relief, grateful for the break in the tension. _I'm not quite sure what just happened, but I have got to grip on myself. I'm just not ready yet. _She managed a chuckle. "I'd say that maybe it was a tie! Although, mine didn't require a trip to the dry cleaners!"

Marissa smiled. "Lucky me. I'll go with a tie though. That reminds me. I should go. I need to stop by the dry cleaners before I head back to the office. I'll call you later." _Okay, I made it through this. I still can't tell how she feels about me, if she feels the same way about me that I do her. I have to figure something out though because I don't know how long I can do this._

Bianca nodded and watched Marissa leave. _That went okay, I suppose. I still need to figure out what I'm going to do. I don't know how much longer I can keep these feelings to myself._ After a minute, she was finally able to turn to look at her sister. "I need to get back. Are you ready to go?"

"I'll catch a ride back with Greenlee. I'll see you later."

As soon as Bianca had left, Greenlee turned to the other women. "Anyone else feel like a third wheel? It's like we weren't even here. You know I don't like being ignored. What's going with them?"

Kendall smirked. "What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, Kendall. Something's going on between them. I thought Marissa was straight, but that's not the vibe I was getting from her just now. The looks she was throwing Bianca's way? That's not the way you look at someone who's just a friend. And your sister, she was giving the same ones right back. She's definitely into Marissa. So, spill it. What's going on?"

"I've had a feeling for a while now that things were changing between them. That they were becoming something more than friends. I've seen the looks, how they go way out of their way for each other. I know my sister well enough to see the signs, but I wasn't completely sure about Red so I asked Krystal."

"I hadn't really thought about it too much until Kendall brought it to my attention. I could tell there was a special connection between the two of them, but I wasn't sure exactly what it was. I started watching them, Marissa in particular, and I had to agree with her. Things had definitely changed between them. If you had seen the two of them last night, you wouldn't believe it."

"Yeah, about last night, what really happened? I have a feeling they weren't telling the whole story." Kendall asked.

Krystal laughed. "Oh no, they missed a few things. Marissa got here early, and she was definitely more interested in seeing if Bianca was here than Mike. She couldn't even get his right. She did get Sienna's right though, and the look on her face when she just said her name? Priceless! The only other look I've seen that matched it was Bianca's when she said Mike's name. It was like just saying the name left a bad taste in their mouths. Wait, I forgot about Bianca's entrance! She was so busy watching Marissa that she ran into a chair, banged her knee up pretty good. Of course, Marissa saw it and started to go over to her. The most amazing thing happened then, and I don't know if you're going to believe me. Hell, I probably wouldn't believe me if I didn't see it myself. Marissa was over there, and Bianca was way over there, and they were just looking at each other. I swear it was like one knew what the other was thinking at that exact moment. Like they were talking without really talking. Does that make any sense?"

"Seriously? That's interesting. You know, I think I've seen them do that before. It is amazing to witness. Anything else happen?"

"Yeah, after Bianca hit the chair, she proceeded to bump into a server and a table because she was still focused on Marissa. My daughter missed those moves since she had to pay attention to another bad joke."

"Bianca does tend to get a little on the clumsy side when she's nervous." Kendall laughed.

"Marissa was trying to pay attention to what Mike was saying but then Sienna got here, and her eyes almost bugged out of her head and all bets were off then. It kept going back and forth between the two of them for a quite a bit. Bianca would check out what was happening with Marissa, and then she'd do the same. It was pretty funny after a while to see how they'd figure out how to sneak a peek at the other. It stayed like that for a while until Sienna touched Bianca's hand, and it was just a touch, maybe lasted a second if that. I thought Marissa was going to fall out of her chair. If looks could kill, Sienna would've been dead and buried. I thought for sure my daughter was going to jump up and run over there and rip that woman's hand off."

"Red was that jealous, huh?"

"She was so jealous she couldn't see straight. I've never seen her like that. Then, Marissa got this stunned look on her face. It was like all of a sudden something dawned on her, and you could've knocked her over with a feather. A couple of minutes later, she left. It was like she couldn't get out of here fast enough."

"What did Bianca do?"

"Well, she was okay until she saw that Mike was walking Marissa out. He made the mistake of touching her back, a slight touch mind you. Bianca didn't like that at all. She threw him a look that reminded me of pure Erica Kane. The man would've turned to stone if he had seen it. Then, the same thing happened like with Marissa. This light clicked on inside her, and she had to get out of here."

Greenlee looked at the two women. "I'm guessing neither one of them knew the real reason for these so called 'dates'."

"I don't know what you mean."

The smaller woman rolled her eyes. "Oh please, Kendall, think about who you're talking to. Judging by what I just witnessed, I think it's pretty safe to say that Marissa doesn't see Bianca as just a friend anymore, and the same can be said for your sister and how she views Marissa. That little stunt last night was designed to help them realize that. What's your next move?"

"We're going to need one, aren't we? Both are pretty gun shy when it comes to relationships."

Krystal sighed. "You got that right. JR did a number on Marissa, and Bianca's been burned a few times. You have any ideas, Greenlee?"

"I thought you'd never ask! As I see it, you've got the hardest part out of the way. You've got them to admit to themselves how they feel. That's big. We just have to get them to admit it to each other. I need to ask you both a question, and I need you to be completely honest. I'll ask you first, Krystal. How do you feel about them being together? To say this is a big change for Marissa is a huge understatement. Are you okay with it?"

Krystal thought for a long minute before responding. "You're right, it's a big change, but I can honestly say that I'm okay with it. I've seen them together. There's something special between the two of them. Bianca is… Well, I can't quite describe her. I've never met anyone like her. She's been to hell and back, and most people would turn bitter or hateful. Bianca is the exception though. She is the most caring and definitely the most forgiving person there is. I know that first hand. She's also the most honest. I don't ever see her hurting Marissa. Why wouldn't I want someone like that for my daughter? Man or woman, it doesn't matter. I just want my daughter to be happy. I believe she can be with Bianca."

"Kendall, how do you feel about them being together? I mean, Marissa is another straight girl, and we know your sister's history."

"Yeah, we do, and it's not pretty." Kendall took a minute to think. "I don't know why, but I know that Marissa's different. She's been there for Bianca like no one else ever has and has never asked for or expected anything in return. You should have seen her when Reese's goon of a lawyer tried to take the girls. She was ready to rip him to shreds, and if Reese had been here, she wouldn't have given it a second thought of going after her. For me, having someone like that for my sister would be a dream come true especially after everything she's been through. Like Krystal, I don't ever see her hurting Bianca. Why wouldn't I want someone like that for my sister?"

Greenlee smiled. "Good because you both have an important part in what comes next. The fundraiser is in two weeks, and the two of them are still working on it together, right?"

Both Kendall and Krystal nodded.

"They're going to be working closely together every day then. Seeing how they were around each other today, it's going to be hard for them to keep those feelings in check much longer. As I see it then, the next move is to keep it simple, no big plan is required. You both need to talk to them. Get them to admit to you how they feel. If you can do that, I think that's just the nudge they'll need to tell each other."

Kendall nodded. "Because it'll be real once they tell someone else. There's no going back after that."

Krystal smiled. "That's actually pretty good, Greenlee."

"I know. I must be getting soft because I think they're actually good together, and I see it working out for them. Don't tell them I said that. I have a reputation to think about."

Kendall smirked at her friend. "You're secret's safe with us."


	13. Christmas Eve

**A/N: I can't thank you enough for the great reviews! They are truly appreciated! I'm sorry for the delay in getting an update out here. I had reality come up and slap me upside the head right after I posted the last chapter. I had to make a trip to the emergency room with my mom, and it was a long evening. Luckily, it was nothing major, and she's fine and back home. Needless to say though, I was exhausted the next day and couldn't think straight enough to write two coherent sentences. A good night's sleep helped give me a few more ideas so I'm trying to keep the mind from racing ahead too much. I'll be upfront. I ended this chapter where I did to stretch this out some. Please don't hate me for it. I am working hard on the next chapter. Hope you like this latest installment. **

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It was Christmas Eve, and Bianca and Marissa agreed to a rare break in working on the fundraiser for the Miranda Center for the next two days. The past week had been nothing short of brutal for Marissa. To be so close to the woman she was desperately in love with and not let her know? Brutal. She was relieved to have the short break to decide what she was going to do, and she knew that she needed to do something. She shook her head to clear it. She thought of her son and smiled. AJ had been bouncing off the walls, excited about Santa's visit later that night. Marissa was just as excited but for a slightly different reason. This was her first Christmas in her own home, and spending it with her son just made it all that more special. Krystal had come over to help finish decorating and was now in the kitchen with AJ decorating cookies. Marissa took a quick break to answer the door. She signed for a package and walked over to the couch to open it. It was the present she had gotten Bianca. She had ordered it a few months ago and was starting to think it was never going to arrive. It was a painting she had commissioned of Bianca, Miranda and Gabby. Bianca was in between both girls with an arm around each of them. The children were smiling and resting their heads against their mother who was reading to them. Marissa smiled remembering the moment that had been captured and gazed at Bianca. Her fingers lovingly traced the brunette's image. _God, she is so beautiful._ She was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Krystal return from the kitchen.

"What do you have there?"

Marissa jerked back to reality. "You startled me. I didn't hear you come in. It's just something I got for Bianca."

"May I see it?"

"Uh, sure."

"This is beautiful! She'll love it. When did you have this done?"

"Well, it was actually done off of a picture I took when I was staying with Bianca while she was recovering from her surgery. AJ needed to take pictures for a school project. I happened to have the camera when I walked by Bianca's room and saw them. I just had to take it." Marissa had taken the painting back from her mother and was again gently tracing Bianca's face. "I originally thought I would just get it enlarged, but the idea of a painting came to me. You know, something different, special."

"Who did it?"

"I remembered the name of this local artist that Bianca loves so I asked if he would be willing to do something like this. It took a little convincing, but I finally got him to agree. He finally finished."

Krystal watched as her daughter continued to gaze at the rendering of Bianca, still tracing her outline. _I don't know that they'll be a better time to ask. _"Marissa, is everything okay?"

Marissa looked up and blinked. "Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"It just seems like you have something on your mind. You've been like this for the last week or so. Talking about it might make you feel better."

"I just don't know…"

"I know I'm not Lydia, and we're not as close as the two of you were. You're still dealing with everything that's happened between us, but I do love you. You can talk to me about anything."

Marissa looked at Krystal. Everything she had just said was true. She knew that Krystal loved her, and she was still trying to understand their exact relationship. At this moment though, she needed her. Maybe telling her would help. Marissa nodded. "I don't know how to start."

"Sometimes, it's better to just get it all out at once."

"Where's AJ?"

"He went up to his room to work on your Christmas present."

The younger woman smiled. "He's been working very hard on whatever it is and has been very secretive about it."

"Well, he didn't give me any hints about it. I think we've got time to talk without him overhearing."

Marissa nodded and took a shaky breath. "I, I, I'm in love."

Krystal smiled. "Well, being in love is a wonderful when it's right."

"Before you ask, it's not JR. I haven't been in love with him for a long, long time. This person is completely different. They're honest and would never hurt me. They listen to me, respect me and my opinion, and when I'm with them, I've never been happier in my entire life."

"That's definitely different than JR. I guess you have had a lot on your mine. How long have you felt this way? It seems like I'm still missing something."

Marissa swallowed. "It's been happening for a while now. I couldn't admit it at first because it was just… I just couldn't go there, but I can't deny it anymore. I don't want to. I want to be with them."

Krystal nodded and thought how to ask her next question. _Just ask it. _"Is this person Bianca?"

Marissa looked at Krystal in complete surprise. "How did you… How did you know?"

"I didn't know for sure. It's just this feeling I got watching the two of you together. I can see there's a special connection between you. You seem to know what the other's thinking or needs without needing to ask. I also saw you last week and your reaction to her, let's just say, her guest."

Marissa let out an embarrassed laugh. "You saw that, huh? It wasn't really my finest hour. I just couldn't stand seeing Bianca with someone else. I guess I got a little jealous."

Her mother laughed. "If that was a little jealous, I don't want to see a lot."

"That's when I really let myself accept the fact that I'm in love with her. I've been keeping myself from believing that things changed between us, that there was more than just friendship."

"Why do you think that was?"

"I was afraid of what that might mean, change who I am. It didn't change who I am though. I'm still the same person. All it means is that I'm in love with an incredible person who just happens to be a woman."

"Well, Bianca is all of that and more."

Marissa smiled brightly. "Yeah, she is. She's the most amazing person I've ever known. I can't remember when I wasn't in love with her. I can't imagine my life without her. I want to be with her, share my life with her." She paused and looked at Krystal. "Are you… How do you…"

"Am I okay with this? How do I feel about it?"

Her daughter nodded and held her breath.

Krystal smiled. "All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy, to be with someone you truly love. If that's Bianca, then I'm just fine with that. It doesn't matter to me if it's a man or woman. As long as you're happy, I'm happy. Have you told her how you feel?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, I haven't. I don't know how she feels about me. She's been hurt by other women not sure of their feelings. She might think I'm like them and not be willing to believe me."

"Are you sure of your feelings for her?"

"I am. I've never been more sure of anything in my life. She's everything I've always wanted, everything I've been looking for."

"Good, I can tell that's true by that smile on your face and in your eyes. Now, I've watched Bianca like I've watched you. I honestly believe that she feels the same way about you, that she's in love with you."

"You really think so?" Marissa's voice broke. The hope that Bianca might feel the same way was overwhelming.

"I really do. My advice to you is to tell her how you feel. Find a way to make her believe you, that you're not like those others. Are you up for that?"

Marissa looked down at the painting, at the image of the woman she loved. She nodded as she filled with resolve. "I am. I need to tell her, but I can't just show up at her house out of the blue on Christmas Eve."

AJ bounded down the stairs. "Mom, we need to see Bianca, Miranda and Gabby before Santa comes tonight."

Marissa looked at her son. "Why's that, buddy?"

"Well, I told Miranda that we were making special cookies for Santa. She asked if we could give her a couple for when he comes to their house. "

"You already told her that you would, and that's why we were making so many cookies, huh?"

The boy gave her a crooked smile. "Yeah. She needs my help with her present for Bianca too. You're not mad are you?"

She pulled him into a big hug and kissed the top of his head. "No, I'm anything but mad. I could never be mad at you, AJ. If you promised her cookies for Santa and help with her mom's present, we can't let her down. Krystal, would you mind helping him pick out some cookies? I have a present to wrap." _I also have to figure out exactly what I'm going to say to Bianca._

/

The past week had been excruciating for Bianca. She had spent several hours every day with Marissa. That wasn't a problem. She loved spending time with her, working side by side with her on the upcoming fundraiser for the Miranda Center. The problem was spending time with someone that she was hopelessly in love with and not being able or willing to do anything about it. Bianca had been burned badly by so many others in the past. Those painful memories coupled with the fear of not having the woman who had come to mean so much to her in her life caused her to hold back. She had been close to telling Marissa how she felt too many times to count but just couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew that something would have to be done soon, but what? She sighed and pushed aside those thoughts and focused on her daughters. Miranda and Gabby were buzzing with excitement over Santa's impending visit. Gabby's interest had definitely increased since last Christmas. Bianca laughed seeing the excitement in her youngest daughter's face and the million plus questions she had about him. She was particularly concerned about the fireplace and was adamant about it not being used for the last several days. She didn't want to risk him getting hurt when it was time for him to visit them.

Kendall had stopped by with the boys in an effort to expend some of their excess energy. Bianca had been banished from the playroom so Miranda and Kendall could discuss her present. She had just started to head upstairs when there was a knock on the door. A last minute package was being delivered. It was the package she had been the most anxious to have finally arrive. She made her way to the family room, sat and carefully opened the box. Inside was a beautiful antique music box. She gently removed the lid and turned it on. The calming tones of Marissa's song, 'Forever More', played, echoing in the empty room. Bianca smiled as she listened, and in her mind, she heard Marissa's lovely voice singing with the music. She had been so lost in that moment that she didn't hear Kendall.

"Binx! Bianca!"

She was so startled that she almost dropped the music box. She couldn't hide her irritation at her sister's interruption which had nearly caused a disaster. "Kendall, you shouldn't sneak up on people like that! I almost dropped this!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I thought you heard me come in. What have you got?"

"It's a gift for Marissa, just something I thought she might like." The younger woman tried to downplay the significance of the gift.

"May I see it? I promise I'll be careful."

Bianca handed the music box to her sister and eyed her anxiously.

Kendall turned it back on and listened. "I know this song. This is the one she was humming to the girls that day at Krystal's. It's the same song that Miranda said Marissa taught her when they were waiting for you to get out of surgery. What's it called?"

"The song is called 'Forever More'. Marissa's dad used to sing it to her when she was little and scared. It always made her feel better."

Kendall handed the music box back to her sister. "I didn't know you could find that song in a music box. It's a little obscure."

"Uh, you can't, or at least, you couldn't. I had this made for her."

"Wow. That's an amazing gift. Red's going to love it. It's a one of a kind gift."

Bianca smiled and whispered, "For a one of a kind person."

Kendall watched as her sister carefully set the music box down. _No better time than the present to talk to her._ "Bianca, I need to ask you something. Is there something more to your feelings for Marissa than just friendship?"

Bianca sat in shock, staring at her sister for what seemed like several minutes. She was finally able to compose herself enough to ask, "Am I that obvious?"

"No, not really. You're my sister, and I know you. So, how do you really feel about her?"

The younger woman sighed. She could never hide anything from her sister. "I'm in love with her. Damn it, Kendall. I did it again. I fell for my straight best friend. I thought I was being so careful this time. I just couldn't stop myself though. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late. How did you know?"

"I know your heart. I've seen you around her, how you look at her. It's in your eyes when you look at her or just talk about her. I've seen you in love before so I know the signs. I have to say though I've never seen you quite like this before. It's different with Marissa, isn't it?"

Bianca nodded. "It really is. I think it's because of who she is. I've never known anyone like her. Someone who is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. She's so caring and honest and smart and funny, and I can just keep going on about everything she is. Looking back, I should've known this would happen because of who she is. Marissa is everything I've been looking for. The one exception is that she's straight."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I'm sure. Why?"

"Well, I've been watching her, and I don't think she's as straight as you think she is, at least not when it comes to you."

"What are you talking about?"

"Just look at everything's she's done for you."

"She hasn't done anything more than what any friend would do."

Kendall could see Bianca was going to fight her on this, but she pushed forward with her strongest arguments. "Okay, what about when you were sick? She could've called me right after talking to Miranda and let me handle everything, but she didn't. She grabbed AJ and ran over here in the middle of the night to check on you. She didn't leave your side until I had to almost force her to get some rest. The idea of staying with you and covering your work? That was pretty much all her. Still not convinced? Let's talk about that day at Krystal's."

"What about that day?" Bianca was losing her fight quickly.

"You didn't see the look in her eyes. She wasn't just looking out for a client or friend. She was protecting what was _her's_. Marissa was literally shaking when it was over."

"You didn't tell me that."

"I didn't want to add more to what you were going through and neither did she. I found that out later first hand. She wasn't very happy that I told you what she did. She didn't want you to worry about her even though what she did could've come back to bite her. Marissa was thinking only about you and how you would be affected."

"But…"

"But what? Look, Bianca, you know I never want to see you hurt and that I'd never give you advice that would cause you to be hurt."

"I know. The same goes for me."

"Believe me when I say this then. I truly believe Marissa is in love with you."

Bianca looked at her sister and could see that she was being completely serious and had no doubt about what she was saying. She finally let herself hope that just maybe her feelings would be returned. "Do you really think so?"

"I think you finally found her. I honestly think you found the one you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with. You're not going to know for sure though until you take that chance and tell her how you feel."

Bianca tried to take in everything Kendall had said. She knew that her sister would never mislead her on something like this. She trusted her completely. "You're right. I need to tell her how I feel. I can't very well go over there now." The phone rang, and she started to get it when she heard her oldest daughter beat her to it.

A minute later, Miranda darted into the room. "Mom, that was AJ. He made some cookies with his grandma and wants to bring some over that we can leave for Santa. I told him it was okay for him and Marissa to come over. Is that alright?"

Bianca smiled at her daughter and gave her a hug and kiss. "That's more than alright. Did he say when they were coming over?"

"They were getting ready to leave their house so they should be here soon."

Kendall smiled. "Look at the time! I best be getting the boys home. Zach's going to wonder where we wandered off to. Spike. Ian. Time to go home, guys."

The boys ran into the room, and as the two women bundled them up, Bianca looked at her sister and smirked. "Making a quick getaway, huh?"

The older woman smiled. "You got that right. I'll let you tell me how it goes." Kendall headed to the door with her sons and gave her sister a hug. "Good luck!"

"Thanks, and thank you for the talk."

"Anytime."

Bianca walked back to the family room and looked at the clock on the mantle. Marissa would be there soon. Her nerves were starting to get the better of her when she spotted the music box. She carefully placed it back in its box. _I need to get this wrapped. Hell, I need to figure out what I'm going to say._

She picked up the box and went to find some wrapping paper. She returned to the room a few minutes later with the neatly wrapped package and placed it on the mantle. Bianca looked up suddenly hearing a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and went to answer it.


	14. Forevermore

**A/N: Thanks yet again for the wonderful reviews! I wish I could come up with a better way to tell you all how much I appreciate them. A simple 'thanks' doesn't seem to quite cut it in my mind, but please know that they are truly appreciated. I will keep doing my best to live up to them and try not to disappoint you all. Now, let's talk about this chapter. I think this is the longest one I've written. I kind of got on a bit of roll and just hung on while letting my muse take me along for the ride. There are bits and pieces that I borrowed from the original story. This picks up exactly where the last one left off. It's still Christmas Eve, and our girls are so close to letting each other know how they feel. Okay, that's enough from me. I've got to start working on the next chapter. I hope you like this latest installment.**

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Marissa stood in front of the door to Bianca's home just staring at it for what seemed like forever, trying to get her courage up. She had been so sure of what she needed to do after talking to Krystal and even on the way over. Now that she was here, just a knock away from Bianca and possibly her future, she started to feel doubt creeping in.

"Whatcha waiting for, Mom? Aren't you gonna knock?"

She smiled at AJ. "Sorry, buddy. I was just thinking." She took a deep breath, said yet another silent prayer that this evening would turn out the way she hoped, and knocked on the door.

/

Bianca returned to the family room with Marissa's present and placed it on the mantle. She looked up suddenly hearing a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and walked over to it. She paused in front of the door with her hand on the door knob. Bianca had been so sure of what she needed to do immediately after talking to Kendall. Now that Marissa was here, just on the other side of this door, she could feel doubt starting to edge its way in.

"Mom, aren't you going to answer the door?"

She looked down at Miranda and smiled. "Yeah, I just got distracted." Bianca took another deep breath saying a silent prayer that her feelings would be returned. She opened the door.

/

The front door opened, and Bianca and Marissa locked eyes immediately, a huge smile broke across the face of both women.

"Hi."

"Hi back."

"Hi, Bianca!"

The brunette looked down at AJ and smiled. "Hey, buddy. Come on inside and get out of the cold. I'm guessing those are the cookies for Santa you made with your grandma."

AJ nodded, handed her the plate and gave her a hug. "Yep, we worked really hard on them. I think Santa's really gonna like them."

As Marissa entered, Miranda ran over to her and gave her a hug. "Hi, Marissa!"

"Hi, sweetie! I hear AJ's going to help you with something for your mom."

"Yep. It's a surprise though so I can't tell you about it."

Marissa smiled. "Okay, I promise I won't ask. Where's your sister?"

Miranda pointed over to the fireplace. Gabby was standing near the edge looking up the chimney.

"Hi, Gabby. What are you doing?" Marissa set down the bag she had brought in with her and walked towards the youngest Montgomery.

The little girl looked up and smiled when she saw the redhead. "Rissa!" She ran over to her and gave her a big hug. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, baby, you can ask me anything."

She gestured to the fireplace and pulled Marissa after her.

Marissa remembered Bianca telling her about Gabby's concern about Santa and the chimney. "Are you worried about Santa Claus coming down the chimney?"

Gabby nodded solemnly and asked, "How? Is he gonna be okay?"

Marissa took her coat off, sat down and pulled the little girl onto her lap. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the older two children's interest was piqued. "I used to wonder the same thing when I was a little girl. I'll tell you what my mom told me. Santa Claus has magical powers, and they let him come down any chimney in the whole world without getting hurt. Plus, you know you have one of the best mommies in the whole world. She helps people all the time and doesn't like to see anyone get hurt. You think she'd let someone as special as Santa get hurt coming here?"

Gabby smiled brightly and shook her head. "Nope! Thanks, Rissa!" She gave the redhead a big hug, hopped off her lap and skipped off in the direction of the playroom. The two older children had been closely following the conversation and each seemed more than satisfied with Marissa's answer as well and trailed off behind Gabby.

Bianca had witnessed the entire discussion and felt herself fall a little more in love with Marissa if that was possible. She marveled at the bond between the redhead and her youngest daughter. _She's amazing. I've been trying all week to make Gabby feel better about that, and she did it in just a couple of minutes._

Marissa glanced up and saw Bianca looking at her. The look in the brunette's eyes made her heart skip a beat and made her swallow hard. She quickly looked away and tried regain her focus. She was amazed how fast one look could make her forget what she was thinking. "Uh, I hope we weren't interrupting anything. AJ said Miranda needed his help with your present."

Bianca managed to collect herself having been shaken by that same moment. "You know that you can come over anytime, day or night."

Marissa smiled, stood and walked to retrieve the bag containing the Christmas gifts she had brought with her. "Um, I wasn't sure what your plans were for tomorrow so I brought over our presents for you and the girls."

"Right now, we're going over to Kendall's. You didn't have to do that, you know. We got something for you and AJ too though."

"I know I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Okay if I put them under the tree?"

"Perfect, unless you want us to open them tonight?"

"No, tomorrow's fine." Marissa was holding her gift for Bianca. "This one is for you. You may want to put it somewhere it won't get bumped by little feet."

"I was going to say the same thing about your's." As they exchanged gifts, their hands touched sending a jolt of heat through each.

They both sat down on the couch in awkward silence for what seemed an eternity. Finally, Marissa stood up. _I have to tell her now. I can't keep this inside any longer. _"Bianca, there's something I need to tell you, but I need you to give me your word that you won't interrupt me until I'm finished."

Concern washed over Bianca. "Is everything okay?"

"I guess we're going to find out. Do I have your word?"

"Yes, of course. Whatever you want."

_From your lips to God's ears because what I want is you. _Marissa took a deep breath and started to pace. "I, I don't know where to start. God, I'm so nervous. You'd think I wouldn't have a hard time talking, finding the right words. I'm a lawyer. We talk. That's what we do, but this is different because it's you. I'm not making any sense right now. Okay, I can do this." She stopped and looked at the brunette. "Bianca, you're my best friend, the best one I've ever had. I'm afraid what I have to tell, what I need to tell you, will make you want to leave, will scare you. I have to tell you though because I can't keep this inside anymore, and if there's a chance you feel the same way, I think that would just be a dream come true."

Bianca couldn't breathe. _Is she? She couldn't be, could she?_

"For a while now, I've had these feelings for you. I don't know when they started because I fought them. It was hard for me to accept what I was feeling because I never had those kinds of feelings before for a woman, but the harder I fought them, the stronger my feelings got. Then I realized that it didn't matter that you were a woman. You were just Bianca, and none of that other stuff mattered. It didn't matter at all because I couldn't stop my heart from feeling what it was feeling. You've been there beside me through so many things, the drama with JR and helping me get my first real home since I moved here. Being there when I went to visit my parents. I don't know if I could've gotten through that if it wasn't for you. I didn't know how hard it was really going to be and how much I _needed you _there. When you got sick, and I didn't know what was wrong, there was a moment when I was scared to death. I'd never seen you like that, so sick, so fragile. I was afraid that you... I was afraid that I could lose you." Her voice started to break as tears started to fall, but she had to finish because she'd come too far. She knelt in front of Bianca. "I can't imagine you not being in my life. What I'm trying to say, not very well, is that I'm in love with you. In fact, I don't know that I was really in love with anyone before you. I didn't know what love truly was until you. I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

Tears were falling down Bianca's face. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. _Marissa's in love with me? _"Yeah."

Marissa leaned in placing a soft, tentative kiss on Bianca's lips. As the brunette started to respond, the kiss began to deepen. Suddenly, Bianca pulled back.

"I'm sorry. I just…"

"Bianca, did I do something wrong?" _Maybe she doesn't feel the same way._

"It's not you. It's just, are you sure? You really want me? Us? I've been down this road before."

"I know you have, but I'm not them. I would never hurt you like they did just like I know you would never hurt me like JR. I would never put work or anything else ahead of my family, and that's what you, AJ and the girls are. You're my family."

_God, I want so much to believe her, but I have to be sure. _"This is a big change, and it's fast. People are going to wonder what happened. Why you're with a woman all of a sudden. They're going to talk, and it's not all going to be nice and accepting. It could get ugly. Are you really sure you can handle all of that? What about JR and AJ?"

"I know I can be impulsive, but not this time. I've thought about nothing else for a while now. This isn't sudden. My finally realizing my feelings may be sudden, but not my being in love with you. I've been in love with you for a long time. I finally just listened to my heart. Yeah, people are going to talk, and I know not everyone will be accepting or supportive. I don't care about them or their hate. I can handle it with you there beside me. I can handle anything with you beside me. You remember how I told you that my dad's song made me feel better when I was scared? Well, it also made me feel good about myself. It made me feel like I could do anything or be anything in the world as long as I just had the courage to try. You, you are that song, Bianca. You make me feel the way that song makes me feel. I just don't see how there could be anything wrong with that. Now about AJ, this will be different for him, and I'll have to talk to him about it. I may need some advice from you to come up with the right words on that though. I have a remarkable son if you didn't know that already. I remember how he stood up for Miranda at that birthday party when that other girl was spouting the hate she learned from her parents. God, I was so proud of him. He did it because he didn't see anything wrong with someone having two moms. He loves you and the girls and already thinks of them like his sisters. I think he'll be okay with this, with us, and God, I hope there is an 'us'. As for JR, we've been over for a long, long time. He's needs to accept that I've moved on, and that we were never really good for each. It was almost toxic at the end. I can't live my life worrying about what others, who have no idea who I really am, think about me. Bianca, I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I love you. I want you. I want us. Please believe me."

Bianca could see the love in Marissa's eyes. She could hear the love in her voice. She finally allowed herself to believe and to trust her own heart. She knew she could trust that same heart with the woman kneeling in front of her. She helped Marissa to her feet. "I need you to sit. It's my turn to ask you to listen. Please let me finish what I need to say. Will you do that for me?"

"Always."

"Wow. This really is hard. First, you're my best friend. I've never had a better one. You've been there for me and my daughters too many times to count. You've kept us safe, protected, loved. You've done so much for us. I've asked myself why you would do that. The only answer I could come up with is that it's just who you are. You're just that special, that incredible. I mean when I think of everything you've done. You took care of me when I was sick and too stubborn for my own damned good. I've been trying to think why I didn't tell Miranda to not call you. I think it's because I wanted _you_ to come. _I needed you to come._ I also knew that you would take care of Miranda and Gabby. I knew that because of that day at Krystal's. I could've lost them. I don't know what I would've done if that had happened, but you didn't let it. You wouldn't let that happen. You love them just like you do AJ. I trust them with you, and they love you. They feel safe with you just like I do. You'd lay life down for them, for me. That's just who you are. You protect the people that you care about, that you love. Personal consequences be damned. You put everyone else first. Then I started thinking about everything else."

Marissa couldn't believe everything she was hearing. _Could she really be in love with me?_

"You make me laugh and not take myself too seriously, like I tend to do sometimes. You're smart. You listen to me, really listen. You have no expectations of who or what I should be. Given who my mom is, I don't get that from a lot of people. They have this preconceived notion of who they think I am or what they think I could do for them because of her connections. Not you though. You could care less that I'm the daughter of Erica Kane. I have no doubt you can handle yourself with her. Not many people can say that. You see the real me, flaws and all, and you still love me. You're beautiful. You're, you're everything. I hate that I had to ask if you were sure, but that's more me than you. It's just that I've been hurt before by so many others, and sometimes, I just let the fear that it could happen again get the better of me. I know that it's different with you. I know that you're not them. That you would never hurt me or my daughters like they did. It's not who you are. I know that you would and have put our family first. That's what we are. The girls, AJ, us. We're family. I've been having these feelings for you for a long time too, and I've been fighting them. I don't want to fight them anymore. I can't fight them anymore. I don't know when it started. I just know that by the time I realized it, I was too far gone. Talk about not being able to stop your heart. I can't imagine my life without you. I want you, Marissa. I want this. I'm in love with you."

Marissa launched herself forward, unable to hold back any longer, and captured Bianca's lips with her own. This time, the brunette did not pull back. This time, Bianca pulled Marissa in closer. The kiss deepened as both women were free to finally release feelings that had been kept at bay for months. Nothing was held back as both became lost in each other. Neither wanted the earth-shattering kiss to end and reluctantly separated minutes later breathless.

"Um, sorry. I think I interrupted you." Marissa smiled as she blushed, surprised by the depth of her desire.

Bianca laughed and smiled brightly. "Uh, no, I think I was done. If I wasn't, I sure as hell don't remember what else I was going to say. Feel free to interrupt me like that anytime."

As the brunette gazed into hazel eyes, the want to kiss those lips again became overwhelming, and she pulled the redhead in closer to her once more. Rational thought became impossible as bodies melded together and minds were sent reeling. Marissa felt herself drifting backwards on the couch, and she pulled Bianca with her as both became utterly lost in each other. As the need for air yet again became a necessity, they slowly pulled away. It was then they heard the rumble of small feet fast approaching from the other room. They quickly struggled to untangle from each other, become upright and collect themselves before their older children entered.

Both women gazed at each other and started to laugh at almost getting 'caught' by their children. Happiness bubbled up inside as both saw the love they felt reflected in each other's eyes. Neither could hold in the feeling of unbridled joy overtaking them, and it was reflected in their faces.

"Mom, what's so funny?"

Marissa looked at her son's puzzled face and smiled even more. "I'm just really happy."

"Are you happy too, Mom?" Miranda asked.

"I sure am. I'm very happy."

The children looked at each other and shrugged and went to check out the presents that were already under the tree. Marissa looked at the children and then turned to Bianca speaking quietly. "I think we should tell them about us."

"Are you sure you're ready for that? There's no going back once we do."

"Bianca, there's no going back for me now. I'm not changing my mind. You're stuck with me for as long as you want me. I think we need to tell them because I don't know about you, but I'm not going to be able to keep this to myself for very long. I'm not going to be able to be around you without touching you or kissing you or telling you how much I love you. Given how much we're around each and how smart our kids are, they're going to figure it out. Isn't it better if we're upfront with them from the beginning?"

"You are never going to cease to amaze me. There's no going back for me either, and I'm more than happy to be stuck with you for forever. You're right about not being able to keep this in anymore, and we do have exceptionally perceptive children. I'm ready to tell them. You still want that advice on AJ?"

"Yes, please."

"Be open and honest with him. Remember, he's remarkable because he's your son, and you've taught him well."

Marissa smiled at the woman who was now her girlfriend. "Thank you."

"Miranda, let's go find your sister and talk."

Marissa turned to her son. "AJ, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure. Is it about why you're so happy?"

She couldn't hide the smile caused by her son's intuition. "Yeah, it is. You know I love you, right?"

"Yep, upside down and inside out!"

"That's right. Your dad loves you too. I know you wanted us to get back together, but we won't be, buddy. We won't be happy if we do."

"That's okay. I used to want that, but I can tell you're happier now. I like it when you're happy, Mom. I know you tried to be happy with dad, but you just weren't."

"No, I wasn't. I want you to know that has nothing to do with you, and we'll still be family even though we don't all live together. You know there are all kinds of families. Bianca and I love each other, and we're going to be together now. You, the girls and Bianca and I will be a family."

"Like how Miranda and Gabby had two moms, and Bobby Douglas has his two dads?"

A crooked smile crossed her face. "Yeah, exactly. Are you okay with that?"

The little boy only needed a few seconds to think about this change. "Is Bianca why you're so happy?"

"She is, and so are you and the girls."

"I'm okay with it then. Bianca's awesome, and I love her a lot! So, will Miranda and Gabby be my sisters now?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Cool!"

Marissa was amazed at her son's easy acceptance. "Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Yep! She makes you smile and takes good care of you and me too."

Tears filled her eyes, and she pulled AJ in and hugged him tightly. "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Mom."

/

Bianca found her youngest daughter in the playroom. Miranda ran ahead and covered something up.

"Hey, Gabby, I need to talk to you and your sister for a few minutes."

"K, Mommy." She ran over to her mother, and they sat on the floor with Miranda joining them.

"You know I love you both more than anything in the whole world."

Both girls nodded.

"You both like Marissa, don't you? You like her being around so much?"

Gabby's head bobbed up and down enthusiastically. "I love Rissa. She's fun and gives good hugs."

"Yes, baby. She gives great hugs. What do you think, Miranda?"

Her oldest daughter thought about her mother's friend, and everything that had occurred over the last several months. "I love Marissa too, Mom. I think she's awesome. She takes really good care of all of us. Like when you were sick, I was scared, but she made me feel better, not as scared. She took really good care of you too and helped you get better. And that day that bad man tried to take us. He was really scary, but Marissa stopped him and made him go away. AJ said she wouldn't let anything happen to us, that things were going to be okay. He was right. She didn't let him take us, and she made everything okay. Kinda like you do. You like her, don't you, Mom?"

Nothing got by her oldest daughter. She was so much like Kendall in that regard. "Yes, Miranda, I do. Marissa and I love each other and want to be together."

"Kinda like you and mama Reese?"

"Yes, sweetie."

"Marissa's not like her though. She's different. She, she wouldn't forget about us."

Bianca's heart broke at that last statement. Reese had forgotten about her daughters, and the pain that caused them still made her so furious that she had to struggle mightily to contain that fury. She looked in Miranda's eyes and saw that pain, but she also saw something else. She saw the trust her daughter had in Marissa, and she knew that her girlfriend would never betray that trust. She hugged both of her daughters, fighting back tears. "No, Miranda, she could never or would never forget you or Gabby. So, what do you think about us being together, about us being a family with Marissa and AJ?"

"So, AJ would be our brother. I like that. Don't you, Gabby?"

Her sister bobbed her head up and down. "I like AJ lots! I like having a brother!"

"She makes you happy, doesn't she, Mom?"

"Yes, she does. She makes me very happy."

"I like that she makes you happy." She thought for a minute.

"What is it, Miranda?" She could tell her daughter still had something on her mind.

"Do you think it would be okay if I asked her a question?"

"I'm sure it would."

"Let's go then."

Bianca followed as her daughters ran back to the family room. Marissa and AJ were finishing up their discussion. Both women couldn't stop the smiles when they saw each other.

"Rissa! Mommy says we're gonna be a family!"

Marissa scooped Gabby up and kissed both of her cheeks. "We sure are! Is that okay with you?"

"Yep!"

AJ ran over to Bianca, and she knelt down. "What about you, AJ? Is that okay with you?"

"Yeah, I think it's great!" He gave her a big hug.

Miranda approached Marissa with a pensive look on her face. The redhead put Gabby down and addressed the older girl. "What's up, Miranda?"

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You can always ask me anything."

"Do you really love my mom? I don't want to see her hurt again and"

Marissa sat down and pulled the solemn child to her. She could tell she had been hurt as deeply as her mother, and she would like nothing better than to go after each and every single person who had hurt them. "Yes, Miranda, I love your mom very much. I know she's been hurt before, and I will do my very best not to hurt her or you and your sister. I promise you that I will do everything I possibly can to make her happy every day, to take care of her, and let her know how much she is loved. The same goes for you and Gabby."

A huge smile broke across Miranda's face, and she hugged Marissa as tight as she possibly could. "Good, I thought so!" I'm glad you and AJ are part of our family! I know you'll take good care of us!"

Marissa swallowed hard at the lump that had formed in her throat and looked at Bianca.

The brunette couldn't get over the thoughtfulness of her oldest child. She had been so worried about her. She wasn't surprised that Marissa had handled that incredibly. Nobody was perfect, but her girlfriend was sure as hell perfect for her and their family.

"Bianca?"

She saw the question in AJ's eyes. "Yeah, buddy, I promise you the same thing. I'm not the talker that your mom is, but I will do my best to be there for both of you whenever you need me, always."

The young boy smiled and hugged her again. "Okay, I just wanted to make sure. I thought you would, but Miranda got me to thinking."

"It's okay. I understand. You're just looking out for your mom, and she's really special and one of the best mom's there is, isn't she?"

"Uh huh, she sure is! When are we going home, Mom?"

Marissa checked the time. "I hate to say it, but we should probably be leaving soon if we're going to get you in bed before Santa gets here."

AJ turned to Miranda. "We should finish what we were working on."

"You're right we should, and I have a really good idea. Come on, Gabby." All three children raced back to the playroom.

Bianca looked at Marissa. "You are amazing, and I really need you to come over here."

"Well, I'm on the couch, and it would be more comfortable for both of us if you came over here."

"Have you forgotten what happened when I was over there before?"

"When I pretty much tackled you?"

"I've got to be honest and say that I didn't mind that at all, but the kids are going to be back out here shortly. The last time I was over there, they almost saw a little too much for comfort. I know they know we're together now, but are you ready to explain to them exactly why I was lying on top of you?"

Marissa gave her a devilish smile. "I suppose you're right about that conversation, but you don't trust me to control myself?"

Bianca cleared her throat and blushed. "It's not that I don't trust you. I don't trust that I can control myself."

The redhead laughed at her girlfriend's confession and fell more in love with her. She couldn't believe she had that effect on this incredible woman. "Okay, if I have to."

"Yeah, you really do."

She got up and walked over to the brunette.

Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist and pulled her in needing to feel those wonderful lips again.

Marissa sighed contently when they pulled apart and rested her head on Bianca's shoulder. "We have to figure out how to spend some time together tomorrow because I am not going to be able to go a day without this."

"Damn. How do you do that?"

Marissa lifted her head, giving her girlfriend a puzzled look. "Do what?"

"Find the words that express exactly what I'm thinking and feeling."

"That would be another one of my law school classes." The redhead smirked.

Bianca couldn't help but crack up laughing at the quick response. "I'm thinking I might have to check out some of those classes, counselor."

"No need. I'll offer private tutoring." Marissa said before placing a chaste kiss on those amazing lips.

"I'm going to take you up on that. You're right about spending time together tomorrow. I already told Kendall that I'd come over, but I should be able to sneak away after maybe an hour or two. It'll be easier since mom's still out of town."

"When is Erica getting back from her book tour?"

"A few weeks. Are you going to Tad's?"

"Yeah, I might be able to get away early too. Caleb gets back tomorrow, right? We could meet up at my house. We'd have a little more privacy. What do you think about telling the kids not to spill the beans about us? And before you ask, I have a couple of reasons for suggesting that."

"I know. I'm not going to freak out and start over thinking the intention behind every word you say. Caleb will be back early tomorrow. It could be more than a little awkward to have him here and me struggling to keep my hands to myself being around you."

"Well, we can't have you struggle like that. We can't have me struggle like that either."

Bianca chuckled. "True. That would be absolutely awful. I would like to have a little time for just us before everyone knows, and there's still someone else that will need to be told."

"If you're referring to my ex, you're right. I know we have to deal with him, but can we not talk about him until after tomorrow? I really want to enjoy our first Christmas together."

"Our first Christmas!" Bianca beamed.

Marissa's smile matched her girlfriend's. "Yeah, our first Christmas!"

"Done! No talking about exes, and this will just be between us for at least tomorrow."

Marissa sealed the deal by capturing Bianca's lips.

"Do you think they're going to be doing a lot of that now, Miranda?"

"Kissing? Yeah, I think so, AJ. We should probably get used to it."

"I guess you're right."

The women broke apart laughing overhearing their children's conversation. "Sorry, buddy. Miranda's right. Bianca and I will be kissing now. Are you going to be okay with that?"

"I guess that's one of the things that makes you happy, huh?"

"It is. You'll understand it more when you're a little older."

"If you say so, Mom. Are we gonna go home soon? I like being here, but Santa"

"Oh wow, it is late. I guess we should be going. You and the girls need to get to bed so the big guy in the red suit can visit all of you. Grab your coat."

Marissa collected their presents while Bianca helped AJ get bundled up.

"Thanks, Bianca. Are we gonna see you tomorrow?"

"You're welcome, and yes, you will. I'm not sure what time, but the girls and I will definitely be coming over to your house."

"Good!" He gave her a big hug. "Night. Love you."

"I love you too, buddy."

"Night, Rissa. Love you."

Marissa scooped up Gabby. "Good night, baby. I love you too. Make sure you get to bed so Santa can come. I'll see tomorrow." She put the little girl down and turned to her sister giving her a hug. "Good night, Miranda. I love you, and I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay. Night, Marissa. Love you too."

Bianca looked at her daughters. "Okay you two, go get ready for bed. I'll be in in a minute."

Marissa finished putting on her coat and grabbed her packages. Bianca grabbed her coat and walked her girlfriend and AJ to car. As the little boy got buckled up, Marissa started the car so it could warm up. She got back out and turned to Bianca pulling her in close for a loving kiss. "Good night. I love you."

Bianca sighed happily and smiled as she watched the redhead get back in the car, buckle herself in and lower her window. "I love you too. Drive safe. I'll see you tomorrow. Oh, Marissa. This was definitely one of the best days I've ever had."

Marissa gave her a brilliant smile as she recalled a previous conversation. "Me too!"


	15. First Christmas

**A/N: Well, it seems that it's official. AMC is not going online. PP issued a statement the other day stating that sad fact, if you haven't heard it by now. I've got to say that I'm pretty damn bummed by that news since I grew up with AMC. I could feel it coming though since there hadn't been any word about the show from them in a long time. What to do with this sad news? I've decided to drag this story out for as long as I can and see where I go with it. I do have a couple thoughts. I can tell you that I don't see me going down the same path of the finale since I already did a story about the shooting and how I thought it should have gone. **

**With that said, the time off for the Thanksgiving holiday here in the States has given me some time to finish this chapter. It is Christmas Day for our girls. Again, I thank you for your wonderful reviews, and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. **

**/**

Bianca checked the time again. It was early, and she wondered, as she held her phone, if it was too early to call Marissa. She jumped slightly when it started to ring, and a huge smile broke across her face when she read the caller id and saw it was her favorite redhead. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas! I didn't wake you up, did I?"

"No, I was just sitting here wondering if it was too early to call you. Is AJ still asleep?"

"Yeah, but I'm expecting that to change any minute. What about the girls?"

"Still asleep for now. How did you sleep?"

"Well, I was up late 'helping' Santa and then I kept thinking about you and the fact that you're in love with me. It made it kind of hard to go to sleep. I just can't seem to wipe this smile off my face. What about you?"

"I know what you mean. I've had this smile on my face since last night. I didn't get much sleep either thinking about you all night long. I know it happened, but it's still a little hard to believe. You're actually in love with me."

"Yep, it doesn't matter how many times you question it. Nothing's changed from last night so believe it. I still love you, and I plan on telling you that every day even when we're old and gray and you get tired of hearing it. No going back, remember?"

Bianca smiled even more. "I remember. I still love you too. I don't know that I'm going gray though. I do have a certain image to maintain as Erica Kane's daughter, and she doesn't have any gray hair. She doesn't think it's proper for someone of her stature."

Marissa busted out laughing. "Riiiiight, Erica doesn't have any gray hair. I think that's because she has someone at the ready the minute a hair decides to go rogue and dares to turn gray. That person is never going to talk though out of fear for their lives!"

The brunette snorted. "I hate to admit it, but I think you're right!"

"That was a very proper sounding snort! I can see you as a very sexy, gray haired senior citizen."

Bianca cleared her throat. "Right back at you! Okay, you got me then, old and gray it is! And I'm not ever going to get tired of hearing you telling me that you love me."

"That's good to know, and neither will I."

"Is that on the record, counselor?"

"Hah! Listen to you getting the legal jargon down. Yeah, it's definitely on the record."

"Well, my girlfriend is a kick ass lawyer so I thought I better start learning some of it."

Marissa sighed happily. "I love the way that sounds. So, when am I going to see _my girlfriend_ today?"

"As much as I hate to admit it, it looks like this afternoon as long you're going over to Tad's early. Please say you are."

"We're going over early. How am I supposed to handle not seeing you or at least talking to you for that long? Would it be really rude if I called you and we just stayed on the phone with each other the whole time?"

"I wouldn't mind it, but Kendall and Krystal might consider it rude."

"Hmmm. That reminds me. I need to figure out how to dodge the questions I know Krystal will have for me about you."

"About me?"

"Yeah, she guessed how I felt about you, and she helped give me that extra little nudge I needed to tell you."

"Wow. She's really okay with us?"

"Yeah, she's really okay with us. She said she just wants me to be happy."

"I guess I need to come clean then. Kendall guessed how I felt about you and encouraged me to tell you."

"And…"

"And you couldn't have a bigger fan in her, other than me of course."

Marissa smirked. "Of course. I thought you being my biggest fan went without saying."

"Talk about being confident!"

The redhead laughed again. "It's your fault. You make me feel like I can take on the world with one arm tied behind my back."

Bianca loved hearing her laugh. "You make me feel the same way. So, how are we going to dodge their questions?"

"We could use the kids to block them. You know, always have one right by us so they can't really go into much detail with their questions."

"That has possibilities. I might need a plan B though since my sister can be like a dog with a bone when she wants to know something."

Bianca could hear her girlfriend chuckle. "What?"

"You're sister is definitely determined when it comes to you." She paused. "I wonder …"

"What?"

"Something just occurred to me."

"Are you going to share?"

"Let me give it a little more thought, and I'll tell you when I see you later."

"I suppose that will have to do for now. That just gives me one more thing to think about today."

"One more thing? What else will you be thinking about?"

"You. Your eyes, your smile, your lips and how it feels to kiss you and hold you."

Marissa's breath hitched and her heart flipped at the dip in Bianca's voice. "Now, how am I supposed to think about anything else after you say something like that?"

Bianca laughed again. "Sorry, if I'm going to be distracted then I might as well make sure you are too."

The redhead sighed again unable to believe she could be any happier. "I have an idea. Have you opened your present yet?"

"Not yet. What about you?"

"No, what do you think about opening them now while we're kind of 'together'? It's as close as we're going to have to being alone for a few hours."

"I think that's a brilliant idea. I happen to have your's right here in front of me."

"Ditto. You go first then."

Bianca could hear the excitement in Marissa's voice. She carefully removed the wrapping paper and saw where the present was from. "You got me something from Max Young? I love his work. You obviously already know that though."

Marissa could hear Bianca opening the packing container and held her breath.

Bianca inhaled sharply when she saw the painting. She was absolutely blown away. She couldn't recall ever receiving something so thoughtful. "It's, it's incredible! You got him to paint us! How did you manage this?"

"You like it then?"

"No, I love it! How did you do this?"

"I had taken that picture when I staying with you while you were recovering. I got the idea of having it made into a painting after we went to that art fair this summer. I saw how much you liked his work so I asked him if he would be interesting in doing that."

"There's more to the story than that. He doesn't do this type of work."

"Well, he made an exception. I told him who it was for and that you were a fan of his. By the way, he was very flattered by that. I had to do a little more convincing, but I finally wore him down and he agreed."

"You are simply amazing. I don't know that I've ever had someone give me something so thoughtful. Thank you." She took a deep breath. "Okay, your turn."

Marissa smiled and unwrapped her present. "It's beautiful. Oh, it's a music box. Give me a second to turn it on."

Bianca could hear the now familiar strains of 'Forevermore'.

Marissa was speechless. It was her song, the one her dad used to sing to her. She had _never_ received a more thoughtful, incredible, amazing gift in her entire life. Tears sprung to her eyes as her heart swelled with love for Bianca. _How did I get so lucky to have someone as amazing as her in my life? I can't believe she did this for me. I can't believe she loves me this much._

"Marissa?"

The redhead suddenly inhaled. She hadn't realized she had stopped breathing. This incredible woman literally took her breath away. "Oh my God, Bianca! It's my song! I can't believe you gave me my song. I can't believe you did this for me. I, I. No one has ever given me something as beautiful, as incredible, something that means so much to me as this. It's amazing. You're amazing."

Bianca finally took a breath. "So, you like it?"

"Like it? I love it! I absolutely love it. I love it almost as much as I love you, and I do love you, Bianca. My God, I didn't think it was possible to love you any more than I already did, but I was wrong. I just keep falling more and more in love with you."

Bianca wiped away the tears brought on as a result of her girlfriend's declaration. Her voice broke with emotion. "I know what you mean. I love you so much that I think my heart's going to burst, and I just keep falling more and more in love with you."

It was several minutes before either could find their voice again.

Marissa started to laugh. "Wow. If I thought it was going to be tough waiting to see you before, it's going to be absolute torture now!"

Bianca joined in the laughter. "I think you're right, and that's a bit of an understatement. I want to see you now, but"

"But the kids will be up soon and tearing through their presents, and we have to let them have that time."

"Yeah, and then there's Kendall and Krystal. They'll be expecting each of us soon."

"True. How about 2:00? We meet here at my house at 2:00."

"I can do that. 2:00 and not one minute later."

"Deal! Wait. I think I hear AJ finally waking up."

"Do you think they managed to time that somehow because I just heard Miranda, and now there's Gabby."

"Looks like we're both back on the clock. I really don't want to, but I need to go. I _will_ be calling you later."

"Good, because if you don't, I'll be calling you! You know what, the heck with it, I'll call you anyway."

Marissa chuckled. "I guess we both better charge our phones. I love you"

The brunette smiled. "I love you too."

/

Bianca smiled as she watched her daughters playing with their Christmas presents when her phone rang. "Hey, Kendall. Merry Christmas. I was going to start getting the girls ready in a few minutes. Did you come up with something else you need us to bring over?"

"Merry Christmas, Binx. About that, Ian woke up with a fever."

"I'm sorry to hear that he's feeling bad, especially today. How's Spike feeling?"

"So far, so good. I'm hoping Ian will be feeling better soon, but I think it's probably better if you and the girls stay home. I don't want to risk anyone else getting sick."

"I understand. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"No, we're good. It'll just be a low-key holiday for us this year. I just feel bad leaving you and the girls on your own today."

"Don't worry about us. We'll be fine. Just take care of Ian, okay?"

"Okay. I'll talk to you later."

After hanging up with her sister, Bianca thought for a minute. While she hated her nephew being sick, this actually worked out for her. Marissa had called not long before Kendall with news that she and AJ were staying home. Tad woke up with a cold, and Jenny wanted to take care of her dad so her sister and Krystal would be staying home. This unexpected change in plans for both Marissa and herself gave her a wonderful idea. She smiled as she decided to surprise her girlfriend. "Okay, girls, we need to start getting ready."

Miranda looked up. "Are we going to Aunt Kendall's soon?"

"There's been a change in plans. Ian's not feeling well so we won't be going over there today. We're going to go over to Marissa's early and surprise her and AJ."

Both girls smiled brightly and raced to back to their rooms. Bianca followed as a broad grin spread across her as she thought about surprising her girlfriend.

/

Marissa smiled as she picked up her phone and saw it was Bianca. "Hey!"

"Hey, yourself."

"I'm guessing you're headed to Kendall's."

"We're on the road. I just thought I'd call and see what you were up to."

"AJ's playing, and I'm just cleaning up some and wishing you were here."

"Well, I'll be there before you know it."

"I know. Hold on a sec. Someone's at the door." Marissa opened the front door to see Bianca smiling and her daughters laughing and shouting "Surprise!"

Marissa laughed in disbelief as the little girls entered the house. "What are you all doing here now? You weren't supposed to here for a few more hours."

Bianca smirked. "We could leave and come back later."

"Not on your life!" Marissa pulled the brunette inside and gave her a loving kiss. "I'm really not complaining, but I thought you were going to Kendall's."

"There was a change in plans. Ian isn't feeling good. So rather than risk it being spread, Kendall begged off us coming over."

"I hope the little guy will be okay. Her loss is definitely my gain though."

Coats were deposited in the closet, and the children went upstairs to AJ's room to play."

As soon as they were safely out of sight, Marissa pulled Bianca into searing kiss that sent shivers through both women. Arms wound tightly around each other, striving to pull the other closer. Minutes later, they slowly pulled away, each left dazed and breathless.

More time passed before Bianca was finally able to speak. "Wow! What, what was that for?"

The redhead gazed at her and gave her a dazzling smile. "That was me thanking you properly for my Christmas present!"

Bianca sighed blissfully before leaning in to claim those smiling lips with a lingering kiss. "You're welcome and thank you for my Christmas present. I only wish I had gotten that present for you earlier if I knew that was going to be your response to it."

Marissa pulled the brunette into the family room and onto the sofa. She became thoughtful at Bianca's last comment as she absent-mindedly caressed her girlfriend's hands.

"What's wrong?"

The redhead sighed. "Nothing. I was just thinking of all of the time we wasted denying our feelings. We could've had this months ago."

"You're right, but we have it now. Better late than never."

"True, and now that we do have it, I'm going to be upfront with you. I don't plan on ever letting you go."

"That's very good to hear because I don't plan on letting you go either. We're together now, and that's all that matters. No regrets about what's in the past."

"And no going back." Marissa placed a reverent kiss on her girlfriend's lips and rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. Both women sat in silence for a long time, simply basking in the love they shared.

A question crossed Bianca's mind, and she playfully asked Marissa. "So, when did realize that you were desperately in love with me and couldn't live without me?"

The redhead started laughing. "Wow, talk about someone being full of themselves."

"Eh, I'm only speaking the truth, aren't I?" The brunette smirked.

Marissa tried to keep a straight face but was unable to after seeing the amused look in Bianca's eyes before giving in. "You're right. I am desperately and hopelessly in love with you, but no more than you are with me."

Bianca leaned in and gave Marissa a loving kiss. "You got me. I feel exactly the same way. You didn't answer my question though. When did you realize you were in love with me?"

"You really want to know, huh? Okay, it was a few weeks ago. You remember that meeting you were handling for Kendall, the one with that woman 'Sienna'?" Marissa still couldn't stop herself from making a face at saying the other woman's name.

Bianca became amused at the expression on the redhead's face. "I remember."

"It really bothered me when I knew you were going to be going out with someone else. I know now that it wasn't a date, but you couldn't have told me otherwise then. I couldn't think of anything else that whole day, and when I saw you two together, I just couldn't stop watching you to see if you were interested in her. Then, I saw her touch you, and I almost completely lost it. It took every ounce of strength I had not to come over to your table and rip her arm off. I'm going to admit this wasn't my finest moment, but it got me to thinking about why I was feeling that way. That's when I was finally able to admit to myself that I was in love with you and didn't want anyone else being with you." The redhead blushed at her admission and gave Bianca a sheepish grin.

The brunette was completely charmed by her girlfriend's confession. "I don't know that I've ever had anyone be that jealous over me before. You really felt that way?"

"I find that hard to believe. You're absolutely beautiful in every way. You're just you. So yeah, I really felt that way. I was so distracted by what was going on over at your table that I wasn't really paying attention to Mark. I probably should apologize to him."

"It was 'Mike', and no, you shouldn't!"

Marissa was both slightly taken aback by Bianca's forceful reaction to her suggestion and amused by the look on her face. "Really, it's Mike? Huh, I just can't seem to get that straight. Oh well, whatever. It didn't matter then and doesn't matter now. It was just a thought. I won't do it if you feel that strongly about it." A knowing smile crossed her face. "When did you realize how you felt about me?"

Bianca sighed and knew it was time for her own embarrassing confession. "I remember that day because it was the same day that Krystal set you up on what I thought at the time was a blind date with him. I know it really wasn't that, but I couldn't stop myself from thinking it was at the time. I ran into a chair, a table and a server because I couldn't stop myself from trying to see how things were going between the two of you. I was barely able to pay attention to my meeting because I was too interested in what was happening with you. I was doing kind of okay until I saw him touching your back when he walked you to the door. Talk about wanting to rip someone's arm off. I'm not very proud of myself for that, but it's how I felt. Things started to fall in place for me then. That's when I knew I that was in love with you, and couldn't bear the thought of you being with anyone else. I'm not normally someone who gets jealous like that, but with you, it's different. Everything's different."

Marissa was stunned that Bianca had felt that way about her and couldn't keep the smile off her face. "I had no idea you were jealous. Is it bad that I'm finding you absolutely adorable right now?"

"Adorable?"

"A little bit, yeah." The redhead leaned in and stole a quick kiss.

Bianca simply shook her head. "How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"Take something I'm embarrassed of and make me feel kind of good about it."

"It's because you're embarrassed about it. Look, you weren't happy with what you _thought_ was going on, but you were willing to bite your tongue as long as you thought I was happy. There are others, who shall remain nameless today, that would lie, cheat and steal to get what they want to make themselves happy without giving what I want a second thought. They always put themselves and their happiness first. You put others first. You put me first. I'm definitely not used to that. I'm usually an afterthought. It's something I've gotten used to with a lot of things in my life."

The brunette saw the painful memories of being abandoned by her mother in favor of another child, of being cheated on by a husband in favor of another woman, flash in Marissa's eyes and she realized she had been hurt just as deeply as she herself had, and she desperately wanted to take that pain away. She gently cupped the redhead's face. "Those others that hurt you were idiots. They didn't know and appreciate what they had. I do. I have you, and I'm never letting you go." Bianca pulled her close and kissed her with both a force and gentleness that conveyed all the love she felt.

Marissa released a contented sigh when they finally pulled apart. She had never felt so loved and wanted by someone who meant so much to her. "Thank you."

"It's my pleasure. You know there's someone else who thinks you're amazing. Kendall. Okay, she doesn't think you're amazing in quite the same way as I do."

Marissa chuckled. "Well, that's good and a big relief."

"You know what I mean." Bianca rolled her eyes and chucked. "She's impressed by you, and she doesn't impress easily."

"No, she doesn't which reminds me of what we were talking about earlier. I have a feeling, and it's just a feeling with no concrete evidence at all, but I have a feeling we were set up."

"Set up? When? How?"

"That day at Krystal's. They both happened to need us to meet other people for them at the same place and at basically the same time? I'm sorry, but I just don't see that as a coincidence especially when you factor in the extra encouragement they gave us yesterday to come clean with each other."

"Hmmm. Now that you mention it, it is suspicious. I can see Kendall's hands all over a plan like that. Part of me wants to thank them, but part of me kind of wants to stick it to them for meddling."

"I know what you mean. What do you think we should do?"

Before Bianca could answer, three pairs of small feet raced down the stairs. AJ looked at his mother. "When's lunch? We're starving!"

Marissa laughed. "Well, we can't have that! Do you want to eat in the dining room or have a Christmas picnic in here?" She already knew the answer.

Three small voices chimed in unison. "Christmas picnic!"

"A picnic it is. The three of you are in charge getting the blanket and getting things ready in here. Bianca and I will go see what we can round up in the way of lunch."

The house was bustling again with activity, and soon all five were enjoying lunch. The children were chattering away happily about what they had gotten from Santa when Miranda brought everyone's attention to two small packages still under the tree. Marissa and Bianca eyed the children as they failed miserably to act innocent about the discovery.

"Gabby, would you hand me those presents so I can see who they're for?"

"K, Rissa." The little girl happily retrieved the packages and handed them to the redhead.

"Thank you! Hmmm. This one's for Bianca, and this one is for me." She handed a present to her smiling girlfriend. They opened their gifts at the same time and revealed a picture of the two of them in a frame constructed of popsicle sticks. The women were looking at each other smiling. Looking at the photo, they could now easily see the love in each other's eyes. Each wondered how they couldn't see it back then when it was so obvious now. Eyes glistened as they looked at their children who had been watching them in eager anticipation.

Bianca was finally able to speak. "This is one of the best gifts ever. Is this what you all were working on last night?"

Three heads bobbed in unison. Miranda was the spokesperson for their group. "Yeah, Aunt Kendall helped me with printing the pictures yesterday, and AJ made the frames."

Marissa smiled at her son. "You did an awesome job on them, and I love this picture. You did a wonderful job, Miranda, with picking it out. I'm guessing that Gabby was in charge of wrapping." The smallest Montgomery nodded excitedly. "You did a great job too."

The three children beamed with pride as they rushed forward to be smothered in hugs and kisses from their mothers.

The redhead continued to look at the picture thinking of when it was taken and smiled suddenly at the memory. "This is from that day at the zoo."

Bianca instantly remembered the moment they had shared on the bench and looked at Marissa. They had both felt a pull towards the other that day but had been interrupted and chose to push the feelings aside. That was then. It wasn't the same case today. Bianca gave Marissa a loving kiss. "We have amazing children."

"We really do."

Lunch was soon finished, and Marissa cleaned up in the kitchen while Bianca set the kids up with a movie. After her task was completed, the brunette entered the kitchen to help with the cleanup. Her girlfriend's back was to her, and she couldn't resist wrapping her arms around the redhead's waist and placing kisses along her neck.

Marissa moaned softly and leaned back into her girlfriend. "If you keep that up, I'm not going to be able to finish cleaning up in here."

Bianca laughed. "Sorry. I just couldn't help myself. I seem to have this problem keeping my hands to myself when I'm around you now."

"It's not just your hands you have that problem with."

"Are you complaining?"

Marissa turned around and saw the amused look in Bianca's eyes as she wrapped her arms around the brunette. "No, no, I'm not complaining at all, just stating a simple fact. I find myself having the same problem." She pulled her girlfriend closer and captured those smiling lips with a fervent kiss.

The insistent ringing of Bianca's cell phone forced them to pull apart. The brunette sighed. "It's my sister. I better take this." She stepped away from Marissa and cleared her throat before answering. "Hi, Kendall. How's Ian?"

"He's doing much better. The extra sleep did wonders for him. I'm sorry to bail on you today. I hope you and the girls weren't too disappointed."

It took everything Bianca had to not laugh at her sister's statement because she was anything but disappointed with how the day was turning out for her. "Don't worry about us. We're managing to have a good day."

"I'm glad. Hey, I didn't get a chance to ask you earlier how things went yesterday with Marissa."

"Marissa?"

"Yeah, Binx. How did things go? Did you tell her how you feel?"

"Oh, you want to know how things went when she came over yesterday."

Marissa leaned back against the counter, crossed her arms and smirked. They had agreed to keep the change in their relationship to themselves for at least another day, and she had to admit she was completely charmed watching Bianca struggle to come up with a response to her sister's question.

Bianca saw the smirk on her girlfriend's face and waved her out of the room. There was no way she was going to be able to keep her word about keeping the fact that things had definitely changed for the better between her and Marissa as long as the redhead was watching her and looking at her like she was at that minute. The redhead obliged and headed to the family room, chuckling quietly as she did. Bianca then did the only thing she could think of at that moment. "Hold on a second, Kendall. Miranda needs something." She pulled the phone away and covered it with her hand. She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I better go. The girls need me to help them with something. Can I give you a call tomorrow, and we can talk?"

There was a long pause on the other end of the line as Kendall considered her sister's response. Something seemed off, but she couldn't exactly figure out what it was. "Um, I suppose that's okay."

"Great, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Bye." Bianca ended the call and exhaled slowly. She made her way into the family room, and Marissa glanced up when she saw her enter. The brunette sat next to her on the sofa and sighed as questioning hazel eyes searched her face. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

A smile crossed her face. "Yeah, you were no help at all though."

"I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself. You looked so"

"Don't say adorable."

"Alright, I won't, but you did."

The brunette shook her head and chucked. "You're impossible, you know that?"

Marissa smiled as she gave her girlfriend a chaste kiss. "Only when it comes you. Seriously, Bianca, call Kendall back and tell her about us. I know you want to and that you don't like keeping things from her. I'm okay with it. I really am."

"Amazing. You are simply amazing. I know I keep saying that, but it's true. Yes, I do want to tell Kendall, but I'll do it tomorrow. If I call her back and tell her, I'll never get off the phone with her, and it's better if I tell her in person anyway. Besides, I'd rather be spending that time with you. We decided that today would just be about us, and we're going to keep it that way."

"Okay, as long as you're sure that's what you want to do. I won't complain about getting to spend as much time as possible with you." Marissa settled herself back in Bianca's arms and sighed blissfully. In this exact moment in time, she had everything she had ever dreamed of. She had a home of her own, a remarkable son, two young girls that she couldn't love any more than she did AJ, and to top it all off, she had Bianca and her love. It was almost too much and scared her a little, but as she felt her girlfriend's arms around her, a feeling of calm came over her. She knew that no matter what the real world may hold for them, they would somehow deal with it, together.

Bianca smiled as she held Marissa. When she heard her sigh, she knew exactly what her girlfriend was thinking. "You're right, you know. I don't know that it gets any better than this. I've got everything that I've ever wanted right here, and I'm not letting it go."

The five of them spent the rest of the day together. Games were played and movies were watched. Dinner was another picnic. Hours passed and no one bothered to check the time until the children started to yawn and were quickly fighting a losing battle against sleep. Marissa sent AJ up to his room to get ready for bed while Bianca went to warm up her car. The redhead bundled up the girls as she waited for Bianca to return.

Marissa was putting on her coat when the brunette came back inside. "Which one do you want me to take to the car?"

"You take Gabby, and I'll take Miranda. First, there's something I need to do." Bianca smiled as she pulled Marissa towards her for a lingering kiss. "I was wondering if you were planning on going to the benefit alone or with anyone."

Marissa smiled brightly. "I hadn't thought about it too much."

A shy smile crossed Bianca's face. "Would you like to go with me?"

"I would love nothing better than to go with you."

The brunette beamed at her response. "Great! It's a date!"

"Yep, it's a date!"

"Okay, I have to get the girls home if I have any hope of getting in and out of the office early tomorrow."

They scooped up the girls and carried them to the waiting car. Marissa carefully placed Gabby in her booster seat while Bianca settled Miranda next to her sister and fastened her seat belt. The redhead walked around to the driver's side. Both women were still smiling as Marissa bestowed her girlfriend with another loving kiss.

"Drive safe, and I'll see you tomorrow. I love you."

"I love you too, and you know you don't have to come in to help tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah, I really do because you need the help since you gave the office staff the day off, and I can only so long without seeing you. It's a little pathetic, huh?"

"It's not pathetic at all. If it is, then I'm right there with you. Good night, Marissa."

"Good night, Bianca."


	16. Making It Official

**A/N: I've made two decisions over the last two days. The first, well, I can't tell you about it, yet. You'll have to wait on that for another time. The second decision is one I'm more than happy to share with you now. I figured out what actually happened in the final scene of AMC. It finally hit me on the way to my car for my evening commute. There was no gunshot. Nope, it didn't end that way. The sound we all heard was actually a car backfiring. They sound a little alike and could easily be confused with each other. JR decided to not go all postal and shoot up the place and ran to his car. He was in such a hurry to get out of there that his fast escape caused the car to backfire. Works for me just as well as that mess PP left us with. That's my story at least, and I'm sticking to it!**

**Thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them. Hope you like this latest chapter.**

**/**

Bianca pulled into the parking lot of The Miranda Center and was surprised by the number of cars there. She helped the girls out of the car, and they walked inside. She found her assistant and most of the office staff working away inside. "Jan, what's going on?"

"Hi, Bianca, girls. Did you all have a good Christmas?"

"We did. It was great. What about you?"

"It was good. Oh, to answer your question, I stopped in about a half an hour ago to pick up a couple of files. No sooner did I get here when people started showing up to work. It seems we all had the same thought. We knew you'd be in today working, and no one wanted you to be in here spending the whole day doing it alone. Folks figured if everyone came in and pitched in that we could be done early and back home by early afternoon. Although, I'm guessing your friend Marissa will be in to help you, right? She seems like a good friend, and it's something I figured she would do especially after everything she did when you were sick."

"Wow. I can't even begin to thank everyone for this. Uh yeah, Marissa is a really good friend, and she'll be here in a little while with her son." Bianca couldn't hold back the smile as spoke about the redhead. The two had already spoken first thing that morning before she came into the office when Bianca had called her shortly after waking up. She looked at her daughters. "Are you sure you want to go to the conference room. You know you can stay in my office if you want."

Miranda smiled at her mom. "We know, but we can spread out more in there. AJ and me are gonna work on our art project for school so we'll need the room. Gabby has a bunch of coloring books, paper and crayons, and I'll keep an on eye on her. Don't worry, Mom, we'll be fine."

Bianca couldn't believe how grown up her oldest daughter was sometimes. "Alright, if you need anything, you come get me, okay? I'll be back to check on the two of you in a little while, and Miranda, I'm always going to worry about you. I'm your mom. I can't help it. Jan, would you take the girls back to the conference room so they can get settled in there? I'll go talk to a couple of people before I get started."

"No problem. Come on, girls."

"Thank you." The brunette set off to talk with members of her staff.

A few minutes later Marissa entered and was surprised at how busy the office was. Her eyes searched the room and immediately spotted Bianca talking with one of the office workers. She took a minute to admire her girlfriend before approaching her assistant. "Hi, Jan. I thought Bianca gave everyone the day off."

"Hi, Marissa. She did, but everyone started showing up to help her. Between the two of us, we think she's great."

The redhead smiled. "She definitely is something special."

The assistant nodded. "This must be your son."

"Yes, this is AJ. He's going to be working on an art project with Miranda. Are the girls in Bianca's office?"

"No, Miranda wanted to work in the conference room so they're in there."

"Okay, I'll just take him back there and be right back." Marissa headed down the hallway with AJ.

As she walked back to her office, Bianca caught a flash of the redhead and smiled. "Jan, since everyone came in on their day off, I figure the least I can do is take care of lunch for them. Would you mind seeing what everyone wants from Krystal's?"

"I know they'll appreciate it. I'll get right on it. Oh, Marissa just got here. She took her son back to the conference room."

"Oh yeah, I thought I saw her. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me."

Bianca was leaning over a work table with her back to the door concentrating on something she was reading when Marissa quietly entered her office a few minutes later and closed the door. She smiled as she remembered how her girlfriend 'interrupted' her last night while she was cleaning up in the kitchen. Turnabout was fair play, and Marissa couldn't resist wrapping her arms around Bianca's waist and placing kisses along her neck. The brunette moaned softly and leaned back into Marissa for a brief moment. She reluctantly moved away. "You know, someone could walk in on us here any minute."

The redhead smirked. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. I have this problem keeping my hands and lips to myself around you."

Bianca laughed as she recalled a similar conversation from the previous night. "I have that same problem. Maybe, we should start a support group of some sort for that."

Both women quickly glanced up when they heard the office door open and the brunette's assistant entered. She noticed the two women blush but wasn't exactly sure why. "I'm sorry. I hope I didn't interrupt anything."

"No, no. You're, you're fine. Did you need something?"

"I have everyone's lunch orders except for the two of you and the kids." The women gave her their orders along with the children's. "Do you want me to close the door?"

"Why don't you leave it open."

As she left the office, Jan could hear both women bust out laughing. She thought about the smiles that each had when they spoke about each, what she had just witnessed in the office and the brief conversations she had with the rest of the staff as she took their orders. Each person had commented on Bianca's good mood today. She was usually in a good mood, but today, it was exceptionally good. She hadn't stopped smiling since she arrived. She seemed to be glowing. The assistant began to wonder if maybe there was something more going on between her boss and her 'really good' friend. They seemed like a good fit for each other. She shrugged, and decided that while it wasn't really her business, she kind of hoped she was right.

Inside the office, the women couldn't control their laughter and were in tears before Bianca managed to speak. "Do you think she saw anything?"

"I don't think so. I think we're good."

"Okay, you go sit over there and remember the door's open."

Marissa continued to laugh as she moved to the sofa Bianca had pointed to. "Alright, I'll be good. I promise. What can I do for you, workwise that is?"

Bianca sighed. "You really are impossible, but I wouldn't have you any other way. Would you mind reviewing these contracts, counselor?"

"For you, I will do anything. It would be my pleasure to review them for you."

/

Bianca stopped in the doorway to her office, resting her head against the frame as she watched Marissa. The redhead was in complete lawyer-mode and had zoned everything out since she began her work on the contracts only breaking briefly for lunch with Bianca and the kids. The thought and care she put into making sure every 'i' was dotted and every 't' was crossed, making sure the best interests of her client, in this case the center, were completely covered never ceased to amaze Bianca. It was one of the many reasons she felt so protected being in Marissa's very capable hands. The redhead's brow furrowed as she read and found something she obviously disagreed with. She made notes as she mumbled. Bianca found this side of her girlfriend fascinating and could watch her all day, but she then she noticed Marissa was wearing glasses. She couldn't recall ever seeing the redhead wearing them before. The brunette was transfixed as Marissa closed her eyes, removed her glasses with one hand and rubbed her eyes with the other. She was about to put her glasses back on when she glanced up and locked eyes with a smiling Bianca. "How did I not know that you wore glasses?"

Marissa gave her a coy smile. "I don't normally. I just need them when I do a lot of reading like this." She saw her girlfriend's lips twitch. "What?"

Bianca crossed over to a chair near the redhead. "I just think I'm going to love finding out about all of the little details that make you who you are."

The redhead cleared her throat as she saw the look in Bianca's eyes. "I think I'm going to enjoy that myself. Are the kids doing okay?"

"The kids are fine. Miranda and AJ are done with their project, and Gabby has been working on pictures for the both of us. I'm not allowed to see them yet though. Are you okay if I bring them in here so the conference room can be cleaned up? I don't want them to disturb you."

"I'm almost done so I'll be fine. Go get them."

A few minutes later Bianca returned with the kids and settled them at her work table asking them to be quiet so Marissa could finish her work. A promise of going ice skating when said work was done helped seal the deal.

Bianca walked back over to where Marissa was sitting. "How are you doing? I heard you mumbling when I came in earlier."

"I've found a couple of things that will need to be corrected. Come here, and I'll show you what I'm talking about."

Bianca raised an eyebrow in response.

Marissa smirked. "I promise I'll behave myself, unless you don't want me to."

"The kids are just over there and the door's open so we both need to behave ourselves."

"You're no fun sometimes."

The brunette laughed as she joined Marissa on the sofa. "I know. Sorry. I'll make it up to you later. Show me what you were talking about."

About thirty minutes later, the brunette's assistant ducked her head in. "Bianca, everyone else is gone, and I'm heading out myself. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Thanks, Jan. I really appreciate all of your help today. We'll be heading out in a few minutes ourselves so I'll lock up."

Bianca and the kids collected their things while Marissa finished up her work. "Done! What do you all say we go have some fun?"

Her question was met with a round of cheers from the kids and her girlfriend.

Miranda looked at her mom. "Are we still going ice skating?"

"Yep, we sure are. We're going to follow Marissa and AJ back to their place so she can drop off her car and then we're all going skating."

Marissa got the children all bundled up while Bianca checked the entire office once more and turned off lights. When she returned, the redhead handed her coat. "All clear?"

"Yeah, everyone's cleared out."

"Good. I've been wanting to do this all day." She leaned in and stole a lingering kiss. "I'll see you at the house in a few minutes. Let's go, AJ."

Bianca smiled as she watched Marissa leave and shook her head. _Damn. _"Come on, girls. Let's go."

/

Krystal watched as Kendall and Greenlee entered and searched the restaurant. "They're not here, and I haven't seen them all day."

Kendall walked over to the bar. "You haven't seen them? They didn't come in for lunch?"

"No, I haven't seen hide nor hair of them. From what I've been able to piece together, they were working at the Miranda Center. Bianca's assistant called in a pretty big lunch order earlier and said everyone was working today and that your sister was treating them to lunch. When Billy got back from delivering it, he said he saw Marissa over there."

"Huh, so they were together. Interesting."

Greenlee sat down. "Okay, I need details, people. This is what I know so far. Kendall told me that she talked to Bianca on Christmas Eve. She admitted that she was in love with Marissa, and Curly here had her convinced to talk to your daughter about what was going on with them."

"I talked to Marissa late that afternoon, and she admitted to me that she was in love with Bianca and was going to tell her how she felt. When I left, she and AJ were on their way over to Wildwind."

"Okay, so then what happened? What'd they say yesterday when you saw them?"

"I didn't see her. Tad was sick, and Jenny didn't want to leave him so we stayed there. I called Marissa and told her it was best if the two of them stayed home. I didn't get a chance to ask her how it went the night before. What about you, Kendall? Did you find anything out from Bianca?"

"No, I didn't. Ian woke up with a fever, and I told Binx to stay home with the girls. I called her later though to check on her. I asked her point blank what happened with Marissa."

"And?"

"She avoided the question and said that the girls needed her for something. I could tell something was up by the tone in her voice, but I can't tell you what exactly. She said she would call me today to talk, but I haven't heard from her yet."

"I haven't heard anything from Marissa today either. I only know what Billy reported back."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "You two are really letting me down here."

"Whatever, Greenlee. I wonder if they're still at the center."

"We could always take a drive over there and see."

"I'm thinking that's what we're going to have to do. We'll give you a call, Krystal, if we track them down."

/

"Are the kids settled in?" Bianca asked as Marissa came back down the stairs and headed over to where she sat.

"Yeah, Gabby passed out as soon as her head hit the pillow. The other two are each playing one of their new DS games. I figure we have at least an hour for ourselves. Good call on the skating earlier. They had a blast and so did I."

Bianca smiled mischievously and pulled Marissa down next to her on the sofa. "I have my moments. Now, I can make it up to you for working you so hard earlier and not letting you have any fun." She closed the distance between them, capturing the redhead's lips with a torrid kiss. Marissa moaned softly and wound her hands into Bianca's silky brown tresses pulling her closer. They slowly separated minutes later, each breathless.

"You certainly know how to make it up to a girl."

The brunette chuckled. "I try my best." As she moved to reclaim her girlfriend's lips, she stopped suddenly. "Did you hear something?"

"I don't think so. What'd you hear? Wait, was that what you're talking about? It sounds like someone's outside."

They got up and walked towards the front windows. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"What is it?"

"It's more like 'who is it'. I just saw Greenlee duck behind a bush. She's out there with someone else. I can't tell who."

"I know who it is. It's my sister. Unbelievable. Do you think they saw anything?"

"I doubt it given the angle. I guess we should let them in before one of my neighbors calls the police although it would be kind of funny to see."

"Yeah, but I really don't want to spend the evening explaining to the kids why the two of them were handcuffed and in the back of a police cruiser."

"Neither do I. Let's make them squirm for just a little longer though." The redhead smiled and pulled Bianca away from the window and out of the sight of their 'intruders' for a lingering kiss.

The brunette sighed happily as she rested her forehead against her girlfriend's. "Are you ready for this, letting some of my family know about us? Judging by this stunt, it's pretty obvious that they can be over the top. I'll understand if you want to put off telling them."

Marissa shook her head. "I don't want to put it off. I'm ready. They're your family and important to you. If you can tolerate Krystal and David after everything they've done, I can handle over the top from those two."

"What about my mom?"

"I'll handle whatever Erica can throw my way."

Bianca smiled as she saw the confidence in the beautiful hazel eyes of her girlfriend. "You are amazing, and you won't have to handle my mom on your own. I'll be there right beside you." She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on the redhead's lips.

"I know you will. Let's get these two out of the way, and we'll move on from there."

Marissa opened the door. She couldn't see either woman but knew they were still out there. "The two of you want to come in?"

Kendall was the first to come out of her hiding place and glanced back at her friend as she walked towards the door. "I knew they heard you."

Greenlee brushed herself off and headed towards the door. "Hey, sue me. I was trying to get a better look inside."

They tried to enter with as much dignity as they could muster while facing the smirks of both Marissa and Bianca.

"Where are the kids, Binx?"

"They're upstairs. How's Ian?"

"He's much better. Both he and Spike were bummed they didn't get to see you and girls yesterday. I tried calling you today to talk, but you never answered."

"Oh, I turned it off when I went into the office for a little while today. I guess I forgot to turn it back on."

Marissa sat and watched, somewhat amused, as the sisters went back and forth. She knew neither was going to give in and ask or answer the question both wanted to. It was the Kane stubborn streak on full display.

Kendall decided to try another tact. "Marissa, how was your Christmas? Did you go anywhere?"

The redhead was more than up for the challenge. "It was good, really good. No, AJ and I stayed home. We were supposed to go over to Tad's, but he was sick. I'm glad to hear Ian is feeling better. I hope you were able to salvage some of the day."

"We did. Oh, Greenlee and I saw Krystal earlier. She said she was going to stop by later since she hadn't heard from you either today."

"Thanks for letting me know. I was at the center earlier reviewing contracts for Bianca."

Greenlee and Kendall watched the two younger women. They were sitting side by side on the sofa, not exactly touching physically, but a connection was definitely there. There was an ease between the between the two of them now that was not there when they were last seen together. A quiet confidence existed now where nervousness resided before. There was also something else present, some sort of energy between them. Kendall then noticed the music box on the fireplace mantle. Next to it was a picture she recognized only too well. It was of the two women looking at each other and smiling brightly. Kendall had taken it when she met up with them at the zoo earlier in the year. She was struck at the time by how evident it was that they were in love with each other. She smiled inwardly and saw that same look in their eyes now. She knew that they were now truly together, but she wondered why they were being so coy about it. A thought finally struck her. They knew about being set up the week before and were giving her a little payback. She shook her head, and had to admit to herself that she would probably be doing the same thing if the roles were reversed. She wondered which one figured it out. Either way, she admired the way they had each other's backs right now.

Greenlee couldn't stand it any longer. "Okay, I give up. So, what's going on with you two? Are you together or what?"

Kendall rolled her eyes and finally relented. "I give up too. Spill it."

Bianca and Marissa looked at each and couldn't hold back the smile that always appeared when they looked at each other. The redhead held out her hand and her girlfriend immediately took it and slid closer to her.

Bianca looked at her sister. "We're together."

Kendall bolted out of her chair and hugged her sister. "It's about damned time! Congratulations! This is just the best news! I couldn't be happier for you, for both of you!" She released her sister and immediately hugged Marissa. "Okay, Red, I have to say this to you even though I don't think you will, but don't hurt her. I'll have to kick your ass if you do."

Marissa looked at Kendall and grew serious. "I won't hurt her, Kendall. You have my word on that. I love her too much to do ever do that. Believe me, unlike others, I know how lucky I am. I will do everything in my power to make her happy."

Kendall's eyes glistened as she listened to Marissa. She was beyond happy realizing that her sister finally had a partner who truly appreciated her. She hugged the redhead again. "Thank you. I know you will."

Bianca simply beamed as two of the women who meant the most to her spoke. To know that they got along and respected each other meant so much to her.

Greenlee smiled as she watched. She hated to admit it, but she definitely was turning soft as she discreetly wiped a tear away. "Congrats, Bianca. I'm happy for you." The two shared a hug.

"Thanks, Greenlee. I think I'm pretty lucky."

"I'm happy for you too, Marissa. I guess this means you're not as straight as you thought you were, huh?"

Bianca and Kendall held their breath at Greenlee's snarky comment. Each wondered exactly how the redhead would respond.

Marissa simply smiled, pulled her girlfriend close and gave her a loving kiss. "I guess you're right, Greenlee. I'm not, at least when it comes to Bianca."

Kendall started laughing. "Nicely done, Red! So, let's have some details. I'm guessing Christmas Eve was when you told each other."

The women took their seats again. Marissa leaned into Bianca as the brunette placed an arm around her. "Well, Marissa and AJ came over. Things were awkward for a few minutes once the kids went into the playroom. Marissa was the first one to admit it. She told me that she was in love with me and had been for a while. After she did that, I was finally able to admit the truth to her, that I was in love with her too. We talked everything through and decided to tell the kids about us. They were happy about it."

Greenlee smirked. "You 'talked' everything through, huh? That's all you're giving us?"

"We're talking about my sister. I don't need the detail you're looking for."

Marissa leaned forward with a mischievous look in her eyes that told Bianca that she might not want to take that drink of the iced tea that she had been reaching for. "Are you looking to maybe pick-up some pointers to give Ryan, Greenlee?"

Kendall started to choke on her drink and gasped for air. Bianca cracked up laughing as she saw the smirk on Marissa's face.

Greenlee was left speechless for a minute. She was not expecting a response like that at all, and she eyed the redhead. "You know, Bianca, I like this one. You should keep her around. She's definitely going to make things interesting."

Bianca heard a knock on the front door and went to answer, laughing as she did. "Don't worry, I plan on making sure she doesn't go anywhere." She opened the door to find Krystal on the other side. "Hi, Krystal. Come on in."

The older woman walked in and found the others laughing. "Did I miss something? Kendall, are you okay?"

The oldest Montgomery was still struggling to catch her breath but managed to croak, "I'm fine. Thank you for asking. I'm glad someone seems to care. It's more than I can say for the rest of these people."

"Anyone care to tell me what's going on here?"

Greenlee smirked. "You should ask your daughter."

Marissa simply smiled. "Hi, Krystal. We're just discussing my change in status from 'straight' to 'not so straight'."

Her mother looked between Bianca and her daughter, and she then noticed that the two were holding hands and absolutely beaming. "You mean the two of you?"

"Yep, Bianca and I are together."

"Well, finally!" She hugged both women tightly.

Bianca was slightly surprised by the older woman's enthusiastic acceptance. That had never happened with any of the parents of her other partners. "Are you really okay with this, Krystal?"

"Yes, of course I am. I want my daughter to be happy. She deserves to be, and I can tell that you make her happy. I can't think of anyone else who would be better for her than you. So, tell me everything!"

Bianca and Marissa happily related their story again. "I guess we have to thank you and Kendall and probably even Greenlee."

Kendall gave a knowing look to the redhead. "You know, don't you?"

"About the two of you setting us up so we'd see each other with other people, not being able to stand it and finally admitting to ourselves how we felt? Yeah, we know."

"Marissa actually figured it out. I guess we should also thank you for ditching us yesterday. I mean, we're sorry that Tad and Ian were sick, but it let us spend the whole day together. It was our first Christmas."

"I'm about to get a cavity with all this sweetness. Who all knows? Does Erica?"

Bianca sighed. "Well, Greenlee, besides the three of you, just the kids. My mom doesn't know yet. She's been out on her book tour. I wanted to tell her in person, but I might just have to call her."

Krystal looked at her daughter. "What about JR?"

Marissa shook her head. "I'm going to have to tell him. For some reason, I have a feeling it's not going to go over well. I'd like to keep things civil, if I can, for AJ's sake."

Bianca squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "You won't be telling him alone. I'm going to be there with you. If I know anything about him after all of these years, it's that he doesn't like to lose, and he can get mean and lash out."

Kendall nodded. "She's right. JR can get nasty. It's safer if you don't tell him alone. The three of us are more than willing to back you up."

Marissa smiled. "I appreciate it, Kendall, and I'm going to hold you to that." She turned when she heard a noise coming from upstairs. The kids soon appeared and raced down to be greeted with hugs and kisses by Kendall, Greenlee and Krystal. AJ started to speak, but was stopped by his mother. "Let me guess, you're starving!"

The boy giggled and nodded. "Uh huh! We were wonderin' if we could have pizza for dinner."

Miranda and Gabby both added. "Please!"

Bianca received a slight nod from Marissa. "Pizza sounds good to us." She turned her attention to the other women. "You want to join us?"

"That sounds great. Let me give Zach a call, and let him know I'll be a while longer."

"I'll give Ryan a call."

"Let me make sure Opal's still good watching Jenny a little longer. And before you ask, don't worry, I won't tell her. The whole town would know by the time I got home."

Bianca sighed as she watched her girlfriend order the pizza. "Thanks. I love Opal, but the woman can't keep a secret to save her life. Marissa and I want to be able to tell people ourselves."

/

The pizza was delivered a while later, and the group was happily chatting away when Marissa noticed Bianca standing back from the group with a pensive look on her face. She pulled her girlfriend towards the kitchen so they could speak privately. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Bianca, something's wrong. Tell me what it is."

"I can't hide anything from you, can I? I was just thinking about JR and what he might try to do when he finds out about us. He doesn't fight fair. It could get really ugly."

"I'm all too familiar with JR's tricks. I'm not going to let him walk all over me. I've been thinking about this, and I'm going to get some outside legal advice. I called Caleb earlier, and I'm going to meet with him tomorrow morning. He's going to review the custody agreement and make sure my rights are protected. Would you come with me?"

Bianca smiled as she pulled Marissa closer giving her a quick kiss. "Of course, I will. We're in this together."

"Thank you." The redhead wrapped her arms around her girlfriend's neck pulling her even closer for a lingering kiss.

Kendall cleared her throat. "Sorry to interrupt, but we had a spill in the other room. Where are your dish towels?"

Marissa gave Bianca a quick peck. "I'm on it." She grabbed a towel and headed out of the room.

Kendall saw the smile on her sister's face. "You're really happy, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. She's incredible, and I'm probably the luckiest woman in the world."

"I'm a little biased here, but I think she's the lucky one. I'm so happy for you, Binx. You deserve all the happiness in the world."

Bianca hugged her sister. "Thanks, and thank you for helping me see what was right in front of me all this time."

"Anytime. Come on, let's go help her clean up."

/

Sometime later, after the other women had left, Bianca reclined on the sofa with Marissa resting comfortably in her arms.

The redhead sighed contently. "I love this, us, our family."

Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa tighter. "I do too. I hate to say this though, but I need to get those two young ladies home. The movie just finished, and the kids are about down for the count."

"I know." She lingered in her girlfriend's arms a few minutes longer before finally sitting up. "AJ, time for bed, buddy."

The young boy told Miranda and Gabby good night before moving over to the brunette and giving her a hug. "Night, Bianca."

"Good night, AJ. I'll see you tomorrow."

"I'll be up in a minute, buddy." She watched as her son slowly headed to his room.

They helped the girls with their coats, and Marissa walked them to the door. "Love you. See you tomorrow morning."

Bianca placed a chaste kiss on the redhead's smiling lips. "Love you too. I'll meet you at Caleb's office."


	17. Loving

**A/N: First things first. Last time I uploaded a chapter, I mentioned a decision that you would have to wait on. Well, here it is. If you didn't notice, I changed the rating. Here's the necessary disclaimer. If you're not 16 or older, please stop reading now.**

**Now that that's out of the way, thank you, as always, for your overly kind reviews. I'm sorry for being away a little longer than planned. Real life jumped up and repeatedly kept trying to bite me in the ass. It turns out that my mom will need a hip replacement. Luckily, that is going to happen after Christmas and New Year's. Work has also been rough with trying to juggle multiple projects at the same time and a last minute 3 day training class thrown in for good measure.**

**On top of all of that above, this chapter definitely took some time to write. I realized I was quickly coming to a crossroads in my story. Go there, have the girls take the next logical step and actually write it or dance around it only hinting at it or mentioning it in passing. I decided I put too much into this to do the latter and needed to be true to the story so I needed to screw my courage up and go for it. Having never written anything remotely like this made this pretty damn hard to do, and I have done the best that I could. **

**To that end, I would like to send a great big thank you to **_**Fantasinner**_**. Your encouragement and advice are greatly appreciated! Thank you again!**

**That's enough from me for now. Here's the latest chapter. I hope you like it. **

**/**

Bianca stood outside the door to her mother's home. Erica was home to make a brief appearance at tomorrow's fundraiser for the center. When she heard from Kendall that their mother was home a day early, she decided to take this opportunity to talk with her about the change in her relationship with Marissa. The redhead had offered to come with her, but Bianca thought this particular conversation was best had just between mother and daughter. As she stood there, she recalled the discussion she had with her girlfriend last night on the matter.

"_Are you sure you don't want me there? I can easily move my meeting."_

"_I'm sure. I just think I need to talk to her alone."_

"_In other words, that's code for 'I don't know how she's going to take my girlfriend being the daughter of Krystal and David'."_

_Bianca smiled at the smirk on Marissa's face and noted the fact that the redhead knew her so well. "I won't lie that she has issues with them." _

_Marissa rolled her eyes. "Issues? If that's not the understatement of the year, I don't know what is." _

"_She also hasn't really approved of any of my former partners."_

"_Great. Couple that with my being the 'spawn' of two of her biggest enemies, and I'm a shoo-in with her."_

"_I don't know if I'd say enemies, and really, 'spawn'?"_

"_Just trying to get myself in an 'Erica' frame of mind, and Bianca, please. I know how she feels about them, and I honestly can't blame her. God knows, I have my own issues with them because of my past with them, but you, you're one of the kindest, most loving, caring and selfless people I've ever known. When I think of what they put you through, it makes me ashamed, angry..."_

"_Please don't go there, Marissa. Miranda and I are okay. That's all that matters to me. I've put it behind me and have forgiven them." Bianca took Marissa's hands in her own. "Your relationship with them is complicated enough without my past with them coming into play. You're their daughter. They should've done better by you. I just wish I could…"_

"_Forgive them for what they've done to me?"_

"_You're reading my mind again."_

"_Sorry, but I knew where you were going. You amaze me. You can forgive them for the unspeakable things they've done to you but have a problem with what they've done to me."_

"_Well, it sounds like you have a bigger problem with what they've done to me. What does that say about us?"_

_Marissa shook her head. "I'm not exactly sure. Maybe we should try and get on Dr. Phil and have him sort it all out for us."_

_The remark eased some of Bianca's anxiety and made her smile. "How do you do that?"_

"_Do what?"_

"_Somehow know what to say to make me feel better."_

"_It's a gift! Plus, I'll do whatever I can to see one of your smiles." Marissa stole a quick kiss from her girlfriend's smiling lips. "You do the same for me too, you know." _

"_I try my best. About Krystal…"_

"_Look, I know she has been nothing but supportive of me in regards to my relationship with you and all of the changes involved with it. I appreciate it. I really do. I mean, she helped me see what was literally right in front of me for months, and she has accepted us. It's just when I think about …"_

"_Then don't think about it. Please, for me, try and forgive her for what she's done to me. I know I'm asking a lot, but will you try for me?"_

_Marissa sighed as she saw how much the request meant to Bianca. She couldn't refuse her anything. "For you, I'll try."_

_Bianca gave her a loving kiss. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome. Now, back to the subject of your mom. I can't say I blame her for not approving of your choices in former partners. They weren't very smart. Of course, I can't really talk. Look at my last partner! He was somewhat lacking."_

"_Yeah, it's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black."_

"_I am serious though. I'll be there tomorrow, just say the word."_

"_I know, but I really need to do this one on my own. I'll just let her know that you're nothing like them, and you're not responsible for anything they've done. You could never do anything like that, hurt anyone like that. It's not who you are. It's not how you were raised."_

_Marissa's eyes glistened as she thought about the couple who had raised her, the ones she would always think of as her parents. "Thank you."_

"_Are you okay? I didn't mean to upset you."_

"_You didn't. You're right. My mom and dad couldn't have done anything like that. I really wish they could've met you. They would have loved you and would have been thrilled that I found someone as amazing as you."_

"_I think you're pretty amazing too. I guess we're lucky we finally found each other." Bianca smiled as she leaned forward placing a lingering kiss on Marissa's amazing lips._

Bianca jerked back to the present when she heard the notification from her cell phone that she had a new text. She grinned as she read the message from Marissa. _'Good luck. Remember that I love you, and I'm here for you – The Spawn'. _The brunette laughed when she saw how her girlfriend 'signed' the message. Again, Marissa knew exactly the right words that would help ease her anxiety. Bianca took a deep breath and knocked.

Erica answered the door. "Bianca! It's good to see you." Bianca walked past her mother and entered.

"Mom, we need to talk."

"Could it wait? I was just on my way out."

"No, mom, it can't wait."

"Well, okay, then. What is it? Are the girls okay? Are you okay?"

"The girls are fine, and I'm fine. They've missed you. I've missed you."

"I've missed them and you as well. If you and the girls are fine, what do you need to talk to me about?"

Bianca looked down at her phone and saw the text from Marissa again giving her the encouragement she needed to proceed. "I have news, big news."

"You do? What is it?"

"I'm in love."

Erica was somewhat stunned by her daughter's admission. "That's wonderful, sweetheart, but I didn't know you were seeing anyone."

Bianca thought wryly, _Until recently, neither did I. _"Well…"

"Who is it?"

"It's Marissa."

"Marissa? As in Marissa Chandler?"

"She's going by Tasker again now, and yes, that Marissa." Bianca held her breath as she waited for her mother to respond.

"Well, I have to say I'm a little surprised. I thought the two of you were just friends, and the last I heard, there was a chance she might get back together with JR."

"We still are friends, best friends. Somewhere along the line though, things changed between us. Our relationship became so much more, and Marissa and I fell in love. As for getting back together with JR, that was never going to happen. I'm not sure who told you that, but they were wrong or maybe misinformed by either him or someone else. Marissa has had more than enough of JR and his lies and his cheating. She's been trying to keep things civil between the two of them for AJ's sake, but he's not making that easy for her. You know better than anyone else how he can be when things don't go his way."

"You're right, I do know how he can get. Does he know about the two of you?"

"Not yet. He's been out of town for a while. That's a discussion we will have to have with him soon though."

"_We_? You plan on being there?"

"Of course, I am. I'm not going to let her go through that by herself. I don't trust him."

Erica glanced around and raised an eyebrow.

Her daughter knew what she was thinking. "Marissa wanted to be here with me to talk with you, but I wanted to do this on my own."

"You were worried about what I might think or say."

"To be honest, yes. I know full well how you feel about Krystal and David. I didn't, and don't, want you to confuse them with her. Marissa isn't like them. They didn't raise her. The Taskers did. She still sees them as her parents first. She isn't capable of doing anything remotely like what Krystal and David have. I know you are aware of her past with regards to them, and she's still working through those issues. Marissa knows all about my past with them and what they've done and is pretty horrified by it. It's made her building a relationship with them even more difficult."

"She's a smart woman."

Bianca smiled. "Yes, she is very smart. She's also incredible, mom. You don't know everything that she's done for me and the girls."

"Well, I guess you should tell me then."

"You know she handled my divorce and Reese's attempt to get custody of the girls. What you don't know is that Reese sent her lawyer over here again, and he tried to take the girls."

"What? When did this happen, and why didn't I know?"

"It was a few months ago. You were on tour, and I thought it was best not to tell you. I didn't want to upset you, and there wasn't anything you could do at the time considering where you were. Besides, Marissa took care of it, all of it. I was in a meeting when everything happened, but Kendall was there and told me everything. According to her, Marissa was pretty damn impressive. She not only took care of him, but she gave Reese more than a piece of her mind. Her lawyer threatened to report her to the bar association for that, but Marissa stood her ground and fired back with the promise to have both of them brought up on charges. The most important thing of all is that she took care of Miranda and Gabby. They were scared, and she calmed them down and kept them safe. They love her, and they trust her. I wasn't sure if they would be able to trust someone else like that ever again, but they do. I do."

"That is quite impressive." Erica thought for several moments. "Do I wish she was someone else's daughter other than their's? Yes, but it sounds like she hasn't inherited their bad traits. I suppose that speaks more to her upbringing than anything else. Let's just hope it stays that way. If she has done everything that you say she has, then, I think the two of you being together is just wonderful, sweetheart! I just want you to be happy."

Bianca released a huge sigh of relief and smiled as she hugged her mother. "I know, mom, and I am. I've never been this happy before."

/

Marissa was deep in thought over her latest case when she heard someone call her name. She froze for one brief second recognizing the voice immediately. She quickly glanced up and saw Erica standing in her office. "Erica, it's nice to see you. Please, have a seat." _Holy shit! I was not expecting her. Bianca's text said that it went okay, and she'd tell me more tonight. What in the hell is she doing here then? Like it or not, she's here, and you just have to do deal with it, Tasker. Don't show fear. She can sense it. I can do this. Remember, this is for Bianca._

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, not at all. What can I do for you?"

"Let's not beat around the bush, shall we, Marissa?"

"Alright. I'm guessing you've talked to Bianca and know about us."

"I do. What exactly do you intend to do regarding my daughter?"

Marissa looked down and saw the picture of her and Bianca that she now kept on her desk, and a small smile crept across her face. She looked back up to face Erica head on. "I'm in love with Bianca. I intend to spend the rest of my life with her. I intend to make a family with her, Miranda, Gabby and AJ. I intend to make her as happy as I possibly can, to let her know that she is loved, cherished and not taken for granted."

Erica eyed the redhead. "That's quite a list. You know that she's been hurt deeply by her other partners?"

"I do, but there's a difference between them and me."

"Oh really, and what is that?"

"They didn't know what they had when they had her and her love. I do. I know that Bianca is the most loving, giving and selfless person that I have ever known or ever will know. She loves with her whole heart and gives with her whole heart. She never thinks about herself. She's always putting everyone else first. She is, she is simply amazing. I know that to have her love is one of the most precious gifts that I can ever hope to receive. I will spend every minute of the rest of my life proving that I am deserving of her love. As for Miranda and Gabby, I love them as much as I love AJ. I will protect them with every fiber of my being and will never choose a job before them or their happiness. The same goes for Bianca."

"What about your parents?" Erica remembered what Bianca had told her earlier about Marissa's feelings for the Taskers and quickly added, "Krystal and David?"

"What would you like to know? Do you want to know what I think about them and what they've done?"

"I would."

"I'm sure you are well aware of my own past with them. We'll put that aside for now. I know what they've done to Bianca. When I think about it, it makes me sick. I can't even begin to fathom how they could do what they did to anyone but particularly Bianca. It's indefensible in my mind."

"But I see you working on building a relationship with them, Krystal in particular."

"I'm trying to. It's what Bianca wants. She wants me to have a relationship with her, to not let her past interfere with it. Your daughter has somehow managed to forgive her and would like me to do the same. She knows that it's hard for me to do that, but for her, I'm trying my best. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Bianca."

"What about JR?"

"He doesn't know about us yet. He's been out of town for a while and isn't aware that things have changed between Bianca and myself. He's going to have to be told because he is AJ's father, and because of AJ, he will always be in our lives. I will try to keep things civil between us, but given my past experience with him, I think it could get ugly. I've already spoken with Caleb about my rights when it comes to AJ, and he assures me the custody agreement is solid. If JR thinks he's going to walk all over me or do anything that might harm my family in any way, however, he is sorely mistaken. He will have the fight of his life."

Erica studied Marissa for what seemed like an eternity. Over the years, she had developed a keen ability to detect when someone was lying to her in regards to her youngest daughter. Bianca was special and was definitely the best of them. She had always reminded Erica of her mother. She was kind and forgiving to a fault, and as her mother, Erica often felt the need to protect her from herself. The woman in front of her now was standing her ground and did not seem to be intimidated by her like others had. There was a quiet confidence about this woman when it came to Bianca. She seemed to truly love her daughter and recognize just how special she was. Erica didn't like the fact that she was related to Krystal and David, but the redhead wasn't raised by them and seemed to have risen above the fact that she shared their DNA. She was fiercely protective of Bianca, Miranda and Gabby and had shown that on numerous occasions from what both of her daughters had told her. _Given all of that, I suppose I should give them my support. _"Thank you for your honesty. We'll talk again soon. I look forward to getting to know you better. If there's anything I can do to help you with JR, don't hesitate to ask."

"Uh, thank you. I appreciate that."

With that, Erica was gone, and Marissa was left to try and make sense of what had just happened. _I'm not sure, but did I just get her blessing? I really need to talk to Bianca about what just happened, and a text isn't going to cut it. I guess I know what we'll be talking about tonight. _

/

Marissa was headed downstairs when she heard a knock at the front door. She smiled as she saw Bianca standing on the other side smiling back and holding two bags of take out. "There's definitely been an upgrade in the delivery drivers."

Bianca laughed as she entered and handed her girlfriend the take out while she removed her coat. Marissa deposited the bags on the coffee table and returned to give the brunette a lingering kiss.

"Do you tip all the delivery drivers like that?"

"Nope, just the ones I'm desperately and hopelessly in love with!"

Bianca leaned in and stole a quick kiss. "Lucky for me then, huh?"

"Lucky for us both. You want to take care of the food while I get us something to drink?"

"Deal."

Marissa returned a minute later and joined Bianca on the sofa. "The kids are all safe and sound at Kendall's. It's really great of her and Zach to watch them overnight."

"There's a lot to do tomorrow, and we'll need to get an early start. Staying all night, the kids won't have to get up early just to have us drop them off with her and Zach. Now, I can just swing by and pick you up so we can head over to the Yacht Club without making an extra stop."

"You're always thinking! I had the chance to talk to Tad when I was picking up AJ there earlier."

"How did it go?"

"Actually, it was better than I could have hoped. He knows about everything that's gone on between JR and me obviously, and he knew that we weren't going to get back together despite everything JR's been saying. I told him about the two of us and how things changed. I mean, he was surprised, but he listened. He couldn't have been more supportive. He wished us both all the best, and has promised to help if JR gives us any problems."

"That's really great. I'm glad we have his support regarding JR."

"So, you want to tell me about your conversation with your mom?"

"It actually went pretty well. She was happy for me, for us, and said she thought it was wonderful."

"Those are the highlights, Bianca. I need details, please."

"Yes, counselor. She was on her way out but stopped when I told her I needed to talk. I told her I was in love. She was a little surprised since she didn't know I was seeing anyone. I didn't tell her that, until recently, I didn't know that I was either."

Marissa laughed. "That makes two of us! How long do you suppose we've actually been 'seeing' each other? I'm guessing maybe five months."

"I think that sounds about right." Bianca shook her head in amazement. "I still can't believe we were that slow in realizing what was going on."

"That makes two of us again. We've both been burned so badly before though that we were a little gun shy." Marissa added with a smirk, "Plus, there's the whole straight/not so straight thing. That probably had a little something to do with it too." Marissa leaned in to steal a quick kiss from the brunette.

Bianca laughed. "Oh yeah, that. Maybe a little bit."

"Back to your mom."

"Right. She asked who it was, and I told her it was you. That caught her by surprise since she thought we were just friends. I told her that we still are best friends."

"Always."

"She also thought there was a chance that you and JR were…"

"NO! Seriously? She thought I was going to put myself through that hell again? Why would she think that? I hope you set her straight."

"No clue, she didn't say why she thought that, and yes, I did. The topic of Krystal and David came up, like you thought it would, and I set her straight on that as well. I reminded her that they didn't raise you. That Roy and Lydia Tasker did, and you learned from them and the examples they set."

"Hmmm."

"What?"

"I'll tell you when you're done. Keep going."

"Okay. I told her everything you've done for me and the girls, particularly regarding Reese and that whole ugly incident. I let her know that the girls love and trust you and so do I." Bianca leaned in for a lingering kiss. "After she found out exactly how incredible you are, she was happy for us."

"Flattery will get you absolutely everywhere. Would you like to know how my conversation with her went?"

Bianca choked on her drink in surprise. "What do you mean _your conversation_? You talked with her?"

"I did. When she was done with you, she must have headed straight to my office."

"Marissa, I am so sorry. I _did not_ want you to have to deal with her on your own."

"I know you didn't, but it seems like Erica had other plans."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I promise. I was pretty surprised. I think she was going for that to catch me off-guard, but I remembered two things to help me deal with her."

"You did? Do tell!"

"First, I remembered a piece of advice that Kendall gave me."

"What was that?"

"She told me not to show any fear, that your mom can sense it." Marissa smirked.

"She kinda can. What was the other thing?"

"It was actually the most important thing. I remembered that it was for you." Marissa added with a bright smile.

Bianca returned the smile and sighed. "Do I want to what happened?"

"She basically asked me what my intentions were towards you."

"What? Your intentions? Wow, I'm sorry. I didn't know that she'd do that. I guess I'm not really surprised when I think about it, but still."

"It's fine. I was more than happy to tell her."

"And what did you tell her exactly?"

"I told her that I was in love you, and that I intended to spend the rest of my life with you. The subject of your exes also came up. I pretty much told her they were complete idiots because they didn't know what they had, but I did. I let her know that I plan on spending the rest of my life proving that I deserved you."

A wide smile broke across Bianca's face, and she leaned in for a loving kiss. "Ditto. What else happened?"

"She asked about JR and whether he knew. She offered to help deal with him. If there was anything she could do, she said to let her know. I've got to say that I really appreciated that. Having Erica Kane in your corner is pretty damn nice."

"Mom's fought the Chandler's before. She knows how they operate. For her to offer to help you, that's big, Marissa. She's never offered support like that to anyone I've been involved with. That's like her pretty much giving us her blessing."

"I kind of got that impression, but I wasn't sure."

"You're leaving something out though, aren't you? She brought up Krystal and David."

"I was getting to that. Something interesting happened though when that subject came up. At first, she asked me about my parents, but then she made a point of asking specifically about Krystal and David. It was like she was purposefully making a distinction between my mom and dad and them. I don't think she knows that I caught it, but I did. It makes sense to me now. That was because of you and what you told her."

"She really listened to me. I was hoping she would but wasn't sure."

"Well, she really did. We talked about what they did. I told her how I felt. I didn't hold anything back on the subject. She asked about my relationship with them, particularly Krystal, in light of my feelings."

"I knew she would do that, but she shouldn't have. Are you okay?"

Marissa took Bianca's hands in her own. "Bianca, I'm fine. Look, you're her daughter, and she loves you. Frankly, I didn't think it was out of line. I would've been surprised if she didn't ask about it. I told her I was trying to forgive Krystal because it was something you wanted me to do."

"You don't know what it means to me that you are trying."

Marissa gently cupped her girlfriend's face. "Bianca, I would do anything for you."

The intensity of that simple and honest statement caused her voice to lower to almost a whisper sending a shiver through her girlfriend. Bianca saw the love in Marissa's eyes, and she was overwhelmed by the need to feel her girlfriend's lips against her's.

A chain reaction occurred the instant their lips met. Arms wound tightly around each other as each strove to pull the other even closer. Rational thought became impossible as bodies melded together and minds were sent reeling as they became lost in each other. Hands began to roam as the kiss deepened. The need to be even closer to Marissa soon had Bianca gently pushing her back against the sofa until she was lying on top of her. As Bianca's hand slowly crept underneath her girlfriend's shirt, she felt Marissa tense and inhale sharply, and she was jolted back to reality. "We, we need to stop."

"Why? Don't you want me?"

Bianca saw the nervousness in Marissa's eyes as she slowly pulled away. "Let's slow down." They both sat up and struggled to catch their breath. The brunette gently cupped her girlfriend's face. "Not want you? Of course, I want you, but maybe, this is happening too fast. It's all right if we don't do this now. I know this is all new for you, and if you're not ready, we'll stop. I'll understand."

Marissa released a shaky breath and tried to find the right words to assure Bianca. "I know. It's just…"

"What is it? Talk to me, please."

"It's just that I've never felt so much all at one time. It's a little overwhelming. I've never been with a woman before, and..."

"You're scared."

Marissa struggled to swallow the lump that had formed in throat so that she could continue. "It's not that. I trust you completely. I know you would never hurt me or do anything I wasn't comfortable with. I've never known anyone quite like you. You give so much of yourself to others and never ask for anything in return. You've been to hell and back, and yet somehow, you haven't let it change you, who you are. You're amazing, and you don't even realize it. You want this to be perfect for me. Well, I want the same for you. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you. I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you. I just, I just don't want to disappoint you."

Bianca's eyes glistened as she gazed into Marissa's eyes. She lovingly brushed away a lock of silky hair from her girlfriend's face. "You're incredible. You're worried about me. Marissa, I love you. You could never disappoint me. We can wait for as long as you need. I'm not going anywhere."

Marissa saw the love in Bianca's eyes and knew down to the depths of her soul that this was the right moment. "I don't want to stop. I want you, all of you. Will you show me?"

"Are you sure?"

"I've never been more sure of anything in my life." Marissa leaned forward to capture Bianca's lips in a loving kiss. She stood and pulled the brunette with her and led her upstairs and into her bedroom.

Bianca carefully removed Marissa's shirt exposing the soft, creamy skin of the redhead. Marissa shivered slightly as her girlfriend's fingers gently caressed the sensitive skin along her neckline. The redhead's hands made their way to the rid Bianca of her shirt, the desire to see more of Bianca suddenly pushing her forward through scattered nerves, and it soon joined her own on the floor.

Marissa's hands trembled as they made their way to the buttons of Bianca's jeans. Her girlfriend tenderly took her hands in her own instantly calming the redhead's frazzled nerves. The slightest of nods answered the question that resided in the ever darkening eyes of Bianca. _Yes, I'm sure I want this. _A small gasp escaped from her as Bianca released her hands, and the brunette's own hands moved down to Marissa's jeans slowly unfastening the buttons and then gently tugging her pants downward.

Soon both women stood before each other in nothing but their undergarments. Marissa shivered again under the loving gaze of Bianca as it raked over her entire body. She had never seen such love before in the eyes of a partner, and it had the redhead launching herself forward grasping the silky brown locks and crashing her lips against those of her girlfriend for a fervent kiss that soon deepened as tongues were willingly granted entrance and collided.

Bianca's hands slowly crept around Marissa's waist, traveling up from the small of her back and to her bra, deftly removing the garment. They slowly pulled apart in need of air, and Marissa blushed as her girlfriend's eyes wandered over her exposed breasts, seemingly captivated by the sight. Want, like she had never felt before, pushed the redhead forward as she fumbled with the hooks of her girlfriend's bra. Bianca started to move to help her, but she stopped upon seeing the look in Marissa's eyes, knowing instinctively the importance to her girlfriend of performing this task herself. She was finally able to release the last hook, removing it and throwing it aside. The awestruck look and love that was evident in the redhead's eyes sent a shudder through Bianca as she gave in to the need to capture Marissa's lips again. A loud moan escaped from both women as their exposed skin made first contact and bodies melded together.

The brunette pulled back long enough to guide them back to Marissa's bed. The redhead sat when the backs of her calves felt the press of the mattress. Her hands glided down Bianca's sides marveling at the feel of her and rested on her waist. Marissa pulled her closer as she began to place kisses along her girlfriend's stomach causing muscles to tense and her to inhale sharply. The brunette struggled to maintain some semblance of control wanting to take things slowly for Marissa, to make this as perfect as possible for her. She wrapped her hands in the soft red hair of her girlfriend and gently pulled her back. Bianca knelt down to look in those beautiful hazel eyes making sure Marissa was still okay with everything. She was greeted with a look of desire she had not seen before and a knowing smile formed across the face of the redhead. _I'm still okay. No freaking out or going back. _As if to prove her point, Marissa's hands crept downward sliding the brunette's panties down. Bianca shivered at the loving touch of her girlfriend and moved her own hands to slowly remove Marissa's panties. Bianca finally gave into the need of feeling her girlfriend's lips against her's yet again, leaning in for a searing kiss. Marissa drifted backward and pulled Bianca with her as the brunette rested on top of her, the full body contact causing both women to moan. They slowly made their way to the top of the bed, the effort causing their desire to heighten even more as their entire bodies rubbed against each other.

Bianca reluctantly pulled away from Marissa's lips to leave a trail of kisses along her neckline slowly making her way to Marissa's breasts. The brunette stopped and raised her head, locking eyes with her girlfriend to again make sure she wasn't pushing too fast or asking for too much. Hazel eyes began to glisten as she saw the love in Bianca's eyes. Never before had a partner taken so much care with every part of her being during lovemaking. Marissa swallowed hard as she was filled with love, desire and awe for her girlfriend. A shaky breath followed by another slight nod let the brunette it was more than safe to proceed. Bianca lowered her head again to her girlfriend's breasts. Marissa moaned as the tortured pleasure derived by Bianca's tongue pushed her closer and closer to the edge. "Oh my God!"

The brunette continued her torturous path over her stomach and slowly downward as hands continue to caress. Marissa was becoming incapable of rational thought as the growing ache in between her legs screamed in need and want of Bianca and began to overwhelm her. A deep moan escaped from her throat along with the plea, "Oh dear God! Please, Bianca!"

Bianca reached her final destination as she heard Marissa's plea. She slowly slid her tongue past her girlfriend's outer folds and into her aching center. Marissa's head jerked back as hands grasped lush brown hair, pulling her closer as her back arched. She began to unravel under the ecstasy being brought on by Bianca's seemingly magical tongue as her girlfriend drank in all of her. Marissa convulsed wildly when Bianca slowly moved her tongue upward to her throbbing hub and worked its magic there. There was an explosion of sight and sound as Marissa's orgasm rocked her to the core. "Oh God, Bianca!" The redhead's entire body went limp moments later, and Bianca slowly made her way back up Marissa's body kissing every inch of it along the way. The brunette watched as her girlfriend slowly recovered. Bianca saw a brilliant smile form along Marissa's face as she opened her eyes and they fastened on Bianca's.

"You're staring."

Bianca returned the smile. "I can't help it. You are absolutely beautiful."

"I think you're a little biased."

"I speak only the truth, especially when it comes to you. Are you okay?"

"I'm more than okay, if I didn't make myself clear about that fact a few minutes ago."

Bianca chuckled. "Now, that you mention it. You did seem like you were enjoying yourself."

"That was. I never. I can't find."

"What?"

"You manage to leave me speechless sometimes."

"I do?" An amused smile crossed Bianca's face.

"Yeah, you really do, but I think I finally can form a coherent sentence or two. I've never experienced anything like that before, and the only reason for that is the simple fact that it's you. You make me feel so loved, so wanted. I've never felt anything close to that before. It was incredible. You are incredible. I love you so much."

Marissa pulled Bianca closer and tenderly kissed her. As she did, a wave of desire swept over her. The need to show Bianca exactly how much she loved her became a necessity. Marissa rolled on top of her girlfriend and deepened the kiss. Her hands began to explore the wondrous soft curves of Bianca causing her to shiver. Marissa marveled at the feel of Bianca and how natural this all seemed to her. The brunette moaned as Marissa's hands found their way to her breasts and thumbs began to slowly tease hardened nipples. The redhead's lips soon followed the trail her hands had laid and her tongue soon replaced thumbs in the torturous teasing causing Bianca to moan again. "Oh my God!"

Marissa soon resumed her exploration, and slowly, her lips traveled lower as instinct took over. Bianca was driven closer to the edge, the heat between her legs intensifying and slowly becoming unbearable causing her to moan. "Please, Marissa!" The redhead plunged forward into her girlfriend's soaked center, becoming lost in the taste and sensation of being this close to the woman she loved so much. Bianca arched backwards as she grasped Marissa, pulling her closer. Bianca soon caved and convulsed in exquisite ecstasy as Marissa's tongue made its way to her throbbing nub. "Oh dear, God, Marissa!"

Bianca's body went limp moments later, and Marissa slowly made her way up to rest her head next to the brunette's, trailing kisses the entire way. She watched in silent awe as Bianca slowly recovered. Marissa had never seen anyone as beautiful as Bianca was at that moment She had never felt so connected to anyone as she did to Bianca in that moment. Marissa felt so much love for her girlfriend that she was afraid her heart would burst. A radiant smile began to cross Bianca's face as she opened her eyes and gazed into Marissa's. "Who's staring now?"

Marissa sighed contently. "Can't help it. I love the view."

Bianca's breath hitched as she saw the love that was reflected in Marissa's eyes, and in those loving hazel eyes, she could clearly see their future together. Never before had she felt so loved. It was absolute, and there were no doubts, no hesitation and no fear. Want and need for this beautiful woman again became overwhelming, and she pulled the redhead into her for an achingly tender kiss. Marissa moaned as she felt every ounce of the love Bianca felt for her. The kiss soon deepened as their shared desire and passion escalated. Another moan escaped from Marissa as her girlfriend soon rolled back on top of her. Every inch of their bodies melded together perfectly. Bianca slowly pulled away as a hand drifted lower, caressing each magnificent curve of Marissa until it gently eased between her legs. As Bianca slid two fingers easily inside Marissa, the redhead moaned loudly and captured her girlfriend's lips for a searing kiss as a rhythm was soon set between them. Each thrust drove Marissa to a height of sheer ecstasy that she had never known before. "Bianca, oh God!" A wave of euphoria soon enveloped her as she became completely undone, clutching the brunette closer.

As Marissa's breathing slowed and her heartbeat returned to normal, she was completely awestruck by the depth of the love she felt for and from Bianca. She knew beyond all doubt that their future lie together, and time would only strengthen their love and connection. The real world may intervene and test them, but no matter what might come their way, they would handle it together. Marissa beamed as her eyes met Bianca's, and she gently caressed the brunette's face. She became lost in the warm brown eyes of Bianca and the love she saw there as she pulled her closer for a slow, sensual kiss. As their tongues collided, the redhead felt the need for more of Bianca build again. The brunette moaned in surprised delight as Marissa moved on top of her, deepening the kiss even more. Her fingers traced the velvety soft skin of the brunette, memorizing each line and each reaction her touch caused the brunette. Her hand paused as it made its way between Bianca's thighs. Marissa gazed up into the darkening eyes of her girlfriend. A question was evident in the redhead's eyes. _Am I doing, Is this right? _Bianca took a ragged breath and nodded. _Oh God, yes! You're doing great. _Marissa marveled at the sensation she experienced as she slid two fingers inside Bianca. It was a feeling she had never experienced before and one that she knew, in that instant, that she would never grow tired of with Bianca. She had never felt so close to anyone before. Her trance was broken by the moan that escaped from the brunette. The two set a steady pace, and Bianca pulled the redhead to her crashing their lips together as it began to increase and intensify. Marissa could feel Bianca tighten around her and instinctively applied more pressure. Bianca cried out, "Marissa!" as she was driven over the edge and completely unraveled.

The two lay entwined and gasping for air. Neither was able to speak for several minutes as they basked in the love they shared. Bianca slowly pulled the redhead closer giving her a loving kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too." Marissa nestled closer as Bianca held her, and both women drifted off to a blissful slumber.


	18. The Morning After

**A/N: Thank you as always for your kind reviews. This chapter picks up the morning after my last one. **

**Now, if you would, please bear with me for a few minutes. The rest of this author's note will be a little long and more for my benefit. I'll understand if you might want to skip ahead, but this is something I need to do. I thank you in advance for your understanding and indulgence. **

**Those of you who read the stories on this site regarding AMC in general and Bianca and Marissa, aka Minx, specifically have your own reasons for doing so. Some may be the same, some different. My reason is that I grew up watching AMC. I stopped watching regularly when I got busy with school, work and life in general. When I heard the show was being cancelled, I decided I wanted to see how it would end (I won't be discussing my thoughts on what actually happened. I'm sure we all agree on that topic). I started watching again via DVR (great invention) around April/May. Before I started watching again, I wanted to catch up with what was going on so I went to YouTube and started seeing clips specific to Minx. The story caught my attention because it was beautifully written and acted. That led me to a couple of other websites and eventually here to FanFiction's site. I am not a writer by trade (my day job is in a completely different field), but I did do some writing in college. For some reason, I was compelled to start writing stories about our favorite couple. I quickly found that I really enjoyed doing this and reading your comments about what I've written. I've also enjoyed reading other author's takes on their story.**

**I know I'm rambling, but I'm getting to my point. We all have favorite stories on this site. While I enjoy reading all of the stories here, one of my favorites is "The Way It Should Have Been" by Fantasinner. If you haven't read it, do yourself a favor and check it out. I don't think you'll be sorry. When I began planning my last chapter, I knew that to do it justice, I needed some advice. I know my limitations. I took a chance and sent Fantasinner a private message here asking for some story help. If you read her story, you know just how talented of a writer she was. To me, it was a logical decision then to ask her for help. I never expected what happened next. She was more than willing to help and flattered that I asked. We soon traded email addresses and began corresponding with each other. These exchanges included thoughts about storylines along with some personal stories of our own. We found we had more in common than we would've thought, and before I knew it, I had a new friend. We both shared more than we thought we would, but I think that happens sometimes when you find a kindred spirit. She told me about plans she had, I was not only thrilled and excited for her but touched that she shared them with me. Still rambling a little, but I need to work my way up to this.**

**As I put my last chapter together, I was able to share it with her. In fact, I ended up sending her everything that I had written along with telling her about what I had planned for this one. Her feedback was amazing, and I ended up adding a little extra to the last chapter as a result because she was right. In turn, I was able to offer her some advice as well. I enjoyed our "talks" and looked forward to seeing her email pop up in my inbox. What happened next is hard to relate. I was contacted by someone she was very close to and told of her recent passing. I can't begin to tell you how saddened I was to hear she was gone. It is far too soon and a tremendous loss for those who loved her. My heart goes out to them, particularly her fiancée and her family. Please continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. I only knew her for a short period of time, but I can tell you that I was lucky to have known her for the time that I did. She was an amazing person. She had been through a great deal in her life. Knowing her and her outlook on life, you would never guess it. The more I have learned about her, the more I am blown away by the truly incredible person she was. I can only tell you that just knowing her made my life richer, fuller, better. I consider myself truly fortunate to have gotten to know her and even more so to have her as a friend even if only for a brief period of time. **

**I find myself struggling to understand why she's gone. As I've gotten older, I've found that some things just don't make sense. This is one of those times. I liked Fantasinner, and I'll miss her. Someone told me that she was brought into my life for a reason, no matter how brief. I've thought about that a great deal. I think they're right. Knowing Fantasinner has taught me to appreciate life more and the time we are given, to not take for granted those close to us and to celebrate what we have while we are able. I'll try and remember that when things start to get to me. I can tell you I was able to spend time with some of my best friends this past weekend, and I appreciate them more than I have ever have before. Hard to believe that since we've known each other for too many years to count now, but I do. I know why. **

**Fantasinner told me a few of her ideas for continuing her story, and it turns out that we had similar plans. I'm going to attempt to combine where we were both going and continue to write this story for as long as I have ideas. I think she would be okay with that so I'm going to continue to do my best for all of you and for her. I only hope I can do it justice. Hopefully, she'll be looking down and provide the necessary inspiration. I'd like to think that anyway. This chapter was going to go a bit longer and include a character that I had conveniently shipped out of town for a while. I changed my mind, and decided that this chapter needed to be drama-free. I just can't deal with JR at this time, not in this chapter. I'll deal with him next time. As you know, Fantasinner affectionately called him "Dipshit", and again, I think she was right. Anyway, thank you for "listening" and letting me say what I needed to say. **

**With the consent of her fiancée and family, I'm dedicating my story in her memory, for Fantasinner. **

**/**

As Bianca lay in that state that exists somewhere between being awake and dreaming, thoughts began to invade her mind. _Did I dream what happened? Or was it real? If it was just a dream, I'm perfectly content to lie here and keep on dreaming. _Her brain soon shifted into overdrive and sleep was no longer an option. Bianca found herself waking up to two wonderful sensations. The first was the press of the soft, warm skin of Marissa against her own. To be holding the woman she loved with all of her heart was overwhelming and caused her heart to skip a beat. The second one was the feeling in her heart. It was sheer happiness. Both sensations were the result of the woman lying in her arms and her love. Bianca sighed happily, and she couldn't recall ever feeling this way before. It wasn't a dream. It had all happened, and Bianca smiled as the memories of last night came rushing back. Marissa had been nervous about disappointing her. This was something that Bianca knew down to the bottom of her soul wasn't remotely possible. The love they shared was too strong, built on too solid of a foundation, and she was proven right repeatedly last night. Marissa was amazing. She seemed to follow her natural instincts leaving Bianca wanting for nothing and feeling all of the love that Marissa had for her in every caress, every kiss.

Bianca glanced at the clock on the nightstand. They still had some time before they would have to leave to tackle the day ahead, and the brunette was not ready to give up the feeling of holding Marissa in her arms just yet. She felt the redhead begin to stir, and she shifted slightly so she could watch her. Marissa was absolutely beautiful. She looked so peaceful as she lay there sleeping, dreaming. Bianca saw a smile begin to form along the redhead's face, and she could feel the desire she had for this beautiful woman burn inside her yet again.

Marissa stirred as she dreamed of Bianca. She had been dreaming about the brunette ever since she had allowed herself to acknowledge her true feelings for her. These dreams, well, these dreams were unlike any others she had ever had before. They were so vivid and stirred her to the core, and when she woke up, she was left dazed and frustrated each time because it had only been a dream. This time was different though, and she wondered only briefly at first if it was just another dream before realizing it was far from it. The memories of last night soon began to flood her senses. To be completely honest with herself, Marissa had no idea what to expect and was nervous. She only knew that she trusted Bianca completely, loved her completely and wanted and needed her like she had not wanted or needed anyone else before. When Marissa told her how she was feeling, Bianca understood and was willing to wait for as long as she needed to feel comfortable. Marissa didn't want to wait, didn't need to wait, because she knew it was the right moment.

Bianca was everything she had ever dreamt of having in a lover. Every step along the way, Bianca made sure that she was okay with everything that was happening. Marissa recalled Bianca's touch and the feelings and responses it evoked. She had never felt so connected to someone, so close to someone on so many levels, as she did to Bianca. She had never felt so loved, so complete. Marissa had followed the brunette's lead at first but then found her natural instincts take over, needing to show Bianca how much she loved her. She remembered the sensation of entering Bianca for the first time. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, and she knew that she would never get enough of Bianca. Marissa heard Bianca's happy sigh and felt her shift next to her. She could feel Bianca's eyes caress her skin just as her hands had done last night, and it sent a wave of heat coursing through her. Marissa slowly opened her eyes, and they met the brunette's.

Bianca's smile was radiant. "Good morning!"

Marissa's smile matched the brunette's. "I'll say! Good morning, yourself! You're staring again. Is this something that's going to be a regular occurrence?"

"Most definitely since I can't seem to help myself. I'm absolutely in love with the view. In fact, I see it becoming a very bad habit, one that I'm not inclined to ever break."

Marissa found herself getting lost in the warm chocolate eyes of Bianca.

"Who's staring now?" The brunette asked totally amused.

"What? Oh, I'm sorry. Actually wait, let me change that. On second thought, I'm not sorry. You are positively breathtaking. I do believe you're right about this becoming a bad habit, one that I'm incapable of or unwilling to break myself of."

Bianca turned serious, needing to be absolutely certain that Marissa was okay with everything that had happened. "Are you okay? Last night was new, and…"

Marissa leaned closer, placing a loving kiss on the brunette's lips immediately silencing any doubts she may have. "Bianca, like I told you last night, I'm more than okay. In fact, I feel amazing. Last night was unlike anything I've ever experienced before, and it's all because of you, who you are, how much you love me and how much I love you. When I'm with you, I don't feel like some damn possession or prize. I feel loved and wanted like I never have before. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere. I'm yours for as long as you want me. I'll keep telling you that every day we're together, hopefully for the rest of our lives. I just hope that I …"

It was Bianca's turn to silence any doubt from her lover as she kissed her tenderly. "Marissa, I love you, and you did not nor could you ever disappoint me. In fact, uh, I think you were pretty damn amazing."

"Honestly?"

"Most definitely, and by the way, I'm not going anywhere either. I'm yours for as long as you want me, and I'm planning on that being forever because that's how long I want you in my life."

"That's very good to know. As for last night, well, I think I'm learning from the best." A mischievous smile soon appeared. "Of course, I've always been an overachiever so I wouldn't mind some additional _lessons_, and since there's no time like the present…" Marissa shifted suddenly and was now lying on top of the brunette.

Bianca's breath caught at the unexpected move. "Uh, Mar, Marissa, as much as I would love this to continue, we probably should get up."

Marissa began to trail kisses along Bianca's neck. "Why?"

Bianca stammered. "I, I still need, need to run back to Wildwind, change, pick up my clothes for the fundraiser and come back and get you. We need, we need to start setting up for the fund, fundraiser at the Yacht Club."

"I thought Jan and the rest of the staff were taking care of that." The redhead continued her exquisite torture.

"They, they are. I, I just don't want to have, to have them do all the work." _Dear God, I'm so not going to win this point. It doesn't really feel like I'm losing though._

Marissa smiled wickedly seeing and feeling the effect she was having on Bianca and continued the loving verbal and physical assault as her hands made their way to the brunette's breasts and began to slowly tease hardened nipples while she continued her reasoned argument. "You know, they are more than capable of taking care of the details. It's their job. They love what they do, and they're good at what they do. They may start to think you don't trust them if they think you're looking over their shoulders all the time."

Bianca struggled to think rationally but was quickly losing that battle. "I, I do trust them. It's just… Oh my God!" She had been so caught up in the redhead's caresses that she hadn't realized that Marissa's lips had slowly been making their way from her neck until they replaced her hands, and her tongue began to tease where her thumbs had been mere seconds before. Bianca soon willingly surrendered as all thoughts except those of Marissa left her mind.

/

Marissa hummed happily as she fixed a quick breakfast for her and Bianca while the brunette showered. No mattered how hard she tried, she wasn't able to stop smiling. Okay, she wasn't really trying all that hard. She was the happiest she had ever been, and it was all because of Bianca. That woman was simply amazing, and the way she made Marissa feel was equally amazing.

Bianca smiled as she came downstairs and entered the kitchen where she heard Marissa humming. She stood in the doorway simply watching the redhead. This was now her second favorite thing to do in regards to her girlfriend. Bianca quietly made her way behind Marissa wrapping her arms around her waist. "I really need to get going. We're late enough as it is. I just don't have time for breakfast. I would have had I not been distracted earlier."

The redhead leaned back enjoying the feel of Bianca's arms around her. "Ten minutes, I think you can spare that. You have to eat something because it's going to be a long day, and I'm not going to let you get sick on me. Besides, you're not getting your keys until you do."

Bianca sighed and quickly kissed the redhead as she went to sit down at the kitchen table. "Fine, but that sounds a little like blackmail, counselor."

"You can call it whatever you want, but no keys until you have something to eat. Oh, as for being distracted earlier, I don't recall hearing you complain about it. At least, it didn't sound like you were complaining to me." Marissa added with a smirk as she joined her at the table.

Bianca blushed slightly. "No, no. I wasn't complaining at all, and I'm really not now, far from it. You had a very convincing argument for letting my staff handle things. It's just that there's so much to do before tonight."

"It will all get done. In fact, I already took care of a couple of things for you."

"You did? What did you do?"

"I called Kendall and checked on the kids. Everyone is fine, and there are no problems to report. I know neither one of us really thought there would be. Actually, they're still asleep. It seems they had a late night as the result of a video game tournament of some sort that Zach put together. I'm sure we'll hear all about it when we see them. Before you ask, I told Kendall that I was doing the first check on them because I had talked with you earlier, and you were running late. I also told her that you would call her later."

Bianca raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"What? Don't look at me like that. I didn't lie to her. I did talk with you earlier, and you are running late. I didn't think you'd want me to tell her that you stayed over and give her details about everything we did last night and again this morning." The mischievous look that Bianca loved crossed her face. "I know I don't want to have that conversation with her, and I don't think Kendall really wants to know everything her little sister does, especially with her girlfriend. Now, if I had been talking with Greenlee, that's a whole other story. I really wonder about her sometimes."

Bianca laughed. "Ah, no. There are some details that Kendall and I don't need to share. Our sex lives are at the very top of that list. As for Greenlee, you're not alone wondering about her. My cousin does seem to like as many details as possible, but she'll just have to be disappointed. I'm not having that kind of conversation with her. What else did you do?"

"I called Jan and told her basically the same thing I told Kendall. I didn't want anyone worrying about where you were. She said that everything was under control and to tell you to take your time."

"You were certainly busy while I was in the shower. I saw you cleaned up in the living room too. I really wanted to help with that."

"It didn't take that long since I just threw everything away. After being out all night, the food wasn't good anymore."

"It's a shame to have it all go to waste like that, but we had other things on our minds last night." Bianca added with a huge grin.

"Uh, yeah, we did. Taking care of leftovers was the last thing on my mind." Marissa laughed.

Both women gazed into the other's eyes, getting lost there, remembering last night as they reached for the other's hands. Bianca finally managed to pull herself back to the present and glanced at the clock on the wall.

"Okay, we really need to get moving. I'll swing by Wildwind, change, grab my stuff for tonight and be back to pick you up."

Marissa sighed. "You're right. We do need to get moving. That sounds like a plan and will give me time to shower and get my stuff ready for tonight too."

They got up and slowly walked to the front door holding hands the entire way, not wanting to break any physical contact just quite yet. Once they got to the door, Marissa hung back slightly. Bianca could tell something was on her mind.

"Is something wrong?"

"Um, no. I was just thinking about the plan for tonight. I know that the sitter is coming over here later to watch Miranda, Gabby and AJ once Kendall and Zach drop them off on their way to the fundraiser. When it's over you're dropping me off and picking the girls up to head home."

Bianca nodded, wondering how to ask if Marissa might be interested in changing plans. "That's the plan."

"I was wondering. What would you think about changing plans? What if the three of you just stayed here all night? I mean, it just makes sense when you think about it. It will be pretty late by the time we get back here, and the girls will be asleep. I would hate to have to wake them up, and you'd have to do it twice. Once here to get them in the car and again when you got them back to Wildwind. Plus, I don't like the idea of you driving that late when I'm sure you'll be tired, and you know how nuts drivers are on New Year's after partying all night."

Bianca gave her a dazzling smile. Somehow, Marissa knew exactly what she was thinking, what she was hoping. She shouldn't be surprised by that. "I think that is an absolutely brilliant idea. You have the best and most well-reasoned arguments, counselor. I'd hate to have to disturb the girls like that, and that is a long drive to be making late at night, being tired and all, especially worrying about drivers that have done too much celebrating. I think the kids would love the idea of a sleepover too."

Marissa laughed and returned the brunette's smile with one just as dazzling. "Thank you. I thought it was a pretty good idea myself. There's also the added benefit of you and me having our own sleepover again."

"There is that, and I think that's a pretty good benefit. I don't know how much I'll feel like sleeping once we get back here though. I might be too wired from everything to go to sleep right away."

Marissa pulled the brunette closer. "I might be able to help you work off any excess energy you might have. I might have the same problem too. Think you might be able to help me out?"

Bianca laughed. "I think I can handle that. Of course, you'll have to be a little quieter than you were last night."

"Me? I seem to recall you being pretty loud yourself, especially this morning." The redhead smirked.

"Okay, we both may need to keep that in mind, although the kids are pretty sound sleepers." Bianca pulled Marissa to her giving her a lingering kiss. "I really need to go now since I have a little extra packing to do for tonight. I'll be back in about an hour."

Marissa smiled. "And I need to get AJ's room ready for the girls. I'll see you in an hour."

Bianca put on her coat and gave the redhead one more loving kiss. She opened the door and turned back to her girlfriend. "I love you."

Marissa sighed happily and smiled . "I love you too. I'll see you in an hour."


	19. The Fundraiser

**A/N: I have to say that you all are simply great. Your kind words and thoughts really mean a great deal to me. I appreciate them more than you know. I know I'm not alone in that. Thank you.**

**Now, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. It's New Year's Eve (the timing with real life is purely coincidental). As Aya would say, Dipshit is back. I've been putting it off for as long as I could, but I had to bring him back to town eventually. We'll deal with him now so the story can move forward. Don't worry about our girls though because I'm not going to go down the path that the show did and have him go completely off the rails. I absolutely refuse to go down that dark and twisted path in this particular story. Given his past though, he's not going get a pass, and taking on Bianca is not going to be a very smart move on his side (that's for another chapter though). **

**I hope the new year brings you all happiness, health and only good things. Happy New Year! **

**/**

Bianca pulled into the parking lot of the Yacht Club finding the spot that had been reserved for her by the management there as part of Marissa's shrewd negotiations a few months earlier and parked. It had been a quiet drive over from the redhead's house. Bianca had glanced over at her girlfriend from time to time on the way and saw that Marissa was going over the list of activities she was helping out with for tonight and making notes. Marissa's ability to focus had always managed to impress her. Basically, she went into _lawyer mode_ as the brunette called it and blocked everything out. She hadn't even realized they had stopped. Bianca smiled as she watched her. Ever since admitting how she felt about her to Marissa, Bianca couldn't stop herself from watching her and memorizing every smile, every raised eyebrow, every expression that appeared on that beautiful face. Bianca had to admit that this was among her favorites. When she went into lawyer mode, the brunette loved the way Marissa's brow furrowed in concentration and how she bit her lip. Bianca shook her head and sighed happily.

"Marissa, we're here."

The redhead looked up, surprised they had already arrived. "Seriously? We're here already?" She glanced over at Bianca and saw the amused look on her face. She made a face. "I did it again, didn't I?"

"Did what?"

"Blocked everything out when the lawyer side of me kicked in. I'm really sorry. I just wanted to make sure I know everything I'm responsible for before we get inside. I know how much the center means to you, how much this event means to you tonight, and I want to do everything I can to make sure it goes off without a hitch."

Bianca smiled and shook her head. "You don't have to apologize. I know what you were doing, and I appreciate it more than you'll ever know. It means so much to me that you've put all of this time into it. Tonight wouldn't even be possible without you. I mean it was your idea, and your kick ass lawyer skills that got us this place at no cost. Besides, I know how to get your attention anytime I want."

"You do, huh?"

"Yep! It's actually pretty easy!"

"How is that exactly?"

Bianca unfastened her seatbelt and quickly unfastened Marissa's as she closed the gap between them capturing her lips. A soft moan escaped from Marissa as she wrapped her arms around Bianca pulling her closer.

After several minutes, the brunette slowly pulled away and smiled brightly, her happiness reflecting in her eyes. "See, I told you it's easy! I can get your undivided attention any time I want!"

Marissa gazed into Bianca's eyes. The redhead loved the way they lit up whenever she looked at her. "I have to say that you really know how to prove a point. I can't seem to find any flaws with your methods. Feel free to get my attention like that any time you want. In fact, feel free to do that any time you want."

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"You know, I never realized just how fast those hands of yours are. You had these seatbelts off in no time flat."

Bianca laughed. "I was motivated. Imagine what I can do when I'm really motivated." She leaned back in closer again and placed a lingering kiss on the redhead's smiling lips.

The redhead cleared her throat. "Maybe you'll be really motivated later tonight."

"If you're lucky, I think I just might be." Bianca added with a twinkle in her eyes. "Are you ready to go inside and get to work?"

Marissa sighed. "I suppose we need to get started. We've played hooky long enough."

As they got out of the car, Bianca asked, "Do you have your list?"

"My list? Damn, I forgot all about it." As she reached back into the car to pick it up off of the floor where she dropped it, Marissa smirked. "It would appear that I'm not the only one good at distractions."

"Well, I try my best. You're not complaining are you?"

"Ah, no. I'm not complaining at all, just merely making an observation."

Both women were laughing as they entered the lobby of the Yacht Club. Several staff members from the Miranda Center were gathered there in a small group talking. When they saw the two women enter, their conversation stopped immediately. Bianca's assistant approached them. "Hi, Bianca. Hi, Marissa. Do the two of you need any help?"

"Hi, Jan. Thanks, but we're good. Sorry, we're so late. I just couldn't seem to get moving this morning." Marissa started coughing, and the brunette shot her a quick look. _Would you please try and behave yourself. _"How's everything going?"

The exchange wasn't lost on her assistant, but she let it pass. "Like I told Marissa when she called earlier, everything is going fine. We're actually just taking a quick break."

"Good. We'll just drop our stuff off and be right back to get a status."

"Sounds good. There is a room reserved for you already. Marissa, I think they should be able to find you one if you want."

Marissa couldn't hold back a smile when she saw the amused look on Bianca's face as she waited to see how she would handle that offer. "Thanks, Jan. I think I'll just share one with Bianca though. Someone else may need the room later. Don't you think so, Bianca?"

"I think that's probably a good idea. We should probably get checked in. We'll be back in a few minutes, Jan."

They headed off to the front desk and checked in. The group watched in silence as the women entered the elevator. As soon as the doors closed, the conversation began again in earnest. Months of speculation were finally being unleashed and discussed among them freely.

"Okay, you seriously can't tell me they're not together, not a couple, after seeing that, Thomas."

"I don't know, Bill. You really think they're together?"

"Aya, would you tell them what you told me you saw in the parking lot?"

"I was grabbing something from my car and was heading back inside when I saw Bianca pull in. Marissa was in the passenger's seat. I was going to see if they needed any help when I saw Bianca grab Marissa and kiss her, and I'm not talking a peck on the cheek. From what I could see, Marissa seemed to really be enjoying it too. The both did, and it actually looked pretty intense. I decided it was probably best not to interrupt them."

"Wasn't Marissa married to JR Chandler?"

"Yes, she was married to him, but from everything I've heard, that's been over for a long time. She's happily divorced. I think I overheard her call him Dipshit on more than one occasion."

"You're sure it was Marissa in the car? I thought she was straight."

"I was right in front of Bianca's car. So yeah, I'm sure it was her. That it was them. As for whether or not, Marissa's straight, it would appear that is not the case from what I saw, or at least, she's not when it comes to Bianca."

"Aren't they just friends?"

"In my experience, what I just saw is not how you are with someone who is _just a friend_. You've been awfully quiet, Jan. What do you think?"

The assistant had been thinking about everything she had witnessed recently and what she had just heard from her friend. Jan didn't like to gossip, especially about her boss, and neither did Aya. She wasn't one to spread rumors and loved their boss as much as Jan did, but this felt like a time that called for an exception, a big one. She had watched them over the last week and noticed a definite change in their relationship. As she looked at the expectant faces of her friends and co-workers, she thought it might be okay to discuss their boss this once especially about something she thought was fantastic news.

"I have to agree with Aya. There's definitely something more going on between them, something more than just friendship. And really, you don't think she could tell who was in a car she was standing right in front of? It's hard to mistake either Marissa or Bianca, and the two of them just came in here together. Did you see how they were acting?"

"You mean that they both seemed to be kinda glowing and couldn't stop smiling or looking at each other? Yeah, I caught that."

"Exactly. I thought Marissa was going to bust out laughing when Bianca was apologizing for being late. Did you see the look Bianca gave her? It wasn't one of the patented _Kane glares_ that we've all seen her give some people."

"I saw it. I don't know how to describe it, but she didn't seem upset, maybe more embarrassed than anything. Neither one really seemed to be all that sorry either." Aya smirked.

"Not by the way they were smiling. Plus, Bianca seemed pretty amused when I mentioned that Marissa could get her own room if she wanted. Something Marissa was pretty quick to turn down."

Thomas countered, "That doesn't really prove anything. If they are together, isn't it awfully quick?"

The others rolled their eyes in unison and shook their heads in disbelief. The man was just not getting it.

Jan spoke up again. "It's not when you really think about. They've always been close, and I know that they are best friends. I could just see a shift of some sort these past few months though. Remember when Bianca was sick? Marissa practically moved in to take care of her and made sure that all work requests we got from Bianca went through either Kendall or Marissa first. Then, there was the whole mess with Reese trying to get the girls again."

"Oh, I remember that. Bianca never talked about it, but Kendall did. She said that Marissa went off on that bitch and her jackass of a lawyer. She said Marissa could have gotten in trouble for that with the state bar, but she didn't give it a second thought." Aya added.

"Bianca's been there for her as well like dealing with all of the stuff Marissa's ex-husband has thrown her way. He's a real piece of work."

"I'm telling you the nickname of Dipshit fits him perfectly. Have you noticed that they always seem to light up when they see each other, and they're always finishing each other sentences? It's like they know what the other's thinking. I think they've had feelings for each other for a while now, but I think they were just denying it to themselves. At least, they were until the week before Christmas. I was over at Krystal's. It looked like the two of them were each on a date. I overheard Marissa's mom talking on the phone to Kendall though. From what I could tell, they had set them up. It seemed like some sort of plan. Bianca and Marissa were both jealous as hell when they saw the others so-called dates."

"I think things might have come to a head right around Christmas, and they might have finally done something about it then. I'm pretty sure I interrupted something between the two of them in Bianca's office the day after Christmas. Personally, I think it's great. Bianca is just simply the best person there is, and I really like Marissa. They just seem like a really good fit, like they're perfect for each other."

Aya nodded. "I'm right there with you, Jan. The two of them just seem to work, and I'm thrilled to see Bianca so happy. I don't think I've ever seen her like this before. If anyone deserves to be happy, it's her. They both do."

The rest of the group agreed with them. They all loved their boss and knew many of things she had been through. If anyone deserved to have happiness in their life, it was Bianca, and they all really liked Marissa. If she was the reason their boss was so happy, she definitely had their stamp of approval.

/

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Marissa looked at Bianca. "I think they're on to us."

"What are you talking about?"

"Your staff, or at least that little group in the lobby, I think they're on to us, as in they know we're together now."

"Why do you think that?"

"Well, they stopped talking the minute they saw us, and a couple of them exchanged looks like they knew something was going on."

"Are you sure because I don't know how they could know anything? We've been pretty careful around each other…"

"We were until you attacked me in the car a few minutes ago, not that I'm complaining." Marissa smirked.

Bianca made a face. "Oh, I did do that, didn't I? It would seem that I forgot where we were. I guess I was distracted."

"That seems to be happening a lot lately to both of us." Marissa added with a brilliant smile.

The brunette laughed. "It really does. Do you really think they know something?"

"Yeah, I do. They're a pretty sharp group especially Aya and Jan. Those two don't miss a thing."

The elevator stopped on their floor, and they walked down the hall to their room.

"No, they don't. Well, it's not like they weren't going to find out soon."

Marissa unlocked the door. They entered the room and set their bags down. Marissa saw the look in her girlfriend's eyes. "What is it, Bianca?"

"Are you sure you're okay with going public with our relationship tonight? I mean half of Pine Valley will be there. It could be a little overwhelming."

Marissa sat on the bed and took Bianca's hand pulling her down to sit next to her. "I'm good with it. The really important people already know like the kids, Kendall, your mom, Krystal, and they're good with it, happy for us, so I don't see any reason why everyone else shouldn't know. Besides, I'm proud to be with you, to be your partner, and I don't care who knows. I can handle anything as long as we're together."

"You're right. The most important people know and are happy for us. We haven't told JR yet though, and the odds are very good he's going to hear about it now before we get the chance."

"Since you brought up my ex-husband, that reminds me that AJ called while I was waiting for you earlier. JR called him this morning."

"You don't seem happy about that. What happened? Is AJ okay?"

"AJ's fine, now at least. He was a little upset. JR started asking him about me, what I was doing and was I dating anyone. It seems AJ let it slip that I was seeing someone. JR proceeded to give him the third degree wanting whatever details AJ could give him. AJ didn't tell him anything else, didn't tell him it was you, but he thought we would be mad at him."

"Well, I know you told him that wasn't possible of course."

"Yeah, I got him calmed down and reassured him that I wasn't mad and that you wouldn't be mad at him either. I'm pissed off at JR though. Any questions he may have about me need to be directed to me and not our son. I tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail."

"What did you plan on saying to him if he happened to answer?"

Marissa shook her head. "I'm not sure. I probably would've gone off on him which I know is not the best way to handle him so I guess it's best that he didn't answer. I know we agreed that it was better if we told him and did it in person, but if that doesn't happen, so be it. I let him have too much sway in my life for far too long. I'm done with it and him, and I have been for a long time. I don't give a damn what my ex thinks. I absolutely refuse to let Dipshit dictate the life you and I are building together. I love you and plan on spending the rest of my life with you. He is my past, and you are my present and my future."

Bianca beamed as she sat looking at Marissa. She never ceased to be amazed by her girlfriend. The resolve she saw in those hazel eyes was like nothing she had ever seen before. "You are simply amazing. I love you, and I am so proud to be with you too. You are right about everything you just said. He does not and will not run our lives. What's past is past, and our exes be damned. What matters is what we have now, and the future we are building together. We will handle anything that comes our way, together."

Their lips crashed together as their hearts swelled with the love they felt for each other. Minutes later, they pulled apart gasping for breath. Marissa finally managed to speak. "You don't know how much I really hate to say this because I'd like nothing more than to continue this, but we better get back downstairs. I have a feeling your staff will be sending out a search party for us if we don't."

Bianca sighed. "Oh, I think I do know because I really hate to admit that you're right this time." The brunette stood and pulled Marissa with her. "We better get going, but this will be continued later tonight."

"I hope that's a promise."

"Oh yeah, that is definitely a promise."

/

Several hours later, Bianca entered the lobby and immediately began scanning the room for Marissa. The set up was complete, and everyone had changed into their attire for the evening's festivities. The redhead had gone back to the room earlier to change while Bianca finished up some last minute details. By the time she was done, her girlfriend was no longer in the room. The brunette got ready as quickly as she could, growing anxious about the evening for several reasons. She encountered some of her staff members as she searched for her girlfriend.

"Bianca, is there something we can help you with?"

"Have you seen Marissa?"

"You just missed her. She said she wanted to check on the kids and was looking for a quiet spot to call them. I saw her headed off in that direction."

"Thanks!" Bianca headed towards the direction she was pointed. She heard Marissa's laugh before actually seeing her. The brunette did love that laugh. Although to be honest, she loved absolutely everything about Marissa. Bianca's heart skipped a beat when she finally saw her girlfriend. She was absolutely stunning. As Bianca took in the view, Marissa disconnected the call and glanced up locking eyes with her.

Marissa's eyes lit up as soon as she saw Bianca. Breathtaking, the woman was simply breathtaking. She walked over to her girlfriend smiling the entire way. The redhead gave Bianca a tender kiss and stepped back to admire the brunette fully. "You are breathtaking. I'm the luckiest woman here tonight."

Bianca blushed as she smiled. "Thank you, but second luckiest, you're the second luckiest woman here tonight. I'm the luckiest, and you are simply stunning."

"Thank you. How about we call it a tie on who's the luckiest?"

"It's a deal. How are the kids?"

"They just got back to my place. I think I'm getting some of my hearing back. When I told them about the three of you staying over, they were so excited that they started screaming. I could hear Kendall trying to restore order and asking Miranda what they were yelling about. When I got on the phone with her, your sister didn't say a word about it, but I could swear I heard her smirking over the phone. Zach and her are just waiting for the sitter and will be on their way over here shortly."

"Her knowing about the sleepover won't be awkward at all when I see her later. I have to say that I'm pretty excited about staying over myself." A huge grin spread across Bianca's face.

Marissa's grin matched that of the brunette's. "Trust me, you're not the only one."

Both turned as they heard guests starting to arrive. "Are you ready for this, Bianca?"

The brunette turned back to Marissa and gave her a loving kiss. "Oh yeah, I'm more than ready."

/

The evening was getting off to a rousing start as guests started arriving, and before too long, the Yacht Club was crowded with partygoers. Kendall and Zach arrived and began searching for Bianca and Marissa. They soon ran into Greenlee and Ryan who had arrived shortly after them.

"I have to say, Kendall, it looks like your sister and the rest of the folks at the Miranda Center really outdid themselves."

"Thanks, Ryan. I have to agree with you. The place looks great, and everyone seems to be having a good time."

"Where's Bianca?"

"I bet you'll find her wherever you find Marissa." Greenlee offered with a smirk.

Kendall looked and her friend and just shook her head. "I have to admit that you're probably right. Let's see if we can find them." As the group wandered around, they soon discovered the big topic of conversation among everyone in attendance was Bianca and Marissa.

Ryan gave the others a puzzled look. "Okay, I'm confused. What's going on with the two of them?"

Greenlee rolled her eyes at her husband. "I told you about them being together."

"No, you didn't. What exactly do you mean by they're together?"

"They're together, as in they're a couple now. You know, more than just friends. I could've sworn I told you." Greenlee finally spotted the couple in question across the room in the main hall. They each had an arm around the other's waist and were talking to a group of partygoers. "There they are."

"Whoa! No, you did not tell me about them being a couple. Trust me, I would've remembered that. When did this happen?"

Kendall took over the story. "They've officially been together for a week, but things started changing between them several months ago. It took them a while to admit their feelings to themselves and a little longer to admit them to each other."

"Yeah, Kendall and Krystal gave them a little nudge in the right direction a couple of weeks ago."

Zach laughed. "Ah yes, the dates from hell. You're lucky that didn't blow up in your face."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I know. Greenlee pointed that out to us the next day before offering her advice."

"Dates from hell? I'm confused."

"Let's go find the bar and get everyone something to drink. I'll tell you everything I know about what's going on. We'll be back in a couple of minutes." The two men headed off in search of the bar as Zach began filling Ryan in.

"You know, Kendall, I don't think I've ever seen Bianca this happy."

"That's because she hasn't been. Red looks pretty happy too."

"They're awfully touchy-feely tonight and seem to have this glow about them." Greenlee's eyes got big as a thought struck her, and she started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"When I called you last night, Miranda, Gabby and AJ were over your house, weren't they? Did they happen to stay all night with you and Zach?"

Kendall sighed. She knew Greenlee would keep digging until she knew something. "Uh, yeah, they stayed over."

"I knew it! Bianca and Marissa had their own sleepover!"

"You got that from the kids staying at my house?"

"Yeah, I did. Well, from that and from just looking at them. They can't stop touching each other, and the looks they're giving each other are a dead giveaway to me. They totally did…"

"Okay, Greenlee, I am not having this discussion with you or anyone else. There are some things that Bianca and I don't really need to go into detail about with each other."

"Like each other's sex lives."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yes, like each other's sex lives. Bianca and I have an unspoken agreement on that subject."

"Okay, I get it, but they look realllllly happy! Are the kids staying over at your place again tonight?"

"No, they're not. They're staying at Marissa's." Kendall made a face as that bit of information slipped out. She immediately wanted to kick herself.

The smaller woman couldn't contain her amusement. "Well, it's about damn time! Way to go, Binx, and you too, Red!"

"Look, Greenlee, would you do me a favor and don't say anything to Bianca or Marissa about what you suspect happened last night?"

"Say anything to Bianca and Marissa about what?" Ryan asked as he handed Greenlee a drink.

Kendall glared at her friend. _Don't even think about it!_

"Nothing, nothing at all." A smirk was still on her face, but Greenlee knew not to press the subject any further with her friend at the moment. "Did Zach catch you up on everything?"

"Yeah, he did. I'm a little surprised, but good for them. God knows Bianca deserves to be happy, and so does Marissa after everything JR's put her through. Judging by the smiles on their faces, they are very happy."

"Who are you talking about? Who's very happy?"

The group turned to see Jake and Amanda and greeted them.

Greenlee answered his question and pointed to the couple. "We're just talking about Bianca and Marissa."

Amanda looked between the couple and the group. "Wait, you mean the two of them are together?"

The group smiled and nodded in unison. Kendall noticed the doctor smiling. "You don't seem all that surprised, Jake."

"To be honest, I can't say that I am. Something I witnessed a while ago actually makes sense now."

His wife looked at him. "What do you mean, and why didn't you tell me?"

"There was nothing to tell at the time really. It was just a brief thought that I dismissed right away. When she rushed Bianca to the hospital earlier this year, I've never seen Marissa so scared. She did a good job of holding it together, but I could tell. I've seen that look too many times from the loved ones of patients. Plus, she was there with her pretty much the entire time. At first, I thought she was just concerned as a friend, but when she refused to leave and somehow managed to convince everyone there to let her stay with Bianca, I started to get the feeling that there was something more going on. Marissa also seemed to be the only one who could convince Bianca to follow our orders. Your sister can be very stubborn, Kendall, but she listened to Marissa."

"I'm all too familiar with my sister's stubbornness. She comes by it honestly. I remember that incident all too well, and you're right about Marissa being the only one she would listen to at the time. I know she wasn't listening to me."

"So, the two of them are together now. Ryan's right. They do look happy, and for what it's worth, I think they make a great couple." Jake saw Erica and Jack enter the room and head straight towards Bianca and Marissa. "Uh, Kendall, does your mom know about them? I mean, Erica hasn't made it a secret how she feels about Krystal and David so I'm wondering how she feels about..."

Several members of the group held their breath as they saw Erica approach the couple. To say they were shocked when she embraced Marissa would be an understatement. They turned when they heard Zach and Kendall begin to laugh. "I think that answers your question." Zach added with a smirk.

"Mom found out yesterday when Bianca went over to tell her about them. You all know how mom can be when it comes to us. She always knows what's better for us than we do. After Bianca talked to her, mom headed over to Red's office hoping to catch her off balance. It turns out that Marissa ended up winning her over. I don't know all of the details, just the little that mom told us when she came over after talking to Red. They've got her blessing."

/

Across the room, Erica and Jack approached the two young women. Erica embraced both women. "Bianca, sweetheart, you look absolutely beautiful. So do you Marissa."

"Thanks, mom! You look fantastic as always."

"Thank you, Erica, and so do you. It's good to see you again."

"Your mother's right. The two of you look beautiful, glowing in fact. I hear congratulations are in order. I'm happy for both of you."

Bianca beamed at her uncle and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, Uncle Jack. That means so much to me, to both of us. I wanted to tell you yesterday, but you weren't home when I stopped by to talk to mom."

Marissa offered her own brilliant smile as she hugged Jack. "Thanks, Jack. Bianca's right. It does mean a lot."

"Well, the two of you deserve all of the happiness in the world. Judging by those smiles on your faces, I'd say you found it."

The couple looked at each other and nodded in agreement. "You're right, Uncle Jack. We have found it."

Erica's heart warmed to see her youngest daughter so happy. She had been through so much in her young life, and she deserved nothing but happiness. She could tell she was truly happy with Marissa. Whatever they needed, Erica would be there for them. As for the fact of who Marissa's biological parents were, well, she chose to block that out. The young woman seemed to have risen above that and deserved the benefit of the doubt. As long as she didn't hurt her daughter, she would get it from her. If she crossed that line, however, there would be hell to pay. To her credit, Marissa seemed to know and respect that, and she did not seem inclined to repeat the mistakes that others had made regarding her daughter. "Bianca, I have to say the place looks fabulous. It looks like you have another success on your hands."

"Thank you. I think you're right about tonight being a success. None of this would have happened without the center's staff. They put so much time and effort into this. A large part of the credit also goes to Marissa."

"That's not true, Bianca. You and the staff did the lion's share of the work. I just helped out a little."

"That's not what I hear. I heard you negotiated one hell of a deal and ended up getting them the place at no cost along with some added bonuses. You couple that with all of the great work you've been doing for us at the firm, and it seems we were pretty smart when we hired you."

"I could have told you that, Uncle Jack."

"True, but I think you might be a little biased."

Marissa laughed. "I appreciate it, Jack, and I think Bianca is more than a little biased. I know I am when it comes to her."

"Erica mentioned that JR doesn't know about the two of you yet and might cause some problems."

"Yeah, we are both afraid he might. I had Caleb go over the custody agreement just in case."

"That's very smart. Anything you need, you just ask. I know Erica has given you her support. You can add mine to that along with the full resources of the firm."

"Thank you again. I can't tell you how much that means to me. You've both been so great."

"As you'll learn, dear, I take care of my own, and that now includes both you and AJ." Erica smiled and hugged both women again. "Now, if you'll excuse me, it looks like I'm needed over there. I'll talk to both of you later." With that, Erica and Jack headed off to another part of the room where Erica could hold court.

Marissa stared after them in complete shock. Bianca chuckled. "You really should close your mouth, Rissa."

"Huh? Oh right. Did I did hear that right? Did what I think just happen actually happen?"

"Yeah, you did, and it did. Mom basically said you were family. It's a New Year's Eve miracle!" Bianca laughed and placed a quick kiss on Marissa's stunned lips.

/

Greenlee shook her head in disbelief having witnessed the scene between her father, Erica and the young couple. "If I wasn't seeing it with my own eyes, I wouldn't believe it. I never thought I'd live to see the day when Erica actually gave her blessing to Bianca and one of her girlfriend's. It looks like things really are different this time for Bianca, like things are really different with Marissa."

"What's different with Marissa and Bianca?" Scott asked, having just arrived with Madison.

The group burst out laughing, leaving the new arrivals puzzled. "I'm thinking we missed something, Scott."

"I'm thinking you're right. Would anyone care to clue us in about what's going on?"

Kendall collected herself. "We were just discussing Marissa and my sister."

"What about them?"

"Yeah, Kendall, what about us?" Bianca asked knowing full well what was being discussed. She and Marissa surprised the group having made their way over to them after hearing them laughing loudly.

Madison saw that the two of them were holding hands and immediately knew what the group had been discussing. She looked at the pair with an unasked question and received a nod from them. She nudged Scott and motioned to the couple's hands. He looked from their entwined hands to their smiling faces several times. The surprised look on his face was priceless and left the group laughing loudly again.

"Wait a minute! You mean the two of you are?"

Marissa smiled brightly at her friend. "Yep, Bianca and I are together. I was hoping to talk with you earlier, but we kept missing each other."

After a few seconds, Scott started laughing had pulled Marissa in for a hug. "I think that's great! Congratulations! You both deserve to be happy, and I can tell you are," he said as he hugged Bianca as well. "I have to say that I did not see this coming."

"Thank you, and you're not the only one." Marissa laughed. The rest of the group shared hugs and congratulations with the couple on their wonderful news.

"While I'm thrilled for the two of you, I have to ask how JR took the news. If I was surprised, I can only imagine my cousin's reaction."

"He doesn't know yet. We haven't had the chance to tell him since he's been out of town for a while."

"Well, if you need any help with him, just let me know. I'll be more than happy to help the both of you."

"You can count me in too." Ryan added as the others offered their support as well.

Marissa looked around at her group of friends and knew she was indeed very lucky to have them in her life. "I'm hoping we won't need it, but thank you. It means a lot."

Kendall pulled her sister and Marissa aside. "I need to apologize to both of you in advance."

"Apologize? For what?"

"Greenlee guessed that the kids stayed with us last night, and she decided to put two and two together about the two of you. I also accidentally let it slip that the three of you were staying over at Marissa's tonight, and I really don't need any other details about that, please."

Marissa couldn't hide the amused look on her face, and Bianca just sighed. "Well, that explains the smirk on her face. I could've done without her knowing any of that, but you're forgiven."

Kendall sighed in relief. "Thanks. Now, what happened with the two of you and mom? I know she spoke with both of you yesterday because she stopped over our place after talking to Marissa. I got a good report from her then, but Red looked a little in shock after just talking to her tonight."

Bianca's smile was dazzling as Marissa relayed to her sister what had just occurred. "I have to tell you, Kendall, that I'm still a little in shock. Erica offered her support regarding JR yesterday. Jack just added his tonight as well as the full resources of the firm."

"Well, mom said she offered to help any way she could, and Jack adores this one over here. I'm not sure why you're still surprised."

"That's not what threw me tonight. Erica just told me that she takes care of her own and that included AJ and me now."

"My mother, our mother, told you that?" She looked at her sister who couldn't stop smiling and simply nodded. Kendall started laughing and hugged the redhead. "Well, that's a first. Welcome to the family, Marissa. Although, I think that you've been a part of it for a while now after everything that you've done for each other."

"Thanks. Bianca called it a New Year's Eve miracle." Marissa could finally laugh.

"I think my sister's got that right. I'm so happy for the two of you."

Bianca hugged her sister. "Thanks, Kendall."

/

As the evening wore on, Marissa felt the need to steal a few minutes alone with Bianca. They couldn't go back to their room since they had decided to check out early in order to make a quick getaway once the benefit was over, and the rest of the club was packed. She came up with an idea and whispered to Bianca. "Grab your coat and meet me outside on the patio in five minutes."

The brunette saw the look in Marissa's eyes and smiled. She'd been dying to get some alone time with her girlfriend all night long, and it seems the lawyer had the same idea. "Outside?"

"It's the only place where we can be alone right now unless you can think of someplace else." Marissa gave Bianca a mischievous grin. "If you're worried about being cold, don't worry. I'll keep you warm."

"I'll be there in five minutes." Bianca watched as Marissa walked towards the coat check room and shook her head slightly. _Oh, I'm definitely the luckiest woman here tonight._

/

Marissa grabbed her coat and snuck outside. It was a clear evening, and the chill in the air did not affect her at all as thoughts of Bianca kept her warm. The redhead turned when she heard the patio door close. The smile on her face instantly disappeared when she saw her ex-husband standing in front of her.

"JR, what are you doing here?"

"I happened to be in the neighborhood and heard there was a party going on so I thought I'd check it out. I have to say that you are the most beautiful woman here."

Marissa did not react to his attempt at charming her. "When did you get in?"

"Tough crowd. I guess I need to work on my lines, huh? Okay, I came straight from the airport. I wanted to see you. I thought we could talk and ring in the New Year together. You know, make it a new beginning for us. There's nothing that says a man can't spend time with his wife, is there?"

_Wow, I can't believe there was a time when I would've thought he was being charming. He's really laying it on thick, and God, I hate when he leaves off the 'ex' part. If he came straight from the airport though, he doesn't know about Bianca and me. Where is she? _ "Ex-wife, JR, it's ex-wife as I've told you repeatedly. We're divorced, remember?"

"Well, that's something I'd like to change."

"Well, it's not something I want to change."

"I'm sure I could convince you otherwise if you give me a chance."

"You exhausted all of your chances a long time ago, and I'm not going to change my mind."

"Come on, Marissa, that's not fair. This time will be different."

"Oh, that's rich. Fair? Was it fair when you cheated with Annie, or how about when she tried to kill me? Why would this time be any different than the others?"

"I've learned from my mistakes. I know I can make you happy."

"No, JR, you can't make me happy because you don't really know anything about me. If you did, you wouldn't have tried to manipulate Bianca into trying to help you get me back."

"Is that what she said? That's not true. She's lying."

"That right there is one of the many reasons why I'm not giving you any more chances. I was there. I heard the entire conversation. I know what you were trying to do, and Bianca wasn't having any of it. Unlike you, she doesn't lie to me. You can't help but lie. It's second nature to you along with manipulation and cheating. I can't trust you, and I can't believe you."

/

Aya chuckled as she spotted Marissa whispering to Bianca before the redhead grabbed her coat and headed outside. Her boss had practically sprinted to the coat check room to get her coat. The brunette was pulled into a conversation with a donor before she could join her girlfriend outside. What had begun as an amusing scene soon changed to one of concern. She saw that Marissa's ex-husband had arrived and had followed her outside. Jan had told her earlier that she had overheard that JR didn't know about the two of them being together yet. Everyone knew he had a nasty temper when things didn't go his way. Aya's gut was telling her that Marissa should not be alone with him, that it was something her boss would be worried about. She made her way over to Bianca and whispered, "I just saw JR follow Marissa outside." The look of alarm on her boss's face confirmed her suspicions.

Bianca quickly turned to the man she was talking to. "I'm sorry. I need to go." She turned back to Aya. "Would you please find my sister, and let her know what you just told me?" Bianca then rushed outside.

/

"I've changed. One more chance, Marissa. Do it for AJ. You know he wants us to get back together, and you know you still want me."

"You haven't changed. If you did, you wouldn't be trying to manipulate me by using our son to get me to do what you want. You also wouldn't be pumping him for information about me. You're not thinking about AJ. What he wants is for everyone to be happy, and he understands that's not possible if I moved back in with you. He's seven, and he gets it. He's thinking about others. You, you're just thinking about what you want, about yourself. I'm tired of you treating me like one of your possessions, like you own me, of not listening to me. I don't want you. Look, I just can't deal with you right now."

JR grabbed her arm as the redhead started to walk away. "So, you are seeing someone. Who is it?"

"Yes, I'm seeing someone. I've moved on, and you should too. Please let go, JR."

"Not until you tell me who he is."

"I said let go."

"No. Tell me who he is."

"You heard her, JR! Let her go, _now_!"

Relief rushed through Marissa as she saw Bianca walking towards them shooting JR a look that had him immediately releasing his grip on her arm and backing away from the couple. It was pure Kane woman and was truly awe-inspiring.

The look was gone the instant Bianca looked at Marissa, replaced by one of concern as she held out her hand. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?"

Marissa took Bianca's hand. "I'm fine."

"What are you talking about? I wouldn't hurt her…"

"Shut the hell up, JR! I wasn't asking you, and do you honestly think I would believe one word that comes out of your mouth? I swear to God, if you hurt her…"

"Bianca, look at me." Marissa cupped both sides of the brunette's face. "I'm okay. I swear."

"Look, I don't know what you think was going on here, but we were just talking. Marissa was just confused…"

A light finally went on for JR as he saw Marissa holding Bianca back. In all of the years he knew the brunette, he had never seen her like this. The redhead's words sank in. "You don't want _me_. Who exactly do you want?"

Marissa turned to face him. "I want Bianca."

"Bianca? You mean… No, that's not possible. You can't be serious. She's been messing with your mind. She's got you confused. She's just doing this to get back at me."

"Believe it or not, JR, this isn't about you. For the first time in my life, I'm crystal clear about what I want, about who I want. I finally found someone who listens to me, who understands me. Bianca doesn't want me to change into someone that I'm not, someone that I don't want to be. She wants me for me. She's never lied to me, never manipulated me, never hurt me. She never could. Bianca is the most amazing person I've ever known. She just wants me to be happy, wants what's best for me, and because of her, I've never been happier."

"Are you saying that you…"

"I'm in love with Bianca, and I have been for a while. The best thing of all is that she's in love with me too."

"How long has this been going on? What about AJ?"

"What about him?"

"I don't want my son around two…"

"Around two what? Two people that love each other?"

"Where is AJ? I want my son."

"It's late. He's asleep."

"You're not going to keep him away from me."

"I'm not trying to do anything like that. You can see him tomorrow afternoon. Let's try and keep this civil. I don't want AJ drug into the middle of a nasty fight."

"No, I want to see him tonight. If you think I'm going to stand by and let my son be corrupted by the likes of you, you're dead wrong because I don't care what you want. You better be ready for a fight, and it's going to be ugly. I'll do whatever I have to."

This time Marissa was held back as Bianca placed her hands on the redhead's shoulders. "Corrupted? You can't be serious. In case you forgot, he's my son too, and I would never do anything to hurt him. If you think for one minute that you're going to take him away from me, then you're the one who's in for a rude awakening. I will fight you every step of the way. You're not walking all over me anymore. You're going to be in for the fight of your life. Bring it on!"

"And she won't be fighting you alone. I'm going to be there right beside her. I know your tricks, JR. I know how you like to play dirty. How you like to go after the people you think have crossed you. I'm not going to let you hurt her or AJ. You want a fight, that's exactly what you're going to get."

He started towards them but stopped short when he heard Kendall. "You won't just be taking them on." Kendall, Zach, Jack, Ryan, Greenlee, Scott and Jake were standing behind the couple.

"This isn't any of your business, Kendall."

"Oh, I beg to differ. You're threatening my sister and her girlfriend. This is my business."

JR looked over at the redhead. "You're sure you want to do this, Marissa? Take me on? Chandlers don't lose."

Jack walked over to one side of JR. "I think Erica would disagree with you on that last statement. In fact, if you really want a fight, I'm she'll be more than happy to oblige. I could go get her. It's been a while since she's been in a good fight, and if you remember, she likes nothing better than taking on the Chandlers and making them pay. Oh, did I mention that Marissa's going to have the entire firm working on anything you might happen to throw her way?"

Zach stepped over to JR's other side and started to guide him out of the club. "Think about it, JR. Do you really want to take on Erica when one of her daughters is concerned? Plus, you're going to have all of these other people and many others to deal with too, including me. You know, Kendall and I are _very _fond of Marissa, and basically, if she's hurt, Bianca's hurt. We don't want that to happen now, do we? I really wouldn't like it. Go home, cool off and you can see AJ tomorrow. Kendall and I will be there to make sure you do, and that there aren't any problems."

Marissa turned to her friends. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much this means."

"Don't mention it." Greenlee offered before adding, "This group loves a good fight. We weren't going to let Bianca have all the fun. Let's go get a drink. Kendall's buying."

Kendall rolled her eyes and watched the group head back inside. "Fine, I'll buy. I'll be there in a minute." She turned to the couple. "Are you two going to be okay?"

Bianca looked at Marissa and nodded. "We will be. Thanks for rounding up the troops."

"It was my pleasure, and they were more than happy to help once they heard Red here needed some assistance. Don't look so surprised, Marissa. We've all got your back, and it's not just because of my sister. We kind of like you."

A smile crossed Marissa's face. "Thanks, Kendall. I kind of like you too."

"Oh, we decided to keep mom and Krystal out of this little confrontation. We figured it was best for now, and it would be a little quieter this way. No point in making a big scene here."

Bianca nodded. "You're probably right on that."

"You know, Binx, I was thinking. Why don't the two of you get out of here? Between your staff and me, we can take care of the rest of evening. Most of the work is done anyway, but if I need any more help, I'll put Greenlee to work."

"You know, Kendall, I'm going to take you up on that."

"I can't ask either of you to do that."

"You're not, Marissa. Kendall's volunteering, and I'm simply taking the advice of someone that I love very much. The advice you gave me a long time ago. I'm letting someone else help me. Besides, I really want to be alone with you."

"And you two are giving each other that look again that I don't want to see between my little sister and you."

"What look are they giving each other? Oh, I know that look. It's the _I want to get you alone so I can rip your clothes off_ look." Greenlee smirked as she re-joined them outside.

"Thank you, Greenlee. I really didn't need you to tell me that. Do you have their purses?"

"Here you go. Have fun."

Marissa and Bianca took their purses and laughed. "We will."

/

The couple silently walked to the car, still processing what had just occurred. Once they got in the car, seatbelts were fastened and Bianca started it up. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she glanced at Marissa. "Are you ready to talk?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Are you okay, really okay?"

"I am. I just can't believe how lucky I am."

"What do you mean?"

"To have friends like that. Ones willing to back me up like they did."

"Why wouldn't they? You seem to forget that you are amazing and have helped a lot of people. You have a big fan club with me as the president of it. What about JR?"

"Oh, I don't think he's in the fan club anymore."

Bianca laughed. "That's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Yeah, I know. Seriously, I'm okay. He didn't hurt me. I have to admit that I was a little nervous because of his temper, him not being able to control it sometimes, but then, you were there. When I saw you, I've never been so relieved to see someone in my life. I knew things were going to be okay. It was good to have Kendall and the rest of them there, but you were the one that made me feel safe."

"I love you. I'll always be there for you, Marissa."

The redhead squeezed Bianca's hand. "I know. I love you, and I'll always be there for you." Marissa sighed. "I'm glad he finally knows. I hated having that hang over us. It could've been worse. It could've been better too, but I guess it went pretty much like I expected. I knew he would try and use AJ and that he'd get nasty. We'll need to talk to AJ in the morning."

"We will. I think we might want to say something to Miranda too. It wouldn't hurt for her to be prepared for whatever might happen. Thankfully, Gabby's too young to be affected by any of this, but we'll keep an eye on her just in case."

Marissa sighed. "I hate that they might get pulled into the middle of this."

"Hey, this isn't your fault. We'll do everything we can to keep them out of it, to keep all three of them safe."

They pulled into Marissa's driveway and parked.

"You're right. I've got to tell you that it felt really good standing up to him and giving him a piece of my mind. Now, I guess we'll see what JR has up his sleeve. As long as we're together, I know we can deal with it."

"I bet it did feel good because he certainly deserved it. You're right. Whatever it is, we'll be ready for it. You heard, Uncle Jack. You'll have the entire firm working for you. Plus, we've got some people on our side too that have all kinds of tricks up their sleeves. Can you imagine what mom, Kendall and Greenlee will come up with when they put their minds together?"

Marissa laughed. "That is truly frightening. I'm glad they're on our side. Speaking of frightening, I almost felt sorry for JR when I saw you giving him the Kane death glare, _almost_. I have to say that I kinda thought you looked…"

"Don't say adorable."

Marissa grinned broadly. "Oh, I wasn't going to say that. Adorable was the furthest thing from my mind. I wasn't thinking more along the lines of hot or sexy as hell."

Bianca laughed. "You're not right, you know that don't you? That look is supposed to instill fear in others, to make people quake in their shoes and make them run away with their tails between their legs."

"What can I say? You have that effect on me." Marissa unfastened her seatbelt and quickly unfastened Bianca's as she closed the gap between them capturing her lips.

"Talk about someone having fast hands."

The redhead laughed. "Let's just say I was motivated. I seem to recall a promise of something being continued when we got home."

Bianca gave her a wicked smile as she got out of the car. "You're right. I do remember making that promise, and I always keep my word."

Marissa jumped out of the car. "Oh, I know. It's something I was counting on."

The women raced inside the house. The babysitter was surprised to see them. "You two are back early. How'd it go tonight, Bianca?"

"It was good, Susan. How were the kids?"

"They were great. No problems at all." The sitter walked to the door and grabbed her coat.

"Thanks for watching them tonight." Marissa followed her to the door and paid her for the evening's work. "Be careful out there."

"Thanks, and I will. Good night."

Marissa locked up while Bianca waited for her near the stairs. They walked up together and checked on the kids softly kissing each one good night. Marissa closed the door behind them after they entered her bedroom.

"Now, about that promise." Bianca quickly pulled Marissa to her capturing her lips in a passionate kiss that soon deepened as each pulled the other closer. Clothes were soon quickly discarded and tossed aside as they tumbled onto the bed and only thoughts of each other remained.

/

In the morning, Marissa woke up before Bianca. Lying in her arms, she gazed at her lover. _How did I get so lucky to have her in my life, to have her love me?_ Her ears perked up as she heard the kids beginning to move around and knew they would soon be invading her bedroom. She sighed not wanting to leave Bianca's arms but knew she had to. The redhead threw on her pajamas and picked up their clothes from where they had been tossed aside earlier. Marissa walked back over to the bed sitting down as she gently brushed away a lock of hair from Bianca's face.

Bianca opened her eyes and smiled. "You're dressed already. I think we have to change that." She pulled Marissa down to her, kissing her fervently.

Marissa reluctantly pulled away. "I'd like nothing better, but I heard the kids moving around."

"Which means we can expect them any minute." She gave Marissa a loving kiss before getting out of bed. She found her pajamas and dressed quickly. "Speaking of visitors, Kendall and Zach will be here in a little while."

"I'm glad they're coming over. I'm not at all sure how JR will be today."

"It'll definitely be good to have the backup. Plus, we can start planning for whatever he might throw our way."

"We're going to win this, right?"

Bianca sat back on the bed. "We're in this together, and we'll win. I promise. Remember, I always keep my promises."

Marissa smiled and gave her a lingering kiss. "Yes, you most certainly do."

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. After receiving permission to come in, AJ, Miranda and Gabby burst through the door launching themselves at their mothers. "Happy New Year!"

The women laughed and began smothering their children with hugs and kisses. "Happy New Year!"

Marissa looked at Bianca and their kids, her love for them was almost overwhelming. _This is definitely worth fighting for._


	20. The Battle

**A/N: Again, you all are simply great. I appreciate the wonderful reviews. This chapter is a little on the angsty side (I believe I'm done with Dipshit after this) with some happy moments in it as well. I hope you enjoy it. **

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Marissa sat on the bench in her favorite spot in the park on a lovely Spring day, lost in thought. She knew Bianca would be worried about her, but she just needed a little time to herself to think and decompress. For the most part, the last few months had been wonderful. Her relationship with Bianca was stronger than ever, and they were more in love each day. Marissa smiled as she thought of her girlfriend. It was something she did whenever she thought of her. It was a reflex. It was something she was unable to stop. Loving Bianca was so easy, so right, so perfect. It was pretty much second nature to her just like breathing, and she couldn't remember a time when she wasn't in love with Bianca. She was a constant in her life. The one person she could always count on to be there for her, beside her, no matter what, and she had been absolutely amazing these past few months. Marissa had no doubt that her girlfriend was the reason she had been able to get through them. No, the problem was not Bianca, never her.

The problem, as always, was JR. From the day he found out about Bianca and Marissa's relationship, he had made it his life's work to cause them as many problems as possible in hopes of making their life together a living hell, of breaking them up. He seemed to think of this as some sort of game or a challenge for him to win. This was her life, Bianca's life, and not some damn game. Marissa shook her head and again tried to understand why. Why couldn't he move on? Why couldn't he let her go? Why couldn't he accept the simple fact that she wasn't in love with him and that she didn't want him? She was in love with Bianca and wanted her and no one else, most especially him. Marissa closed her eyes and took a deep breath in an attempt to release the tension that always occurred whenever she thought about him. Usually, she was able to push thoughts of her ex-husband from her mind when she did this, but it wasn't working this time. The memories of the unpleasantness of JR would not be silenced this time and bombarded her as they fought for dominance in her mind against all thoughts of Bianca.

/

It was New Year's Day. Kendall and Zach had come over early with the boys. While all five children played in the family room, the four adults sat in the kitchen discussing JR's impending visit.

"I hate to say it, Zach, but you're right. I should get a security system installed."

Bianca took her hand. "I know you don't want to do it, Marissa, but I wouldn't past JR to either break in himself or hire someone to do it in an attempt to dig up something or even plant something incriminating."

"He's just slimy enough to do it too. I was talking with Greenlee after the two of you left the Yacht Club. She brought up the idea of him maybe planting a camera or bugging the place. I hate to admit it, but it's a very real possibility. It is the Chandler way." Kendall added.

"I know someone who can come over and do a sweep of the place after he leaves today to make sure that the place is clean once he's gone. I can also get someone over here tomorrow to install a state of the art system for you."

Marissa smiled. "It sounds good and thanks again. I'll talk to Mrs. Walker later today to try and explain what's going on. I'm sure she'll be okay with me having a system installed once I explain things. It's not a conversation I ever really expected to have with my landlady though."

Kendall sympathized with the redhead. "I'm sure it's not. So, we'll have the house secure as of tomorrow. How did it go with AJ?"

"It actually went pretty good. He's so smart and thoughtful. I told him that his dad knew that Bianca and I were together. AJ asked if he was upset. I told him that he was a little, but that he shouldn't be worried about it. His dad wasn't upset with him, and he loved him. It might take some time, but we would eventually work things out. I told AJ that he could talk to either me or Bianca about anything, anytime, and to let us know if he was scared or upset about whatever was going on. He wanted to know where he would be living since his dad was back in town. I told him that when JR was in town he would be here with me some of the time and with his dad some of the time, just like before. I would call him every day he wasn't here, and he could call me whenever he wanted to as well. It didn't matter what time. I would always make time for him. He then told me he was worried about me being here by myself. He didn't want me to be lonely. I told him I would miss him every day he wasn't here but not to worry about me."

Bianca gave Marissa's hand a supportive squeeze. "I know it's going to be hard not having AJ with you every day, but the girls and I will do our best to make sure you're not lonely whether it's here or at Wildwind or wherever."

"I know you will, and I'm so glad I have you, all of you. I just got so used to AJ being here every day while JR was gone. I'll at least have AJ here until next weekend since JR was supposed to be out of town until then."

"As for AJ, Miranda has promised to keep an eye on him during the day when they're at school."

Marissa smiled. "She is so much like you."

Kendall nodded in agreement. "She really is, Bianca. Okay, what about the legal side?"

"I spoke with Caleb this morning and told him everything that happened last night since he missed some of it. He's already hard at work and is getting a copy of the tape from the security camera on the patio at the club. He wants to have visual proof of how threatening JR can actually be. In addition to that, he's already working on responses to likely challenges JR may bring such as me being involved with Bianca. Judging by his initial reaction last night, he just might try and play that card. I wouldn't put it past him. There's also everything that Krystal and David have done. I'm sure he'll try and use all of that somehow."

"All it takes is getting the wrong judge, one matching JR's current homophobic attitude, to have everything go to hell in a hand-basket. As for Krystal and David, it's best to get everything out on the table so it can be dealt with immediately. There won't be any surprises that way later on." Bianca added. "We're meeting with Caleb tomorrow to fill him in on some of JR's finer moments."

Kendall spoke through clenched jaws. "Like being responsible for your coma."

Marissa shivered at the thought of Bianca being so close to death, of the possibility of never having had the chance to know this extraordinary woman next to her, of not knowing what true love was. It was almost too much for her to bear.

Having seen the look in her girlfriend's eyes, Bianca pulled Marissa close to her and placed a loving kiss on the redhead's cheek. "Don't, Marissa. I'm okay, and I'm here. Kendall's right though. We need to let Caleb know everything."

The redhead released a shaky breath. "I know. It's just when I think about what he did to you, and what he did to you too, Kendall. I just…"

"All the more reason for me to give you any help you need." Zach added taking his wife's hand. "Did you talk with her about what we had discussed, Bianca?"

Marissa gave her girlfriend a puzzled look. "What?"

"I want us to hire a private investigator. Before you say no, let me explain why. I'm talking about hiring someone reputable. We wouldn't use anything they might dig up unless we absolutely have to. It's just another countermeasure for what JR might do. I promised you that I would do everything that I can to keep you and AJ safe. I honestly think this is another way of doing that."

Marissa carefully considered Bianca's argument, and it definitely had merit. The firm hired them all of the time for their clients. She never thought she would be the one in need of such services, but sadly, she was. She slowly nodded. "You're right. We should. I can get the names of the ones that the firm uses from Jack and Caleb."

The conversation was interrupted when Miranda entered the kitchen. "Mom, Ian spilled his drink. It's all over him and the carpet."

Bianca and Kendall got up and headed into the family room, Bianca to take care of the carpet and Kendall to take care of her son.

Marissa sat across from Zach. She could tell there was something he was holding back while the sisters were in the room. "You have someone else in mind, don't you Zach?"

He nodded knowing that Kendall was right about Marissa. She was sharp and didn't miss much. "I do. It's someone who can focus just on your case. They can head off any threats before they become part of the legal proceedings and part of the public record."

"And it's not a good idea if I know who it is or if Bianca's knows either."

"Yes, I think it would be best if neither of you know. I can contact them today."

Marissa knew exactly what threats Zach was alluding to, the horrific act that had happened to Bianca years before that had somehow managed to produce the miracle that was Miranda, and what Bianca had done to protect her beautiful daughter and herself. It would be low even for JR, but in his current state and if was desperate enough, she wouldn't put anything past him. There was no way in hell that she was going to have Bianca relive that nightmare in public nor was she going to allow either her or Miranda to be drug through the mud if she could prevent it from happening. "Alright, do it. I'll do whatever I need to do to protect my family, to keep them safe."

"Consider it done."

Bianca came back into the room and sat next to Marissa. "Everything okay in here?"

"Yeah, it is. How's everything in the other room?"

"It's fine. Ian got more on him than on the carpet."

"Tell me about it." Kendall said as she took her seat again. "I'm glad I brought a change of clothes for him."

Bianca looked at Marissa. "So, we're hiring the investigator?"

The redhead nodded. "We are. Zach was just telling me about someone he knows that does excellent work. I think we should go with them."

"Good. So, we have the kids, the house, the legal side and the private investigator all taken care of. What else?"

Kendall looked at the young couple. "I have one other thing, the two of you and your safety. I don't think either one of you should be alone with JR. I saw how he was looking at you last night, Marissa, and it made me very nervous. I also didn't like the look he was giving my sister on his way out. I don't know that he'll do anything, but personally, I'd feel better if you had someone else with you whenever he's around."

Marissa's phone rang. "It's Mrs. Walker. I should take this. I might as well talk to her about the security system now. I'll take this in the dining room."

Bianca watched Marissa leave and turned to her sister and brother-in-law. "You're right, Kendall. I don't want Marissa to be alone with him. I don't trust him to keep his temper in check around her, and I _am not_ going to give him the chance to hurt her. I've waited too long to find someone like... No, I've waited too long to find _her_. I'm not going to lose her. I love her too much. She's everything to me."

Kendall took her sister's hand. "I know. I've never seen you happier than I have since you've been with Marissa. You're not going to lose her, Binx. I'm going to make sure of that. We'll take care of JR, and we're going to keep her, AJ, you and the girls safe. You have my word on that. You have our word on that, okay?"

Bianca nodded. "Okay."

"Mommy!"

"Mom!"

"We better go see what the kids want."

"Let's go."

The three headed into the family room to check on the children.

Several minutes later, Marissa entered the family room immediately catching Bianca's attention. They ducked into the kitchen for some privacy. The brunette could tell by the look in her girlfriend's eyes that something had happened.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just a warning shot, but it's started. It seems Mrs. Walker received an offer to buy the house at twice its current value."

"Twice its value? Who? Oh, JR of course."

"Yep, who else? The offer is contingent on the sale being completed by the end of the week."

"You've got to be kidding me."

"He's trying to throw me off balance, trying to make it so I can't concentrate on any custody threat by having to worry about finding a place to stay. It also looks better for him. It could be argued that it's better for AJ to stay with him full time since he'll have the stable home while I'm scrambling to find a place to live."

"We'll start looking for a new place for you now. In the meantime, there are extra rooms at Wildwind. The two of you can stay with us if you want."

"I know, but there's no need. She's not selling."

"That's good news. JR should be really pleasant when he stops by later though."

"I got a text from him while I was talking to her. A last minute meeting popped up, and he won't be able to make it today. He's going to call AJ later. I guess he realized it wouldn't be a good idea to show up here in an extremely foul mood with witnesses around."

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea, and I've got to say I'm relieved by that. Did she say why she didn't want to sell?"

"She owns the house outright and doesn't need the money. Something just didn't seem right to her so she turned him down. He wasn't happy about it and was very vocal about that fact. The reason she called was because she was curious about what was going on. The house wasn't for sale, and this offer came out of nowhere. She was hoping I could shed some light on what was going on. So, I told her everything. I told her about us, and I did my best to explain everything that was happening and the reasons behind it."

"What did she say?"

Marissa smiled. "She was pissed off big time, at JR, and his overly generous offer had the exact opposite effect of what he had planned. She gave her permission to install the security system. I asked if she would be willing to repeat what happened today to Caleb, and she is more than happy to help. It turns out that she thought we were together the very first time we met her, and she thinks we make a lovely couple."

Bianca laughed and pulled the redhead close. "She does, huh? I have to say that I always liked her, and she's right. We do."

Marissa could feel all of the tension and anxiety she had felt earlier melt away as she looked at her girlfriend and listened to her laugh. She marveled that Bianca always had this effect on her. Whether she was aware of it or not, her girlfriend would do something that would give her the confidence, the belief that everything would be somehow be alright. "We really do. I love you so much."

"No more than I love you." Bianca added before closing the distance between them for a loving kiss.

/

JR's next move came a few weeks later. It had been tense but quiet since he tried to convince Mrs. Walker to sell the house which would have effectively kicked Marissa out of her home and scrambling for a place to live. Bianca had warned her not to let her guard down, and she hadn't. Caleb appointed himself as her lead counsel, something she was more than happy with, and had been working on her case non-stop, gathering statements and evidence so they would be ready if and when her ex struck.

JR had told her he was going out of town for a quick business trip that weekend so she would have AJ from after school that Friday through the following weekend. Marissa was more than thrilled with this development. The kids had an early dismissal that day, and she waited outside the school to pick up both AJ and Miranda. Bianca and the girls were going to spend the weekend, something that happened more often than not lately. It had been decided earlier in the week that they would stay in tonight and have a movie night. As Miranda approached the car, Marissa could see that the girl was upset.

"What's wrong, Miranda? Where's AJ?"

"He was called to the office a little while ago and never came back to class."

Marissa's blood ran cold as fear gripped her heart, but she didn't want to frighten Miranda. "He didn't, huh? Let's see if we can find out what happened." She calmly took the girl's hand, and they walked back into the school, heading straight for the main office.

The redhead found the secretary and addressed her. "Hello, I'm Marissa Tasker, AJ Chandler's mother. I'm here to pick him up but was told he had been called to the office before school was out and never went back to class."

"Yes, Ms. Tasker. AJ's father, JR Chandler, picked him up earlier for his dentist's appointment."

"He said AJ had a dentist's appointment? How long ago was that?"

"I'd say it was about an hour ago. Is everything okay?"

"No, it's not." Marissa pulled out her cell phone and immediately called Bianca.

"Hey, Gabby and I are just pulling up to your place now."

It took every ounce of strength Marissa had not to lose it and start screaming, but she had Miranda with her and didn't want to scare her. "He took AJ."

"What? JR took AJ? Tell me what happened."

"I'm at school with Miranda. She told me he was called to the office and never came back to class. The secretary just told me that JR stopped by an hour ago to take him to a dentist's appointment. He doesn't have an appointment. He just had his check-up last week. With an hour's head start, they could be anywhere."

"Okay, I'll call Zach and get him working on checking the airport, train station and whatever else he can he think of. I'll call Caleb too."

"I'm going to the mansion, but I don't to take Miranda with me."

"You're right. She doesn't need to go over there, and I don't want you going over there on your own. Call Kendall. She can get Miranda. Then, I want you to call Scott and make sure he's there before you go over. I don't want you confronting JR on your own. Promise me you'll call them, and you'll do what I ask, Marissa."

"I can't waste that much time."

"Promise me, Marissa."

The redhead took a deep breath. She could hear the fear in Bianca's voice. "I promise."

Not more than fifteen minutes later, Kendall and Greenlee pulled up in front of the school. "Hi, Miranda. I need you to go with Greenlee. She's going to take you to Marissa's house, okay?"

"Okay, Aunt Kendall. What about Marissa?"

"I'm going to take care of Marissa. Don't worry about her."

The girl nodded and gave Marissa a hug before getting in the car with Greenlee and heading off.

Kendall first gave the redhead a hug and then held out her hand. "Let me have your keys. I'm driving. You're in no condition."

Marissa nodded and did as she was told as they headed to her car. "Any word from Zach yet?"

"Nothing yet, but he'll find them. Ryan's helping him out. Bianca called Caleb. He's on his way to see a judge about an order against JR. Jack has called the police, and they're going to meet us at the mansion. How are you doing?"

"Not good, not good at all. I'm so scared, Kendall."

"It's going to be okay. We've got lots of people on this, and we're going to find them. You'll have AJ home with you before you know it."

"I hope you're right. How's Bianca?"

"Scared and worried about you and AJ, but she's trying to keep everything together so she can be strong for you. Try not to worry about her. Greenlee will make sure that she's okay and stays at your house."

"Good. I'm glad Greenlee will be there to keep her safe."

As they pulled into the driveway of the Chandler mansion, Kendall glanced at Marissa. "I want you to take a deep breath before you get out of the car. Don't lose your temper because Dipshit will use it against you later, and remember that I've got your back. Got it?"

Marissa nodded. "Got it." Once the car came to a stop, the redhead did as Kendall requested, and took a deep breath before getting out of the car. They approached the front door and knocked.

Winifred opened the door and stepped aside as the women entered. "Mrs. Chandler, Mrs. Slater, is Mr. Chandler expecting you?"

"Hello, Winifred. No, I don't believe he is. Are AJ and JR here?"

"Yes, they are, but they will be leaving any minute. Mr. Chandler is taking AJ with him on his business trip."

Marissa felt Kendall place a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. "Where is AJ?"

"He's upstairs in his room. Would you like me to get him?"

"Yes, please." Marissa looked at the luggage in the foyer and turned to Kendall. "Business trip, my ass. Look at all of this luggage. He's getting ready to run with AJ."

"What the hell are you doing here?"

"JR, I'm here to pick up AJ. He's staying with me while you go out of town for business. Remember?"

"Well, I changed my mind, and I'm taking him with me."

"According to our custody agreement, neither of us is allowed to take him out of town without the other's permission. It's a violation."

"Look, I'm sure if we discuss this without others around, privately," he said glancing at Kendall, "that we can avoid any problems."

"I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying right here. She's not going to be alone with you."

"This isn't any of your business, Kendall."

"She's staying. Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her. So, you want to take AJ to New York for the weekend."

"That's right. We'll be back Sunday afternoon. It's no big deal."

"If it's no big deal, why did you take him out of school without telling me? Why not tell me about the trip, the change in plans?"

"I didn't want to bother you for something so trivial."

It was a weak response, and she could tell by the look in his eyes that he knew he was busted. "Nothing concerning AJ is trivial. I'm not buying it, JR. Since when do you need this much luggage for two nights in the city? It looks to me like you're planning a much longer trip." She spotted two passports on a table. "The last I heard, a passport isn't required to enter New York from here. Are you sure you don't have something else planned?"

"I don't care what you think. I don't have to explain myself to you. He's my son, not your's. I can take him anywhere, anytime I want."

"He's my son too, just ask the courts, and according to the custody agreement, you do have to explain yourself to me."

"Do you think you're going to stop me, that you can stop me, Marissa? You or Kendall?"

AJ appeared at the top of the steps and bounded down them running to hug his mother. "Mom! Dad said you told him something came up, and you couldn't watch me this weekend."

"Hi, buddy, of course I can watch you. Your dad must have been mistaken."

"Good! I'm looking forward to movie night. Do you think we can have pizza tonight?"

"I think we can arrange that. Why don't you go back up to your room and grab your backpack. We'll see what homework you might have and get that over with so we can enjoy the weekend."

"Okay. I just have some spelling and some math." AJ ran back upstairs.

"You're not taking him, Marissa."

"Actually, she is JR." The three turned to see Jack with Brot and Jesse standing next to him. "Is this enough evidence for you?"

Jesse nodded after seeing the luggage and the passports. "This along with what we found at the airport is more than enough to serve him."

Marissa looked at Kendall. "Would you keep an eye on AJ until this is taken care of?"

"No problem."

JR glanced at the papers Brot had just handed him. "What the hell are these about?"

"That is an emergency order giving Marissa temporary full custody of AJ along with a restraining order." Jack turned to Marissa. "The police received a tip that JR had the Chandler jet fueled and ready to go with a flight plan filed for Paris. When questioned, the pilot told them that JR had told him his son would be joining him, and there was no return date. A judge signed the order when he was presented with that evidence along with the fact that JR had removed AJ from school early despite his agreement to have him stay with you starting this weekend."

Marissa had turned and glared at her ex as Jack spoke. The smug look he had been wearing on his face quickly disappeared. "You son of a... You were just going to take him and run. For how long? What did you plan on telling him when he asked why you weren't coming back home? When he asked about me?"

"I don't have to tell you anything."

"Well, you'll have to explain yourself to the judge on Monday. A hearing has been scheduled for then to review the emergency order. I suggest you contact your lawyer." Jack added.

"Go to hell!"

Marissa turned to Jack. "I can take AJ home with me now?"

"Yes, you can. We'll wait here until you leave."

Marissa headed up the stairs and soon returned holding AJ's hand and with Kendall following. AJ walked over to his father and gave him a hug. "Bye, dad." He quickly returned to his mother who had grabbed one of his bags while Kendall grabbed another.

"Bye, AJ. I'll see you in a couple of days."

The women left and headed to the car while Jack spoke to JR. "I wouldn't count on that, at least not unsupervised if you do."

Marissa sat in the backseat next to AJ holding his hand, not wanting to let him go, and listened as he told her about his day at school. She sent a quick text to Bianca to let her know they had AJ and were on their way home.

When they pulled up to Marissa's house, Bianca was immediately outside with the girls and Greenlee. AJ hopped out of the car and ran to his mother's girlfriend to give her a hug. "Hi, Bianca! Are you ready for movie night? Mom said we could have pizza tonight."

"Hi, buddy. I sure am, and I think pizza's a great idea. Why don't the three of you go inside and pick out a couple of movies?" The children nodded and ran inside. Bianca walked over to Marissa and held her while Kendall and Greenlee took AJ's bags inside.

When they returned, Marissa turned to both women. "Thank you for being there today, and please tell Zach and Ryan I said thank you as well. I have no doubt they were behind the tip to the police about the jet. I don't know that I'll ever be able to repay you."

Greenlee hugged both of the younger women. "You're welcome. Anytime you need us, we'll be there."

Kendall looked at the couple. "I want the two of you to make sure that security system is on tonight and that you'll promise to call if you need anything."

Bianca hugged her sister. "We will, and thank you for going with her today, being there for her."

Kendall smiled. "You're welcome, and I'll be there for you both anytime." She gave Marissa a hug. "I mean that, Red, anytime. Take care of each other and try and enjoy the night with your kids."

"We will. Thank you. I owe you a lot, Kendall."

The couple went inside and set the security system. "Okay, Marissa and I are going to take AJ's bags up to his room and unpack them. We'll be back down in a few minutes and then we'll order pizza and start the first movie. Sound good?"

"Yeah!"

After unpacking AJ's extra clothes in silence, Bianca pulled Marissa into her bedroom, knowing her girlfriend needed a few extra minutes to collect herself before they rejoined their children. "Tell me what happened."

"He was going to take him, Bianca. That son of a bitch was going to take AJ and run. He had their passports ready. Jack said he had the jet fueled and ready to go to take them to Paris for God knows how long. I almost lost AJ. Thank God for the early dismissal today or they might've been gone." The tears she had been holding back for the last several hours began to flow as Bianca simply held her.

Marissa could feel Bianca's love for her in the brunette's loving embrace, and she allowed her girlfriend to comfort and soothe her. Sometime later, Marissa began to calm down. Bianca wiped her tears away and kissed her tenderly. "Thank you."

Bianca gave her a puzzled look. "For what?"

"For being you, for being here, for loving me."

"You don't have to thank me for that, Rissa. I love you, and I'm not going anywhere."

"I love you too. How's Miranda? I could tell she was scared earlier."

"She was a little, but she's fine now. What about AJ?"

"He's fine. He has no idea what JR was planning. We'll have to talk to him and let him know that he'll be staying here for a while. There's a hearing on Monday to review the emergency order. Will you be there?"

"Of course, I will. You don't even have to ask. Thank you for not going over there by yourself."

Marissa gazed in the chocolate eyes that she loved so much. She knew Bianca had been worried and hated that she was the reason for it. "I promised you that I wouldn't. I'll keep myself safe."

"Good because I plan on keeping you around for, oh, I don't know, say a lifetime."

"Funny, that's how long I plan on keeping you around for." Marissa smiled, giving Bianca a loving kiss.

Bianca smiled. "Are you ready to go downstairs?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I am. I think a fun evening at home with the four people I love the most in the world is exactly what I need."

"I could use that too." Bianca added after giving Marissa a quick kiss before heading downstairs to their children.

/

It had been a few weeks since Marissa had been granted temporary full custody, and AJ had moved back in with her. Bianca and the girls were staying over more frequently, and the redhead had even bought a second bed for her guest room which was now unofficially the girls' bedroom. The five of them had quickly established a comfortable routine. Marissa knew JR wasn't done causing trouble and was constantly on guard as was Bianca. The couple, however, absolutely refused to let her ex dictate how they lived their lives and to have any say in their happiness.

Marissa was equally determined to make today special for Bianca, and their children were more than happy to help. The redhead quietly entered her bedroom and carefully closed the door behind her. She sat next to Bianca and watched as she slept. _My God, she is so beautiful. _Marissa wished she could let her sleep, but the kids were chomping at the bit to surprise her for her birthday. The redhead had managed to keep them busy for a while, getting them changed and working on their birthday cards for Bianca while she grabbed a quick shower, but they had been stalled long enough. Marissa had convinced them that it was best if she was able to wake Bianca up just before they launched their surprise. She knew this part would be tricky. The redhead sighed happily and smiled. She had discovered that a wide awake Bianca in bed was hard to dissuade. Usually, Marissa was more than happy to oblige her, but the children were on their way on up, however, and…

Bianca opened her eyes and smiled as she stretched. Seeing Marissa first thing was an absolutely wonderful way to start her day. "Good morning."

Marissa caressed her cheek. "Good morning. Happy birthday, beautiful."

"Thank you." A sly smile crossed her face. "Do I get a birthday kiss?"

The redhead recognized that look knowing what was on Bianca's mind, and she knew she probably shouldn't. She was, however, incapable of refusing her girlfriend anything. Marissa leaned in with a tender kiss that quickly deepened as Bianca wrapped her arms around the redhead pulling her closer.

Reluctantly, Marissa pulled away. "The kids will be here in a minute with a surprise for you."

Bianca sighed and pulled on her pajamas. "Will we continue this later?"

"Most definitely, I promise." Marissa heard a knock on the door and went to open it. Gabby came in first and immediately launched herself at her mother. AJ and Miranda followed slowly behind. AJ carried a breakfast tray, and Miranda carried two glasses of orange juice which she carefully placed on the nightstand near her mother. Marissa took the tray from AJ, and the two older children jumped on the bed. "Happy birthday!"

Bianca smiled giving each child a hug and kiss. "Thank you! Breakfast in bed is a wonderful surprise."

AJ, Miranda and Gabby handed her homemade cards, and Miranda then handed her a proclamation declaring it 'Bianca Christine Montgomery Day'.

"What exactly is Bianca Christine Montgomery Day?"

"It means today is your day, and you get to do anything you want today."

"Anything I want, huh?"

Miranda smiled and looked at Marissa who nodded. "There are certain restrictions though."

Bianca saw the exchange between her oldest daughter and Marissa. "I have restrictions on my day, huh? What kind of restrictions are we talking about?"

"No cooking, no cleaning or picking up after anybody, no doing dishes, no making beds, no work of any kind!" Miranda added with a wide smile.

"No work of any kind?"

"Nope! You're only allowed to have fun today!"

"Wow, that's my kind of present! I love it! Are those chocolate chip pancakes?"

Gabby nodded. "Uh huh!"

"My favorite kind! Do you guys want to share them with me?"

AJ shook his head. "We already ate. Mom fixed us some when we got up. So, whatcha want to do today, Bianca?"

"Hmmm. I'm not sure yet. I could use some help coming up with ideas. Do you think the three of you could help me out?"

The children nodded enthusiastically.

"Why don't you go change and then work on that list downstairs while Bianca finishes her breakfast? We'll be down when she's done."

"Okay! The children gave Bianca another hug and kiss and darted out of the room while Marissa handed Bianca the tray.

"There are two forks here. Want to share?"

"I thought you'd never ask. I'm starving. The kids were so excited. They had me up early. They must have added the extra fork after I came up here." She joined the brunette on the bed and took the offered fork.

"My favorite breakfast, in bed, and a day where I get to do anything I want. You are spoiling me."

"If anyone deserves to be spoiled, it's you. Today is all about you. I've talked to Kendall and your mom. They're going to call later, but they'll see you tomorrow at lunch."

"Perfect! I love them dearly, but I'd liked to spend the day with my beautiful girlfriend and our incredible children, if that's okay with you."

Marissa grinned. "Whatever you want. It's your day, and that's more than okay with me. Don't get me wrong. I love Kendall, and I'm starting to actually like your mom quite a bit. They've been nothing but great to me, but sometimes they can be a little…"

"A little much? Overwhelming? Over the top? Trust me, I understand."

"Speaking of over the top, you won't believe some of the suggestions they had for my present for you."

Bianca laughed. "I can only imagine. You know that you didn't have to get me anything. You've had so much on your mind lately."

"I'm always thinking about you, you know, no matter what else is going on around me. It seems I just can't help it. I know I didn't have to get you anything, but I wanted to. If you don't want it though…" Marissa could see the excitement in Bianca's eyes. She loved surprises.

"It would be rude of me not to accept it since you went to all the trouble of getting me something."

"And you are anything but rude." The redhead smiled as she reached into her nightstand and pulled out two envelopes. She handed her girlfriend the first one which was a birthday card.

Bianca's eyes glistened as she read the heartfelt words written in the card. She then opened the second envelope. Inside was a 'certificate' good for a weekend for the two of them in New York. Among other things, the weekend included two nights at Bianca's favorite hotel, dinner at her favorite restaurant and tickets to the play of her choice. "Marissa, this is too much."

"No, it isn't. You deserve it and so much more. We'll go when things calm down around here. Kendall has promised to watch the kids, and your mom will use her pull for the reservations whenever we decide to go. Do you think you can handle a weekend alone with me?"

"Let me think about that." Bianca paused for just a beat before giving her a brilliant smile. "Oh yeah, I can more than handle it." She leaned in for a kiss that was all too brief as they could hear the children calling for them. "I guess they finished their list."

They both sighed. "I'll go check on them while you grab a shower."

Bianca came downstairs a little later and headed to the kitchen where Marissa was cleaning up. "Is that double chocolate cake from Krystal's?"

Marissa chuckled. "Of course it is. Since I know it's your favorite, I thought it was a pretty safe bet you'd want one for your birthday."

"You know me so well, and it's official, you are definitely spoiling me! Want to see the list of activities for today?"

As Marissa read over the list, she burst out laughing. "I see the kids influence all over this. It's more about them than you, but I knew that would happen."

Bianca sighed happily. "I really don't care what we do as long we're all together. Are you ready to get this party started? The kids are waiting."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss. "Let's go."

After a day spent playing countless games on Wii along with several board games and watching a handful of movies, the kids were exhausted and went to bed early. Marissa laughed as she closed the door to her bedroom. "I think that last round of Just Dance finally did them in."

"I think you're right."

"Did you have a good day?"

"I really did. Thank you. I think it was one of the best birthdays I've had."

"I know it ended up being more about what the kids wanted to do than what you wanted."

"Well, the day isn't over yet, and I still have this one wish that I really want." The brunette wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. Bianca found that spot behind Marissa's ear that always made her knees nearly buckle. The redhead knew she was toast, not that she intended to put up any kind of resistance. _When Bianca gives me that smile and has that look in her eyes, I just can't refuse her anything. Besides, it is her birthday._

Marissa sighed happily and whispered, "Your wish is my command," as she leaned in and captured Bianca's lips.

/

One month later, Marissa was notified that JR was challenging the temporary custody agreement. He not only wanted the temporary order lifted, but he now wanted full custody. Both she and Bianca had been expecting this, and they were as prepared as they could be. Caleb had lined up an impressive slate of character witnesses along with what had become a mountain of evidence showing Marissa as a loving, involved and overall excellent mother. There was an equally impressive mountain of evidence against JR detailing not only his recent misdeeds but a long list of those from the past. This would only be used if absolutely necessary. Marissa wanted to spare AJ as much pain as possible and knew that he loved his father. Despite what JR believed, she did not want to prevent him from being in AJ's life.

The visit by the court appointed caseworker, Ms. Parnell, had gone well. Bianca and the girls had been over the night she paid her surprise visit. She observed as they helped the children with their homework and fixed dinner together. Ms. Parnell first spoke privately with AJ. He was nervous, but Marissa assured him that everything would be okay and told him to be honest. He told the caseworker that he loved both of his parents very much. He missed his dad, but sometimes, he scared him when he got mad. He had wanted his parents to get back together a while ago, but he didn't want that anymore. His mom was much happier now with Bianca, and that made AJ happy too. He loved Bianca and loved having Miranda and Gabby around so much. He thought of them as his sisters. He loved living with Marissa because sometimes the mansion could be big and lonely. He never felt that way when he was with his mom.

Next, Ms. Parnell interviewed Marissa. The redhead was open and honest and related her own experience being adopted. She couldn't have loved the Taskers any more than if they had been her biological parents. She admitted that while things were tense with JR at the moment that she did want AJ to have a relationship with his father knowing that they both loved each other and the importance of having his father in his life. Her first priority, however, was making sure AJ was safe, happy and well adjusted. Marissa would never put her son in a situation that would be harmful to him. Marissa discussed her relationship with Bianca. The two had started out simply enough as friends, then best friends before turning romantic. Looking back, it had been a natural progression to her given their personalities, interests, everything they had been through together. Their relationship was built on a solid foundation. They were in love and committed to each other and each other's children. Bianca was an amazing mother and loved AJ and would never harm him.

The caseworker then interviewed Bianca since JR was claiming her relationship with Marissa was harmful to AJ. Bianca was as equally honest as Marissa. She had known AJ his entire life and loved him very much. She only wanted what was best for him and would never put either him or her own children in any situation that would be considered detrimental to them. Marissa was a wonderful mother and would do whatever she could to ensure her son's happiness. They hoped he could have a relationship with his father, and she would never stand in the way of that. Her main concern was that AJ be safe and remain the happy and thoughtful boy that he was. As for Marissa, she was in love with her and committed to her and their children.

After the caseworker left, they quietly discussed how the visit went. They both agreed that it had gone well and could only hope she gave Marissa a positive review.

The custody hearing took place one week later. Marissa was nervous, but Bianca was right there giving her all of the love and support she could. The brunette was not the only one providing support to Marissa. Next to her in the front row were Kendall, Zach, Greenlee, Ryan and Scott along with Krystal and Tad. Erica was due any minute, flying back into town from her book tour for the hearing. Marissa was flanked by Caleb and Jack at the defense table.

JR glared at Tad seeing him sitting on Marissa's side of the courtroom. Tad had tried to convince him that the suit was a bad idea and not in AJ's best interest. AJ loved Marissa, and she was a good mother. As for Marissa and Bianca's relationship, JR needed to accept it because there was nothing wrong with it, and it was in no way harmful to AJ. No one was out to get him. He knew better than that. He knew both women, and they weren't like that. He had thrown Tad out of the mansion and refused to have anything to do with him. When JR finally looked at Marissa, a smug look crossed his face. It was a looked that scared her.

"Jack, Caleb, he's up to something."

"Marissa, I don't want you to worry. We've got it covered." Caleb assured her.

JR's lawyer addressed him. "I would like to have some character witnesses, Mr. Chandler. It would give us a stronger case. Your visit with the caseworker could have gone a lot better."

"My visit went just fine. Actually, both of my visits with her went just fine. It doesn't matter how many people they throw up there to talk about how _wonderful she and her girlfriend are_. We've got nothing to worry about. There's no way I'm going to lose. My son will be home with me soon, and they'll be out of his life for good."

"What do you mean 'both of your visits'? You only had one visit with her."

"I arranged another meeting with her, one that was more private and more in my favor. I did the same with the judge."

"Did you bribe them? I can't be any part of that."

"I wouldn't say bribe. I would say that I presented a strong case where they would benefit from the outcome of this hearing being in my favor. There's no way I can lose." JR smirked.

The hearing was called to order, and the first witness was the caseworker. Ms. Parnell stated that she was duly impressed by Marissa and her commitment to and bond with AJ. She had created a loving home for him, and he was happy and well-adjusted living with her. The caseworker did not see the relationship between Marissa and Bianca as harmful in any way to him. She had been impressed not only by their honesty but by their obvious commitment not only to each other but to each other's children.

Anger began to replace the smug look on JR's face. He was about to lose it, and everyone in the courtroom knew it. His lawyer asked for a recess. Instead of granting that request, the judge ordered the parties to his chambers.

/

Marissa smiled coming back to the present as a pair of soft, warm arms enveloped her from behind, and she felt the press of lips that intoxicated her on her cheek. As she opened her eyes, Bianca made her way around the bench to sit beside her and took her hand. Marissa gazed in her girlfriend's beautiful eyes, and suddenly, all of the tension she had felt was gone.

Bianca gave Marissa a lingering kiss before speaking. "You've been gone a while. You had me a little worried."

"I didn't realize that I'd been gone that long. I'm sorry. I just needed a few minutes."

"Are you okay?"

"I am."

"Want to tell me what you've been thinking about?"

"I was thinking about everything that's happened since the beginning of the year, since JR found out about us."

"No wonder you were gone so long. We haven't had much of a chance to talk privately since the hearing ended. What exactly happened in the judge's chambers?"

"When we walked in, I spotted Jesse standing in the corner which surprised me. I had no idea why he was there, but I knew something was going on. Judge Taylor had us all sit down and proceeded to play two videos for everyone. The first was of JR bribing Ms. Parnell, and the second was him bribing Judge Taylor. He explained that after JR pretty much tanked the caseworker's first visit that he called her and proposed a tradeoff. If she gave him a glowing review and trashed me, he would make it more than worth her while financially. She immediately went to the judge after receiving his offer. While they were waiting for the D.A. to arrive, JR called the judge and presented him with a similar offer. It seems he was hedging his bets."

"Well, the Chandlers have never met a judge they didn't think they couldn't buy."

"Don't I know it. After they told the D.A. about the bribes, he called Jesse and had him set up the sting, and he got the whole thing on tape. When Judge Taylor finished, I thought JR was going to explode. The bailiff had to restrain him when he went after the judge. Don't worry, Jack and Caleb stayed in between us the entire time. He never got within five feet of me."

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. "Remind me to thank them."

"You and me both. After things calmed down and order was restored again, the judge explained that Ms. Parnell had already filed her report, which happened to be in my favor, prior to any of this happening, and he wanted the hearing to start with her. He was going to let her continue until he saw JR's reaction and then thought better of it. He read the rest of her report while we were back there. She said that she knew that JR loved his son, but she found that his anger was an issue and was causing AJ to be scared of hm. She also found that his current attitude towards us and our relationship and his unwillingness to hide it was detrimental to AJ. In her opinion, it was in the best interest of AJ to remain in my custody."

"Wow. You had me worried when you first came back into the courtroom. You, Caleb and Uncle Jack were keeping good poker faces, and I had no clue why JR wasn't there."

"Maybe they had the poker faces, but I was still in shock from what had just happened and from what Caleb told me on our way back in. They knew about the bribery attempts. The private investigator we hired caught them as well. If the judge and Ms. Parnell had not come forward, been honest and gave JR custody, they were ready to file a stay of the order immediately and had the paperwork for the appeal already in the works. As for JR, Jesse already had him cuffed and on the way to jail." Marissa shook her head and sighed. "I can't believe it's over."

"Believe it. You have full custody of AJ now. I promised you everything would be okay."

Marissa smiled. "Yes, you did, and you always keep your promises." She kissed Bianca tenderly.

"JR will be out of our hair for quite some time."

"Yes, he will. His legal problems are going to keep him busy for a long time. I don't know what he was thinking by trying to bribe not only the caseworker but the judge as well."

"It's something that's worked in the past. I guess he thought it would work again. I'm glad it didn't."

"So am I. I can't even begin to explain how relieved I am that AJ will be with me, but part of me is so sad for AJ. He loves his dad."

Bianca nodded. "Yes, he does, and hopefully one day, JR can be part of his life, once he gets his act together, and we know it's safe for AJ for that to happen. In the meantime, I know you, and I know that you'll find the right words somehow to explain everything to him."

Marissa cocked her head and smiled. "How do you do that?"

A puzzled look crossed Bianca's face. "Do what?"

"Know exactly what to say to make me feel better and give me the extra shot of confidence I need when I need it the most."

"You do exactly the same thing for me." Bianca kissed her tenderly.

Marissa sighed contentedly and rested her head on Bianca's shoulder, and the two sat in silence, simply enjoying being with each other.

Bianca's phone rang some time later. She smiled when she saw it was her sister and put her on speaker phone. "Hi, Kendall. Of course, I found her. Did you ever really doubt that I would?"

"Well, no, I knew you would. Are the two of you planning on coming back to Krystal's anytime soon?"

Marissa smiled. "Hi, Kendall. We're on our way and will be there in a few minutes. We can only stay for a little bit though."

"Yeah, I know. Same here since the kids will be out of school soon, but I think it will be good for the two of you to unwind a little before picking them up."

Bianca looked at Marissa. "She's right, you know. It will be good for us."

"I know. Plus, we have a lot of people there to thank. We'll see you in a few minutes, Kendall."

"Good. I'll let everyone know you're on the way. See you soon."

Marissa stood and held her hand out for her girlfriend. "Let's go see our family and friends. I don't know how I'm ever going to thank them enough."

Bianca took Marissa's hand and smiled as she gave her a quick kiss. "We'll think of something, together."


	21. Bianca's Suprise

**A/N: Once again, thank you for the wonderful reviews. They really do wonders for the ego. I decided to go to my Minx happy place for this chapter and give our girls a break from all the drama. I figured they deserved it after dealing with Dipshit. They are moving forward with their lives together. There will be a few bumps in upcoming chapters but not this one. Hope you enjoy! **

**/**

The past few months had been filled with the drama of fighting for custody of AJ. That issue had finally been settled two months ago with Marissa receiving full custody. AJ had been upset at first when told about his dad going to jail. He was a smart little boy though and understood why. He loved his dad, but he had begun to be afraid whenever he had to see him, never knowing what would set him off or why he was so angry with his mom or Bianca. He had overheard JR saying awful things about the two of them, and this caused AJ to grow afraid for them. He just couldn't understand any of JR's reasons behind that hatred and wanted to avoid the conflict as much as possible so he had started to come up with excuses for avoiding his visits. Early in the custody battle, Marissa noticed that AJ had become slightly withdrawn and was concerned. She knew Bianca had seen a counselor in the past, and they discussed her experience. They quickly agreed that AJ could benefit from it, and Marissa had found an excellent one for her son. The caseworker had sited this as yet another reason for AJ to stay with his mother in her report to the court. As a result of the early intervention, AJ had adjusted well, and the smile that had dimmed somewhat during the heat of the custody dispute had now returned.

Bianca and the girls stayed over with Marissa and AJ almost every night now and only returned to Wildwind on the rarest of occasions. It seemed when it was time to head back to Wildwind at the end of the evening, no one wanted that to happen. Someone would come up with some sort of excuse, and they would end up staying. On several occasions, it was determined that it was not safe to drive in storms that were raging outside. Another time, Gabby couldn't find one of her shoes. The house was searched top to bottom with no luck. By the time the search was called off, it was too late to make the drive back to Wildwind. The next morning, Marissa had found the missing shoe under Gabby's pillow. Not knowing who had placed it there, coupled with the fact that the two women were more than happy with the outcome of the sleepover, Marissa and Bianca had decided to let the incident pass and not call anyone out on it. After that, it had become a common occurrence for someone to not find something needed to make the trip back to Wildwind. Marissa had even once caught Bianca hiding her keys in the kitchen junk drawer. During the search for the missing keys, the redhead discreetly moved them from their hiding place to another one that she felt was more secure and offered little chance of someone accidentally finding them. It seems that Marissa just wasn't ready for them to leave that night either. The next morning, the brunette had planned to miraculously find them. When she went to her hiding place, the keys weren't there. They were gone.

Marissa had walked into the kitchen and was observing Bianca. "You still can't find your keys?"

"No, and I've got a meeting I can't be late for."

"Hmmm, and you checked the back of the junk drawer?"

"Yes, of course I did. That was the first place I checked." She saw the smirk on Marissa's face and knew she was busted. "Is there somewhere else you think I should check?"

Marissa grinned. "Call it a hunch, but why don't you check that cabinet."

Bianca checked the cabinet that her girlfriend had indicated and found the keys in the very back of it. She cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "I wonder how they got back there."

"I have no idea. I guess we'll have to keep better track of them." Marissa gave her a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight."

Eventually, Bianca and the girls had more clothes and other personal items there than they had at Wildwind, and it was a given that they were simply going to stay. For all intents and purposes, they had unofficially moved in and were living together. While there would be more room for everyone at Wildwind, they were more comfortable at Marissa's. It just felt more like home for all of them. It was a little on the crowded side sometimes and required some adjusting on everyone's part, but their family had settled into a very comfortable routine and was very happy. Now that things had settled down, their long awaited trip to New York for Bianca's birthday was finally planned for the next weekend.

/

Bianca slowly opened her eyes and checked the time. For a brief second, she thought she and Marissa had overslept, but she quickly remembered it was Saturday. She relished the days when she could just stay in bed with Marissa for those extra couple of hours. The kids would sleep later, and there was no rushing off to work for them or school or camp to drop off the kids. Today, however, she had important plans, and she wouldn't get the chance to spend that extra leisure time in bed with Marissa like she wanted. Lost in the middle of everything that had occurred recently was Marissa's birthday. They had held a quiet celebration with just the five of them at the time because Marissa didn't want to take any chances and possibly jinx the ongoing proceedings with a big celebration. Bianca understood but still wanted to do more for her love. She deserved more, and the brunette was determined to make sure that happened. She remembered a long ago conversation between the two of them. Bianca couldn't remember exactly how the topic had come up, but they had recalled past birthday celebrations. Marissa's had not been on the grand scale of Bianca's while growing up, but they had been filled with love with her parents putting so much thought into them. Marissa cherished those memories. Since they had passed away and with little family around, that day always passed quietly. Bianca had filed that conversation away, as she had with every one the two had ever had, with every intention of changing how the day was celebrated. Things were different now, and Marissa had the family she had always dreamed of having. Since everything had finally calmed down, Bianca had been planning a belated surprise birthday party for her for the past two weeks.

Today was the day of the party, and she had invited their families and friends over. The kids were in on the surprise party. They were beyond excited about it but struggled with keeping the secret. In spite of that struggle, they were doing a great job of keeping it secret. Bianca had told Marissa that she had to go into the center for a couple of hours to wrap up a few things before their getaway next weekend. Her girlfriend readily accepted this excuse, and the two decided that Marissa would take the kids to the zoo later that morning with Bianca meeting them for a late lunch at Krystal's. In reality, the brunette would head over to Krystal's to pick up the birthday cake, a double chocolate cake of course. Once Marissa and the kids left, Bianca would head back home to set things up. She would call her later with a change in plans asking her girlfriend to pick her up at the house instead. Kendall and her sons were to _accidentally _run into Marissa and the kids at the zoo to keep her occupied and ensure that she didn't leave early. That was plan, and she hoped it would go off without a hitch.

Bianca quietly got out of bed, pausing briefly to gaze at Marissa. The brunette smiled as she watched her girlfriend sleep peacefully. Bianca sighed happily and headed off to shower and dress quickly. She was downstairs in the kitchen readying breakfast for everyone when the redhead entered the room.

Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca and gave her a lingering kiss. "Good morning. You're up early."

"Good morning. The sooner I get started, the sooner I can get done and spend time with you and the kids."

"I wish you didn't have to work at all today."

"I know. That makes two of us, but I'll be able to sneak away earlier from work on Friday. That way, we'll be able to head to New York early."

"When you put it that way, I guess it's okay. I was thinking that maybe the kids and I can just stay here instead of going to the zoo."

"Why?"

"Well, the kids could sleep in more. Plus, we go to the zoo quite a bit."

"Gabby was really looking forward to seeing the monkeys today, and you know those are her favorites. I know you don't want to disappoint her. Besides, you know you'll cave as soon as she gives you that look of her's."

Marissa sighed. "You're right. I will. She's just like her mother in that regard."

Bianca smiled innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't."

"I'm not the only one here that knows how to get what she wants you know. You're pretty good at that yourself."

A mischievous grin crossed Marissa's face. "Oh yeah, I guess I am. I only use my powers of persuasion for good though, and I haven't heard you complain yet."

Bianca smiled giving her a quick kiss. "No, you haven't, and you never will. Now, finish up your breakfast. I'll go get the kids dressed so they can get started on breakfast, and we can get this day started."

/

Marissa laughed as she watched the kids imitating the monkeys when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"I think Gabby does a pretty mean monkey."

"Kendall, I wasn't expecting to see you here. Hey, guys!"

Spike and Ian said hello as they ran up to the cage next to the other three children. "Well, the boys woke up this morning begging me to bring them here today. Since Zach had a few repairs to take care of around the house that would be easier to do without the boys _help_, I figured, why not. Where's my sister? When I saw you, I thought for sure that I'd see her."

"She's working for a few hours so we head up to New York early Friday."

"Ah yes, the weekend getaway. Wait, that's next weekend?"

"Please tell me you're just pulling my leg. You didn't forget that Bianca and I are going away, and you're watching the kids for us, did you?"

Kendall laughed unable to keep a straight face seeing Marissa's expression. "Relax. I didn't forget, Red. I'm watching the kids, and the two of you can enjoy some time to yourselves."

Marissa breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't do that to me! Bianca and I have been looking forward to getting away for a while. We love our kids, don't get me wrong, but..."

"It's nice to have some private time with no interruptions. I get it, trust me. The two of you deserve it. You've been through a lot the last few months, and a little time away will be good for both of you. I just have one request."

"What is it?"

"Make sure my sister relaxes and has a good time."

"You have a deal! That is one request I am more than happy to fulfill!"

"I figured that you'd be up for that."

"Well, it is for Bianca. Seriously, Kendall, you know that I would do anything for her."

"I know you would, and she would do anything for you."

"I know, and she has. She was amazing during the whole mess with JR. I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Well, you know my sister. There was no way in hell she was going to let you go through that alone. She's in love with you."

Marissa beamed. "Yeah, I know, and just so you know, I'm absolutely head over heels in love with her. To be honest, I can't remember when I wasn't in love with her."

Kendall grinned. "Tell me something I don't know. You're a little on the obvious side there, Red. You light up whenever you see her or even just talk about her. My sister is the same way where you're concerned."

"Bianca is the most amazing person I've ever known. She is just so special. She is the kindest, most generous, strongest…"

Kendall listened as Marissa went on and on about her sister. _You're not telling me anything that I don't know, Red. I know exactly how special she is. When they made my little sister, they smashed the mold. Wow, I don't know that I've ever heard anyone literally gush over Bianca like this. There is no doubt in my mind how much you love her._

"Kendall, are you okay?"

The older woman wiped a tear away. "I'm good. It's wonderful to know there is someone else who appreciates my sister as much as I do, who knows how incredible she is."

"I do. She's everything to me. I know how lucky I am."

"Don't let this go to your head, but I think she's lucky too. You're pretty special yourself, Marissa."

Marissa struggled to swallow the lump that had formed in her throat. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

Kendall cleared her throat. "Okay, that's enough of the sappy stuff. Has Bianca decided which play the two of you are seeing yet?"

"Not yet. There are a lot of good ones playing right now."

The two continued to chat about the plans for the upcoming weekend as they followed the kids from one exhibit to the next. Kendall finally received a text from Bianca telling her everything was set and to head over for the party. "That was Zach. It's all clear at our house. Spike, Ian, it's time to go. I'll see you later this week, Marissa, and we'll work out the plans for the kids."

"That sounds good. We'll see you later." Marissa checked the time. Bianca should be calling soon. "Okay, gang, we probably have time to check out one more exhibit before we have to leave and meet Bianca." The kids giggled as they shared a look between the three of them.

Marissa, however, didn't catch the looks between the children. Something Kendall said had her slightly distracted. She had said 'our home'. A thought that had been buzzing through her mind a lot lately once again came to forefront. _Our home. God, I love the sound of that. I know we have never really discussed it let alone said it, but face it, Bianca and I already live together, along with the kids. They stay over almost every night. She only goes back to Wildwind to get her mail or pick up something that isn't already here, which isn't much. I don't consider it just my home anymore. It's our home, and I'm positive Bianca considers it the same way too. It's still rented though, and it is a little crowded sometimes. I wonder what Bianca would think about actually buying a place together. If we did, it should be bigger. The girls could have their own rooms again, and it could have a bigger yard for the kids to play in too. They would love that. Bianca and I could get a bigger bedroom, one that's maybe not right next door to the kids' rooms and with thicker walls. Our home. _Marissa smiled at the thought. _I'm definitely going to have to talk to her tonight about this._

/

"Why don't you sit down for a few minutes, Bianca? You've been working non-stop since this morning. Everything looks perfect. The only thing left to do is call Marissa after Kendall gets here."

Bianca looked around, making sure everything was indeed perfect. "I guess you're right, Krystal. Thanks for your help with everything."

"It's more than my pleasure. Thank you for asking me to help and for doing this for Marissa. The last few months have been hard on everyone but especially for her. I've wanted to do something for her, but it's hard given everything in our past, my past. JR's threats of dragging up all of that during the custody battle didn't help things between us at all. It definitely put an added strain on our relationship."

"I know. Things are getting better though, aren't they?"

"Yes, they are, and it all thanks to you. I know you're the reason Marissa's been trying so hard. I can't even begin to tell you how grateful I am to you for that."

"Marissa is an amazing person with a forgiving nature. I know she would've eventually come around. I just gave her a nudge."

"Call it a _nudge_ if you want, but I know you did more than that. You're the only one who could give her that _nudge_ and have her listen. My daughter thinks the world of you and is so completely in love with you that there isn't anything she wouldn't do for you."

Bianca gave her a brilliant smile. "I'm completely in love with her too and would do anything for her."

"I know. You were great with everything that happened with all of the mess with JR."

"I can't help but think sometimes that some of that was my fault."

"If Marissa were here right now, she would tell you the same I'm going to tell you. None of that was your fault. It wasn't my baby girl's fault either. All you and Marissa did was fall in love. There is nothing in the world wrong with that."

"You are getting to know your daughter." Bianca smiled. "She said the same exact thing to me. She refuses to let me feel responsible in any way for anything that happened."

"Well, she's right, and you should listen to her."

"She's told me that too." Bianca smirked.

Krystal smiled as she looked at her daughter's girlfriend. Bianca was truly special, and she couldn't think of anyone better for her daughter. She could see the love between the two of them. It was evident every time they were together. They simply glowed, and it was a wonderful site to behold. Both Marissa and Bianca had been through a lot in their young lives, and if any two people deserved to be happy, it was them. "The two of you have created a wonderful and loving home. I'm so happy for both of you."

"Thank you. I think we have too, and I'm very lucky to have her in my life. I'm not letting her go unless she wants me to."

"While I may not know my daughter as well as you do, I can tell you that that is something that is never going to happen." Krystal turned as she heard Scott call her from outside. "I better go see what he needs."

Bianca nodded as she thought about the conversation that had just occurred. It was something she had already been thinking about for a while now. _Marissa and I do have a wonderful and loving home. Our home. That sounds so incredible. We haven't really talked about it, but the girls and I have pretty much moved in here. This has become more of a home to us than Wildwind has ever been, and I know Marissa thinks of this as our home now too. I can't remember the last time we stayed at Wildwind. I only go back there to pick up my mail or the rare item that we don't have here. I wonder what Marissa would say about the two of us buying a place. We could get a bigger place so the girls could have their own rooms again, and it would definitely have to have a big yard for the kids to play in. A bigger bedroom with thicker walls would be a must for Marissa and me. Our home. _Bianca smiled. _I'm definitely going to have to talk to her later about this._

Kendall and the boys arrived, and she called out to her sister. "You're up, Binx. Bring on the birthday girl."

Bianca stepped outside and smiled as she dialed her girlfriend's cellphone.

Marissa smiled as she saw the name appearing on her caller id. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. Surviving the zoo? They haven't asked to keep anyone, have they?"

Marissa laughed. "No, I get to bring all three kids home." She looked down at the little girl whose hand she was holding and winked. "Although, the monkeys looked like they may have wanted Gabby to stick around. I wasn't going to let that happen though." Gabby looked up and giggled. "Are you done with work?"

"I am. I was thinking it would be better just to pick me up at the house instead of meeting at Krystal's."

"That makes sense. We're heading to the car now. Oh, remind me to talk with you tonight about something."

"Is everything okay?"

Marissa could hear a small amount of worry in her voice and wanted to kick herself for being the cause. "Everything is good, perfect in fact. There's just something I've been thinking about for a while that I want to talk to you about."

Bianca paused. "Okay, as long as you're sure there's nothing wrong."

"I wanted to wait to bring this up face to face, but I kind of blew that, huh? Now, you're worried, and I don't want that." She paused and took a deep breath. This was a big step, but Marissa thought it was one they were ready for. It was the right time. She lowered her voice so the kids couldn't overhear. "What would you think about us getting a new place, together?"

Bianca couldn't hide the goofy grin appearing on her face. Yet again, the two of them were on the same exact page. A happy sigh escaped from her.

Before she could answer, Marissa asked, "That's your happy sigh, isn't it? The one that comes with that goofy grin of your's that I absolutely love."

Bianca chuckled. "It is, and let me check. Yep, the goofy grin is there too."

"So, you like the idea?"

"I love the idea. I was just thinking the same thing myself and was going to bring up the idea of buying a bigger place tonight."

A broad smile lit up Marissa's face. "Seriously?"

"Yep!"

"Okay then! Any thoughts on our new place other than bigger?"

"Well, I was thinking it should have at least four bedrooms with a big yard for the kids and a bigger bedroom for us…"

"With a little distance between it and the kids' rooms with thicker walls maybe."

Bianca snorted. "You really are reading my mind."

"I try my best, but you make it pretty easy sometimes. Okay, the kids are loaded in the car. Let me get off of here so I can concentrate on the road."

"Alright, I will, and we will definitely be talking more about our new home tonight. Drive safe, and I'll see you soon. I love you."

"We'll be home in about ten minutes. I love you too."

Bianca turned around with that same goofy grin on her face to see her sister and Greenlee standing behind her smirking.

"So, Kendall, how does a call that should only take a few seconds turn into one that takes nearly fifteen minutes?"

"You know, Greenlee, I'm not really sure, but the two of them don't seem to be able to just say _Hi, come on home. Bye_ like the rest of us."

"It just proves what I've been saying about them. They are both completely whipped."

"I have to agree with you. They are. Aren't they just so cute though?"

Bianca rolled her eyes at the pair's teasing. She knew they were right, but she didn't care. "You two should really consider stand up, you know? Marissa will be here in a few minutes so get back inside."

/

Marissa pulled into her driveway and eyed the three children in the backseat. "Okay, what's up with the three of you? You haven't stopped giggling since we left the zoo."

The older two children gave her their best innocent look and shrugged. She wasn't buying it and looked at the youngest child. "Gabby, do you know what's going on?"

"It's a surprise, Rissa." Gabby quickly clamped both hands over her mouth as AJ and Miranda rolled their eyes.

"A surprise, huh? What kind of surprise?"

All three shook their heads. "Hmmm, no one is going to spill anything else, huh? Alright, let's get Bianca so we can go have some lunch."

The children darted from the car to the front door and waited for Marissa to unlock it. She could tell something was definitely up but decided to let it go since she loved surprises, and the kids were obviously trying awfully hard not to spoil whatever surprise may be in store for her. She unlocked the door and stepped inside.

"Surprise!"

Marissa jumped slightly. The startled look on her face had everyone laughing. "What's going on?"

AJ hugged Marissa. "It's a surprise birthday party for you, mom!"

Miranda smiled and gave her a hug as well. "Are you surprised, Marissa?"

"Yeah, I am."

Gabby hugged her tightly. "We fooled you, Rissa."

"You sure did. Bianca, what's going on? My birthday was a while ago."

Bianca gave her a quick kiss. "I know, but there was a lot going on at the time so we couldn't really celebrate it the way it should have been back then. The kids and I decided we owed you a party, that you deserved one."

Friends and family rushed forward to wish the still slightly shocked Marissa a belated happy birthday. She couldn't get over how lucky she was to have so many wonderful people in her life, in particular the one who was behind all of this, Bianca.

/

As the party continued into the evening with everyone having a great time, the young couple finally found themselves alone for a few minutes. Marissa gazed at Bianca and smiled as she wrapped her arms around her. "I can't believe you did all this. You're incredible."

"Well, I had lots of help. When I told people what I was planning, there was no shortage of offers to pitch in."

"You know I was perfectly happy with my earlier celebration."

"I know, but I wanted to do something special for you, something more."

"You do something special for me just by loving me and being in my life, making it richer, fuller."

Bianca blushed. "You really are quite the charmer, counselor. Talk like that will get you absolutely anywhere."

"You inspire me, and I'm definitely going to take you up on getting anywhere with you later." Marissa gave her a mischievous grin before planting a quick kiss on Bianca's smiling lips.

The brunette cleared her throat seeing the look in her girlfriend's eyes. "Speaking of inspiration, I love the idea of us getting a new place."

"Me too. I've been thinking about it for a while, but when I was talking with Kendall earlier today, something she said made me realize that I needed to stop thinking about it and actually talk with you about it. By the way, nice job of having Kendall as a diversion. I had no clue something was up."

"Good! I thought she could handle the job. What did she say?"

"She made a reference to _our home_ in regards to her and Zach's place. I've thought of this as _our place_ for some time now even though we never really discussed it."

"I have too. I can't remember the last time the girls and I stayed overnight at Wildwind. I like the place, but it's always felt temporary and like something was missing. I finally figured out what that missing piece was. It's you, your love, your warmth and every wonderful thing that you are." Bianca leaned in for a loving kiss.

Marissa's breath hitched. "It seems that I'm not the only charmer around here. So, when do you want to start looking for a place?"

"Is tomorrow too soon?" Bianca's eyes seemed to dance with excitement.

"Tomorrow is perfect. Now, I love everyone here and don't want to sound ungrateful, but when do you think they're going to leave?" Marissa gave Bianca that mischievous grin that she loved. "I'm feeling the need to turn in early."


	22. Blast From The Past

**A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews. I thought I was done with a certain character a few chapters ago, but I decided that I was wrong. When I started thinking about this particular thread of the story involving this character, I came up with several ideas to follow so I'll devote at least one more chapter to it. Thanks for the comments regarding Kendall and Greenlee. I do like writing them too so I'll try to keep them around to interact with our girls as well. Hope you like this chapter. **

**/**

It was a beautiful summer day as Marissa and Bianca laughed watching AJ, Miranda and Gabby run around the park playing a game of tag. As the couple watched their children, they were also reviewing real estate listings in search of their family's new home. One would read a listing while the other kept their eyes peeled on the kids.

Bianca sighed after reading her latest listing. "I have to say I'm getting a little discouraged by this latest round from the realtor. I haven't been impressed by any of them so far."

Marissa nodded. "I haven't either. The same goes for any of the places we've actually visited. Do you think we're being too picky, looking for too much?"

"I don't think so. We are talking about our future home so we need to make sure we're comfortable there and have all of the things we want because…"

"We will be living there a _very_ long time." Marissa added with a brilliant smile.

"Precisely!" Bianca's smile matched the brilliance of her girlfriend's.

"So, we'll keep looking until we find exactly what we want and…"

"And no settling. This house will have everything we want."

Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss. "Exactly what I was thinking!"

The two quickly turned around when they heard a familiar voice behind them.

"Kendall, wouldn't you think they would've gotten some of that out of their system the other week in New York?"

"One would think so, Greenlee, especially since the two nights away were stretched to five nights. It's hard to be too mad at them though. They really are so cute. Don't you love the way they finish each other's sentences?"

"About that, I think it's a little spooky myself. I don't think I've ever done that with anyone."

"I guess that's because you haven't been with anyone as amazing as Bianca." Marissa added smiling broadly.

"Or as amazing as Marissa." Bianca added with a quick kiss to her girlfriend.

"Okay, it's official. I need to get myself to the dentist. All of this sweetness is giving me a cavity." Greenlee smirked.

"Wow. I'm going to have to agree with Greenlee on this one. You two are bordering the line of being too sweet."

"I'm sorry, Kendall. You're just going to have to deal with it. I just can't seem to help myself around your sister."

"And I'm not inclined to stop Marissa or myself around her for the matter."

"Good point! I won't be stopping Bianca either. That would be rude, and my parents taught me better than that." Marissa added as she gave Bianca a quick kiss. The couple laughed at Kendall's and Greenlee's reactions.

The two older women looked at each other and shook their heads. While they were happy for them, they thought the young couple really was bordering that line, but they didn't seem to care. Kendall and Greenlee couldn't get over the connection between Marissa and Bianca. They had never seen anything like it, and if the friends thought about it and were honest with themselves, they were just a little jealous, but they would never admit it to them. They were both happily married, but what those two had was definitely special. They simply rolled their eyes and joined them on the bench.

"What are the two of you reading?" Kendall asked.

"Are those real estate listings? Are you looking for a new place?"

"Yes and yes, Greenlee. Marissa and I are looking for a bigger home."

"You're finally making it official that you're living together! Well, it's about damn time. Anyone have today in the pool, Kendall?"

"I'll have to check."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "You should probably see who had sometime in the spring if you want to be accurate."

Kendall laughed. "Where are you looking? Found anything interesting yet?"

The young couple sighed and shook their heads as Bianca added, "Not yet, and we're looking pretty much everywhere."

"We'll help. Hand us some of those. Greenlee loves spending other people's money."

"She's right. I really do. If you're talking a house, you're talking some serious money. I will have you know, however, that I'm good at finding bargains too. Let me see what you have. How was the extended getaway?"

Bianca and Marissa couldn't hold back their smiles. "Bianca and I had _very_ good time. Thank you again, Kendall, for keeping the kids a few extra nights."

"Like I was going to be able to tell my sister _no_ when she called. It's not like she ever asks for anything so it was the least I could do. Besides, the two of you will just owe Zach and me."

"This is the best that your agent can find? I'm sorry, but I'm not liking any of these." Greenlee handed the papers back to Bianca. "There has to be something better out there."

Kendall nodded in agreement. "She's right. I can't believe there aren't any better homes available."

The young couple sighed and looked at each other. It really was discouraging. A thought suddenly struck them both at the same time as they said in unison, "Why don't we just build our own home?" Bianca and Marissa burst out laughing.

"Seriously? You're kidding me, right? They did not just do that again."

"Okay, I'm with Greenlee on this. You two need to stop that whole reading each other's thoughts thing. It really is kind of spooky. How do you that?"

Bianca was the first to collect herself. "Sorry, Kendall, it just happens. We really have no control over it."

"We really don't. I can't explain it either."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're both right. If these are the best places that are available, you should build."

"I don't know why we didn't think of it earlier, Bianca. It makes perfect sense. We can design it anyway we want."

"You're right, we can. We can make it perfect for us with no settling on any of the details. It does make sense. Now, we have to figure out where we want to build and find a builder. We need to start working on a more detailed list of everything we want too."

"We've got a pretty good start on some of the must haves." Marissa saw Gabby approach and motion to her. "What is it, sweetie? Did you need something?"

Gabby nodded and gave her a big hug. She smiled innocently at the redhead. "Rissa, you're it!" Gabby quickly ran toward AJ and Miranda as all three children started laughing.

"Did I just get played by a four year old?"

Bianca snorted. "I think you did."

"If you'll excuse me, there are some children I have to show how this game is really played." Marissa ran off after the kids as they squealed with delight.

Kendall laughed as she watched Marissa chase after the kids. "Gabby sure has her number. She has Red wrapped around her little finger."

"Just like her mother does." Greenlee smirked.

Bianca ignored the snarky comment and addressed her sister. "Yes, Gabby does, and Marissa knows it. The two of them have always had this special connection."

"What about Miranda?"

"Their connection is a little different. It took a little more time to form, but they definitely have one. Miranda loves her, is crazy about Marissa in fact. It just took her a little longer to completely trust her."

"Because she's older and remembers more of what happened with she who shall remain nameless?" Kendall asked.

"Yeah, she was definitely a little hesitant to trust anyone else. With everything that's happened though, Miranda firmly believes that Marissa will be there for her, us, no matter what. She's one of her biggest fans."

"I'm glad to hear that. Since you're going to build a home now, Binx, I can get you the names of a couple of builders if you want. Do you have any thoughts as to where you might want to build?"

"I appreciate that, Kendall. Actually, I have an idea, but I need to run it by Marissa first."

Greenlee saw Marissa approach the bench from behind. "Speak of the devil. Did the kids wear you out already or maybe you're still recovering from the getaway?"

The sisters rolled their eyes at Greenlee's comment. Marissa merely cocked an eyebrow as she wrapped her arms around Bianca and smiled. "Oh no, I have plenty of energy left." She kissed her girlfriend's cheek and whispered in her ear. "Tag, you're it!" Marissa ran off in the direction of the kids who were cracking up.

"Oh, it is so on, Tasker!" Bianca chased after her family leaving the friends behind.

Kendall watched the happy scene play out before her. She was thrilled that her sister was so happy and was resolved to do whatever she could to ensure she stayed that way.

A familiar figure standing some distance away caught Greenlee's eye. She hoped she was wrong but had a sinking feeling that she wasn't. "Kendall, that's not who I think it is, is it?"

Kendall turned to see who Greenlee was talking about, and her smile disappeared immediately. The person had turned away and was quickly headed out of the park. The glimpse was enough for Kendall to confirm her friend's suspicions. "Reese. What the hell is she doing back in Pine Valley?"

"I was afraid that was her. What do you think she wants?"

"I have no idea, but it can't be good."

"They obviously haven't seen her yet. We should let them know. Give them a heads up so they can brace themselves and the girls for when they do see her."

"I know. We'll tell them later today. Look at them. They're all having too much fun right now. Let them have that for a little while longer."

"Okay, you're right. She didn't look happy seeing them together. She's never met Marissa, has she? Do you think she knows that's who Bianca's with now? I don't see that going to go over well."

"No, the two of them have never met. I don't know if she knows what Marissa looks like, and you're right. I don't see her being thrilled about the two of them especially after Red basically handed Reese her ass last year. All of which tells me that she's going to be a problem for them. I'll be damned if I let her hurt my sister or nieces again. They're happy with Marissa and AJ. In fact, I've never seen the three of them happier. I'm not going to let her ruin that. I really like Marissa too, and AJ is just the most thoughtful little boy I've ever known. No, there is no way in hell I'm going to let her ruin what they've all found together."

"Well, whatever you're planning to do, count me in."

/

Bianca paced back and forth, her hands clenched into fists as she did. She recalled what had happened just one hour earlier. Kendall and Greenlee had followed them home from the park. Once the kids were upstairs and out of ear shot, the pair told them about seeing Reese at the park. Bianca hadn't reacted at first upon hearing this news. She was more stunned than anything. Any contact her ex had attempted with the girls had been sporadic since she had her lawyer attempt to take the girls without her knowledge a little over a year ago. _I don't know that I've ever been as scared as I was that day. I was so close to losing them. Thank God, Marissa was there in time to stop that from happening and sent her lawyer back to France with his tail between his legs. By the time I got to Krystal's, Marissa had somehow managed to calm the girls down. That is the day her relationship with Miranda changed. She'd always liked Marissa, but she actually started trusting her that day and let Marissa into her heart. Miranda hadn't been able to do that with any adult other than me, Kendall or mom. Marissa risked so much for me and the girls that day and didn't give it a second thought, and we weren't even together then. We were still just friends. Now that we are, I know there isn't anything she wouldn't do for me or our family. That's the biggest difference between her and Reese. Marissa values family as much as I do and makes us her number one priority. She loves being a lawyer, but she never puts it first, never puts it above our family. _Bianca paused and looked at Marissa. She had been sitting and watching her quietly as the brunette tried to process the information they had received. Bianca could feel her blood pressure lower, and her tension begin to lessen. She took a deep breath and sat down next to her. "I can't believe she's back. What do you think she wants? Do you think she's going to try and take the girls again?"

Marissa had been trying to wrap her head around the news of Reese being back in town since Kendall and Greenlee had told them they had spotted her watching them and what it all meant. "I'm honestly not really sure why she's back here or what she may want. I can tell you that she is not going to take the girls from you. There is no way in hell I'll ever let happen."

"Is that from my girlfriend or my lawyer?"

Marissa smiled. "It's both. From a legal standpoint, she doesn't have a case. You have full custody. She gave up her joint custody when your divorce was finalized. While she has visitation rights, she has chosen not to exercise them. I don't consider a handful of phone calls in over a year's time as an attempt to re-establish a relationship with the girls. I don't believe the courts will either. Now, let's talk about what's on both of our minds. She's tried to have the girls taken back to France without your knowledge or consent. The courts do not look favorably on that kind of activity either. She is their mother though, and I know you would like the girls to have some sort of relationship with her if it's possible."

"If it's something the girls want and are safe and Reese is willing to work on it, yes, I think they should have a relationship if it's possible."

"Okay, I don't think we should let her visit with them alone then. Somebody needs to be there to keep an eye on things and make sure she doesn't try anything. I'll be honest with you. Given her track record, I don't trust her. I don't trust that she won't try to take them again. I'm also not sure what the girls' reaction to her will be."

"I really can't trust her either. I agree about not letting her see them alone. I'm not sure how they'll react to her being back here either. Since Gabby's so young, she may not remember her too much to be honest. Miranda is another story. I know part of her loves Reese and still misses her, but that incident last year really damaged what relationship they had. We're going to have to talk to them."

"Yes, we will. There's something else we need to talk about. I think either Jack or Caleb should handle any legal proceedings from now on. Let me explain. When we were just friends, I could separate myself somewhat, although I wasn't all that professional with my last interaction with her and especially her jackass lawyer. Now that we're together, I have a huge conflict of interest where you are concerned. I don't want my feelings for you to jeopardize any challenges."

Bianca smiled. "Your feelings for me are a conflict of interest, huh?"

"Yes, they are. As you have pointed out a number of times, I am desperately and hopelessly in love with you, and that doesn't really allow to me think very clearly where you're concerned." Marissa smiled as she leaned in for a loving kiss.

"If you think that's best, then I'll talk with Uncle Jack. Are you okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"I think there's something else bothering you. What is it?"

Marissa sighed. She should've known that she couldn't keep anything from Bianca. She knew her too well. "I can't help but think that Reese is back here for more than just to see the kids. I have this feeling that she's back here for you, that she may want you and the girls back."

"If that is the case, then she's going to be disappointed because it's not what I want. She's not who I want. You are. I want you and every wonderful thing about you. You are my present and my future. You, me and the kids have built an amazing life together. It's not something I'm willing to give up. I'm in love with you, and I am not going anywhere, okay?"

Marissa smiled. "I'm not either, not without one hell of a fight at least. I trust you, and I know you love me and our life together."

"I do. Look, I may not have listened to you where Reese was concerned before, but that's not the case this time around. My eyes are wide open where she's concerned, and that's the big difference this time. Well, make that the second biggest difference. The biggest difference is that I love you, and I will be more than happy to keep telling you that as often as you need or want to hear it." Bianca added before pulling Marissa close for a lingering kiss.

/

On Monday, Bianca was sitting at their usual table at Krystal's waiting for Marissa to arrive for lunch. They had yet to hear from Reese in regards as to why she was in town. They had decided to not let her presence or whatever plans she may have dictate their lives. Today, they were meeting Kendall and Greenlee for lunch. Kendall had compiled a list of builders for them to review. Bianca and Marissa were moving forward with their plans to build their new home. As Bianca reviewed the menu, she heard a voice that she hadn't heard in a very long time.

"Bianca, it's been a long time."

The brunette looked up and saw her ex-wife for the first time in what seemed like a lifetime. "Reese, yes it has."

"You look great. How have you been?"

"Thank you. I've never been better or happier. How are you?"

"I'm good. How are the girls?"

"They're great." If her ex wanted to know more, she would damn well have to ask.

"You don't seem to be surprised to see me. I guess Kendall and Greenlee did see me the other day in the park and told you."

"Yes, they did. What are you doing back here?"

"I guess we're done with the small talk. Do you mind if I have a seat?"

"Actually, I do mind quite a bit. I'm expecting someone."

"Would it happen to be the redhead I saw you with? Who is she?"

"Why do want to know?"

"I'm just curious, making conversation." Reese saw that Bianca wasn't going to answer. "I'm in town for work. With JR out of the picture at Chandler, the board is reorganizing and holding meetings for a few weeks to decide the future of the company."

Bianca saw a smiling Marissa enter and head her way. When her ex-wife saw the smile on her face, she turned and saw the redhead walking towards them.

"Hi, I'm not late, am I?" Marissa asked as she leaned in for a quick kiss.

"No, you're right on time as usual."

Reese recognized the other woman's voice immediately. "You're Bianca's lawyer and JR's wife, Marissa Chandler."

"It's Marissa Tasker, and that would be his ex-wife. You would be Bianca's ex-wife, Reese Williams." Bianca smiled as she watched the exchange. She knew how Marissa felt about her ex, but she had promised Bianca that she would be on her best behavior for her no matter what.

Reese gave her a cold stare. "So, you two are seeing each other. Wouldn't dating your client be considered a conflict of interest?"

"If Bianca was still my client, it would be. Jack has taken over as her lawyer. I'm more than happy with my current role as Bianca's girlfriend." Marissa simply answered with a smile that said she wasn't backing down.

Bianca finally broke the silence that had descended on them. "I'm more than happy with that role myself, and you're much more than that." Marissa gave her a dazzling smile in reply.

Reese cleared her throat. "Since I'm going to be in town, I was hoping to see the girls."

"I'm sure we can work something out, but after what your lawyer pulled last year, I'm not going to let you see them by yourself."

"I had no idea you didn't know he was coming. He told me his office had contacted her office."

"Whatever, it doesn't really matter. My decision is still the same." _I'm not buying that lame ass excuse for one second._

"Okay, I'll call tonight to set something up. Are you still living at Wildwind?"

"No, we're not. I'll talk to the girls tonight to let them know you want to see them. Give me a call at the Miranda Center tomorrow, and we'll look at everyone's schedule."

"That's fine. I guess I'll talk to you tomorrow." The glare Reese shot Marissa before leaving was met with another smile.

"Well, that wasn't awkward at all." The couple turned to see Kendall smirking.

"I was hoping for a good old fashioned smack down myself." Greenlee added.

"Thank you, Marissa. I know that was hard for you."

"Bianca, I told you that I would control my temper around her even though I did want to rip her head off. I don't think Krystal would appreciate having to clean that mess up."

"See, Kendall, that's what I was hoping for, a little action. I think Krystal would be okay with it in this case. We'd be more than happy to help you hide the body."

"That would've been fun. My money would be on Red if a smack down happens. Bianca made you promise to not go off on Reese, huh?"

"I told her I wouldn't for now. I decided to go with the killing her with kindness route for the time being. As long as Reese behaves herself and doesn't cross the line where Bianca or the girls are concerned this visit, I'll be good and play nice. The instant she does anything I perceive as the slightest of threats to any of them in any way, all bets are off, and she'll know exactly how I feel about her and what she can do with herself."

The friends exchanged a look after seeing the glint in Marissa's eyes and knew she meant exactly what she said. "Remind me to never get on your bad side, Red. I have to say I like how you think. The killing her with kindness thing was really ticking her off, and you know it was too. Nicely done. Do me a favor though, if you can. When you do go off on Reese, let me know so I can watch. Don't get me wrong, Binx, I know you can handle yourself and won't hesitate to let Reese know exactly how you feel or let her do anything to harm Miranda and Gabby. I have a feeling that Red here won't be as easy on her as you might, and you know full well how I feel about her."

"Ah Kendall, I can see why Erica likes her as much as she does. That look is right up there with the Kane death glare. There is definitely a devious side to you, Marissa. You're right about your sister when it comes to her daughters, Kendall. She is a force to be reckoned with, but something in Marissa's eyes tells me she won't be as nice as Bianca. I know nice isn't the right word, but you know what I mean. Give me a heads up on the smack down too."

Bianca smiled. "Yeah, she really does have a slightly devious side. It's just one of the many things I love about her. Just so you know, I promised Marissa that I won't stop her from letting Reese have it, if and when she feels she's crossed that line and she just can't keep quiet any longer. I won't do that to her. Yes, I can take of myself and my daughters, and I won't hesitate to let anyone know my feelings on hurting them. It is very nice, however, to have someone so willing to defend them and me. Right now though, we're going to try and take the high road, for the girls' sake. Now, can we please stop talking about my ex-wife for a while and discuss something much more pleasant."

"I think that is a great idea. It's not really my favorite subject." Marissa smiled. "Do you have that list of builders for us, Kendall? I think discussing our new home is a much better topic of conversation."


	23. Common Ground

**A/N: Thank you yet again for your wonderful reviews. I love reading them, and they mean a lot. I hope you're enjoying this journey as much as I'm enjoying writing it. I'm sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I was absolutely slammed at work last week, long workdays filled with mind numbing meetings. I also had to write my annual self-appraisal. I hate those things with a passion. The week did end on a bright note though when I caught Biancapalooza on soapcentral's website. It was great hearing Christine and Eden and the special guests.**

**Back to this chapter, I had originally thought that I could wrap this thread up in two chapters, but I was wrong again. I started writing and the mind wandered off. Before I knew it, it was kind of long, and I still had a list of ideas that I hadn't tapped yet. I'm thinking one more chapter should do it on this subject. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/**

Bianca lay awake in bed thinking of the day ahead of her. To be honest, she wasn't really looking forward to it at all, but there was something that needed to be done whether she liked it or not. The girls were going to see Reese today and while she dreaded spending time with her ex, she knew she would have to do it today. If it was at all possible, she wanted the girls to have a relationship with Reese since she was their mother too even though she hadn't been much of one or acted like one in a very long time, but she just couldn't trust her to not try and run off with the girls if they were alone together. No matter what it was, Bianca would go to hell and back to keep her daughters happy, safe and, most importantly, with her. It had been decided that they would meet for a movie. If the girls were okay after that, they might go somewhere and talk a little. Gabby didn't quite understand what was going on. Her memories of Reese were all but gone having faded significantly because she was so young. Miranda, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. She remembered Reese and a few of the good times they had together in Paris. She also remembered the pain Bianca had gone through during the divorce. Her mother had done her best to hide that from her children, but Miranda had seen it. The young girl didn't miss much especially where her family was concerned. Memories of last year's incident when Reese's lawyer, or the scary man as she referred to him, tried to take her and Gabby away from her mom and back to Paris were still fairly vivid for her. All of this made her hesitant and curbed whatever curiosity she had a great deal. Miranda felt better when she was told that Bianca would be there with her and her sister. She was nowhere near ready enough to spend time alone with Reese.

Bianca had hoped Marissa would have been able to come along as well, but AJ had a doctor's appointment so she would be handling this visit alone. She turned her head slightly to look at Marissa. Bianca loved to watch her sleep. The sight never ceased to amaze her. She looked so peaceful and even more beautiful if that was at all possible. Seeing her love begin to wake up brought a smile to the brunette's face. She loved Marissa's so-called _morning routine_. It was something the redhead had started not long after their first night together and when she began staying over more frequently. Bianca smiled even more when she remembered her girlfriend's reply when questioned about how she woke up every morning. Bianca couldn't bring herself to complain in any way because she found this routine way too enjoyable. Marissa turned on her side with her right arm draping itself across Bianca's stomach. She began to draw closer as she burrowed herself against Bianca's side. Her hand began to caress the brunette's soft curves sending a shiver of delight through her whole being. A smile crossed Marissa's face as she raised her head finding Bianca's waiting lips.

Marissa began to slowly drift towards consciousness. As she did, her senses became flooded in every way with Bianca. Her love's sweet scent was the first thing to pull her from her peaceful slumber, and her body reacted immediately starting what she dubbed her _morning routine_. It was something Marissa had started not long after their first night together and when Bianca began staying over more and more often. When asked about it, Marissa honestly couldn't tell Bianca why she did what she did. There was only one explanation that she could think of for this, and she gave the simple and honest answer that her body seemed to have a mind of its own whenever she was around Bianca which elicited a happy sigh and the goofy grin she loved from her girlfriend and no complaints about the routine. As she turned on her side, her right arm instinctively draped itself across Bianca's stomach, and she drew herself closer to the brunette. Marissa began to softly caress the wondrous curves of Bianca, loving both the feel of her velvety soft skin and the reaction Bianca's body had to her touch as she felt a shiver go through her. Marissa smiled and raised her head and enjoyed the taste of her love's intoxicating lips. Marissa finally opened her eyes to a sight that never failed to take her breath away, and she gave Bianca a dazzling smile. "Good morning."

The brunette returned the smile with one that was equally stunning. "Good morning, beautiful. Have I ever told you how much I love how you wake up in the morning?"

The dip in Bianca's voice made Marissa's heart skip a beat. "I think you might have mentioned it a few times before. You were staring again."

"I told you a while ago I thought it was a bad habit that I was going to develop. It turns out I was right. You know, I was never much of a morning person until you, but you have made me truly appreciate them." Bianca shifted and rolled on top of Marissa as she leaned down to claim Marissa's lips for a fervent kiss.

A soft moan escaped from the redhead as her arms wound tightly around Bianca. When they separated gasping for air, Marissa smiled. "Have I ever told _you_ how much I love how you wake up in the morning?" _I do love a wide awake Bianca in bed in the morning. _

"You might have mentioned it a few times before." Bianca gave her a mischievous smile as warm brown eyes began to darken with desire.

"Good, just checking." Marissa pulled Bianca down to her closing the distance between them. The same thought crossed their minds as they lost themselves in each other. _I can't think of a better way to start the day._

/

Marissa sat in bed humming happily as she caught up on reading several briefs when she heard a knock on the bedroom door. She smiled as she glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was a little on the early side for Gabby's regular morning visit but maybe she woke up early for some reason. The little girl had gotten into the habit of waking up before Miranda and AJ and coming into their bedroom for some extra snuggle time. Depending on what was going on that day, it might be with only one of the women or it could be with both. Whichever occurred didn't matter to Gabby. She was just happy to have some extra special alone time with them. Being the youngest, she sometimes found it was hard to be heard above Miranda and AJ when the three of them were all together. Her one on one time with Marissa and her mom was her favorite part of the day, and the usually quiet little girl became quite animated and talked a blue streak entertaining both women with stories, jokes and songs or just talking about whatever was on her mind. She had their complete and undivided attention, and she loved it. Marissa took off her glasses. "Come in." She was surprised by who opened the door. "Miranda, good morning. You're up early."

"Morning. Where's mom?"

"She's getting a shower. She'll be done soon. Do you need to talk to her?"

Miranda shook her head. "I was wondering if I could talk to you."

Marissa moved her glasses and files to the nightstand. "Of course you can, sweetie. You can talk to me anytime you want." She pulled back the covers. "Come on up."

The young girl hesitated briefly eyeing the files Marissa had just moved. "I'm not bugging you, am I? If you're working, I can talk to you later."

"Nope, I always have time for you. Come on."

Miranda smiled as she closed the door and climbed into bed next to Marissa.

"What's up, sweetie?"

"I don't know that I really want to see her today."

"See who? Oh, you don't know if you want to see Reese. Why?"

"She hurt mom an awful lot and made her sad for a long time. I don't like to see her sad like that."

"I don't like to see her like that either. That's the last thing in the world I want, but your mom's not sad anymore, is she?"

A big smile and shake of her head were Miranda's first responses before adding, "Nope, she's really happy now because of you."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you, but I can't take all of the credit. You, Gabby and AJ make her very happy too, and I don't think she can make your mom sad like that anymore. You know, your mom doesn't want you to worry about her."

Miranda made a face which made Marissa laugh.

"I know, I know. You worry about her anyway no matter what she says. I do too."

"I know you do. I'm glad somebody else does. I know she doesn't like it when people worry about her."

"No, she doesn't. I guess it's a good thing she has us then, huh?"

"Yep, it sure is!"

"Is there another reason you don't want to see Reese?"

Miranda's eyes began to fill with tears. "She made Gabby sad too, made her cry. I don't like it when anybody does that to her. It makes me really mad."

"Gabby is very lucky to have you as a big sister. Your mom and I don't like to see her sad either. It makes us mad. We'll have to keep an extra special eye out to make sure that doesn't happen, won't we?" The question was answered with a nod, and Marissa saw her lips begin to tremble. "Did she make you sad too?"

Miranda could only nod as the tears she had been holding back so bravely began to stream down her face. Marissa held the sobbing child and began to slowly rock her. Her heart was breaking for Miranda. _How in the hell could that woman do this to her, hurt Miranda like this? I swear to God if I saw her right now, she wouldn't make it out of here in one piece."_

After several minutes, Miranda's tears slowed, and she looked up at the redhead. "Marissa, why did she forget about us for so long? Did Gabby and me do something wrong?"

Marissa wiped the girl's tears away and took a deep breath. "First of all, you and Gabby didn't do anything wrong. Nothing that happened is your fault. I don't ever want you to forget that, okay? I've never known two more special or precious girls in my life. I want you to always remember that."

"Why did she forget about us then? Doesn't she love us?"

_How in the hell do I answer that? _Marissa sighed and struggled to come up with an explanation for Miranda for something she couldn't even begin to fathom herself. "I'm sure she loves you the best that she possibly can, but some people have a hard time showing it. Personally, I don't know how anyone couldn't help but love the two of you. And maybe she didn't forget about you as much as she lost sight of the really important things. That happens when people get busy and lose focus on what matters the most. They think they're doing the right thing at the time, and they don't realize that it isn't. Sometimes, smart people do some not so smart things. I wish I had better answers for you, Miranda. I just don't know for sure. I can tell you what I do know as sure as I'm sitting here with you. I know that your mom loves you and Gabby with all of her heart and could never and will never forget either of you. The same goes for AJ, your Aunt Kendall and your Grandma Erica. I also want you to know that I love you and Gabby as much as I love AJ and could never forget about either of you. Do you believe me?"

Miranda looked at Marissa and smiled as she nodded. "Yeah, I do, and I love you too. Do you think I should see her?"

"Oh, I can't answer that, sweetie. That's something you have to decide that for yourself."

Miranda made a face. "I knew you'd say that. Mom thinks I should see her."

"Yes, she does, but she'll understand whatever you want to do."

"I know she will, but I really care about what she thinks. We do lots of things that she thinks we should, don't we?"

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, we do. Your mom can get us to do all kinds of things, and it's only because she thinks it's the best thing for us. The thing is she's usually right about it. Don't tell her I said that."

Miranda giggled. "I won't. Greenlee says you and mom have each other wrapped around your little fingers and can get the other to do anything you want."

Marissa arched an eyebrow and shook her head. "I'm thinking maybe you shouldn't listen to Greenlee so much. When you love someone, you don't mind doing things for them if it makes them happy. You like doing things for them."

"You love my mom a whole lot, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I love her very, very much."

"And she loves you a lot too."

"Yes, she does."

"You're happy, aren't you?"

"I've never been happier in my life then I am with your mom, Gabby, AJ and you."

"I thought so. Mom's happy too. You know how I can tell?"

"How can you tell?"

"She smiles all the time like you do, and I even hear her humming sometimes like you."

Marissa smiled. "You know you're pretty smart."

Miranda returned the smile before growing thoughtful. "She did that with you and Krystal, huh?"

Marissa sat there stunned for a minute. "What do you mean?"

"She got you to get along with her more. I overheard you two talking one time. She wants you to get along with her because she's your mom, but you don't call her mom. I know somebody else raised you, and you call them your mom and dad. Why's that?"

Marissa was blown away by just how much Miranda knew and how smart she was. "Wow. You're too smart for my own good. Is that why you wanted to talk to me? You thought I might understand what you're feeling about seeing Reese a little more than your mom because of me and Krystal?"

Miranda nodded. "Yeah, it's kinda the same. If you don't want to talk about it, that's okay."

"It's okay. We can talk about it some. What can I tell you? Krystal didn't think she could take care of me when I was born so she asked her friends to take care of me. She thought it was the best thing to do for me, and they adopted me and raised me. They were the best mom and dad I could have asked for. They were so great and loved me very much, and even though they're gone, I still love them very much. I didn't know Krystal until a few years ago, when I was an adult. We have some things that we have to figure out still. I thought for a long time I did something wrong or wasn't good enough for some reason, but now I know that it wasn't anything I did. It was a decision Krystal made based on what was going on at the time, and it's one that she's told me that she regrets. It's still hard for me to understand it sometimes and to forgive her. Your mom thinks it's important that we get along and that I try to forgive her. She thinks that I'll feel better about things if I do. Because I love and trust your mom with all of my heart and think that she's the most amazing and forgiving person I've ever known, I'm trying to do that. Do you understand?"

Miranda sat for a minute thinking about what she'd just been told. If Marissa could try with Krystal, then she supposed that she could try with Reese. "I think so. I guess I should see her then since mom thinks it's a good idea and because she's here."

"If that's what you think you should do, then you should. Your mom will be there with you though so you won't be alone."

"I wish you could be there too."

"Oh Miranda, I wish I could too, but I have to take AJ to the doctor's. If I didn't have to do that, you know I'd be there."

Miranda nodded. "I know. He needs somebody there with him because he doesn't like going especially if he has to get a shot. I don't either."

"I know. I don't like getting shots myself."

Miranda grew thoughtful again. "What should I call her?"

_I can see that I'm getting all of the easy questions today._ "What did you call her before?"

"I called her Mama Reese, but I don't know now."

"Well, if you feel comfortable calling her that, then that's what you should call her. If you don't, I guess you could call her Reese or whatever else feels right to you."

"Kind of like you do with Krystal?"

"Yes, I don't feel comfortable calling her mom so I go with her first name, and Krystal's okay with that. She understands."

Miranda nodded. "Marissa, I know you and mom tell each other everything so it's okay if you want to tell her that we talked, but can you not tell her I cried? I don't want her to be upset."

"If you don't want me to tell her, I won't. I promise. If you want to talk more after you see Reese, it doesn't matter what I'm doing, you just have to ask. Okay?"

Miranda nodded. "Okay. I might want to do that if you're sure it's okay."

"It's more than okay with me. Anytime you want to talk, I'm here. Are you okay? Do you feel any better?"

"Yeah, I do. I feel a lot better. Thanks, Rissa." Miranda smiled and snuggled next to her.

Marissa kissed the top of her head and held her tightly. "You're welcome, Mimo."

Bianca came out of bathroom surprised to see her oldest daughter snuggled next to Marissa. She had been expecting to see Gabby instead. "Is everything okay?"

Marissa looked at Miranda who smiled and nodded as she met her gaze. "Yes, of course it is. Miranda and I were just talking about things."

"Okay if you're sure." Bianca heard a knock on the door and opened it to see Gabby. "Morning, mommy. Morning, Rissa." She stopped when she saw her sister, and a slight pout started to form on her face. Marissa smiled and held out her free arm. Gabby returned the smile and jumped into the bed immediately snuggling next to Marissa's other side.

The brunette smiled watching her daughters with Marissa. "I guess we're just missing AJ now."

As if on cue, the little boy appeared and joined the girls and Marissa in bed. "Morning, Bianca. Morning, mom."

"Morning, buddy. It looks like everyone is up early today." Bianca looked at her four favorite people and sighed contentedly. "Is there room for me?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "Always."

Bianca joined her family and gave Marissa a loving kiss. _This is perfect._

/

Marissa was exiting the kitchen after checking on dinner when Bianca and the girls arrived home from their meeting with Reese.

Gabby launched herself at the redhead, nearly knocking her over. "Rissa!"

"Hey, monkey!" Marissa scooped up the adorable little girl and began tickling her. "Someone's full of energy."

"A good nap will do that every time for a certain little girl." Bianca laughed and gave Marissa a quick kiss.

"Did you fall asleep during the movie?" The redhead asked playfully.

Gabby nodded and gave her a sheepish grin. "I tried to stay awake, but I got sleepy."

"I understand. It was dark, and you were snuggled up on your mom's lap and got all nice and comfy. It's hard stay to awake sometimes when all of that is going on, isn't it?"

"Uh huh." Gabby gave her a big smile and nodded.

"Let me guess. Did she rub your back too?"

"Yep."

"Well, it sounds to me like that it was her fault."

Bianca snorted. "Thanks for throwing me under the bus."

Gabby nodded and giggled. "Where's AJ?"

"He's in his room building something with his Legos. He could probably use some help. Do you think you're up for that?"

"Yeah!" Gabby gave her a kiss as Marissa put her down, and the little girl raced upstairs.

Miranda had been quiet since getting home, and she glanced at her mother. "I'm not in trouble, am I?"

Bianca smiled. "No, of course you're not in trouble."

"You're not disappointed in me?"

"Mimo, I could never be disappointed in you."

Miranda breathed a big sigh of relief not being able to stand thinking her mom would be upset with or disappointed in her in any way.

Marissa plopped down next to Miranda on the sofa, putting her arm around the girl. "What about you, Miranda? Did you like the movie?"

The young girl looked at Marissa and shrugged. "It was okay."

"You know it's alright if you had a good time, and it's okay to like Reese too."

"I know. Mom told me the same thing. I still don't know how I feel about her. I would've liked it better if you and AJ were there with mom and us."

Marissa kissed the top of Miranda's head. "I would've liked it too." She looked at her girlfriend who nodded. "How about tomorrow the five of us go see another movie? How does that sound?"

Miranda smiled brightly. "That sounds really good! I like that idea a whole lot."

"Okay, why don't you go tell AJ and Gabby, and the three of you can figure out what you want to see. We'll make plans over dinner."

She gave the redhead a hug and hopped off the sofa. "Thanks, Marissa!"

"You're welcome, Miranda. Tell AJ and Gabby that dinner will be ready soon."

As the young girl headed upstairs, she stopped and turned. "Mom can tell you everything that happened today and don't worry. I won't listen, and I'll make sure Gabby and AJ don't either."

Marissa lips twitched in amusement especially after seeing Bianca's puzzled reaction. "Thank you." She glanced at the brunette and whispered. "I'll tell you later."

Bianca took her daughter's place on the sofa next to Marissa and reclined against her as she rested her head on the redhead's shoulder. Marissa's soft, warm arms immediately encircled her, and she absorbed all of the love Marissa had for her in that embrace. Bianca closed her eyes and savored the feel of her love holding her, loving her.

After several minutes, Marissa finally spoke. "Are you ready to talk now?"

Bianca sighed. "I am."

"So, how did it go?"

"It was … interesting."

"I'm going to need more details than that. You do know that, right?"

"Yes, I do, and you know that I have every intention of giving you all of them. When we met Reese at the movie theater, Gabby didn't recognize her at all and went into her shy mode. She wouldn't let go of me."

"I know you're not surprised. You thought that would happen."

"I did. Gabby was just so young when we left Paris, and she hasn't seen Reese in well over two years. I knew she wouldn't know her. In a way, it's a blessing. When things started to go bad between us and Reese was working so much and not spending any time with them, Gabby didn't understand, and she cried and asked for her, not knowing why Reese wasn't there. It broke my heart to see Gabby like that. I don't think I could ever go through that again, and I know I don't want Gabby to. I also know that I don't have to worry about that with you."

"No, you don't. I love them too much, and I would do anything for those girls just like you would do anything for AJ."

"I would do anything for him. I love him as much as I love the girls. He's an amazing boy. You've done a great job with him."

"Thank you. Speaking of amazing children, how was Miranda?"

"Ah, Miranda, she was very polite to Reese and very protective of her sister, me and you."

"Me? What do you mean?"

"Before I answer that question, could you tell me what the two of you were talking about this morning? We didn't get much of a chance to talk earlier, and I've been somewhat curious especially after that little exchange the two of you just had."

"She told me she wasn't sure about seeing Reese. Miranda didn't like the fact that Reese had hurt you so much and made you sad. She doesn't like seeing you like that. You know she doesn't miss much, and she's so bright and perceptive. By the way, I told her that I didn't like seeing you like that either."

"I tried so hard to make sure that the girls didn't see what I was going through. Miranda doesn't miss anything though. And just so you know, I'm not the least bit sad anymore. In fact, I've never been happier in my life thanks in large part to a certain redhead that I know and love."

"Well, there's a certain brunette that has done the same exact thing for me. I didn't know that I could be so happy and love someone as much as I love you." Marissa leaned forward capturing the smiling lips of Bianca. She sighed happily as the brunette settled back into her arms before continuing her story. "Miranda also told me that she didn't like that Gabby had been so sad either, that it makes her mad when that happens. I told her that Gabby was very lucky to have her as a big sister. She reminded me a lot of Kendall when she was telling me that."

"Yes, I definitely see flashes of my sister in her. She is so protective of her little sister."

"I told her that neither of us liked seeing Gabby sad like that either and that we would keep an extra special eye out to make sure that doesn't happen." Marissa paused knowing this would be the hardest part of the story for her to relate and for Bianca to hear, and she held her tighter. "She told me that Reese had made her sad too. You're not going to like this next part. Miranda then asked me why she had forgotten them for so long and if it was something that her and Gabby had done, and could they have done something wrong that caused all of that to happen."

Bianca took a deep breath trying to calm herself as she gripped Marissa tighter. She lowered her voice so the children wouldn't hear the anger she felt for her ex. "That's what I hate the most about everything that happened. That Miranda and Gabby could think for one second that they were responsible in any way for Reese's actions towards them makes me so damn mad at her. I can handle anything else but that. I just want to slap the shit out of her for that. I will never understand how she could've done that to them, to give so little thought to how they would feel and what they would think. It's something that I won't let happen this time with her."

"You know I won't let that happen either."

"I know you won't. The fact that Miranda could ask you that speaks volumes about your relationship with her, how much she trusts you, and how much she loves you."

"I love her too, as much as I love AJ and Gabby."

"I know, and more importantly, she knows that. I've done my best to try and reassure her that she and Gabby did nothing wrong."

"It's something we'll keep doing until she really believes it. It's something I have absolutely no problem doing. My problem is with Reese, and trust me, if she had been anywhere close this morning, there's no way in hell she would have made it out of here in one piece. She still might not make it out of this town that way. I'll be more than happy to hold her if you ever do decide to slap the shit out of her."

"Thank you and I'll remember that. I know that was a hard question for you to answer. So, what _did _you tell Miranda?"

"You're right about it being a hard question, but she had a much harder one for me. I mean how do you come up with an answer that she can believe for something you can't begin to fathom. I tried to give her the best answer I could and reinforce what we've talked about in how to handle that particular question. I told her that I thought that Reese loved her as best as she could, but some people have a hard time showing it. I then told Miranda that maybe she didn't forget about her as much as she lost sight of the really important things, and that people get busy and that happens. They think they're doing the right thing at the time, and they don't realize that it isn't. Sometimes, smart people do some not so smart things. I felt like I was trying to excuse the inexcusable, but I know it won't help Miranda by giving her that particular opinion right now. There was something I could be positive about though, and I told her that you loved her and Gabby with all of your heart and could never and will never forget either of them. I told her I felt the same way too. Then, she asked me if I thought she should see Reese. I told her I couldn't answer that question for her. She would have to decide that for herself."

"I think you handled that as well as it could be handled, but I never had any doubt that you would. You said she had a harder question for you. What was it?"

Marissa cleared her throat and proceeded again. "She asked me about Krystal and our relationship."

Bianca sat up, looking at her girlfriend shocked. "Miranda asked you about that? Wow. How did she? Why did she?"

"She overheard us talking about my working on my relationship with Krystal. Miranda knows that she's my mother but that I don't call her mom because someone else raised me. She wanted to know why. It wasn't until that moment that I realized that we have something more in common. I can't believe I didn't put it together before then. We were both left by a parent. The reasons are different, but the feelings are still the same for us. You wonder if you did something wrong or why you weren't good enough. It's still something I think about, not as much as I used to, but I do sometimes. That's why Miranda wanted to talk to me about Reese."

"She saw the similarities between the two of you and thought you would understand what she's feeling better than, well better than anyone else that she knows. I have to say that I never put it together myself. Were you okay talking with her about it? I know it's a touchy subject for you sometimes. She didn't mean to upset you."

Marissa caressed Bianca's cheek. "I know that, and I know why she asked. It really is fine, B, and it's nowhere remotely as difficult to talk about as it used to be. That is all because of you. If it helps Miranda, then I will talk with her about it as much as she needs. If it makes you feel any better, she said we didn't have to talk about it if I didn't want to. Like I said, she's an amazing girl. She's just like her mother."

"Thank you, and you are absolutely incredible for being so willing to do that for her." Bianca leaned in for a lingering kiss. "I understand what happened today so much better now."

"What did happen? You owe me the rest of the story. Gabby went into her shy mode, and Miranda was very polite and protective. For some reason, Miranda thought you might be upset with her or disappointed. I'm guessing that's connected to the protective mode."

"It is. We really didn't get off to a good start. Reese tried to give her a hug, and Miranda backed away."

"I can understand that. It was way too fast for Miranda. She hasn't seen Reese in over two years, right?"

"Yes, it's been that long. It would appear that Reese didn't quite understand why Miranda might have a problem with seeing her after all that time, and she gave me a look letting me know that she was none too happy. I thought no one else saw it, but I found out later that Miranda caught it and was high alert and protective mode. Don't worry, I'll explain. The theater was pretty crowded, but we managed to find four seats together. Reese tried to take a seat next to me, but Miranda had other ideas."

Marissa had a puzzled but slightly amused look on her face. "What did she do?"

"She put herself in charge of where everyone would sit. She made Reese take the first seat. Miranda then made sure her and Gabby were in between us. She put Gabby's booster seat in the seat next to mine while she took the one next to Reese. She made sure to explain that Gabby needed to sit next to me since she was so little. It didn't take long for Gabby though to decide she wanted to sit on my lap. Once that happened, Miranda quickly moved to the empty seat which blocked Reese from taking it. Don't think I don't see that smirk."

"What smirk? I don't know what you're talking about. I mean just because Miranda doesn't have a problem with _me_ sitting next to you, I don't know why you'd think I'd be smirking."

Bianca rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile seeing how pleased Marissa was with Miranda's actions. "Yeah, right. Before the movie started, Reese started to bring up things we had done before. Whenever she did that, Miranda would chime in with something. She was very polite about it though and would say 'excuse me' every time she did it. She would either ask me a question or one of Reese. My personal favorite is when she would mention you. It soon became the Marissa show. Everything was 'Marissa this' or 'Marissa that'. I could tell it was starting to get to Reese. I just couldn't bring myself to stop her and had a hard time keeping a straight face. Anyway, Reese started to say something about the interruptions, but I stopped that in its tracks. Pretty soon, she just gave up trying to talk to me and tried to talk to Miranda some. To her credit, Miranda did try to look a little interested when they were talking. That only lasted a couple of minutes though because the movie started. Afterwards, Reese got a call about work and had to leave. Again, work came before the girls."

Marissa sat quietly for a minute. There were a couple of things she felt needed to be discussed. "First, you have to know that I didn't put Miranda up to any of that."

"Maybe not directly but..."

"Bianca…"

"Let me finish. I know you didn't put her up to that. That thought never entered my mind. Miranda adores you. After telling me about your talk with her from this morning, it's very clear to me that she was determined to keep an eye out for you where Reese was concerned. There's something else bothering you though. What is it?"

Marissa paused and knowing she had to be honest with Bianca. They had always been honest with each other and had promised to always be that way. Plus, she could never hide anything from her anyway and vice versa because they knew each other too well. "You know that I trust you completely, right?"

"I do, and the same goes for me."

"I have to say it really bothers me with how Reese approached this meeting. It sounds like she was treating this as more of a date or a family outing with the four of you. I mean from what you've told me, she kept trying to sit next to you and bringing up old times. To be honest, I hate that she's using this time to try and get close to you again and using the girls to do it when she should be focused on trying to rebuild her relationship with the girls. I trust her as much as I trust JR, and it proves my point that she wants you back. I _really_ don't like her."

"Is it bad that I like that you're a little jealous about this?"

Marissa made a face. "I guess I am a little jealous. It's funny. I never really thought of myself as that type of person. I've just never felt about anyone else the way I feel about you."

Bianca smiled. "First of all, you have nothing to be jealous about. I am not remotely interested in Reese, but I can see where it would bother you. It would bother the hell out of me if you were spending time with JR and AJ like that. Second, she can talk about whatever good times we had together until the cows come home, and it won't matter at all to me. Those memories don't hold a candle to what we have and what we share. Everything else pales in comparison to us." Bianca emphasized her point with a loving kiss. "Got it?"

Marissa sighed and returned the smile. "I got it."

"Good! Third, you're right about her approach and focus. She should be worrying about getting to know the girls again. She said she wanted to take them to the zoo in two days and hoped we could talk. You and I, however, have a meeting with the builder then, and I'm not changing that appointment. I think I have the perfect idea on how to re-focus her attention on the girls." Bianca picked up her phone and started dialing.

The look Marissa saw in the brunette's eyes caused her to ask, "What are you up to, Montgomery?"

Bianca gave her a mischievous grin. "You'll see. Kendall? Hi, I have a huge favor to ask."

Marissa started laughing when she realized what Bianca had up her sleeve. _Damn, I didn't see that coming! She never fails to surprise me._

"Hey, Binx. What kind of favor? What's Red laughing about?"

"Well, Reese wants to spend some time again with the girls the day after tomorrow, but Marissa and I are meeting with the builder. Would you consider going with them? After today's visit, I think it's better for someone else to take my place."

"What happened today?"

"Reese seemed more interested in me than the girls, and Miranda wasn't very fond of that. She saw it as a threat to Marissa."

"My niece is very smart."

"You won't get any arguments from me on that."

"What are you going to do with AJ while you have your meeting?"

"We were going to see if Tad or Krystal could watch him." There was a pause on the other end of the line, and Bianca could hear her sister thinking.

"If I were to do this for you, I could take AJ with us. He wouldn't be any problem, and I don't think even Reese would mind him tagging along."

"That would be great if you're sure you wouldn't mind."

"I don't mind at all. Okay, I'll do it on two conditions. First, I get to bring someone else along if they're available to join us, and second, you don't tell Reese about the change in plans. I get to tell her."

Bianca smiled. "I believe I'm pretty safe in saying that Marissa and I can live with those conditions."

"Perfect! When you get the details firmed up, let me know. Tell Red that I said 'hi', and I've got her back. Talk to you later."

"I will, and thanks, Kendall." Bianca hung up with her sister and simply grinned at the redhead.

Marissa laughed at the amused look on Bianca's face. "You're having your sister go with them! You are very twisted and not nearly as sweet and nice as people that don't know you think."

"Eh, I have my moments! I am Erica Kane's daughter."

"Oh, I know. Do I want to know what Kendall's conditions were?"

"She says 'hi' by the way. This isn't a condition. She offered to take AJ along so we won't have to worry about a sitter."

"That's great. He really likes her."

"The feeling is mutual. Now, the first condition is that she gets to bring someone else along with her if they're available."

"Something is telling me that's Greenlee, and that means Reese is going to have to spend the afternoon with the two of them! I almost feel sorry for Reese. On second thought, no, I don't."

"I don't either. Condition number two is that she gets to tell Reese about the change in plans. Knowing Kendall, she's going to tell her at the last minute."

"In case you didn't know, I love your sister."

"Kendall feels the same way about you, and she said to tell you that she had your back."

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For listening and understanding how I feel about everything that's going on."

"It's no more than anything you've ever done for me, and like I said before, I totally get it. I would feel the same way if the roles were reversed."

Marissa gazed into Bianca's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too." Bianca smiled as she closed the distance between them for a tender kiss that conveyed all of the love the two shared. They were interrupted a few minutes later by the sound of their children coming downstairs.

"Hi, Bianca."

"Hi, buddy. How was the doctor's?"

"It was okay. He said I'm growing like a weed."

Bianca ruffled the boy's hair. "Well, your mom and I could've told him that."

AJ giggled and turned to his mom. "Is dinner ready?"

"Just about. If the three of you set the table, Bianca and I will finish getting it ready. Deal?" The kids nodded and headed off after Bianca towards the kitchen.

Marissa pulled Miranda aside for a moment. "Your mom told me about today."

The young girl made a face. "Are you disappointed in me? I told you I would try with her, but I saw what she was trying to do. I didn't like it. I want you and mom to be happy, and being together makes you both happy."

_She is so much like Bianca and always thinking about others first._ "No, I'm not disappointed. I don't want you to worry about me and your mom so much. The two of us are good and very happy. I promise. So, don't worry about us. I meant what I told you earlier. It's okay if you like Reese and get along with her. This is about what you want and what makes you happy. Remember that, alright?"

"Okay, I will."

Marissa smiled and kissed the top of the girls' head. "Good, and Mimo, thanks for today."

Miranda grinned. "You're welcome, Rissa."


	24. The Dynamic Duo And The Ex

**A/N: You all are great! I really appreciate the reviews. They mean a lot and make me want to keep going for you all. I had another idea for a couple of future chapters pop into my head. So, they'll be more to come.**

**Now, let's talk about this chapter. I'm just going to stop speculating when this particular arc is going to be done. Suffice it to say, that it's not in this chapter. Two more characters still have things to say to someone. I'm sure you can figure out who I'm talking about. I was going to do it in this chapter, but I saw how long this one was getting and decided to save that for another one. The reason this one is so long is that it turns out that one character had quite a bit to say. I was asked if Kendall and Greenlee would interact with Reese, and the answer is 'yes', and it's not done in a flashback. I hope I do this scene justice for all of you. With that said, I hope you enjoy this chapter! **

**/**

Marissa was working on the knot in the shoelace for one of AJ's gym shoes as she made her way slowly down the stairs in their home. _How does he manage to do this?_ She was headed towards the sofa when a knock on the door had her change directions, and she called upstairs. "I've got it." Marissa looked in the door viewer and started smiling immediately when she saw who was standing on the other side of the door. The redhead opened the door to see Kendall standing on the front step grinning like a Cheshire cat. _That look is nothing but trouble. Damn, this is going to be one hell of a day._

"Hey, Red."

"Hey, Curly. Come on in. You're here early and where's your partner in crime?"

"Greenlee will be here in a few minutes. Bianca wanted us to come over early to go over some ground rules for today with whatshername." Kendall, Greenlee and Marissa had begun to refer to Reese by that name when the kids weren't around because none of them could really stand to say her name. Bianca understood and made no attempts to try and stop them.

"That sounds like your sister. I think she just wants to remind you that you'll be in public, and the kids will be there so you and Greenlee may need to rein it in a little around whatshername."

Kendall grinned. "I suppose I should be hurt by her feeling the need to tell me that, but I'm not really. She is no fun sometimes. Is there anything you want to remind me of?"

"Let's see. You have the numbers for Bianca's cellphone, my cellphone and our home number already."

"Uh, yeah, I do. They're programmed in my cellphone." Kendall replied with a puzzled look.

"Okay, you'll get one phone call from jail. I just want you to know that I will be more than happy to represent both of you, pro bono of course since your family, if you'd like. I want you to remember to not say anything incriminating to the police. In fact, don't say anything to them until I get there." Marissa smirked.

"I'd be happy to have you represent me since I already know you're a kickass lawyer, and I'll make sure I keep all of that in mind and follow your advice, counselor. You can never have too many lawyers in the family, at least not in this one." Kendall laughed.

"Do I want to know what the two of you are laughing about?" Bianca asked after observing the two women who meant the most to her in the world laughing together. Her sister never got along with anyone else she was involved with as well as she did with Marissa. _I love that they get along so great. It's also maybe just a little bit scary, but not nearly as scary as Kendall and Greenlee. They really are becoming good friends though._

The two women looked at each other and began laughing again before Marissa finally collected herself enough to respond. "Probably not."

"Hmmm, that's what I thought. Is Greenlee on her way?"

"Yes, she is. I talked to her right before I got here. She's looking forward to this. I mean she's looking forward to today. Greenlee's always liked the zoo." Kendall replied with a grin.

Bianca shook her head and stared at her sister. "Funny. You're really funny, you know that?"

"So, I've been told many times." Kendall smiled sweetly at her sister.

_And thus begins the latest Kane sisters' stare down._ Marissa thought rather amused by watching the sisters. It wasn't a full blown Kane standoff by any means because they all knew that whatshername just wasn't worth it, and they also knew that this one was being done purely for fun so Marissa could sit back and enjoy the scene playing out before her. A knock on the door shifted her focus. "I wonder who that could be. No, that's alright. I'll get it. Please continue with what you're doing." The redhead soon welcomed Greenlee into their home.

"Hi, Marissa." Greenlee caught sight of Bianca and Kendall. "What's going on here?"

"It's a mini Kane stare down."

"Oh, I love these! What started this one?"

"Actually, you did."

"Me? What did I do now?"

"They were discussing how much you've been looking forward to going to the zoo today."

Greenlee smirked. "I have to be honest. I have been looking forward to going to the zoo since Kendall invited me the other day. Trips to the zoo are always so much fun, and today promises to be even more so. It's been _ages_ since I've talked with whatshername."

"That's pretty much what Kendall said."

"Let me guess. Bianca isn't all that amused."

"I think she is some, just not as much as big sister is. She's trying to maintain a balance for the sake of the girls."

"So, how long has this one been going on?"

Marissa glanced at the clock. "I'm guessing maybe around fifteen minutes."

"Well, my money's on Kendall. She's never let me down yet in one of these."

"I'm betting on Bianca. She's a lot more stubborn than people think."

"This could go on all day, you know. Neither one of them likes to lose especially at one of these. It's some sort of Kane thing. It's like a point of pride for them."

"I know, and yes, it could. That's fine with me though. I kind of like watching Bianca when she does this. I think she's kind of hot when she's in this mode."

Greenlee burst out laughing while Kendall broke the stare down and rolled her eyes. Bianca glanced at Marissa cocking an eyebrow and shaking her head, unable to hold back her smile when she saw her girlfriend's mischievous grin.

"And I think we have a tie! Way to break it up, Marissa! Good job! I thought that was going to go on forever."

"Am I the only one remotely trying to be mature around here?" Bianca sighed.

Kendall smiled. "Red was being very mature before you came down."

The younger sister gave the older one a skeptical look as she recalled seeing Marissa and her laughing earlier. "Really? How so?"

"She offered to represent Greenlee and me if it's needed. She also told me to make sure we don't say anything to the police until she gets there. Keep that in mind, Greenlee."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh, good Lord! I don't know who's worse."

"Thanks, Marissa! It might be a little awkward calling my dad from jail." Greenlee added smirking. "I like having another lawyer in the family."

Kendall nodded. "It is very handy."

Marissa grinned at Bianca. "What? You wouldn't want to leave them in jail without the benefit of legal representation, would you? It's not like they're asking me to help them hide the body. Which reminds me, Kendall, don't tell me where you hide the body. It's probably better if I don't know."

"What about Ryan and Zach?"

"Spousal privilege still applies so you're good telling them. I'll be more than happy to represent them as well. I can see being in this family is going to keep me busy."

"Good to know, and yeah, we will keep you busy. It will be good for your firm though and take some of the burden off of Jack."

Bianca sighed heavily, clearly exasperated by the other three women. "Please, _do not_ encourage them, Marissa. They don't need the help. I thought you were supposed to be on my side, remember?"

Marissa gave Bianca a tender kiss and took her girlfriend's hands in her own. "I'm _always_ on your side, and you know that. We're just trying to deal with whatever you want to call this whole situation the best way that we can. I mean, we could scream and yell at the top of our lungs, but that would freak the kids out. So, we're going with trying to find some humor in the situation. Now, you also know that neither one of them would do anything that would hurt the kids. Think about it. No matter how much Kendall may want to tear into or rip the head off of whatshername, she won't, at least not while the kids are right there. Kendall is going to say something to her. That's just a given, and you know it so just accept it. She's your sister and will go to her grave defending you and the girls. I know she'd do the same for AJ too. That's why I trust him with her, with both of them. Greenlee will also get a couple of shots in. Kendall is her best friend. Any fight of Kendall's is a fight of Greenlee's. Again, you know that as well. You should go ahead and accept that too. I know you can't seriously expect that none of this will happen. If you ask me, I think part of you wants it to happen. Otherwise, you wouldn't have asked Kendall to go today, _and _you wouldn't have agreed to her conditions the other day. Remember, I was there right next to you when you called her. And let's be honest about all of this, if the roles were reversed with you and Kendall, I would have to pry your hands off of whoever's neck. You know it. I know it. They know it."

Bianca looked at Marissa. There was no smirk, no hidden meanings, and no joking. There was just the plain honest truth and love. Marissa was right about all of it. Bianca knew that Kendall would never do anything to hurt the kids. She never doubted that for a minute. The same went for Greenlee. Her sister would also fight anyone to the death defending them and because Greenlee was her best friend, she would do the same as Kendall. It boiled down to Bianca feeling the need, like she had for most of her life, to be the responsible one, the nice one. She was stuck walking the tightrope of protecting her daughters and giving them the chance to rebuild their relationship with Reese if it was possible. She wanted to make sure AJ was okay during all of this too. A big part of Bianca really wanted Kendall to rip into Reese. She sure as hell deserved it. And if it was Kendall in her place, Bianca would be doing the same exact thing that her sister was doing now. Marissa saw all of this and called her on everything. _Damn it. She knows me too damn well. _"I have to admit it. You're right about all of it. I'm sorry. I'll back off. It's just…"

"It's just that you can't help being you. I know and so do they. It's just who you are. There is no reason in the world for you to apologize."

Greenlee looked at her friend. "Damn, she's good, Kendall. I don't think even you could get through to your sister like that."

"You're right. I couldn't have done that. Nicely done, Red. I definitely want you representing me if I do get into trouble."

Bianca smiled. "I told you she was good. Look, Kendall, I'm sorry."

"Don't even think about it. Marissa is right. It's who you are, and we all know it. You're just over compensating for the Kane side of you. Somebody has to in this family. No apologies are necessary."

"Okay, do me a favor, and don't get into any trouble, any big trouble at least. You want to make sure you can get out on bail. Whatshername isn't worth even one night in jail." Bianca sighed when she realized what she'd said and saw the amused looks on the other three women. "That's just great. The three of you have me doing it now!"

"Welcome to the dark side, Binx!" Kendall smirked.

Bianca just shook her head. "Seriously, Kendall, I do need to tell you a few things. Gabby doesn't remember Reese at all and isn't really sure of what's going on so she will probably be sticking to you, Greenlee, AJ or Miranda like glue. AJ will be very protective of the girls. He won't be able to help it. He's like his mom in that regard." Bianca smiled at Marissa. "As for your oldest niece, she doesn't miss anything. So whatever you say, make sure Miranda doesn't overhear you."

"I got it. I know how sharp Miranda is. That's partially why Greenlee is coming along. She'll be able to keep the kids occupied when I am no longer able to keep quiet around whatshername."

Greenlee looked at her friend and asked. "Does this mean I'm not going to be able to say anything to whatshername?"

"Oh no, you'll get to. I wouldn't do that to you." Kendall glanced at her watch. "We probably should get going and get this party started."

Bianca walked to the stairs and called. "Kids, time to go."

The three children raced down the stairs smiling once they saw the other two women and greeted them. AJ went over to his mom who helped him put his gym shoes on. "Okay, I managed to get this knot out. It was a tough one. I really don't know how you do it. Next time, buddy, try and be a little bit more careful when you untie them. Okay?" The redhead smiled as she ruffled her son's hair.

The boy gave her a sheepish grin. "Okay, I will."

Miranda looked at her mom. "Why are Aunt Kendall and Greenlee here?"

"They're going to go with you today instead of me. Are you okay with that?"

The young girl thought about this for a second. She always had a good time with the two women and thought they were really funny. More importantly if her aunt and her friend were going with them, this meant that her mom wouldn't be going, and Reese wouldn't be bugging her, trying to get close to her and coming in between her and Marissa. Miranda was more than okay with that. She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay with that."

AJ looked at his mom and asked. "What are you going to do while we're gone?"

"Bianca and I are going to meet with the builder and go over final plans for our new house. And that means we're going to give him the ideas you all came up with for your rooms."

When Gabby heard what Marissa said, she got excited and launched herself at the redhead. "Our new rooms, Rissa!"

"Yep! What do you think of that, monkey? Does that sound good to you?"

"Uh huh! Sounds real good!"

"We thought you might like that. Be good for Kendall and Greenlee and listen to what they say, okay?"

"Okay, Rissa."

The children hugged and kissed both women goodbye. As AJ hugged Bianca, he became thoughtful. "Don't worry, Bianca. I'll help keep an eye on Miranda and Gabby. They'll be safe."

The brunette cleared her throat as she fought the lump that was forming. AJ was truly an amazing and thoughtful boy. Bianca glanced at Marissa and saw the pride in her eyes. She gave him another hug. "Thanks, buddy. I appreciate that."

The couple walked with their children outside following Kendall and Greenlee and watched as they drove away.

Marissa looked at Bianca when she heard her sigh. "What is it?"

"A part of me really wishes I could be there to see what happens between all of them. It's going to be a hell of a day. Don't get me wrong. I can't wait to finalize the plans for our new home and focus on our future. It's just that I really like seeing my sister in full Kane mode."

Marissa wrapped an arm around Bianca's waist and grinned. "Atta girl! I knew you felt that way, and I also know exactly what you mean. I'd love to see what they have in store for whatshername too. I have no doubt it will be great. However, we really do need to finalize everything on our new home, and like you said, we're focusing on our future no matter what anyone else may have in mind. Let Kendall and Greenlee have their fun. They deserve it after everything they've done for us. Don't worry though. Those two will be sure to give us a blow by blow account of what happens, no pun intended."

/

Kendall grinned at Greenlee as they saw the blonde approach with a wary look on her face. "It's show time."

"Reese, it's been a long time. You remember Greenlee, don't you?"

"Kendall, yes, it has been a while. Of course, I remember her. How have the two of you been?"

Greenlee smiled. "We've both been good. How about yourself?"

"I've been okay." Reese was clearly uncomfortable and not pleased to see the two women, and she kept looking around.

_She wants to know where Bianca is. Well, she's going to have to ask that. I'm not giving her anything on that score._ "Oh, this is Marissa's son AJ. I thought it would be okay if he joined us today. AJ, this is Reese." Kendall noticed that the young boy had moved forward, ever so slightly, in front of Miranda and Gabby and had taken each of their hands in his. _Bianca was right about him protecting the girls. He did it that day at Krystal's, and he's doing it again now. He really is a great deal like Marissa. She has done such a good job raising him and would be so proud of him right now._

"Hello." AJ gave a small nod. He was going to do his best to be polite to this woman because his mom and Bianca wanted him to. It's what he'd been taught.

"Hello, AJ. Wait, isn't he JR's son with Ba …"

Before she could finish the thought, Kendall shot Reese a look that stopped her cold. AJ and Miranda had caught the exchange and shared a look with each other.

The young boy spoke up. "My first mom died a long time ago. My mom adopted me, and she always tells me that she loves me inside out and upside down. She's the best mom in the whole world." He caught the look Miranda gave him and smiled. "Okay, it's a tie with Bianca."

Miranda returned the smile. "Yeah, it's a tie. They're both the best moms. Right, Gabby?"

Gabby peaked around AJ at her sister and smiled as her head bobbed up and down. "Right!"

Greenlee looked at Kendall and whispered. "Out of the mouths of babes. I guess we know where the three of them stand."

"Yes, we do, and now, so does she."

AJ studied the blonde woman in front of him. He knew who she was. His mom and Bianca were very careful about what they said about her in front of the kids. They didn't want their opinions to influence their children's. They believed it was important for them not to judge people based on what others thought. He understood that and thought it was pretty smart. He didn't want people to do that to him because of what his dad did. AJ and Miranda talked about everything though. Miranda told him the other night about her first visit with the blonde and everything that happened. He knew a lot of things about the girl he considered his sister. The most important thing he knew was that she didn't make up stories. She was like her mom as well as his own and always told the truth. If Miranda didn't trust her, that was good enough for him. Plus, he overheard his mom and Bianca talking last year not long after that man tried to take Gabby and Miranda away. AJ heard them say that the man was this woman's lawyer, that he worked for her. The young boy knew enough to know that the scary man wouldn't have tried to do what he did without her saying so. Yeah, he knew exactly who this woman was and what she was up to. AJ had promised Bianca he would help keep an eye on Miranda and Gabby, and he meant it. Wherever they went today, he was going too. Besides all of that, this woman also had another strike against her in the young boy's mind, and he was really starting not to like her in his own right. She had tried to say that his mom wasn't really his mom, and the one thing that AJ hated the most in the world was when people tried to say that.

Reese cleared her throat not having any response and getting more uncomfortable under what looked like a glare from the young boy. "Uh, okay. Where's Bianca? I thought she was coming today."

Kendall smiled. "There was a change in plans, and she asked if I could take her place."

"Bianca and mom are meeting with the person who's building our new house. It's going to be really cool, and we get to say what we want our rooms to look like."

"Yeah, we do. Marissa thought that it was important that we were part of …" Miranda paused for a second wanting to get what Marissa said right. "The process. She thought it was important that we were part of the whole process."

"Yep, she did. Mom said it was because we were going to be living there a _very_ long time, like a lifetime, and that made Bianca smile a whole lot."

"Yeah, she got what Marissa calls that goofy grin on her face that she really likes, and she always kisses mom when that happens."

Kendall was just barely able to stop herself from laughing out loud at the exchange between the two older children especially when she saw Greenlee struggle to keep a straight face as well. _I knew my niece had it in her, but I wasn't sure that AJ did. He sure as hell proved me wrong, and he fits right into this family. God, I do love that little boy. _"Why don't we go check out some animals?"

Greenlee smiled. "Good idea, Kendall. I'm thinking that somebody might have better luck with the animals." As they started to walk, Greenlee whispered to her friend. "Wow, way to go AJ."

After checking out a few animal displays, Kendall saw a mischievous grin on her friend's face knowing immediately that it meant trouble. She knew that she shouldn't ask, but Kendall just couldn't stop herself from asking what was on her friend's mind. "What's that look about or do I want to know?"

"I think we should give them a nickname."

"Give who a nickname?"

"Marissa and Bianca, I think they need a couple nickname."

"Why?"

"It's something people do with good couples, the ones they like. Your sister and Red are a good couple. I'd say they're _perfect_ for each other. Plus, they're _really_ cute together."

Kendall couldn't help but be amused by Greenlee's idea, and she could that Reese was clearly bothered by this conversation. Every mention of Marissa and Bianca being together was getting under her skin, and Kendall loved seeing her squirm. "Okay, that makes sense, and I completely agree about them being _perfect_ for each other. You have any thoughts on what we should call them?"

"Give me a second. I'm sure I'll come up with something."

"I have no doubt that you will."

Greenlee snapped her fingers as she was struck by inspiration. "I've got it! We'll use the M from Marissa's name and part of Bianca's nickname of Binx. We can call them Minx! It's perfect and cute just like them!"

Kendall started laughing. "Minx, huh? Oh, they'll love that! It is a good name though, and you're right. I think it suits them perfectly. Good job."

Reese muttered something her breath, obviously greatly annoyed by the pair and walked closer to the kids.

Realizing the kids were still within earshot, Kendall watched her words very carefully as she lowered her voice somewhat. "That was a really good job on the nickname. I think it put her over the edge because I have a feeling she just called us something that rhymes with witch. If it was anybody else, I might be offended."

Her friend had caught what the blonde had muttered and grinned as she lowered her voice as well. "I do believe you're right. I'm not offended. I'm just considering the source. I've been called far worse by far better people. Thanks. What can I say? I was inspired."

"You do realize, Greenlee, that you're not right, don't you? There is something seriously wrong with you."

"I realize that, but then again, neither are you. I think that's why we're best friends."

"You have a point, and you're probably right."

The group continued to check out the various animals with Reese making very slight attempts to talk to Miranda. The blonde was uncomfortable in doing so and had really hoped she would be seeing Bianca today. She had thought if she could get through to her ex and convince her to give them another try then the girls would simply follow along. At the display right before the petting zoo, all hell broke loose, and Kendall and Greenlee were a split second too late to prevent any of it from happening.

Gabby was on her tiptoes checking out the animals. Reese surprised the little girl by attempting to pick her up. Gabby was clearly startled by the actions of the woman who she saw as a stranger and started to yell and struggle against her. "NO! NO! NO! Lemme go! Help me, Mimo!"

Miranda started shouting. "Put my sister down! She doesn't know you! Let her go! Aunt Kendall, help!"

"Put her down now! You're scaring her! Leave her alone! You're not going to take them away!" AJ had joined in the shouting.

Gabby managed to wiggle free of Reese's grasp and ran to her sister. Miranda held her tightly and tried to comfort her while glaring at the blonde.

Reese took a step towards them. "I didn't hurt her. She's overreacting. I just …"

AJ had immediately positioned himself in between Reese and the girls. His hands were clenched into fists, and he glared at the blonde defiantly. "Leave her alone! I don't care what you want! She doesn't want you! She doesn't want you touching her or picking her up or anything! You're scaring her, and I'm not gonna to let that happen anymore! You're not taking them away! You're not taking them away from Bianca or me and my mom! Go away!"

Reese tried to move around the young boy, but every move she made was countered perfectly by him. "Look, AJ, you're being very rude. I shouldn't expect anything else considering who your mom is. I'm just trying to talk to them. After all, they are my dau…"

"Don't talk about my mom! She's a good person and a lot better than you!"

Kendall placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "It's alright, AJ. Nothing bad is going to happen to them, and the girls aren't going anywhere. I won't let that happen. I promise. Good job in keeping an eye on them. And you're right, your mom is a _very_ good person, one of the best there is. I tell you what. Let me take over for you. I got this. Greenlee, would you take the kids to the petting zoo? Reese and I need to have a word."

"I'm on it. Come on, kids, let's go. Aunt Kendall has this under control."

AJ finally peeled his eyes off of Reese and looked up at Kendall. She was smiling, but he saw a look in her eyes that told him things were going to be okay. He also knew that the blonde was in trouble big time, and that Kendall would take care of her. He nodded and shot one more defiant glare in the direction of Reese before going with Greenlee.

"Look, Kendall, I don't need you and your sidekick or anyone else telling me what I can or can't do with my own daughters. I'm tired of having a babysitter with me while I see them. That little boy was being very rude, and Gabby and Miranda were overreacting. Clearly, Marissa has influenced their opinion of me."

Kendall plastered a smile on her face fully aware that the kids would be watching her. They had already been through too much, and she was kicking herself for not reacting quickly enough. Seeing her losing her composure and temper wouldn't help them. She also remembered what her sister had half-joked about. This woman was definitely not worth a night in jail no matter how satisfying it would be to slap the shit of her. "Are you done? Do you feel better now that you got that off of your chest?"

Reese glared at Kendall. "I don't have to listen to this. I'm taking my daughters and leaving. Tell Bianca I'll meet her later to drop them off."

As she made an attempt to move away from her and towards the girls, Kendall blocked her path. "You're not taking one more step towards Bianca's daughters, and that's what they are, _Bianca's daughters_. I know legally you're listed as their mother as well, but you haven't been anything remotely like a mother to them in a very long time. If you think for one second that you're taking my nieces anywhere, you have another thing coming. It'll have to be over my dead, and unlike my little sister, I fight dirty."

Kendall blocked another attempt by Reese to get away. "Where the hell do you think you're going? I'm not even close to being done with you yet. I listened to you. Now, it's your turn to listen to me. I don't give a damn what you think, what you want or what you think you deserve. If you take one more step towards those girls, it will be the last step you _ever_ take again. Let's get something straight. I know you won't be surprised by this, but I don't like you. I never have, and I never will. I can't stand the sight of you. I think the world would be a whole hell of a lot better if you dropped off the face of it. As for the kids, they're children, and they're acting a hell of a lot more mature than you. You think that Gabby was overreacting? Seriously? She doesn't have the first clue as to who you are. She hasn't seen you in over two years, and before that, you were hardly around because you were working all the time. How do you expect a child to react when a stranger tries to pick them up? You scared the hell out of her. No, there was nothing wrong with her reaction to what happened. Miranda was looking out for her little sister. She remembers you, what you put them all through before, how upset Gabby was and she doesn't trust you. There is no way in hell she'll let you or anyone else do that to her sister again, not without one hell of a fight at least. If you remembered the first thing about her, you'd know that. There was nothing wrong with what she just did. As for AJ, what the hell do you think you're doing talking about his mother that? How do you expect him to react? Plus, there's not a rude bone in that boy's body. If anything, he's one of sweetest, bravest and most thoughtful boys I've ever known. He was protecting Miranda and Gabby. That's what you do for family, and that's what they are to him. He sees them as his sisters. They were scared, and he jumped to their defense just like he did last year when you had your weasel of a lawyer try and take them. And don't even say that you didn't know what he was up to. I'm not buying it because it's complete and utter bullshit, and more importantly, Bianca's not buying it and sees it for what it is as well. You say you don't need a babysitter to spend time with them, but you're wrong as hell. That little stunt is exactly why you won't be spending any time alone with them any time soon if ever again. Bianca doesn't trust you to not try and pull something like that again, and if you knew the first thing about my sister, you'd know that her daughters are her life. You won't get a chance to do anything like that _ever _again, not in this lifetime."

Kendall quickly glanced to check on Greenlee and the kids and to make sure they still couldn't hear her. "I'm not positive as to why you're back here and what you're up to. I have a very good idea though. I'm here to tell you that if you think for one second that my sister is going to take you back then you are sorely mistaken. Like I said before, Bianca doesn't trust you at all. If she doesn't trust you to be alone with her daughters, why in the hell would she give you another chance and become involved with you again? You put her through hell before, and somehow, she managed to pull herself through it, and she's better than ever. What you and all of the other little bitches who have hurt her seem to forget or just don't know about her, is that Bianca is one of the strongest people that have ever walked this earth. She's also so damn special, caring and loving. She gives her heart so completely, so willingly, and people like you just toss it aside like it's nothing. You take her for granted, hurt her and don't think twice about it. You don't even deserve to breathe the same air as her let alone say her name. Why would you even think you deserved another chance with her? Bianca deserves so much better than you, and you know what? She's finally found it, and she's moved on. She's finally found someone who gets her, who understands her, who appreciates her, who knows exactly how special she is and how lucky they are to have her in their life. Bianca's finally found someone who puts her first and her daughters first and not themselves or some damn job. She's finally found someone who truly deserves her. That person is Marissa. She'd give up her career for them in a heartbeat and not give it a second thought. I think you know she proved that last year. I think she'd even give up her life for them if it came down to it. There is nothing she wouldn't do for her. She loves her without any reservations or conditions. You want to know something else? Marissa has made Bianca happier than she has _ever_ been in her life. Their worst day together makes your best day with my sister pale in comparison. They have understanding, trust and love. You really think you have a chance against all of that? As for influencing the kids' opinions of you, maybe that's something you would do, but not Marissa. She doesn't need to. Those kids love her, and they're smart too. They know when someone's honest, good and being themselves. The only thing Marissa has ever done is to be there for them. A concept that is so utterly foreign to you that it's pathetic. She's a lot like my sister. There is one difference. Marissa is a little more street smart than Bianca. She knew what you were up to during the divorce and last year. You won't be able to get anything by her, and because Bianca trusts her, you won't be getting anything else by my sister now. You see, they are perfect together. They've fought for what they have together, and they will fight to the death to keep it. You don't stand a snowball's chance in hell against what they have. And I won't allow you to hurt Bianca or the girls _ever_ again, and neither will Marissa. One last thing, don't you _ever_ say anything remotely hurtful to AJ again. He's family and so is Marissa, and you _know_ how we Kane's are about our family. I think you should go now while you still have the chance to walk out of here in one piece. I'll be honest with you, I thought those lions back there looked _really_ hungry, and it wouldn't take much at all for someone to _accidentally_ slip and fall into that display. Don't worry, I think the kids will be just fine without you here. In fact, I don't think they'll miss you at all."

Reese was seething and unable to find any words to respond to Kendall so she simply glared at her before leaving.

Kendall watched until she was certain the blonde was gone before turning back to the children. Greenlee had calmed Gabby down enough that she was now laughing and petting the baby goats. While Miranda and AJ were unable to hear exactly what was being said, they had kept a very close eye on the exchange between the two women, and upon seeing Reese leave, Kendall could see them both breathe a sigh of relief and relax. "How's everybody doing? You okay, Gabby?"

Her youngest niece looked up at her and smiled brightly. "Uh huh, I like the baby goats." She started to giggle as one of them started to pull on her shirttail.

Kendall scooped her up. "It looks like he thinks your shirt is dinner!"

"Where'd she go, Aunt Kendall? Is she gone?"

"I don't know where she went, but she's gone for now, Mimo. I don't think we'll be seeing her any more today. Do you all want to see any more animals? We haven't seen the monkeys yet, and I know they are Gabby's favorite."

"We don't have to see them today. I like seeing them with mommy and Rissa 'cause they make good monkey faces."

"They sure do, but they're not as good as your's." Gabby giggled as her aunt tickled her. "What about the two of you?"

AJ looked up at her. "I don't have to see any more animals."

"I don't either." Miranda agreed with him.

"Well, then how about we get out of here and go to Krystal's for some ice cream? I think we all deserve it." Greenlee suggested.

The kids' smiles told the women they had a winning idea, and they all headed for the car.

/

As the group sat at a table in Krystal's enjoying their ice cream, AJ grew thoughtful and looked at Kendall. "Are you going to tell mom and Bianca everything that happened today?"

"I was planning on it. I know that they would want to know happened, and I think they deserve to know. What do you think, AJ?"

The boy thought briefly before answering. "I think you should tell them. Do you think I'll be in trouble when they find out?"

"Why would you be in trouble?"

"I yelled at that lady and was kinda mean. Mom doesn't want me to be mean, and neither does Bianca."

"I want you to listen to me, AJ. There was nothing at all mean about what you did. You yelled at her to protect Miranda and Gabby, and you were defending your mom. I think what you did was very brave, and your mom and Bianca will be very proud of you. Don't worry. You won't be in any trouble."

AJ smiled. "Thanks, Kendall."

"You are very welcome, AJ."

"Thanks for sticking up for my mom too."

"Any time. I meant what I said about her. She is a very good person, and you are just like her."

AJ sat up straighter and beamed at the compliment. The boy thought for another minute, nervous about the next question he wanted to ask. "Could I ask you something else?"

"You sure can. What do you want to know?"

"Could I, would it be alright with you if I called you Aunt Kendall too like Miranda and Gabby do? It's okay if it's not."

Kendall was deeply touched by the boy's simple request. He really was family, and she really did love him. "It's more than alright with me, AJ. I would be very honored if you called me Aunt Kendall." She gave the boy a tight hug and kissed the top of his head.

She shared a smile with Greenlee who was shaking her head and whispered again to Kendall. "Way to go, AJ. Welcome to the family."


	25. Red Takes Off The Gloves

**A/N: I can't thank you enough for the reviews. You all are simply great. It's time for someone else's turn with whatshername. I hope you all enjoy it! **

**/**

Marissa was reclined against Bianca on the sofa with her head resting on the brunette while Bianca's arms were wrapped around her. Their meeting with the builder had gone extremely well, and the two were enjoying the quiet and simply being with each other before Kendall and Greenlee brought the kids home from the visit with Reese.

They heard the front door open as Kendall used the key they had given her. The couple had just managed to sit upright before Gabby rushed towards them. "Mommy! Rissa!" The little girl quickly scrambled into the 'Gabby-sized' space in between them, smiling brightly and giving each of them a kiss.

AJ and Miranda soon joined them. The couple quickly noted the wary expressions on the faces of their older children. Bianca turned to her sister and Greenlee. "How did it go?"

Before Kendall could answer, Greenlee decided to try and buy her friend some time and asked, "How did it go with the builder?"

Marissa knew a stall tactic when she heard one, but decided not to press for an answer to Bianca's question right away. "It went great. With any luck, we'll be in the new place just after Thanksgiving."

"That's good news, but I'm guessing it also means Thanksgiving will be at my place this year."

"Sorry, Kendall, but it does. This place will be filled with boxes since we'll be in the middle of packing everything up. Don't worry, though." Bianca smiled and nodded towards Marissa. "This one here wants to host Christmas this year."

Greenlee chuckled. "What are you, a glutton for punishment?"

"What can I say? I've always wanted a big, noisy family Christmas."

"Be careful what you wish for, Red."

"Yeah, noisy is not a problem for this family. We'll have that covered easily. She didn't say civilized though, did she? That might be a problem if she did." Greenlee offered with a smirk.

Bianca just grinned. She knew how much having family around meant to Marissa, especially during the holidays. "I've warned her."

"Christmas is supposed to be about 'peace on earth, goodwill towards men', isn't it?"

"In normal families, yes, it is, Linus, but in this one, it's debatable. We make the Griswold's look downright boring." Kendall laughed.

"Fine. Fine. You've all seemed to have forgotten that I've survived the Chandler family Christmas, a couple of them in fact. If they can pull it together for the kids for one day, surely our's can. Right, Gabby?" Marissa looked down at the little girl in between her and Bianca and caught her in the middle of a big yawn.

In addition to being home with her two favorite grown-ups, the day's events were finally catching up with the youngest Montgomery, and she was starting to fight sleep. "Right, Rissa." She nodded as another big yawn followed.

Bianca and Marissa shared a knowing smile and thought. _She won't last much longer._

"She has a very good point. We can't have the Chandlers outdo us."

"Of course, you'd agree with her, Binx. You have an even more positive outlook on things than her."

Bianca rolled her eyes at her sister. "Whatever you say. So, back to my original question, how did everything go this afternoon?"

"I can see someone's influence on you. There was a time when I could put you off for days. Now, I'm lucky if it's ten minutes."

Bianca grinned at Marissa who simply grinned back at her. "Enough stalling. Answer the question."

The question was met with silence from the group. The redhead looked around at everyone. "Don't everybody answer her at once."

Miranda finally spoke up. "I don't want to see her again. I don't like her."

AJ quickly added. "I don't like her either."

The couple looked at each other and then down at the little girl in between them. "What about you, Gabby?"

The little girl shook her head. "Don't like her."

Bianca looked at her sister. "Spill it, Kendall. What happened?"

"Don't be upset with Aunt Kendall, Bianca. Her and Greenlee were really good today. They did a good job protecting Miranda and Gabby."

Marissa looked at her son, cocking an eyebrow. "Aunt Kendall, huh?"

"I asked her if I could call her that, and she said it was okay. Is that alright, mom?"

The redhead looked at Kendall who smiled and nodded. "It looks like some bonding went on today. If Kendall is okay with it, then so am I. In fact, I think it's great. Bianca's not upset with her, buddy. She just wants to know what happened, and why you all don't like Reese."

"She scared Gabby."

"She what?" Both Bianca and Marissa tensed up immediately and quickly looked down at the little girl. Gabby had crawled onto Marissa's lap and was snuggled up against her. The redhead hadn't realized the little girl had crawled on her lap. It was something so natural and second nature to both of them. Marissa smiled and continued to gently stroke Gabby's back.

Bianca smiled at the scene that had become commonplace between Marissa and Gabby. She was always amazed at how quickly her youngest seemed to bounce back no matter what the adversity. She was positive a large part of the reason this time was because Gabby trusted Marissa completely and felt nothing but love and safety in her arms. These were the exact feelings that Bianca felt herself when in her girlfriend's arms and nightmares from her past returned to haunt her. That sight calmed the brunette down and allowed her to continue. "What happened?"

Kendall knew both women would be upset and saw them struggling to not lose their composure around their children. In fact, it was the presence of their children that was the only thing keeping them from unleashing their anger. She began to recount everything that had happened earlier in the day while editing the parts not meant for little ears.

The couple wanted to speak to Kendall and Greenlee alone so Marissa took Gabby up to her bedroom and settled her down for a late afternoon nap. While she was doing this, Bianca set up a movie for Miranda and AJ. When Marissa returned downstairs, the four women stepped outside to the patio and sat down to continue the conversation. This time, they received the unabridged version, and they were both mad as hell.

When Kendall finished, she apologized to the couple. "I am so sorry. You have to believe me that the last thing I wanted was for Gabby to be scared and Miranda upset, and I can't believe she said what she did to AJ."

"I'm sorry too. We just weren't quick enough."

Bianca shook her head. "It's not your fault, Kendall. It's not your's either, Greenlee's. This is all on Reese." She turned to look at Marissa who had remained quiet during the entire recounting. She saw that her girlfriend's jaw was clenched, and she could see the fury in her eyes. Bianca gently caressed Marissa's cheek who turned to face her the as soon as she felt her touch. "Are you okay?"

The instant she felt the loving touch of her girlfriend, the redhead's expression immediately softened and her anger began to dissipate when she saw the concern for her in those warm brown eyes she loved so much. Marissa took a shaky breath and slowly nodded. "I'm as okay as I'm going to be given everything that we've just heard." She turned to Kendall and Greenlee. "Bianca's right. What happened today isn't your fault so please don't beat yourselves up over it, and thank you for everything that you said to her. It really means a great deal to me. It's obvious that you have a big fan in AJ."

"I have to say I was a little surprised when he asked to call me Aunt Kendall, and I can't begin to tell you how touched and honored I am that he sees me like that. He's a great kid, and he's so amazing. The way he stepped forward to protect the girls and defend you? I've never seen anything quite like that. That's all you, and you have done an incredible job with him. I also meant every word I said to him and whatshername about you."

"Thank you, that means a lot." The thought of AJ feeling the need to defend her and protect the girls had her anger on the rise again. "That bitch! I'm sorry, Bianca, but I'm taking the gloves off. The next time I see her? Her ass is mine. We've played it nice for far too long with her, and I can't do it anymore."

Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other and reached a silent agreement. "We should go. Ryan and Emma will be wondering what happened to me." Greenlee gave the couple a supportive squeeze on their shoulders as she headed to the door.

"Yeah, the same with Zach and the boys. We'll see ourselves out." Kendall hugged her sister and the redhead tightly. "Try not to let her get to you, and don't let her ruin this beautiful day. She's not worth it. Focus on your new home and your future."

"Kendall's right. She's not worth it. Remember who to call though if you need help with the body." Greenlee's last comment brought a small smile to the faces of both Bianca and Marissa.

The friends walked back inside the house, making sure the door was closed behind them so AJ and Miranda wouldn't overhear the conversation sure to continue between the couple. "Hey you two, we're heading out now. Next time we'll do something really fun and bring Spike, Ian and Emma along. Sound good?"

The children nodded, and Miranda asked, "Are mom and Marissa okay? They seem kinda mad."

"Well, they are a little mad but not at either one of you. They're mad at Reese. They'll be okay once they finish their discussion. I promise."

Kendall and Greenlee waited until they were in the car before speaking again. "I don't know that I've ever seen Marissa that mad before."

"I don't think I have either and that's including that day at Krystal's last year. She has every right to be though."

"Yes, she does. Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Yeah, as long as she doesn't see Reese right away, she'll be fine. My sister will pull her back from the ledge. I also think Binx knows that Red _has_ to confront Reese about everything now. Bianca knows that she has every right to, and she won't ask Marissa to keep quiet any longer."

"Do you think we can somehow manage to see that when it happens?"

/

"I meant what I said, Bianca. I just can't stand by anymore regarding her. You know that line we've talked about her crossing? Well, she's pole-vaulted over it. What she's done is unforgiveable. Gabby is the sweetest and most loving child there is, and what does that bitch do? She scares her. Oh, she may not have meant to do it, but she did all the same. She should've known better and then she has the gall to say Gabby overreacted! How the hell else was Gabby supposed to react when she doesn't know who that woman is? As for Miranda, this is way too much for her to deal with, and she shouldn't have to. That woman has put her on an emotional roller-coaster, and it's time for that to end! And what she said to AJ? There's no way in hell that was called for! If she has a problem with me, then take it up with me! Don't go after my children, take it out on them and expect me to do nothing in response! I'm not going to stand for any more of her games! I'm not going to stand for any more of her! Please don't ask me to. You can ask me anything else but just not that."

Bianca hated seeing Marissa like this. The struggle to contain her anger was causing the redhead to shake. Bianca knew she had asked a lot from her, and Marissa had agreed simply because she had asked her to and she loved her. The brunette had no idea exactly how much she was asking though or how hard it was on Marissa until that very moment. No one else had ever done anything like that for her before, and if possible, Bianca loved Marissa even more. She took her girlfriend's hands. "You're right. You're right about all of it. What she did is unforgiveable. I don't know what the hell she was thinking, and there are absolutely no excuses for any of it. I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for? This isn't your fault." Marissa gave her a puzzled look.

"Yeah, it is a little. I was pushing for the girls to try and have some sort of relationship with her. I didn't want them to think it was possible for her to just forget them and walk away from them. I thought if she could still be in their life just a little that it would be good for them. I was wrong for pushing them and for thinking that, and I was wrong to ask you to keep quiet for this long. I shouldn't have done that. It wasn't fair to you. I just didn't realize how much I was asking."

When she heard Bianca attempting to blame herself for this situation, Marissa took a deep breath, and her anger began to fade. She couldn't allow her girlfriend blame herself for something she wasn't remotely responsible for. "Bianca, listen to me. None of this is your fault. You were doing what you thought was best for Miranda and Gabby. You know that I understand that more than anyone else. As for me, contrary to what some people think, I am capable of telling you 'no' and could have done it when you asked me to keep quiet, but I didn't. That's on me, not you. I thought I could handle it better than I have. I just can't do it any longer though. Do you understand?"

As she looked into the beautiful hazel eyes of her girlfriend, Bianca could see the anger that had been there earlier had faded considerably and that her Marissa was returning. While she was grateful for that, the brunette now started to feel her own anger and struggled to control it. "I do understand, and you've handled it far better than you think, far better than anyone else could have. Some things are going to change. If the girls don't want to see her again, then they won't. I won't make them. I'm not going to put them through any more of her bullshit. It stops now, and I don't give a damn what she wants or thinks. You have every right to go after her, and I'm not going to try and stop you or ask you not to. What she's done to the girls, what she said to AJ and what she said about you and what she's put you through, that can't go unanswered. I'm not going to let it. I'm tired of being nice and not saying or doing anything about all of this. I'm not going to do it anymore. You don't do that to my family, and she should damn well know that by now. In fact, I may need you to stop me. I'd like nothing better than to rip her head off and shove it up her ass." Bianca saw Marissa's lips twitch. "What? You don't think I'd do that?"

Marissa could see the anger in Bianca's eyes and knew that she meant every word that she was saying. Just like her girlfriend felt the need to pull her back from that dark and angry place, the redhead knew she needed to do the same thing for her. She would not allow anyone to take Bianca down a path that Marissa knew the brunette would later regret. "No, I know you're perfectly capable of doing that especially where we're concerned. I was getting a visual of it. I've gotta say that I really liked it. I just have one question. Do I have to stop you right away? I mean, can I let you get a few shots in at least before I stop you?"

As Marissa's words began to sink in, Bianca felt her anger subside. She shook her in head as a small smile slowly made its way across her face. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you, for letting me say what I needed to and then knowing what to say to bring me back."

"I didn't do anything that you just didn't do me for. I kinda lost it there for a little bit, didn't I?"

"Maybe just a little, but no more than me. Besides, you had every right to." Bianca sighed.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am now. What about you?"

Marissa leaned forward giving Bianca a loving kiss. "Thanks to you, I am."

"Okay, you know that I'm going to have to see her. I think this is something that I need to do face to face. Are you okay with me doing that?"

"I'll be honest. I don't like it because I just don't trust her, and have I mentioned how much I _really_ don't like her?"

"I seem to recall you mentioning that once or twice. I really don't like her either if that helps."

Marissa smiled. "Thanks, it really does. Okay, do what you need to do. I'm with you all the way. When are you going to call her?"

"Thank you. Monday, I'll call her on Monday and set something up for Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm not going to ruin our weekend by giving her anymore of our time. What about you?"

"Well, I won't hunt her down like she deserves to be. It's tempting, very tempting, but I won't do that. I know I'll be seeing her again soon, and the next time I do, I'll be ready for her. You're right about this weekend. I'm declaring this a whatshername free zone." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "I do love how you think, counselor."

/

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're not on the authorized list to pick them up. I can't let them go with you. I'll have to call their mother, and report this incident to her."

"I've already told you that my name is Reese Williams, and I am their mother."

"Again, I'm sorry, but I only have Bianca Montgomery listed as their mother. She has provided us with a list of individuals who are authorized to pick up Miranda and Gabby, and you are not on the list."

"Who's on the list?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you that. I can only tell you that you are not on the list. You will have to leave the property, or I will be forced to call the police."

"This is ridiculous. I demand to see …"

"Hi, Susan, is something wrong?"

The camp assistant let out an audible sigh of relief. "Ms. Tasker, it's really good to see you. This woman is trying to see Miranda and Gabby, but she's not on the list that Ms. Montgomery gave us."

"It's okay, Susan. I'll take care of this. Will you keep an eye on the kids for a little while longer while I handle this?"

"Thank you and I'll be happy to keep an eye on them for as long as you need."

"Reese, let's go outside."

"I'm not leaving …"

The steely look in Marissa's eyes stopped the blonde from finishing her protest. "That's not a request."

As the pair slowly headed outside, they passed Kendall and Greenlee who were there to pick up their kids from the summer day camp. Reese stared straight ahead while Marissa greeted both women giving them each a smile that was warm but had something else behind it. "Kendall, Greenlee, it's always good to see you."

"Marissa, it's good to see you too." The friends exchanged looks and then quickly headed into the administration office. Immediately after finding out what happened from the assistant and asking her to keep an eye on their kids a little while longer for them, the women raced outside to find the pair. Kendall pulled out her cellphone and dialed her sister as they chased after them. "Binx, it's me. I want you to just listen. Reese was here at day camp to try and see the girls. Don't worry. They're fine. Susan kept her away from them. Marissa arrived during all of this, and it looks like the gloves are getting ready to come off. Greenlee and I are trying to get close enough to hear what they're going to say. I'll put you on speakerphone so you can hopefully hear too. Put your line on mute though."

Greenlee located them right away and found a hiding place behind a huge oak tree close to where they had just stopped.

Reese turned to face Marissa. "Look, I just wanted to talk to the girls, and try and explain the other day. Bianca really should have put me on the list so I can see my daughters."

Marissa gave the blonde a look that did not betray anything she was feeling at that moment for this other woman. "Since she has full custody, Bianca doesn't _have_ to do anything for you where her daughters are concerned. I think it's been clearly established repeatedly that she doesn't trust you to be alone with them."

"Do you honestly think that you are going to be able to stop me from seeing them? I have rights. I can make a call to my lawyer and have the agreement reversed. There's nothing you can do about it. You have no standing here. You have no standing with them at all. You're nothing to them. Maybe if you had those bitches Kendall and Greenlee help you, you might be able to stop me."

_Oh, this is so on. You better bring it because I'm ready for whatever you've got. _"You're free to call your lawyer, but that's not a good idea. There's a little matter of attempting kidnapping and custodial interference from last year. The statute of limitations hasn't expired on either of those counts, and any lawyer will tell you that. There are plenty of witnesses still around to testify. Plus, we did get affidavits on what happened at the time. That coupled with no valid grounds, I don't see that agreement getting reversed in any court. And what could you possibly hope to accomplish by doing any of that? It's not going to make Bianca trust you anymore. It will just hurt the girls and confuse them more than they already are. They don't know what to make of this whole situation. They only know that they don't really know you, and they're scared of you and don't want to see you. Bianca agrees with their decision. There won't be any winners with a custody battle, and shouldn't you be thinking of Miranda and Gabby for a change? As for what I am to the girls and how they feel about me, I'm not worried. I know how they feel about me because they know me and I know them. More importantly, they know how much they mean to me. They know I how much I love them. And I don't _think_ anything, I _know_ I can stop you. As long as it's what Miranda and Gabby want and what Bianca wants, I'll do whatever I need to do. I'll do anything for them, and they know that. It's nice to hear what you think about members of Bianca's family considering how much family means to her. Knowing Kendall and Greenlee like I do though, I think they'd actually take your opinion of them as a compliment. I don't need them for backup, although they would jump at the chance to help me. I can handle you all on my own."

Reese smirked. "I'm having my doubts about that since I heard you thought you were straight not so long ago. Sounds like you're kind of confused about lots of things."

Marissa gave Reese a cold smile, wanting nothing more than to wipe that smirk off of her face, but she was ready for anything the blonde could throw at her and would not be baited into losing her temper. "I'm not confused about a damn thing. When I realized that I was in love with Bianca and she was in love with me, that was it for me. She is it for me, and I've never been more positive of anything in my life. There's no going back, no looking back, and Bianca knows that and trusts that. If you want to talk about someone being confused, we can talk about what you did before your ceremony …"

Reese glared at Marissa. "Fine. What about your family? When you think about everything they've done, it's not surprising the way your son acted …"

"Holy shit!" Greenlee clamped a hand over her mouth.

Kendall whispered to her sister over the phone. "Oh, Bianca, if looks could kill, Reese would be dead and buried. I think that look would even stop mom in her tracks. I can't believe she brought up AJ."

The look Marissa gave the blonde actually gave the woman cold chills. The redhead's words were just as icy as the look she was giving Reese. "Let's get a couple of things straight. AJ did nothing wrong the other day where you're concerned. He was defending me and protecting the girls, period and end of story. You are _never_ to say anything about my son _ever _again. I don't want you looking at him, talking to him or even whispering his name. If I hear of you doing any of those things, you will never be able to run fast enough or far enough from me. Got it?"

Reese, still stunned by the redhead's glare, could only manage a nod in reply.

"Good. Don't _ever _forget it. Now, you were talking about my family. They haven't done anything to Bianca. In fact, they've never met her."

"They've never met her? Your sister took Bianca's …"

"Oh, you're talking about them. You said my family. You didn't say you were talking about Krystal, David and Babe."

"Yeah, them, you know, your family."

"See, when you mentioned my family, I automatically thought you were talking about the Taskers. They're my family. They're the ones that raised me and made me who I am. I never met Babe. I only know what other people have told me about her, and I only met David and Krystal a few years ago. I don't have much to do with him at all. As for Krystal, while Bianca's been able to forgive her, I have a little harder time doing that, but she wants me to. So, whatever relationship I have with her is all because of Bianca. If Bianca doesn't have a problem with my connection to Krystal, then your opinion on it is doesn't matter one damn bit to me. You got anything else for me?"

Reese just stared at the redhead and saw the glint in her eye. She had underestimated Marissa and had thought she would easily fold when confronted about her family connections. "I'm not doing this. Tell Bianca I'll talk to her tomorrow." The blonde turned to leave but was stopped by Marissa's words.

"Where are you going? We're just getting started and nowhere close to being done."

Greenlee whispered to her friend. "Okay, this is getting really good, and Marissa is now officially someone I want on my side in a fight."

Kendall nodded. "You can say that again. Red's not backing down for one minute, and it looks like she's just getting warmed up. Did you see the look in her eyes? Damn, Bianca, your girl is doing you proud!"

"What are you talking about? I don't have anything else to say to you."

_Was that really your best? I'm just getting started._ Marissa gave her a wicked grin. "You may not have anything else to say to me, but I've got plenty to say to you. I've stood here and taken your best shots. Now, it's my turn."

"I'm not staying."

"Yeah, you are. You see, you started this, and I'm going to finish it. Why are you here?"

"I told you that I'm here to see my daughters."

"No, I'm not buying that. You haven't seen them in over two years, and your last phone call was months ago. There's something else, another reason, and don't say it's work because the meetings with Chandler are ones you could've done virtually. There's no need for you to be here for them. So, tell me. Why are you _really_ here?"

"Fine, I'm here for Bianca. I want her back."

"I thought so. What about what she wants?"

"What do you mean?"

"Have you stopped to think about what Bianca wants?"

"Once she remembers what we had, she'll come back with me and be more than happy to leave this place."

"What about her family, her mother, her sister?"

"The farther away they are, the better it is for her. She doesn't need them in her life."

Greenlee had to restrain Kendall. "Calm down. Marissa's got this. Don't worry."

"You mean the better it is for you. I know for a fact that's not how Bianca feels or something she would ever agree to or want. If you knew Bianca, you'd know that. You wouldn't even think of asking her to do something like that. They're her family, and she loves them. They're a package deal. You get her, you get them. What about what the girls want? You know that matters more than anything else to her."

"They'll come around with the proper guidance."

"Wow and what is the proper guidance?"

"It would be to get them away from you and your influence and everyone else in this town. I'm sure you've been filling their head with all kinds of horrific tales about me and putting words in their mouths. I'm also sure you've been doing the same thing to Bianca, trying to confuse her."

"Do you even know Bianca? Because if you did, you would know that no one tells her what to think. She makes up her own mind, and she would _never_ allow someone to have that kind of influence on Miranda and Gabby. It doesn't sound like you know Miranda that well either. Even though she's young, Miranda is most certainly her mother's daughter and is perfectly capable of making up her own mind. She would never stand by and let someone like that around her little sister. If you ask me, it sounds like you're the one who's confused."

"I don't give a damn what you think."

"I'm sure you don't, and the feeling's mutual. So, I guess I know how you feel about me now. Not that it matters to you, but I haven't done any of the things you've said. I wouldn't do that to Bianca or the girls. I love them too much to do anything like that. All I've done for Bianca is to just listen to her, help her in any way that I possibly can and love her, and she's done the same for me. Our relationship is based on friendship, honesty and trust. Falling in love with her was the easiest and most natural thing that I've ever done. When Bianca told me that she was in love with me, it was the most amazing gift I've ever received. Hurting her and the girls? That's the furthest thing from my mind. I guess that's why I don't understand you."

"What the hell are talking about?"

"I don't understand how you could put them through everything that you have. I don't understand how you could put work, or anything else for that matter, ahead of them."

"What I do is important."

"More important than your family? I don't think so. You had to know what you were doing to them. There's no way that you couldn't, and you didn't try and stop. I don't understand how you could do that. Then after shutting them out and ignoring them, you try and take Bianca's daughters away from her, not once but twice. Those girls are her life, and if you knew _anything_ about her, you'd know that. To take them away from her is the worst thing you could possibly ever do to her. It's also the worst possible thing you could to do Miranda and Gabby. They adore her and can't even begin to imagine not having her in their lives. The bond between the three of them is the most amazing thing I've ever seen, and it doesn't matter to you one damn bit. The hell you put them through, the pain you caused them is unforgiveable. I won't stand by and let you do anything like that to them again. It'll be over my dead body before you hurt them like that _ever _again."

"You don't know …"

"You're right, I don't know. I don't know how you could hurt the girls and then just walk away from them like it was nothing." Marissa smiled as she thought of them. "Gabby is the sweetest and most loving little girl. She's so bright, funny and imaginative. Miranda is, well Miranda is so smart and perceptive that it's a little scary sometimes. She misses nothing. She is also so caring and so willing to put others first. She is so much like her mother. They both are but especially Miranda. And Bianca …"

"Is not perfect."

"I never said she was perfect. She's human with her own flaws just like everyone else. What she is though is the most amazing person I've ever known. Bianca has been through so much, suffered through so much and been to hell and back. Instead of turning bitter, spiteful or taking it out on the world and those that caused that pain, she's chosen to dedicate her life to helping others, to give them a safe place to go to so they can heal and rebuild their lives. She has chosen to forgive those who have hurt her, like Krystal, and even encouraged me and others to forgive them as well. I don't know anyone else who would be able to do that or who would even want to try to do that. She's smart, caring, kind, compassionate and funny. Bianca is even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside. The thing that's the most amazing about her is that she doesn't know or see those things about herself. She doesn't know how truly special or amazing she is. I don't see how anyone could think of causing her pain, of hurting her so deeply, of putting any job ahead of her and then just walk away from her, tossing her aside and the gift of her love aside. That's what her love is. That's what she is, a gift. Unlike you and the others in her past, I know exactly how lucky I am to have her in my life, how lucky I am to share my life with her. There's no job, no amount of fame or recognition that is worth losing her. Anyone who thinks otherwise is just a damn fool."

"I don't give a damn about your feelings or what you think. It doesn't change the fact that they are my daughters and not yours. Once I have a chance to explain things to Bianca, she'll realize that she doesn't want you and that you don't deserve to be a part of her life. She'll leave you and this god-forsaken town in the dust. We can get back to Paris and undo all of the damage that you and this town have done to our daughters. I'm thinking we might need to send them away somewhere for that."

"First, I never said they weren't your daughters. Legally, they are." Marissa couldn't wrap her head around Reese's last comments. She had done a good job of holding herself in check until now, but those comments were the last straw. Marissa couldn't hold back any longer. _Screw this!_ "Yes legally, they are your daughters, but you sure as hell haven't acted like much of a mother to them. Up until this little visit, which has gone _so_ well, you can count on one hand the number of times you've tried to contact them in the last two years. You don't know the first things about them or who they really are. They don't know you and are scared to be alone with you. The only person to blame for all of that is you. Now, you come waltzing back into town and their lives when it's convenient for you, when you can fit them into your busy schedule, and you want to rip them away from their family, their friends and their home which means more pain for them. Now, you think they need to be 'fixed'? I can't believe you think there's anything wrong with them. Exactly what do you mean by 'send them away somewhere for that'? You can't possibly be talking about sending them away from Bianca."

Marissa saw the look in the blonde's eyes and knew her guess was right. "Oh my God! You can't be serious! You want to ship them off somewhere away from Bianca, the one constant in their lives, and cause them unheard of pain! Yeah, that's something a good mother would do, purposefully cause her children pain by ripping apart their lives for her own selfish needs. Do you seriously think Bianca would even consider for one second sending her daughters away? There's not a chance in hell of that happening! No, they're not my daughters, as you're so quick to point out. I know I'm not their mother, but I couldn't love them any more than I love my son. There's not one thing I wouldn't do for them, not one battle I wouldn't fight for them. I would give my life for them.

As for Bianca, I know I don't deserve her. I don't know anyone who truly does. Somehow, I'm lucky enough to have her think that I do. I spend every day making sure she knows how much she is loved and healing the scars that you and others have left on her heart, trying to undo the damage that you've done. People have lied to her, cheated on her, stolen from her, raked her over the coals physically and emotionally and not thought twice about it. It is beyond me how anyone could do anything like that to another human being let alone to someone as special as Bianca. You think I don't deserve her to be in her life, huh? What right on God's green earth do you have to be in her's, to even share the same air as her? Wow, you are unbelievable! This is all about you and what you want and nothing to do with what she wants. You don't really give a damn about that, do you? If you did, you wouldn't expect her to give up her family, her friends, her home and everything she's built here with the Miranda Center, the things that mean the most to her, while you aren't willing to give up one damn thing. Do you even begin to understand what you're wanting of her? How much that would hurt her, cost her? I know your answer to that so don't even bother. You don't like her mother and sister, too damn bad! Bianca loves them, and they are two of the most important people in her life. There's no way in hell she'll give them up nor should she be expected to. You don't like her friends, too damn bad! Along with Kendall and Erica, they helped her pick up the pieces of her life after people like you shattered it repeatedly. You don't like Pine Valley, too damn bad. This is her home, and she loves this place and the people here. You don't think the work she does is more important than what you do? The number of lives that she has saved and changed is countless. We're talking about lives and not buildings, and yet, she somehow always manages to find time for her daughters and those that she loves.

No, you don't give a damn about her. If you did, you wouldn't even think of suggesting any of that. You may think she'll blindly agree to everything you want, but you're dead wrong. She knows exactly who you are. Her eyes are wide open, and Bianca doesn't need me, Kendall or Erica to tell her anything. She knows what you put her through, her daughters through, and there is not a snowball's chance in hell of Bianca allowing you to do that again. She's stronger than you or anyone else gives her credit for. No, the only one confused around here is you especially if you think that I'm just going to just sit back and let you take everything away that Bianca and I have built without one hell of a fight. You should get the hell out of here now because I really can't decide exactly what I want to do to you right now. Part of me wants to thank you for not realizing what you had. You had the most remarkable woman walking the face of this earth in your life, sharing your life, and you didn't have the sense that God gave a rock to know it and appreciate it. If you did though, I wouldn't have her in my life, and not having her in my life is something I can't even begin to fathom. I won't take that for granted. I won't take her for granted. I know what I have, and I'm not letting go. A bigger part of me though wants to slap the shit out of you for everything that you've done to her, and trust me, it's something that perfectly willing to do. I've got to be honest, that's the part of me that I'm really leaning towards."

Reese couldn't come up with a response for Marissa. The look in the redhead's eyes dared her to, but nothing came to mind so she left hoping that if she could just get Bianca alone she could somehow spin this to her advantage.

Marissa watched the blonde drive away. She took a deep breath to steady herself before getting the children. She knew Bianca was scheduled to be in meetings all day and pretty much unavailable. She'd talk with her tonight about what happened after the kids were in bed. Marissa was now calmed down enough and turned towards the administration office. She caught a glimpse of Greenlee crouched behind the huge oak tree and knew Kendall would be there as well. Marissa had forgotten all about seeing the pair earlier. She just shook her head and smiled. "You can come out now. The show's over. You know the two of you might want to look into some camouflage. It'll make the spying easier for you, help you blend into your surroundings better."

"That could maybe be a new line for Fusion! I like it, Red, almost as much as I liked what you just did to whatshername." Kendall smirked.

"Hey, Marissa, next time I'm in a fight, I'm going to want you on my side!" Greenlee laughed and gave the redhead a high-five.

"Thank you. Let's hope Bianca feels the same way when I tell her what happened later. Do you mind if I talk to the two of you later? Right now, I just want to get the kids and get the hell out of here." Marissa waved and headed off.

Kendall pulled her cellphone up from her side. "You still there, Binx?"

Bianca took her phone off mute as she smiled and wiped away tears. "I am. Is Marissa really okay?"

"Yeah, I think she's just fine. She handled that like a pro, like one of us. You know how I feel about Red and how good I think she is for you. I have to you that she just went up a few more notches in my book. You have one hell of a girlfriend, Binx, but I think you already knew that."

Bianca sighed happily and smiled even brighter. "Thanks for calling me, Kendall. You're right, I do. Marissa's amazing, and I know _exactly_ how lucky I am to have her in my life."


	26. Daydreaming

**A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews! You all know how to make my day! Okay, I seem to have a bit of dilemma from time to time when writing. I get on a roll and notice the chapters get kind of long. I start to wonder if I should post a really long chapter or break it up. This chapter is a case in point. I noticed how long it was getting and started thinking that I should break it up. What really made my final decision for me were two conversations that take place. As I reviewed what I had, I felt the need to do some tweaking on them to do them the way I really wanted to. That would make this even longer. It would also delay me posting an update, and I really wanted to get something up for you all. As a result, I have a very good start on the next chapter and should have it up later this week, and before you ask, I'm not done with whatshername. I'll be done with her next chapter. I hope you enjoy it!**

**/**

Marissa slipped into the conference room seconds before the firm's weekly staff meeting started, relieved she made it just in the nick of time. She was normally among the first ones there since she hated being late. Today, however, she was running behind schedule, barely having enough time to literally drop off her stuff in her office before heading into the meeting. She was hoping that no one would notice her slipping in, but Jack saw her and caught her attention. She gave him a quick nod and smile. _Crap. He's the one person I didn't want to notice me this morning, and he looks like he wants to talk too. Maybe, I can make a quick exit when the meeting's over. I know he's going to wonder why I'm late. I better start thinking of an excuse now and be ready in case I can't avoid him because there's no way in hell I'm going to be able to tell him the truth. _

Jack noted Marissa's later than usual arrival when he saw her slip into the staff meeting just before it started. It was definitely unusual for her since she was normally early. He caught her attention and nodded. He continued to observe her during the meeting. She seemed preoccupied and perhaps a little flustered. Both were out of character for the redhead who he considered normally unflappable especially when it came to work. Jack knew that Bianca's ex-wife was in town and was concerned that she might be causing the couple problems. He couldn't help but wonder if that had anything to do with Marissa's current state. He was definitely going to talk with her after the meeting was over.

The longer the meeting went on, the more difficult Marissa was finding it to stay focused on what was being said as memories of Bianca and last night kept invading her thoughts. While it was a very pleasant distraction, it was one that was making it difficult to concentrate on work. When the meeting was finally over, she tried duck out quickly and escape to her office, but Jack stopped her before she could get away.

"Marissa, you're late, at least late for you. Is everything okay?"

_Oh, Jack, you really don't want me to answer that honestly. I like you. I really do, and we have a great relationship. Telling you the real reason why I'm running late today though is just not an option. Let's face it. If I told you the truth, we would both be extremely uncomfortable. You see Bianca as more of a daughter than a niece, and you have a tendency to see her a certain way sometimes, maybe almost virtuous. That is definitely not the way I would describe Bianca last night and again this morning, not that I'm complaining. Dear God, you will never hear me complain about that! No, telling you the real reason is definitely not an option. Think, Tasker, think. _

Marissa grabbed herself a cup of tea before answering. "Everything's fine. I just had some car trouble. I couldn't get it to turn over."

"I'm glad to hear it wasn't anything serious. I know that Reese is back in town. I was worried she might be causing the two of you problems. So, everything is okay with you and Bianca?"

"I appreciate the concern, Jack, but there's no need to worry. Things are great with us. In fact, they've never been better. Reese being back in town isn't anything we can't handle."

"I can't tell you how relieved I am to hear that. You know that if you need any help, all you have to do is ask."

"I know and thank you."

"So, did Bianca jump you?"

Marissa had just taken a drink of tea and started choking when she heard the question.

"Are you okay?"

She managed to get out "I'm fine, just went down the wrong way" in between coughing fits. She was finally able to speak more clearly when the coughing subsided. "I'm sorry about that. What were you asking?"

"I'm assuming the problem with your car was your battery since you said it wouldn't turnover. Did Bianca give your car a jump or did you call a service?"

"Yeah, it was the battery. That's exactly what the problem was. Bianca and I took care of it ourselves." _Smooth, real smooth, Tasker. Please, dear God, let this conversation end._

Jack's phone rang. "I need to take this. You should get that battery checked and make sure it can hold a charge."

_Thank you God for letting this conversation be over. _"Good idea. I'll take care of that during lunch." Marissa hurried off to the relative safety of her office. She sat down at her desk and proceeded to put her head down on it and let out a small groan. _Thank God, that wasn't Greenlee. I'd never here the end of it if it was._ After a minute, she sighed and raised her head off the desk. She pulled out some files and started reading. Her mind started drifting off again when she saw the photo of Bianca she kept on her desk. She was jolted back to reality when her cellphone rang. Marissa smiled immediately when she saw the caller id. "Hey, you."

"Hey, yourself. How's your morning going? Were you late for your meeting?"

"No, I made it in time, just barely. Jack saw me sneak in though and cornered me to see if everything was okay. He wondered why I got there later than I normally do."

"What did you tell him?"

"I told him that it was all your fault, and you were a bad influence who kept me up most of the night having your way with me and then decided that you weren't done with me when you woke up this morning and started all over again." Marissa smirked.

Bianca was laughing so hard she snorted. "I know you didn't tell my uncle that! I don't seem to recall hearing any complaints while I was _having my way with you_. In fact, it sounded like it was quite the opposite, and as I seem to remember, I wasn't the only one _having her way_ with someone."

Marissa was unable to stop herself from laughing when she heard the tone in the brunette's voice. "Uh no, I wasn't complaining at all. That's something that will never happen. I was enjoying myself a great deal, not unlike someone else I know, and I just can't seem to help myself around you."

"I can't lie to you, counselor. I was enjoying myself too. I wanted you to know just how much I love you, and that everything you said to whatshername goes double for me where you're concerned. I know how lucky I am to have you in my life and wanted you to know it. I also wanted you to stop thinking that you don't deserve me. You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and I wanted you to know it. I don't have the way with words like you do so I thought I could prove my point better by showing you."

"Oh, believe me, you do have a way with words. You also more than proved your point. You proved it so well in fact that I haven't been able to think about anything else this morning and get any work done. I've been reading the same paragraph for the last half hour, and I still have no idea what I've read."

"I'm sorry."

Marissa could hear the amusement in Bianca's voice. "You are such a liar. You are not the least bit sorry."

The brunette laughed. "You're right. I'm not. I've had the same exact problem. I haven't been able to concentrate on work at all. I keep having staff members ask me if something's wrong."

"I'll see your staff members and raise you a concerned uncle. He thought trouble with whatshername was the reason I was running behind schedule."

"I know what you _didn't_ tell him. So, what _did_ you actually tell him?"

"I told him I had car trouble."

"That's seems like a plausible explanation."

"I thought so, and I was doing okay with the conversation until he asked if you jumped me."

"What? Seriously? He did not ask that!"

"Uh yeah, he did. I was drinking something at the time and nearly choked to death when he asked that. He repeated the question but clarified it by asking if it was the battery and if you gave the car a jump. So, if it comes up, that's what happened."

Bianca was laughing so hard she was in tears. "I would've loved to have seen that."

"I'm glad you find my nearly choking to death so hilarious."

"You know, that's not what I meant. I just would've loved to have seen the expression on your face. I wouldn't have been able to handle that myself. I think I would've died from embarrassment. Is there _any_ way I can make it up to you, Rissa?"

"I think I might be able think of something you could do to make it up to me." Marissa grinned.

Bianca could picture the redhead's mischievous grin, and she sighed happily. She checked the time. "Damn, I have a meeting I have to get to. Will you tell me how I can make it up to you at lunch?"

"You're on! Same place and time?"

"It's a date! I love you."

"I love you too."

/

After her conversation with Bianca, Marissa now had a goal, finish reviewing as many briefs as she could so she could get out of the office and meet the brunette for lunch. Having that goal provided her with the necessary motivation she needed to concentrate and actually get some work done. The redhead had plowed through a couple of briefs and was halfway through yet another one when she heard someone call her name. It was a voice she knew all too well by now. After all this time, it could still stop her in her tracks, and she was definitely not expecting to hear it today. _Dammit if she doesn't love these surprise visits. _Marissa glanced up and was surprised to see two women in the doorway to her office. "Erica, Kendall, this is a surprise. Please come in and have a seat."

"Marissa, dear, thank you. I do hope we're not interrupting."

"No, not at all." The redhead looked at Kendall as Erica settled herself in a chair across from Marissa. _What the hell is this about?_

As Kendall took her seat, she mouthed _Sorry_. "I told mom that we really should've called first, that you might be in the middle of something, but you know how she loves to surprise people."

"Marissa has already said we weren't interrupting her so there's really no need to apologize. Now, Marissa dear, I would like to know what you intend to do."

"I'm sorry, Erica. What I intend to do about what?"

"I would like to know what you intend to do about that woman and this whole situation."

"Mom just got back in town and heard about whatshername being here. She insisted that we come over right away to see you."

"Yes, I did. Something has to be done about that woman. What she did to Bianca and the girls, the way she hurt them, cannot go unpunished. Kendall tells me that you confronted her yesterday, and you did quite a nice job doing so. What else do you intend on doing?"

"Nothing. I don't intend on doing anything else."

"What do you mean you don't intend on doing anything else? You can't be serious about that. I'm told that Bianca plans on seeing her tomorrow. You're going to allow her to be alone with that woman?"

"Erica, I trust Bianca, and no one _allows_ her to do anything. She is your daughter after all so she's going to do what she wants."

"Well, that is true, but you can't believe that sitting back while that woman is alone with her is the best course of action. Now, I am more than happy to give you some advice on what I think you should do. If it were me, I think it would be advisable …"

Marissa listened to Erica rant about whatshername and how she would handle the situation if it was her. She managed to listen for several minutes until her eyes rested on the photo of Bianca and her mind wandered off to last night.

/

_Bianca hurried home after getting out of her last meeting for the day at work. She had wanted to leave immediately after getting off the phone with Kendall and hearing everything that Marissa had said, but a potential donor had been onsite for a tour of the Miranda Center and had asked to speak to the brunette afterwards and had prevented an immediate departure. She was, however, able to cut short a budget meeting after promising to continue it tomorrow. Bianca's focus was now completely on Marissa, and she needed to make sure that her girlfriend really was okay after everything that had gone down between her and whatshername. Kendall had assured her that Marissa was fine when she left, but Bianca needed to see that for herself. Her ex would be dealt with soon, very soon but not today. All she could think about at that moment was getting to Marissa, making sure she was in fact okay and telling her, showing her, how much she meant to her. It was beyond her how Marissa could even begin to think she didn't deserve to be in Bianca's life. The brunette planned to prove otherwise to her as soon as she possibly could. When she entered their home, she heard Gabby and Marissa talking. The youngest Montgomery was excited about something._

"_I did it, Rissa! I did it!" Gabby beamed with pride at her accomplishment. She hugged the redhead tightly after giving her a big kiss. _

_Marissa's smiled brightly, and she delighted in seeing how proud and excited Gabby was over what she had just accomplished. "Great job, monkey! I never had any doubt that you couldn't do it! I'm very proud of you!"_

_Bianca walked in and saw her youngest bouncing up and down on the sofa next to Marissa. "What's all the excitement about?"_

"_Mommy! I did it! I can tie my shoes all by myself! Rissa showed me how to do it a couple times, and now, I can do it all by myself!" Gabby practically jumped into her mother's arms when she reached down to greet her._

"_You can? That's great, baby! I knew you could do it! Do you want to show me?"_

"_Uh huh! Sit down over there, and I'll show you! Please."_

_Bianca paused to give Marissa a lingering kiss. The presence of her daughter and her excitement over what she had just learned were the only things pulling her from those intoxicating lips. The brunette sat in the chair Gabby had indicated and smiled as her little girl bit her lip and furrowed her brow in concentration while attempting to repeat the task. She had been trying to learn how to tie her shoes for the past few days by carefully watching both AJ and Miranda and trying to copy their movements while not drawing attention to herself. Seeing the older kids tie their shoes made this something Gabby felt she needed to know how to do. Both Bianca and Marissa had noticed what she was doing and decided not to say anything. She would ask for help when she was ready. _

"_See, mommy! I did it again!" _

"_Yes, you did! I am so proud of you! Great job!"_

_Gabby beamed proudly after receiving her mother's praise. She continued practicing while Bianca spoke with Marissa. "She finally decided to ask for help?"_

"_She did. She waited until AJ and Miranda weren't around and then asked me. I only had to show her twice and then she had it. She couldn't wait for you to get home to show you. I know I'm completely biased, but I'd have to say that she's an absolutely brilliant child!" Marissa smiled brightly. _

_Bianca wasn't sure who was prouder at that moment, Gabby or Marissa. She smiled as she made a mental note. That's one. "You won't get any argument out of me on that. Where are AJ and Miranda?" _

_Marissa noticed the smile on Bianca's face. She thought she knew every one of her smiles, but this was one she hadn't seen before. There was something more to this one, and the redhead couldn't put her finger on it. "They're in the dining room working on the latest craft project from camp. Is something up?"_

"_No, everything's great. Why?"_

"_No reason, just … Nevermind. How was your day? You're home a little earlier than I thought you'd be."_

"_Well, we have a new donor so I'd say that meeting went pretty well. I decided to cut short the budget meeting. I just couldn't focus. It's one of the advantages of being the boss. How was your day?" That's two, Bianca thought._

"_Congratulations! That's fantastic! I told you that you didn't have to worry. I knew you'd sign them. I don't know anyone with half a brain who could resist the Montgomery charm. My day was interesting, very interesting. I ran into whatshername earlier."_

_That's three. Bianca laughed. "I'm not sure how irresistible the Montgomery charm is, but yes, you did tell me that and thank you. So, did you run into her literally or figuratively?" _

_Marissa laughed. "I guess that would depend on who you ask. I'd say more figuratively since she's still walking."_

"_Are you okay?"_

"_Me? I'm great, not a scratch on me."_

"_I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that. Are you going to tell me what happened?"_

"_You know that I am, like you even have to ask, but I'm thinking it's probably better if we discuss it later in private. There's no reason for little ones to hear the sordid details and get upset. Is that okay with you?" Marissa noticed that smile again. This time it made her stomach do a little flip. Bianca's smiles could always do that to her, but there was definitely something different with this one._

"_As long as I know that you're okay, I can wait as long as you need me to. It sounds like a private discussion is probably best." That's four._

_Marissa was trying to figure out what was going on with that wonderful new smile and had gotten temporarily lost in Bianca's eyes, a common occurrence for her. "Uh yeah, I'm great so don't worry. It's such a nice day outside that I thought we could just grill something for dinner and eat outside. How does that sound to you?"_

"_Sounds perfect! Let me go change, and I'll be right back to help."_

"_Take your time. I know how much you love budget meetings." Marissa smirked. "I'll get the kids to help. You just relax."_

_That's five. "I can help with dinner. My day wasn't that bad. There was actually this one call that I have to say made my day."_

_Marissa studied her for a minute, making sure that Bianca was really okay, before relenting. "Alright, you can help, but I still want you to take your time. It sounds like a great call. You'll have to tell me about it."_

"_You have no idea how great it was. I'll tell you all about it later. Let me go change."_

_Damn, there was that smile again, and there was something in Bianca's voice that caused Marissa to sigh happily. She watched the brunette head upstairs and disappear, shaking her head as she enjoyed the view. She looked down at Gabby. "Are your shoes all tied?"_

"_Yep!"_

"_Good job! Will you please get AJ and Miranda for me, and we'll get dinner started?"_

_Gabby nodded and darted off to fetch the older two kids as requested while the redhead headed outside to fire up the grill._

_Throughout the entire evening, Marissa could feel Bianca's eyes on her. The redhead would glance over to her girlfriend and see that smile each time. There was something going on behind those warm, chocolate pools that she just couldn't figure out, but whatever it was didn't have her worried the least little bit. If something was wrong, she knew Bianca would tell her. Besides, nothing could be wrong with the way that smile was making her feel. _

_The evening flew by, and it was soon time to put the kids to bed. It was Marissa's turn to read the nightly bedtime story, and it was Miranda's turn to choose so she picked her favorite, "Beauty and the Beast". Bianca found herself as captivated by the redhead's storytelling as the kids. Marissa didn't simply just read the story. Like everything else did, the redhead threw her whole self into it, doing voices and making the story come alive. When it was over, Bianca took care of getting AJ settled in for the night while the redhead took care of the girls. As she passed back by the girls' bedroom, Bianca heard Gabby talking to Marissa._

"_Thanks for me teachin' me how to tie my shoes, Rissa."_

"_You are more than welcome. You know you just have to ask, and I'll always be there to help to you."_

_Gabby smiled. "Uh huh, I know. Who taught you?"_

"_Oh, my mom taught me. I was having a little trouble figuring it out so she showed me a special trick that she had learned from her mom."_

"_And you showed me!"_

"_I sure did, monkey!" Gabby began to giggle as Marissa tickled her._

_Bianca sighed happily, simply amazed by Marissa, as she headed to their bedroom. She couldn't even remember how many that made. She had lost count hours ago. For some reason, she had been keeping a mental count of the differences between Marissa and whatshername tonight, most likely the result of the confrontation if she had to guess. From the very beginning, Bianca always knew there were differences between them and could easily tell anyone who asked what they were. Tonight, however, those differences were even more pronounced and practically shouting at her from the moment she had gotten home. It started with the one on one time she had witnessed with Gabby and taking the time to show her how to tie her shoes. Her ex would never have made the time for something like that. And the pride in Gabby's accomplishment was evident on Marissa's face and in her words of praise for the little girl. Gabby simply beamed. _

_Then, Marissa asked Bianca how her day was. It was a simple question, and one that was always the first thing she asked when she saw Bianca after work. It was one that she wasn't used to being asked with someone else. It was always about their day. The brunette's had always been an afterthought, something to be asked about in passing with no thought given to her response. Marissa always listened and knew which meetings Bianca dreaded and which ones she looked forward to, and she was just as excited as the brunette when a new donor was signed. If she had the slightest inkling of Bianca having a rough day, Marissa would do everything she could to make sure her girlfriend's evening made up for the earlier part of her day. These were things that Bianca had always done for others and that she still did for Marissa. She couldn't help doing them. There was one big difference now. Bianca finally had someone else doing these little things for her. Marissa willingly did them without being asked or even thinking about it. It was just who she was. _

_When Bianca asked how her day went, she immediately told her about running into whatshername. The thought of not telling the brunette never occurred to her, and Bianca knew that. Marissa valued honesty as much as she did having been burned by lies too many times to count in the past. Instead of jumping into that discussion though, the redhead asked if it could wait until they were alone so the kids wouldn't overhear something that might upset them. This was yet another difference. Marissa's first thought was about the kids and what was in their best interest, not her own. _

_A simple bedtime story was even special, and Bianca wasn't sure who enjoyed it more. The conversation she had just overheard with Gabby was yet another indication to Bianca just how lucky she was. Marissa had a way of making everyone feel special, no matter what the reason, by just listening or finding just the right word to say or making the smallest gesture that showed she cared and that they were important. Even the way Marissa looked at Bianca made her feel special. The most amazing thing about tonight was that this was just another ordinary night for them, no birthday, no anniversary, no special occasion. Marissa was just simply being her own incredible self. Her girlfriend was definitely mistaken when she said that she didn't deserve to be in Bianca's life. If anything, the brunette thought the reverse was true, and she thanked God or whatever force in the universe saw fit to bring them together._

"_Hey, you okay?"_

_Bianca looked up and saw Marissa standing in the doorway. "Yeah, I'm more than okay. I was just thinking."_

_Marissa closed the door behind her and leaned against it. "Okay, as long as you're sure. I guess there's no time like the present to tell you about my run in with whatshername. When I went to pick up the kids from day camp, she was there trying to see Miranda and Gabby. She didn't get anywhere close to them because she wasn't counting on having to get by Susan. I told Susan I would take care of it, and escorted whatshername outside. Whatshername didn't like that, but I actually didn't give her a choice. It wasn't something that was up for discussion. Once we got clear of the area, I took the gloves off and let her know exactly how I felt about everything. Are you ready for all the sordid details?"_

"_There's no need. I already know them."_

"_What do you mean? How could know them? Oh wait, I forgot the dynamic duo was there. They told you about it, huh? Did they give you the highlights?"_

"_Not exactly. Kendall called me when she saw you and whatshername headed out and put me on speakerphone. I heard everything. I heard everything she said, and more importantly, I heard everything you said." _

_Marissa couldn't move. Bianca's gaze had her frozen in place as the brunette slowly made her way across the room to her. "You heard everything that I said?"_

"_I did, and I have a few things I have to say. First, I love you. It seems that I fall more and more in love with you every day, and I see no end to that happening in sight. Second, thank you for everything that you said today. I can't begin to tell you how much it meant to me. I know I don't have to tell you that, but I need to tell you that. I need for you to hear it. Now, I don't ever want to hear you say that you don't deserve to be in my life. You are one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and your love is one of the most amazing gifts that I've ever received. You don't know how absolutely amazing you are, how special you, how beautiful you are inside and out. You make me feel so loved and so damn lucky to have you in my life. I can't even begin to image my life without you, and I want you to know that I don't take you for granted for one second. I know exactly what I have, and I'm not letting you go without one hell of a fight." Bianca pinned her against the door leaning in and capturing Marissa's lips. The redhead moaned feeling the intensity of the love behind the kiss and wound her arms around Bianca's waist pulling her closer. As the kiss deepened, Marissa felt her knees starting to give a little, but Bianca was there to steady her. They slowly separated. Each saw the love and desire in the other's eyes and clothes were quickly discarded as they made their way onto their bed. Bianca's lips slowly trailed down..._

/

"Kendall, would you please watch what you're doing."

Marissa was jolted back to the present hearing the rise in Erica's voice. She saw that Kendall had knocked over a stack of files. _Crap. What'd I miss? The last thing I need is for Erica to see me not paying attention to her._


	27. No Contest

**A/N: Thank you all again for the reviews! I really appreciate them. I know I cut the flashback short in the last chapter, but I could only let Marissa get so far with it with Bianca's mom there. I will try and make it up to you in a future chapter. No promises, but I will try. Speaking of future chapters, I'm not sure when I'll have my next update. My mom is having hip replacement surgery this coming week so my writing time may be a little limited dealing with everything involved with that. I do have plans for more chapters though so stay tuned. Hope you enjoy this one. **

**/ **

"Kendall, would you please watch what you're doing."

Marissa was jolted back to the present hearing the rise in Erica's voice. She saw that Kendall had knocked over a stack of files. _Crap. What'd I miss? The last thing I need is for Erica to see me not paying attention to her._

"Sorry, Marissa, I didn't mean to make a mess."

Both women knelt down to pick up the files. "It's okay. I got it."

Kendall whispered. "Are you sure, Red? It looked like you kind of drifted off there for a little bit."

Marissa blushed as she made a face and whispered back. "I guess I kind of did zone out there for a minute. Erica didn't notice, did she?"

"No, she didn't. You're fine. Trust me, you would know if she did. And it was for more than a minute. Are you okay?"

"Uh yeah, I'm good. I'm just a little distracted."

"Do I want to know why?"

Marissa grinned. "You probably don't want to know since it involves your sister, and you've said there are certain details you don't want to hear about regarding our relationship."

"Okay, gotcha. Enough said. We'll just let it go then. Are you able to focus now? You really should try and stay with us in the present and pay attention to mom. I don't want to destroy your desk any more than I have to in order to get your attention." Kendall smirked.

"Gotcha and I'm better now. Thanks."

Erica huffed. "What are the two of you doing down there? It shouldn't be taking you this long to pick up some files."

Marissa stacked the files back on her desk and took her seat as Kendall did the same. "Sorry, Erica, you were saying?"

"I was saying that you should be there with Bianca, at the very least, when she sees that woman. Bianca shouldn't be alone with her. She knows how to manipulate any situation, and she shouldn't be trusted. By not doing anything it seems like you're just rolling over and giving up. I thought you loved my daughter more than …"

"Stop right there, Erica. Let's get one thing straight. I love Bianca with all of my heart. I never thought that I would find someone like her to share my life with, and I can't imagine my life without her. She's everything to me. I'm not rolling over. There's no way in hell that I would ever just roll over and give up when it comes to Bianca. Now, you can question all you want how smart you think my handling of this situation with whatshername is. Feel free. I'm fine with that. The one thing you can _never_ question, however, is how much I love Bianca and what she means to me. Don't _ever_ doubt that for one second. Do we understand each other?" _Oh shit! Did I just do that? Did I just say that? Judging by the fact that Erica's not blinking and the expression on her face, I would have to that yes, I did. Well, I'm not backing down from it. I meant every word. Don't question my feelings for Bianca. I really wish Erica would blink though. _

Erica was stunned. _Not many people have the nerve to interrupt me like that, to speak to me like that in that tone of voice. Judging by the look in her eyes, she's not going to back down either. She really is different. Yes, she must love Bianca a great deal to do something like that. I suppose I shouldn't doubt that. _"Yes, I suppose we do understand each other. I'm sorry that I misspoke. I can see how much you love her."

Kendall eyes widened as she sat in shock. She didn't know who shocked her more, Marissa or her mother. _Red did not just say that to mom! I don't know anyone outside of Bianca, Zach and me that has ever stood up to her like that, used that tone with her and lived to tell the tale. And did I just hear mom apologize for something and actually back down a little? It's official. The Mayans had it right. The world is definitely coming to an end._

"Thank you. Look, I didn't mean to snap at you like that. When it comes to your daughter though, I can't seem to help myself. I get very protective of her and our relationship. I don't want anyone to question my feelings for her. As for that woman, I don't trust her, not for one second. I do, however, trust Bianca. I trust how she feels about me, that she loves me as much as I love her and I trust the strength of our relationship. Look, do I like the idea of Bianca seeing her alone? No, I don't. I don't like it at all, but your daughter feels that she needs to do this face to face and on her own. I understand that. I've told her that I would back her up, and that's what I'm going to do. I appreciate your concern and all of your advice. I really do. It means a lot to me. I just think that the best thing to do in this situation is to do what Bianca wants and let her handle this her way. I've had my say. It's time for Bianca to have her's. She's not going into this blind. Her eyes are wide open, and Bianca sees her for what she is and doesn't trust her one bit either. Who knows, maybe, your daughter will be able to get through to her and she'll give up and leave. I don't know. I do know that I'm not telling you anything that you don't know when I tell you that Bianca is one hell of a strong woman. Someone would be making a very big mistake by underestimating her."

"Marissa has made several good points, mom. Bianca knows what she wants, who she wants, and she has never been happier. I think we should trust her to handle this."

Erica studied the two women. Marissa was right. Her youngest daughter was strong, stronger than probably all of them combined given everything she had been through in her life. To underestimate her would indeed be a very big mistake. She had also never seen her happier in her life, more secure in a relationship than she was with Marissa. "Fine, we'll play it your way, _for now_. The minute that woman does anything to hurt Bianca or the girls, however, we'll handle it my way."

"Trust me, Erica. If she does anything to hurt Bianca, Miranda or Gabby, we'll handle it _my_ way."

Erica saw the look in Marissa's eyes and knew the meaning behind those words. Someone underestimating this young woman would be making a very big mistake as well. "Alright, I'll trust you to handle this, but I want you to come to me if you need any help with that woman."

"I will. Thank you."

"Good. I have another appointment I have to get to. We'll talk again soon." Erica got up and left.

Kendall looked at Marissa. "I guess that's my cue to leave as well since I'm her ride. Nice job of handling mom, Red. It's not something that is easy to do."

"Tell me about it. Oh Kendall, thanks for calling Bianca yesterday and letting her hear everything that happened."

"You're welcome. I told you I had your back. I'll see you later."

Marissa sat alone in her office after the women left thinking about everything that had happened that morning. She just shook her head and checked the time. It was almost time to leave and meet Bianca for lunch. She looked at the stack of files that she really should work on and then at the photo of Bianca. _Talk about a no-brainer._ She grabbed her purse and keys and headed out to meet her girlfriend.

/

Bianca had arrived at Krystal's early, unable to focus on work. She was sitting at their usual table when she saw Marissa arrive early as well. Both women saw each other immediately and couldn't hold back the smiles that overtook their faces. Marissa walked quickly over to their table and leaned in giving the brunette a lingering kiss before sitting down.

"Hey you, you're early." Bianca took the redhead's hands in her own.

"Hey yourself, and it looks like I'm not the only one who's early."

Bianca sighed happily with that goofy grin that Marissa loved so much. "Well, I wasn't getting anything accomplished at work. I was pretty useless actually. I just couldn't concentrate so I figured why stick around there. I thought I'd take a chance that you might show up early. It looks like it's my lucky day."

Marissa shook her head and smiled as her stomach did a little flip seeing Bianca's grin. "And you say you don't have a way with words. I was pretty useless myself. Every time I would look at that photo of you on my desk, my mind would wander off, and I couldn't think of anything else but you."

"Well, if it isn't my two favorite customers. Good afternoon, ladies. I'd ask how you're doing, but from those smile on your faces, I think I know."

"Hi, Krystal. We are doing just great. How are you today?" Marissa asked.

"I'm doing good, not as good as the two of you, but good and busy. What can I get the two of you to drink, two iced teas?"

Bianca looked around the restaurant. "You really are busy today. It's a good thing I got here early so I could get our table. And two iced teas would be perfect."

"Oh, don't you worry. I'll always make sure this table is available for the two of you. I'm thinking of getting a little plaque for it and maybe roping it off. I'll go get your drinks and send someone over for your orders." Krystal headed off to find a server to take care of her daughter and her girlfriend. _Those two are amazing. I've never seen two people more in love, and they both deserve it so much._

Marissa laughed. "You know, I kind of like the idea of a plaque here. It marks it as our spot."

Bianca joined the redhead laughing. "We'll need one for the park too if we're going to start marking our spots around town."

"I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"I've been thinking about what you can do to make it up to me for laughing at my nearly choking to death earlier." Marissa flashed her a mischievous grin.

_Damn, I do love that grin. _Bianca took a shaky breath loving the things that grin was making her think and feel. "You have, have you?"

"Yes, I have. I've given it a great deal of thought. Would you like me to tell you what I've come up with?"

Bianca cleared her throat. "Please do."

Marissa leaned in closer lowering her voice so no one else could hear them. "Well …"

"I told you they would be here, Greenlee."

"You were right, Kendall. I should've known better."

The couple looked at each other as they both released a frustrated sigh.

Marissa whispered. "B, you know I love your sister, but …"

"Her timing is the worst sometimes." Bianca whispered in reply.

Both women started laughing.

"What's so funny, you two?"

They both replied "Inside joke" and started laughing again.

The friends looked at each other and just shook their heads.

"Ooookay. Is it alright if we join you? The place is packed." Greenlee asked.

"Sure, have a seat. Long time no see, Kendall." Marissa smirked.

"About that, Red. That's why I wanted to find you. I am _really_ sorry about that surprise visit. You have to believe that I would've called to give you a heads up if I had been able to. Mom just showed, and before I knew it, we were on our way to your office."

"What surprise visit?"

"It's fine, Kendall. I know you would've called or sent a text if you had the chance. Your mom and Curly here showed up at my office earlier to surprise me."

"Do I want to know why?"

"I was going to tell you about it later. I don't see why you wouldn't want to know. I'm sure you can probably guess without thinking about it too much."

"Mom just got in and had heard about whatshername being in town. She wanted to know what Red had planned to do to handle the situation."

"A surprise visit from Erica will certainly get the blood pumping in the morning." Greenlee smirked.

Bianca shook her head. "I'm not surprised. What did she say?"

"She was giving me some advice regarding whatshername and what she would do if it was her."

"You missed a little of that conversation, Red. Remember when you zoned out?"

"You zoned out on mom? Why?"

"Oh yeah, I did do that. I was a little _distracted_." Marissa glanced at Bianca who blushed slightly at her girlfriend's mischievous grin.

Greenlee just missed the brief exchange between the couple since she was addressing Kendall. "Erica didn't notice that, did she? There would be hell to pay if she did."

"Red lucked out there."

"Thanks to you! So, what did I miss Erica saying?"

"Basically, she ranted about whatshername and what she would do to her or have done to her if she saw her. It was actually kind of entertaining and nothing I hadn't thought of doing to her myself."

"What else happened, Kendall?"

"Well, mom wasn't completely sold on Marissa's approach to this situation."

"Which is for me to meet with whatshername and deal with her on my own."

"Exactly, you know that mom's a hands on person. More take charge and take no prisoners."

"That's putting it mildly, Kendall."

Her sister laughed at Bianca's response. "True. We're in public though so I'm trying to tone it down some. Don't worry, Binx. Red listened and then made some valid points in response. Mom seemed okay with everything by the time we left."

"You're getting good at handling Erica. I'm impressed."

"No one handles Erica, Greenlee. You know that. We both want what's best for Bianca. We just have different ways of going about that."

Bianca's cellphone rang, and she saw that it was the day camp calling. "Bianca Montgomery. Hi, Susan, what's up?" There was a pause as she listened. "Okay, one of us will be right there."

Marissa was on instant alert. "Is everything okay?"

"The kids are sick. It seems they finally caught that stomach bug that's been going around the camp. We need to go pick them up."

"All three are sick?"

"I'm afraid so." Bianca could see the wheels turning in Marissa's brain.

"Well, I don't have any more meetings and no court dates, but don't you have another meeting?"

"Yes, I do, but I can very easily turn that over to someone else to handle. Since it was a nice day though, I walked over and left my car back at the office."

"Okay, I'll drop you off at the center and then go get the kids. You take care of things there, and could you stop by my office and pick up a few files for me? Maybe I can do a little work if they start feeling better."

Bianca nodded. "It sounds like a plan." She turned to the other two women while Marissa went to pay for their drinks. "We'll have to do lunch another day, and I hope you don't get a similar call. See you both later."

Marissa waved to the friends as she headed out the door with Bianca.

/

Bianca was headed over to Krystal's to meet with her ex. She was torn. Part of her wanted to just get it over and be done with it. Part of her wanted to put it off for another day. The reason for putting it off was simple. She was still worried about her family. The kids were feeling better than they were yesterday and were finally able to keep a little something down. Marissa, however, was another story. Bianca was afraid that she had picked up what the kids had.

"_Are you sure you're feeling okay, Rissa? You're looking a little green."_

"_I'm fine, B. I'm just a little tired. The kids are in bed for the night so I'll probably just take a nap while you're gone. I want you to go. I know how much you want to get this over with. You're tired of having this hanging over us and just want it to be done with. I get it, and I want you to get this over with too. So, go and give her hell. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine, and I'll be patiently waiting to hear all the sordid details from you."_

"_I just don't feel right leaving you when I know you don't feel well. It doesn't matter how much you protest. I know you and know when you're not feeling well."_

"_You're not going to be gone that long, and I will be just fine for that short period of time and so will the kids. Go and get this over with. The sooner you go, the sooner you can get back and take care of me to your heart's content."_

"_Alright, I'll go. You're right. I do want to get this the hell over with. I want you to promise me that you'll call if you start feeling worse."_

"_I promise. Now, go give whatshername hell! Love you."_

"_I will. Love you too." Bianca gathered her purse and keys and gave Marissa a quick kiss on the cheek as she headed out._

Bianca walked into the restaurant and looked around. She didn't see her ex so she headed to an empty table. Krystal walked over to greet her.

"How are the kids? Are they feeling better?"

"Yeah, they are. I think the worst is over for them. Your daughter is another story. I think she picked up what they had. I wanted to stay home, but she wouldn't budge. She wants me to get this over with as much as I do."

"Do you want me to check on her for you?"

"Thanks but no. She was going to take a nap since the kids are down for the night, and I don't plan on this taking very long. Have you seen whatshername?"

"I haven't, but I've been back in the kitchen. You need anything?"

"I'm good, thanks."

"Alright, I'll be around if you need anything, and I do mean anything." Krystal headed off and left Bianca to wait.

The brunette saw Reese enter the restaurant a few minutes later and head over to where she was sitting.

"Bianca, I'm glad you called. I've wanted to talk with you alone for a while now. I think we have a lot to talk about, a lot of catching up to do."

"We do have some things to talk about. Why don't you start?"

"I've been doing a lot of thinking since I've been back in town. Seeing you and our daughters has been great. I would like to try again. I'd like us to try again. I'd like us to be a family again."

_Marissa called that right a long time ago. _"Why?"

"I've realized a lot of things lately, seeing you, spending time with you. Namely, I realized how much I missed you, how much I missed us. I know I made some mistakes. We both did, but I think we could work things out."

"What about Marissa? I'm with her now. We live together, have a life together."

"About her, there's something I think you should. It's about what happened the other day."

"What happened?"

"Well, the other day I happened to be by the day camp that the girls attend. I thought I could just see them for a minute. You know, see how they were doing, try and reconnect with them. I think there was a misunderstanding. That girl at the desk got confused and overreacted. Marissa showed up then and was told that I was there to take them without your permission."

"So, that's what happened."

"Yeah, that's all it was, just a misunderstanding. I just wanted to say hello to our girls for a minute and then leave. I should have run it by you first, but it was a spur of the moment thing."

"Wow. That's nothing at all like what I heard."

"That's what I thought so I wanted to explain. Are the girls okay?"

"Why wouldn't they be?"

"Well, I have to be honest. I was a little concerned. Marissa seemed worked up when I left. I was a little worried about her being around the girls being like that. I was going to say something to her, but I didn't want to take the chance of making things worse."

"Marissa was that worked up? You thought she might have done something to jeopardize the girls' safety? You were this concerned, and yet, you're just telling me this now."

"Like I said, I didn't want to take the chance of making things worse. And to be completely honest, yes, I did. I worry about her being around them and the influence she has over them. I didn't want to tell you this, but she pretty much attacked me verbally and threatened me physically. And it was all unprovoked. I don't know that anyone like that should be around our daughters. I just don't think it's a good idea. I think we can agree on that."

Bianca took a deep breath. Both her patience and her control over her temper were at their tipping points. "You're right. Someone like that shouldn't be around my daughters. It's a good thing Marissa is nothing like that."

"What do you mean? I told you exactly what happened."

"No, you didn't. I know that's not what happened. I can't believe that you would think for one minute that I would buy any of that. Do you really think I'm that gullible? After everything that's happened, everything you've done, you really think I would just believe whatever load of crap you decided to unload on me? You are unbelievable. I know everything that happened."

"I'm sure Marissa's told you some story …"

"Marissa has only told me that she saw you trying to see Miranda and Gabby, without my permission, and that Susan, who was doing her job by the way, stopped you. She also told me that she escorted you away from the area. She didn't have to tell me anything else because I heard it all myself."

"I didn't see you …"

"You didn't see me? No, you wouldn't have because I wasn't there. Kendall called me and put me on speakerphone. That let me hear everything."

Reese muttered. "That bitch."

"What did you call her? Kendall is my sister! You don't _ever_ talk about her like that! You don't _ever_ call her that again! _Am I clear?_" It took everything Bianca had not to smack the hell out of the blonde. _First, you lie about and insult Marissa and now Kendall. Don't lose your temper, just get this the hell over with._

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. You're right. I shouldn't have said that, but she's never liked me."

"No, she hasn't, with good reason. Kendall's always been a really good judge of character, and she's always looked out for me, whether I want her to or not. I do the same for her. That's what family does, and my family means everything to me. It always has, and it always will. I love them. You know, I think Marissa said it best the other day. We're a package deal. Kendall and my mom are two of the most important people in my life. There's no way in hell I'm giving them up, and I shouldn't be expected to. I need them in my life. If you knew me at all, you would know that. Marissa does, and you know what's great? She really likes them, and the feeling is mutual for them.

You know who else is important to me? Miranda and Gabby. Marissa was right when she told you that my daughters are my life." Bianca took another deep breath and fought the tears that were forming in her eyes as her voice broke. "You've tried to take them away from me multiple times. I will _never _forgive you for that. I don't even know why you think I would. What I really don't understand is why you tried to do that. There is no logical explanation that you could _ever_ give me that would explain that away. From everything I've seen here and when we were together, you don't want them. When we were together, you didn't spend any time with them. You were never there for them because you were always working or doing something else that you thought was more important than spending time with them. Since you've been here, you haven't made any real effort to get to know them. What you've done is scare Gabby and then blame her for being scared because she doesn't know you. That would be your fault because you disappeared from her life, and she doesn't remember you. As for Miranda, she thought she had done something wrong or wasn't good enough. She thought that was why you didn't want anything to do with her, why you forgot her and Gabby. I don't know how you can live with yourself for letting her think something like that. Miranda also had a problem learning to trust others after you, never knowing when someone might leave her again for no reason. And you would want me to do the same thing to them by sending them away if I were to be stupid enough to even consider for one second getting back together with you! Why would you think I would _ever_ give that idea even one shred of consideration? What kind of mother do you think I am? How could you even begin to think I would consider something like that? And you have the nerve, the audacity, to sit there and say that Marissa is a bad influence!

The two other people important to me are Marissa and AJ. Let me tell you a little bit about her. She loves my daughters like they are her own. She loves them just as much as she does AJ, and contrary to what you think, he is the most amazing little boy I've ever known. He's only guilty of loving Miranda and Gabby, trying to protect them and me and defend his mother. I think that's pretty damn amazing for someone so young. You know why he's like that? It's because of Marissa and everything that she's taught him. As for my daughters, Marissa is there for them any time they need her, and they know that. They don't have to think twice about going to her for something. Marissa would do anything for them, and they know that. They love and trust her, and she would never do anything to hurt them or betray their trust. Marissa always makes time for them, always, because family is as important to her as it is to me. Whether it's helping them with their homework or a project for camp, teaching Gabby to tie her shoes, reading a bedtime story, holding them when they've had a bad dream, taking care of them when they're sick or just listening to them, she always makes time for that. She's amazing with them, and I can't think of anyone better to be in their lives.

I can't think of anyone better to be in my life, and I love her so much. Marissa is my best friend, and I can tell her any and everything. She knows me, better than I know myself sometimes, and accepts me just as I am, flaws and all. It's because she listens to me. She cares about me, cares about what I think, cares about what I want. Marissa knows what's important to me, my family, my friends and my work, and she wouldn't even begin to think about asking me to give any of that up. She is one of the most caring and selfless people I've ever known. She does so much for me without even thinking about it. She knows that it's the little things that matter the most. Marissa always asks how my day went, and it's because she cares and really wants to know. If she gets up before I do, she always has coffee waiting for me. She's the first one there to celebrate the good things that happen and the first one to help pick me up if it's a lousy day. She lets me know how much she loves every day and doesn't take anything for granted for one second. Marissa's also the most honest person I know. She would never try and pull something like you just did, lie to me right to my face! Doing something like that would never occur to her. It's because she's values honesty as much as I do. She is so willing to fight whatever battles need to be fought for me, so willing to fight them with me, beside me. Marissa is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, and her love is one of the most amazing gifts that I've ever received. She doesn't know how incredible she is, how special she is. I am so damn lucky to have her in my life. I can't even begin to image my life without her. She's not perfect, but she's perfect for me and ourfamily, and I love her with all of my heart. Just when I think I can't love her any more than I already to, she'll do something to prove me wrong, and I fall in love with her even more. You want me to just give all of that up and run away with you because it's convenient for you, because it's what you want. This has all been about you and what you want. You haven't once asked what I want. It's not even on your radar. I deserve better than that, and I have it. I have everything that I've always wanted, my family, a home and someone who loves me, wants only the best for me, and would do anything for that to happen. No, I would never betray her love or trust for someone like you. Why in the hell would I? Given the choice between the two of you, it's no contest. You don't have a chance in hell against her." Bianca got up. "You know what, I'm done here, and I'm done with you. Any further contact between us will be handled by my attorney. I'm going home, to my family."

/

When Bianca got home, she found her girlfriend curled up and asleep on the sofa. As the brunette watched her, Marissa stirred. "I'm not asleep, and you're staring again."

"Bad habit, I just can't help it."

"I just checked on the kids, and they're fine and still asleep."

"What about you? You're looking a little better not as green as before, although, you somehow manage to carry it off."

Marissa chuckled. "You're good. I've felt better, but I did get a little rest and that helped."

"Okay, let's get you to bed." She held out her hand for the redhead to take, and they headed upstairs. Bianca could tell Marissa still wasn't feeling all that well because she wasn't putting up a fight.

"There you are, trying to get me in bed and have your way with me again. You are insatiable." Marissa smirked.

Bianca laughed as she helped her into bed. "Only with you and you know me too well. How about I have my way with you when you're feeling better that way you can have your way with me too?"

"You're on. How did it go? Did you kick whatshername's ass?"

Bianca got into bed and took Marissa in her arms. "I'd like to think I did. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow when you're feeling better. I think you'd be proud though."

"That sounds good. I always am proud of you, you know. I love you." Marissa drifted off to sleep.

Bianca gazed down at Marissa and smiled. "I love you too." _This is exactly where I want to be and who I want to be with, no contest._


	28. The Conference

**A/N: I'm back! First, thanks as always for the reviews. They do wonders for my ego. Second, thanks for the kind words and thoughts about my mom. The surgery couldn't have gone better, and she's now in rehab and on the road to recovery. **

**I've spent the last few days writing when I can and trying to flesh out my plans for what I have in store for our girls next. I hope you like what I have planned for them. This chapter is laying a little groundwork for it. I had to break the chapter up again because it was looking like it was going to be long. What can I say? Minx inspires me! Hope you enjoy this one! **

**/ **

Marissa was anxiously waiting for Bianca at 'their' spot in the park. She had mixed feelings about the news she was about to share with her girlfriend. It was good news, exciting news, but it involved something she wasn't looking all that forward to. The two hadn't planned on meeting for lunch today since both of their schedules were packed with meetings, but Marissa didn't want to wait until evening to discuss this with Bianca. She called her girlfriend to see if there was any way she could get away for a quick lunch. Bianca immediately agreed sensing something was up. A few things were quickly moved around and a late lunch date was set. They decided on meeting in the park today for a little more privacy. Even though it was a public park and they would be out in the open, it wasn't their regular lunchtime meeting spot, and by switching up their normal routine, it gave them the small hope that they would be able to avoid Kendall and Greenlee and their incredible timing. It would also give them the chance to enjoy the beautiful summer day since they were cooped up inside all day. Bianca was swinging by Krystal's and picking up lunch on her way over to meet the redhead. Marissa opened the folder she had next to her and read its contents again as she sighed.

"What are you reading there, counselor?"

Marissa glanced up and smiled brightly as Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss before taking her seat next to her on the bench. "Hey, I'm glad you could get away."

"You know I will always make time for you, and I could tell you needed to talk about something. So, what's up? Is everything okay?" Bianca couldn't hide the concern in her eyes, and Marissa was quick to address it.

"I didn't mean to worry you. Everything's good. I just had something I wanted to discuss with you and didn't want to wait until tonight. Caleb called me into his office this morning and gave me this. I need to give him an answer first thing tomorrow morning." The redhead handed her the folder, and Bianca began to read what was inside. While she was reading, Marissa unpacked their lunch.

When she had finished reading, Bianca looked up and beamed at her girlfriend. "The firm wants to send you to a conference in New York! This is great news! This is big for you, Rissa. It means that they think you're doing a great job by sending you. You know, I'm not really surprised that they asked you to go. I always said you were a brilliant, kickass lawyer. You're just finally getting the official recognition for it. I'm very proud of you." Bianca leaned in for a congratulatory kiss.

The redhead sighed happily as she basked in her girlfriend's praise. "Thanks! Yeah, you always do say that. I think you may be a little biased." Marissa smirked.

"I only speak the truth! Okay, I'm a little biased, but you really are good. This proves it."

"It really is a nice boost for me and the others that were selected. The seminars and workshops they have scheduled look pretty interesting too, particularly the workshop on conflict resolution."

"That one could come in handy for family gatherings." Bianca quipped.

Marissa chuckled. "You're right. It's sad but true."

"Something's up though. Why aren't you more excited? I mean, this is a great opportunity for you." Bianca knew the answer to her question before she even asked. She noticed it as soon as she read it, and her heart sank a little. It was something she was dreading herself.

"I know it is, and I am excited. It's four nights away though, four nights away from you, and I'm not looking forward to that at all. In fact, I hate it."

Bianca took Marissa's hands in her own. "Yeah, I noticed that. I'm not thrilled with that part of it myself. It'll be the first time we've been apart from each other for any substantial amount of time since …"

"Since we got a clue and realized that we were in love and perfect for each other."

Bianca grinned. "Yeah, since then. We knew one of us would probably have to go out of town for work eventually though. So, you leave Sunday evening."

"I haven't said that I'm going."

"Of course, you're going. It's too good of an opportunity for you not to go. I'm not going to hear otherwise."

Marissa smiled and shook her head. _Bianca is always so supportive of me, and she didn't think twice about me not going. _"Are you sure you're okay with it? You'll have all three kids by yourself."

"Oh yeah, you're right. Those three are such a handful. How will I ever be able to handle them on my own?" Bianca smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're right. We have the three greatest kids in the entire world, and you are amazing with them. I know that you won't have any problems with them while I'm gone. I also knew that we'd have to spend some time apart when one of us would eventually have to go out of town for work, and I know we'll get through it, somehow. I'm just going to miss you like crazy."

"You're pretty amazing with them yourself. I know exactly how you feel. I'm going to miss you so much." Bianca smiled and leaned closer to Marissa. "I'm _really_ going to miss that morning routine of yours."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, groping a pillow isn't going to be nearly as fun or as satisfying as groping you first thing in the morning."

"I'm very glad to hear that!" Bianca laughed and gave her girlfriend a lingering kiss. "So, what else is bothering you about this trip?"

Marissa sighed at the fact that Bianca knew her too damn well. "Do you think the kids are going to be okay with it, that they'll understand?"

"By kids, you mean Miranda specifically, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. I think AJ and Gabby will be okay with it. I still worry about Miranda though. I mean, whatshername has gone back to Paris and hasn't bothered to try and contact them since before she left and you handed her ass to her. With everything that went on with that whole mess, I don't want Miranda to get the situations confused in the slightest and think I'm leaving and not coming back."

"To be honest, I don't believe Miranda will think that at all. She might be a little hesitant, but she trusts you and knows that you are nothing at all like whatshername. There is absolutely no comparison between the two of you and the situations. Whatshername couldn't run away fast enough, and with you, it's like I'm practically having to force out the door for just a few nights. Plus, we'll talk to her and make sure she understands that you are only going away for a few days. It will be okay, I promise. We'll talk to them tonight. Better?"

Marissa smiled. "Yeah, I am. You always seem to make everything better."

"Good then I'm doing my job! You do the same for me. So, as soon as you get back to the office, you'll tell Caleb that you're going."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you're trying to get rid of me. You probably won't even know that I'm gone." Marissa smirked.

"You know that's not true so don't ever joke about that, okay? You have become such a big part of my life and my heart. I don't know what I'd do without you here. Trust me, I know when you aren't around."

"I'm sorry. I can only joke about that because of how sure I am of your feelings for me and mine for you. I honestly don't know how I got through even a day before without having you in my life. You make it brighter, more complete."

"Well, me not being in your life is something that is _never_ going to happen. You are stuck with me."

"Have I told you recently how utterly happy I am to be stuck with you?" Marissa gave her a quick kiss.

"I don't think you've told me that yet today, well until just now that is." Bianca smiled brightly. "Now, tell me all about this conference."

/

The couple decided to discuss Marissa's upcoming trip with the kids over dinner. After listening to the kids' exploits from earlier in the day at school and daycare, Bianca broached the subject. "Marissa got some really good news at work today."

"What was it, mom?"

"Well, AJ, they asked me to attend a conference in New York next week along with three other people from our firm."

"Is that good?"

"It is, buddy. It means they think she's doing a really good job. Something that I've known for a long time, and I, for one, am very proud of her." Bianca beamed at Marissa.

"I'm proud of you too, Rissa!" Gabby chimed in.

"So am I! What will you be doing?" AJ asked.

"Thank you! I'll be going to seminars and workshops learning lots of things to help me do an even better job for the people I help."

Her son made a face. "That sounds like school."

Marissa laughed. "I guess it is a little."

Miranda had been sitting quietly since hearing the news, trying to sort out how she felt about it. She finally broke her silence and asked. "How long will you be gone?"

"I was supposed to leave Monday evening, but when I got back to office, I did some checking and was able to change a few things around. Now, I'm going to fly out early Tuesday morning and be back home Friday afternoon."

"Wait, you changed that?" Bianca was happy about this change in plans but surprised by the news. "Why did you do that?"

"Why do you think? I didn't want to spend any more time away from all of you than I had to. When I looked closer at the schedule, I saw that Monday night's activities were optional, more of a social thing, so I don't need to attend. I'll take the red eye Tuesday and be there in plenty of time to check in and register."

"That's a really long day for you. You'll be exhausted. Are you sure you want to do that?"

"B, spending one less night away from all of you is more than worth losing a little sleep. I'll be just fine, and before you ask, Caleb was fine with the change. So, you get me for one more night, unless you don't want me here. If that's the case, I can probably change things back and leave Monday." Marissa joked.

Bianca grinned. "Oh no, I'm more than happy with the change! I can definitely handle you being away for one less night!"

Miranda smiled at the exchange between the two women. She could tell Marissa was teasing her mom because of the way she smiled at her and the look in her eyes. Her mom had that goofy grin that she always seemed to get around Marissa too. Miranda really liked it when they joked with each other like this because she could tell just how happy they were together. What she liked most of all was that Marissa changed her schedule without anyone asking so she wouldn't have to be away from home as long. The fact that she did that made her feel really good. "So, you'll be gone for three nights?"

"Yes, I'll only be gone for three nights, and I'm giving Bianca a copy of my schedule."

"Which I'm going to put it on the refrigerator so we'll know what Marissa is doing each day."

"I'm going to call you all every night to check on you and see how school went, how the rest of your day went, so I expect a full report from each of you. If you need to talk to me, you just have to call. It doesn't matter what I'm doing, okay?"

AJ smiled and nodded. "Okay, mom."

"Okay. I'm proud of you too, Marissa." Miranda added with a smile.

"Thank you! And thank you all for understanding."

"What about story time, Rissa?"

The redhead pulled the little girl on her lap. "Oh, I plan on calling for story time, Gabby. I wouldn't miss that for anything. I guess that means I'll be calling at least twice a day. I might have to call you all more than that since I'm going to miss you so much. Does that sound okay to you?"

Gabby smiled brightly and nodded happily. "Yep!"

/

Marissa hurried home from work early the following Monday. She had a lot to do and just a little time to do it in. She was taking the red eye to New York tomorrow morning for her conference and wanted to pack early before everyone got home so she could spend as much time with them as she could tonight. She checked the time as she finished packing. Bianca would be home with the kids soon. Marissa smiled just thinking about her girlfriend. She sighed as she thought about the next few nights without her. While she knew this conference was a great opportunity for her, she was dreading being away from Bianca. Marissa shook her head and laughed. _I was never like this in any of my other relationships, of course none of them were anything like what I have with Bianca. Kendall and Greenlee are right. I am whipped. I never thought I would be that person, the one so totally head over heels in love with someone that the thought of spending just three nights away from them would literally make my heart hurt. I am though, and I really don't care because I've never been happier._ Marissa pulled herself from her reverie and scanned the contents of her suitcase.

There was one last item she wanted to pack, and her eyes quickly rested on her music box that she always kept on the nightstand on her side of the bed. It truly was the most amazing and thoughtful gift she had ever received. She sat down and reached for it. Marissa turned it on and smiled as the familiar strains of the song she shared with her father filled the room. _I really wish mom and dad had a chance to know Bianca, to know AJ, Miranda and Gabby, to see the wonderful life we're building together. They'd be so happy for me, for us. They would be spoiling the kids rotten and bragging about them constantly to all of their friends. As for Bianca, they would simply adore her._ Marissa laughed as she imagined Bianca and her dad together. _They would've bonded immediately since they have the same sense of humor, one that was both goofy and twisted. Mom had the same optimistic attitude that Bianca does and was just as giving. Mom would be taking her side in any arguments. I can easily see her thinking that Bianca could do no wrong, and they would constantly be ganging up on me._ Marissa quickly wiped a tear away. _Enough of that, Tasker. They wouldn't want any tears. I was blessed to have them for the time that I did, and I am equally blessed to have Bianca and the life we have._ Suddenly, the solution to something that she had been pondering for the last few days popped into her head.

"Rissa, we're home!" Bianca called from downstairs.

The redhead quickly closed her suitcase and headed downstairs.

As soon as Marissa appeared at the top of the stairs, a huge smile broke across Bianca's face. She quickly noticed a hint of sadness in those hazel eyes that she loved so much as she gave her a quick kiss. She was doing her best to hide it as she smiled and cheerfully greeted the children, but Bianca saw it.

"So, what is the homework situation for tonight?" Marissa asked the older two children.

"We just have a spelling test tomorrow." Miranda answered.

"That's all? Well, I think we can proceed with our plans for the evening then. What do you think, B?"

"I think you're right. Everybody upstairs and change into some play clothes. We'll study spelling outside since it's too nice of an evening to be cooped up inside."

"What are we doing?" AJ asked.

"We're going to have a picnic in the park. How does that sound?"

"That sounds great, Bianca!"

"Are you going to change your clothes too, mom?"

"Yep, I'll be up in a minute, Miranda. I want to talk to Marissa for a second."

Bianca was leaning against the back of the sofa. As soon as the children were out of earshot, she pulled Marissa to her. "What's up? Something has you sad."

"There's no reason to worry about me. I'm okay. I really am."

"Rissa, you forget who you're talking to. I know you, and I can tell something's going on. Tell me what it is, please."

Marissa started to protest but knew it was useless once she saw the concern in those beautiful chocolate eyes. Bianca knew her too well. "I really am okay. I was just thinking about my mom and dad."

_I thought it might be something like that. _"What about them?"

Marissa smiled. "I was thinking how much I wish they could've known you and the kids. They would've spoiled the kids so much that they would be impossible to live with. And you, they would have absolutely loved you. I was thinking how happy they would be for me to have found someone as incredible as you. So, I'm really not sad just a little reflective or wistful I guess. It was probably a combination of things that started me thinking about them. I was packing, and I started thinking about how much I love you and the life we have and how much I'm going to miss you even if it's for just a few nights. I went to pack my music box and had to listen to it. That got me thinking about my parents, and one thing led to another causing me to be in my current state."

"I wish I could have known them too, but in a way, I think I do know them some just from listening to you and knowing you and the kind of person you are. I know they had to be incredible people as well as parents to have raised someone as amazing as you. They would be very proud of you." Bianca pulled Marissa closer for a loving kiss.

The redhead sighed happily. "Thank you."

"For what, telling you the truth?"

"For simply being you."

"It's nothing."

Marissa rolled her eyes when she saw the expression on Bianca's face as she tried to deflect the praise from the redhead. _The woman cannot take a compliment to save her life._ "You're impossible. Go on up and get changed so we don't keep the kids waiting. They'll be down here any minute chomping at the bit to get to the park."

Bianca gave her a quick kiss and headed upstairs relieved to see a genuine smile on Marissa's face.

/

After spending a fun evening together, the family returned home. Marissa ushered the children upstairs for baths while Bianca took a call from the Miranda Center. When the redhead had finished Gabby's bath and had helped her get into her pajamas, she had gotten AJ started on his while Miranda studied her spelling a little more waiting for her turn. Marissa returned downstairs to see a troubled Bianca just getting off the phone.

"What's wrong? Did something happen at the Center?"

"Yeah, there was a break-in at Center's offices."

"There wasn't anyone there, was there?"

"No, thankfully, everyone was gone for the day, but there was some damage. The police are down there now."

Marissa knew that Bianca wanted to get down there to check things out for herself, but she could tell the brunette was torn about leaving. "Go on and check things out over there." Marissa stopped Bianca before she could protest. "Don't say you don't want to. You forget who you're talking to. I know you want check things out for yourself."

"You're right, I do want to see the extent of the damage, but we only have a little bit more time together before you leave tomorrow. I want to spend it with you."

"I want the same thing too, but I know you. You'll be distracted until you know exactly what happened. We'll still have some time together when you get back home. Besides, this will give me a little time alone with the kids before tomorrow."

"Are you sure you're okay with me leaving? What about our plans?"

"So, our plans have changed a little. It'll be fine, and I'm more than okay with you checking things out over there. I know how much the Center means to you. You know, the sooner you stop fighting me on this, the sooner you'll be back home."

Bianca smiled. "You're right. I will feel better if I see things for myself. I'll be distracted until I do, and I want to give you my undivided attention later. I'll be back as soon as I can." She grabbed her keys and purse and paused to give Marissa a quick kiss.

"I do like the thought of having your undivided attention later. Be careful, and I'll see you in a bit."

Before heading back upstairs to check on the kids, Marissa paused and decided to make a quick call.

"Hello, Red. I didn't think I'd be hearing from anyone over your way tonight."

"Hi, Kendall. I hadn't planned on calling, but something came up that I wanted to get your and Zach's help with."

"Okay, what can we do for you?"

"There was a break-in at the Miranda Center offices tonight. It happened after hours so no one was hurt. Bianca just headed over there to see the extent of the damage."

"I hate to hear about the break-in, but I'm glad no one was hurt. What do you need from Zach and me?"

"Well, I'm not sure how long the police will be on the scene, and I don't like the idea of Bianca being down there by herself late at night anyway. Throw in the fact that someone just broke in, and I downright hate it."

"I can't say I blame you. Would you like some additional security set up as soon as possible?"

"You read my mind. I figure Zach could use his connections to get something set up faster than I could."

"You're right, he can and will. Hang on a second." Marissa could hear Kendall telling Zach what happened. "Okay, he's on it, and will have some people down there within the hour."

Marissa released a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Kendall. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it."

"Hey, there's no need to thank me. We're talking about my little sister. I want to keep her safe just as much as you do. Thanks for letting me know what happened and thinking of arranging the extra security."

"There's no need to thank me for that. We're talking about the love of my life, the woman I plan on spending the rest of my life with. I'll do whatever I need to do to keep her safe."

Kendall smiled hearing those heartfelt words from Marissa. She would never be able to express how happy she was that Bianca had finally found someone who knew how special her sister was and that loved her the way she deserved to be loved. "You know that she won't be happy about the added security."

"I know. She doesn't like the idea of people going out of their way for her, but she'll just have to deal with it now, won't she? Could I ask you for one more favor?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Could you keep an eye on her for me while I'm away in New York? Make sure she's not working too much and get her out for lunch. I have the feeling she'll want to work through lunch and not take any breaks."

Kendall chuckled. "You really do know my little sister. I'll be more than happy to keep an eye on her for you. Try and have a little fun while you're away, and don't worry about her and the kids so much. They'll be fine. You have my word."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Speaking of kids, I better go check on them and get Miranda started on her bath. I'll talk to you soon. Good night, Curly."

"Good night, Red."

/

"Okay, I just got another text from Bianca, and it looks like she's going to be a little longer. That means it's just us for story time tonight. Before we do that though, I want to talk to you all for a minute. Now, I know that you are the three greatest kids in the entire world, but I need you to be extra good for Bianca while I'm away for the next few days. That means doing your homework as soon as you get home from school, doing your usual chores and helping her out however you can. I also want you to keep an eye out for her for me. Can I count on all of you?"

All three children nodded while Miranda spoke for the group. "We will, Marissa. You can count on us to do whatever we need to for mom. Don't worry. We'll take good care of her."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you. I have no doubt that you will. Now, tomorrow is AJ's turn to pick a story and my turn to read."

"You're still going to read to us tomorrow even though you're reading tonight, mom?"

"If it's okay with you, that's my plan. So, I need you pick out a book tonight, and I'll take it with me and read it to you all over the phone when I call tomorrow night. How does that sound?"

All three children smiled liking her plan a great deal. "That sounds really good, mom. I know exactly what book I want!" AJ walked to the bookcase, pulled out 'The Lion King' and handed it to his mom.

"Ah, 'The Lion King', a very good choice!"

"I really like when you do the hyenas' voices, mom, especially Ed!"

"I like it when you do Rafiki!" Miranda added with a big smile.

"What about you, Gabby?"

"I like Pumbaa!" The little girl started giggling at the sound of the warthog's name and was soon joined by the others laughing.

After a few minutes, Marissa looked at Gabby. "Okay monkey, it's your turn to pick for tonight. What will it be?"

Gabby thought for a minute, walked over to the bookcase and pulled out several books checking the pictures on the covers to make sure she picked the right one. She climbed onto the bed and settled on Marissa's lap before handing her the book with a big smile on her face.

Marissa chuckled when she saw the book. "Okay gang, it's time for 'The Little Mermaid'."

/

When the story was over, Marissa got AJ and Gabby settled in the night. The redhead paused before tucking in Miranda. "Mimo, I have something very important I need you to do for me if you would while I'm away."

"What is it, Rissa?"

"Come with me." The two walked to Marissa and Bianca's bedroom. "Have a seat." Marissa picked up her music box from her nightstand. "You know how much I love this music box. It's the most amazing gift I've ever received. Whenever I used to hear the song it plays, it reminded me of my dad. Now, whenever I hear it, it also reminds me of your mom. It tells me how much she loves me and how much I love her. I was going to take this with me on my trip, but I don't want to risk it get stolen or broken because it's too precious to me. I was wondering if you would take care of it for me while I'm gone."

Miranda could hardly believe what Marissa was asking her. She knew exactly how much the music box meant to Marissa. It was a really big deal for her to ask Miranda to take care of it for her. "You want me to keep an eye on for you?"

"I do. Would you do that for me?"

Miranda nodded and whispered, "I will. I promise to take really good care of it while you're gone." The young girl thought for a minute. "Is it okay if I leave it in here? I think it will be safer. Gabby won't try and play with it that way. She might want to if it's in our room."

"If you think that's best, that's what we'll do. Thank you for doing this for me."

Miranda nodded. "You're welcome."

"Now, let's get you tucked in."

/

"How much damage is there, B?"

"There's quite a bit. Several windows have been smashed, and some of the offices have been trashed. Whoever did this tried to steal some of the computers, but I think the alarms scared them off before they could. We're trying to see if they hacked any of them and were able to access some of the personal information we have on our clients and the locations of our safe houses. Nick just got here and is checking that out. It looks like I'm going to be a bit longer than I thought. How's everything there?"

"Don't even worry about that or us. Everyone here is fine. The kids are all tucked in and sound asleep. How are you doing?"

"I'm doing okay. I just hate that someone did this. It's senseless. The extra security Zach arranged for us has been a big help and a load off my mind. Did you even wait for me to get out of the driveway before calling them?"

Marissa chuckled. "I think you might have just pulled out before I did. You're not upset about me doing that?"

"Normally, I would be because I don't want to bother anyone if it's not necessary, but I'm not tonight. Once I saw all of the damage, I was grateful for the extra help, and I know why you did it. You were just looking out for me and wanted to make sure I was safe. I would've done the same thing for you myself. I will simply say thank you."

"Wow. Talk about making progress!"

Bianca rolled her eyes hearing the amused tone in Marissa's voice and imagining her smirk. "Yes, I'm making progress on accepting help from others. Are you happy?"

"Extremely and not just because of that! You also don't have to thank me for wanting to make sure you're safe. You are way too important to me to have anything happen to you."

"The same goes for me where you're concerned. I should get off of here because the sooner I do, the sooner I can get home. You should probably try and get some sleep. You've got that early flight."

"I'll be okay so stop worrying. I just want you to be safe. I know you have to be exhausted so please be careful. I'll see you when you get home. Love you."

"I will, and I promise to leave soon. Love you too."


	29. Lending A Hand

**A/N: As always, thank you for the reviews! I'm really glad you all are enjoying this little journey because I'm having a hell of a good time writing it. For me, I will have to split my off time this week between writing the next chapter and filling out my bracket for March Madness. What can I, when you're born and raised in Kentucky, a love of basketball is almost engrained in you from birth! That being said, I'm still laying some ground work for what I have planned for our girls. This chapter starts later the same night as the previous one. I hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Bianca finally arrived back home around 2:30 in the morning. There was still so much to do in the way of cleanup at the center, but she was exhausted. She knew that if she had stayed any longer that she wouldn't have been in any condition to drive home, and she had promised Marissa that she would be careful. If Bianca was anything, she was a woman of her word, especially when it came to her girlfriend. More importantly, Bianca wanted and needed to see Marissa before she left. At this point, what little time they spent together would probably be with one or both of them being asleep, but the brunette would take what she could get. Bianca reset the alarm for the house and turned off the downstairs lights that had been left on for her. She headed upstairs and silently checked the children giving each a soft kiss on their forehead.

Next, Bianca quietly entered her and Marissa's bedroom. She smiled when she saw her girlfriend propped up in bed with a book on her lap and sound asleep, and knew immediately that Marissa had stayed up waiting for her to get home. _She's beautiful. God, I love her so much, and how lucky am I that she loves me too? It looks like I finally got it right this time. _Bianca grabbed her pajamas and ducked into the bathroom to wash off the grime from the evening's cleanup activities and change. When she reentered the bedroom, the brunette turned off the lights and carefully climbed into bed, hoping she wouldn't disturb Marissa. She gently brushed a stray lock of silky copper hair from her girlfriend's face before taking her book and placing it on her nightstand.

Marissa stirred as she felt Bianca's gentle, loving touch. She opened her eyes and smiled seeing Bianca just as she was turning back to face her. "Hey, you're home. What time is it?"

"Hey. I didn't mean to wake you up. It's almost 3:00. Go back to sleep."

Looking at Bianca, Marissa could see how tired she was and knew how upset she was by the break-in as well. Attacking the center was the same as attacking Bianca, and Marissa felt a white hot flash of anger at whoever had done it. Knowing that wouldn't help at this moment, she gave the brunette a loving kiss, and as they shifted to lie down, Marissa took Bianca in her arms and simply held her. The redhead could feel the tension in Bianca begin to ease as she started to relax.

Bianca sighed deeply as she felt Marissa's arms enfold her. She had wanted to spend a quiet evening at home tonight with Marissa, but it wasn't meant to be. Instead, she had spent the evening away from her cleaning up the damage to the Miranda Center and trying to understand how someone could do something like that. She was now drained physically and emotionally. Lying in Marissa's arms, she could feel the tension leave her as it was replaced by the love of her girlfriend. _I really didn't want her to wake up, but I'm glad she did. I know I wouldn't be handling this nearly as well without her here. The next three nights are going to be hell without her._

Both women soon drifted off to sleep, happy and content to be in each other's arms.

/

Marissa heard a distant buzzing sound that pulled her reluctantly away from her peaceful slumber. She checked the time as she turned off the alarm and groaned quietly seeing it was 4:30. It was time for her to get up and begin to get ready. Having fallen asleep shortly before Bianca arrived back home, Marissa wasn't sure how much good the 2 ½ hours of sleep that she had gotten would do her today. _I might have been better off if I had been able to just stay awake. _Marissa smiled as she gazed at Bianca sleeping peacefully. _Breathtaking, absolutely breathtaking. God, I wish I didn't have to go to this conference._ Marissa sighed and gave Bianca a soft kiss before slowly and carefully getting out of bed, not wanting to wake her up. The redhead gathered her things and ducked into the bathroom to get ready.

A short while later, Bianca woke to the sound of the low hum of the hairdryer coming from the bathroom. She checked the time and saw that Marissa would be leaving in less than an hour. The brunette grabbed her robe and headed downstairs.

When Marissa reentered the bedroom, she immediately noticed that Bianca was no longer in bed. She smiled when she detected the smell of coffee making its way upstairs from the kitchen. The redhead shook her head at Bianca's thoughtfulness. _She is unbelievable!_ Marissa ducked into the children's bedrooms to give them each a kiss goodbye before grabbing her suitcase and heading downstairs.

Marissa was greeted by a sleepy smile as she entered the kitchen and saw Bianca sitting at the table with her arm propped up and her head resting in her hand. She leaned in giving her a quick kiss before sitting down next to her. "Good morning, beautiful. Why are you up? You should be in bed asleep. I know you have to be exhausted."

"I wanted to spend some time with you before you head out since I didn't get to last night. I made you some coffee." Bianca handed her a mug of freshly brewed coffee.

Marissa took and a drink and smiled appreciatively. "Thank you. I have a feeling I'm going to need a lot of this today and so will you. What's in the bag?"

Bianca smiled and handed the small paper bag sitting on the table in front of her to Marissa. "Breakfast for you on the plane. When we stopped at Krystal's to pick up our picnic last night, I picked you up something."

"You did?" Marissa smiled as she opened the bag. "You got me one of her blueberry muffins, my favorite. You are too good to me." She rewarded Bianca with a tender kiss.

"That's not possible. I can never be too good to you. What time did you go sleep?"

"I'm not sure. I think it was a little before you got home. I'm sorry. I wanted to stay awake for you."

"Don't apologize. I wanted you to get some sleep. No sense in both of us being awake all night."

"So, tell me what happened at the center. What do the police say?"

"They took our security tapes and are going through them. Hopefully, they will be able to see something on them. They also got a lot of fingerprints off the computers, file cabinets and a bunch of other things which will be compared against the staff's to rule them out."

"They don't think any of them did this, do they?"

"No, they think it was someone looking for a client."

"How much damage is there?"

"There's enough that we're going to have to spend the next couple of days cleaning up and reorganizing things. It's also enough to make me add additional security. I'm going to meet with Zach and get his input on upgrading it."

"What about the client files, the things you had stored on the servers?"

"Nick was able to determine that the files weren't hacked. They tried, but his security measures stopped them."

"It's good to have an IT whiz on staff."

"Yes, it is. Which reminds me, I'll have him check out your laptop after things have calmed down."

"Don't worry about that. It can wait. Dealing with the break-in is much more important." Marissa sensed Bianca wanted to change the subject and focus on the quiet time they had together right now. Taking her cue from the current topic, she couldn't resist the urge to tease the brunette, knowing it would do the trick for her and break some of her girlfriend's tension. "You know that he has a crush on you."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "No, he doesn't."

"Oh yes, he does. He looks at you with those big puppy dog eyes of his all the time."

"Well, I'm not sure why he would, but if he does, it's just too bad. I'm taken by a certain stunning, fiery redhead who is absolutely incredible in every way."

Marissa grinned. "How do you not know how utterly gorgeous you are? How charming, irresistible, amazing and awe-inspiring you are?"

Bianca blushed at the sting of compliments. "I think you're a little over the top there, counselor, and maybe a little biased."

Marissa loved the fact that she could make her girlfriend blush and marveled at how much more beautiful it made her. "Damn straight I'm biased, but I'm also being completely honest."

Bianca saw the look in Marissa's eyes and knew she meant every work she said causing her to blush even more. She pulled the redhead to her and kissed her deeply wishing that they had more time together this morning. Bianca grinned mischievously when they separated. "Sorry about that. I guess I shouldn't be starting something I can't finish right now."

Marissa cleared her throat and smiled brightly. "How in the hell am I supposed to concentrate the rest of the day now?"

"You're not. I want you thinking about me the entire time you're gone." Bianca smiled brightly.

"Well, I already planned on that, like I had any choice in the matter."

"What are your plans for today?"

"You mean besides thinking about you? I'll be meeting up with Brian, Tim and Vicki after I get checked in at the hotel, registered at the conference and before we hit the first workshop." The redhead smirked at the expression on Bianca's face at the mention of the last two names. "You'd be a lousy poker player, you know that, B?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." She relented seeing the amused look on Marissa's face. "Okay, I like Brian. He's a sweetheart. When's the baby due?"

"Stefanie's due at the end of the month. Brian and I have agreed to help each other while we're away from the two of you, kind of our own support group."

"Well, I'll do my part here and check on Stefanie." The smirk was still evident on Marissa's face. "You know that you're enjoying this way too much, Rissa."

"Can I help it if I find you being just the tiniest bit jealous …"

"Don't say adorable!"

Marissa did her best to suppress a smile but was failing miserably. "I won't, but you are. I'll just say appealing and very good for my ego."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You really are impossible sometimes."

"Yeah, I guess I am sometimes, but only where you're concerned. You know that you have nothing to worry about. I am completely captivated by a gorgeous and amazing brunette who is so thoughtful she gets up after less than two hours sleep to make me coffee, spend time with me and make sure I have breakfast for the road even though I know she is exhausted. I'd say I'm the luckiest person in the world."

"It's a tie on the luckiest person, and I know I don't have to worry about you. I just don't like the way they both look at you, and I've heard they have a bet between them about you. I just don't like that at all. I mean, who the hell does that? They know that we're together. It's just not something anyone should do especially when they're talking about someone that's …" Bianca stopped herself from completing her last sentence, slightly embarrassed by how she sounded.

"I believe you were going to say someone that's your's, and you're right. I am your's just like you are mine." Marissa kissed Bianca sweetly. "I've heard about their ridiculous bet. I asked Brian to see if they would let him place a competing bet on neither one of them winning, but they wouldn't take it. If you ask me, I think they know they don't stand a snowball's chance in hell against you. Who would?"

Bianca sighed happily and leaned in for a lingering kiss. "Yep, I definitely got it right this time!"

"That makes two of us!" Marissa felt herself drawn yet again to Bianca's intoxicating lips. She found her girlfriend thoroughly irresistible, and Marissa wanted nothing more than to stay here with her.

The faint honk of a car horn in the distance caused both women to groan and reluctantly pull apart from each other.

"Your taxi's here." Bianca sighed.

"I know. A couple of more minutes, and I'd be in no position to leave right now, B. I'd have to be taking a later flight." Marissa grinned as she got up pulling Bianca with her and headed towards the front door.

"A couple of more minutes, Rissa, and I wouldn't be letting you walk out that door. Damn taxi." Bianca smirked.

Marissa turned off the alarm and opened the door. The taxi driver walked up. "Ms. Tasker, I'm taking you to Pine Valley International Airport this morning, correct?"

"That's correct."

He saw the women standing with their arms around each other. "We've got a little extra time since traffic is light. Why don't the two of you take a more few minutes to say goodbye? Let me take your bag, ma'am." He smiled and shook his head as he headed back to his cab. _It's always like this when people in love have to say goodbye for a trip._

"Thank you." Marissa turned to Bianca. "I want you to get some rest before you go back to the center today. I don't want to hear that you're running yourself ragged and trying to do it all yourself. I _will_ find out if that happens."

"Are you saying you have spies in place?"

"I prefer to call them confidential informants. Besides, you'll need the rest. I have plans for you when I get home, like finishing what was started in the kitchen." Marissa gave the brunette the mischievous grin she loved so much.

Bianca's happy sigh was followed by the goofy grin that the redhead loved in equal measure. "Talk about a coincidence! I have the same plans for you when you get home." She pulled Marissa to her again.

They heard someone clear their throat. "I'm sorry, ladies, but Ms. Tasker, we need to leave if you want to make your flight."

"I'll be right there. Don't forget to reset the alarm. I'll call you as soon as I able to."

"I'll be waiting. Don't forget your breakfast. I love you."

"Thank you. I love you too." Marissa gave her another lingering kiss before heading to the waiting taxi.

Bianca sighed as she watched Marissa drive off. _Yep, I'm whipped. I miss her already._

/

After Marissa left, Bianca was only able to catch maybe a half hour more of sleep. She tried for more, but it was useless. The bed was just too empty now and sleep was eluding her. She picked up the book Marissa had been reading and headed downstairs. After reading for a little while, she checked the time and started making breakfast for the kids. After getting them up, she felt a little less at loose ends, a little less lonely, but there was still an ache inside of her caused by missing Marissa. She couldn't help but feel a little silly for feeling this way. The redhead had only been gone for just a couple of hours. If she was like this now, Bianca wondered what she'd be like by Friday afternoon when Marissa got back home. She got the kids to school and daycare and was back in her office at the Miranda Center by late morning going over a list of the items that needed to be replaced or repaired that her assistant Jan had created.

"I hear you could you use an extra set of hands around here."

Bianca looked up and smiled. "Scott! We can use all of the help we can get."

"Well, point me to where you need me. Madison will be over later. She's covering a meeting for Kendall and Greenlee who I see are hard at work here."

"Yeah, they've been here all morning. Come with me, and I'll get you to work. How did you find out what happened?"

"I got a call a little while ago from …"

"You got a call from Marissa too, I see."

"Tad, what are you doing here?" Bianca asked.

"I'm here to offer my services. I may not be as handy with a hammer as Scott, but I'm a whiz with a broom."

Scott smiled. "Marissa called you too, huh? She was busy this morning."

"Yes, my daughter sure was. I've got a van full of food for everyone, Bianca. Where do you want me to set it up?"

"Krystal, thank you! I don't know what to say. Jan will help you find the best place. So wait, Marissa called the three of you? When did she find the time to do that? I mean she had a flight early this morning and had to rush to get settled once she got to New York."

"I'm not sure, but she called more than just the three of us. It looks like she called the whole cavalry." Tad pointed out the group of people entering the center at that moment. Jesse, Angie and the rest of the Hubbard family was followed by Jake and Caleb and several others.

"I can't believe she did all of this." Bianca watched as her friends started working on repairs.

"Come on, Binx. You can't really be surprised that Red arranged all of this for you. You should know by now that there is nothing she wouldn't do for you." Kendall smiled at her sister.

Bianca nodded and smiled broadly. "You're right, I'm not surprised. Marissa is amazing. I'm so incredibly lucky to have her in my life." _I so got it right this time._

"Bianca, sweetheart, how are you doing?"

The young brunette turned to see Erica enter. "Hi, mom. I'm actually doing pretty good, surprisingly enough."

"You should have called me last night. Fortunately, Marissa thought to call me this morning to let me know what happened."

"I'm sorry. I should've called, but it was late by the time things settled down here and the police left."

"You weren't here that late by yourself, were you?"

"Don't worry, mom. Binx wasn't here alone. Red called me to ask Zach for help in setting up some additional security."

_Finally! Someone is putting my daughter first, and making sure she is safe and protected._ "I have to say I like that young woman more and more all the time. Marissa really does look out for you, doesn't she?"

Bianca nodded. Her love for Marissa was clearly evident on her face. "She really does. She called all of these people to come down and help."

"Impressive. Now, where would you like me and Jack?"

"Uncle Jack's here?"

"Of course, he is. He's helping Greenlee, Ryan and Zach bring in food right now. I may detest the woman with every fiber of my being, but I will admit that it is nice of Krystal to donate all of that food. It would appear that Marissa is a good influence on her. Maybe you can teach a trampy dog new tricks, _maybe_."

Bianca and Kendall exchanged a look that let them know that they were sharing the same thought. _Talk about a backhanded compliment. _"How about you check with Jan on where to go? I really need to make a call."

"I'll help you track her down, mom. Tell Red I said 'hi'." Kendall smiled and headed off with Erica.

Bianca headed back to the privacy of her office after checking the time. She had committed Marissa's schedule to memory and knew she would just be breaking from a workshop right about now.

"Hey you! I was just getting ready to call you."

Bianca could hear the smile in Marissa's voice and an equally bright smile of her own graced her face. "Hey, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Nope, you have perfect timing, as usual. We're just breaking now. So, tell me you went back to bed and got some more sleep."

"I don't suppose you would consider a half hour your idea of more sleep, huh?"

"No, I don't, Bianca. You need more than that. You've got to be dead on your feet."

"I tried. I really did, but I couldn't sleep. Our bed is just too big and lonely without you. Don't worry though. I didn't go on a cleaning spree or anything like that. I read some of your book, and before I knew it, it was time to start breakfast and get the kids ready. I'm catching a second wind right now."

Marissa fought the emotions swirling inside of her along with every instinct that was screaming at her to take the next flight back home. "How did it go? They didn't give you a hard time, did they?"

"No, they were great. Breakfast was quieter than usual though. It just confirms my suspicions that you are a big kid sometimes and are indeed the instigator for most of the mischief they get into."

"If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is! You are just as bad as me, Montgomery! Miranda and Gabby are mini you's, inside and out, and don't think for one second I don't see your influence on AJ." Marissa smirked.

Bianca laughed. "I suppose I'm guilty as charged, counselor. We don't stand a chance against the three of them when they get older, do we? How are you doing? You have to be exhausted yourself."

"No, we don't stand a chance. I'm doing okay. You'll be happy to know that I'll be with Brian all day. Those other two that shall remain nameless are attending other things."

Bianca couldn't help but smile. "You didn't have to do that or tell me that, Rissa."

"I know I didn't, but I wanted to. They asked last week which seminars and workshops I was going to attend. I told them I wasn't sure yet, even though I knew exactly which ones I wanted to attend. I didn't feel like dealing with them and their crap. Plus, I know how you feel about them. I did tell Brian though, and that's when we came up with our support group. By the way, he told me to tell you 'hi' and to thank you for checking on Stefanie for him. He told her what happened at the center, and she's going to stop by to help you out. I told him that wasn't necessary, but he said she wanted to. She figured she could at least answer phones for you."

"Tell him thanks for me, and I'll make sure she doesn't overdo anything. Speaking of phones, I'm told you were burning up the phone lines this morning."

"It won't do me any good to say otherwise, will it? Who ratted me out?"

"No, it won't, and it's a tie between Tad and Scott. They both got here at the same time quickly followed by Krystal with enough food to feed an army. You even called my mom. Rissa, you're too much."

"I didn't do that much. I just made a couple of phone calls. Since I can't be there myself helping you out, I did the next best thing I could think of. And yes, I called Erica. Someone had to tell her. You didn't want her finding out about it on the news or from someone else. So, I took one for the team and called her."

"A couple of phone calls? I'd say half of Pine Valley is here now. With all of this help, we should have things cleaned up in no time at all. I can't believe the number of people that have come out today to help."

"I don't know why you're surprised. They all know how important the Miranda Center is and not just to Pine Valley but the entire region and the center's other locations as well. It provides a vital service to individuals in desperate need of assistance. It's imperative that the center's offices reopen as soon as possible, and whoever the lowlifes are that broke in need to know that the center's work will continue, no matter what."

One of the many things Bianca loved about Marissa was the fact that she understood the importance of the center to not just her but to those it served. "You're absolutely right. The sooner we get the center's offices reopened, the better. And judging by the turnout, they should be reopened tomorrow."

"Good, I'm very happy to hear that. One other thing, you seem to forget just how much everyone in Pine Valley loves you. No one more than me though. There's not much they wouldn't do for you. All I had to do was say that you needed some help, and every single person was immediately on board asking what they could do. So, I really didn't that much."

Bianca sighed happily. "You did so much more than you will ever know."

"You've got that goofy grin on your face, don't you?"

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, I do. Do you have any idea how much I love you, Rissa?"

"Just as much as I love you, B." Marissa checked the time. "Dammit, I have to get back. You have more than enough people there to help so try and get a little rest. I'll call you later. Love you."

"Talk to you later. Love you too." Bianca looked out her office window and saw her family and friends working side by side with her staff and other members of the community. Whoever was responsible for the damage to the offices hadn't planned on the outpouring of support she was receiving. They also hadn't planned on Marissa. The fact that she had arranged most of this while on her flight this morning was nothing short of incredible. _There really isn't anything she can't do._ Bianca smiled and headed out to get back to work.

/

"When's Marissa supposed to call, mom?"

Bianca looked down at her oldest daughter and smiled as she opened the door. "Well, Miranda, let's check her schedule and see what it says."

AJ, Miranda and Gabby raced into the kitchen ahead of Bianca.

"Mom has a break in half an hour." AJ said excitedly.

"If we start on our homework now, we should be pretty close to having it done by the time she calls." Miranda added.

AJ nodded in agreement, and the two older children went straight to the dining room to start their homework.

"That was easy, wasn't it, Gabby?"

Her youngest daughter nodded. "Rissa asked us to be extra good for you while she's gone. She told AJ and Mimo to do their homework as soon as they got home and for us to help you out."

"She did, huh? What else did she ask you guys to do?"

"Rissa wanted us to keep an eye out on you for her."

_Of course, she did._ "Well, you all are doing a great job. How about some juice before you go play? Then, I'll start dinner for us."

Gabby nodded taking her cup of juice into the family room.

_I am so tired. What am I going to make for dinner? Maybe, we can just order a pizza._ Bianca opened the refrigerator back up to get some iced tea for her. Caffeine was definitely her friend today. She noticed a casserole dish inside that she hadn't seen just a minute ago and a salad behind it. Bianca pulled out the dish seeing that it was lasagna and read the note attached to the foil covering it. _"I thought you might be tired when you got home so I made this for you. Love, Marissa."_ Bianca smiled and followed the baking instructions included on the note._ Marissa is still taking care of us even though she's a couple hundred miles away. Of course, she wouldn't say anything about doing this or make a big deal about it either. Since dinner's taken care of, I guess I'll go change. She should be calling soon._

/

Bianca was headed downstairs when she heard the phone ring quickly followed by the excited voices of AJ and Miranda.

"It's mom!"

"Gabby, hurry up and come here! It's Marissa!"

Bianca saw the excited look on her youngest daughter's face as she darted into the dining room. It took every ounce of strength the brunette had not to follow suit._ Be the grown up here. You talked to Marissa earlier, and they haven't talked to her since last night. Ah, screw it._ Bianca raced down the stairs and to the dining room stopping just outside the doorway. The kids had activated the speakerphone so everyone could hear each other at the same time.

"Hi, mom!"

"Hi, Marissa!"

"Hey, you guys! How are you all doing?"

The kids started talking over each other so Bianca stepped forward to restore order. "Whoa! We need to do this one at a time. Hey, Rissa."

"Hey, B. Bianca's right. I've got an idea. I'm thinking of a number between one and ten. Whoever's closest starts first and then we'll go in order. Sound good?"

"Okay!"

"Are you going to guess, Bianca?"

"I'll talk to Marissa after each of you have had a turn, buddy."

Miranda guessed the exact number so she began to relate her day to Marissa, followed by AJ and then Gabby. Bianca sat at the table and smiled listening to each child as they excitedly took their turn. _Almost perfect, almost. It'd be perfect if Marissa was here._


	30. I Will

**A/N: Well, it's called March Madness for a reason. My brackets were blown up after the second day of the tournament, but my Wildcats are still going strong so that's all that really matters to me. Go Big Blue! Sorry, it's a reflex to say that when talking about them. **

**Okay enough about that, let's talk about Minx Madness. Thank you, as always, for the great reviews. I really do appreciate them. I'm picking up this chapter later in the same day of where the last chapter left off. Distance is still keeping the girls apart, but I promise to have them back together soon. I hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

By the time she finally got back to her room after the last workshop of the day, Marissa was exhausted. The lack of sleep and the busy day were finally catching with her. The bright spot of her afternoon had been calling home and talking with Bianca and the kids. Marissa smiled as she entered her room and thought about the kids and how they were so excited earlier to talk to her that they kept talking over each other until Bianca restored order. She loved talking with them and hearing about each of their days. _I really miss them. How great are they that they started on their homework right away so they could talk with me more? Bianca and I are so lucky to have such great kids. I have to make sure to get out at lunch tomorrow for a quick trip to FAO Schwartz for them. I know what to get AJ and Gabby, but I'm not quite sure about Miranda. I'll have to give that some more thought. As for Bianca, I have a really good idea of where to go to pick up something for her. I've had this idea for a while now, and this is the perfect opportunity for me to pick it up for her. She'll say that I shouldn't have gotten her something, or that it wasn't necessary or that she didn't need anything. It's just too bad for her though. I want to get her something special because she deserves to be treated to a surprise and to be spoiled no matter how much she may protest, and despite what she says, I think she really likes both. I do love surprising her and spoiling her so much. No one deserves it more than her. I'm still a little worried about her. When I checked with Kendall earlier, she said that Bianca wasn't trying to do everything herself and was letting others help. She sounded so tired though. I know exactly how she feels. Hopefully, we can both get a little more sleep tonight, although it will be hard to sleep without her next to me, holding me._ Marissa sighed and checked the time. They would just be finishing dinner about this time. _Speaking of dinner, I should probably get something for myself. I really don't feel like going out tonight. I'll just order room service and change into something more comfortable, maybe watch a little TV before I call home for story time._

She opened her suitcase to pull out a pair of shorts and a t-shirt when she saw what Bianca had snuck into her suitcase. A huge grin appeared on Marissa's face. _I can't believe she packed this for me! My God, I love her! She is the most amazing person, and I am definitely the luckiest person alive._ Marissa pulled out Bianca's favorite t-shirt which also happened to be her's. It was from the Paul McCartney concert they attended together last year, before they realized their feelings for each other. The concert was amazing, and the two had such a great time together. Marissa couldn't decide which shirt to get so while Bianca picked this one, she had picked a different one. She later regretted her choice somewhat, and it became a running joke between the two of them every time Bianca wore the shirt how much Marissa coveted it. The redhead quickly changed her mind and opted for her pajama bottoms instead of shorts to go with the t-shirt since she had absolutely no intention of going out tonight. She placed a quick call to room service to put in her order before changing.

Marissa thought back to that time, before her and Bianca were honest with themselves about their feelings, and laughed at herself. _How in the world did I miss everything that was going on between us back then? How did I miss all of the signs? Talk about living in a state of denial!_ Looking back now, she could clearly see the looks each would steal when they thought the other one wasn't looking. There were the touches between them and the need Marissa had to touch Bianca in some small way every time they were together, the way holding her hand made her feel. There was the way Bianca's smile made her feel. Marissa recalled the countless number of times she felt herself becoming lost in Bianca's warm chocolate eyes and the struggle to pull herself from them every time it happened. It was all so clear to her _now_, but at the time, Marissa absolutely refused to acknowledge that her feelings were anything more and that Bianca was anything more to her other than her best friend. _Talk about being deaf, dumb and blind. At least, I wasn't alone in that. Bianca was too._ A huge smile crossed her face just thinking about Bianca. All of those things still happened for her in regards to her girlfriend. Her stomach still did a flip and her heart still skipped a beat whenever Marissa saw Bianca after being away from her for just a few hours. The brunette still took her breath away whenever she would watch her sleeping or see her first thing in the morning. Marissa still got lost in those warm chocolate eyes, but now she reveled in those feelings instead of struggling against them. She relished every soft touch, every lingering gaze, every smile and laugh she caused or that was directed her way and each and every single kiss they shared.

Marissa unpacked a few items from her suitcase. She just couldn't unpack everything. She would live primarily out of her suitcase for the next three nights, deciding that any more unpacking would take place when she was home. As she moved the suitcase to a stand, she noticed a piece of stationary that she recognized as belonging to Bianca had fallen to the floor. Marissa picked it up, sat down on the bed and unfolded it. Her breath hitched and tears began to form as she read what Bianca had written. She immediately recognized the lyrics to one of the Beatles' songs Sir Paul performed that night, "I Will".

_Who knows how long I've loved you  
>You know I love you still<br>Will I wait a lonely lifetime  
>If you want me to, I will.<em>

_For if I ever saw you  
>I didn't catch your name<br>But it never really mattered  
>I will always feel the same.<em>

_Love you forever and forever  
>Love you with all my heart<br>Love you whenever we're together  
>Love you when we're apart<em>

_And when at last I find you  
>Your song will fill the air<br>Sing it loud so I can hear you  
>Make it easy to be near you<br>For the things you do endear you to me  
>Oh, you know, I will<br>I will._

The note was signed simply _All my love, Bianca._ It was something so simple, so heartfelt and so Bianca. Marissa almost couldn't breathe. She wanted nothing more at that moment than to hear Bianca's voice and to tell her how much she loved her. She took a minute to collect herself before dialing her girlfriend's cellphone, knowing it would be more private than calling their home number. Marissa checked the time as Bianca's voicemail was activated. _She's either cleaning up after dinner or helping the kids with something._ "Hey, it's me. I got your note. Do you have any idea of just how incredible you are? Do you have any idea of just how much I love you?" Marissa took a shaky breath and softly began to sing. "_Love you forever and forever. Love you with all my heart. Love you whenever we're together. Love you when we're apart."_ The redhead released a happy sigh. "I love you, B, with all my heart." She disconnected the call and wiped away the tears that had fallen.

When she managed to collect herself, Marissa went into the bathroom to wash her face. She turned the TV on when she came back into the room in what was soon a sorry attempt to watch the national news. Her mind was filled with thoughts of Bianca, and it made it impossible for her to concentrate on anything else. Marissa heard a knock on the door. She thought it was too soon for room service. The redhead crossed the room and looked out the peephole. She rolled her eyes and sighed. _I am so not in the mood for this, for her. Get this over with so you can relax before calling home._

Marissa took a deep breath and opened the door. "Vicki, what are you doing here? I thought a group of you were going out on the town."

The young blonde smiled. "I was hoping I could convince you to come out and join us for some fun. It will do you good to do something different, to unwind, and to let your hair down." She took note of what Marissa was wearing. "You seriously can't be ready to call it a night already. It's still early. I do like your shirt though. It looks great on you. Did you go to the concert? I heard it was great."

"Yes, I did go, and it was great. Of course, going with Bianca made it an even more memorable night, and the shirt belongs to her." _Just like I do._

"Huh, I wouldn't have guessed that she'd be into something like that."

Marissa arched an eyebrow as she struggled to control her temper. It seemed that whenever there was even the slightest perceived insult, threat or attack on or to Bianca that the stereotype of redheads and their tempers held true for her. The face that Vicki had made at the mention of Bianca's name did not escape her notice, and it was taking every ounce of self-restraint she had not to rip into her. If it wasn't for the fact that she had to work with her, she would have already kicked her ass into next week. Plus, Bianca also wouldn't want her to lose her temper or do anything to jeopardize her position at the firm, and she was, as always, trying her best for her girlfriend. Marissa really didn't like the way this woman was looking at her right now either. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"Well, don't take this the wrong way, but she's always struck me as, I don't know, a little uptight, straight-laced or reserved. She just seems more sedate, like a symphony kind of person than someone who would prefer a rock concert. Unlike you, you know? The two of you just seem so different. It's hard to picture you together."

_How can I not take that the wrong way? You haven't got the slightest idea of who Bianca is, what she's been through or what she's really like! Breathe, Marissa._ The redhead slowly counted to about fifty before responding. "Well, Vicki, it really doesn't matter how hard it is for you or anyone else to picture it. It is a simple fact. _We are together and very happy._ Look, I'm tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night so I'm going to pass on the night out. I've already changed and ordered room service so I'm done for the day. I'll see you tomorrow."

The blonde quickly glanced to her left as she stopped Marissa from closing the door. It was about this time that Marissa caught a glimpse of her friend Brian standing outside the door to his room. He made a slight nod to his left as well. The redhead got the silent heads up and knew there was someone else in the hallway. She knew instantly that it was Tim and that the two had raised the stakes on their bet.

The woman lowered her voice. "Come on, Rissa. It'll be fun, and I'm sure you can use some fun. You probably don't get much of a chance for it back in Pine Valley. You know what they say about all work and no play making someone dull. I have an idea. I could join you for dinner here in your room."

It always amazed Marissa how the littlest things could rub her the wrong way and just set her off. This was one of those times. It had taken a second for it to sink in, and she couldn't believe the gall this woman had, the utter disregard she had. Her check on her temper was barely hanging by a thread. "What did you call me?"

"I called you Rissa. I've heard others call you that. I think it's a cute nickname."

_That's it!_ "First off, the only ones that call me that are my family, Bianca and our children. _Don't_ call me that ever again."

The blonde was taken aback by the steeliness in Marissa's voice. Glancing to her left again, she stammered. "I, I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything."

"The hell you didn't! I want both you and Tim to listen to me closely because I'm only going to say this once, understand? And don't say he's not right there beside you listening to what's going on because I know he is. So, you might as well face me, Tim, and get this over with."

A tall, dark-haired man appeared and stood next to the woman. Both had sheepish looks on their faces. Neither had been expecting this type of reaction. Marissa had a somewhat laidback reputation around the office. The woman in front of them was anything but that right now.

"Good! Now, listen to me closely because I _won't_ be repeating myself. The nickname is off limits. Speaking of things that are off limits, I want you to add me and anything to do with me personally to the top of that list. That especially includes Bianca and our children."

"I, I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh shut the hell up, Tim! Yes, you do. I was born at night but not last night. I've heard the little digs each of you have made against Bianca, especially this one over here. I've tried to ignore them because that's what Bianca would do, but I've had enough! Neither one of you have any idea of who Bianca is, and neither one of you are remotely in the same league as her. The next time either of you just mentions her name will be the last time you ever speak again, _got it_?"

The pair looked at each other and could honestly say they saw a trace of fear in the other's eyes. They nodded meekly, not doubting for one second that Marissa meant every word of what she had just said.

"Good! Now, let's talk about your bet, shall we?" Before either could offer the smallest protest, Marissa held up her hand to silence them. "Don't even try and deny it. All of the associates know about it. Hell, it's the talk of the office. Let's settle this once and for all. I am not some sort of prize in some asinine bet between two of the most morally bankrupt people I've ever had the displeasure of knowing. Trust me when I tell you that that's saying something given some of the people I've known. Get this straight. I am in a committed relationship with an amazing person, someone that I would never hurt or leave, especially for the likes of either of you. I love Bianca with all of my heart, and I would just as soon die than betray her or her trust."

"It's only a joke. We didn't mean anything by it."

"A joke, Vicki, really? Do I look like I'm laughing? Maybe relationships are a joke to the both of you because you haven't got the first clue of what they are about, what it means to love someone, but they aren't to me. Mine with Bianca means more to me than anything, and it's not something for others to play around with, bet on or joke about. Besides, I'm not buying one word of what either of you is saying. Did you think by waiting until I was away from home, maybe a little lonely and tired to make your pathetic move that you could so easily trick me into jumping into bed with either of you? Did you think that I could be so easily swayed by your so-called charms that I would forget who I was and everything that I believe in and risk losing the best thing that has ever happened to me? Please! Give me a little credit for having some standards and self-respect!"

The blonde mumbled something under her breath, and Marissa caught every word of what she said. "Yes, Vicki, apparently I do have to be a bitch about it because being nice and ignoring what both of you've been doing hasn't seemed to work. So, unless it's work related, leave me and my family the hell alone and go play your games with someone else! I'm not interested in either of you and never will be!"

"It's not a smart move to get on the bad side of either of us, Marissa. We can make things really difficult for you at work if you decide to mention any of this to anyone. Remember, it's our word against yours." The man warned.

"Yeah, here's the deal with that, _Jackass,_ I mean _Tim_. I'm not worried about that or anything that either of you might try to do. I'm more than able to handle anything either of you can dish out. You know, I think I have makings of a strong sexual harassment suit against both of you. So, I'd say it's not a smart move to get on _my_ bad side. And no, it's not just my word against your's. Turn around."

The pair turned to see Brian standing there with a big smile on his face and giving them a small wave. "Marissa's right. It's _our_ word against yours. Not that I think she'll need me given the fact that everyone knows about the two of you, and they know her. Do you really think there's even a chance that they'll believe you over her? She does have me to back her up though. I heard every word."

The pair looked at Marissa who didn't even blink. After a few seconds, Vicki broke. "It was all Tim's idea! He thought it would be fun, and he suggested we come up here to see if I could talk you into doing something. If I didn't, he was going to try himself."

"Shut the hell up! You were just as much into this as I was and just as responsible!"

_Like rats on a sinking ship._ "It doesn't really matter to me whose idea it was, and I don't think it will matter to any of the partners."

The pair looked at each other and hurried down the hallway still fighting with and pointing the finger at each other.

"Well, that was fun and impressive as hell! Are you okay, Marissa?"

"I'm good. Actually, it was kind of fun, Brian. I should've done that with them a long time ago. Thanks for the heads up on …"

"Jackass being there? No problem. It was my pleasure. I like his new nickname by the way. It suits him. And you did what most of the office has wanted to do for a long time. I wish others could have witnessed it. They'd be cheering you on. Vicki is such a …"

"Conceited, lying, cheating, two-faced bitch? Yeah, she really is. About the others, I would really appreciate it if this didn't get around. I would rather not have to deal with either of them or their garbage anymore."

"I won't say a word to any of them, but would you mind if I tell Stef? She'd love to hear about this because she can't that pair either. You know, she was wondering what I would do for entertainment since I'm not into clubs, and what just happened was very entertaining. Don't worry, she won't tell anyone else."

Marissa laughed. "Sure, you can tell her. I'm glad I could provide you with your entertainment for the evening."

"I'm sorry you had to deal with their garbage. You shouldn't have had to. I mean both you and Bianca are the nicest people, and you're a great couple. I just don't understand people sometimes."

"Thanks, Brian. I appreciate that, and I know Bianca does too. As for dealing with them, trust me, we've dealt with much nastier people, and have handled them without any problems." She saw a hotel waiter walking down the hall with her dinner order. "It looks like that's my dinner."

"Okay, you enjoy. I'm going to give Stef a call and check on her. Want to meet for breakfast tomorrow in the restaurant downstairs, at say 8:00?"

"That sounds good."

"I'll see you then. Tell Bianca I said 'hi'. I'm sure she'll love the recap."

"I'm sure she will. Tell Stefanie 'hi' for me. Good night."

Marissa signed for her dinner and ate while she tried to put her earlier encounter behind her. She refused to let either that jackass or conceited bitch get to her and ruin her mood from earlier. When Marissa thought about it, what she had told Brian was true. It was kind of fun to let them both have it. She'd been itching to do it for a while, and now that she had, it was a bit of a weight off of her. _I should have done that a while ago, but I was trying to not make any waves. _She glanced over at the book AJ had picked for tonight's bedtime story, 'The Lion King'. _Well, I better start getting myself ready for my reading. It'll be time to call home soon._ Marissa picked up the book and read over it, taking great care to remember the kids' favorite characters. Before she knew it, the earlier ugliness had retreated from her mind and was replaced by the much more pleasant thoughts of Bianca, AJ, Miranda and Gabby.

/

Bianca had everyone bathed and in their pajamas, including herself. It had been a long day, and she planned on making it an early night, hoping to be able to get more sleep than she did last night. In a way, she was grateful that she had been so busy today. Keeping herself that way had made missing Marissa slightly more bearable. She had been taking care of Gabby when Marissa had called not too long ago. Bianca was disappointed that she missed her but was thrilled by the fact that her surprise had the intended affect. She was left speechless by Marissa's unexpected and impromptu concert, and Bianca loved every second of it. She loved to hear her girlfriend's beautiful voice, and when Bianca was the recipient of a private concert, she couldn't begin to describe the way it made her feel.

Miranda had seen her wipe away the tears caused by the performance and was worried something was wrong, that she was upset about something. _"Are you okay, mom? You're crying."_

"_I'm more than okay, Mimo."_

"_So, you're not sad or upset with anyone?"_

"_No, I'm not. No one did anything wrong. In fact, Marissa did something very right. I am a little sad, but it's just because she's not here and I miss her so much. As for the tears, sometimes you can have happy tears."_

"_That's what those are?"_

"_Yes, these are very happy tears. Marissa did something to tell me exactly how much she loves me, and that makes me so very happy. Do you remember when you were in your school play this past spring and how proud Marissa and I were of you?"_

_Miranda thought back and remembered how both women were smiling even though they had tears in their eyes. They hugged her and kept telling her how proud they were of her and how good of a job she did. It was probably one of the best nights of her life. "Uh huh, I remember."_

"_Well, it's like that. Do you understand?"_

_Miranda studied her mom for a few seconds and was satisfied with her answer. "Yeah, I think I do."_

Bianca jumped when her cellphone rang. _Right on time._ "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. I missed you earlier."

"I know. I'm sorry about that. I do love to hear you sing, and you certainly outdid yourself. I guess I'll just have to save that voicemail and play it over and over and over …"

Marissa laughed. "You give my voice a little too much credit, but with flattery like that, I'll be more than happy to give you a repeat performance when I get home."

"I can't wait for that! Oh by the way, the shirt is just on loan."

"Hmmm. I don't seem to recall anything stating that. You know, possession is nine-tenths of the law."

"Is it now, counselor? Well, I guess I'll just have to take it back once you get home." Bianca laughed.

"Even if I happen to be wearing it at the time?"

"Especially if you're wearing it!"

"You promise?"

"Definitely!"

"That's good! I look forward to that! Is everything okay there?"

"Yeah, it is for the most part. Gabby fell and skinned her knee earlier. I was giving her some TLC when you called."

"Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's fine. Don't worry." Bianca walked into her and Marissa's bedroom and found the children eagerly waiting for her. "Well, it looks like your audience is ready. Are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"Okay, you're on speakerphone."

"Hey, guys!"

"Hi, mom!"

"Hi, Marissa!"

"Hi, Rissa!"

"Gabby, are you okay, sweetie? I hear you skinned your knee."

"Uh huh, it hurt, Rissa, but it feels better now. Mommy took care of it for me. She gave my knee two big kisses, one for her and one for you, and it felt better."

"Well, her kisses are kind of like magic, and they always make me feel better. She's very good at making people feel better, isn't she?"

"Uh huh, she sure is. So are you, Rissa."

"Thank you, I'm glad to hear that. So, are you all ready for your story?" Her question was met with a resounding 'yes' from everyone, and once they had all quieted down, Marissa began spinning the tale of Simba. When she was done, Bianca ushered the children to their bedrooms, and the redhead listened in as each child was tucked in. She told them each that she loved them while Bianca gave them a kiss from both of them.

After the kids were settled in and Bianca returned to their bedroom, the women continued their conversation. "So, how are you really doing, B? You sound tired."

"I am tired, but I'm hanging in there. What about you? You sound like something's going on up there. I'm sensing a little bit of an edge in your voice."

"I asked you first."

"True, you did, and I answered you. So now, it's my turn to ask."

"And you didn't give me much in the way of a detailed answer."

"I'll give you more detail after you tell me what's going on up there."

Marissa sighed, knowing that Bianca wasn't going to budge._ She can be so stubborn sometimes. _"Well, it was an interesting night."

"Interesting how?"

"Let's say that I don't think that you'll have to worry about two certain individuals bothering me anymore."

"What happened? Tell me everything."

"Well, not long after I got back to the room, I had two surprise visitors, neither of which was pleasant or welcomed."

"You mean both of them showed up?"

"Yep, although Vicki was the first one to make an appearance." Marissa proceeded to tell Bianca everything that had occurred earlier, leaving nothing out.

After hearing everything that had happened, Bianca was silent for a few seconds. "That bitch! She said all of that to you? And then that jackass had the nerve to threaten you? They better hope I don't see them any time in the near future." Bianca paused, thinking she heard a small chuckle on the other end. "This isn't funny, Rissa."

"I don't think it is. I just really love when you get all protective and territorial over me. I never had anyone be like that over me, before you. It's kinda hot."

"Dammit! I want to be mad right now, but you say something like that and I just can't be. I think it's already been established that those others you were involved with before were idiots."

"Ditto on being involved with idiots before. I'm sorry to interrupt your rant. Go ahead and continue."

"No, I'm done. I don't want to give them anymore of our time. They don't deserve it. I'll just finish by saying that they better stay far away from you if they know what's best for them." Bianca settled herself in bed, turning off the lights.

"So, now will you give me a detailed answer? How are you doing?"

"I'm tired, but I did let people help me today with the cleanup. I'm sure your confidential informants can confirm that."

"I already checked with them, and they've confirmed what you said." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "Of course, you did. Anyway, because of you and all of the help you arranged for me and the center, we were able to get things cleaned up in record time. The offices will be back open tomorrow morning. Oh, Jesse called to tell me that they have a lead on who's responsible for the break-in. It doesn't look like it's related to anyone associated with the center after all. He thinks it was random, and they were looking for stuff to steal."

"Really? Jesse thinks that? Well, it's good to hear that it didn't have anything to do with the center or what it does directly. I still hate that it happened and want those responsible held accountable for it and all of the damage they did. More importantly, I'm glad to hear that the offices will be opened back up tomorrow. That's great news."

"Yeah, it really is, and it couldn't have happened without you. Oh, Zach and I also have some new security measures in place."

"I'm relieved to hear to that! I know that you've wanted to do that for a while so I'm sure it's a weight off your mind."

"You're right, it is. Oh, I have a question for you. When exactly did you find time to make lasagna for us?"

"Well, since you weren't home and didn't know when you would be, I needed to do something to occupy myself. It seems I had some excess energy I had to get rid of."

Bianca laughed. "Excess energy, huh? Sorry about that. Do you think you might have some excess energy you'll need help with when you get home? I'm more than happy to offer my services to you."

"I'm pretty sure I will, and I have every intention of taking you up on your offer."

"One more thing I really need to know. Do you really think my kisses are magic?" Bianca grinned.

Marissa smiled. "Oh yes, they definitely are! They do the most wonderful things to me and make me feel like I've never felt before. If that's not magic, I don't know what is." She paused. "Now, you really didn't answer my question before. While I'm glad to get the update on what's happening with the center, I asked how _you_ were doing."

Bianca sighed. _ I can't get anything past her. _She shifted onto her right side remaining on her side of the bed she shared with Marissa. "I'm so tired, but I don't know how I'm going to be able to sleep without you here. I wish you were here next to me right now so I could hold you. I miss you desperately, and you haven't even been gone a day."

Marissa sighed as she turned off the lights and got settled into bed. "I know exactly how you feel. I guess we'll just have to stay on the phone all night with each other then. It's not even close to being the same thing, but it's what we've got to work with." She shifted onto her left side, subconsciously staying on what would be her side of their bed back home where she would be facing Bianca if they were together.

They continued to talk until both finally drifted off to sleep, each holding their phones tightly in their hands connecting them over the miles that were separating them, for now.

/

**A/N: The lyrics that Bianca writes for Marissa are for the song "I Will" by The Beatles. I don't own the rights to it. They do. I just thought that it fit their current situation pretty well. **


	31. The Dynamic Duo To The Rescue

**A/N: Because I don't want to jinx anything, March Madness is still in full swing, and my Wildcats are still dancing and on their way to the Final Four! **

**Sorry, I had to get that out of the way. As always, thanks for the great reviews! I really love reading them! This chapter starts the next day from where the previous chapter left off. Marissa is still in NYC, and Bianca in Pine Valley. Both are still missing each other. They're going to get some help though. I hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Bianca was just getting out of the shower when she heard her and Marissa's home phone ring. She quickly threw on her robe and sprinted from the bathroom to answer it before it could wake up the kids. She glanced at the caller id and didn't recognize the number. "Tasker-Montgomery residence, can I help you?"

"Good morning, beautiful!"

Bianca beamed. "Good morning, yourself!"

"Did I ever tell you how much I love the way you answer our phone? Tasker-Montgomery residence just sounds so perfect. It rolls right off the tongue. There's just one thing I'm not sure of." Marissa grinned.

"And what would that be?"

"Which sounds better, Tasker-Montgomery or Montgomery-Tasker residence?"

Bianca laughed. "Hmmm, you know, I'm not sure. They both sound pretty damn perfect!"

"Yes, they most certainly do! So, I get top billing, huh?"

"Well, I did happen to be thinking about you when I woke up this morning and ever since then. So yeah, you get top billing! What number are you calling from?"

"I'm calling from the phone in my room. My cellphone is in desperate need of recharging after last night. The battery was completely dead this morning when I woke up. It seems that happens when you don't disconnect a call, and it's on all night."

"What a coincidence! Mine was dead this morning too! Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall hearing that can happen. I'm really glad we have unlimited minutes!"

Marissa laughed. "That makes two of us! How did you sleep?"

"Better than I thought I would without you being here, lying in my arms. I guess sheer exhaustion and a long, late night call with a certain gorgeous redhead did enough of the trick to get me through the night. What about you? How did you sleep?"

"From what it sounds like, the same as you did, better than expected with the help of talking to certain beautiful brunette. I missed being in your arms. I was right about something."

"You were, huh? What's that?"

"Groping a pillow was not nearly as much fun as groping you would have been this morning! It also doesn't grope back!"

Bianca chuckled. "I'm very glad to hear that! I can't even begin to tell you how much I missed waking up to your morning routine. Waking up to the alarm blaring doesn't even begin compare to waking up with you and that routine of yours, and holding a pillow instead of holding you, well there is just no comparison."

Marissa sighed happily. "Well, I'm very glad to hear that myself. What can I say? My hands have a mind of their own when you're around me."

Bianca laughed so hard she snorted. "Your hands have a mind of their own?"

Marissa grinned. She loved hearing Bianca laugh so much. It was like music to her ears. "What? They do! I have no control over them whatsoever whenever you are within reach."

"Hmmm, I suppose I can understand that when I think about it. You see, whenever I'm around you, my lips seem to suffer from the same lack of control as your hands!"

"Well, I guess it's a good thing that we've found each other and are so tolerant of each other's _afflictions_!"

"Yeah, we very lucky indeed, and they are such _terrible afflictions._" Bianca laughed. "So, you're up early. You don't have any workshops or seminars for a while."

"No, I don't. I'm meeting Brian for breakfast downstairs though, and we're going to map out our strategy for today."

"You don't think they who shall remain nameless will cause any problems, do you?"

"No, I don't. I think I'm done having to deal with them, and I refuse to hide in my room because of them and refuse to give them another thought."

"Good! I was going to tell you the same thing, and remember, if they give you any problems at all, they will be answering to me. That is if there's anything left of them once you get done with them again."

"Between the two of us, they don't stand a chance in hell." Marissa laughed. "No, Brian and I are going to get out at lunchtime. He wants to get the baby something from FAO Schwartz."

"Stefanie mentioned he was wanting to do that. And I suppose you're just tagging along out of the goodness of your heart, right? You wouldn't dream of getting the kids anything from there, would you?"

Marissa laughed. "I won't even try to deny it. You busted me. You've got to admit that they're such good kids, and …"

"Yes, they are, and they've been great for me. It seems they are taking your directions very seriously and following them exactly as you asked. Homework was done without any complaints. They helped with the dishes. Gabby picked up all of her toys, AJ took out the trash, and Miranda helped get Gabby ready for bed. This was all done without me asking. I suppose they deserve some sort of small reward for all of that."

"My directions, huh? Who ratted me out? I'm guessing it was Gabby since she hasn't quite grasped the concept of keeping a secret yet."

"You would be right on both counts. She is an open book." Bianca heard a small knock on the door and knew instantly who it belonged to. "Speaking of our youngest, here she is now." The brunette opened the door, and the little girl entered giving her mother a hug. "Good morning, Gabby. Would you like to talk to Marissa on the phone while I finish getting ready?"

"Morning, mommy! Yep, I sure would!" She smiled as she settled on the bed and took the phone from Bianca.

"Okay, don't hang up though until I get a chance to talk to her again."

"Alright, mommy. Hi, Rissa!"

"Good morning, monkey! Did you sleep good?"

"Uh huh, I've got a new joke! Want to hear it?"

"You know I do! Let me have it!"

"What is a monkey's favorite cookie?"

"Hmmm, I don't know. What?"

"Chocolate chimp!" Gabby started cracking up laughing.

Marissa laughed at both the joke and at Gabby's reaction to it. The little girl's laugh was infectious, and Gabby was laughing so hard she even snorted. _Just like Bianca, inside and out!_ Marissa laughed even harder when she heard Bianca snorting in the background. _Yep, she's a mini Bianca! We are going to have to keep an eye on her. She is going to break quite a few hearts when she's older._

"Did you like it, Rissa?"

"That was a good one, monkey! I loved it, and it sounds like you mom did too!"

"Uh huh, she's laughing kinda hard!"

The two continued to talk for several more minutes with Gabby telling a few more jokes before Marissa noted the time. "Okay, monkey, I've got to go. Would you put your mom back on the phone, please?"

"Uh huh, love you, Rissa! Miss you."

"I love you too, Gabby, and I miss you too."

Gabby handed the phone back to Bianca and settled back on the bed. "I think we have the makings of a great comedian on our hands."

"I think you're right." Marissa sighed. "I hate to say it, but I've got to go."

"I hate hearing it, but I know and so do I. I've got to get AJ and Miranda up and ready. Call me later?"

"You know that I will. Love you, B."

"Love you too, Rissa."

/

Kendall and Greenlee walked into Krystal's to meet Bianca for lunch. The pair spotted her where expected, at the table she regularly shared with Marissa, looking more than a little miserable.

"Hey, you two. Do you think you can do anything to cheer that one up over there?"

"Hi, Krystal. How long as my little sister been like that?"

"Pretty much since she got here about fifteen minutes ago. It's like she's missing part of her."

"Well, she kind of is without Red here."

"True, it makes me wonder how the other one's doing right now, how my baby girl is holding up without Bianca."

"If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say she's probably in the same sorry state. Who's she talking to on her phone? Is it Marissa? I can't quite describe the look on her face. I'd expect a bigger smile if Bianca was talking to her." Greenlee added.

"Well, in a way, she is. I overheard a little of what she was listening to when I went to get her order, and I heard Marissa's voice. It appears she's listening to a voicemail of my daughter singing to her."

The friends looked at each other, then Bianca and then each other again. "Are you serious, Krystal? Marissa was singing to her?"

"She sure was, Kendall. I only caught a part of it so I can't tell you the song, but she was definitely singing."

"Well hell, Kendall! I've never had anyone do that for me, have you? Did you know about this serenading your sister thing?"

"Binx mentioned that Red loved to sing and that she had a beautiful voice, but I had no idea she serenaded my sister. And no, I've never had anyone do something like that for me. Those two are killing me with how adorable they are and how much they love each other."

"You know, I have to admit I'm a little bit jealous of her. I mean damn! Marissa sings to her! This would be the perfect thing to tease her about, but I just can't do it, not right now. She looks pretty miserable. I can't stand it. We've got to do something about this."

"Wow! You really are getting soft!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know, but look at her. You would have to be completely heartless, like a certain Chandler who shall remain nameless."

"You're right. Let's go see if we can cheer her up, and we'll start thinking of what we can do for them because I can't stand seeing her like that."

The pair walked over to where Bianca was sitting. Upon seeing them, she quickly disconnected her voicemail and gave them a small smile. "Hi, Kendall, Greenlee. How are the two of you doing today?"

"Hey, Binx. We're good. How about you? It looks like you got a little more rest last night."

"I'm hanging in there, and I did get some more sleep. I think I was just so exhausted that I kinda passed out. I didn't even talk to Marissa as long as I wanted to before falling asleep on her."

"You talked to her at bedtime, huh?"

"Yeah, of course, I did. She called a couple of times actually. The kids talked to her after school. They were so excited to talk to her. They really miss her."

"So, they're doing okay? I know you were a little worried about Miranda."

"The two of them talked before Marissa left. I'm not exactly sure what was said, but whatever Marissa said did the trick. AJ and Gabby are doing okay too. In fact, Gabby talked with her this morning."

"You already talked to Marissa this morning?"

"Yeah, she was just checking in before heading out." Bianca's phone rang, and anyone knowing her and seeing the smile on her face knew immediately who was calling. "Sorry, guys, but I have to take this. I'll be back." Bianca got up, and as she hurried outside, the pair could hear her answer. "Hey, Rissa!"

"Judging by the way she sprinted out of here and by the smile of her face, that could only be one person, Marissa!" Krystal smiled as she had returned with Bianca's lunch order.

"You've got that right. You can probably change that to a carry out order." Kendall glanced outside, seeing her sister laughing as she sat on the bench in front of the restaurant. "I don't see her coming back in here until they're done talking. Look at her smile."

"Just hearing Marissa's voice had her doing a complete 180. That's the fastest mood turnaround I think I've ever seen. I've never seen anything quite like that."

"I hear you, and you're preaching to the choir. We've got to do something for them. Any thoughts?"

"Actually, I do have a pretty good idea." Greenlee smiled.

/

"So, what are you doing, B? You're not working through lunch, are you?"

"No, I'm not. I'm actually at Krystal's having lunch with Kendall and Greenlee, or I was until you called."

"Ah, tell the dynamic duo "hi" for me. I won't keep you long. I have a quick question for you."

"Keep me as long as you want. I'm sure they can use the break anyway. I just kept talking about you and how much I miss you. I'm sure I'm sounding like a broken record. What's your question? Ask me anything you want. I'm all your's!"

"Do you know how happy I am that you're all mine?"

Bianca grinned. "Just as happy as I am that you're all mine. Is that your question?"

Marissa laughed. "No, it isn't. I just sent you a picture of something that I think would be perfect for Gabby's new room. Could you take a look, and let me know what you think?"

"No problem. Hang on." Bianca pulled up the picture and burst out laughing. "You can't be serious, Rissa. That thing is huge. It's bigger than Gabby!"

"Well, it's a little bigger than her, but I wouldn't call it huge."

"It's twice her size!"

"I don't know about that. Okay, it is, but it's almost as adorable her, almost. It would go perfect with the zoo theme she picked out for her room. You know how much she loves monkeys. Tell me that wouldn't be perfect!"

Bianca shook her head and smiled. She could hear the excitement in Marissa's voice and knew she really wanted to get the giant stuffed monkey for Gabby. _It really is next to impossible to say 'no' to her when she's like this, and she's right about it looking good in Gabby's room._ "You're right. It would be perfect, but how do you propose to get it home? You'll need to buy an extra plane ticket just for it. And where are we going to keep it here? You can't let her have something like that and not do the same for the other two. If we hold it back now, then you have to get her something else because I'm sure you have something for Miranda and AJ already."

Marissa grinned. "I'm way ahead of you on all counts. I checked, and they can ship it to us. We don't want this particular one anyway. It's the floor model that has been, shall we say, well loved by every kid walking in here. So, they can ship a new one to us on a specific date, like when we are moving in. I also found a much smaller version of it for Gabby to have now. See, problems all solved!"

"Why am I not the least bit surprised by that? Alright, I can't say 'no' to any of that. She'll love it. What about our other two?"

"Great! I'll order it now! For AJ, I found some amazing Lego sets that he will love."

"He does love to design and build things. I'm thinking we just might have a future architect on our hands."

"I think you're right. Now for Miranda, I didn't find anything for her here, but I did find something perfect for her in another store." Marissa told Bianca what she had found.

"I think that is perfect! She will absolutely love it. So, you're done shopping, _right_?"

Marissa smiled getting the hidden meaning in that question. _I already got you something on the way here. I'm just waiting on them to finish engraving it for me to pick it up._ "Yes, I'm done shopping. Oh, we have to get back. I'll call you later. Love you!"

"Love you too!" Bianca remained outside for several more minutes, replaying their conversation. _I'm not surprised at all that she's put so much thought into getting the kids something from her trip. Marissa told me her dad always did the same thing for her growing up whenever he traveled for work. If she's like this now, I can only imagine what she'll be like for our first Christmas._ Bianca sighed._ Two more days and she'll be home. Two more long days, that is. I really do wonder what I did before Marissa started sharing my life. _

/

"Greenlee, you my friend, are a genius! I'll call Red and get the details of when she's done exactly. If I recall the schedule posted on their refrigerator correctly, she's actually done tomorrow. We can work out the specifics as soon as Bianca leaves."

"What about the kids? Those two really need some alone time which I don't see them getting Marissa's first night back with their little ones around."

"There's an in-service day on Friday, remember? The kids are off school so I could suggest a sleepover at my house tomorrow night. The kids should be up for that."

"I like your thinking. Here comes, Bianca."

"Hey, Binx, good of you to join us. So, how's Red?" Kendall smirked.

Bianca blushed slightly. "Sorry, but I really wanted to talk to Marissa. I know, Greenlee. You don't have to say it. I'm whipped. Anyway, Marissa told me to tell the two of you 'hi', and she's doing okay. She was actually out shopping and picking up something for the kids."

"Speaking of the kids, Spike and Ian were wondering when those three of your's could come over for another sleepover. I was thinking tomorrow would work since they're off school the next day. Zach could set up another video game tournament for them. What do you think?"

Bianca paused before answering. She knew the sleepover would be fun for the kids, but the house would be awfully lonely without Marissa _and_ the kids there. What would she do with herself? _Suck it, Montgomery. Marissa is without us right now and doing it for three nights so I can do it for one night. Plus, I could get some work done so I can spend more time alone with Marissa on Friday._ "I don't see it being problem. I'm sure the kids will have a blast. I'll mention it to Marissa when I talk with her tonight. Are you sure it's not too much for you and Zach?"

"I'm sure. Your kids are no problem at all."

"So, what are you going to do with a night all to yourself?" Greenlee asked, giving Bianca her best poker face not wanting to ruin the planned surprise.

"I really have no idea. It'll be weird with no one there. It'd be different if Marissa was there, but I guess I'll probably get some work done so I can take Friday off to pick her up and spend some time with her then."

"Sounds like a plan. Are you going to work from home or the office?" Kendall inquired. _I need you to work from home tomorrow night for this to all work._

"I guess that depends on when you want the kids over at your house. I could bring them over after dinner if that works for you?"

Kendall did a quick calculation in her head. "That'll work. You can spend some time with them that way. Maybe you won't miss them as much."

"That's doubtful. I'll probably just work from home tomorrow evening then." Bianca checked the time and realized she had been talking to Marissa longer than she had thought. "I didn't realize it was this late. I need to get back to the office."

"Not without your lunch, you don't." Krystal returned with Bianca's lunch, having changed it to a carry out order for her. "Marissa would never let me hear the end of it if I let you leave here without making sure you had lunch. Put your money away. It's no good here today. It's on the house."

Bianca smiled. "Thanks, Krystal. I appreciate it. I'll make sure Marissa knows you're keeping an eye out on me. Well, I've really gotta go. I'll talk to later you, Kendall, to work out the specifics for tomorrow night. Bye, Krystal. See you later, Greenlee."

"Talk to you later, Binx." Kendall watched her sister leave before turning back to Greenlee. "Okay, let's get more of this plan mapped out before I call Red."

/

"Marissa?"

The redhead glanced up from the conversation she was having with several others and smiled. "Hi, Dr. Jensen, I mean Lori. How are you?" The two women shook hands.

"I thought I saw you in the audience! I'm good. I didn't know you were going to be here. It's always nice to see a friendly face at one of these things. How are you doing?"

"I'm good. I wasn't expecting you either. You weren't the scheduled speaker for the conflict resolution seminar. I really enjoyed it and got a lot out of it."

"There was a last minute change, and I'm filling in for a colleague. How are Bianca and the kids? It's been a while since I've been back to the Miranda Center."

Marissa smiled at the mention of her family. "They are all doing great. Bianca is as amazing as ever, and the kids are good and growing like weeds."

One of the other lawyers interrupted. "I'm sorry, but are you talking about Bianca Montgomery and the Miranda Center?"

"Yes, we are. I serve as a consultant for the center." The doctor added.

"I've heard of it, and they do amazing work there." The lawyer turned to Marissa, looking very impressed. "You know Bianca Montgomery? She sounds like an incredible person from everything I've read about her."

Marissa beamed with pride. "Yes, I know Bianca very well. She is my partner, and yes, she is an incredible person, even more so in person than anything you've read." _I'm completely biased though! _The redhead listened proudly as the others spoke about Bianca and the wonderful and inspiring works done by both her and the center. Marissa had been tempted to gush about her girlfriend but found it wasn't necessary as the others had obviously heard of her and were suitably impressed. So, she just stood back and listened. As much as she loved extolling the wonderfulness of Bianca, Marissa loved hearing others do it just as much. The others were close in their descriptions of Bianca, but Marissa knew that there were no words that would ever truly do her justice.

Dr. Jensen had known Bianca for a few years through her work with the center, and the two had become friends. She had admired and respected the younger woman who had been through a great deal in her lifetime. When she heard that Bianca was involved with someone earlier in the year, she had been a little leery for her friend, not wanting her to be hurt yet again. Then, she met Marissa and saw the pair together a few months ago, and the special connection between them was as plain as day. Seeing that and getting to know Marissa, the doctor was happy not only for Bianca but for the redhead as well. Both seemed to have found the long overdue happiness they so deserved. She had been observing the redhead since the seminar ended and had to chuckle. Seeing Marissa as she beamed with pride over Bianca, she could easily see the connection between the pair was even stronger now. "Marissa, what would you say to dinner tonight? We could catch up, and you can fill me in on the ever amazing Bianca."

The redhead caught the teasing tone in the doctor's voice. It was something the couple was quite used to by now. "That sounds great, Lori. I can pick your brain some more regarding your lecture."

"Pick my brain more on my lecture? Oh that's right, you specialize in family law."

"Yes and I think it could help with some of the custody disputes and divorces I handle. I'm sure you know they can get pretty ugly." Marissa's cellphone rang. As she looked at the caller id, she was immediately worried. "Excuse me. I need to take this."

Marissa stepped away from the group. "Kendall, is everything alright? There's nothing wrong with Bianca or the kids, is there?"

"Everyone is just fine, Red. There's no need to worry. Sorry to give you a scare. Can't I just call you up to say 'hi' and see how you're doing?"

The redhead released a huge sigh of relief. "Sorry, I guess I overreacted a little, huh? I just miss them, and I'm going a little nuts not being able to see them."

"No need to apologize. I understand I get a little like that myself about being away from Zach and the boys." _Not as bad as you and my sister though._

"So, Bianca's doing okay then?"

Kendall smiled and shook her head, happy in the knowledge that Marissa was in the same sorry state as her little sister. She'd had a hunch that would be the case, but it was good to have her suspicions confirmed. "Outside of missing you, moping around and being a little on the miserable side without you here, Binx is fine. How are you doing?"

Marissa couldn't help but grin. While she didn't like the fact that her girlfriend wasn't in the best of spirits, it made her just the teeniest bit happy that Bianca was as miserable as she was right now, that she missed her just as much. "I'm hanging in there, counting the hours until I can be back home. How are you? And yes, you can call just to say 'hi' anytime you want. I just have a feeling there's another reason behind this call."

_Greenlee was right, not much gets past this one._ "I'm good, and you got me. I do have a question for you. When exactly are you getting home?"

"Not soon enough." Marissa quickly added with a laugh. "The conference is over tomorrow afternoon, but I couldn't get a flight out until early Friday so I'll be home that afternoon. Everything's booked, and trust me, I've checked a half dozen times for another flight."

Kendall's wheels were turning at full speed. She hated seeing Bianca like this, and she didn't like knowing Marissa was feeling the same way as her sister. _Time for a little fairy godmother action! This could actually work._ "So, if I can find you a flight later tomorrow afternoon …"

"I'd be forever in your debt and would owe you big time! Do you really think you could?"

"Hmmm, let me check. Can you hang on a minute?"

"I'll hang on as long as you need." Marissa held her breath and crossed her fingers as she heard Kendall talking to someone in the background. She listened closely and made out Greenlee's voice as the one she was talking to, but she couldn't quite make out what was being said between the two. _Leave it to the two of them to help._

Five minutes later, Kendall was back on with the redhead. "Okay, do you think you can get to JFK by 4:30 tomorrow?"

Marissa thought for a minute. "Yes, I can! I'm done by 2:30."

"Great, I'll take care of everything on this end and call you later with the details."

"Seriously? How did you get a flight that fast? What did you guys do? Do I want to know?"

"Relax, Red. We didn't do anything illegal. The Fusion corporate jet is in New York getting serviced and is scheduled to depart JFK at 5:00 and return home. Is there any other homesick lawyer that wants an early flight?"

"Kendall, I love you and Greenlee too! You guys are the absolute best! I can never thank you enough! If it's not too much trouble, I'm sure Brian would be thrilled to get home early."

"You are more than welcome! It's no trouble at all. Brian's the one whose wife is due at the end of the month, right? She helped out at the center yesterday."

"That's him. How can I ever repay you?"

"Just keep doing what you're doing and make my little sister happy, that's all the repayment I need."

"You know I'll do my very best on that!" Marissa paused. "Kendall, would it be too much if I asked you one more favor?"

"It's been taken care of, Red. I've already made plans with Bianca to have the kids stay over tomorrow night since there's no school on Friday."

"Call it a hunch, but I'm guessing that she doesn't know about this, does she?"

Kendall grinned. "No, she doesn't. I didn't want to mention anything in case we couldn't work it out. Since you happen to mention it …"

"You think it could be a surprise for her, right?"

"Well, you can decide if you want to surprise her or not, but if you ask us, we'd go with the surprise."

Marissa grinned imaging the look on Bianca's face by her getting home a day early. "I'm with the two of you and all for surprising her."

"A surprise for my sister, it is then! I'll call you later with the details."

"Kendall, I've said it before, and I'll say it again! You and Greenlee are the absolute best!" With that said, the two ended the call, and Marissa rejoined the group smiling brightly. Her mind was already racing ahead to tomorrow evening, being back home and spending some time alone with Bianca. She was so distracted that she didn't hear someone saying her name.

"Marissa, is everything okay? I hope there's nothing wrong at home?" The doctor asked.

"Huh? Sorry, Lori, I was a little distracted. No, everything's great at home. I just got some very good news."

"I'm glad to hear that. So, are we on for dinner?"

"Do you mind if we make it an early one?"

"No, early actually works for me too. I want to check in with the family before it gets too late."

"Great. I have a few things I have to take care of before tomorrow." She checked the time. The kids would be home from school soon and expecting her call. "I need to make a call. I'll meet you in the lobby in an hour." The redhead found Brian and asked if he would be interested in an earlier flight home. As expected, he was thrilled and eagerly accepted. After that, Marissa found a quiet spot to make the first of her two nightly calls home._ Now, comes the hard part. If I want to surprise her tomorrow, I can't let Bianca know something's up!_ Marissa took a deep breath to calm her excitement and called home.

/

**A/N: Okay, I promise to have Marissa home next chapter! I swear! **


	32. Leaving The Big Apple

**A/N: Excuse me for a moment, but I have to get this out. It's a great day in Kentucky, home of the 2012 National Champions! The Wildcats came through, and the sun is shining bring on my old Kentucky home! **

**Thanks for letting me get that out! Back to Minx! Thank you, as always, for the wonderful reviews. Keep 'em coming, and I'll keep writing! Okay, it's the next day from my previous chapter. You know what that means, right? Time for Marissa to come home! Hope you enjoy! **

**/ **

Marissa woke up early that morning. She had a lot to do and little time to do it in. She packed her suitcases after getting ready for the day and then called Bianca.

The brunette grinned when she saw Marissa's number appear on the caller id. "Good morning, beautiful!"

"Hey, that's my line! Good morning, yourself!"

Bianca laughed. "I think it more than applies to you, and I don't recall you having a trademark on it. So, I believe that makes it free and open in the public domain."

"Listen to you throwing around the legalese!"

"It seems all of the private tutoring lessons I've gotten from my kick-ass lawyer girlfriend have paid off!"

Marissa laughed. "Yes, they have and quite nicely too! Of course having a star pupil like you, one so willing to put in long hours of _studying_, makes the tutoring _very_ rewarding!"

"Speaking of star pupils, you're quite the dedicated student and overachiever yourself!"

"Having an instructor like you takes the learning experience to a whole other level!"

Bianca sighed. "How many more hours until you're home? I can't wait to see you."

"Too many for my liking, but I'll be there as soon as I possibly can." _Sooner than you think!_ "I can't wait to see you too."

"I know. So, what are the plans for today?"

"There are a few more lectures before we wrap up. A few of us have talked about going out to a late dinner. Then, back to the hotel for me to pack and call my beautiful and amazing girlfriend. What about you?"

"Meetings, meetings and more meetings and in between, I'll be attempting to dig myself out from under a mound of paperwork. It's definitely the part of my job I like the least. Before I know it though, it'll be time to pick the kids up from school. I was thinking that when they get home I'll have AJ and Miranda start on any homework they may have just to get it out of the way."

"Good idea. That way we can focus on having fun the entire weekend once I get home. While I'm talking with them …"

"I'll pack their bags for their sleepover at Kendall and Zach's." Marissa's chuckle had Bianca wonder what was so funny. "What?"

"Nothing, you're just reading my mind, again. I'm thinking that conversation will be a little longer since I have a feeling they'll be too busy and having too much fun later tonight to talk to me or even think about me."

"I don't know how true that is. You know they love you and miss you."

"I know, but I'm a realist. Video games with their cousins and being spoiled by their aunt and uncle win over me reading them a bedtime story."

"I don't know. Kendall and Zach might enjoy story time as much as we do. You do have a way of spinning a tale."

Marissa laughed. "I'm not even going there with them. The boys, maybe. Kendall and Zach, not a chance! Speaking of them, what time are you dropping the kids off at their house?"

"I figure around 7:00. That will give them a chance to do homework, talk with you and have dinner."

The redhead thought back to her conversation last night with Kendall. Brian had decided to surprise Stefanie as well so he had only told his sister-in-law who was staying with his wife while he was out of town. Marissa and he were to be at JFK at 4:30. Their flight was scheduled to depart at 5:00 and be on the ground in Pine Valley by 6:30. Kendall had arranged for a car to be waiting to take them both home. Marissa and Bianca lived 20 minutes away from the airport. Brian lived closer so he would be dropped off first. By her calculations and barring any unforeseen circumstances and allowing for a slight cushion, Marissa figured she would be home no later than 7:30. Kendall agreed to do her best to stall Bianca for as long as she could. The trick would be to do it in a way in which Bianca would not get suspicious. "What are you doing after that?"

"I'm not sure." Bianca sighed. "If my gorgeous girlfriend was home, I'd have all kinds of ideas, but since she's not, I guess I'll do a little work."

"Bianca, don't tell me you're going into the office! I don't like you being down there by yourself late at night, even with the new security."

"Don't worry. I'm not going into the office. I'll just do some work at home. I have a motive for it. By getting some work done tonight, I can pick you up at the airport tomorrow and give you a proper welcome home before the kids get home."

Marissa grinned. _Talk about great minds thinking alike!_ "A proper welcome home, huh?"

"Yes, I didn't get to give you a proper sendoff. So, I think the very least I can do is give you a proper welcome home!" Bianca grinned.

"Well, when you put it like that, who am I to argue with you?"

"I thought you might see it my way. You are so easy sometimes."

"I'm only easy whenever you're concerned. Of course if you're complaining, I could change that."

"Let me think about that. No! I don't want you to change a thing! You are absolutely perfect!"

Marissa laughed. "I'm hardly perfect."

"You're perfect for me and that's all that matters."

"And you are perfect for me. Dammit, I have to go."

Bianca sighed. "Me too. I'll talk to you later. Love you!"

"Love you too!" Marissa disconnected the call. She briefly replayed their conversation. Had she done as good as she thought she had hiding her excitement when talking to Bianca? Marissa really wanted this surprise to work. _I think I did. I honestly don't think she has any idea. I'll be home in less than 12 hours!_ She smiled at that last thought and then headed down to the front desk. She had spoken with the manager last night and had arranged to check out early. They agreed to keep her luggage locked up for her until she left later today. Marissa knew these steps would save her valuable time, and when she told Brian what she was doing, he quickly followed suit, anxious to get home himself.

/

Marissa checked the time, again, unsure of how many times she had checked it. The day was definitely dragging, and she was having trouble focusing on the day's activities. The redhead was definitely distracted and could only concentrate on one thing, getting home. Marissa couldn't wait to get home, couldn't wait to see the kids and give them countless hugs and kisses, couldn't wait to give them their presents and see their reactions. _I can't wait to surprise Bianca, to see her smile and those beautiful, warm chocolate eyes of her's, to touch her, to hold her, to kiss her, to get lost in her._ Marissa shook her head as she snapped out of her daydream. _Focus, Tasker! You'll see her in a few hours, just hang in there for a few more hours. _

The redhead was able to concentrate for a short while before her mind wandered off again. _There's one more call I need to make. I'll have to do it on my next break._

/

Bianca looked at the clock. _Marissa will be home in a little over 24 hours. Why won't the time go faster?_ She replayed her earlier conversation with Marissa and smiled. She meant every word she had said about giving Marissa a proper welcome home. _God, I miss her so damn much! I miss everything about her. I can't wait to see her smile, and those beautiful eyes of her's and how her smile reaches up to them. I really need to hold her, touch her, feel those amazing lips of her's against mine._ Bianca shook herself out of her daydream, and looked at the stack of paperwork on her desk and her calendar for today. _I need to snap out of it! If I don't, there's no way I'll be able to get through all of this and leave early tomorrow to pick her up, or at least feel less guilty about leaving early. Okay, I've got a goal now or at least some motivation._ She took a deep breath and dove into the mound of paperwork.

That trick worked for maybe about an hour, and then, Bianca's mind was wandering back to Marissa again when she saw the time. _Just under 24 hours until she's home. Kendall said she'd keep the kids for a little while after Marissa gets home. So, I'm thinking we'll have a couple of hours for just us to have some alone time._ Bianca smiled. _That should be enough time to welcome her home properly, at least until the kids go to bed. This is ridiculous. I really need to think about something else other than Marissa, how soft her skin is, how ..."_

"Bianca."

The brunette glanced up and saw her assistant standing in her office. "Jan, I'm sorry I didn't hear you. What can I do for you?"

Her assistant smiled when she saw the faraway look that had been in Bianca's eyes and knew she was thinking about Marissa again. It was something that her boss had been doing a lot of for the last two days. "When does Marissa get back?"

"Am I that obvious?"

Jan laughed. "Just a little bit."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "She gets back early tomorrow afternoon. Alright, I'll get back to work. What did you need?"

"We just got the latest donation request letters back from the printer."

"Judging from the look on your face, I'm going to say there's a problem with them."

"Yes, there is, and they're being a little stubborn about fixing it. It's nothing major. I can take care of it and them. I'm on my way over there now to straighten them out. I just wanted to let you know what was going on and where I'm going to be in case you needed something. Aya is going to cover my desk for me."

Bianca shook her head. "I think I'd be lost without you to take care of things here. I tell you what. I have some time before my next meeting. I'll go with you. I think a change of scenery and focus is just what I need right now. Staring at the clock isn't helping me at all so maybe this will."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Do you mind?"

"Not at all. I always like watching you handle less than cooperative people."

"It's a skill I learned from my mother. She has a knack of getting people to do what she wants. I just tone it down a little. Let's go."

/

"Miranda Center, Aya speaking. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Aya. It's Marissa Tasker."

"Marissa! How are you? How's New York?"

"I'm okay and so is New York. It'd be better if Bianca were here, but maybe next time. How are you?"

"I'm good. Speaking of Bianca, you just missed her. There was a problem with the printer, and she went to straighten them out with Jan."

Marissa laughed. "She did, huh? I almost feel sorry for them. There's nothing like a little glimpse of Kane woman to straighten anyone out. That's okay. I actually didn't want to talk to her, and I would really appreciate it if you didn't let her know I called."

Aya was a little confused. "Okay, can I ask if everything's alright?"

"There's nothing wrong. Everything is great. I just need your help with a couple of things. I want to surprise Bianca so I'll need to swear you to secrecy."

"You want to surprise Bianca? Of course, I'll help. Whatever you need, I'm in. You have my word. I won't say anything to anyone. I promise."

"Fantastic! Okay, I need you to check her schedule for tomorrow. What does she have on tap?"

"Hold on a second while I pull it up. We have a staff meeting at 9:00, and she has another meeting at 10:00. After that, she was having Jan clear her schedule. Bianca had mentioned she was leaving early to pick you up. She hoped to be out of here no later than 11:00."

Marissa paused. _I really hope Bianca's okay with me doing this. I have a feeling she will be though, or I can at least take her mind off of being bothered by it too much._ "Is there any way you all could handle those things without her?"

"Well, let me think. Jan's run the staff meeting before when Bianca's been off. So, that shouldn't be a problem. As for the other meeting, it is something that Bianca really likes to handle herself, but I might be able to move it to next week. You want me to check?"

"Oh, I would really appreciate it if you could. Here's why. I'm actually flying back early and will be home later this evening. It's a surprise. Bianca has no idea, and I was hoping I could get her schedule cleared for tomorrow."

"Say no more! I'm on it. Give me a second, and I'll just IM them to see if they can reschedule. Since Bianca has already moved the meeting for them twice, they should. They're responding, and it's done. I've got it moved to next week. Bianca is free and clear tomorrow!"

"Thank you!"

"It's my pleasure. She deserves the day off. Oh, I just wanted to thank you for calling the troops and arranging all that help for us. It made the cleanup go so much faster for us."

"You're welcome, but I didn't do that much. I just made a couple of phone calls. Bianca is exaggerating my help. Trust me, I would like to have been there myself pitching in with the cleanup."

"I know you would've been here if you could and so does everyone else. To hear Bianca tell it, you did more than just make a few calls, and I don't think she was exaggerating. The others were backing her up on that. Krystal had meals and snacks for everyone all day, and we had so many people here helping that the staff was able to actually focus on some work so we weren't too far behind. So, please, on behalf of all of the staff, let me thank you again."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. So, Bianca's covered for Friday?"

"Yep, she is. She is all your's tomorrow. If she asks why the one meeting was moved, I'll come up with some excuse, and I'll tell Jan about covering the staff meeting when we leave for the day. Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, that'll do it! Thanks! I really appreciate it!"

"You're welcome. Anytime. I know she'll be over the moon with your being home a day early. Have a safe trip home. Bye."

"Thanks again. Bye." Marissa smiled brightly as she headed back inside the meeting room. _That was easier than I thought. Yep, Bianca is all mine, and I couldn't be luckier! I'll be home in just a few more hours. Then, we will have each other's undivided attention!_

/

Only after the Fusion corporate jet had finally taken off and was winging its way back home to Pine Valley did Marissa finally allow herself to take a breath and relax, a little. She wouldn't truly relax until she was back home, especially after how the day was going so far. The redhead had been in constant motion since early that morning, and that was after a late night the night before. The day had started out good. Of course, it had started with her talking to Bianca, and that was always the best part of her day. Well, the second best part of her day. It seemed to go slightly downhill after that. Several of lectures ran over, including her last one of the day. Then, she and Brian had to wait for the desk clerk to locate the key to the room to where their luggage was stored. Fortunately, Kendall was true to her word and had a car waiting to take them to the airport. Things appeared to be back on track until an accident on the highway caused a huge backup and tied up traffic for a few miles. Marissa called the dynamic duo, and Greenlee contacted the airport to make sure the jet did not leave until they arrived. Luckily, they had allowed for plenty of time to get there, but it was 5:00 by the time they got to the gate for the plane. The flight was then delayed for 30 minutes before being allowed to depart. Now, they were finally in the air and headed home.

Marissa checked the time. It was almost time to make her scheduled call home which was going to have to be made it from the plane. The redhead hoped things would go smoother from here on out. Marissa asked the flight attendant when she could make a call from her cellphone, and was told she would be able to do so in five minutes. She thanked the attendant and thought back to her conversation with the kids last night.

They were excited to talk with her again, and they loved hearing about her lunchtime adventure of walking through the city and seeing some of the street performers. Marissa was careful not to mention her shopping excursion. That was a surprise she wanted to spring on them in person. There was one thing that had nagged at her during that conversation, and she mentioned it to Bianca during her second phone call and took place after story time.

"_Is everything okay with Miranda? She seemed a little quiet earlier, like something was going on with her."_

"_You know her too well."_

"_Well, she's a lot like you. She loves to process things, and when she does, she gets very quiet. So, what's going on with our oldest girl?"_

"_I'm not quite sure. I talked with her after school. She said she was fine, but I wasn't buying it so I checked with AJ. He knows something, but he's not talking, for now."_

"_That's our boy, acting just like a protective brother. Whatever's going on with her, if it was something really bad, I think he would tell us."_

"_I think you're right on all counts. If I were to guess, this has something to do with you not being here. She perked up after your call, like it reinforced or confirmed something for her. She doesn't doubt you. It's something else, and I just can't put my finger on it. That reminds me, there is something I've noticed her doing since you left."_

"_I'm really glad I called then. What have you noticed?"_

"_Miranda's been coming into our bedroom and listening to your music box."_

"_Ah, I can explain that. I asked her to keep an eye on it for me while I'm gone."_

_Bianca smiled. Marissa never failed to amaze her. That was the one thing that she could think of that would reassure and comfort Miranda. They all knew how much that music box meant to Marissa. For her to trust Miranda with something that special to her had to mean the world to their oldest daughter. "That explains a lot, like the little change in attitude she had and being okay with you going away. You are amazing."_

_Marissa laughed. "I don't know about that. I know that Miranda still has some trust issues, and I thought that might help with them. I also know how much she likes the music box and listening to it. It's kind of our thing."_

"_See, you are absolutely amazing and know her very well. That was the perfect thing to do for her."_

"_So, you don't think it's anything major, what's going on with her right now?"_

"_Not right now, I don't. We'll keep an extra eye out on her though."_

"_Okay. I think I'll talk with her privately when I get home though, just to be on the safe side. I want to make sure she knows, that no matter what, I'll always come back home and never leave any of you. You and our kids are my whole world."_

"_There you go saying the perfect thing again and saying exactly what I'm thinking."_

"_It's the whole mind reading thing we've got going on, at least that's what the dynamic duo would say."_

_Bianca laughed. "Yes, they would. So, tell me about your day."_

"_Well, I ran into Lori Jensen. She did the conflict resolution lecture."_

"_How is she? It's been a while since we've talked."_

"_She's good and says 'hi'. We had dinner, and I filled her in on the latest with you and the kids. I told her about the break-in. She hated hearing about that and told me to tell you to let her know if there was anything she could do to help. I then picked her brain as much as I could about her lecture."_

_Bianca smiled. Marissa was like a dog with a bone when she found a topic that interested her. She was always learning new things that would help her do a better job for her clients. It was just one of the many things Bianca loved about her. She listened as Marissa went on about what she had learned and was happy just to hear her voice. It helped just a little with missing her._

_Marissa stopped talking and laughed. "Sorry. I was doing it again, huh?"_

"_Doing what?" Bianca grinned._

"_Going on and on like I do when I pick up some new information. I'll stop. How was your day? Has there been any progress on finding out who broke in?"_

"_I love hearing you go on and on about something that excites you. I could actually follow it more this time. You're a little distracting in person. Your eyes light up, making them even more beautiful which I never thought would've been possible. Then, you start talking with your hands which makes we just want to grab them and hold them. Once that happens, I want to hold you, and all bets are off after that about what I want to do then!"_

_Marissa laughed. "I didn't know I was so distracting. I'll try and tone it down next time."_

"_Don't you dare! I love watching you like that."_

"_Okay, I won't, but please, feel free to grab my hands or whatever anytime you want! Now, back to my question, how was your day and any updates?"_

"_It was busy. The new security will be in place tomorrow. Jesse has a lead on the break-in and thinks he might be able to make an arrest soon."_

"_That's great! I want whoever is responsible to be punished. They hurt the center which hurts you, and you know how I feel about that."_

"_Yes, I do. It's the same exact way I do when someone hurts you."_

"_Precisely!"_

_The pair continued to talk late into the night with neither willing nor quite able to sever that lifeline to the other. The call ended only when they realized they were dozing off on each other again._

"_I love you, Rissa."_

"_I love you, B."_

"Excuse me, Ms. Tasker."

Marissa was brought back to the present and looked up at the flight attendant. "Yes?"

"The pilot as informed me that it's fine for you to use your cellphone now."

"Thank you! How are we doing on time? When does he think we'll be landing in Pine Valley?"

"We picked up a nice tail wind so it looks like we're going to make up some of our time. Right now, our estimated time of arrival is 6:45."

"That's great!"

"Oh, Ms. Slater and Ms. Lavery arranged for dinner to be served for the two of you. We'll have that out in just a few minutes." The attendant headed back to the cabin.

"Thank you!"

Brian shook his head a little in disbelief. "Your family thinks of everything, don't they?"

Marissa grinned. _They really are my family, and I love every single one of them no matter how crazy they are or how much they love to tease Bianca and me. I couldn't have asked for a better one, and I'm damn lucky to be a part of it. They've been there whenever they've been needed, and I'll be there for them. _"Yeah, they do. They are the best." She pulled out her cellphone and called home.

/

Bianca finished cleaning up after dinner as Miranda finished carefully loading the dishwasher. Her daughter definitely seemed in better spirits after talking with Marissa. _I can't say I blame her. I'm always in a better mood after talking with her. I'm still not sure what's going on with Miranda though. Something's up._ "So, Mimo, is everything okay?"

"What'd you mean, mom?"

"You just seem like you have something on your mind. I just want to make sure you're okay. You know you can talk to me or Marissa anytime about anything."

Miranda smiled. "I know, mom. Everything's okay. Somebody's just being a big pest at school."

"Who is it? Are they giving you a hard time?"

"It's just somebody being stupid because they don't know what they're talking about."

"Are you sure it's nothing more, Miranda?"

"I'm sure, mom. It's nothing I can't handle. Don't worry."

"I'm always going to worry about you, Mimo. And you shouldn't have to handle anything. I'll help you with whatever is, no matter what, and so will Marissa."

"I know. If it gets bad, I promise I'll let you both know."

Bianca studied her daughter for a moment. She recognized that look in her eyes. It was one she had seen in Kendall's eyes. Miranda wasn't going to budge, at least not yet. "Okay, I'll let it go, _for now_."

"Thanks, mom. Plus, I miss Marissa too. I'll really be glad when she's home tomorrow."

"That makes two of us. Actually, it's more than that. You know that Marissa misses us just as much as we miss her."

Miranda smiled. "Yeah, I know. I like knowing that. It makes me feel good. Is that bad?"

"No, it's not bad at all. It's perfectly understandable with everything you've been through. I'll let you in on a little secret. It makes me feel good too knowing how much she misses us. I think we're pretty lucky that we found Marissa. What do you think?"

"I think you're right!" Miranda thought for a second. "When are we going to Aunt Kendall's?"

"We'll be leaving in about half an hour."

"That should be enough time. Is it okay if I get our art supplies out? I thought of something I'd like to make for Marissa, and I think AJ and Gabby will want to help."

Bianca smiled. "It's more than okay. I'll get the supplies out and put them in the dining room while you go get the other two."

Miranda headed out to the family room to get the other kids while Bianca took the art supplies to the dining room. All three children soon entered the room and were hard at work. In no time at all, they had created a welcome home banner for Marissa.

"Do you think she'll like it, Bianca?"

"I know she'll love it, buddy. Let's go hang it up." The four walked into the family room, and Bianca hung the banner up. "I think it looks perfect. What do all of you think?"

The question was met with enthusiastic nods of agreement as the children were extremely proud of the finished product. "Good. Now, we've got to get going. Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach will wonder where you are. I'll clean up everything when I get back. Everyone grab your bag and head out."

/

Kendall checked the time. Marissa had just called. Her flight had landed, and they would be leaving the airport in a few minutes. Bianca was on her way over with the kids and should be there any second. She would have to stall her sister for at least half an hour to give Marissa time to beat Bianca home in order for the surprise to work. _You can do this, Kendall. Red is counting on you, and after everything she has done for Bianca and our family, this is the least I can do for her._

She heard Zach answer the front door as Bianca and the kids arrived. Kendall walked into the room to greet them. "Hey, Binx, kiddos!"

"Hi, Aunt Kendall!" With that short greeting, the three youngest arrivals disappeared with Zach, Spike and Ian into the family room.

"I suppose I'm lucky I got a 'hi' from them." Kendall smirked.

Bianca laughed. "Hi, Kendall. I think you're right. They were excited to get the video games started. Well, I'm going to run."

"You're leaving already? You just got here, Binx"

"I know, but I want to take care of a couple of things before I talk with Marissa later."

"Oh come on, you can spare a few minutes to talk."

"I really want to get home, Kendall. I want to finish up some work that I brought home, and I need to clean up the dining room. The kids made a welcome home banner for Marissa, and you know Gabby and glitter."

Kendall laughed. "My niece does seem to like it a lot. You can tell that by every art project she does. Come on just stay a few minutes. You can help me get the sundaes ready for the kids. It's obvious I'm not going to get any help from the biggest kid of all. Zach couldn't wait to get the games started." She could tell her sister was wavering so she played her trump card. "Besides, I promised Red that I would make sure you didn't work too hard while she was gone. You don't want to make a liar out of me, do you?"

Bianca rolled her eyes and sighed. "Fine, I'll stay but for only 15 minutes. You know, that's really not fair using Marissa like that. I have the sneaking suspicion that you are one of her confidential informants and filling her in on everything I've been doing."

"Hey, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. As for the confidential informant thing, on the advice of my legal counsel, I can neither confirm nor deny that." Kendall added with a smirk.

Bianca laughed. "The advice of legal counsel, huh? I'm guessing that legal counsel would be a certain redhead that I live with."

"Again, on the advice of legal counsel, I can neither confirm nor deny that."

Bianca saw the amusement in her sister's eyes. "I'm really wondering just how much I like the two of you being friends."

"You love it. Don't even try and deny it. Besides, it's really great to have someone else helping to keep an eye on you and keep you in line. You're quite a handful."

She saw the smirk on her older sister's face and rolled her eyes again. "Keeping _me_ in line? _I'm_ a handful? If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is!"

"You keep rolling your eyes like that and you'll sprain something." Kendall pulled Bianca with her to the kitchen. Once they were there, she started pulling out supplies for making the sundaes. "Don't be mad. I'm only half serious. You're a handful because you tend to do too much for others at the expensive of taking care of yourself, and whether you admit it or not, that part is true."

Bianca shook her head. "While I don't agree with you about me, Marissa probably would so I'll let it slide for now, but I don't think I'll forget it."

"I tell you want, Binx. I'll make it up to you with your own sundae. The banner sounds like a nice touch. Whose idea was it?"

"It was Miranda's. She's really looking forward to Marissa getting home. The other two couldn't wait to help. It's now hanging in the family room, all ready to greet Marissa tomorrow afternoon. I know she'll be home tomorrow, and I know I'm going to catch some grief from you on this. I can't help it though. I really miss her, Kendall. I'd like nothing better than for her to be home tonight. I know it's not going to happen, but I can hope and wish."

_She looks so sad. I want to tell her that her wish will be coming true and that Red will be home in a matter of minutes. No, I can't do it. It will ruin the surprise. Keep a straight face for just a little while longer._ "No, I won't give you any grief, any more at least. I miss Red too, not the same way or quite as much as you, but I miss her. She's become a good friend. There's also the fact that she is crazy about you and the girls and makes you happier than I've ever seen you. I really like that in a person."

"So, do I." Bianca laughed. "Are we all set for the kids?"

"Yep, go get 'em."

Bianca nodded and went to fetch Zach and the kids. While she was gone, Kendall got a text from Marissa saying she was five minutes from home. The older woman smiled and sent a text back saying the coast was clear.

"Who's that on the phone?" Bianca asked as she came back into the kitchen quickly followed everyone else.

"Oh, it's just Greenlee about work. What kind of ice cream can I get you, Binx?"

Bianca checked the time. "Speaking of work, I've got to get going. I need to do a little tonight so I won't feel so bad about playing hooky tomorrow. I'll take a rain check on the ice cream. Are you okay with that?"

Kendall smirked. "Yes, I'm okay with that. I'm sorry for trying to help you have fun."

"You're forgiven." Bianca turned to the kids and gave each one a hug and kiss. "Okay, guys, I'm going. I want you to be good, and don't beat Uncle Zach too badly in the video games."

"Hey, I resent that. Alright, I really don't. I can use all the help I can get against them, but I've been practicing so bring it on."

Kendall shook her head. "Sad thing is that he really has. I'll call before I head over with them."

Bianca laughed. "That sounds good. I'm thinking around 3:00 or so depending on whether or not Marissa's flight is delayed. Thanks again. Love you guys, and Marissa and I will see you tomorrow afternoon."

Zach whispered in Kendall's ear. "So, I'm guessing since you let her leave that means Red is home."

"She should be by now. I better send her a text to let her know Binx is on her way."

/

It was just beginning to get dark when Marissa rushed into the house and reset the alarm. The only light that had been left on was a lamp near the recliner. She opted to leave the remaining the lights off after she read Kendall's text not wanting to give her girlfriend any advanced warning of her being home. _Just a few more minutes until I see Bianca._ She didn't have as much time as she'd like to get settled so she opted for taking her carry-on to their bedroom before racing back downstairs and moving her larger suitcase out of the sight. It was then that Marissa saw the banner the kids had made hanging in the family room and smiled. _Home. It is so good to be home._ She turned towards the front door when she heard her girlfriend's car in the driveway and smiled brightly.

/

It was dusk by the time Bianca pulled into the driveway. The brunette sat in her car and looked at the home she shared with Marissa. It looked so dark and lonely, and she was not looking forward to spending the long night ahead in it alone. _Maybe, I should take Kendall up on her offer. It's not too late. I could be back over there in no time at all, grab a sundae and watch the kids beat Zach. It might take my mind off of Marissa not being here at least for a little while. I could be back home before she calls in a couple of hours, and the work can wait. It would be fun, and God knows that I could use that right now. _

/

Marissa was anxiously waiting inside their home for Bianca to enter. _What is taking her so long?_

**/**

**A/N: I'm such a tease, aren't I? I just couldn't help it because cliffhangers are fun. I have this slightly evil side that I just can't seem to shut out sometimes, like now. Okay, it's more than slightly evil. I did get Marissa home though. Does that help? Probably not, huh? How about if I told you that I already started the next chapter, and I promise to make it up to you for teasing you all so shamelessly now? **


	33. A Proper Welcome Home

**A/N: Is it safe to come out? It is? Okay, good! I'm back! Thanks, as always, for the great reviews, and I pretty much thought I would get the reactions I did from the last chapter. You all said to update soon, and this was as soon as I could. First, I feel like I guess I should apologize again for the way I ended the last chapter. It was a little bit cruel. I just couldn't help myself though. I was driving home from work and dealing with the evening rush hour when my evil side came out and told me to end the chapter that way. Don't worry. I've tied her up and put her in time out, for this chapter at least. Speaking of this chapter, it marks two milestones. The first one is my birthday is this week! In honor of Minx, I will be celebrating it with some killer chocolate cake. Okay, it's not just because of them. I really like it too. The second milestone is that it has been six months since I put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard and began this story! To be honest with you, I didn't see me still writing it six months later. I knew that Minx was the end game and had several ideas for what I wanted to do. This story soon took on a life of its own and things changed. My creative side woke up and took off on this journey, and it has definitely been an interesting one. A couple of the things that have happened along the way, I didn't see coming, but I'm really glad they did and will be eternally grateful that they did. I'm glad I've taken this journey, and that all of you have joined me on it. I'm not sure when it will end. I can only tell you that we're not done yet! The wheels are still turning so there's more to come. That's down the road though. As for the present, I've picked this chapter up exactly where I ended the previous one. I hope this one makes up for how I ended the last one and that you enjoy it! Happy Easter!**

**/ **

It was dusk by the time Bianca pulled into the driveway. The brunette sat in her car and looked at the home she shared with Marissa and their children. It looked so dark and lonely, and she was not looking forward to spending the long night ahead in it alone. _Maybe, I should take Kendall up on her offer. It's not too late. I could be back over there in no time at all, grab some ice cream and watch the kids beat Zach. It might take my mind off of Marissa not being here, at least for a little while. It'll be a couple of hours before she calls, and I could be back before then. Plus, the work can wait. It's not really that pressing. It could be fun, and God knows that I could use that right now. _

/

Marissa was anxiously waiting inside their home for Bianca to enter. She was starting to get a little nervous. _What is taking her so long?_

/

_No, I should really stay home and just get it done. It's the right thing to do. It's not fun, but it is the right thing to do. _Bianca sighed as she got out of the car and walked to the front door. The brunette unlocked it and was talking to herself when she walked inside. She faced the door to lock it before stopping and resting her head against it, a small groan escaped from her. "Dark and lonely. Maybe if I left more lights on, it wouldn't feel like this. No, it doesn't matter how many lights I would've left on. This place would still look and feel lonely. Just a little while longer though and Marissa will be home. I just need to stick it out for a few more hours. I'll do some work to take my mind off of things, and before I know it, I'll hear her voice."

"Bianca, please tell me you aren't planning on going back into the office tonight."

"I'm not. I told you this morning that if I catch up on some work here tonight that I can spend time with alone with you tomorrow when you get home. I can give you a proper welcome home that way." Bianca paused and blinked in shock. "Wait! Either I'm completely losing it, or …" Bianca quickly turned around and saw Marissa sitting in the family room, clearly amused by her reply. The brightest of smiles graced Bianca's face. "Marissa! You're home! I'm not losing it or dreaming? You're actually here? You're actually home?"

Before Bianca could overcome her surprise, form another coherent thought or even move one inch from the door, Marissa had shot out of the chair, crossed the room and had her girlfriend in her arms, crashing her lips into the brunette's. Bianca moaned and instantly wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist pulling her even closer. The redhead quickly had Bianca pressed against the door. After several minutes, the pair reluctantly separated, breathless. They rested their foreheads against each other as they gasped for air.

"You're not losing it, and you're not dreaming. I'm really home. God, I missed you so much!" Marissa smiled brightly as she leaned in for another kiss.

Bianca's smile matched her girlfriend's when they pulled apart again. "I missed you too, more than I can tell you. I knew it would be tough, but I didn't know it would be that tough. How, how are you here? You're not supposed to be home until tomorrow."

"Want me to leave and come back then?" Marissa grinned and started to step back.

Bianca grabbed her. "Hell no, not on your life! I'm not letting you go! It was torture without you here. I know it had to be worse for you since you were there all by yourself, and I at least had the kids to keep me company. They were great, but it's just not the same without you here. I missed _you_, _every single inch of you_."

"Bianca, you're talking way too much."

"I guess I …" The redhead cut her off as she captured her lips again for a searing kiss. Marissa grasped the silky brown locks, pulling Bianca closer still and deepening the kiss. Her hands then began to roam and slowly made their way under Bianca's shirt at the same time her tongue had gained entrance into the brunette's slightly open mouth. Bianca felt her knees begin to buckle as her desire began to escalate. Marissa's lips then began to roam and were soon trailing kisses along the brunette's neckline as she held Bianca tightly to keep her steady. A nagging thought made its way through the fog that was quickly forming in Bianca's mind. "Marissa, I really should lock the door and set the alarm. I would hate for someone to interrupt us right now."

"You have a good point. Go ahead." Marissa's lips continued their journey and soon found Bianca's pulse point.

The brunette moaned. "You are not making this easy."

"I'm not doing anything to stop you."

"The hell you're not. I can barely focus, and if I don't enter the code correctly, we'll have Pine Valley's finest over here to see what's going on. That's not a show I want to give them."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No! I mean yes but just for ten seconds, until I enter the code. After that, I'm all your's. I promise."

Marissa sighed and stepped back. "Alright, you have ten seconds."

Bianca turned to face the door, took a shaky breath, entered the security code and turned back around. Her girlfriend was nowhere in sight. "Marissa?" _Where is she? She was just here! Dammit! Why did I stop her? The damn code could have waited, and now, I've spoiled that amazing moment all because I think too much!_ Bianca looked around the family room and didn't see her. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of something on the stairs and quickly made her way over to see what it was. She grinned when she saw that it was Marissa's shirt. Bianca started to unbutton her own shirt as she made her way up the stairs when she noticed that her girlfriend had it half undone already. _When did she manage to do that? I sometimes forget just how fast her hands are when she's motivated. _She chuckled shaking her head and removing her shirt as she entered their bedroom.

Marissa grinned wickedly when Bianca entered their bedroom. "I believe that was longer than ten seconds."

"Well, it would have only been ten seconds, but when I turned back around after setting the alarm, you weren't there."

"You said I was distracting you, and I didn't want to keep doing that."

Bianca laughed as she crossed the room to where Marissa was standing. "You are the very best and most welcome of distractions, and don't ever think otherwise." She paused and noted the amused look on the redhead's face along with her darkening eyes. "I'm talking too much, aren't I?"

Marissa smiled and nodded as she pulled Bianca to her, capturing her lips. Both women moaned as they felt the intensity of the love behind the kiss. The days of longing for each other soon became a distant memory, and their remaining clothes were quickly discarded as they tumbled onto their bed. Marissa's lips slowly trailed down to Bianca's breasts, and her tongue began to torturously tease hardened nipples while her hands began to caress the wondrous soft curves of Bianca that were emblazoned in her memory causing the brunette to moan.

"Oh dear God, Marissa!" Bianca was becoming incapable of rational thought as the growing ache in between her legs screamed in need and want of Marissa and began to overwhelm her.

Marissa slowly continued her torturous journey over Bianca's stomach and slowly downward as her hands continued to caress every inch of her girlfriend.

A deep moan escaped from Bianca's throat along with the plea, "Oh dear God in heaven! Please, Marissa!"

Marissa reached her final destination as she heard Bianca's plea. She slowly slid her tongue past her girlfriend's soaked outer folds and into her aching center. Bianca's head snapped back as her hands grasped copper locks, pulling Marissa closer as her back arched. She began to unravel under the ecstasy being brought on by Marissa's magical tongue as her girlfriend drank in all of her. Bianca convulsed wildly when Marissa slowly moved her tongue upward to her throbbing hub and worked its exquisite magic there. "Oh God! Oh dear God! Marissssssaaa!" Waves of ecstasy swept over Bianca and exploded inside her. The brunette's entire body went limp moments later, and Marissa slowly made her way back up Bianca's body kissing every inch of it along the way. She watched as her girlfriend slowly recovered, and a brilliant smile formed along Bianca's face as she opened her eyes seeking Marissa's. "You're staring."

"Sorry, but it's this bad habit I picked up from you. You are absolutely breathtaking. So, did you miss me? Are you happy I'm home?" Marissa grinned mischievously.

Bianca gave her a dazzling smile. "Let me think. Yes and yes! Dear God, yes! What about you? Did you miss me, and are you happy your home?"

Marissa chuckled. "Well, if you have to ask, I obviously didn't make myself clear a few minutes ago."

"Oh, you were definitely clear, crystal clear! Trust me on that!" Bianca laughed. She gazed into those hazel eyes that she loved getting lost in and brushed a lock of copper hair behind Marissa's ear. "I love you."

Bianca was rewarded with a radiant smile from Marissa. "I love you too." The redhead leaned down and gave her a tender kiss.

The kiss soon deepened as their shared desire and passion escalated. A moan escaped from Marissa as Bianca shifted their positions and rolled on top of her, every inch of their bodies melding together perfectly. "I think I need to show you just how much I missed you." Bianca's lips began to roam, soon finding Marissa's pulse point causing a sharp intake of breath. Bianca continued down to Marissa's breasts causing the redhead to moan as her tongue began working its magic. Another moan escaped from the redhead as the throbbing ache between her legs intensified, and she pulled her girlfriend closer. As Bianca continued to ravish Marissa's breasts, her hands slowly drifted lower, caressing each magnificent curve of Marissa until one gently eased between her legs. As Bianca slid two fingers easily inside Marissa, the redhead moaned loudly and pulled her girlfriend up to her, capturing Bianca's lips for a searing kiss as a rhythm was soon set between them. Each thrust drove Marissa to a height of sheer ecstasy. "Oh… God… Oh… God… Bianca… Oh… God…" Bianca could feel Marissa tighten around her and applied more pressure. Marissa cried out, "Biannnnnnccaaa!" as she was driven over the edge and completely unraveled as a wave of euphoria soon enveloped her.

The two lay entwined and gasping for air. Neither was able to speak for several minutes as they basked in the love they shared. The long, lonely nights they had endured away from each other were now an unpleasant and distant memory.

"Welcome home!" Bianca grinned.

"You really did miss me!" Marissa sighed happily as she was enfolded in Bianca's loving embrace.

"Was there ever any doubt that I did?" Bianca chuckled.

"None whatsoever! I love you."

"I love you."

Both women drifted off to the blissful slumber that had eluded them the last two nights spent away from each other.

/

As Marissa turned on her side, her right arm instinctively draped itself across Bianca's stomach, drawing her girlfriend closer to her. Marissa began to softly caress the wondrous curves of Bianca, loving both the feel of her velvety soft skin that she had craved to feel the last two days and the reaction Bianca's body had to her touch as she felt a shiver go through her. Marissa smiled when she heard a happy sigh escape from Bianca, and the redhead raised her head, quickly finding and enjoying the taste of her love's waiting and intoxicating lips. Marissa finally opened her eyes to a sight that always took her breath away, and she gave Bianca a dazzling smile. "Good morning, beautiful!"

Bianca sighed happily again and smiled the goofy grin that always made Marissa's heart skip a beat. "Good morning, yourself! God, I missed this so much. I missed you so much." She pulled the redhead closer for a tender kiss.

"Judging by last night, you liked your surprise."

"No, I loved my surprise!" Bianca glanced at the clock. "I can't believe the alarm didn't go off. I'm going to be late. I really wish I didn't have to go in. If I had a little more warning, I could have cleared my schedule."

Marissa grinned as she stopped Bianca from getting out of bed. "The alarm didn't go off because I turned it off, and you're not going to be late."

"I'm not? Rissa, what did you do?"

"Well, I hope you're not too mad, but I called your office yesterday. You were out with Jan taking care of something at the printers. I asked Aya to see what she could do about clearing your schedule to give you the day off."

"Wait, you mean she knew you were coming home early?"

"Yep, she did."

"Huh, she didn't let on at all. So, you were conspiring with my staff?" Bianca smirked.

"Yeah, I was. So, are you okay with that?"

"Hmmm, let me think a second. Instead of going into work and sitting through a long and boring meeting, I get to spend several hours alone with my beautiful and amazing girlfriend. Uh yeah, I'm more than okay with that! Remind me to give her a raise." Bianca kissed Marissa tenderly and started chuckling when a thought crossed her mind.

Marissa gave her a puzzled looked. "Care to tell me what's so funny?"

"Well, I almost didn't come in when I got home from dropping the kids off. I was really close to turning around and going back to Kendall's for some ice cream!"

Marissa laughed. "You're kidding me? I almost lost out to ice cream!"

"Hey, I didn't know you were here! If I did know, I would've broken down the door because it's no contest!"

"Hmmm, speaking of doors …"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to hear the end of that, am I?"

Marissa smirked. "Nope, you sure aren't!"

"Yeah, I should've let you rip my clothes off right then and there, but my brain got in the way like it does sometimes. Given another opportunity like that, it won't happen again, trust me!"

"I'm glad to hear that!"

"I'm sensing you don't quite believe me. I have a great idea." Bianca smiled wickedly as she shifted and rolled on of Marissa. "What's the saying? Actions speak louder than words!" Bianca leaned down to claim Marissa's lips for a fervent kiss.

A soft moan escaped from the redhead as her arms wound tightly around Bianca. When they separated gasping for air, Marissa smiled mischievously. "I think I might need a little more convincing, if it's not too much trouble."

"It's no trouble at all and completely my pleasure!" Bianca quickly closed the distance between them for a searing kiss.

/

When Bianca stepped out of the bathroom, she noticed Marissa was no longer in bed. The brunette heard her downstairs in the kitchen and set off to find her girlfriend. Bianca stopped in the doorway and smiled brightly. She found Marissa with her back to the door, preparing breakfast. She was wearing pajama shorts along with Bianca's t-shirt, and she was singing.

_You're better then the best  
>I'm lucky just to linger in your light<br>Cooler than the flip side  
>Of my pillow, that's right<em>

Completely unaware  
>Nothing can compare to where<br>You send me, lets me know that it's okay  
>Yeah, it's okay<br>And the moments where my good times start to fade

_You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
>Sing like bird, dizzy in my head<br>Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night_

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
>Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br>Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
>Oh, you make me smile<p>

Even when you're gone,  
>Somehow you come along just like<br>A flower pokin' through the sidewalk crack  
>And just like that<br>You steal away the rain, and just like that

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
>Sing like bird, dizzy in my head<br>Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
>Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br>Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
>Oh, you make me smile<p>

Marissa turned around and saw her girlfriend watching her, smiling. The redhead gave her a dazzling smile and continued to sing as Bianca crossed the room to her, placing her arms around the brunette's neck. 

Don't know how I lived without you  
>'Cause every time that I get around you<br>I see the best of me inside your eyes  
>You make me smile<p>

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
>Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br>Just the thought of you can drive me wild

You make me smile like the sun, fall out of bed  
>Sing like bird, dizzy in my head<br>Spin like a record, crazy on a Sunday night

You make me dance like a fool, forget how to breathe  
>Shine like gold, buzz like a bee<br>Just the thought of you can drive me wild  
>Oh, you make me smile<br>(Oh, you make me smile)  
>Oh, you make me smile<br>(Oh, you make me smile)  
>Oh, you make me smile<p>

When Marissa finished singing, Bianca captured her lips. "Your voice is almost as beautiful as you are, _almost_. I love hearing you sing. I can't tell you how many times I played your voicemail. I was thinking of making it my ringtone, a Marissa Tasker original. Now, I'm thinking I like this song better. Do you think I could get you to sing that for me again?"

Marissa laughed. "I think you are completely biased, but thank you. With the right incentive, I might be convinced to sing it again for you."

Bianca gave her a wicked grin. "The right incentive, huh? Let me give that some thought." The brunette looked down at what Marissa was wearing. "I see you're wearing _my_ shirt."

"I believe that would be _my_ shirt. Remember, B, possession is nine-tenths of the law." Marissa smirked.

"I'm sensing a challenge there, counselor." Bianca's eyes darkened.

"So, what do you plan on doing about it?" Marissa gave her a mischievous smile, hoping Bianca would accept the challenge.

The brunette arched an eyebrow. "Alright, you asked for it!" Bianca pulled Marissa in for a fervent kiss. The redhead moaned as she was pressed against the counter, and she instantly pulled Bianca closer and deepened the kiss. The brunette's lips began trailing kisses and quickly found that spot she loved that she loved behind Marissa's ear, the one that made her powerless. Marissa moaned loudly and clothes were again discarded as Bianca pulled them to the floor.

/

Marissa sat across from Bianca at the kitchen table and chuckled. Her girlfriend was humming and had a very self-satisfied smirk on her face. _There's something that nobody else gets to see. I am so damn lucky. _"Someone's very pleased with themselves."

Bianca flashed a brilliant smile. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just really love chocolate chip pancakes."

"Uh huh, it's the pancakes." Marissa laughed and shook her head. _Yeah, it's not the shirt I covet. It's definitely Bianca and everything single thing about her._

"Oh, you think it's because I got my shirt back. I told you I would. In fact, I promised it, and you know me and promises!" Bianca was definitely very pleased with herself, and her smile showed it.

"Yeah, I do. You always keep your promises! I can't bring myself to fault your methods." Marissa laughed.

"I didn't think you would. Besides, I literally gave you the shirt off my back." Bianca smirked.

"Yes, you did. Of course, that was after taking the one off of mine!"

"A woman's gotta do what a woman's gotta do! Speaking of, how exactly did you pull off getting home early? I'm not complaining, mind you. I'm just curious."

"Ah, the dynamic duo came to the rescue."

"What did Kendall and Greenlee do?"

"Your sister called me the other day. She said that Fusion jet was in New York being serviced and was scheduled to fly back here yesterday. They offered it to me for an early flight home. Well, me and any other homesick lawyer itching to get home."

"Let me guess. Brian jumped at the offer."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, he did. He was really anxious to get home with Stefanie basically due any day now."

"She didn't say anything when I talked with her yesterday."

"That's because it was a surprise for her too. Kendall and Greenlee took care of everything. They arranged for a car to get us to the airport in New York and another one here to get us home. They even arranged for dinner for us. We need to do something for them."

"I agree. We really do, and we will. So, when you called home last night …"

"I was calling from the plane which thanks to Greenlee was waiting for us. Lectures got out late, and we ran into traffic. I called her, and she made sure the pilot didn't leave without us. Kendall had the extra job of stalling you so I could beat you home to surprise you. She almost did too good of a job from what you told me earlier!"

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, she really did! I was dreading spending the entire evening here alone and was really close to going back to her place. I wonder what she would've done if I showed back up there. Actually, what would you have done if I left?"

"I would've jumped in my car and chased you down!" Marissa grinned. "So, tell me about the kids. How were they last night?"

"They were excited about staying over with their cousins, but before they left, they had to finish your banner. Oooh, I need to clean up the dining room in a little bit. Gabby went a little crazy with the glitter."

"I love that banner! It's perfect! We're going to fold that up and keep it. I could see Gabby's pre-occupation with glitter all over it! Let me guess. AJ mapped it out, and Miranda supervised, came up with the details and gave final approval. Gabby listened and tried to do what was said, but the power of the glitter proved too much for her. Our oldest rolled their eyes, and then succumbed to the power of Gabby's smile and big brown eyes and let her do what she wanted."

Bianca laughed. "That's exactly what happened!"

Marissa smiled before turning serious. "So, what's going on with Miranda? How worried should we be?"

"I talked to her again about what was going on with her after you called. All she would say is that someone at school was being a big pest. I asked if they were giving her a hard time. She said, and I quote, _it's just somebody being stupid because they don't know what they're talking about_."

"Somebody not knowing what they're talking about, huh? That means someone is saying something to her and possibly AJ. He's okay?"

"Yeah, he seems fine, just worried about her. What are you thinking in that gorgeous brain of your's? I can see the wheels turning."

"Hmmm, someone is definitely going after Miranda, targeting her, for some reason. Did she say anything else?"

"She said it wasn't anything she couldn't handle and not to worry. She promised to let us know if she needed our help."

Marissa chuckled and shook her head.

"What?"

"Like mother, like daughter! Miranda is exactly like you. Trying to handle something on her own and not wanting to worry anyone else is classic Bianca Montgomery."

Bianca made a face. She didn't want to admit that Marissa was right about her. "I'm choosing to ignore that. Look, I don't want her to be dealing with whatever is going on by herself. She's 8 years old and shouldn't have to _handle_ anything on her own."

"I agree with you. She shouldn't, and neither should you by the way. I'll talk with her when she gets home. Maybe, I can get her to open up using my kick-ass lawyer skills."

Bianca felt some of the tension she had been feeling about their oldest daughter ease. Marissa always had a way of doing that. "You think she might open up to you?"

"She might. Miranda has this need to protect you. It's something that she's felt she's had to do for a long time. I think she's trying to do that now."

"She wants to protect you too, or do you forget her blocking whatshername for you?"

Marissa laughed. "Oh no, I remember that quite well. It's different with me though. I can't quite put my finger on why, but it is. Maybe, it's because she's felt the need to protect you for so long that she just can't help it, or maybe, it's because you were here by yourself and she didn't want to add to everything you had going on. I'm not sure, but we will find out what is going on. We'll make sure our girl is okay."

Bianca sighed, happy to have Marissa home to help her, to reassure her. "Yes, we will. Okay, I'm going to grab a quick shower."

The redhead groaned in protest. "Why? We still have a few hours before the kids are home. I can think of something much more fun to do until they get home."

"You just want this shirt back! We have to clean up the dining room and now the kitchen. We can have some more _fun_ when that's done."

Marissa made a face. "Fine, you go grab a shower, and I'll start cleaning up in here."

Bianca gave her a quick kiss. "I won't be long." The brunette headed out of the room.

Marissa remained seated and smirked. _Wait for it._

Bianca was passing through the family room when something sitting on the coffee table caught her eye and made her freeze in place. It was a small bag the color of a very distinctive blue, light medium robin egg blue to be exact. This color was associated with one store and one store only so Bianca didn't need to see the name on the bag to know where it was from. _What did she do?_ "Rissa!" She didn't get a response. "Marissa! Marissa Tasker, would you get in here!"

_Gotcha!_ Marissa smiled brightly and headed into the other room. Bianca was sitting on the sofa staring at the bag. The redhead could see the excitement in her eyes. "Did you need something, B?"

"What is that?" Bianca pointed to the bag.

"That would be a bag."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Cute, Tasker. I can see that. Would you like to tell me where it came from?"

"Hmmm, according to the name on the bag, it came from Tiffany's."

"Yeah, I can see that too! Let me rephrase, counselor. What is a bag from Tiffany's doing here in our family room?"

"Oh, it's a gift for you."

"Rissa, we talked about this before you left. I told you not to get me anything, and you agreed. You even said that you didn't get me anything when we talked the other day."

"Actually, you would be incorrect on all counts. I never agreed to not get you anything. If you recall our conversation from last week, I never said _Okay, I won't_ or anything along those lines. My exact words were _I hear you_. That was it. Moving forward to this week, you asked if I was done shopping, and I said that I was, which is true. I was done. Your present was already bought at that point." Marissa's smile was a challenge to Bianca to prove her wrong.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I hate when you do that, go into super lawyer mode and find the loopholes. How do you remember the exact conversation we had?"

"B, I remember every word you've ever said to me."

Bianca knew she was toast and had lost the debate at that point. There was no way she could ever counter that, especially when she remembered everything Marissa told her. Her girlfriend was right about their conversations. "Me too, but you still shouldn't have gotten me anything. You didn't need to get me anything. It's too much. You know I don't need anything fancy or expensive. That's not me. I also don't need anything like that to know how you feel about me, to know how much you love me."

"Bianca, don't you think I know all of that? Don't you think I thought about all of that when I was getting this for you? I know you don't need me to buy you anything to show you how I feel about you, how much I love you, just like I don't need you to buy me anything to know how you feel about me, how much you love me. This is something I wanted to get you, something that I've wanted to get you for a while. It's something that I think you'll like. Besides, it's engraved."

Bianca knew Marissa took all of that into account, and she could tell her girlfriend really wanted her to have this gift, that Marissa loved nothing more than to surprise those that she loved. _She said it was engraved. What could she have gotten me? _"It is?"

Marissa could see Bianca's curiosity was really starting to get the better of her. "Yep, it sure is. I can't really return it. I suppose I could try and sell it online if you don't want it."

"No! I mean, no, that's okay. While you shouldn't have gotten me anything, it would be kind of rude for me to refuse it, especially after you went to all of this trouble. I mean, you got it engraved and all. I know you put a lot of thought into it as well. I really wouldn't want to hurt your feelings by not accepting it."

Marissa couldn't hide the amused look on her face. _I swear I just saw a tiny glimpse of Erica._ "Uh huh, I see. Are you sure? I wouldn't want you to accept it if you're not comfortable about it. I'll understand." _You are so busted!_

"I'm sure. I'm good with accepting it." Bianca saw the amused look on the redhead's face. "Alright, I give. What did you get me?"

Marissa beamed and took a seat on the coffee table in front of Bianca and handed her the bag. She was just as excited as Bianca was. "Why don't you find out?"

The brunette looked inside the bag and pulled out a box the same exact color. She removed the ribbon and lid of the rectangular box, revealing a slightly smaller felt covered box. Bianca glanced over at Marissa and could see her smiling in anticipation. The brunette opened the box. Inside was a platinum locket. It was simple and elegant, and exactly something Bianca would've picked for herself. "It's beautiful."

"Open it."

Bianca did as she was asked. On one side, she saw a picture of their family. She remembered the day it was taken. They had gone to a fair, and a student majoring in photography at PVU was taking candid photos of the crowd for a class project. She had snapped a series of shots of their family just laughing and being themselves. The student caught up with them and shared the photos, sending them copies of their favorites, including the one that graced both of their offices as well as their home and now her new locket. On the other side, it was engraved _B, Forevermore, M_. Bianca's eyes began to glisten, and she gave Marissa a dazzling smile. "It's perfect! I love it! Do you know how much I love you?"

"I believe I do, but I wouldn't mind a refresher!"

"Well I suppose I can manage that!" Bianca leaned in giving Marissa a lingering kiss. It quickly began to intensify, and Bianca pulled the redhead closer to her. The quick movement caused Marissa to fall to the floor with the brunette landing on top of her.

"Ow!"

"Are you okay, Rissa?" There was concern instantly in Bianca's eyes as she started to get up.

Marissa grabbed her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"That had to have hurt. I'm sorry."

"I'm good, honestly! I was just a little startled. Really, I'm great! You have me just where I want you to!" Marissa grinned mischievously.

Bianca laughed. "Oh, I do, do I?"

"Uh huh, exactly where I want you."

Bianca leaned down and gave the redhead a loving kiss. "I love you more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone, and just when I think I couldn't possibly love you anymore than I already do, you do something amazing like that locket that makes me fall in love with you even more."

"Kind of like what you're doing right now. There doesn't seem to be any end to just how much I love you."

Bianca captured Marissa's lips. When they separated for a breath, Marissa grinned. "What about cleaning up the dining room and kitchen first before we had more _fun_?"

"It can wait. I need to thank you properly for my gift." Bianca smiled wickedly.

"I do love your good manners!" Marissa sighed happily.

"Rissa, you're talking too much!"

**/**

**A/N: The song Marissa sings is "Smile" by Uncle Kracker. I don't own the rights to it. He does along with those who wrote it. I just really like the song and thought it worked for them and their story. So, am I forgiven for how I ended the last chapter?**


	34. I Just Call You Mine

**A/N: As always, thank you for the great reviews, and thanks for forgiving me! I'm picking up where I left off with the last chapter. The kids are back, and this piece of the story is going to be continued. A couple of characters from the original storyline on the show are mentioned, and one will definitely be making an appearance further down the line. I hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

"So, was that a proper enough thank you?" Bianca grinned as she continued to softly caress Marissa as they lay in bed.

"Let me think." The redhead paused for a less than a heartbeat. "Yes, dear God, yes!" Marissa laughed and sighed as Bianca pulled her closer. "It is so good to be home, where I belong, here with you."

"This is exactly where you belong. It's so good to have you back here with me."

"I take your _thank you_ as a sign that you're happy I didn't agree with you about getting you something."

"Yes, I'm very happy you didn't agree with me, at least this time. My locket is absolutely beautiful and perfect, and I love it. You knew that I would though."

"I did and that's because I know you."

"Yeah, you do, probably better than anyone ever has or will. Did you like your proper welcome home?"

Marissa laughed. "Did I like it? Uh no, I loved it! You know Jack and Caleb mentioned another conference next week. I'm thinking of volunteering to go if I'm going to get another welcome home like this."

"What did you say? You better be joking, Tasker!" Bianca started to tickle Marissa.

The redhead burst out laughing. "Uncle! Uncle! I give! I'm just joking! I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, not without you at least!"

"That's more like it! Because if you did, I'd be blocking the door, and you'd have to get through to me to get out of here!" Bianca laughed.

Marissa sighed. "Trust me, I don't want to go anywhere. This is the only place I want to be." She glanced at the bedside clock. "What time is Kendall bringing the kids home?"

Bianca checked the time. "Oh my God, I can't believe how late it is! We haven't done anything all day. They're going to be here soon unless I can get Kendall to keep them for a little while longer."

"Um, excuse me, but are you serious? I seem to recall us doing quite a lot today!"

Bianca laughed. "That's not what I meant, and you know it! You're right though. We have done quite a lot today. Remind me to thank my sister for not only getting you home sooner but for keeping the kids."

"I will, and I owe her a big thank you myself. We can't forget Greenlee either. Since the kids will be home soon, I guess we better get moving."

"Yeah, we better." Bianca gave kissed her as she started to get out of bed. The brunette stopped and made a face as she glanced around the room.

Marissa grinned. "If you're looking for your pajamas up here, you won't find them. I'm positive we left them somewhere downstairs."

The memory of what had occurred between them in the family room not long ago flashed in Bianca's mind. She cleared her throat and smiled brightly. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure you're right. The robe it is for now, I guess. Why don't you grab your shower first, and I'll give Kendall a call to check on the kids and get us a little more time."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss and got out of bed grinning. "Feel free to join me. We could conserve water." The redhead picked up her robe and glanced over her shoulder as she walked into the bathroom.

"No matter how many times you've said that, it has yet to happen!" Bianca sighed happily as she admired the view as Marissa headed into the bathroom. _You don't know how tempting of an idea that is though._ The brunette shook her head as she picked up the phone and called her sister.

"Hello."

"Hi, Kendall."

"Hey, Binx. How are you doing?"

"You can save it, Kendall. I'm doing great and so is Marissa. I hear I have you and Greenlee to thank for helping get her home a day early."

Kendall laughed. "We were more than happy to help. Neither one of us could stand to see you so miserable. We figured the best way to fix that was to get Red home as soon as possible. I take it you liked your surprise."

"I loved my surprise, and you were right! So, thank you! And if you talk to Greenlee before I do, thank her for me."

"You got it."

"So, how are the kids, and how badly did they beat Zach?"

"They are doing great. No problems to report. They beat Zach pretty bad. He's threatening to get rid of the system and all of the video games! AJ's been showing Miranda some tricks, hasn't he?"

"Yeah, they were prepping for last night the other day when they heard they were going to stay over. They thought it would be fun. They love seeing Zach's reaction to losing to them."

"Well, he's just a big kid himself sometimes, and he loves to put on a show for him. As much fun as they're having over here though, they're anxious to get home and see Red."

"Marissa can't wait to see them. I was wondering if I could get you to do me one more small favor."

"Sure, just name it. If I can, you know I will."

"I just don't feel like dealing with having to fix dinner so I was thinking it would be nice to have a picnic for dinner. Would you mind picking up an order from Krystal's for me? I'd get it myself, but the dining room is still kind of a mess from the kids making Marissa's banner, and..."

"And you don't want to leave Red's side just yet either." Kendall laughed. "I think I can handle that. It's on the way so it's not a problem."

"Yeah, that's a big part of it. I'm that obvious, huh?"

"Just a little!"

"Well, she just got back home, and I don't want to leave her just yet. So, thanks and I really appreciate you picking it up for me. What …"

"Hold on a second, Binx." Bianca could hear Kendall talking to her oldest daughter. "Miranda wants to talk to you."

"Okay, put her on."

"Hi, mom!"

"Hi, Mimo. Did you have fun last night?"

"Yep, we sure did. Uncle Zach was pretty funny. Is Marissa home yet?"

Bianca smiled hearing the excitement in her daughter's voice. "Yes, she is. Did you want to talk to her? She's in the other room. I can go get her if you want."

Miranda paused as she thought about it. "No, that's okay. I can wait until we get home. You sound happy mom."

"I'm very happy, Mimo. I'm very happy to have her home, and Marissa's very happy to be home too. She can't wait to see all of you. In fact, we were just talking about the three of you."

"Really? Did she see the banner?"

"She did, and she loves it and said it was perfect. She told me that she loves it almost as much as she loves the three of you, and she plans on keeping it."

Miranda smiled brightly. "She really said that?"

"She really did. So, I was thinking we could have a picnic for dinner. What do you think?"

"I like that idea a lot. It'll be fun. Marissa likes our family picnics a lot too."

"Yes, she does. Good, I'm glad you like the idea. Aunt Kendall is going to stop at Krystal's to pick up some things for it when she brings you all home."

"Okay, we'll help her out. She said we would be coming home soon. Oh, she wants to talk to you again. We'll see you and Marissa real soon, mom! Love you!"

"Love you too!" Bianca heard Miranda hand the phone back to Kendall and could hear her talking to AJ and Gabby. All three were excited to get home.

"Well, you have three kids that can't wait to get home. Is it all clear to head over?"

"I need to place the order and then grab a quick shower. Does heading out in 45 minutes work for you?"

"You're just now getting a shower? Never mind! I don't want to know anything more! Forget I asked, please! We'll head over in a little bit then. I'll see you soon."

Bianca laughed. "Asked what? Okay, I need to call Krystal's. Thanks, Kendall. We'll see you in a little bit." The brunette disconnected and called the restaurant.

"Good afternoon, Krystal's. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Krystal."

"Hey, Bianca. How are you? Did my baby girl make it home okay last night?"

"Marissa made it home just fine, and now that she's home, I'm great."

"Well, I'm happy to hear that, for both of you. I know she's as happy to be home as you are to have her there."

"Wait, you knew she was coming home last night?"

"I did. She called me the other night, and we talked for a little while. It was a very nice conversation, and she was excited about getting home early and surprising you. Thank you so much for that, Bianca."

"She didn't tell me that you talked. That's great, and I didn't do anything, Krystal, so there's no need to thank me for anything. You and Marissa have done all of the work. You have been nothing but supportive of her, us and our relationship. Marissa sees that and knows that. She really appreciates it, and so do I. So, it's all you and nothing to do with me."

"Oh, you don't give yourself enough credit. Marissa is trying because you asked and because she loves you. That girl would do anything for you. So, please, let me thank you."

"You're welcome. And just so you know, I would do anything for her, Krystal."

"I know. There is no doubt in my mind about that. Okay. What can I do for the Tasker-Montgomery family?"

Bianca couldn't hold back her smile. No matter how many times she heard their names linked together, it always brought her profound happiness. "I was thinking of having a picnic for Marissa and the kids for dinner, and …"

"Say no more. I've got you covered. When do you need it?"

"Kendall watched the kids last night and will be dropping them off soon. She's going to stop by in about 45 minutes to pick it up for me if that works for you."

"I'll have it all ready for her. How does fried chicken and the works sound?"

"It sounds perfect. Thanks! I hear Marissa coming. Would you like to talk to her?"

"I'd love to, but I've got to get this order together for my daughter's family. Plus, a big group just came in, and they look hungry. Tell Marissa that I said hello and that I'm glad she's home. I'll be seeing all of you soon, I hope."

"I'll let her know. Thanks again, Krystal, and we will definitely be seeing you soon." Bianca disconnected the call just as Marissa exited the bathroom.

"I waited as long as I could for you to join me, but I guess conserving water was out of the question today given when the kids will be home, huh?" Marissa smirked.

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, we'd have to rush, and I do not want to rush anything with you." The brunette gave her a loving kiss. "You are definitely more than worth the time and effort."

"Right back at ya! Are the kids good?"

"The kids are great and can't wait to see you."

"Well, they're not alone there. I've really missed them. Okay, I'll get dressed and start on cleaning up the kitchen while you get your shower. I'll meet you downstairs."

Bianca nodded and gave her a quick kiss. "Sounds like a plan."

Marissa grinned as she watched her girlfriend head into the bathroom. Bianca could feel the redhead's eyes on her and couldn't resist putting an extra sway in her hips as she walked away. Marissa sighed happily and quickly changed. She made their bed before heading downstairs. The redhead found her shirt still lying on the stairs and scooped it up along with Bianca's. _I don't think neither of us wants to explain why our clothes are all over. _She found their pajamas by the sofa and added those to the pile as memories of last night and this morning caused a radiant smile to form across her face. She started to hum as she went to drop their clothes in the laundry room. Marissa put her iPod in the docking station and set it to shuffle as she began to clean the kitchen. Bianca came downstairs a short while later and began taking care of the dining room. She couldn't help but smile as she heard Marissa in the other room singing along with the songs playing on her iPod.

When Marissa saw Bianca exiting the dining room the same time she was leaving the kitchen, she smiled. "Perfect timing, as always!"

Bianca returned the smile as she slipped her arm around the redhead's waist, and they headed to the family room. "I do my best." She spotted the box containing her locket. "Would you help me with this?"

"It would be my pleasure."

When Bianca swept her hair from the back of her neck, Marissa fastened the clasp and dropped a kiss there causing her girlfriend to sigh contentedly. "Let me see how it looks." Bianca turned to face her. "Beautiful, absolutely beautiful."

"Yes, it is."

"I'm not talking about the locket."

Bianca pulled Marissa close and gave her a tender kiss. "Talk like that will get you anywhere."

"That's what I was planning on." Marissa gave her a mischievously grin.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait until later. The kids will be here soon."

"Later, it is then, and I'm going to hold you to that. Speaking of them, I need to get their gifts out of my suitcase."

"I took it upstairs."

Marissa nodded and dashed upstairs. When she returned, Bianca was sitting on the sofa, smiling and listening to the music drifting through their home. Marissa placed the gifts on the coffee table and held her hand out when she heard the next song begin. "Dance with me."

Bianca smiled brightly. "It would be my pleasure. Is this Martina McBride? What song is this?"

"It's her, and the song is _I Just Call You Mine_." The two began to slowly sway in time with the music and were quickly lost in the moment as they gazed into each other's eyes.

_I pinch myself sometimes to make sure  
>I'm not in a dream, that's how it seems<br>I close my eyes and breathe in the sweetest moments  
>I've ever known, it feels like home<em>

And here I am, I wanna be your everything  
>There you are turning winter into spring<p>

And everyone that sees you always wants to know you  
>And everyone that knows you always has a smile<br>You're a standing ovation after years of waiting  
>For a chance to finally shine<br>Everyone calls you amazing yeah, I just call you mine

I fall apart and just a word from you somehow seems to fix  
>Whatever's wrong, oh, you reach into the weakest moments<br>And remind me that I'm strong, you've gotta know  
>I'd be a fool not to see or even worse<br>To forget that you're more than I deserved

Kendall and the kids entered the house, and she quickly stopped them from rushing in when she saw the couple dancing. She shared a smile with the children as they watched the couple.

Miranda grinned seeing her mom and Marissa together and lost in their own world. The sight was yet another confirmation of something she already knew in her heart. 

'Cause everyone that sees you always wants to know you  
>And everyone that knows you always has a smile<br>You're a standing ovation after years of waiting  
>For a chance to finally shine<br>Everyone calls you amazing, I just call you mine

Nothing makes sense when you're not here  
>As if my whole world disappears<br>Without you what's the point of anything?

'Cause everyone that sees you always wants to know you  
>And everyone that knows you always has a smile<br>You're the dream that I've been chasing after years of waiting  
>For a chance to finally shine<br>Everyone calls you amazing, I just call you mine  
>Everyone calls you amazing, yeah, yeah, I just call you mine<p>

As the song finished, Marissa pulled Bianca closer for a lingering kiss. They separated when they heard someone clear their throat and the giggling of their children.

Marissa's face lit up when she saw the kids. "Hi, guys!" She knelt down on the floor and held her arms open wide.

"Mom!"

"Rissa!"

"Mommy!"

The three rushed forward excitedly knocking the redhead over in the process. Marissa laughed and hugged her children tightly. "I missed you guys so much!" She gave Bianca a quick glance and gave her a dazzling smile as the brunette nodded and matched her smile with one equally as bright.

"We missed you a lot too, Rissa!"

"Thank you, Mimo!"

Bianca stepped forward. "How about you let Marissa at least sit up?"

The kids laughed and got up while the redhead righted herself. "Okay, come here!" She gave each child a hug and kiss. "It's so good to see the three of you!" She glanced up and saw Kendall smiling. "It's good to see you too, Curly!"

"Same here, Red! Welcome home."

"Thank you, and I really mean that! Thank you for everything!"

"You're welcome." She turned to her sister and held up a shopping bag from Krystal's. "Where would you like this, Binx?"

"Let's take that into the kitchen. Thanks for picking this up for me. I really appreciate it."

"It's not a problem. I was happy to do it." Kendall paused. "Bianca, did I hear what I think I did just a minute ago?"

Bianca was still smiling. "If you mean that you heard Gabby call Marissa 'mommy', then you did. That's the first time that's happened."

"Wow. Do you think Red caught it?"

"Oh yeah, she heard her. Didn't you see her smile? Come on, let's get back in there." The sisters headed back into the family room.

"Are you happy to be home, mom?"

Marissa was now off the floor and holding Gabby as she walked to the sofa to sit down. "I've never been happier, buddy! I missed Bianca and the three of you so much. And I want to thank you for my welcome home banner! It is, without a doubt, the best banner I've ever seen or had made for me! It's perfect, and I love it! Thank you!"

Miranda looked at AJ and whispered as they slowly went to join the redhead on the sofa. "I told you Amber didn't know what she was talking about."

AJ nodded and whispered back. "Yep, you did, and she doesn't know anything."

"Did you see how they were smiling and looking at each other while they were dancing when we came in?"

"Yep, I sure did. You're right. Mom's not going anywhere so I'm not either. You should really tell them what Amber's been saying to you. They'd want to know."

"I know, and I will. I'll tell them later. Rissa just got home, and they're really happy right now. I don't want to ruin it by telling them about her."

They sat on either side of Marissa with Gabby firmly planted on her lap. Bianca overheard their brief exchange. She immediately recognized the name of the girl who had caused the pair trouble early last year at a birthday party. The pieces of what was going on started to fit, but she felt she was still missing an important piece. When she had a chance, she would be discussing this latest piece of information with Marissa. Hopefully, her girlfriend could offer some additional insight. Bianca stood next to her sister and watched Marissa and their children.

Gabby saw the bags sitting on the coffee table. "What's in the bags, Rissa?"

Marissa grinned. _The apple sure doesn't fall far from the tree in this family._ "Well, monkey, when I little, my dad would have to travel for work. He would always bring me something home from where he had been. It was his way of letting me know that no matter where he went that he was always thinking of me and my mom. It always made me feel special. I promised myself that when I had a family of my own, I was going to do the same thing."

"Those are for us?"

"Yep, they sure are."

"Can we open them? I mean may we open them, please?" AJ asked.

Marissa smiled. "Yes, you may, but how about we do this one at a time?"

They nodded, and Bianca handed the first bag to Gabby. The little girl peaked inside the bag and squealed with delight. "It's a new monkey! He's so cute! Thank you! This is the bestest monkey ever!" She threw her arms around Marissa and hugged her with all of her might. "Love you, mommy!"

The redhead's breath caught as she hugged Gabby tightly and kissed the top of her head. "I love you too, monkey." When her eyes met Bianca's, both could see the other's eyes glistening.

"Is it my turn, mom?"

Marissa quickly composed herself and smiled at her son. "It sure is, buddy."

AJ opened his bag. "A Lego set of the Empire State Building! Cool, mom! Thanks! Love you!" He hugged Marissa.

She gave him a kiss on the top of his head and ruffled his hair. "I love you too, and you're welcome. I'm glad you like it." Marissa turned to Miranda who had been waiting patiently.

"My turn?"

"Yes, it is. Be careful because it's a little heavy. I hope you like it."

The young girl carefully removed the box that was inside and opened it. Her eyes grew excited. "Is it?"

Marissa nodded and smiled.

Miranda carefully removed a music box. "It's beautiful, Rissa! It looks kinda like your's!"

"Well, I know how much you like mine, and when I saw this, I thought of you right away. Your's is a little different other than the color. I know you'll like the song that it came with, but if you find another one that you want, you just let me know. We can replace it, okay?"

"Okay."

"It opens this way, and this is how you turn it on."

Miranda held the music box with both hands and carefully watched Marissa. "It's my favorite song from Beauty and the Beast! This is the best gift! I love it! Thank you, Rissa! Love you!" She set it down and hugged Marissa.

"You're welcome, and I love you too."

"I took really good care of your music box for you."

"I know. I can tell. Thank you." The redhead placed a kiss on top her head.

"You're welcome." Miranda beamed as she picked up her music box and began to listen to it again. She leaned against Marissa who put an arm around her. She looked up at Bianca and noticed her locket. "Is that new, mom?"

Bianca nodded. "It is. Marissa got this for me. Do you want to see it?" The children nodded and leaned forward to see the picture inside as Bianca sat on the coffee table in front of them.

"It's us!" Gabby said excitedly.

AJ pointed to the picture on the mantle. "It's the same picture. That's when we were at the fair!"

"You're right, it is!"

"What's it say on the other side, mom?" Miranda leaned in closer to read the inscription. She smiled brightly. "That's from your song, Rissa!"

"Uh huh, and I mean it with all of my heart." The two women looked at each other, and Bianca leaned over Gabby to give Marissa a quick kiss.

Bianca looked at AJ and Miranda. "No complaints from the two of you about us kissing?"

"Nope, it's okay since you missed each other a lot."

Marissa chuckled. "Thanks, buddy. We appreciate that."

"Well, I should get going."

"You don't have to go, Kendall. I forgot to ask you earlier. What are all of you doing tonight? You, Zach and the boys could join us for dinner. I ordered extra, and knowing Krystal, she probably added even more."

"Zach is taking the boys to a hockey game, and I am doing nothing."

"Then, you should stay."

"Tonight should just be your family. You don't need me here."

"You are family, Curly! Come on, stay. It'll be fun. Besides, how can you resist these faces? Give her the cute, irresistible looks, guys!"

Kendall laughed seeing all five giving her their best and most irresistible looks and flashing their smiles at her. "Alright, I'll stay! Who can resist this family?"

"I'm glad you're realizing that, Kendall." Bianca chuckled. "Okay, the three of you go get cleaned up for dinner, and we'll get things set up in the backyard for our picnic." The kids hopped off the sofa and ran up the stairs.

"Nice job on the gifts, Red. Santa couldn't have done any better himself."

"Thanks, Curly. I try my best."

Bianca held out her hand to Marissa and helped her off the sofa. "And you succeed! Let's get moving. Kendall, can you grab that blanket?" She glanced up the stairs to make sure no little ears were listening as they walked to the kitchen. "There's something I've got to tell you. I overheard a conversation between our oldest two children. I think I have a good idea of what's up with Miranda and who's been bothering her."

The three women had quickly set up their picnic outside as Bianca finished relating the conversation between AJ and Miranda.

"Why is the name familiar to me? What's her mom's name, Binx?"

"Her mother's name is Tammy." Marissa met Bianca's steady gaze. She remembered exactly who both the mother and child were. "Things are making sense to me now."

"Why do I know that name? Oh wait! Amber's the girl who called you a name at that birthday party and got Miranda upset. AJ stepped up to defend Miranda. You tried to talk to her mom, Tammy, and Red went with you to have your back. I remember you telling me about her. She sounds like a real piece of work."

"She's something all right. I'm pretty sure I know what's been going on. Amber's been spreading lies about us, me in particular, and playing on Miranda's insecurities about being left again."

Bianca shook her head. What Marissa said made sense to her now. It was the final piece she needed. "Why is she doing this to Miranda? Why hurt her? What's she getting from it? What's Miranda ever done to her? Where's she getting these ideas?"

"I'm not sure why she's doing it. Miranda is sweet, nice, kind, funny, smart and pretty and lots of people really like her. Maybe Amber doesn't like that. It doesn't really matter to a bully, and that's what she is. If I had to guess, I'd say that she's getting these ideas from her idiot mother."

Kendall smirked. "You're really watching your language, aren't you, Red?"

"Yes, I am."

"Why hasn't Miranda told us what's going on?"

Marissa sighed. "You're not going to like my answer, Bianca. She's being you. She thinks she can handle this all on her own, and she doesn't want to worry anybody."

"She's right, Binx. That's you to a T."

Bianca looked at her girlfriend and her sister. "As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. So, what are we going to do about this?"

Marissa saw the kids coming downstairs and heading outside. "For now, we're going to forget about dumb and dumber and enjoy our dinner. We're not going to let them ruin it. After that, will you let me talk to Miranda and see if I can get her to finally open up?"

"Okay, I think maybe she'll talk to you. But this is not over. Something will be done about them. This is not going to continue. I'm going to stand by while someone hurts and bullies our daughter. Someone's going to pay dearly for any pain they've caused her or other our other two children."

The redhead saw the anger in Bianca's eyes and walked over to her, putting her arms around the brunette's waist. "You're right about everything you've said, and we will do something about this, together. No one is going to get away with this. They're not going to know what hit them." Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss and was rewarded with the grin she loved so much.

Kendall shook her head. "No matter how many times I see it, it never fails to surprise me. The two of you and how you know exactly what to say to the other to get through to them and calm them down, it never ceases to amaze me."

"What amazes you, Aunt Kendall?" Miranda questioned her aunt.

"Marissa and your mom and just how good they are together. I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm starving. What do you say we get this picnic started and eat?"

AJ nodded. "I'm with you Aunt Kendall!"

"Okay then, let's eat!" Bianca smiled.

"I wanna sit next to Rissa!" Gabby smiled as she clutched her new stuffed monkey.

"Where do you want to sit, monkey?"

As Gabby was figuring out where to sit, Bianca whispered to Marissa. "It looks like she's still trying to figure out what to call you."

"Yeah, I think she is. It kind of slipped out when she was excited before. I'm good with that."

Everyone settled down to enjoy dinner and each other's company. As it started to get dark, it was decided to head inside for a movie. While Marissa asked Miranda to help her with the blanket, Bianca and the others took everything inside.

"Miranda, how about we sit down for a minute?"

"Okay."

"Do you want to tell me what's going at school?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Miranda, I know something's going on. Someone's giving you a hard time. You did tell your mom that someone was bugging you, and they didn't know what they were talking about."

"It's nothing I can't handle."

Marissa smiled and shook her head. "You are your mother's daughter. I'm sure that you can, but you don't have to. I want to help if I can, if you'll let me."

"They're being stupid, and I don't want you or mom to get upset. You just got home, and I want you and her to be happy."

"Mimo, I am happy, very happy, and so is your mom. You don't have to worry about us, okay? We're good. We're just worried about you and want you to be happy, and we know you're not right now. You might feel better if you talk to me. I really want to help. You know, that's what family does. They help each other out and try and make things better. I think it's something I can do if you let me. If you're worried about protecting your mom, you don't have to be. It's not something you have to do on your own anymore. I'm here to help with that. You also don't have to worry about protecting me on your own either. You're mom does a pretty good job with that. I love you for it though. So, will you please tell me what's going on?"

Miranda paused and then decided Marissa was right. "Do you remember Amber?"

"I do. What about her?"

"She overhead me and AJ talking about you going to New York for work. She said that you really weren't going there for that, that you left us and weren't coming back to live with us anymore. That you realized that you and my mom being together was wrong. That it was bad, and you were going out of town to get help. You were going to get fixed. When you got back here, we were going to have to leave and move out, and we wouldn't be moving into our new house together and we wouldn't see you and AJ anymore. We wouldn't be a family anymore. I knew she was wrong, and I told her so. I know that you love my mom a whole lot. I see how you look at her, how much you smile when you're around her like when you dancing together earlier. I know that you love me and Gabby too, and you promised that you wouldn't hurt mom or us, and if you left, that's what would happen. You've never lied to us or broke a promise. When you were gone, you called every night just like you promised you would, and I knew you would. There's nothing wrong with you and mom being together, and you don't need to be fixed. I know that you and AJ are happy with mom and with me and Gabby. We're a family. Amber's stupid, and she doesn't know what she's talking about."

Marissa could see Miranda fighting back tears, and she struggled to keep tears of her own at bay. "Come here, sweetie." Marissa pulled the young girl onto her lap and held her tight for several minutes before speaking. "Mimo, I'm not sure where Amber got her ideas or why she's saying those things, but you're right. She doesn't know what she's talking about. AJ and I are not going anywhere. You're stuck with us. I love your mom, you, AJ and Gabby more than anything in the whole world. I love our family and the life we have together, and I'm not giving it up. I've never been happier in my entire life, and that's all because of the four of you. There's nothing wrong with me and your mom being together. I'm glad you know that, and I'm really glad that you know I would never hurt your mom or you and Gabby. You all mean too much for me to do something like that."

"I know, and I knew you were coming back home to us." Miranda looked at Marissa. "Why would she say all that? I don't understand."

Marissa took a deep breath. "I wish I could tell you why, but I can't. I just don't know. I don't know why someone would want to hurt you like that. I can tell you that it's wrong, and it's going to stop. Has she said anything to AJ?"

/

While Bianca was keeping an eye on the two outside, she was also keeping an eye on AJ. The boy looked relieved to see them talking. "AJ, is everything alright?"

He glanced over at Kendall and Gabby, and the older woman took the hint. "Hey, Gabby, I have an idea. Why don't we go pick out a movie?"

Bianca mouthed _thank you_ to her sister and waited until they went further into the family room before addressing him again. "Okay, buddy, what's going on?"

AJ took a breath. "I'm just glad Miranda's talking to mom."

"You know what they're talking about, don't you? We can't help if we don't know what's going on."

"It's Amber. She's been saying stuff to Miranda again. This time it's about mom. She said that mom knew being with you was wrong, and she was going to get help so she could get better. That she had to go out of town for it because you were bad for her and she couldn't get better with you around. When mom came back, you, Miranda and Gabby would be moving out, and we wouldn't be a family anymore. Miranda said she was wrong and making all that up, that she didn't know what she was talking about. Amber didn't like that so she kept saying more stuff to her. Mimo won't tell me what else Amber's been saying to her, and she didn't want to tell you and mom 'cause she knew you'd both get mad."

Bianca took a deep breath. "Has Amber said anything to you?"

"Not really other than that you got mom confused. I know that's not true. That's all she's said to me, but I think she's said stuff about me to Mimo to get her more upset. She just really doesn't like Mimo, and I don't know why. I don't like it. I wanted to tell somebody what was going on, but Mimo made me promise that I wouldn't. Amber says bad stuff to Bobby Douglas and some other kids too."

"She does? Do you know if they've told anyone?"

"No, they haven't. They're scared of her so they don't say anything about her or to her. Maybe that's why she picks on Mimo so much. Miranda always stands up to her."

"Amber's a bully, and you're right. Bullies don't like it when people stand up to them. I can understand you for keeping your word to Miranda and not telling us what's been going on, but your mom and I need to know when someone's doing something like what Amber's done. We can't stop it if we don't know about it. Do you understand?"

AJ nodded. "Are we in trouble, Bianca?"

The brunette smiled and hugged him. "No, you're not in trouble and neither is Miranda. Next time something like this happens, I want you to tell us though. Don't try and take care of this all by yourself, alright?"

"Alright, I promise. What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to talk with your mom, and we're going to make sure that this stops. I don't want you to worry about this anymore. We're going to take care of this now."

"Thanks, Bianca!"

She could see the relief in AJ's eyes and smiled as she ruffled his hair. "You're welcome, buddy. Why don't you help Aunt Kendall and Gabby find a movie?"

/

"Not really. Amber's said stuff to me about him."

"She has, huh? Like what?"

"It's going to make you mad, Rissa."

"That's okay. I can handle it. I need to know everything for me to help you."

"She's said that AJ doesn't have any real parents around. She said that his real mom is dead, and his dad's in jail. She said her mom told her because of you living with us that someone could take AJ away."

_This is too much for Miranda to have to go through. No one hurts my children like this and gets away with it. That woman's ass is mine. _"She didn't say any of that to AJ?"

"No, she just said that to me, and I'm not going to tell him that. That would hurt him way too much, and I won't do that."

Marissa smiled at the protective side of Miranda. "You really are just like your mom. Thank you for protecting AJ. He isn't going anywhere. No one is going to take him away. I don't want you to worry about that. Is there anything else?"

"Not about us."

"Has she said something about somebody else?"

"She says stuff to Bobby about his dads. Jessica tried to stand up to her about Bobby, but that made Amber mad. She started saying things to her."

"Jessica Mendes? What's she say to her?"

"She was talking about her mom and dad and how they're not from here, but they are. I don't understand. Jessica said her parents grew up here."

"I understand, unfortunately. It's just another case of Amber not knowing what she's talking about. I'm guessing Bobby and Jessica haven't said anything to their parents."

"No, they haven't. They think that will make things worse with Amber. Are AJ and I in trouble for not telling you and mom?"

"No, of course not! I wish you would've told us sooner, but neither one of you have done anything wrong. I don't want you to think that at all, okay?"

Miranda nodded. "Okay."

"I want you to promise me something though. I want you to promise me that if something like this ever happens again that you'll tell me or your mom. You won't try and handle this on your own. I understand why you wanted to, but sometimes, things are too big for people to handle alone. That's when you go to your family and ask for help. This is one of those times. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I do. I promise I will, and I'm sorry. AJ wanted me to tell you and mom, and I was going to. I just didn't want the two of you to get upset, especially since you weren't here and then you just home, and I didn't want to mess up your day."

"Miranda, I want you to listen to me. It doesn't matter where I am or what I'm doing, you can always come and talk to me about whatever is going on or bothering you. The same goes with your mom. You don't have to handle anything on your own. It's our job to take care of the three of you, and it's something we want to do because we love you very much."

"I love you too. What's going to happen now?"

"First, do you feel better, now that you told me what's been going on?"

Miranda smiled. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her, and Marissa could tell that from both the smile on her face and the look in her eyes. "Uh huh, I do. I feel a lot better."

"Good, I can tell, and I'm glad to hear that. What happens next is I'm going to talk with your mom about everything, and we're going to take care of this. I don't want you to worry about this anymore. It's our turn, and we're going to make sure this stops."

"Okay. Thanks, Rissa!"

"You're welcome. Now, I saw that Krystal sent some of her chocolate cake with our order. What do you say we get some and see what movie the rest of them have picked out? How does that sound to you?"

"That sounds good!" Miranda hopped off Marissa's lap and took her hand as they headed inside. When she saw Bianca, Miranda hugged her mom, who had been watching the two, before joining the others in the family room.

Bianca slipped an arm around Marissa's waist. "Judging by her smile, I'm guessing Miranda told you everything and feels better now."

"Yeah, she did, and she does. AJ looks happier too. Did you get him to open up?"

"Yeah, he told me everything. Are you okay?"

"What do you think? We're going to be having a long talk later and comparing notes."

"You're right, we will. I'm thinking you want to kick a certain parent's ass as much as I do."

"You would be right, but as much as I want to do that, I'm not going to let that ruin our evening. The kids have gone through too much to keep that from happening."

"You're right again. They have, and I just got you back home. I don't want anything getting in the way of being happy about that."

Marissa grinned as she wrapped her arms around Bianca and leaned in for a tender kiss. "And nothing will, especially when I have you in my arms."

Bianca laughed. "That is my favorite place to be. Let's go watch a movie. In honor of her new monkey, Gabby has chosen _Jungle Book_ for our viewing pleasure."

**/**

**A/N: The song that Marissa and Bianca dance to is "I Just Call You Mine" by Martina McBride. I don't own the rights to it. She does along with those who wrote it. This song just struck me as working here. **


	35. Coming Clean

**A/N: Thank you as always for the great reviews. They mean a lot to me. Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I ran into a little bit of a writer's block. I hate those things. Luckily, I was able to get around it. I'm picking up this chapter just a little later the same night as the previous chapter. I hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

When the kids had asked her to stay to hear Marissa read their nightly bedtime story, Kendall had agreed. She had to admit that her curiosity was piqued having heard how entertaining the redhead was from her sister and their kids. The children quickly changed into their pajamas and hurried back downstairs to the family room so there was enough room for all six to sit comfortably. Gabby, still holding her new stuffed monkey, claimed her usual spot on Marissa's lap while AJ and Miranda settled on either side of her with Bianca sitting next to Miranda. The moods of both of the older children had improved greatly after opening up to their mothers. For Miranda though, it was as if a huge burden had been lifted from her, and being in between both women was just extra special for her tonight. The relief was evident to both women, and they were extremely grateful to see it. As for Bianca, not only was her position one in which she could provide that extra boost to Miranda, she was also within an easy arm's reach of Marissa. As Kendall observed the family sitting together on the sofa, she couldn't help but smile and send a silent thank you out to the universe for finally giving her little sister the happiness that was long overdue and that had eluded her for so long.

"I have to say that I'm impressed, Red. This crew told me that you were quite the storyteller, but I have to admit that I thought they were exaggerating. I have to say though that I don't think they did you justice. I always thought I had a way with a story, but you don't know how much I hate to admit this, you put me to shame. I don't hold a candle to you. Would you be interested in making a little extra money on the side? You could always come over to my place and read for the boys if you are." Kendall grinned.

Marissa chuckled softly, careful not to wake Gabby who was snuggled on her lap still clutching her stuffed monkey. The little girl had fallen asleep while Marissa was midway through the second of the two bedtime stories. "I'll keep that in mind for Christmas." The redhead looked down at the older children who were fighting sleep themselves. "It seems as if I'm on the verge of losing the majority of my audience."

"I think maybe it was the second story that Mimo insisted on you reading." Bianca smiled. "I think one was probably the limit."

Miranda perked up upon hearing her name and smiled brightly. She had been very pleased with her reasoning for hearing a second story. "We didn't get a story last night so you kinda owed us another one since we get a story every night."

Marissa looked at her son. "And you were no help to me at all, mister, taking Mimo's side like that."

AJ grinned and saw the amused look on his mother's face. "Sorry, mom, but Miranda's right. You owed us another story."

Bianca chuckled. "It sounds like Mimo was making a good case for, what do you call it? Oh yeah, breach of contract. That would be your influence, counselor."

Marissa saw the smirk on her girlfriend's face and couldn't hold back her smile. She arched an eyebrow and looked at Bianca and Miranda. "No more reading my law books, you two!" The redhead turned to Kendall. "See what I'm up against? I've got no backup here. Help me out, Curly."

Kendall laughed. "Sorry, Red, but you're on your own. I know better than to get in the middle of this. I've seen that look in their eyes before, and I'm not crossing them. Besides, if you weren't so entertaining maybe they wouldn't have a case."

"Fine, I see how it is. There will be no stories for the Slaters." Marissa smirked.

"That's too bad, Red. They would've loved story time with Aunt Marissa. Hey, there's something I'm curious about. I know you're a great lawyer. I've seen you in action. You have this great creative side to you though too. I have it on very good authority that you can sing. I've also witnessed first-hand tonight that you can dance and have pretty impressive storytelling capabilities. So, where'd all that stuff come from anyway?"

"You can either blame or thank my parents for all of that." Gabby started to stir. "I better get this one in bed before she wakes up."

Bianca nodded. "You're right. I'll help you. We'll be back so no plotting against us with Aunt Kendall." Marissa carried the sleeping Gabby upstairs with Bianca trailing closely behind.

Kendall turned serious. "Okay, you two, we need to talk. I know what's been going on with Amber."

Miranda and AJ looked at other with each making a face.

"I know you didn't want to worry your moms, but this was an awful lot for you to keep to yourselves. You don't have to deal with something like this, or anything else really, all on your own. You have a family to help you. That's what we're here for. So, if you think you can't talk to your moms for some reason, which you do know you can talk to them about anything, right?"

Both children nodded. "We know."

"Good. Now, if you don't think you can talk to them for whatever reason, you can always come to me, Uncle Zach, Greenlee, Jack, Tad or Krystal, or if you need to pull out the guns, Erica. Okay?"

The children nodded again and smiled. "Okay."

Miranda grinned. "Erica would really take care of them."

Kendall saw the glint in her niece's eyes. It was pure Kane and told her that a big part of Miranda would enjoy seeing that. So would Kendall. "Yes, she would, but your moms are more than able to take care of anything that comes their way. I've seen them both in action so you can trust me on that. I just want to make sure that you know you're not alone. We've got a big family, and we're there for each other, have each other's backs. Got it?"

AJ nodded and smiled. "Got it, Aunt Kendall!"

Miranda nodded with a smile of her own. "I got it too, Aunt Kendall!"

"Good! Now, Miranda, that was a very nice job of getting that extra story tonight …"

/

Bianca turned down Gabby's bed, and Marissa laid her down gently before tucking her in. Gabby stirred again and opened her eyes. A slight pout started to form on her face when she realized where she was. "I didn't get to hear the rest of the story."

The women sat down on the bed on either side of Gabby. Marissa smiled. "I know, monkey. I'll make you a deal. You stop fighting the sandman, and I'll finish up the story for you tomorrow."

"Just for me?"

"Yep, just for you. We'll do it tomorrow morning when it's just the three of us."

"That sounds pretty good to me, Gabby. What do you think?"

Gabby yawned and nodded sleepily. "Sounds good. Night, mommy. Love you."

Bianca gave her a gentle kiss. "Good night, baby. I love you too."

Gabby turned and settled further down, hugging her stuffed monkey tightly. "Thank you for my monkey. Will you help me come up with a name for him?"

Marissa smiled. "You're welcome, and I would be happy to."

Another big yawn escaped from Gabby as she closed her eyes. "Night. Love you too, mommy."

All it took was that one word to bring tears to the eyes of both women. Marissa kissed Gabby's forehead. "Good night, monkey. I love you too." They sat watching their youngest child sleep for several minutes before getting up.

Bianca slipped an arm around Marissa's waist as they walked into the hallway. "Are you okay, Rissa?"

A radiant smile crossed the redhead's face. "I'm more than okay, B. What about you? Are you okay with her calling me …"

"Stop it right there. I couldn't be happier with Gabby calling you mommy. To know that she loves you unconditionally is one of the best things in the world. You've never pushed or prodded her to call you that. She's deciding to do that all on her own. It's a title you have more than earned, and I love sharing it with you." Bianca pulled her close for a tender kiss.

Marissa sighed when they separated. "I guess we should get back downstairs to the others."

"Ah, those two other tiny terrors of our's. We don't want to leave them alone with Kendall too long. She just might start to corrupt them." Bianca laughed.

/

"And then your mom …"

"Kendall!"

"Oh hi, Binx. Did you get Gabby settled down?" Kendall glanced up and saw Marissa and Bianca coming into the family room.

"Yes, we did. I'm sure I don't want to know what you've been telling these two. I'll just remind you that I have stories of my own to share with Spike and Ian."

"Point taken! No stories about my sister. Sorry, guys, but you'll understand one day."

"What about Rissa?"

"Yeah, do you have any stories about mom?"

"Well, there is this one time …"

Bianca shook her head. "No stories about her either. What goes for me, goes for her."

Marissa grinned. "Thank you!"

"My pleasure!"

"Okay, no stories about any moms. So, Red, you were going to tell me how you became so creative."

"It's not that exciting of a story, and I'm sure you'll be bored."

"That isn't true. It's a very good story. Are you okay with telling it though?" Bianca smiled.

AJ looked at his mother. "Yeah, mom, tell us."

"I wanna know, Rissa." Miranda chimed in.

The redhead smiled at Bianca. "I'm okay with it." She looked at the other three. "Okay, I'll tell you, but remember, I warned you. The short story is that I got it from my parents. The singing, dancing and storytelling, all of it, is all from them."

"You mean from Grandma Krystal or Grandma Lydia?" AJ asked.

"This would be your Grandma Lydia and Grandpa Roy." Marissa paused with a wistful look and shook her head. _They would've loved to have been called grandma and grandpa. _"Oh, they would have loved you guys and spoiled you rotten. They would've bragged about you to everyone. It wouldn't have just been to their friends either. They would've been stopping strangers on the street to talk about the three of you. They were the best parents, and they were always there for me. It didn't matter what or when or where. If I needed them, they were always there. I could always count on them." She paused briefly before continuing. "Now, they both loved to sing."

"Grandpa Roy gave you that song, right?"

"That's right, buddy, but my mom loved to sing too. She had the best voice. She was in our church choir and would be given solos all the time. I'd come home from school or playing and would hear her singing, and depending on what she was singing, I could tell what kind of mood she was in, if she was happy or sad. Both of them taught me a lot about music, to appreciate all kinds of it and that it can make you feel all kinds of different emotions. It can make you feel happy or sad, make you laugh or cry, make you think."

"Kinda like how your song helps me feel better and not afraid?"

"Exactly like that, Mimo. Sometimes, when I can't find the words to tell how …" Marissa heard Bianca and Kendall snicker. "That's enough from the peanut gallery."

"Sorry, Red, but I have yet to see you left speechless by anything. Is that even possible?"

"It's possible. It's just not something that happens all that often though."

Marissa smiled at Bianca. "You would know more than anyone else because you not only leave me speechless, but you also manage to take my breath away."

Bianca sighed happily and rewarded her girlfriend with her favorite grin. The two gazed at each other until Kendall cleared her throat drawing away the focus the couple had on each other and back to the rest of the group.

"Sorry. Where was I? Oh yeah, sometimes when I can't find the right words to express how I feel, I know I'll be able to find a song that will. Every once in a while when I was growing up, I would hear one of them singing to the other one. I always knew how they felt about each other. Now, dancing was just another extension of that. It's always been a good release. It's fun and a way to celebrate life. I remember waking up and hearing music playing downstairs. I'd sneak out of my room and would catch them dancing. That's when I saw them as more than just my parents. It was in those moments that they were just Roy and Lydia. It always made me happy. You see, it was in those unguarded moments that I could see exactly how much they loved each other. That was the kind of relationship and love that I wanted to have, and now, I do." Marissa smiled at Bianca who nodded and smiled just as brightly as the redhead.

Miranda and AJ grinned at each other remembering seeing the two of them dancing earlier. They saw how their moms looked at each other and knew exactly what Marissa was talking about. "What about the stories? Did they teach you that too?" Miranda asked.

"They did. First, my dad would tell the stories at night, but then, he started to have to travel some for work. Mom decided she had to step it up once she had to take over."

"He couldn't call you like you did with us?"

"Not really, AJ. It wasn't as easy to do back then. Not everybody had a cellphone. They weren't as common. Dad didn't have one. When he called home, he had to call from his hotel and that could be expensive depending where he was, and we didn't have a lot of money. When you travel, you're only given so much money for your trip, and they keep an eye on what you charge to your room. So, my dad had to watch what he did with what he was given."

"They didn't have cellphones?"

Marissa chuckled. "Not like they do today. Now, don't get me wrong. Mom did a good job telling the stories, but my dad made a production out of them. When he wasn't there, we both missed them, almost as much as we missed him. That's when she decided to change it up a little, and pretty soon, her stories matched my dad's. After that, she would volunteer reading to kids in the hospital or at the library. My dad would volunteer too, except he would sing and play the piano. He never sang my song though to those others. That song was special and was only for me and mom."

"They sound great, Red."

"They really were. They helped a lot of people, had a lot of friends. If anyone needed anything, they knew that Roy and Lydia Tasker would be there to help. They always stood up for what they believed in, never backed down from a fight and were always there for family and friends. They couldn't stand people who took advantage of others or bullied them. I learned all of that from them, how important it was to help others, stand up for what you believe in and yourself, and to be true to who you are. I learned the importance of family and friends. I saw everything they did and how much it meant to people. I wanted to come up with my own way to help. I thought about that for a long time, about what I could do. One day, it hit me. I decided I wanted to be a lawyer. You see, some of the people that they helped, or tried to, needed but couldn't afford a lawyer. Then, there were others who could afford one but ended up getting a lousy one, someone who didn't know what they were doing or just didn't care. They didn't do a good job. They just wanted the money. Those were the ones that really bothered my parents. I decided that I would become a lawyer they could be proud of, one that I could be proud of."

"You did. You became just that. They would be very proud of you, Rissa." Bianca smiled.

"Thank you. I'd like to think they would be. When I told them what I wanted to do, dad asked me if I was sure that's what I wanted to do with my life. He told me it would be hard work and wouldn't be easy sometimes, and he was right about that. He also wanted me to be sure that I was doing it for me and not because I thought it was something that I thought him and mom wanted me to do. He knew if I was doing it for them and not myself that I wouldn't really be happy. I thought about it, and it was what I really wanted to do. I told him that, and he was as proud as he could be. He would introduce me to any and every one as 'my daughter, the future, brilliant lawyer'." Marissa smiled at the memory.

Bianca reached over the children sitting in between them and softly caressed the redhead's cheek. Marissa saw the concern in her eyes. Bianca knew it was hard sometimes for her girlfriend to talk about her parents to others, and she wanted to make sure she was okay. Marissa smiled and gave her a wink to let her know she was alright.

Kendall witnessed what happened between the couple and smiled. She had never heard Marissa really discuss her childhood and her parents before, but it was clear to her that her sister had. She also knew Bianca was the reason that Marissa was opening up about them. The love and concern between the two warmed her heart. She also now had a very good insight into why Marissa was who she was. "Well, it seems to me that you are an awful lot like them, and Bianca's right. They would be very proud of you, Marissa."

"Thank you, Kendall. I appreciate that. They would've liked you. My dad had the same twisted sense of humor that runs in this family."

"Us twisted? I don't know what you're talking about, Red." Kendall smirked.

"Right, I'm sure you don't."

"What about your mom?"

"She had a good sense of humor, but it wasn't as twisted or as goofy as dad's. She was the definitely the optimist in the family, always saw the good in people first, tried to give them the benefit of the doubt. The one thing you didn't do though was say something about her family. That was a line you did not cross if you knew what was good for you. There was a girl in our neighborhood who decided to pick on me for one reason or the other when I was about Gabby's age, and the girl was a couple of years older than me. Her mother wouldn't acknowledge that it was wrong or that it should stop. Mom had a little one on one with the woman. I don't know what she said. She never would tell me. I only know that the girl never bothered me again, and the woman avoided mom at all costs."

"I definitely would've liked them." Kendall checked the time. "It's getting late, and I better get home. Zach and the boys will be getting back soon. Welcome home, Red, and thanks for letting me crash your family night."

"I'm glad you could stay, Curly. I had a good time."

"I did too. I'll see you all later." Kendall walked with her sister to the door. "Good night, Binx, and thanks for letting me stay."

"Good night, Kendall, and you're welcome. Thank you again for getting Marissa home early and for watching the kids. I owe you."

"Any time, and let me know if you need any help with, as Red called them, dumb and dumber. See you later."

Bianca locked the door behind her sister and walked back into the family room. She looked at AJ and Miranda and saw they were fighting a losing battle with sleep. Her eyes met Marissa's. "We need to get these two to bed."

"We're not tired, mom."

"You heard your mom, Miranda. It's way past your and AJ's bedtime. Let's go. You too, buddy."

AJ was going to protest but decided against it when he saw the look on his mom's face. He nodded and headed upstairs next to Miranda with their moms following behind.

Miranda carefully carried her music box into her room, looking for the perfect place to put it while Marissa and Bianca took AJ into his room. When he was settled into bed, the women sat next to him. "I'm glad your home, mom. I missed you a lot."

"I missed you too, buddy. I'm glad you were there for Miranda. I'm proud of you for doing that, and like Bianca told you earlier, you're not in any trouble. If something like this happens again though, I want you to come to me or Bianca, and let us know. Okay?"

"Okay, mom, I will. What are you going to do?"

"You don't need worry about that, buddy. Your mom and I are going to take care of it." Bianca smiled.

AJ grinned. "Like Grandma Lydia when you were little?"

Marissa smiled. "Just like Grandma Lydia."

"Good because Miranda's a great sister and so is Gabby. I don't like it when they're sad."

"Neither do we. Bianca and I are going to do our best to make sure that doesn't happen. Okay?"

"Okay!"

"Good night, buddy. I love you."

"Love you too, mom. Love you too, Bianca. Night."

"I love you too. Good night, buddy."

AJ yawned and turned on his side and drifted off to sleep.

The couple paused outside of the girls' bedroom. "You ready, B?"

Bianca nodded. "I am. Let's talk to her."

Miranda was sitting in bed waiting for them. Gabby was sprawled across her bed sound asleep. Marissa smiled and crossed the room. As she got Gabby resettled in her bed and covered her back up, Bianca sat down next to Miranda. Marissa joined them a minute a later.

"I guess you two have talked, huh mom?"

"Marissa and I have talked a little about what's been happening, but we haven't had a chance to discuss it fully yet. First, I need you to be honest with us. How are you really doing?"

"Well, I think I'm okay. I'm better now after talking with Rissa. What Amber was saying was starting to bother me a little. It wasn't because I thought it was true, cause I don't! I know Marissa would never leave us like that or hurt us like that." Miranda turned to look squarely at the redhead. "I trust you, Rissa. I know you're not like the others. I know you're never going to leave us. I know how much you love mom and me and Gabby. I know we're family, and we're always be gonna be one."

Marissa grinned. "You're right on all counts, and I'm glad you know it. You, Gabby, AJ and your mom mean everything to me, and I don't want you to ever doubt or forget that."

Miranda smiled. "I won't!"

Bianca brushed a lock of hair from her daughter's face, relieved to see how sure she was in her belief in Marissa. "If you know all of that, what bothered you about what Amber was saying?"

"Amber was just so mean about what she said. It made me mad, but then she started saying that stuff about AJ. I really didn't like that. He's always been there when I need him, and I didn't want her to say that stuff to him and hurt him. He's the best brother in the world, and I didn't want him upset. It's not his fault what his dad did."

"I'm glad you think that about him, and you're right. He has been there for all of us. He's also not to blame for anything his dad has done. He's really nothing like him."

"No, he's not. He's like his mom Rissa!" Miranda smiled, turning back to the redhead.

Marissa smiled and kissed the top of Miranda's head. "Thank you, Mimo. That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me."

Bianca smiled. "You're right. He is just like his mom. That was very brave of you to do that, and I'm proud of you for doing it. We both are. Why didn't you tell us what was going on though?"

Miranda made a face. "I thought I could take care of it by myself. AJ was helping me at first, but then she started saying stuff about him to me. Since Marissa wasn't home, you were doing a lot of stuff to take care of us. And those bad people broke into your office, and I knew you were worried about that and working hard to get things fixed. I knew how much you missed Marissa too because you weren't sleeping like you do when she's here. I didn't want you to worry about anything else. I didn't tell Marissa cause I knew she'd get worried cause she wasn't here, and I knew what she was doing at her conference was important. I figured if she knew, she'd leave early, and I didn't want her to get into any trouble if she did that. By the time things got really bad, I thought I might be in trouble for not saying something sooner."

The women looked at each other and sighed. Miranda was so young but was well beyond her years. She had been carrying what had to feel like the weight of the world on her small shoulders out of love, loyalty and the need to protect those she loved.

Bianca stroked her daughter's cheek. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Marissa says I'm just like you. She says I'm a 'mini-Bianca'." Miranda said with pride.

Bianca saw the smile that Marissa was trying to hide, and chuckled while she shook her head. "More than I'd like to admit." She turned serious. "Let's get a few things straight. Actually, since I'm sure Marissa has already said some if not all of this, let's reinforce a few things. Neither you nor AJ are in trouble for any of this. You are not responsible for the things Amber is saying. Understand?"

Miranda nodded. "I understand."

"Good. You, Gabby and AJ are the three most important people in the world to Marissa and me. There's nothing or no one we love more than you. That means that no matter where we are or what we are doing, you all come first. Anything else is nowhere close to being as important or meaning as much to us as you, and we'll deal with whatever else may be going on after we take care of you and know that you are alright. Got it?"

"Got it."

"Now, I know you think you have to protect me because of the things that have happened in the past, and I love so much for that. You don't have to though. I'm pretty tough and can handle a lot more than people give me credit for. What I can't handle, I have Marissa to help me with now. You know what she's like. She's more than ready, willing and able to take on anybody who messes with me or you guys."

"I know. Aunt Kendall and Greenlee were talking. They said if they are ever if a fight they want Red, I mean Marissa, to be on their side." Miranda grinned.

Both women chuckled. "They did, huh? Well, I want them on my side too. What else did they say?" Marissa asked.

"They said you handed whatshername her …" Miranda gave them sheepish grin. "I don't think I'm supposed to say that other word."

Marissa quirked an eyebrow and quickly hid a smirk while Bianca did her best to keep a straight face seeing her girlfriend's reaction. "No, you're not. I'm going to have to talk to my sister and cousin."

"Don't be mad at them, mom. They were whispering and stopped talking as soon as they saw me. Who's whatshername and what'd she do?"

"Oh, you don't need to worry about that. They were right about Marissa taking care of her though. I'm not mad at Greenlee and Aunt Kendall. Okay, that's enough about them. The point of what I was saying is that you don't have to worry about me as much or try and protect me as much. If something like this ever happens again, I need you to promise me that you'll tell us and not keep it from us. You're not alone. You've got us."

Miranda smiled. "I promise."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to see you smile. I've missed that. Alright, Marissa and I are going to take care of this."

"What are you going to do?"

"Marissa and I are going to talk and figure something out. The important thing is that we're going to make sure this stops. Amber is not going to bother you, AJ or anyone else any more. I don't want you to worry about it. Okay?"

"Okay, I won't, mom. Thanks and I'm sorry I didn't tell you and Marissa sooner."

"That's okay. We know now, and because we do, we can do something about it."

Marissa looked at Miranda. "She's right, you know."

"Yeah, she's right a lot." She turned to Bianca. "Marissa told me a lot of the same stuff earlier, mom."

"I figured she did. She's right a lot of the time too."

"Yep, she is." Miranda yawned.

"Okay, time for you to go to sleep."

Miranda nodded and crawled further under her covers. "Rissa, did you see where I put my music box?" She pointed to the top of the bookcase.

"I did, and I think it looks perfect there. I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"I'm glad you're home, Rissa. I missed you. Thanks for making me feel better. Love you. Night."

Marissa kissed her good night. "I missed you too. I'm glad I could help. I love you too. Good night, Mimo."

"Night, mom. I really do feel better now that I talked to you and Rissa. Thank you. I promise to talk to you guys about stuff like this from now on. Love you."

"Good night, Mimo. I'm glad you're feeling better, and that you know you can talk to us about anything. We will always be there for you. I love you too." Bianca kissed her daughter good night.

Miranda nodded and smiled as she closed her eyes. She was soon fast asleep.

The women got up carefully and quietly left the room. Once in the hallway, Bianca looked at Marissa. "I'll get the lights downstairs and meet you in our room."

"I'll see you there." Marissa quickly changed into her pajamas and pulled out her laptop. She had an idea and needed to do some research.

When Bianca got to their bedroom, she saw Marissa biting her lip in concentration and making notes on a legal pad. The brunette closed the bedroom door behind her and ducked into the bathroom and changed into her pajamas.

Marissa glanced up when her girlfriend came back into the room. Bianca sat down next to the redhead. "Do you want to start, or do you want me to?"


	36. Going On The Offense

**A/N: As always, I thank you for the wonderful reviews. I'm glad you liked what I did with Marissa's background. I thought something was needed to explain how and why she became the person that she did. Plus, I thought she deserved more of a backstory. **

**For this chapter, I did some research online. While this is a fictional story, I wanted to give this storyline a dose of reality. This is, unfortunately, an issue that has become all too prevalent in today's society, no matter where you live. What I have Marissa say about state laws and policies regarding anti-bullying is a compilation of what I was able to find for the U.S. Okay, I'll jump off my soap box and get out of the way now. This chapter picks up where I left off the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Marissa quickly changed into her pajamas and pulled out her laptop, a legal pad and a pen. She had been working on an idea in her head all evening long but hadn't been able to do anything about it until now. She finally had the chance to do some much needed research on it. Marissa needed to answer some questions in her own mind before discussing this further with Bianca. She knew her girlfriend would have a number of her own questions, and the redhead wanted to be ready for all of them.

What Bianca saw when she got back to their bedroom had her chuckle softly. Marissa was sitting on their bed biting her lip in concentration. From time to time, she would take a break from what she was reviewing on her laptop to make notes on a legal pad. Bianca had seen that look too many times to count. Her girlfriend was in _lawyer _mode which meant she had an idea of something they could do to resolve their current situation. Knowing Marissa as well as she did, Bianca had no doubt that whatever she was working on would be good. The brunette quietly closed the bedroom door behind her and ducked into the bathroom and changed into her pajamas.

After finishing up, Bianca came back into their bedroom and again stood watching her girlfriend, who was still deep in concentration, for a few more minutes. This side of her girlfriend never failed to captivate Bianca, and she could just watch her forever. Marissa glanced up when she felt Bianca's eyes on her and smiled. The brunette crossed the room and sat down next to her. "Do you want to start, or do you want me to?"

Marissa closed her laptop and moved it to the floor. She turned to fully face Bianca. The redhead saw every emotion she was feeling herself reflected in her love's eyes. "First things first." Marissa leaned forward and gave her a loving kiss. "Much better! I think we both needed that. I know I sure as hell did."

Bianca sighed. "You're right. We did need that."

"Why don't you go first? Tell me what AJ told you earlier."

Bianca nodded. "According to AJ, Amber told them that you left town not because of work but because you knew being with me was wrong. You went to get help with your _problem_. You couldn't do it here because I was confusing you, was bad for you, and you couldn't get _better_ with me around. When you did get _better_, Miranda, Gabby and I would have to move out, and we would no longer be a family. Our daughter told her that she was wrong and didn't know what she was talking about. All in all, it would seem that I'm a bad influence on you."

"Here all this time, I thought I was a bad influence on you." Marissa smirked.

Bianca smiled. She knew exactly what Marissa was doing and why. Her anger had been building all night, and it felt like it was about to boil over. With that one comment, Marissa managed to diffuse some of that anger, and it was just one of the countless reasons Bianca loved her. "You're a real smartass sometimes, you know?"

"Yeah, I know. It's just something that comes to me naturally. I think that's why I get along with Kendall and Greenlee as well as I do. Smartasses of a feather flock together or something like that, I suppose. No matter what you say, you know you love it. Besides, I'm _your_ smartass."

"Yes, you are most definitely _mine_." They simply gazed at each other for a moment longer before Bianca continued. No matter how painful this was, this was a conversation that had to be had. "The only other thing AJ told me was that he suspected Miranda wasn't telling him everything. He thought that Amber was saying things about him to her, and Miranda wouldn't tell him what it was. He thought she was protecting him from something. He just wasn't sure what it was. It seems our son is perceptive as hell."

"He certainly is. AJ doesn't miss anything, and he knows Miranda. Amber, that little …"

"Marissa, she's a child and doesn't know any better. Trust me, I know better than anyone else that this is wrong on so many levels. She's repeating what she's heard at home, what she's been taught. She may be the one saying it to Miranda, but this is coming from her parents. We know all too well her mother's stance on things."

"Bully. I was going to say bully. Her mother is a different story. There's another word that comes to mind for her. Yes, I know Amber is a child and is just repeating what she's heard her mother say, what she's been taught, and she's a real chip off the old block. She's using those lessons to lash out at Miranda because she stands up to her, and she can't stand that and the fact that AJ has Miranda's back. That child knows exactly what sore points to touch on with Miranda. She is a bully of the highest order, and she has to be stopped. I've got to tell you that I'm looking forward to taking her mother down."

Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand. "That makes two of us."

Marissa sighed at her touch. "You're right. They don't stand a chance."

"No, they don't, not a chance in hell. So, what did Miranda tell you?"

"Before I tell you that, there's something else I want to tell you, something I need to tell you. You already know it, but I think it's something that I have to tell you again anyway. I love you. I mean what I had engraved in your locket. _Forevermore_, that's us. Nothing or no one will ever change that. You, the day you told me that you loved me was the day that I discovered what love truly was. Before you, I didn't really know it. I thought I did, but I was wrong. Whatever I felt before for anyone else in my past relationships pales in comparison to what I feel for you. You are the last person I want to see at night, and the first person I want to see in the morning. You're everything. Those three words you told me last Christmas Eve changed my life forever. They made it better, brighter and fuller, more than I could've ever thought possible, than I ever could've dreamt."

Bianca wiped away the tears those heartfelt words brought to her eyes. The loving kiss she gave Marissa conveyed the feelings she could not find the words for right at that moment. "I know. I'm not sure of a lot of things, but I am sure of how you feel about me, of how much you love me. You show me every day with the way you look at me, touch me, hold me and kiss me. There is not one doubt in my mind. I've never been happier or felt more loved. I love you with all of my heart, and I can't imagine my life, my world without you. Those three words you told me that day changed my life too, and it was all for the better." Bianca kissed her once more. Both women sighed before Bianca continued. "Now, tell me what she said to Miranda."

Marissa took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll start with what she was saying about AJ. According to Amber and her mother, AJ doesn't have any _real_ parents around since his real mom is dead, and his dad's in prison. When you couple that along with what they deem as our _immoral_ lifestyle, Amber told Miranda that there was more than enough reason for the courts to determine that AJ should be taken away from us."

Bianca shook her head. "Hey, you _are_ his mom. Just because you didn't give birth to him, it doesn't make you any less his mother than if you had."

"I know. I know _that_ more than anyone else."

"Good because to AJ, you are his mother. Gabby and Miranda see you the same way."

"Just so you know, AJ sees you that way too. It's just that her mother would say that …" Marissa took a deep breath and saw the concern in Bianca's eyes. "I'm okay. I told Miranda that wasn't going to happen, that AJ isn't going anywhere. No one is going to take him away from us."

"No, they're not. He's staying here with us. That explains what Miranda said about AJ not being to blame for what JR did. I can see why she didn't what him to hear any of that. AJ's such a sweet and kind-hearted boy. If he heard that, it would devastate him. Miranda knows that and would do anything to prevent that."

"Yes, he is, and it would. Miranda really is just so remarkable. For her to protect him like that …"

"She's just doing what AJ's done for her any number of times. It's what you do for family."

"You're right. They really do see each other as brother and sister. God help the person who ever even just looks at Gabby the wrong way. They will have both Miranda and AJ to deal with."

"That will be ugly but totally justified mind you. There's more that Amber said, isn't there?"

"According to her and her … mother, I supposedly realized us being together was wrong and left town to get _fixed_."

"_Fixed_? _Fixed!_ That's the word she used? You were going to get _fixed_! What the hell does that mean? You …. There's … I can't believe she said that to Miranda! She …" Bianca struggled to find the words to express her anger. "Unbelievable! For her to say that about you! For anyone to say that about you! I can't believe what is wrong with that woman! She's spreading that garbage to her daughter! That's just not right! It's not right at all! Now, Miranda is hearing it and having to deal with it! She kept that to herself trying to protect both of us!"

Marissa knew Bianca would be angry with what Amber had said to Miranda. She really didn't want to tell to her. She wanted to spare her some of that pain, but she deserved to know. She had to know all of it for them to stop the bullying, and as Bianca had told Miranda earlier, she was a big girl and could handle herself. It wasn't often that her girlfriend got angry because she had incredible self-control, better than Marissa had, but she was mad as hell now. The redhead was furious herself, but she'd had more time tonight to deal with that comment. Despite how she felt, Bianca needed her right now. So, Marissa kept her temper in check and let her girlfriend go on for a few more minutes. Bianca needed to get it out, and this was the best time and place, when it was just the two of them. "B, look at me." Marissa squeezed her hand. "Look at me, Bianca, please. I know I don't need to be fixed because you don't need to fix something that's not broken. There's nothing wrong with us being together. There's nothing wrong about how I feel about you or how you feel about me. There's not one damn thing wrong with it. I know it. You know it. Miranda knows it and so do Gabby and AJ. I don't give a damn what anyone else thinks, okay? You are preaching to the choir."

Bianca took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't be taking this out on you, yelling at you like that. This isn't your fault. I know how you feel about me, us. I just hate that Miranda is having to deal with this and AJ too. They shouldn't have to. The fact that some of this could make its way to Gabby is too much for me to think about."

"You're right about everything you've said. Hey, it's not your fault either. The only ones at fault are Amber and her mother. And you weren't yelling at me. You were venting, and you needed to do it. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I am. Thank you." Bianca sighed. "After all of this time, I still don't know how you manage to make me feel better so fast."

"It's just part of my job as your partner." Marissa gave her a loving kiss. "You do exactly the same thing for me."

"What else did she tell you?"

"She's not the only one Amber's been bullying."

"AJ mentioned Bobby Douglas was one of her targets."

"Yeah, Bobby, who has two dads, is one of them."

"It does seem as if there is a pattern to her bullying, doesn't it? Who else is there?"

"There is a pattern, but she's made an exception. She's been bullying Jessica Mendes too."

"Why Jessica?"

"She stood up for Bobby."

"So, she would naturally start in on her. I don't get what she would say to Jessica though. According to their criteria, Jessica has a _normal _family. What's Amber been saying to her?"

"Basically, she's said that her parents aren't from here and should go back to where they came from."

"What's she talking about? Rachel and Chris were born and raised in Pine Valley. Rachel's parents were born here as well. I know Chris told me his parents immigrated here, but that was legally and before he was born. They're actually naturalized citizens now. He told me about when they took the test and how they had a big party when they took their oath of citizenship."

"Well, all of that doesn't seem to matter to Amber and her mother. According to them, the Mendes family is not from here and therefore don't belong."

"Wow. I'm guessing they don't know any of this just like Brandon and Jeff with Bobby."

"You would be right. According to Miranda, no one wants to say anything because they're afraid that if they do that it will make things worse with Amber. We're going to have to talk all of them and let them know what's been going on. They need to know. They'd want to know. I know that we'd want to know if the roles were reversed."

"Yes, we would. This is too much for these kids to have to deal with." Bianca checked the time. "It's too late to call them tonight. We'll need to call them tomorrow."

"That's what I was thinking. Maybe we can meet up with sometime this weekend. There's something that I'd like to talk with them about, after I discuss it with you of course."

"Does this have anything to do with what you were researching when I came in?"

Marissa nodded. "I was in _lawyer_ mode again earlier, wasn't I? Sorry but I can't help it sometimes. I really needed to switch it on for this."

Bianca grinned. "Don't apologize. I like _lawyer_ mode. It's really kind of hot and makes you the kick-ass lawyer you are."

Marissa chuckled. "And you say I'm impossible."

Bianca shrugged and smiled. "I guess we both are. So, what did you come up with, counselor? What can we do to stop this? The school refused to do anything last year."

"Last year, that happened off school grounds. It was at a private residence. Because of that, the school was unable to step in and do anything. Unlike last year however, this has all happened on school property and that changes everything."

Bianca could tell by the look in Marissa's eyes that she had found something. "Go on."

Marissa paused, sorting things through in her mind, before proceeding. "Let's start at the beginning. While Pennsylvania passed an anti-bullying law a few years ago, the policies themselves are adopted and administered on a local level, the school district. That law requires that each school district has a policy on bullying."

"Yeah, there was a copy of the school's anti-bullying policy in all of that paperwork we had to go over at the beginning of the school year. We had to go over it with the kids. They had to sign a pledge not to bully other students, and we had to sign something stating that we reviewed the policy with them."

"Exactly! That policy was sent home with every student in the district. There is also a code of conduct posted in each classroom, and the school also held an assembly to go over all of it. It's all part of the policy that the school district created to be in compliance with the state's anti-bullying law." Marissa paused.

Bianca nodded. "I'm with you so far."

"There is a distinction between what the school can and cannot do in certain situations and if something happens on or off school property. According to the state, the law holds the district responsible for acts of bullying that occur on school grounds."

"Like this latest incident did."

"Precisely! Because this happened on school property, the school is responsible not only by their own policies but also by state law. They are required to do something now."

"Well, that's a big relief. What do we need to do? What are our next steps?"

"We have to report this to the school principal as soon as possible. So, we need to set up a meeting with Ms. Evans, and by _we_, I mean the kids along with us. The school will need to investigate the incident before determining an appropriate course of action. Ms. Evans will also need to talk with Amber and her parents as part of the investigation."

"Okay, I know Miranda and AJ will be willing to do that now that they know they don't have to hide it from us to try and protect us." A thought suddenly occurred to Bianca. "Their claims will carry more weight if others come forward and tell their stories about Amber bullying them."

Marissa smiled. "Yep, you got it. After Jessica's and Bobby's parents have a chance to talk with them, I'm hoping they will be willing to report what they've been going through to the principal. It will strengthen the case against Amber which will get this to stop."

"Knowing all of them like we do, I'm pretty sure their parents will want that. So, what does all of this mean? What can the school do? I'm sure Amber's parents will claim it didn't happen, that she was just joking or that she wasn't aware of the policy. If the principal agrees with us that something did happen, what can she do?"

"One question at a time! Yeah, sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me. It's a good thought, but we know that it's not true. It's also not a defense when it comes to bullying. Let's go back to the legal definition. Bullying is defined as an intentional electronic, written, physical or _verbal_ act. It must be severe, persistent and pervasive. This has been going on for a while. It's not a one shot deal. We know it's intentional because of Miranda and Jessica standing up to Amber. We know that she was purposefully trying to hurt them because of what she said to them. As for her not being aware of the policy, ignorance of it is not a defense in this case. There will be a signed copy of the pledge not to bully along with the parents' signed acknowledgement that they reviewed the policy with Amber and that she understood it."

"Plus, there's code of conduct posted in each classroom and the school assembly review!"

"Hey, who's the lawyer here?" Marissa grinned.

Bianca chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "Sorry. It's all of that private tutoring you've been giving me."

Marissa shook her head and laughed. "I'm sure that's it. Now, you were wondering what Ms. Evans can do. For that, I needed to refresh myself on the disciplinary part of the policy. The first thing will be to separate Amber from Miranda, AJ and the other kids that have been bullied. They will all be observed and closely monitored."

"That will make sure she doesn't say anything more to them at school. What about her wanting to get even with them?"

"That's part of the policy too, no retaliation. You want a best case/worst case scenario, don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." Bianca smiled. Marissa knew her too well.

"Worst case is that the principal doesn't think that anything happened so there's no disciplinary action taken against Amber. If that's the case, we can still request that Miranda and AJ are not in any of her classes and that she be kept away from them. Best case is that Ms. Evans agrees that Amber bullied them. If that happens, the punishment could be any number of things. There's writing a letter of apology to them, separating Amber from the kids involved by moving her to another class, detention and a behavior action plan that includes counseling with lessons in social skills and tolerance that also outlines the causes and consequences of their behavior. The sternest disciplinary actions would be suspension, and if the behavior persists, she could be moved to another school in the district. This incident would follow her no matter where she goes."

Bianca took a deep breath and processed everything Marissa had just told her. "Could you hand me your legal pad?" The redhead did as she was asked, and Bianca flipped through it to find an empty page. "I think we need to do a few things tomorrow. So, let's come up with our plan of attack. First, we need to talk to Miranda and AJ. Explain everything to them and make sure they're okay with talking to Ms. Evans. Like I said earlier, I know they will be, but we need to be positive of it. We'll also make sure they know without a doubt that we are going to be with them every step of the way. Then, the next thing we need to do is call the other parents, and let them know what's been happening. I'm not looking forward to those conversations. It's going to be tough on them to hear what their kids have been going through. I'm thinking we can split those calls. I can call Brandon and Jeff, and you can call Rachel and Chris. We can ask them to report what happened to the principal. After that, we need to call Ms. Evans and set up a meeting. We've got her home number, and I don't have any problem with calling her at home about this. I know you don't either."

Marissa nodded and smiled as she took the pad back from Bianca, who had just started to write down her thoughts, and flipped to the last page she had written on.

Bianca chuckled as she read what Marissa had written. It was pretty much exactly what the brunette had just said. "Which of course you've already thought of. I should have known better."

Marissa grinned. "What can I say? Great minds think alike!" The redhead turned serious. "I think we need to make sure Gabby isn't within earshot when we talk to AJ and Miranda. I just think …"

"That she's too young to understand any of this. I know, and you're right. I know we can't protect her forever, but we should right now."

"Agreed. I'd like to meet up with the other parents on Sunday if possible. That will give them time to talk and sort through everything. If they are good with meeting with us, I want to broach the subject of talking with Ms. Evans together."

"That sounds like a good idea. I'd like to meet with her on Monday. I know it's last minute, but I'd like to get started on this as soon as possible. It's gone on for far too long. I can move things around on my schedule. Will you be able to? I know it's your first day back in the office, and you'll be swamped after being away almost all week."

"I agree with you on meeting with her as soon as possible. The sooner we start, the sooner we end this, and the better it is for the kids. Don't worry about my schedule. I will make Monday work. This is far too important. The work can and will wait. We're talking about kids and their safety. There's nothing more important to me than our family."

"I didn't mean to imply anything. You know that, right?"

"Hey, I know you didn't mean anything. You were just worried about me. I get it. So, don't worry about me. I'm good, okay?"

Bianca smiled. "Okay. Speaking of Monday, the kids …"

"Go back to school and will have to face her."

"Yeah. As much as I hate to say this, I really think they need to go. I would love nothing more than to keep them home and away from her, but …"

"Me too, but we can't. What we can do is give them some guidance on what to do when they see her and if she says or does something, prepare them a little."

Bianca nodded. "I think that's a great idea. My thinking is that if she says anything to them is to have them walk away, find a teacher and tell them. It kind of feels like we're telling them to run away, but …"

"It does feel like that a little, like we're telling them to back down. It goes against every fiber in my being, but we need to follow the rules in this case. Otherwise, she'll get away with what she's done, and I absolutely refuse to let that happen." Marissa spoke with a steeliness that matched the look in her eyes.

"So do I." The brunette studied Marissa for a minute. There was something else behind the look in her eyes. "What else do you have up your sleeve, counselor?"

Marissa made a face. She couldn't get anything past Bianca. "I can't hide anything from you, can I? You know me too well. I'm thinking of what I want to do with Tammy."

"It's legal, isn't it Rissa?"

"Part of it is." Marissa grinned. "The other part, not so much."

"Would the not so legal part involve putting her in a headlock?" Bianca grinned.

Marissa laughed remembering a long ago conversation. "Actually, yes, it would! I figure we could really tag team her now!"

Bianca joined her girlfriend as she laughed. She gave her a quick kiss. "I have to admit that I really like that idea! It would be a hell of a lot of fun. She's not worth the jail time though. Tell me what you have in mind legally."

Marissa smiled and began to flip through her notes. She went over every detail of her alternate plan with Bianca and answered every question her girlfriend had for her.


	37. Bianca's Morning Routine

**A/N: Thanks again for the great reviews! I always appreciate hearing from you, and you inspire me to continue this story. I ended up splitting this chapter. I went off on a small tangent with our girls. What can I say? I tend to do that where Minx is concerned. It seems they have that effect on me. Anyway, the thread in this chapter will continue. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca slowly opened her eyes. It was early morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise. The brunette smiled when she felt Marissa's soft warm body against her's. Bianca sighed and lay in bed for a few minutes longer. She knew she should probably get up and start the day because there was a lot to do today, but she just wasn't willing to part with this feeling quite yet. If the truth be told, this was her favorite time of the day. The kids were in their rooms, safely tucked in their beds and sound asleep. That left just her and Marissa in the peaceful quiet of their bedroom. An entire day with all of its promise, hopes and dreams lay ahead waiting to start. Sometimes, they could put that day on pause and relish this time alone together, the time when it was just the two of them. Other times, it seemed as if everything was on fast forward, and there was no time to enjoy this time together. Bianca sighed again and finally gave up. She wasn't going to be able to go back to sleep. There was too much on her mind and too much to do today. So, Bianca carefully got out of bed, doing her best not disturb Marissa, before ducking into the bathroom.

The two had been up late going over every aspect of the state's law and the school district's anti-bullying policy. They had discussed their course of action and what to tell the kids to do when they saw Amber next. They had gone over every detail of Marissa's alternate plan of attack should the bullying continue. The redhead was leaving nothing to chance and was pulling out all the stops to keep Miranda and AJ safe. Bianca knew that Marissa would move heaven and earth to protect their family, and she trusted her girlfriend completely. Some might say having that much faith in one person was unwise or just downright foolish. There was a time when Bianca herself would have agreed with them, a time when she doubted that she would ever or could ever trust someone again, let alone like that. Time and time again, she had been proven wrong in the past. She had placed her trust in someone only to have it broken or more accurately shattered. That, however, was before Marissa became part of her life, before they started sharing their lives.

Marissa had been burned badly herself and had been hesitant at first as well, but once she had made up her mind, that was it. There was no going back for her. Bianca saw Marissa as fearless. She had been so sure of things, so positive and took it upon herself to prove to Bianca that she was different from the others and that anything worthwhile was worth whatever the risk. It had taken a good deal of work on both of their parts, but Marissa was right. Bianca had finally opened her heart up to that level again and accepted that _this_ time was truly different. She knew without a single, solitary doubt that she could trust Marissa completely. Bianca smiled ruefully as she remembered last night's conversation. Marissa knew her so well. She knew that Bianca trusted her, but she still took that extra moment to reassure her, to let her know that no matter what anyone else said, nothing would change how she felt, and the same was true for her when it came to Marissa. The brunette came back into the bedroom and watched as her love slept. This wasn't the first time she had done this, offered her that reassurance. It was something Marissa had done repeatedly, particularly at the beginning of their relationship after it had changed, and something she continued to do even now, like last night. She didn't need it anymore. Bianca had told her girlfriend that several times, but that didn't stop Marissa from doing it. Bianca remembered the day it had finally sunk in for her, the day she finally released the last remnants of that fear and doubt and allowed herself to truly believe, to trust Marissa without any reservations.

/

_Bianca decided to surprise Marissa at work and take her to lunch. They had cancelled their lunch at Krystal's that day due to Bianca having an offsite meeting, but it had been postponed at the last minute and gave Bianca time to kill before her next meeting. She couldn't think of any better way to spend her now free time than with Marissa so she thought she'd take a chance and see if her girlfriend was free. As she reached the edge of the doorway to Marissa's office, Bianca stopped suddenly when she realized her girlfriend was in a meeting with Caleb. She was about to turn around when the tone in Marissa's voice made her stop. Something was definitely bothering her girlfriend. _

"_I can't tell you how sorry I am about this, Marissa."_

"_I know this isn't your call, Caleb. I'm not going to tell you that I'm happy about this, but it is what it is. I can't do anything about it, and even if I could, I wouldn't at least not what they might want."_

"_I understand. I tried to get them to change their minds. They're wrong and are losing not only a great lawyer but a great advocate for their daughter. You've done a tremendous job on her case. I know it. Jack knows it. The other partners know it. I would even go so far as to say that Beth Weber and her parents know it. They just won't admit it. I was really hoping I could convince her to stay with you as her counsel. I actually thought I was pretty close, but …"_

"_It's not going to happen, but thank you for trying. As long as her parents are footing the bill for her divorce, she'll do what they want. I get that they don't want to take any chances when it comes to their daughter keeping custody of her children, their grandchildren. My living situation makes them uncomfortable, and the Regan's believe that it could be detrimental to Beth's case. That's their call, and they're entitled to their opinion no how misguided I think it is."_

"_They haven't said anything to you, have they? If they have, I'll take it up with the other partners. I don't care how big of a client the Regan's are for the firm."_

"_No, they've never said anything derogatory to me. They've been very nice actually. I can tell they're uncomfortable though, and if they're not comfortable with me, I really wouldn't be able to help them."_

"_You're right. I have to say that I honestly think it has more to do with Beth's husband or soon to be ex-husband than with you. He's so over the top in many of his beliefs. I think he and his lawyer would pull your personal life into this and drag you through the mud. I don't want to see that."_

"_Well, this shouldn't be about me, but I know how it works. I think you're right about him. I know opposing counsel and wouldn't put anything past him either. Again, they don't want to take any chances. I've been there myself."_

"_I just wonder how Beth and her parents found out about you and Bianca."_

"_I told them."_

"_What? You told them? I have to say I'm surprised by that. Why would you do that? Ever since I've known you, I've found that you're pretty private when it comes to your personal life."_

_Marissa shrugged. "I suppose you're right. That's how I used to be. Look who I was involved with though. That was all before Bianca. She's changed everything. She has this way of getting you to talk about yourself and opening up and of seeing everything better and brighter."_

_Caleb chuckled. "You're right. She does. It can be a little irritating sometimes."_

"_What you call irritating, I call endearing and irresistible. I'm also utterly incapable of refusing her anything." Marissa grinned._

"_So, I've noticed. However, I also know that you like to keep your personal life separate from your professional life. That leaves me to wonder why you told them."_

"_I do like to keep the two separate. Ever since I began practicing law, I found it was easier to keep it that way. Beth and Mrs. Regan were in here waiting for me, and they saw this picture." Marissa turned around the frame AJ had made her for last Christmas that contained the picture of her and Bianca from the zoo over a year ago._

"_Ah yes, that's a great picture of the two of you, and it pretty much speaks for itself. How the two of you feel about each other is written all over both of your faces."_

_Marissa smiled as she turned it back around to look at it. "Yes, it is. Anyway, Mrs. Regan asked who the woman was, and I told her." The redhead held up her hand to stop Caleb from saying anything. "I'm not going to hide my relationship with Bianca, not from Mrs. Regan or anyone else for that matter. If someone asks me, I will tell them, proudly. I've waited too long to find someone as special as Bianca, too long for someone who makes me feel like she does. If it costs me a client or several clients, so be it. They are not worth me losing the person I was meant to share my life with, the person who makes me happier than I have ever been or had hoped to be. I'm not giving her up. It's just that simple."_

"_I would never ask you to. It's not who I am. Don't let it get around, but I care about the two of you a great deal, and I only want the best for you because you both deserve it and nothing less. You and Bianca deserve all the happiness in the world. You're perfect for each other."_

_Marissa smiled. "You're secret of being a big softie is safe with me, and you're right. I think we're perfect for each other too. But the client wants what the client wants."_

"_Even when they're wrong, like now."_

"_Thanks for that. I'll have everything sent over to Tom and go over it with him."_

"_Thank you. He's good, but not nearly as good as you."_

"_I'll help him however I can. Beth is a good mother, and her children are much better off with her than with the husband."_

_Caleb nodded and got up. "I appreciate that, and I expected no less from you. Bianca's pretty lucky to have you."_

_Marissa shook her head. "I'm the lucky one, and believe me when I tell you I know exactly how lucky I am. That's why it doesn't matter to me what others think or say. As long as I have Bianca and our kids, I pretty much have it all."_

_Caleb smiled. "I wish I had what you two have. Who knows? Maybe one day, I will. We'll talk again soon."_

_Bianca quickly took a few steps down the hall and around the corner when she heard Caleb leaving the office. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop but her concern for Marissa had made her stay and listen. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to get the wrong idea that she was spying on her girlfriend._

_As Caleb turned the corner, he saw the brunette and smiled. "Bianca, it's good to see you again. How have you been?"_

_Bianca smiled. "Never better, Caleb. How 'bout you?"_

"_I'm doing okay. The girls?"_

"_They're great. You should stop by and see them sometime. They'd love it."_

"_You know what? Maybe, I will. Wildwind is very quiet without them around. I just left your other half. She's a very impressive woman, exceptional even. We're lucky to have her here."_

_Bianca smiled. "You won't get any argument from me on that. You are lucky, and so am I."_

"_Well, you didn't come here to talk to me. She's alone in her office so I'll leave you to it. See you later." _

"_Bye, Caleb." Bianca headed back down the hallway towards Marissa's office. The brunette really did consider herself lucky. Her girlfriend was exceptional in every way. Bianca paused in the doorway and watched Marissa as she leaned against the frame. Suddenly, everything was so clear to her. She had said the words before, had told Marissa that she trusted her to not be like the others who had broken her heart and shattered the trust both she and the girls had placed in them. She believed it too, but there was still this small part of her that still had doubts. That part of her refused to believe that Marissa could possibly be as sure as she was about them. That she was just saying the words to her to ease her mind. After overhearing her conversation with Caleb, Bianca now knew better. They weren't just words. Marissa truly felt that way and meant every word she said. That part of Bianca who had doubted her girlfriend was silenced, forever, and she was left wondering why it had taken her so long to let that fear go. Whatever the reason was no longer mattered, and she vowed to make it up to her girlfriend. "Hey."_

_Marissa glanced up and beamed when she saw Bianca standing in the doorway to her office. "Hey, yourself! To what do I owe this wonderful surprise? What happened to your meeting?"_

_Bianca entered the office and closed the door behind her. A bright smile graced her face as she crossed the room. "It was cancelled. I was hoping I could get you to join me for lunch."_

"_You could get me to go anywhere with you, B. You just have to ask."_

_Bianca sighed happily. "You really know how to pour on the charm."_

"_I'm just stating the facts." Marissa grinned._

_Bianca came around the desk and swung Marissa's chair slightly. She placed a hand on either side of the chair and leaned down capturing her girlfriend's lips for a fervent kiss._

_Marissa's eyes remained closed a few seconds after Bianca pulled away slightly. A slow smile formed as she opened her eyes. "Wow. Uh... I, uh… Wow!"_

_Bianca grinned. She loved the fact that she could manage to fluster the usually unflappable lawyer. "You already said that."_

_Marissa laughed. "I guess I did. What did I do to earn such an amazing greeting? I really want to know so I can make sure I do it again! Because, wow!"_

"_You were simply being you. Think you can manage to keep doing that?"_

"_I will most certainly try my best!" Marissa pulled Bianca to her causing the brunette to land on her lap. The redhead kissed her with an intensity that rivaled Bianca's from moments before. Both separated with big grins and simply gazed into each other's eyes._

_Bianca broke the silence. "I finally get it, you know."_

_Marissa arched an eyebrow. "Get what?" _

"_Everything. Everything you've been telling me these past months. I get it, all of it. I'm sorry it took me so long." _

_Marissa gazed into those warm chocolate eyes and understood the meaning behind the words. There was no longer any fear or doubt. It was gone. She quieted Bianca with another kiss. "There's no need to apologize. I understand. I always have. What changed?"_

_Bianca sighed. "The short version is I stopped being an idiot. Don't say anything. I just couldn't accept that I could be so lucky to have someone as amazing as you in my life. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I finally realized that it's not going to happen, not this time, not ever with you. I know you're not going anywhere. I get it."_

"_Good. Will you tell me the long version sometime?"_

_Bianca nodded. "Yes, I will. Just so you know, it's kind of embarrassing for me."_

_Marissa grinned. "Did I ever tell you how adorable I think you are when you're embarrassed?"_

"_You are absolutely impossible sometimes. Yeah, I know. It's just where I'm concerned." Bianca chuckled as she got up and pulled Marissa with her. "Let's get out of here. Hopefully, we can still get our table at Krystal's."_

_Marissa grinned mischievously, and she stopped Bianca before they reached the door. "What would you say to us going home for lunch today? I'm really feeling the need to be alone with you right now."_

_Bianca gave Marissa the goofy grin that always made her heart skip a beat. "I think that is a brilliant idea! I'll drive!" _

_/_

Bianca shook her head and snapped back to the present when she saw her girlfriend shift onto her side. Marissa never ceased to amaze her, and she knew that would always be the case. _No, I'm not quite ready to get this day started._ Bianca got back in bed and took her previous position next to Marissa, spooning her. The redhead's body immediately reacted to feeling Bianca's body next to her again, leaning back into her girlfriend more. Bianca smiled and was overcome by an irresistible urge that caused her to drop a soft kiss on her girlfriend's shoulder resulting in a contented sigh from the redhead.

A sleepy smile slowly formed across Marissa's face and she tilted her head giving her girlfriend better access. Bianca grinned and accepted the unspoken invitation as she trailed kisses from her girlfriend's shoulder to her neck, finding that one spot behind Marissa's ear that caused the redhead to inhale sharply and release a soft moan. Marissa quickly shifted and was lying on top of her girlfriend. Bianca grinned when she saw the look in the redhead's eyes. No words were needed. Each saw the love and desire the other felt, and Marissa leaned down capture Bianca's lips for a searing kiss.

/

"I'm thinking of starting a _morning routine_ of my own. I can't let you have all of the fun. What did you think of what I came up with?" Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed. "Well, I have to say I enjoyed it a hell of a lot, but I'm thinking if you do that, we may never get out of bed, or at we'll never get out of it in time to get the kids ready for school or for us to get to work at the very least."

"Hmmm, and you say I'm no fun sometimes."

"I take it back! You are extremely fun. Please feel free to make that part of the morning, afternoon, evening routine, whatever and whenever you want. I'll be more than happy to indulge you." Marissa grinned.

"Good morning, beautiful." Bianca sighed happily.

"Good morning, yourself."

"I'm so glad you're willing to indulge me."

"Hey, what can I say? I'm a giver." Marissa smirked.

Bianca laughed. "Yes, you most certainly are. Oh, I really don't want to get out of bed."

"That makes two of us, but we have a lot to do today." Marissa smiled when she heard a small knock on the bedroom door. "Ah, I think the youngest one has arrived to give us a short reprieve."

"Well, you did tell her that you'd finish the story for her this morning."

"Yes, I did. Come in."

Gabby opened the bedroom door smiling and holding her new stuffed monkey. "Morning, mommy! You told me you'd tell me the rest of the story today."

"Morning, monkey! That I did! Come on up." Marissa lifted the covers and helped Gabby climb into bed.

Gabby snuggled in between her mothers and turned to Bianca. "Morning, mommy!"

"Good morning, baby. Did you sleep good?"

"Uh huh, I'll be sure to stay awake now. Miranda and AJ are still asleep."

"I guess I better get started on the story then, huh?"

/

Bianca looked around the kitchen table and smiled. This was how breakfast was supposed to be, noisy, fun and full of love and laughter. AJ and Miranda were talking a mile a minute about what they wanted to do today. As soon as the zoo was mentioned, Gabby chimed in. Bianca made a mental note to make sure to thank Krystal again for the late Christmas present of the family pass there. It had certainly been a wise investment and had been worth every penny she had spent on it. The brunette was grateful to see and hear the happiness return to their oldest children now that they no longer had to carry the burden of their secret. Bianca glanced across the table and saw Marissa was looking at her and sharing the same thoughts. The two still had to discuss their next steps with their children but had decided they would do that after breakfast and before they headed out for the day. They also needed to call the other parents.

Marissa checked the time. "Okay, gang. Time for us to get this show on the road. Gabby, would you head on upstairs and pick out what you want to wear? We'll be up in a few minutes to help you get ready. We need to talk to AJ and Mimo."

"Okay. Can I bring my monkey with us today?"

"Yes, you can." Marissa smiled as Gabby hopped off her chair and skipped out of the room. "It looks like the monkey is a hit."

"I think you're right. It is." Bianca turned to the older children still seated at the table.

AJ spoke up first. "I guess you guys have talked now, huh?"

Bianca smiled. "Yes, we have, and now, we have to talk with the two of you for just a few minutes. We need you to tell Ms. Evans what Amber's been doing and saying."

Miranda looked a little worried. "Do we really have to tell her?"

"Yeah, you do. Do you remember when school started and your mom and I went over that promise you and AJ made to not bully any other students?"

Miranda nodded. "I remember that, Rissa. We had to sign it and turn it in."

"That's right, you did. Well, there's something else that goes along with that, a process or better yet some rules we have to follow."

"Like telling Ms. Evans what happened?"

Bianca smiled. "That's right, buddy. Do you think you can do that?"

"Will it get her to stop saying that mean stuff to Miranda?"

"I'm pretty sure it will, AJ."

"I can do it then. I want Amber to stop. I don't like it when someone makes Miranda sad or hurts her."

Miranda smiled. "Thanks, AJ. I don't like it when someone does the same to you. I shoulda listened to you before and told them sooner. Sorry."

"That's okay. Guess you'll listen to me more, huh?" AJ grinned.

Miranda rolled her eyes and smirked. "Maybe." She turned to her mother. "I'll tell Ms. Evans, mom. What happens after we talk to her?"

"Last night, Marissa did some research on what happens next. Before we get to that though, we both want you to know that we'll be right there with you during all of this. You're not alone."

"Bianca's right. We will be with you every step of the way. If someone picks a fight with one of us, they're picking one with all of us and have to take all of us on, okay?"

Both kids smiled and nodded. "Okay."

"What happens next? Ms. Evans should separate Amber from you and anyone else who reports that she bullied them. The school will have someone keep an eye on all of you to make sure nothing else happens. Ms. Evans will talk with everyone involved and decide what to do."

"Anyone else who tells?" Miranda asked.

"Yes, anyone else who tells. That brings us to the next thing we're going to do."

"Marissa and I are going to call Jessica's and Bobby's parents and let them know what's been going on."

"You are, Bianca?"

"We have to, AJ. What's been happening to all of you is wrong. Jessica and Bobby are getting hurt. Their parents need to know so they can help them feel better."

"Like you and Rissa are helping us?"

"Exactly like Rissa and me. After we talk with them, we'd like to meet with them, maybe tomorrow, so we can all work together to stop this."

"Are you worried about Jessica and Bobby might say to you or think about you because you told us?"

"A little, mom." AJ nodded.

"If they are the friends that I think they are, I think they'll be okay with what you guys did. They might even thank you."

"Rissa, what happens if Ms. Evans doesn't believe us? Amber could keep saying stuff."

Bianca smiled and answered for the couple. "If that happens, and that's a very big 'if', but if that happens, Rissa came up with a plan that I think will definitely stop it. You know how good she is at that stuff. Has she ever let us down?"

Miranda shook her head. "Nope, she sure hasn't!"

AJ grinned. "Like Greenlee and Aunt Kendall say, she's kick butt, and you want her on your side in a fight!"

"Yep, and they say they've been in a lot of fights so they should know!" Miranda added smiling.

Bianca chuckled. "Yes, they have been in more than their share of fights, and they're right. I definitely always want her on my side."

Marissa grinned. "That's such high praise from the dynamic duo! I hope I can live up to it. I'm always on your side, B, and I'm always on both of your sides and Gabby's!"

"We know. So, when do we have to talk to Ms. Evans?"

"Your mom and I are going to try and set something up on Monday, Miranda. The sooner we get started on all of this, the sooner we can get this to stop. When you talk with Ms. Evans, we just want you to tell her the truth, like you have with us."

"So, we're going to school on Monday?"

"Yes, Miranda, you are. We talked about it and think it's best if you do."

"If you see Amber on Monday and she says anything mean to you, we want you to walk away and tell someone what's happening."

"You want us to walk away, Bianca?"

"We do, AJ. Normally, we'd want you to stand up to her and not back down just like you have been, but sometimes, the best thing to do is to walk away. Do you think the two of you can do that for us?"

The kids looked at each other and then back to their mothers. They knew the couple wouldn't ask them to do something unless they really believed it was the best thing to do. AJ and Miranda looked back at each other and nodded.

"We'll do it, and we'll help each other do it, won't we, AJ?"

The boy nodded. "Yeah, we will."

"Good. We expected nothing less from you both. Did we, Marissa?" Bianca smiled.

"No, we didn't. Do you guys know how proud we are of you?"

"You're really proud of us, Rissa?"

"We sure are! You stood up to someone who you knew was wrong and saying some pretty mean stuff. You've stood up for each other. Even though you should have told us sooner, you did tell us what was going on. We do understand why you didn't tell us right away. You were looking out for your family. Now that we know, you're doing everything we're asking you to do. It takes a lot of courage to do all of that. I'd say you both are pretty awesome, wouldn't you, Bianca?"

"Most definitely! I don't think we could be any prouder!"

Both children beamed at the praise from their mothers.

"Do you have any other questions for us on any of this? You can ask us anything."

"Can we think about it and maybe ask you something later, mom?"

"Of course you can, buddy. You can ask us anything anytime. Okay, give us both a hug and then go get ready for our trip to the zoo."

The kids were happy to oblige that request and started to head upstairs.

"I'll help Gabby some, mom."

"Thank you, Mimo. We'll be up in a few minutes."

Marissa grinned. "I know I'm totally biased, but we have some pretty amazing kids."

"Well, I'm biased too because I agree with you completely. They are absolutely amazing." Bianca checked the time and took a deep breath as she looked at Marissa. "I think it's time to call Ms. Evans."

/

**A/N: I'm sure you have figured out that I'm just getting to the good stuff in this thread. There's definitely more to come.**


	38. Putting Things In Motion

**A/N: As always, thank you for the great reviews. I'm picking up where the last chapter left off, and this thread will continue after this chapter. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca checked the time and took a deep breath as she looked at Marissa. "I think it's time to call Ms. Evans."

Marissa took the seat vacated by Miranda and took Bianca's hand. "Are you sure you're okay with being the one to talk to her? I can do it if you want."

Bianca nodded. "I'm sure. I want to do it. I need to do it. Besides, I'll have you right here with me if I need backup."

Marissa leaned in for a loving kiss. "Forevermore."

The brunette sighed happily. She then took another deep breath and dialed the principal's number.

"Hello."

"Ms. Evans?"

"Yes, this is she."

"Good morning. This is Bianca Montgomery, Miranda's mother."

"Oh yes. Good morning, Ms. Montgomery. What can I do for you?"

"I'm sorry for calling you at home, but something has come up that we needed to bring to your attention and report it immediately."

"We? Oh, do you mean yourself and Marissa Tasker, AJ Chandler's mother?"

"Yes, I do. You're aware of our relationship, I take it."

"I am. I know the two of you are partners and are living together. You are raising your children together."

"That is correct. I'm calling for both Marissa and myself. She is right here with me if you need to speak with her."

"I'll keep that in mind. AJ and Miranda are bright and thoughtful children. While they may not be related by blood, they definitely have a special bond and act just like siblings. They remind me of my brother and me at that age. Is everything okay?"

"Actually no, it's not. Marissa and I have just found out that both Miranda and AJ have been getting bullied verbally by Amber Baldwin. This latest incident …"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Montgomery. Let me grab something to write this down. Okay, you were saying that both children are being bullied by Amber?"

"That's correct, and it has been happening on school property, mainly on the playground at recess."

"I see. If I recall correctly, there was an incident between the three of them last year which occurred off of school property."

"You recall correctly. We were under the impression that Amber was no longer saying anything to them, but she has started up again. This time, however, she is doing it at school."

"This is verbal bullying?"

"Yes, it is."

"What is the nature of what she is saying?"

"She is commenting on the fact that Marissa and I live together and are in a relationship."

"What kind of comments has she been making exactly?"

"This past week, Marissa was out of town for a conference for work. Amber overheard AJ and Miranda talking about it. She started telling them that Marissa realized that our relationship was wrong and that she left town to get help, to get _fixed_." Marissa squeezed Bianca's hand when the brunette said that last word. "When Marissa got back, Miranda, her sister and I would have to move out because she would no longer want any of us around. She wouldn't want anything to do with the children. Amber has also told Miranda that since Marissa was not AJ's birth mother, or as she put it, his _real_ mother, and because his father was in prison that AJ would be taken away."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Ms. Evans remembered the facts behind AJ's story. His birth mother had died saving his life during the tornado that had struck Pine Valley. Marissa Tasker married his father some time later and adopted the boy. She could tell from seeing them together that mother and son were crazy about each other and had formed a strong bond. AJ saw Marissa as his mother, and she was in the truest sense of the word. He had been upset when his parents divorced, but Marissa worked with him and helped him accept that reality and the fact that they would always be a family. They just wouldn't live together any longer. The principal had been a little surprised when she heard that Bianca Montgomery and Marissa Tasker were a couple, but from everything she had seen and heard, they were a loving and committed couple. They provided their children with a loving and stable home, and the children were happy and thriving. That was all she needed to know. The principal also remembered a nasty custody case followed the women becoming a couple when AJ's father could not accept their relationship. Bribery and extortion charges resulted in the boy's father being sent to prison. That had been hard on AJ, but the couple sought counseling for him. He was doing amazing and back to his cheerful self.

The principal recalled the incident from last year. She had tried to pull Amber's mother aside discreetly and discuss the issue, but her hands were tied by the district's policy. Mrs. Baldwin appeared to know that and refused to discuss the issue stating that her daughter had done nothing wrong. She stated that Bianca's sexual orientation was immoral and a sin. It would seem that her daughter was picking up the mother's beliefs. She had, however, made a mistake this time. If what Bianca was telling her was true, this incident happened on school grounds, the principal's turf, and she could finally address the issue head on. She had every intention of doing so.

"Are you and Ms. Tasker available on Monday?"

"Yes, we are. We were hoping to meet with you that morning if possible."

"I'm free at 9:00 am. Is that time acceptable to the two of you?"

Bianca looked at Marissa. "Is 9:00 am good? The redhead nodded. "That's fine. We'll be there."

"I'm not sure if you are aware of the fact that I will have to speak with the children. I'll have to question them."

"We know. We reviewed the law and policy last night."

"That's right. Ms. Tasker is an attorney, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is. Ms. Evans, I think you should know there are at least two other children being bullied. From our understanding, their parents are not aware of this. Marissa and I will be speaking with them shortly."

The principal shook her head. _I was afraid of that._ "Would you be willing to tell me who they are?"

Bianca looked at Marissa who nodded, guessing the question in the brunette's eyes based on her last response. "Yes. They are Jessica Mendes and Bobby Douglas."

"Thank you. If any of the other parents would like to report and meet to discuss the incidents, we could expand Monday's meeting to include them."

"I will let them know. Thank you for taking this seriously and getting the ball rolling on this."

"If this is a case of bullying, I assure you that I take it quite seriously. It is an unfortunate problem and all too often children don't feel they can go to their parents and tell them about it. I'm glad that AJ and Miranda have spoken with the two of you. How are they doing?"

"They're actually more worried about each other and Marissa and me than they are themselves. I only wish they would've told us sooner."

_I'm not really surprised by that. From what I've heard, that seems to be a direct reflection of their mothers._ "The important thing is that they've told you. Do you plan on them attending school Monday?"

"Yes, we do. We thought it was better if they did."

"I believe you're right. It is. I will have Amber moved to another classroom first thing Monday morning and have their teachers monitor them."

"We've told AJ and Miranda to walk away and report it to a teacher if anything further happens."

"That is the best thing for them to do. I was just going to suggest exactly that. Do you or Ms. Tasker think you might run into Mrs. Baldwin anytime this weekend?"

"I honestly can't say. We don't plan on it, but Pine Valley is only so big. It's possible we may see her."

Marissa gave Bianca a puzzled look. "See who?"

Bianca covered the receiver. "Ms. Evans wants to know if we think we might run into Tammy this weekend."

"I'd like to run into her alright. Let's see I could run into her with my fist, my foot, ooh my car. Kendall and Greenlee could help us dispose of the body. They'd be really good with that." Marissa smirked.

Bianca bit back a laugh. She knew Marissa was only halfway serious about physically harming the woman. "I'm sorry, Ms. Evans. No, we don't expect to see her. Why?"

"Well, I'd like to ask you and Ms. Tasker to do the same thing with her that you've instructed your children to do with Amber."

"You mean walk away if we see her?"

Marissa made a face. She knew that was right the thing to do and would be requested of them. Bianca had brought up that possibility last night. It would take every ounce of strength they had to do that because it went against their very nature to deny that instinct to immediately stand and fight where their children were concerned. They knew, however, that they needed to set a good example for AJ and Miranda especially now and one that was better than the example being set for Amber by her mother. Marissa took a deep breath and nodded.

Bianca squeezed her girlfriend's hand neither was fond of simply walking away when they wanted nothing more than to rip the other woman's head off, but they had agreed last night that it was the best thing to do for all concerned and set the better example for their children. "Yes, Marissa and I discussed that last night, and we will do that, _for now._" Bianca emphasized that this would be a temporary situation. There was a limit to their patience.

The principal caught the tone and received the hidden message. "Thank you. I know that this is a difficult request, but it would be best to let the school handle this at this point. I want to assure you that I appreciate your position and will do everything I can to resolve this as quickly as I can for all concerned. Do you have any questions for me at this time?"

"I believe we've covered everything for now. If we come up with anything else, we'll bring it up on Monday."

"Thank you for calling and reporting this. I want you to know that I care about all of the students that attend the school. They are under my care and are my responsibility. I see them like my children, if you will. I don't like to hear when one of them is being victimized and is hurting. You and Ms. Tasker have done the right thing, and I again want to assure you that I will do my best to resolve this situation as fairly and promptly as possible."

''Thank you, Ms. Evans. That is all we can ask."

"I will see you and Ms. Tasker Monday morning. Goodbye, Ms. Montgomery."

"We'll see you Monday. Goodbye, Ms. Evans." Bianca disconnected the call and smiled at Marissa. Her girlfriend had an expectant look on her face. Her eyes had not left Bianca once during that call. "You were right about what she would do first. Amber is being moved to another classroom immediately. Plus, they will all be monitored."

Marissa sighed in relief. "I'm really glad to hear that. How did Ms. Evans sound?"

"She is taking this very seriously, and she remembered last year's incident. She asked how AJ and Miranda were doing. She described them as bright and thoughtful. According to her, they even remind her of her and her brother at that age."

"Interesting. She is definitely right about them being bright and thoughtful. What else?"

"She said she doesn't like to hear about any of the kids being victimized and hurting and wants to handle this as fairly and as quickly as possible. When I told her that we were going to discuss what's been happening with Jessica's and Bobby's parents, she said to let them know when we were meeting with her. The meeting could be expanded to include them if that is acceptable to everyone. Again, something you were hoping and planning on."

Marissa grinned. "I guess you'll really have to listen to me more often."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I see where AJ gets it."

"And I see where Miranda gets it with the eye rolling."

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, she gets it from Kendall."

"Right, she gets it from Kendall." The redhead added with a smirk.

"You know I always listen to you anyway. You haven't steered me wrong yet." Bianca gave her a tender kiss. "Okay, let's get this next round of calls over and get our day started. The kids are anxious to get out of here."

Marissa nodded and picked up her cellphone to call Jessica's parents while Bianca called Bobby's.

"Rachel? Hi, it's Marissa. I hope I'm not calling too early, but something's come up concerning Jessica that Bianca and I thought you should know."

"Brandon? Hi, it's Bianca. Do you have a few minutes? Something's come up with Bobby that Marissa and I thought you'd want to know about."

/

Kendall and Greenlee entered Krystal's for lunch and were greeted by the owner.

"Hey, you two! How are you this afternoon?"

"Hi, Krystal. We're good. We're meeting my little sister and your daughter here."

"Yeah, they've insisted on treating us to a late lunch because of Marissa catching a ride home on the Fusion jet. They really don't need to though. We were happy to do it."

"Well, let's get you to their table. From what Marissa told me the other day, Greenlee, that's not true. She was so happy she was beside herself that she was able to get home early and is eternally grateful to the both of you for making that happen. Let me add my thanks to that as well. I know they were all miserable to be apart from each other. What both of you did for them is greatly appreciated. So, thank you. Plus, knowing the two of them, lunch isn't the end of what they have planned in the way of thanking you."

"You're welcome. I'm just glad we could get it all worked out. I couldn't stand to see Bianca so miserable, and I could hear it in Red's voice that she was feeling the same way." She nodded towards her friend. "This one here, I must admit, is a bit of a genius."

Greenlee smirked at her friend. "It's about damn time you recognized my true brilliance!"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "I'm never going to hear the end of it, am I?"

"No, I don't believe you will, especially since I have a witness!"

Krystal laughed. "When do you expect them?"

"They should be here soon. They were hitting the zoo with the kids before meeting us here. Nice call on that zoo pass, by the way. Talk about getting your money's worth. The kids love it, especially Gabby."

"Thanks, Kendall. I was a little worried that I was jumping the gun getting them a family pass so soon after them getting together. I mean, they were only together for a couple of months, but as soon as I saw them all together and how well they fit, I figured it was a safe bet."

"You've got that right. Once they finally admitted how they felt, it was full steam ahead. Now, it's hard to remember a time when they weren't a couple. I've never seen any of them happier, including the kids. You should've seen them yesterday when I dropped them back home. They literally knocked Marissa over. As for Red and my sister, I swear they were glowing and couldn't stop smiling. It was a complete change from when Bianca was in here the other day."

"I'm not surprised by that at all. Bianca was so happy when she called to order dinner yesterday afternoon that I think I could hear her smiling over the phone." One of the servers caught Krystal's attention. "Let me see what's up with him. I'll have your drinks sent over."

"So, I guess we done good!" Greenlee grinned.

"Yep, we definitely did! They invited me to stay for dinner, and we talked later. I learned a lot more about Marissa and why she's like she is. I always liked her, but the more I get to know her, the more I'm impressed by her and see her as a good friend. I honestly think that she really is perfect for Bianca. They just fit. What they have is just so special."

Greenlee nodded. "It really is. I'm happy for them. They really deserve it. So, what did Marissa talk about?"

"She talked about her parents, the Taskers. They sound like they were pretty remarkable people. You can tell she really loved them and still misses them a lot. Bianca got kind of protective of Red when I asked about them. She didn't want her to be upset."

"They are very protective of each other. I'm not surprised by Bianca being that way. She's always been like that. It's good to see someone like that of her."

"It really is. It's a big change for her, something different. You should see the gift Red got Binx. Actually, I'm sure you will when we see them. She outdid herself. Oh, Gabby called Red _mommy_ a couple of times last night."

"Seriously? That's big! How'd that go over? I know she's crazy about the girls just like Bianca is about AJ."

"Red was beyond happy. My youngest niece has her wrapped around her little finger."

"Ah, just like her mother!"

Kendall chuckled. "Yeah, just like her mother. Red has Bianca wrapped too though. Both of them could probably get the other to do anything they wanted, but they don't. They respect each other too much to do that. I can't tell you how much it means to me that Binx has finally found the partner she deserves. The one who is worthy of her, who is as honest, caring, giving and loving as she is. I wasn't sure if that was ever going to happen for her. I couldn't ask for anyone better for her than Red." Kendall paused when her attention was drawn to someone who had just entered the restaurant. "What in the hell is she doing here?"

Greenlee glanced around to see who had gotten her friend so angry in an instant. She noticed a woman standing at the counter who appeared to be picking up a carryout order. "Who's that?"

"Tammy Baldwin."

Greenlee furrowed her brow trying to recall where she had heard the name before. "Why is that name familiar to me?"

"She's Amber's mother. She's the girl who …"

"Oh, I remember her! Yeah, I remember that woman now. Tammy's the closed minded shrew who told Bianca to go back into the closet after her daughter called Bianca names."

"The one and the same."

"Has something else happened? You seemed to have gone into Kane mode." Greenlee scooted in closer when Kendall lowered her voice.

"Remember Bianca telling us that she and Marissa were concerned about Miranda and AJ, particularly Miranda?"

"Yeah, she was hoping when Marissa got home they could finally get them to open up, tell them what was going on. Wait! Don't tell me she's started up again!"

Kendall nodded. "I'm afraid so. When I was over there last night, it all came out. Marissa got Miranda to tell her what was going on while Bianca talked with AJ. Amber has been bullying them again. This time, she's saying things about Marissa."

"Such as?"

"Such as, Marissa was out of town getting _fixed_, and Bianca and the girls would be moving out when she got _better_. She wouldn't want any of them around."

"You have got to be kidding me!"

"I only wish I was. She also told Miranda that AJ would be taken away as a result of their relationship and because Marissa wasn't his real mother."

"Oh my god! I can't believe she had the nerve to say all of that!" Greenlee paused to collect herself. "Marissa and Bianca had to have wanted to blow a gasket. How are all of them doing? Why didn't the kids say something before now?"

"Well, they didn't say anything because they didn't want either of their moms to get upset or be worried about them. They were trying to protect them, especially since Red was out of town. The kids are doing a lot better now that they've finally told them what's been going on. The adults, however, are fit to be tied, but they are putting on a good face for the kids."

"I totally understand that. What are they going to do? Knowing the two of them, they are not going to take this lying down."

"No, they're not. According to Bianca when I talked with her this morning, Marissa put that legal eagle mind of her's to work last night. The two of them talked and are going to report the incident to the principal. They were going to call her today before heading out with the kids. From what Marissa was able to dig up, this falls under the school's anti-bullying policy, and they are pursuing that."

"So, they're taking the calm, rational approach for now, as opposed to the ripping her head off approach that I know they want to take. I can see them doing that. Does that mean we need to as well?"

Kendall sighed. "We probably should, at least until we hear from them."

"Fine, I'll do my best to be good, but we need to do something right now though because I really don't think they need to see her today. Why let her put more of a damper on their weekend than she already has?"

"You're right. They don't. I think we should let Krystal know who she is and what's going on. Maybe, she can get her out of here before they get here with the kids."

Greenlee got up. "I'll do it. I saw Krystal head into the kitchen. You keep an eye out for your sister and Marissa."

Kendall nodded and watched as her friend headed in the direction of the kitchen. She glanced over towards the front door watching for her sister. When she looked back she noticed the woman at the counter smirking and headed her way. Kendall didn't like the look on the woman's face and braced herself for whatever she might have to say. Whatever it took, Kendall promised to keep her calm for Bianca's sake.

"You're Bianca Montgomery's sister, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am. Why?"

"Oh, nothing. It just seems like you and your sister have a lot in common."

"What in the hell are you talking about?"

"I saw you and your _partner._ I thought you would have better taste or sense than to be flaunting your _relationship_ out in public like that. Of course, I suppose it goes to your upbringing. If you aren't taught right from wrong or shown proper morals, what else can you expect?"

Kendall stared at the woman, wrapping her mind around exactly what she was implying about her relationship with Greenlee, and what she was saying about Bianca. She wanted nothing more than to wipe that smirk off that woman's face. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Greenlee approaching the table. Kendall knew the woman was goading her. _Well, two can play that game, and honey, you have no idea who you are playing with._

Greenlee overheard part of the conversation between Kendall and Tammy and saw the look on her friend's face. After being friends for all of these years, they pretty much knew what the other was thinking just by looking at them. Greenlee took the hint that it was time to have some fun and give this nasty woman a taste of her medicine. She knew exactly what to do. _I'm going to enjoy this._

"Baby, I can't leave you alone for one minute without someone hitting on you, can I?" Greenlee smiled as she slid next to Kendall, putting her arm around her. She looked at the other woman. "I'm not sure who you are, but this one's taken and is mine. You need to go find yourself another woman because this one is off the market."

Kendall smiled. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I swear I was just sitting here when she came up and started talking to me. You know I would never even think about looking at another woman."

Tammy just stood staring at the pair in complete shock, unable to fathom what they were saying about her. "I, I, I wasn't… I can't believe … Why would you even think … I'm not that way! I'm straight! I would never think of another woman in _that_ way! It's wrong!"

"It seems like she's protesting a little too much if you ask me."

"Well, if you ask me, I think you scared her. You can be awfully possessive of me and that can be a little frightening to anyone you see as a threat." Kendall smiled, enjoying how upset the other woman was getting and watching her squirm.

"Just look at you! Why wouldn't I be that way about you? Can you blame me?" Greenlee grinned.

"You have nothing to worry about. I would never be interested in someone like her. You are all that I need in a partner."

"I can't believe you're doing this in public! I'm going to talk to the manager and complain! A decent establishment would never allow _this_ to take place on its premises!"

"Was someone looking for me?"

Tammy turned around and saw Krystal standing behind her. "Are you the manager?"

"I am. I'm also the owner."

"Good! I'd like to register a complaint about these two."

"What about them?"

"Well, just look at them!"

Krystal looked at the friends. Both had smiles on their faces and were doing their best to look innocent. The older woman knew otherwise and knew immediately what they were up to. It was definitely working. Tammy was almost apoplectic, and the friends were enjoying every minute of it. "I don't see them doing anything wrong. They're just sitting there and not bothering anyone."

"Well, they're bothering me! They're all over each other! People are eating in here! Families are here! Children can see them! And you should hear what they are saying about me! They're implying that I'm like them!"

Krystal turned to the couple with a straight face. "Would you like to tell me what's going on and give me your side of this?"

"I came back to the table and found this woman hitting on Kendall. So, I called her on it. She kind of lost it after that." Greenlee offered with a sweet smile.

"And I was just sitting here, minding my own business and waiting for Bianca and Marissa when this woman came over and started all of this." Kendall said innocently.

"First, I was not hitting on her! I would never do that! That's wrong and against nature! Look, are you going to do something about this?"

"What, exactly, do you want me to do?" Krystal asked.

"Have them stop what they're doing! Have them leave! And have her sister and her partner leave when they get here!"

"You know, I'm not going to do any of that."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't see that they're doing anything wrong. They're just sitting here, minding their own business. You're the one causing a scene, raising your voice."

"It's immoral what they're doing! It's why this country is in the shape it is. I thought this was a family establishment! How can you permit behavior like that here? If you don't do something about it, I'll be forced to take my business elsewhere!"

Krystal had heard enough from this woman and fixed her with a cold stare. She wanted her gone, especially before her daughter and Bianca arrived with the kids, and she never wanted her in her restaurant again. "Well, I guess you'll have to take your business elsewhere. I don't need it or want it. I see nothing wrong with them or their relationship. This place is open to all families. If you don't like it, there's the door. Actually, if anything, I don't want someone like you in my restaurant. If you want a reason or someone to blame for things, I suggest you look in the mirror because if you ask me it is people like you with your attitude. I'd like you to leave."

"You can't be serious! I don't understand how you would want someone with their morals and ideas as customers! I have more right to be here than they do, her and her sister and their partners! Besides, you can't make me leave!"

"Let's get something straight. I will put their morals and character up against your's any day of the week. They are incredible women who do a lot for Pine Valley, particularly Bianca. I've never met anyone like her. She is one of the most caring and generous people to ever walk the face of this earth. I consider it an honor to know her. Oh, her partner has a name. It's Marissa, and she happens to be my daughter. I couldn't ask for anyone better for her than Bianca. Marissa is equally amazing, and I could not be any prouder of her and the person she has become. She is a testament to how she was raised. The two of them have a loving and committed relationship, and they are incredible mothers who are raising children who are just as kind and giving as they are. And actually, I can and will make you leave. Do you see the sign above the bar, the one that says management reserves the right to refuse service to anyone? Well, I'm management, and I'm exercising my right to refuse service to you. If you have a problem with that, you can take it up with the chief of police. Chief Hubbard is sitting over there having lunch with his wife. I'm sure he'll take your complaint as well as mine against you along with other charges such as disturbing the peace and trespassing."

"You'll be hearing from my lawyer! I will not be treated like this! There will be consequences!"

"Bring it on. You do what you have to do and so will I. Call your lawyer. If he has a lick of sense, he'll tell you that you don't have a case. Now, go."

Jesse walked over having heard the other woman's raised voice. "Is everything okay, Krystal? There's not a problem is there?"

"No, Jesse, everything is just fine. This woman was just leaving."

Tammy glanced around the restaurant and saw that most of the customers were staring at her. She glared at Krystal and turned on her heel and left.

"Are you sure everything is okay? Do you want to file a complaint against her?"

"Thanks for the assist, Jesse, but everything is just fine now. You and Angie enjoy your lunch."

Jesse nodded and went back to join his wife.

"Krystal, we're sorry. We didn't mean to cause you any problems."

"Kendall's right. Do you think Tammy's going to be an issue for you? I'm sure if you talk with Marissa she'll be able to head off any legal issues."

"You two did nothing wrong. Don't worry about me. I'll be just fine. It felt good to tell that woman off for all the grief she's been causing Bianca, Marissa and the kids. And I don't want you telling Marissa and Bianca about this. They don't need to know. They have enough on their plates right now, and I'm not going to add to it."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, Greenlee. If I need any legal advice, I'll talk with Caleb. I'm not bothering my baby girl with this. Besides, I don't think that woman will do anything. She's a bully just like her daughter."

"That's true. She backed off the minute she realized you were holding your ground. It didn't hurt that Jesse was here either." Kendall smiled.

"You're right. It helps having friends in high places sometimes." Greenlee added.

"Krystal, thank you for what you said about us, especially for what you said about Bianca."

"You're welcome. I meant every word I said. You are all remarkable women, and I'm lucky to know you. As for your sister, I can never say enough about her. She is special, and she makes my daughter happier than I have ever seen her. I'll do whatever I can for them."

"That makes three of us. I can see where Red gets a little of her fire." Kendall chuckled.

Miranda and AJ entered the restaurant and made a beeline for the women. They were followed closely behind by Gabby who was holding Bianca's and Marissa's hands.

The women greeted the family warmly as they each took a seat.

"How is the Tasker-Montgomery family today?" Krystal smiled.

Both women grinned, loving the way that sounded. "We're good. How's everyone here?" Bianca asked.

Marissa glanced around at the women. Something was up with them. "So, did anything exciting happen today?"


	39. Plans Of Action

**A/N: Updating time again! As always, thank you for the reviews! I love them and all of you for indulging me in this. I don't know what to call it. Hobby? Not quite sure if that is right. Flight of fancy? That doesn't sound right either. Labor of love? Maybe. Whatever you call it. Thanks for sticking around. **

**If you noticed, I started to name the chapters. I have to give credit to Fab32 for that. When I saw she went back and named 200+ chapters, I figured I could do the 38 I had at the time. It is easier to keep track of and locate something for me when I want to recall something. Thanks for the inspiration on that, Fab32! I wanted to name this chapter something else but thought the better of it. I'll tell you what I wanted to name it at end of it. **

**Okay, back to the story. I got side-tracked by the first part of this chapter and decided to delay some anticipated and much desired action until the next chapter. I'm blaming the kids for that especially Gabby. I do like including them, and they're pretty cute. There's a little break from the tension in this chapter, but the next one will have some good stuff. I promise. Enough from me! Hope you enjoy this latest update! **

**/ **

"Well, if it isn't my favorite family! How are the Tasker-Montgomery's today?" Krystal smiled, greeting the family.

Both women grinned, loving the way that sounded. No matter how often or how many times they heard it, it would never sound old to them. "We're good. How's everyone here?" Bianca asked as she helped get Gabby settled in her seat.

Marissa glanced around at the women. Something was up with them. There seemed to be an odd sort of charged vibe going on between them. "So, did anything exciting happen today?"

"No, it's just been the same old, same old. That is a very cute monkey, Gabby. Did you get that at the zoo?" Krystal asked.

Gabby shook her head and grinned. "Mommy got him for me on her trip! I need to name him. She's helping me find one for him."

Krystal looked at her daughter, surprised but delighted for her regarding this latest development. She could tell Marissa was thrilled with her newest title. It was definitely one she had earned and obviously cherished. Her daughter was an amazing mother, and she said a silent thank you to Lydia Tasker for setting such a good example.

Marissa had a bright smile on her face and nodded. "I sure am trying. I've been giving her names all day, but nothing seems to fit. We just can't find one that we like. What do you think, monkey, should we ask for some help?"

The little girl nodded. "Yeah, okay, mommy."

"Alright, ladies, we're open to any suggestions. Remember though, Gabby gets final approval."

"Well, Greenlee and I are pretty good at coming up with names. Could we see him for a minute, Gabby? Maybe we can think of something. I promise to give him right back."

Gabby nodded and handed the stuffed animal to her aunt. "'k, Aunt Kendall."

The friends made a big show of studying the toy much to the delight of the little girl.

"You know, Kendall, I think this calls for some thinking outside of the box. This little guy needs a special name."

"I think you're right. A traditional name just won't do for him. He needs one that matches his personality."

Krystal smiled as she looked at the monkey. "Well, I think he's awfully cute."

"You're right. He is pretty darn cute. He looks like he's probably quite a character too." A thought popped into Greenlee's head causing the woman to grin wickedly. "I have an idea. It's a pretty good one if I do say so myself!"

Bianca arched an eyebrow. "Judging by the gleam in your eyes, I'm not entirely sure that I want to know what you have in mind. You look a little like the cat who ate the canary, and in my experience, that isn't always a good thing. It's a little scary finding out what's going on in that mind of your's sometimes."

"Come on, Binx! I know her mind can be a pretty scary place sometimes, but you've got to admit that it's always entertaining. No guts, no glory! What's your idea, Greenlee?" Kendall smirked.

Marissa chuckled and shook her head. "I'm sure I'll be sorry about this. In fact, I know I will, but let's have it, Greenlee, what's your idea?"

"It's kind of a name that one might associate more with a girl, but it's a monkey so I still think it'll work. Besides, he'll be named after a really cute couple we all know and love! What about naming him Minx?" Greenlee grinned.

Kendall burst out laughing. "Minx the monkey! I love it! He'd be named after both of them, Gabby." The little girl's aunt pointed to Bianca and Marissa. "And you're right, they are an awfully cute couple!"

Krystal wore an amused expression on her face watching the others' reactions. She'd heard of the nickname Greenlee had given her daughter and Bianca.

Gabby scrunched her face thinking about the name. This was a very important decision for her.

Miranda and AJ started to giggle when they remembered the nickname Greenlee had given to their moms during a past visit to the zoo.

Bianca rolled her eyes, barely managing to keep a straight face. Someone needed to be the mature one in this situation. "I warned you. I told you it was a bad idea to ask, Rissa."

Marissa was laughing. "You're right, you did, and I knew I was going to regret it, B. I just couldn't stop myself." The redhead nudged her girlfriend. "Come on, you think it's funny too. I know you do. I can tell you want to laugh!"

"Fine, fine, you're right. It is pretty funny." Bianca started laughing hard and then snorted.

Gabby grinned when she saw everyone's reactions and how much they were laughing, especially Marissa and Bianca. She liked how the name sounded, and she really liked the idea of having him named after both of her moms. "I like it! Can I really name him that if I want?"

Marissa was still chuckling. "If that's the name you want, monkey, then Minx the monkey it is! It's just great with me! You know, I've never had anything named after me!"

Bianca grinned seeing how much the others liked the name, especially her youngest daughter. "I haven't either. Yeah, you can name him that if you really want, Gabby. It's great with me too."

"Thanks, Greenlee!" Gabby grinned as she took the stuffed monkey back from her Aunt Kendall.

"You're welcome, Gabby! I'm glad I could help! Anything else anyone needs me to name?"

"Ah, we're good, Greenlee. Thanks, I think." Bianca chuckled.

Marissa glanced over at her girlfriend who gave her an encouraging nod that went unnoticed by everyone else. "Would you like to join us, Krystal?"

The older woman was touched by the invitation. "If you're sure that it's okay, I'd like that very much."

"The more, the merrier! Grab a chair and join us." Bianca smiled.

"Let me get your orders and put them in first. Then, I'll do just that." She took everyone's orders and placed them along with her's with one of her servers. Afterwards, she pulled up a chair next to AJ. Krystal noticed the locket her daughter's girlfriend was wearing. "That is a beautiful locket, Bianca. I don't think I've noticed it before. Where did you get it?"

Bianca sighed happily and grinned at Marissa. "Thank you. It is very beautiful. Rissa gave it to me. It was my present from New York, and I love it, not nearly as much as her though."

Marissa beamed. "I thought you deserved something special."

"It's got our picture in it, grandma!" AJ added.

"It's the one of all of us at the fair! Rissa got it engraved too!" Miranda chimed in.

"I remember that picture. It's a good one of all of you. Krystal's right. That is a beautiful locket. You did good, Marissa. What's the engraving say?"

"Thanks, Greenlee. I saw it and thought of Bianca."

Miranda smiled. "It says _Forevermore_! You know, like from her song!"

"That's sounds perfect. I can understand why you love it."

The group enjoyed lunch and chatted about Marissa's trip to New York. They were all happy to have her back home. It just didn't feel right without her there. Miranda then excitedly told everyone about her music box and was followed by AJ telling everyone about his Lego set of the Empire State Building. The kids then recounted that morning's trip to the zoo with Gabby giving her very best impression of a monkey that had everyone at the table cracking up.

After lunch was over, Kendall and Marissa set the kids up at a nearby table to draw some pictures giving them some time to let lunch settle before having some promised ice cream for dessert. This also gave the adults the time to discuss a few things somewhat privately.

Bianca smiled brightly as she watched her girlfriend working with her sister before turning to the smaller woman. "Greenlee, I don't know that I can ever thank you enough for helping Marissa get home earlier. I know I was probably on the pathetic side going on and on about how much I missed her."

Greenlee grinned. "Yeah, you were getting a little annoying with that. You know, I'm kidding. I could tell how much you missed her so I was happy to help. After everything we've been through, I figured it was the very least I could do. Besides, I really like Marissa, and she's good for you. You're good for each other."

"I think so too. It just felt like part of me was missing while she was gone. I know we haven't been together officially as a couple not quite a year yet, but I honestly can't remember when she wasn't a part of my life. As for my future, I can't even imagine it without her."

"What can't you imagine, B?" Marissa asked as she and Kendall rejoined the women at the table.

"I just can't imagine my life, my future without you."

The redhead grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "And I can't imagine mine without you. It's a good thing we don't have to, huh?"

Bianca's grin matched that of Marissa's. "It's a very good thing."

Kendall smiled and shook her head as she watched the couple. She hated to break up the moment but she needed an update from her sister on what was said earlier between the couple and the principal. "So, how'd it go with Ms. Evans?"

"It actually went pretty well. Wait. Krystal, do you know what's been going on? What Kendall's talking about?" Bianca asked.

"Yes, I do unfortunately. Your sister and Greenlee filled me in earlier. How are the kids doing? They seem like they're okay."

"Actually, they're doing pretty good. Once they realized they didn't need to keep what was happening to themselves or try and protect us, I think it really made them feel better." Marissa added as she watched the kids.

"Ms. Evans is moving Amber to another classroom on Monday, and they're going to be keeping a special eye on them. We're meeting with her Monday morning. The kids are a little anxious about talking with her, but we've told them to just tell the truth. Marissa and I are taking care of the rest."

"I can't blame them for not wanting to talk to the principal. Even if you didn't do anything wrong, going to the principal's office is always a little nerve wracking."

"If anyone would know about going to the principal's office, it'd be you, Greenlee." Kendall smirked.

The smaller woman rolled her eyes. "That's beside the point, and I wouldn't talk if I were you, Kendall. You probably had a reserved spot there." Greenlee turned back to the couple. "You were saying."

Marissa picked up relating the details from their morning conversations. "We're meeting with Jessica's and Bobby's parents tomorrow. They're coming over to the house, and we'll be going over everything before Monday. They were shocked when we told them about what's been going on. Rachel knew something was up, but thought it might have something to do with the new baby. It's been a bit of an adjustment for them. Things started making sense to her though. It seems that Amber had a party that Jessica had been invited to last week, but she didn't want to go. Rachel thought it was odd since the two of them used to get along really well, but …"

"Let me guess. Jessica didn't fall in line with what Amber was saying or doing so Amber turned on her. That's a heck of a good friend. I can't blame her for not wanting to go." Kendall shook her head in disgust. She looked at Miranda and AJ. "I gotta tell you that I'm really proud of those two for stepping up the way they did. The two of you are doing an amazing job with them."

"Thanks, Kendall. We couldn't be prouder of them. That reminds me of something. They told Bianca and me what you said about being able to go to you too. Thank you. That means a lot to us."

"Like you said yesterday, Red, we're family. That's what you do."

"You're right, Curly. And just so you know, we'll always have your back too."

Kendall nodded. "It's not something I doubt for a minute. So, you're all going to meet with the principal. What happens after that?"

"She'll meet with Amber and her family too. If all goes well, the bullying will stop, and she'll be punished. The severity of that will depend on the Baldwin's." Bianca stated.

"If they don't agree with what the principal comes up with, what then?" Greenlee asked.

Bianca glanced at her girlfriend. "Then, we go to Plan B."

"And what is Plan B, Red?"

"Actually, I prefer Plan C, but your sister won't let me pursue that until I at least try the other first. Plan C involves putting Tammy in a headlock, experiencing some pain on her side and maybe getting you and Greenlee to help hide something."

"Something or someone?" Greenlee smirked. "Either way, I'm in!"

"Sounds like Plan C could be really fun. You can count me in too, Red."

"I figured I could count on both of you!"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Plan C is not on the table yet."

Marissa sighed. "Fine, we'll go with Plan B. If they refuse to follow what the principal lays out for them, we'll go with our legal options. I've done some research and found a few things for us to pursue."

"What do you have in mind? Legal options don't sound nearly as much fun as a headlock."

"True, but you forget that I'm a lawyer, and we love to argue. I also work in the best law firm in Pine Valley with two of the best legal minds I've ever known in Jack and Caleb. I put a call into both of them before we left the house this morning. After I told them what's been going on, they are aching for a fight with Tammy almost as much as we are, and are volunteering their time. We'll be meeting with them after we're done at the school."

"My dad does love a good fight, and he loves those kids."

"Does mom know what's going on yet?"

"No, mom doesn't know yet. I thought we would tell her after we see what happens with the school."

"Erica would be Plan D." Marissa smirked.

Greenlee smiled. "I almost feel sorry for the shrew having to face the wrath of Erica Kane, almost. On second thought, nah, I don't. She deserves whatever she has coming to her."

Miranda approached the table. "Mom, could we have some ice cream now, please?"

Bianca smiled and checked the time. "Yes, you may. When you're done with that, we're going to go check out our new house."

Miranda grinned. "I can't wait to see it!"

"How about I take the kids back into the kitchen to help me get their ice cream? Don't worry. I won't give them too much." Krystal offered.

"That sounds good. You guys go with Krystal, and Miranda …"

"Don't worry, mom. I'll keep an eye on Gabby."

"Thank you, Mimo."

Gabby came over to Marissa and handed her the stuffed monkey. "Mommy, will you keep an eye on Minx for me?"

The redhead managed to keep a straight face despite hearing the other women snickering. "Of course I will, monkey."

The little girl smiled and skipped off towards the kitchen.

"You guys are going to check out the house today, huh? How's it coming?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, the kids have been asking to see it so we thought it'd be fun to check it out."

"We've been told we have walls and a roof now. I gotta say I'm curious to see it myself. Okay, enough about that. I have something else I want to know about so you might as well spill it. I know something was going on when we got here. What was it?"

"Binx was right. You don't miss anything. Do you, Red?"

Bianca grinned. "I told you she didn't, Kendall. Now, answer her question."

The friends looked at each other and knew they needed to come clean or at least partially clean. Greenlee broke the silence. "Tammy was here before you all were."

"What happened?"

Kendall looked at her sister, and quickly decided what to say to honor Krystal's wish to not add to their current load and tell them about Tammy's threats to her. "She saw Greenlee and me talking. When Greenlee got up to check on our drink order, Tammy came over and tried to start something with me. She was assuming that we were a couple, kind of like you two are."

"Why would she think that?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe, it's because we were sitting next to each other. Hell, I don't know."

Marissa grinned. "Let me guess. You didn't do anything to dissuade that notion, did you?"

"We might have had a little fun with her. Okay, we had a lot of fun with her. I accused her of hitting on Kendall."

"Wow! I'm sure that went over like a lead balloon with her. I would've liked to have seen that." Marissa laughed.

Bianca looked at the pair and laughed as well. "Did her head explode? I can see that happening."

"No, it didn't, but she did get loud and say some pretty nasty stuff. Krystal asked her to leave, and she did."

"She left, just like that, huh?" Bianca wasn't buying that was all that happened.

Kendall shrugged. "Yeah, she left just like that."

Marissa was skeptical that the woman had left that easily. She started to push but thought the better of it. They obviously had a reason for not saying more. She was pretty sure they would find out what happened anyway. There was no such thing as a secret in Pine Valley. Marissa decided to ask something else instead. "Would you both be willing to tell Jack and Caleb what Tammy said. It might help with Plan B."

"If you think it will help, Red, we would be happy to tell them."

"I think it might, Kendall, especially if what she said was as nasty as I think it was. It will give us more ammunition for our lawsuit should we have to go that route." Marissa continued when she saw the puzzled looks of her friends. "There is a fine line between free speech and defamation of character, in this case slander. Tammy's been flirting with that line for a while, and I believe she's crossed it. I intend on making her life extremely uncomfortable. She'll have to hire a lawyer and go to court to fight this suit."

Kendall smiled. "Since you work for a law firm, you …"

"Yep, Marissa can work on this for as long as is needed to get Tammy to back down. God knows Rissa is stubborn enough to do it too." Bianca grinned at her girlfriend.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Like the Kane women don't have a stubborn streak a mile wide."

Greenlee chuckled. "They have been known to be just a little stubborn."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Greenlee." Kendall turned to the couple. "So, I'm confused on the whole slander thing. I'm going to need you to clear that up for me. I know mom's had to deal with it, but she's a public figure. Her legal team has always handled that, but I think those were libel suits."

"I was confused at first too, Kendall, but then Rissa explained it. I think I have it though. It's libel if it's in writing. All of those stories in the tabloids about mom were libelous. Slander is verbal and is a statement that is false, either explicitly or implicitly presented as fact or conveys something negative about the person being described. In our case, Tammy is say we are immoral and bad mothers because of our lifestyle, that we are harming our children. In effect, she is damaging our reputations. Because she is saying these things to other people now, that makes our case stronger." Bianca looked at her girlfriend. "Did I get that right?"

Marissa beamed with pride. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

"I'm impressed, Bianca. It makes sense to me now." Greenlee added.

"It helps when you live with a kick ass lawyer who gives you private tutoring sessions!" Bianca grinned.

"Well, it makes it easy when you're such good student."

"Okay, we're approaching the 'too much information about you and my little sister zone', Red. So, you're going to make …"

"Sorry about that, Curly. Yep, I'm going to make her life as unpleasant as she and her daughter have been making AJ's and Miranda's."

"It seems only fair to me that you do that. I like that plan. I have to say that Plan C is my favorite though." Greenlee smirked.

"Yeah, I know. It's Marissa's favorite though, but as I've told her, she's not worth going to jail over."

"You're right. She's not, but I also know that you wouldn't mind putting her in a headlock yourself, B."

Bianca sighed. "I gotta admit that you're right. We'll have to keep each other from doing that."

The conversation ended when the children and Krystal reappeared with ice cream for everyone.

"I figured we could all use a little treat."

"That is an excellent idea, Krystal. We could." Kendall smiled.

"Wait. I only see two bowls of chocolate ice cream. Who gets those?" Greenlee asked.

"Mommy and mommy get them! They love chocolate! It's their favorite!" Gabby grinned in reply.

Kendall chuckled. "Well, you can't beat that logic. I guess I'll take vanilla then."

After everyone had finished, Bianca looked at the kids. "Who's ready to go check out our new house and see how it looks?"

"Me, mommy, me!"

"I am, mom!"

"Me too, Bianca!"

"I'll make it unanimous, B!"

Bianca paid the bill while Marissa gathered the kids' drawings and got them ready to head out.

"Thanks for lunch you two, and make sure you let us know how things go on Monday."

"You're welcome, and don't worry, Kendall, we will."

**/**

**A/N: Okay, I know this is probably on the cheesy side, but I was really tempted to name this Minx the Monkey. Alright, it's really on the cheesy side, but what can I say, it just kept popping into my head. **


	40. Countdown

**A/N: Okay, I'm writing away when I noticed how long this chapter was getting. So, I started thinking of where I am in the chapter and where I want to go with it. That lead to the question of whether to post what I had or to keep writing. I decided to post what I had and have another update later this week. Monday is a holiday here in the States so that should allow me to get some writing done to accomplish that goal. I hope you're all okay with that.**

**Thanks again for the reviews. They are greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

It had been three days since Bianca and Marissa's meeting at the school with the principal had taken place. It had gone well. The other parents joined them in their meeting and related what their children had told them about what Amber had been saying to them. Ms. Evans had listened and had a school secretary take minutes documenting each incident. After the parents had finished, the children were called in and related to the principal what had happened. When all their statements were taken, Ms. Evans once again promised to have a finding on the bullying claims as soon as possible. They all left before Amber and her parents were called in to avoid any confrontations.

Now, it was just a matter of waiting. On Tuesday, Miranda and AJ had reported a problem to their mothers. It had occurred that day during recess. Amber had attempted to corner Miranda on the playground. AJ had been just a half step behind her as soon as he saw the girl approaching his sister. A teacher saw what was happening and intervened before anything could happen. Amber was taken to the see the principal right away. Ms. Evans called Bianca immediately to report the incident and to assure her that Miranda was safe, as was AJ.

It was an understatement to say that Bianca wasn't happy about the close call. She was, however, glad to hear that the monitoring was indeed working. After speaking briefly with Miranda and AJ to make sure they were okay, she called Marissa to let her know what happened. Her girlfriend matched Bianca emotion for emotion. They agreed that they hoped this latest incident would prove without a shadow of a doubt to the principal that Amber was indeed guilty of bullying and would be punished accordingly. They also decided to have a brief talk with their oldest children that evening to be sure they were okay.

Once Bianca got home from work, she and Marissa sat AJ and Miranda down to discuss what happened earlier, to get the unvarnished version of what had occurred during recess.

"_Why didn't you go to a teacher, AJ?"_

"_I was going to, mom, but I didn't think I could get to Mrs. Johnson before Amber got to Miranda. She looked real mad, and she was heading right for Miranda. I just couldn't take a chance that she might hurt my sister again. There was no way I was gonna let that happen!"_

_The women smiled at AJ's fierce protection of Miranda and couldn't find any fault his actions._

"_I understand. Are you okay, Miranda?"_

"_Uh huh, I'm okay, Rissa, really. I was just kinda surprised to see her coming over to me. She had to know she'd get in trouble. When I saw her though, there was no way I was gonna let her try and scare me. Besides, I saw AJ right behind her. Like you guys and Aunt Kendall said, I knew he had my back. And Mrs. Johnson was able to stop Amber before she got close. So, I knew everything would be okay."_

_Both women studied their children for a minute. They had been gauging their reactions to what had happened and making sure the kids were truly okay before continuing._

_Bianca smiled and shook her head in amazement at their kids. "You are probably the bravest kids I've ever known. We still want you to first go to a teacher if she tries something, but if you can't, we want you to protect yourselves."_

"_Bianca's right. The main thing is to make sure you stay safe. Like my dad used to tell me, 'Don't start any fights and walk away if you can, but if you find yourself in one, be sure to finish it.' It's something I always keep in mind."_

_AJ and Miranda smiled and nodded, feeling better and more confident after talking with their mothers._

"_Okay, mom. I can do that."_

"_Me too, Rissa."_

"_Good. Go finish up your homework. Dinner will be ready in a little while." Bianca smiled as AJ and Miranda hopped off the sofa and went into the other room. The brunette slid next to Marissa. "So, what do you think?"_

"_I think you're right. We have two of the bravest kids ever. They are amazing, and I'm so proud of them and how they are there for each other. I believe them. I'm not sensing that they're hiding anything like before, like they're trying to protect us again."_

_Bianca sighed in relief to have her feelings confirmed. "Good. That's what I was thinking too. I'm not getting that feeling either like I was before."_

_The couple had been sitting quietly, enjoying each other's company for several minutes. Bianca had been absently stroking Marissa's hair while lost in thought when the redhead's contented sigh brought her back to the present. _

_Marissa glanced over next to her and saw Bianca grinning at her. "What?"_

"_Oh, nothing."_

"_Something's up, Montgomery. What do you find so amusing?"_

"_I can see why you're such a good lawyer, why you're so tough when fighting for your clients. Some people tend to underestimate you and that is a big mistake. They don't think you're strong enough to take them on, that you'll back down and won't stand up to them. You're never really backing down from them though. You're just regrouping and taking your dad's advice. Now, there are others who may think they can goad you into a fight and into losing your temper, but they're wrong as well. I think you, more often than not, know exactly what you're doing. Sometimes, you may lose your temper a little, but the vast majority of the time, you use that misconception to your advantage. Neither sees the whole picture of who you are."_

"_Thank you. I think you are the only person who has ever noticed that. They just see the red hair and think hair-trigger temper. I know this is probably going to go right to your head, but when whatshername was around, that was one time that I really did lose my temper. I did not like her being around you one single bit." _

_Bianca grinned mischievously as she moved closer to Marissa. She had to admit that she did love knowing that even though she had nothing to worry about, just knowing Marissa was slightly jealous and so protective of her, their relationship and their family meant everything to Bianca and was something she had never really experienced before. "Ah, they just haven't studied you intimately like I have. Whenever I look at you, I see so many different things that I can't even begin to tell you everything. What they see as a hair-trigger temper, I see as passion, as fire, and I do love my fiery redhead."_

_A smile tugged at Marissa's lips when she saw the way her girlfriend's eyes were darkening and the grin on her face. "You keep looking at me like that, and I won't be responsible for my actions."_

_Bianca gave her a lingering kiss. "I'll be more than happy to take responsibility for them."_

_Marissa grinned. "You do realize the kids will complain to no end when they see us making out on the sofa."_

"_Let 'em complain! It is completely worth it!"_

_Marissa closed what little distance remained between them. "I couldn't agree more!"_

/

Wednesday had passed without incident. By Thursday morning, the couple was getting anxious to hear something from the school. As they finished getting themselves ready for work and the kids ready for school, they discussed what was and was not happening at the moment.

"Why hasn't she called us back yet, Marissa? Shouldn't someone have let us know something by now?"

"I know what you mean. You would think so especially after Amber's stunt the other day. At this point, I want to know something, anything. I don't like this hanging over the kids' heads. I want this part settled so we can figure out if we have to go with plan B."

"Yeah, you're right. The kids need to know something is happening. That something is being done about this. I don't want them constantly looking over their shoulders for her. It's not good for them. What do you think about us calling Ms. Evans today?"

"I think we should. It won't hurt to check in with her. You have meetings all day, right?"

"Yeah, I'm booked solid, and you've got court."

"I do, but I can call her during our morning recess. The judge hearing the case always takes a break at 10:30 without fail. As soon as I hear something, I'll either call or text you."

"That sounds good, and if you don't hear something from her, we can ask her tonight at the PTA meeting. Ms. Evans is always at those."

"You know who else will be there tonight, don't you?"

Bianca nodded, well aware that Tammy would be there. "Yep, you know she'll be spoiling for a fight."

Marissa grinned, and Bianca detected a certain gleam in her girlfriend's eyes. "I know she will."

"Marissa …"

"Don't worry. Like I told the kids, I won't start anything, but I'll sure as hell finish it if she does! Is Susan still lined up to watch the kids tonight?"

"Yes, she'll be here by 5:30. Will you be out of court by then?"

"I'm not sure. It might be a safer bet to meet you at the school."

"Alright. Maybe, I'll catch a ride with Kendall. She mentioned something about going. I'll be sure to save you a seat." Bianca paused. "Rissa, what if none of this works? What if …"

Marissa walked over to Bianca and took her hands in her own. "It will."

"What if it doesn't?"

"On the outside chance that it doesn't, but I honestly think it will, we can move the kids to Pine Valley Academy. I'd rather not. I love their school, and it's one of the top ones in the state. Plus, they really love it. All of their friends are there."

"I know. It's a great school, and they are comfortable there. I love the staff, and the school itself has such a rich history. It's named after the founder of Pine Valley, and they really work to instill her values in the students. I'd hate to move them because they would lose all of that. It would also feel like we're running away, but I'll do whatever it takes to keep our kids safe and happy."

"You and me both."

"If it means moving them, then we will."

Marissa checked the time. "We need to get moving." She called to the kids. "Okay, gang, time to get this show on the road. Let's head out."

Bianca walked with them to Marissa's car. She got Gabby into her booster seat and gave her a kiss and hug. "You have day at pre-school, baby. I'll see you later. I love you."

"I will, mommy. See you later. Love you too."

While Marissa loaded their backpacks in the back, Bianca gave AJ and Miranda each a hug and kiss as well. "I love you both. Be good and watch out for each other."

"We will, mom. Love you."

"Don't worry, Bianca. We've got each other's backs. Love you."

The older children loaded themselves into the car and fastened their seatbelts.

Bianca smiled and held Marissa's door open for her. "Good luck in court. You don't need it though. You're just that good."

Marissa smiled brightly. "Thank you. Good luck with your meetings. I know you hate budget meetings, but you are the only one they will all listen to. You're the only one to make them see reason. Let's face it. You are Bianca Montgomery after all. While you are very formidable to them, they also admire and respect you."

Bianca laughed. "Yes, I am, and I need Marissa Tasker right there with me, next to me always. I'll need you to call me at least once or twice during this day to get me through the mind-numbingness of these meetings."

"I think I can handle that. I'll let you know what I find out about that other topic. As for me being there next to you, I will be. Remember, forevermore." Marissa leaned in for a tender kiss. "I love you."

Bianca touched her locket. "I remember. I love you too." She shut the door after Marissa was buckled in. Bianca sighed happily as she watched the car drive down the street before heading out herself.

/

Grace Benson had been a school secretary for too many years to count and thought she had seen and heard everything. That notion was proven wrong this past Monday. When she arrived at the school that day, she found her boss already there. Ms. Evans called her into her office and told her that there were four separate claims of bullying against Amber Baldwin. The first order of business was to move the girl to another classroom and speak with the teachers. The principal would be meeting with the students filing the claims and their parents that morning, and she wanted Mrs. Benson present to take minutes. Later that day, they would be meeting with Amber and her parents. Her boss then told Grace that the students filing the claims were Miranda Montgomery, AJ Chandler, Jessica Mendes and Bobby Douglas. The secretary knew the four children as well behaved and none were known for causing any trouble. She had to admit that Miranda and AJ were two of her favorites. They were cheerful and thoughtful children.

In all of her years at the school, the secretary had gotten to know many parents in addition to the students. Like their children, Ms. Tasker and Ms. Montgomery were two of her favorites, and they were such a lovely young couple. They always asked how she was doing, always had a kind word for her no matter what was going on, and they were like that with all of the staff there. They were so thoughtful and were raising children just as kind as they were. It had disturbed her to no end when she heard what was happening to AJ and Miranda along with Bobby and Jessica.

Amber was another story. The girl was spoiled and wanted what she wanted when she wanted it. She had made several trips to the office for being disruptive in class. Amber gave every indication that she was turning out just like her mother. That woman never had anything nice to say to anyone. Mrs. Baldwin always expected her to drop everything she was doing to take care of her, and it didn't matter if someone else was there before her. In her mind, it was the teachers that were the problem and not her daughter. She felt they were out to get Amber even though she could never say why.

At 9:00, the first group of parents arrived. After getting settled into their seats in the principal's office, Ms. Evans spoke with the parents and started out by reviewing the school's policy. This was standard procedure even though Mrs. Mendes had informed her that Ms. Tasker had researched everything and gone over it with the other parents the day before. This hadn't really surprised the secretary since she had heard the redhead was a very sharp lawyer. If she hadn't done it, Mrs. Benson was sure Ms. Montgomery would have. She knew of the young woman's work with the Miranda Center and knew she was very thorough. The parents' major concerns were insuring the safety of their children and getting the bullying stopped, immediately.

After speaking with the parents and answering their questions, Miranda, AJ, Jessica and Bobby were called into the office separately with each having their parents with them. It nearly broke Mrs. Benson's heart to hear them relate what Amber had said, but the secretary was impressed by each child and the courage they showed in taking a stand against the girl. At first, Bobby couldn't bring himself to say what she had called his dads. It was only after his parents had assured him it was okay to tell Ms. Evans in this case did he repeat the ugly word. Jessica was next. Like Bobby, she didn't want to repeat what Amber had called her friend's dads but did after her parents told her she needed to tell the principal everything that had happened. She then told her what her former friend had said about her and her parents.

AJ followed Jessica with his moms by his side. He repeated what Amber had said to Miranda and him about Marissa and her trip and what would happened when she got home. The other girl stepped up her verbal attacks when they told her she was wrong and didn't know what she was talking about. Soon after that, Miranda became her favorite target for some reason. He didn't know what else she was saying to his sister, but he knew from her reaction that it was bad and had something to do with him. When he left, Miranda came in and told her side of things. It matched what AJ had said regarding Marissa, and that she, Bianca and Gabby would have to move out of their home. She went on to tell the principal what Amber had been saying about AJ to her. Miranda and AJ were both also able to verify Bobby's and Jessica's stories. They had overheard what she had said to their friends.

Grace printed the meeting minutes for the principal after everyone had left before taking a brief break. She needed it to calm herself down.

Amber and her parents came to the office later that day, and the girl's mother was on the attack from the minute the office door was closed. Grace couldn't believe the things Mrs. Baldwin said, the hate that was spewing from her. It was no wonder that her daughter was saying the things she was. The principal had Amber leave the office until she was able to calm Mrs. Baldwin down. The father said nothing while his wife ranted. Grace couldn't tell if he agreed with his wife or was just glad to have her venom directed at someone else. It pained the secretary to write down what the woman was saying, but she knew it was important to get everything down and to do an accurate job. When Amber came back into the office, she denied everything and accused the other children of lying and making up stories to get attention. When the girl was done, Ms. Evans instructed her to stay away from the other students for the sake of all concerned especially herself. The girl and her parents agreed and left but not before her mother took another shot at Bianca and Marissa. Like her daughter with Miranda, the women seemed to be her favorite target.

The promise to stay away from the others proved short lived when the girl made a beeline for Miranda the first chance she could the next day at recess. Amber was sent home, and when her mother came to pick her up, Mrs. Baldwin again blamed everyone else particularly the teacher who intervened for overreacting. Grace documented the incident, and it was added to the file Ms. Evans was assembling. The principal called Ms. Montgomery to let her know what had happened and had Miranda and AJ speak with her. Both children assured her that they were okay and wanted to remain at school. Amber returned to school on Wednesday, and the day passed without incident. As of Thursday morning, things seemed to be remaining quiet much to the relief of the secretary.

/

It was 10:30, and Judge Steger called for a brief recess right on schedule. While her client took a quick trip to the ladies' room, Marissa called the school.

"Agnes Nixon Elementary. This is Grace Benson. How may I help you?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Benson. It's Marissa Tasker. How are you today? Are your grandchildren running you ragged yet?"

The older woman smiled. "Good morning, Ms. Tasker. I'm doing very well, and they are giving me and my husband a run for our money. They are here through the weekend. Until then, I am spoiling them rotten. How are you?"

Marissa laughed. "I'm fine. I have no doubt that you are, but I believe that's a grandparent's job and right, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is, and I'm loving every minute of it. My son and daughter-in-law might not be though, but that's just too bad. What can I do for you today?"

"Is Principal Evans in? I'd like to speak with her if possible."

Grace had a feeling that was why she was calling. She and Ms. Montgomery wanted an update. She couldn't blame them. They had met with the principal three days ago, and the older woman knew they had to be getting anxious to hear something. Grace had sat in on all of the meetings and taken minutes. After hearing all sides, she had formed her own opinion on what had happened and what should be done, but it wasn't up to her.

The principal was currently out of the office meeting with the superintendent on this very topic. The older woman had tried to get a read on what her boss was thinking, what her final decision was, but she couldn't. Ms. Evans wasn't giving anything away, and it had left the secretary believing her boss would be an excellent poker player. She had left strict instructions on what the secretary was to say if any of the parents called.

"I'm sorry, Ms. Tasker, but Ms. Evans is in a meeting and unavailable. I was going to be calling you and the other parents today. She wanted me to see if either you or Ms. Montgomery were planning on attending tonight's PTA meeting."

"Yes, both Bianca and I will be there."

"Very good. Ms. Evans would like to speak with you beforehand if possible. She may be late, however, so she was hoping you would be able to stay after the meeting to talk if that happens."

"Yes, that's fine. We can stay. It sounds like she's made a decision."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Tasker. I can't say anything. I'm not permitted to."

"Oh, I know, Mrs. Benson. I understand your position, and I'm sorry. I wouldn't ask you to violate any policy. I was just thinking out loud."

The secretary smiled. She really didn't think the younger woman was pressing her for an answer. She never struck her as the type to put someone else in a position that would jeopardize them. "I know you weren't. I honestly don't know anything. Ms. Evans has kept her thinking to herself on this matter. I'm sorry. I wish I could tell you something more, but I've just been asked to see if you were available to talk tonight."

"I understand. There's no need to apologize. Please let Ms. Evans know that Bianca and I will be there as long as necessary. Thank you, Mrs. Benson. Have a good day and enjoy those grandchildren."

"I will, and you have a good day too, Ms. Tasker."

Marissa disconnected the call and checked the time. She only had a few minutes before court started back up so she opted to send Bianca a text.

"Not able to speak with principal. She was in a meeting. Wants to meet with us tonight."

Bianca replied almost immediately. "Think she made up her mind?"

"Yeah, I do. Fingers crossed it goes our way."

"Mine too. Call me when you break for lunch. Love you."

"Will do. Love you too."

/

"So, why am I going to this PTA meeting again? I've been in them all day long, and I'm really not in the mood for another one." Greenlee asked as she glanced over at her friend from the passenger seat.

Kendall chuckled and shook her head. "We already went over this."

"Humor me and go over it again."

"Fine, I'll go over it one more time."

/


	41. PTA Smackdown

**A/N: First, thanks as always for the great reviews! I love them so keep them coming! I noticed something after I posted my last chapter. A couple of my settings for the site were changed. It must have happened during some maintenance because I'll definitely take anonymous reviews, and I definitely don't care about the profanity filter. You should hear me driving in rush hour traffic sometimes! On second thought, maybe you shouldn't! Anyway, those things have been fixed. **

**Next, I'm sorry for not posting sooner. Part of this got a little tricky to write. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to it. I didn't want to make someone too out there, but unfortunately, stories in the news lately have proven that I really didn't have to worry about that. I hope I pulled it off. **

**Lastly, you can tell by the title of this chapter what happens. I'm not giving much away by it since I'm pretty sure you all knew what was coming anyway. With that said, I'll get out of the way and let you read. Hope you enjoy! **

**/ **

"So, why am I going to this PTA meeting again? I've been in meetings all day long, and I'm really not in the mood for another one." Greenlee asked as she glanced over at her friend from the passenger seat.

Kendall chuckled and shook her head. "We already went over this."

"Humor me and go over it again."

"Fine, I'll go over it one more time. You're going for several reasons. First, it's good to put in an appearance at these things every once in a while to get your face out there. Second, there is going to be a sign-up for the next event. You need to be there so we can work the same booth or table or whatever they're having because we have to get our required event in. Third, we're going to be there to support Binx and Red. I'm sure that shrew Tammy will be there, and if …"

"If there's any type of action or fight, we want to be there to either pull them off of the shrew or get in a few shots ourselves or both." Greenlee smirked.

Kendall laughed. "Exactly. Last but not least, as my _partner_, you need to be there to support me."

"Ah, you're right. I need to be there to keep the shrew away from you, to stop her from hitting on my woman." Greenlee chuckled.

"Now, you've got it!" Kendall laughed as she pulled into the driveway of the Tasker-Montgomery residence and honked the horn. Bianca soon appeared and got into the back seat of her sister's car.

"Thanks for picking me up, Kendall. I really appreciate. Now, Marissa and I will just have one car at the school. Hey, Greenlee."

"Hi, Bianca."

"It's not a problem, Binx. Is Red still in court?"

"She was just leaving the courthouse when I talked to her a minute ago. She needed to make a quick stop at the office before heading out for the day. She should be at the school before the meeting starts."

Greenlee turned around in her seat. "Have you heard anything from the principal yet?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, we haven't yet, but Marissa called the school earlier. Ms. Evans wants to meet with us either before or after the meeting depending when she gets there. So, it looks like we might know something tonight."

"That's good to hear. Did Red get any indication of which way the principal is leaning?"

"No, she didn't speak to her. It was just a message given to Mrs. Benson to pass on to us requesting to talk with us tonight."

Kendall looked in the rearview mirror at her sister. "How are you guys holding up?"

"We're doing okay, trying to stay positive. We really just want this resolved."

"I know you do, and I can't tell you how much I hate that both of you and the kids are having to go through this." Kendall pulled into the school parking lot and found an empty space right away. The three women got out of the car and walked inside.

While Kendall and Greenlee found seats for their group, Bianca was stopped by Brandon Douglas. They briefly discussed the current situation. Both were hopeful for a positive resolution. Bianca chatted with a few other parents as she made her way to her seat.

"Why am I not surprised that everyone wants to talk to your sister?" Greenlee asked.

"It's because you're right. They do. Most of the PTA meetings I've been to are like this. What can I say? They all love my sister. They're the same way with Red too. The only exception is the shrew." Kendall grinned when a thought crossed her mind.

"I know that look. What are you thinking about?"

"I'm just thinking about what the shrew's reaction will be when Red gets here, and she sees her and my sister together."

Greenlee laughed. "I'm thinking her head will explode. Speaking of, where is the shrew?"

The friends glanced around the room and finally saw Tammy Baldwin enter on the other side of the room. The woman glared at them when her eyes made contact with their's. Both women merely grinned and gave her a quick wave which infuriated the other woman.

"Speak of the devil!" Kendall chuckled. "She doesn't look happy to see us."

"No, she doesn't. Do you think it was something we said?" Greenlee smirked.

"What did you say now and to whom, or do I want to know?" Bianca asked as she took her seat.

"We were just saying that Tammy doesn't look very happy to see us. Think we should go talk to her?" Greenlee wiggled her eyebrows as a grin that meant nothing but trouble spread across her face.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "No, I really don't think you should. I really need Marissa here to help me keep you two under control."

"Somebody say my name?" Marissa appeared and smiled brightly at her girlfriend. The redhead gave Bianca a quick kiss as she took her seat at the end of the row. "Hey, beautiful. Did I miss anything?"

Bianca sighed, giving her girlfriend the goofy grin she loved so much as she took her hand. "Hey, yourself. You're just in time. These two want to stir up trouble again."

"Want to or already are?" Marissa smirked.

Across the aisle, Tammy muttered something under her breath that no one could make out and continued to glare in their direction. Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other, and at the same time, both gestured an explosion, causing the friends to laugh almost uncontrollably.

"You know, Kendall, I do believe I'm going to enjoy this meeting a great deal. Thank you for convincing me to come."

"You're welcome. What's the famous Bette Davis line from 'All About Eve'? 'Fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy night.' I couldn't agree more."

Marissa snickered, and Bianca snorted after trying unsuccessfully to keep from laughing. The redhead then turned to glance at Tammy who was still glaring at them.

Marissa shrugged and turned back to look at Bianca and smiled as she took her hand. "She doesn't look very happy to see any of us, does she? Have you seen Ms. Evans yet?"

Bianca smiled at her girlfriend's reaction. "No, I haven't. It looks like we'll have to speak with her after the meeting. I talked with Susan earlier, and she can stay as long as we need."

Kendall whispered to Greenlee. "Red doesn't look very intimidated to me. I think the shrew was expecting her to be quaking in her shoes. Either that or she was expecting Red to cause a scene."

"You're right. She's not. Of course, why would she be? That glare doesn't even begin to compare to any of your family's. I have to admit that was a pretty slick move by Marissa. Tammy looks even more hacked off if that's possible. Guess her plan kind of backfired on her."

"True, it did. I don't think she knew how those two manage to block pretty much everything else out when they're together."

The meeting started, and not long after that, the school principal appeared and took a seat towards the front of the room next to the school secretary. She spoke briefly with Grace who nodded while making a few notes.

Marissa saw her and whispered to Bianca. "Ms. Evans just got here." The couple found it hard to concentrate on what was being said. They were extremely anxious for the principal's decision.

Throughout the meeting, Tammy continued to glare and mutter under her breath. Marissa and Bianca simply continued to hold each other's hands, tried to focus on what was being said and ignored the woman. Kendall and Greenlee couldn't help but look over at her from time to time, offering a wink or a short wave which, coupled with the fact that Bianca and Marissa were unfazed by her, infuriated the woman even more. When the meeting finished, a number of parents remained to sign up for the next event and just to talk. Ms. Evans made her way towards Tammy and gently pulled her aside, leaving the room with her to speak with her in private.

Bianca turned to her sister. "You and Greenlee should probably head out. Who knows how long we'll be here. I'll call you as soon as we know something."

The friends looked at each other. "If it's all right with you, Binx, we really want to stay."

"I agree with Kendall. I think things are just getting interesting."

"Okay, if that's what you want, sure."

"Marissa, I was wondering if I could talk with you privately for a minute."

The redhead glanced at the parent who had addressed her. It was her friend Joanna Gallagher, and the woman looked distressed. "Hi, Joanna. Is everything alright?"

"I'm not sure. Could we talk someplace private? I have what I guess you would call a professional question for you."

Marissa looked at her girlfriend. "Are you okay if we …"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, of course, go ahead. I'll come and get you when I see Ms. Evans. I hope everything's okay, Joanna."

The woman gave her a small smile. "Thanks, Bianca. I promise to have her back in a couple of minutes."

Marissa followed the woman to a quiet area. "So, what's the professional question? Is everything alright with you and …"

"Oh, it's not for me. We're fine. It's in regards to my sister Colleen."

Marissa knew her friend's sister but only in passing. "Okay, what about her?"

Joanna paused before continuing. "I'm really worried about her. I think her husband may be abusing her. It's not something I can prove outright because I've never seen anything. It's just this feeling I have. She's withdrawn and has been having a lot of so-called 'accidents'. My sister is not accident prone."

"What kind of accidents?"

"She's run into a door, fallen down the stairs and tripped in the shower. These 'accidents' have resulted in a black eye, a broken arm and some cracked ribs along with too many bruises to count."

"It does sound a little suspicious. They have a son, right? What about him? Is he alright, any accidents?"

"Thankfully, he's okay and hasn't had any accidents. It's just Colleen."

"What do you need?"

"I need some advice."

"You've tried talking to her?"

"I have, repeatedly. What can I do to help her, get her to open up to me, tell me the truth and get help?"

Marissa looked at her friend. "She needs to talk to someone who is better trained in this area. I can help, but only to a certain point. To be honest, you should be talking with Bianca. You know she founded and runs the Miranda Center, right?"

"I do. I have to admit that I get a little nervous talking to her sometimes because of who she is and who her mother is."

Marissa shook her head. "Yeah, I can tell and so can she, but Bianca isn't like that. You know that, right? She's one of the most down to earth people you're ever going to meet. She doesn't put on airs like Erica does sometimes. With Bianca, you get what you see."

"I know. I just forget sometimes. So, you really think they could help Colleen at the Miranda Center?"

"I do. They've helped countless people in the same situation as your sister. The counselors are excellent, and if she's worried about her safety, they can place her and her son in a safe house. Her husband won't be able to find her."

"How many people know about the safe houses, their locations?"

"It's a very limited number. They keep it that way for the protection of the individuals living there."

Joanna nodded. "I should talk to my sister then about going in to see someone there. Would you be willing to represent her?"

"I'd have to talk with your sister first. She has to be the one to ask me to represent her. If she needs my help, I'll do what I can."

"She doesn't have a lot of money. Maybe, we can work out a payment plan of some sort."

Marissa shook her head. "Joanna, let's not worry about that right now. Talk to your sister. If she wants to talk with me, give me a call, and we'll set something up. If you need someone to go with you to the Miranda Center, I'll be more than happy to go with you. Your sister has to make that first step though."

/

Bianca was keeping one eye on the doorway that Ms. Evans and Tammy had gone through. The other eye was on Marissa and Joanna who were engrossed in conversation. Bianca could see the concerned look on Marissa's face, and it had the brunette wondering what the reason was behind it. She then saw Jessica's and Bobby's parents make their way towards the door and disappear into the hallway.

A moment later, Tammy burst through the door, her anger evident. The woman scanned the room, spotted Marissa with her back to Tammy and headed straight for her. Fear gripped Bianca as she saw the scene unfold before her in what seemed like slow motion.

/

"If you want, Bianca will be more than willing to talk with you tonight. She's always willing to help anyone who needs it. She's really kind of amazing that way."

Marissa suddenly felt someone yank her arm and spin her around.

"Who the hell do you think you are? What right do you have to attack my family?" Tammy shrieked at the redhead.

/

Fear instantly turned into rage when Bianca saw the woman attack Marissa. As she rushed forward, Bianca immediately found herself being restrained by Kendall and Greenlee. Bianca struggled to free herself from their tight grip.

"Let me go, Kendall. I have to get to Marissa. She needs me."

"No, Bianca, not until you calm down. You won't do her any good rushing over there when you're like this." Kendall couldn't remember the last time she had seen her sister in such a state. Bianca was always the calm, cool and collected one, but now, she was absolutely furious and barely able to contain herself. It was taking every ounce of strength both Kendall and Greenlee had to hold her back.

As Bianca continued to struggle, desperate to get to Marissa, Greenlee tried to calm her down. "Bianca, listen to Kendall. We need you to calm down. Marissa's okay. Look. She wants you to stay here." Greenlee nodded in the direction of the redhead who was gesturing that she was okay and for Bianca to stay where she was.

/

Marissa was startled at suddenly being yanked back. She immediately shifted her stance and found Tammy shrieking at her. Once she had her bearings, she quickly glanced at Bianca. Her girlfriend was struggling to get free of Kendall and Greenlee, but the pair could not be moved and were holding her firmly in place. Marissa gestured for her to remain where she was and that she was okay. The redhead had never seen Bianca that angry, and she was worried that her girlfriend would do something she would later regret. Marissa also wasn't sure what Tammy was going to do, and she wanted to make sure Bianca was out of harm's way.

"What the hell, Tammy?" Joanna asked, shocked by the other woman's actions.

"What are you talking about? I'm not attacking your family."

"Oh really! I can't believe you people. I can't believe you'd want to associate with someone like her, Joanna!"

Marissa had a sudden thought. She could use the woman's own anger against her and to the redhead's advantage. While Tammy's attention was briefly directed away from her, Marissa shot a quick smile and wink to Bianca.

/

Kendall couldn't believe what she had just seen. "Did Red just wink?"

"Yeah, and I think so. I'm pretty sure she just smiled in this direction too." Greenlee was equally incredulous.

It had the desired effect on Bianca, and she stopped struggling. _She's amazing._ "You both can let go now. I'm okay. I'm not going to rush over and rip Tammy to shreds, _yet_."

Kendall looked at her sister. She did appear calmer and more in control. "Are you sure? I'm not letting go until I have your word."

"I'm sure, and I promise. And to answer both of your questions before, yes, Marissa did smile and wink. It would appear that she has a plan of some sort."

"How do you know that? Never mind, forget I asked. Of course, you'd know that." Greenlee smirked.

"Look, I've promised to behave. So, could we move a little closer? I need to at least hear what's being said, and I know the two of you are dying to know."

The friends shared a look. Bianca was right. They really did want to know. Kendall nodded. "Alright, we can move a little closer, but remember, you promised."

The three women moved closer to hear what was being said. Kendall knew full well that her sister's promise would go right out the door if she sensed there was even the slightest hint that Marissa was in any jeopardy. The same held true for her and Greenlee. If they got the sense from Red that she needed any help, the friends would be right beside the couple in a heartbeat.

/

"Someone like her? Tammy, you're really losing it. Marissa is one of the nicest people I've ever known. Why wouldn't I want to associate with someone like her?"

"Well, it's obvious she has you fooled. What were the two of you talking about? No doubt, she was probably bad mouthing my family and spreading lies!"

"Not that it's any of your business, but we were having a private conversation. It had nothing to do with you or your family. Your name never even came up. I think you need to get over yourself and calm down. You're causing a scene."

"Calm down, Joanna? I'm not going to calm down! How would you feel if someone like her and her _partner_ was attacking your children? Amber is only eight years old and defenseless! Your _friend_, her _partner_ and their brats are spreading lies and attacking her!"

"Do you know how ridiculous you sound? Bianca and Marissa are not like that and neither are their kids."

"Enough. I'll let you rant all you want about me, God knows you have, but you will not talk _my children _like that." While she remained calm, there was an edge to Marissa's voice that if anyone that knew her well had heard it would tell you the person on the receiving end of those words had crossed a line. "_Your _daughter has been the one bullying _my_ children as well as others, spreading lies and doing her best to hurt them. I'm not really sure why, but she seems to be taking some perverse pleasure from it. Tell me, Tammy, what have AJ and Miranda done to deserve that?"

The woman took a step back. She was not expecting the redhead to be so calm. "I don't know what you're talking about! My child doesn't lie! We speak the truth in my house! I encourage her to voice her own opinion!"

"What a coincidence. Bianca and I do the same thing in our home. We believe it's important to encourage that along with tolerance, acceptance of others and the difference between right and wrong. We also teach them to take the feelings of others into account and to think before they speak."

"Oh please! How is any of that possible with the lifestyle of you and your _partner_? You think you should have the same rights as normal, decent and moral people!"

Bianca knew exactly what Marissa was up to even if no one else did, and she found herself a little in awe at how adeptly her girlfriend had accomplished what she had set out to do. Marissa had carefully led Tammy down a path that exposed the other woman's true nature and the level of her hatred to the crowd that had gathered. Should plan B be needed, they now had more than enough witnesses.

"Why shouldn't we? We haven't done anything wrong. All we did was fall in love. There is nothing wrong that."

"Nothing wrong with that? It's immoral and a sin! And you're exposing your children to that! Do you not see the damage you're doing to them?"

"Our children are in a loving home. They're happy, healthy, bright and loving kids. Bianca and I couldn't be prouder of them. There's not one thing wrong with them. And as for Bianca and I being together, who are you to say it's a sin?"

"The bible says it is! God created woman for man, Eve for Adam and not Steve for Adam!"

"Like I haven't heard that one before." Marissa smirked.

"You're going against His word! The bible says that a man that lies with another man as he does with a woman should be punished severely! The same holds true for two women!"

Bianca felt Kendall's hand on her shoulder to calm and steady her. It wasn't needed, however. There was a quiet calm about Bianca which belied the fact that she was ready to spring into action in a heartbeat, and she never took her eyes off of Marissa. She wanted to wipe that smug smile off of the other woman's face, to rip her to shreds, but the gleam in Marissa's eyes held her in place, telling her that her girlfriend had this under control, telling her that she knew Bianca was there if she needed her.

Marissa felt Bianca's eyes on her. She could sense the brunette's presence and knew instinctively that nothing or no one would stop her if Marissa needed her. The redhead continued. "Oh, you want to quote the bible? I can do that too. The book you're quoting from also states that you shouldn't wear clothes made of more than one fabric. Hmmm, your shirt doesn't seem to meet that requirement. It also says that you shouldn't cut your hair or shave. That's a very nice hairstyle you have, seems shorter than the last time I saw you though. Oh, here's my favorite. It states that you shouldn't get tattoos either." Marissa grinned as she slowly shook her head. "That is some nice ink you're sporting on your ankle there, Tammy, but according to the bible, having it constitutes committing a sin."

"You're twisting that to justify your own actions! Those are just minor things compared to what you're doing!"

"I'm just saying 'let he who is without sin cast the first stone'." Marissa paused, and not hearing a response from the other woman, continued. "For myself, I've always been partial to 'judge not lest ye be judged'."

"That, that's not the same …"

"That's not the same as what? How about a commandment? 'Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor'."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'll break it down for you. Bearing false witness means lying which is exactly what you've been doing. You've been spreading lies about me, Bianca and our relationship."

"How have I lied? I've told nothing but the truth!"

"No, you haven't. You've been saying that I thought my relationship with Bianca was wrong, that I left town to get _fixed_ and when that happened, I was basically going to kick Bianca and our girls out of our home thus ending our family. All of that couldn't be further from the truth. There is nothing wrong with how I feel about Bianca and how she feels about me. I love her, and she loves me. No matter what you or anyone thinks, there's not one thing wrong with that. I don't need _fixed_ either because there's nothing wrong with me. The only one with a problem is you with your twisted thinking and hate. If you want to direct that at Bianca and me, fine, we'll take you on. Now, however, our kids are being affected by it, and that is the one thing we will never stand for. _No one hurts our children. No one._"

"I haven't said anything to them!"

"Well, you've obviously said something to your daughter, and she thinks it's just fine to bully other kids. It's not, and it's going to stop. Either the school will do something …"

"It's all because of you two that my daughter is being labeled! She is only speaking her mind and the truth! If you don't like it, you can go back …"

"Oh, you can be sure that we don't like it, and we're not going anywhere. We have just as much right as you do to live our lives and be happy. We're not bothering anyone and neither are our children. You and your daughter need to learn that lesson."

"You know what? I don't care what the principal says or what she thinks my daughter is guilty of or how she needs to be punished! I'm not going to accept it! We're going to fight it!"

Marissa shook her head. "That's too bad and totally your decision. If you're smart though, you won't fight it, but if you do, we'll have the courts sort everything out."

"What can the courts do? I haven't done anything against the law!"

"Ah, see that's where you're wrong. You see all of that lying you've been doing has given me a great case for slander and defamation of character. I also have the time and resources to pursue that for as long as I need or want to. You're entitled to free speech but only to the point when it becomes slander, and you have crossed that line. Now, either the bullying will stop, or we'll be finishing this on my turf, in the courtroom."

"That minister was right! You should all be rounded up and be put behind a fence! That's the only way to protect our country and our children!"

There was a gasp of disbelief in the crowd as Tammy's words hung in the air.

Marissa took a deep breath to steady herself. She was determined to finish what this woman started. "I hate to break it to you, but in this country, we follow the rule of law. There is a separation of church and state. So while you may want to do that and think it's justified in your twisted logic, the law says otherwise. Let me ask you something. Who's next? What group would you round up next? For people like you, there's always going to be someone else different from you, someone else you disagree with, someone that you don't believe is entitled to have the same rights as you. So, who's next and where does it stop? What happens when someone decides that people that think like you do should be rounded up and put behind a fence? Who will stop that from happening? Will there be anyone left to stop them? Do you want to know the real difference between us? I'm a strong proponent of 'do unto others as you would have them do unto you' and so is Bianca. While you may want something like that to happen to us, wish for it, even pray for it, neither of us would want that to happen to you or another group. And that is what we're teaching our children, the kind of people we want them to be. We don't want them to bully someone else because they are perceived to be different or because we simply don't like their parents out of some twisted sense of morality."

Something inside Tammy snapped when she could not come up with a response. She reared her hand back to strike Marissa. As it was brought forward, the redhead stopped it from striking her. Marissa lowered her voice, speaking with a steely edge. "No, I don't think so, not this time. You only had that one shot when my back was turned. You don't get a second one."

Bianca lunged forward, before Kendall had a chance of stopping her, and was at her girlfriend's side in the blink of an eye. The brunette fixed the other woman with an icy glare that was pure Kane.

Tammy nervously looked between the couple. She had not expected either of the other women to react so quickly or so fiercely. She wasn't sure which frightened her more. The edge in Marissa's voice had stopped her at first. That edge contained a warning that she had almost missed. It was a warning to her that she had crossed a line with Marissa. And Bianca, well, she had seemingly appeared out of nowhere to stand next to the redhead. The sheer force of the brunette's the icy glare had Tammy take a step backwards and sent chills down her spine. She was now frozen in place, unsure of her next move.

"Mrs. Baldwin, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I won't allow this kind of behavior in my school." Mrs. Evans spoke in a sharp tone which forced the woman's eyes from the couple. When Grace saw what was occurring, she left to retrieve the principal. Ms. Evans had entered the room at the precise moment that Tammy had tried to strike Marissa.

Tammy suddenly became aware of the crowd around them and wrenched her hand free of Marissa's grip. "It's not what it looks like! She, she started this!"

Joanna stepped forward. "That's not what happened, and you damn well know it. Marissa and I were having a private conversation when Tammy came up and yanked her back. Then, she started yelling at Marissa, accusing her and Bianca of all sorts of things. I'll be honest with you. Most of the things Tammy said were downright scary. I can't even believe someone would think things like that let alone say them. I'm not sure what's going on with Tammy, but Marissa did nothing to deserve any of that. And Bianca, she was just standing over there until Tammy tried to hit Marissa. There's a roomful of witnesses to all of that."

Bianca grasped Marissa's hand, the concern evident in her eyes. "Are you okay?"

Marissa smiled and squeezed her girlfriend's hand. "There's no need to worry. I'm okay. I swear. What about you? Are you okay?"

Bianca released a sigh in relief and nodded. "As long as you're okay, I'm okay."

The principal nodded. "Thank you, Mrs. Gallagher. I appreciate you letting me know what happened. As I said before Mrs. Baldwin, I'm going to have to ask you to leave, now. We've talked. You know my decision, and I've explained it to you. I suggest you go home and think about everything we've discussed. As I told you earlier, I'd like your decision by tomorrow morning. What you're doing right now is only making things worse for yourself and your daughter." The principal tried to usher the woman out of the room.

"I'm not done!"

"I think we should talk about this in private. This isn't something you want to talk about in public."

"As I told you earlier, I'm talking to the superintendent! I don't accept your decision, and I don't care what you think!"

Ms. Evans sighed. Mrs. Baldwin seemed intent on doing this in public. "I told you that I spoke with the superintendent this morning, and he agrees with my decision."

"You want Amber to apologize when she didn't do anything wrong! You're punishing her for telling the truth!"

"That is not what's happening. What Amber did is wrong. She bullied several children which is a clear violation of the school district's policy, and that behavior will not be tolerated. We talked about this the other day when we met. Amber was told to stay away from the children involved in the incidents that were reported. The very next day, she attempted to go after Miranda. The consequences of such actions were explained to both of you."

Tammy started to protest again when another parent stepped forward to pull her from the room. "You need to stop. You're making things worse. What Amber's been doing is wrong. Let's go."

A collective breath was released as they left the room. Ms. Evans turned to Bianca and Marissa. "Ms. Montgomery, Ms. Tasker, could we go somewhere in private and talk?"

The couple nodded and followed the principal. "First, let me apologize for taking so long to get back with you. I needed to make sure that all of the procedures were being followed. I'd also like to apologize for what happened with Mrs. Baldwin. If I had known she was going to come back in here, I would've escorted her out of the building myself. I should have done that anyway. I'm sorry."

Bianca nodded. "You're not responsible for her actions. I'm just glad that she didn't hurt Marissa." _She's damn lucky she didn't hurt Marissa. If she had, she wouldn't have walked out of here._

Marissa squeezed Bianca's hand, sensing what she was thinking. "I gather from what you said before that you found that Amber has violated the anti-bullying policy. What type of punishment is she facing?"

"I have instructed her mother that Amber will be moved to another classroom permanently and is to stay away from Miranda, AJ, Jessica and Bobby. She is to write them each a letter of apology. Amber will also have detention for the next four weeks. During this time, she will undergo counseling sessions that will outline the consequences of her behavior and attempt to teach her tolerance. I truly hope she learns from this. If her mother does not accept this punishment, Amber will have to stay home. We'll set up a meeting with the superintendent. If they do accept this punishment and Amber violates it any way, she will be suspended while her case is evaluated. This type of behavior will not be tolerated in my school. And of course, we will continue to monitor this."

"Thank you. Marissa thought something like that might happen. I guess I need to listen to her more."

Marissa grinned. "I guess you do."

The principal chuckled watching the interaction between the couple now that their tension had eased. She got the distinct impression that they listened to each other no matter what was being implied. She sobered and continued. "I appreciate how difficult a time this has been for you and your family. You have handled this better than I could have hoped. I thank you for that. I'd also like to say how brave I think AJ and Miranda were in coming forward. It took a lot for them to do that, and it speaks volumes as to your relationship with them."

Bianca smiled. "Thank you. We think they're pretty amazing kids ourselves."

"Well, I better go. It's been a long day, and I need to fill the superintendent in on what happened tonight. Good night."

"Good night." Marissa turned to look at Bianca and immediately pulled her into her arms and held her tightly. She slowly felt the tension leave her girlfriend. Marissa looked into Bianca's eyes. The brunette was returning to her normal self. "I'm okay, really. I promise. You don't need to worry."

"I'm always going to worry about you, Rissa. When she yanked you back, all I can say is that she's damn lucky Kendall and Greenlee stopped me. And then when I saw her try and hit you, I wanted to rip her apart. I wanted to rip her apart anyway for what she was saying to you."

"Yeah, I know. I'm always going to worry about you. I'm glad they stopped you. I would've lost it if anything happened to you. She did say some pretty nasty stuff. I wasn't expecting her to be that bad."

Bianca regarded her girlfriend for a moment. "You knew what you were doing though, didn't you?"

Marissa grinned. "Yeah, I kinda did. It took me a couple of seconds to get over the surprise of her yanking me back. Once I did though and I knew you were safe, I figured out what I wanted to do."

"You are absolutely amazing." Bianca pulled Marissa close for a tender kiss.

"I have to agree with my sister, Red. That was pretty amazing back there."

"I agree with both of them. I was not expecting you go with the biblical references on the shrew. She didn't know what to do with that." Greenlee smirked. "Where'd that come from?"

"Rissa is a woman of many talents, Greenlee." Bianca grinned.

"Thank you. I grew up going to church every Sunday. We have different views of what we were taught, different understandings. Someone like her would have driven my parents crazy. They couldn't stand someone who was not only intolerant but also ignorant."

"That's pretty obvious." Kendall looked at the couple. "Are you both okay?"

"Yeah, we are, Curly. Do you want to know what Ms. Evans decided?"

"Rachel told us. Let me tell you, it's good to hear. Oh, Joanna said she'll call you in a couple of days on whatever you were talking about with her."

"Okay, thanks. Yeah, it is good news."

"I'm wondering who scared the shrew more, Bianca or Marissa?" Greenlee smiled.

"Oh, I definitely think it was Binx, no offense, Red. When she gave her _the look_, I swear I thought I saw the shrew start to shake."

Bianca silently pleaded to her girlfriend when she saw the look in her eyes. _Don't say it, please._

"No offense taken." Marissa grinned mischievously. "There is something about that Kane death glare."

Bianca rolled her eyes as she checked the time. "We better get home. We need to let the kids know some of what happened tonight. There's no way I'm telling them what Tammy said. They don't need to know any of that. I'll be more than happy to tell them what Ms. Evans decided though. I think that will take a big weight off of their shoulders."

"You're right. Let's go home." Marissa held out her hand which Bianca took and smiled.

The group turned and headed out to the parking lot.

"You certainly know how to make things interesting, Red. If PTA meetings are going to be this exciting, Greenlee may come to more of them."

"You know, Kendall, I just might."

The lot was nearly empty now. They arrived at Kendall's car first and said good night to each other.

The couple got to Marissa's car, got in and fastened their seatbelts.

Bianca saw an amused look on the redhead's face. "What? What's so funny?"

Marissa grinned and leaned in closer, giving the brunette a lingering kiss. "Did I ever tell you how hot you are when you give the Kane death glare?"

Bianca moaned when Marissa pulled away. "You really are impossible. How quickly can you get us home?"


	42. Inspiration

**A/N: Thank you, as always, for the wonderful reviews! They really do help make my day so please keep them coming! This chapter is a little on the fluffy side. I'm giving our girls a little break. I figure they deserve it. There's more stuff to come for them though. With that said, I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Aya stopped in the doorway of Bianca's office, her hand poised to knock. She stopped when she noticed the expression on her boss's face. It was one she had noticed from time to time, not all the time mind you, but one she saw every once in a while when she was covering for Jan, one that hadn't started appearing until not quite a year ago when Bianca's relationship with a certain redheaded lawyer changed. Aya's boss was daydreaming. She recognized the telltale signs immediately. Bianca was gazing at the picture of her and Marissa that she kept on her desk. Her left hand was toying with the locket she had worn daily since Marissa returned home from her trip to New York while she was idly twirling her pen in her right hand. There was a smile on her face that was a combination of sheer happiness, contentment and love. Her eyes, while gazing at Marissa's picture, began to take on a faraway look. It was clear that she would rather be with the redhead wherever her mind had wandered to than stuck in her office. Aya shook her head and smiled. _Yep, Bianca's definitely daydreaming again._

She glanced down at the package in her hands that had been delivered to her boss. _I have a feeling that this isn't going to help with that one little bit._ Aya recalled Jan telling her about Bianca's reaction to a similar delivery she received not only last week but the week before that. Their boss was unable to hold back her delight either time, and the younger woman had a sneaking suspicion that she would be the same way today.

Aya hid her amusement from observing her boss and knocked on the door. "Bianca, sorry to interrupt."

The brunette snapped back to the present and blushed, slightly embarrassed at being caught daydreaming. "Oh, Aya. Hi. Come in. Sorry about that. I guessed I zoned out there for a minute. What can I do for you?"

"This just came for you." The woman handed her boss a narrow box that was from her favorite florist.

Bianca grinned as she took the box. "Thank you!" She opened the box. Inside was one perfect red rose. The brunette recognized the writing on the envelope that had been tucked inside the box right away, and she couldn't wait to see what was written on the card. The message was simple but caused Bianca to grin even more.

_B,  
>Captivating<br>M_

Bianca sighed happily as she picked up the rose.

Aya cleared her throat and struggled to stifle an amused laugh. She noted the rose that was already on Bianca's desk, delivered the previous week. It was still holding its bloom. "I'll go get another vase for this one."

Bianca glanced up, blushing yet again. "Uh, thanks." She knew that her staff was dying to know what was written on the card, but she wasn't going to share that with anyone. It was too special and only meant for her and Marissa. Bianca gazed at the rose again and then the picture of her girlfriend. Marissa was a hopeless romantic, and she loved her even more for being that way, if that was at all possible.

/

Marissa was reading over a case file when there was a knock on her door. She smiled when she saw her friend Brian. He looked tired but happy.

"Hey, Brian. Come on in and have a seat. You look like you could use a break to take a load off."

"Thanks, Marissa. I really could."

"Is my godson still waking you up in the middle of the night?"

"Yeah, Stef and I are just wondering when the sleeping through the night thing will kick in."

"I don't know what to tell you on that. From what I've heard, it varies."_ That is something that I definitely can't wait to find that out for myself with Bianca when we have …_

"Earth to Marissa! I lost you for a second there." Brian chuckled, suspecting where her mind had wandered off to briefly. It was definitely something he wanted for her and Bianca.

"Sorry about that. How are Stef and my godson doing?"

"Give it up. You really just want to know how he's doing. Stef and I are just afterthoughts now. It didn't take us long at all to figure that out."

Marissa grinned. "I guess I'm busted. Seriously, how are they both doing?"

"They are doing great, and your godson is perfect, except for this sleeping thing."

The redhead laughed. "Maybe he'll get it down one day soon."

"I'm sure hoping so. Oh, this was just delivered for you. I told them at the reception desk I'd bring it back to you." Brian smiled and handed her a narrow box.

A wide grin crossed Marissa's face as she recognized a package from her and Bianca's favorite florist. She opened the box up, and inside, found a single, perfect red rose. She read the card inside and grinned even more.

_M,  
>Cherished<br>B_

He looked at the rose she had received last week, still in full bloom, and remembered a similar delivery the week before that. "Yeah, I thought as much. If you think I'm telling Stef about this, you're sadly mistaken. You two are going to give me a bad name if she finds out about this." Brian chuckled as he got up to leave. "I'll talk to you later. Tell Bianca and the kids I said 'hi', and yes, I'll tell Stef and your godson the same from you."

Marissa laughed. "Thanks!" The redhead knew her friend was curious about what Bianca had written, but there was no way she was going to share something that meant so much to her with anyone. No, this was something only to be shared by her and her girlfriend. Marissa looked at the picture of Bianca on her desk. _I swear I'm the luckiest person on the face of the earth._ All thoughts of the case file she had just been reading quickly left her mind, and she was soon daydreaming about the captivating brunette.

/

_Marissa checked the contents of the refrigerator and sighed. She couldn't find anything that appealed to her for dinner tonight. Bianca was meeting with a possible new donor and had just called to inform her that she wouldn't be home for dinner. Marissa looked outside and watched the kids playing. She made a quick decision as she walked to the back door and called to them. _

"_I'm not feeling inspired for dinner. What do you all think about going to Krystal's to get something to eat?"_

"_Can I get chicken nuggets, mommy?" Gabby asked excitedly. If it was up to her, that's what she would have for dinner every night._

"_May I get chicken nuggets, and yes, you may. You're going to turn into a chicken nugget, monkey." Marissa chuckled as she tickled the smallest reflection of Bianca._

_Gabby giggled and squirmed. "Nuh uh, mommy says you're just pulling my leg when you say that."_

"_She does, does she?" Marissa continued to tickle the adorable little girl._

"_Uncle! Uncle!"_

_Marissa laughed and stopped her 'torture'. "Well, if she says that, it must be true then, huh?"_

"_Uh huh, she's always right." Gabby grinned still giggling._

"_She's right a lot of time. All right, chicken nuggets for you." Marissa turned to AJ and Miranda. "What about you two monsters? Are you up for dinner at Krystal's?"_

_The birthday twins smiled and nodded in unison. "Yeah!"_

"_Okay, so let me guess. AJ will want to get a cheeseburger, and Miranda will be having the individual cheese pizza, right?"_

"_How did you know that, mom?" AJ asked surprised._

"_I'm a mom. We have superpowers. Plus, I know my kids." Marissa grinned._

_Miranda made a face. "Mom always says the same thing too. Is she gonna be real late tonight?"_

"_She wasn't sure when I talked with her. What do say we bring her home some dessert?"_

_The kids all nodded, liking that idea of a little surprise for Bianca._

"_I know! Let's get her chocolate cake!"_

_Marissa chuckled. "That is a great idea, monkey! I think she'll really like that. Come on. Let's go get some dinner."_

_/_

_Bianca walked into Krystal's as she continued listening to Kayla Dawson going on and on. This meeting was taking much longer than it really should have. For some reason, this particular potential donor needed extra hand holding. Since this was for the Center, Bianca was willing to do it, but she had to admit that the woman was starting to get on her nerves a little bit. She had originally hoped that the meeting would've been over in time for her to make it home for dinner, but then, Kayla wanted to ask her more questions and suggested they go for a drink back at either Confusion or the Yacht Club where she was staying. Bianca countered with coffee at Krystal's, hoping the woman would get the hint about making it an early night. _

"_I think the work you do at the Miranda Center is just wonderful! You are truly inspiring!"_

"_Well, thank you, again, but it's not necessary to say that. It's work I really enjoy. It's very fulfilling, and I'm just glad I can help others." The woman's need to keep complimenting her was beginning to grate on her nerves._

"_Mommy!"_

_Bianca turned and grinned. She couldn't hide her surprise and delight in seeing Gabby hopping off of her seat and running towards her. She scooped her youngest up in her arms. "Hey, baby! This is the best surprise! What are you doing here?" Bianca glanced over her shoulder at Kayla and excused herself briefly as she made her way to her and Marissa's table. The woman nodded and headed towards the ladies room._

_Before Gabby could say anything, Miranda answered for her sister as her mother approached the table. "Hi, mom! Rissa said she just wasn't inspired by what we had at home so we decided to come here."_

_Bianca smiled as she gave her oldest daughter a kiss. "She wasn't, huh? Well, coming here for dinner makes sense to me then. Hey, buddy."_

"_Hey, Bianca!" AJ grinned at the brunette as she gave him a kiss as well and lightly ruffled his hair._

_Marissa was seated against wall and watched the brunette making her way to 'their' table. The redhead smiled brightly when hazel eyes met warm chocolate ones. The pull towards each other felt even stronger than normal since they had not seen each other since early that morning. Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss. Both wanted nothing more than to pull the other closer the instant their lips touched, prolonging the wonderful sensation, but they resisted the urge for two reasons. One, they were in public, and while very supportive of their relationship, Krystal might not appreciate them making out in the middle of her restaurant during the dinner rush. She wouldn't appreciate anyone doing that. And two, Bianca was conducting business. It was best to keep it short but sweet rather than give into temptation._

"_So, you weren't inspired by anything at home, for dinner?" Bianca grinned._

"_Nope, I sure wasn't. My inspiration for many things wasn't at home, yet." Marissa grinned. She glanced over her girlfriend's shoulder and lowered her voice. "How's it going?"_

_Bianca rolled her eyes and lowered her voice as well. "She needs extra attention. This should've been over an hour ago, but she keeps dragging it out."_

"_How so?" Marissa's curiosity was piqued. Bianca rarely, if ever, complained about donors. They were a vital part in keeping the Miranda Center going._

"_Basically, she keeps asking the same questions over and over again. I can only answer them so many times without losing my mind. She also wants a personal tour of one of the safe houses which will not happen."_

"_No, it won't. You don't give that information out to just anyone. You always guard that with your life. There's something else though. What is it?"_

"_She only wants to talk with me. Jan and Aya both volunteered to give her a tour of our main offices earlier, but she refused. So, I had to rearrange my schedule to accommodate her. Plus, she keeps complimenting me, telling me how inspiring I am. That's nice, but you know how I feel about that, how I feel when someone seems to be fawning over me."_

_Marissa chuckled. "Yes, I'm well aware of that. You'd rather have a root canal than accept a compliment."_

"_Well, they make me uncomfortable. I don't do what I do to be complimented or receive any awards. I do it because it's important work, and I'm helping fill a need. Besides, it's just the right thing to do."_

"_I know, and that's what makes you even more special."_

_Bianca sighed happily. She had learned long ago to stop 'complaining' about receiving a compliment from Marissa. She knew it wouldn't do any good to argue with her. The lawyer used her logic to end that practice by simply pointing out that she would stop when Bianca stop complimenting her which was something the brunette would never be able to do. She had to admit that receiving a compliment from Marissa was different than receiving one from anyone else. Bianca knew it was always heartfelt with never any motive behind it. Even the smallest word of praise had her basking in the warm glow of her girlfriend's love that seemed to touch not only her heart but her soul as well. One word, one look, one touch from Marissa had the most amazing effect on Bianca, and it was simply like nothing she had ever felt or would ever feel with anyone else. _

"_Thank you!"_

_Marissa grinned, happy that she had worn down Bianca's defenses on this subject. To get Bianca to accept a compliment without complaining was indeed a triumph. It also pleased her to no end that she was the only one who her girlfriend allowed to do it. "You're welcome! So, did you change this to a dinner meeting?"_

"_No! Sorry, that came out a little too forceful, didn't it? No, this did not get changed to a dinner meeting. If I do that, it will prolong this evening, and that's something I don't want."_

_Marissa knew Bianca had to be starving because she had seen her snag one of Gabby's chicken nuggets. "Well, what are you going to do about dinner? You need to eat something. I can't have the love of my life getting sick on me now, can I?"_

_Bianca rewarded her with the grin that always made her heart skip a beat. "I'll grab something on the way home when I finish up with her."_

_Krystal appeared with a small shopping bag and some carryout boxes. "Good evening, Bianca. Is this no longer a carryout order?" The older woman asked._

"_Is what no longer a carryout order?" Bianca asked, a knowing smile forming on her face. Her girlfriend was always thinking of her._

_Marissa smiled as she boxed up the remainders of the kids' meals. "Your favorite pasta dish and some dessert."_

"_Chocolate cake?" Bianca asked hopefully as her eyes lit up._

_Marissa laughed. She loved seeing this side of her girlfriend. "Is there any other kind?"_

"_Nope! You really do spoil me."_

"_Well, someone needs to because you certainly deserve it, doesn't she, gang?"_

_The kids answered in unison. "Yep!"_

_Krystal couldn't help but laugh and agree as well. "You're right. She definitely does. So, is this to go or for here?"_

"_It's definitely to go. It gives me another reason to wrap this meeting up even quicker and to get home to my family and the love of my life."_

_Marissa grinned and sighed happily. She glanced up at Krystal and saw the amused look on her face. "Sorry, Krystal. A little too much on the sappy side, huh?"_

"_No, not at all. I love seeing you both so happy. You deserve it. You can get as sappy as you want around me."_

_Marissa saw the donor appear again and did a double take when she noticed the woman clearly checking Bianca out. The redhead raised an eyebrow as she watched the woman._

_Krystal noticed the slight change in Marissa and glanced over her shoulder. She noticed the woman's reaction to her daughter's girlfriend._

_Bianca followed Marissa's eyes and saw Kayla returning. "Let me get this wrapped up so I can get home as soon as possible."_

_Marissa shifted her focus back to Bianca and nodded. "Good idea. I'm starting to get annoyed by her myself." She glanced around at the kids. "Okay, gang, let's head out, and let Bianca get back to work."_

"_Will you be home in time for our story?"_

"_I will try my very best, buddy. You know how much I love hearing Marissa tell them." _

_Bianca hugged each of the kids. While that was going on, Krystal whispered to Marissa. "I'll keep an eye on her, make sure that other woman doesn't try anything funny."_

_Marissa smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. You noticed that too, huh? I'm not worried about Bianca. I know I never have to worry about her. That other woman though …"_

"_You didn't like the look in her eyes. I get it. I'm not particularly fond of it myself."_

_Marissa picked up the bag and turned to Bianca. "I'll see you soon."_

_Bianca nodded and watched her family head towards the door. She suddenly felt compelled to call out to her girlfriend and follow her. "Rissa, hold up."_

_The redhead turned around. She was holding the bag of food in one hand and Gabby's hand in the other. "What's up? Did you forget something?"_

"_Uh huh, I did. I forgot this." Bianca cupped Marissa's face gently and leaned in for a lingering kiss. "Love you. I'll see you at you home, soon."_

_Marissa was left standing there with her own goofy grin on her face. It had Bianca making a mental note of making sure she saw it again and often. The redhead simply nodded before managing to finally speak. "L, love you too."_

_Bianca winked before heading back to where the other woman, who was now a little in shock, was waiting for her. It wasn't often that the lawyer was at a loss for words, and Bianca loved that she had succeeded in doing just that._

"_Come on, mommy!" Gabby tugged on Marissa's hand, pulling her attention from Bianca. _

"_Huh? Oh okay, monkey. Something's telling me that your mom will be home very soon."_

_/_

_Bianca arrived home just a little over an hour later after running into her family at Krystal's. After getting the reaction she did from Marissa, she couldn't think of anything else other than wrapping up her meeting and getting home as fast as she could to finish what she started. Bianca found AJ and Miranda in the family room watching the end of a program on the Disney channel. Both had finished their baths and were in their pajamas. Bianca smiled as she put her things down. "Hey, guys. Where's Marissa?"_

"_Hi, mom. She's finishing up Gabby's bath."_

"_Hi, Bianca. You made it home just in time for story time."_

"_Yes, I did, buddy. I told you I'd try my best. So, homework is done?"_

"_Yep, mom checked it already."_

"_Okay, guys. Gabby's done with her bath. It's time to turn off the TV." Marissa said as she appeared at the top of the stairs. As soon as she saw Bianca, her face lit up. "Well, that was quick. I'm glad you're home."_

_Bianca climbed up the stairs behind AJ and Miranda, smiling just as brightly as her girlfriend. "What can I say? I was inspired to wrap that meeting up and get home as fast as I could." When she reached the landing at the top of the stairs, Bianca pulled Marissa to her for a tender kiss that quickly became a little more._

_After a minute or so, the couple could hear their oldest children giggling and feel them begin to tug on them._

"_Come on, mom. It's story time."_

_Bianca grinned and whispered. "To be continued." _

_Marissa's hazel eyes had begun to darken as she nodded. "Most definitely."_

_The brunette looked at their two oldest. "What is the story for tonight?"_

"_AJ picked Shrek."_

"_Ooh, good pick, buddy. I really like that one. Princess Fiona is feisty like another redhead we all know and love."_

_Marissa laughed. "So, I'm a cross between Ariel and Fiona now, huh?"_

_The other three laughed and nodded in agreement._

"_Let's not keep Gabby waiting." Bianca said as she held out her hand for Marissa. _

_/_

_After story time was finished and the kids all tucked in, Bianca started to grab Marissa as soon as the doors to the kids' bedrooms were closed. "I really missed you today."_

_The redhead quickly sidestepped Bianca and smirked. "You saw me at Krystal's not that long ago. If I seem to recall correctly, other than the chicken nugget that you swiped from our youngest daughter, you haven't had anything to eat since probably noon. You have to be starving, and I can't have that."_

_Bianca grinned mischievously. "I am starving, for you."_

_Marissa burst out laughing. "Wow! Bianca Christine Montgomery! You have the nerve to say that I'm the charmer! Where in the hell did that line come from?"_

"_I guess I was inspired. Come on, Rissa, please, just one little kiss."_

_Marissa was about to give in, knowing there would be nothing little about it once it started and it wouldn't be just one, when she heard Bianca's stomach growl. "Nope, sorry, that settles it. Let's get you some dinner." She pulled Bianca behind her and couldn't resist adding over her shoulder. "You're going to need your energy for later."_

_Bianca smiled brightly when she saw the look in Marissa's eyes at that comment and happily followed her down to the kitchen._

_/_

_When they got to the kitchen, Bianca sat down at the table as instructed and watched Marissa get the pasta dish she had purchased for her out of the refrigerator. The redhead began to hum as she warmed up Bianca's dinner._

_The brunette couldn't wipe the grin off of her face if you asked her to. Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed she would be this happy, this lucky, especially after everything she had been through. "I think I should probably apologize to you."_

_Marissa turned and gave her a puzzled look. "Apologize? For what?"_

"_For earlier at Krystal's."_

"_I'm still not getting what you have to be sorry about."_

"_I should have introduced you. I should have told her, you know Kayla the donor, who you were."_

_Marissa chuckled as she placed Bianca's plate in front of her and sat down at the table. "I have a feeling she figured that out when we left."_

"_Yeah, she did. I saw how you looked at her earlier though. I could tell you were kind of bothered that I didn't. I just didn't get the chance, but that's no excuse. I'm so damn proud and lucky to be with you."_

"_I wasn't bothered by that. What bothered me was how she was looking at you. I don't like anyone looking at you like that."_

"_You know you don't have to worry about that."_

"_I know that. I trust you completely. There are simply no doubts where you're concerned. I just don't like it when someone else looks at you the way that she was."_

_Bianca grinned. "Is it bad that I like seeing you a little jealous even when there is no reason for it?"_

_Marissa laughed. "No, it's not. I like it when you get a little jealous myself."_

"_I had no idea she was interested in me. I really don't know why she would be. It wasn't until after you left that I found that out. She actually apologized. She didn't know I was in a committed relationship with anyone. She had read my profile on the Center's website. It only mentioned that I was a single mother of two girls, and she took that as me being available. I'm having Nick update that profile first thing tomorrow morning. If you're okay with it, I want it to include you and AJ."_

_Marissa sighed happily. "I'm more than okay with that. You know you don't have to do that though."_

"_I know I don't have to, but I want to. I want any and every one to know that I'm sharing my life with you."_

"_Ditto. And you don't honestly believe that someone wouldn't be interested in you?"_

_Bianca shrugged. "No, I don't. Why would they be?"_

_Marissa stared at her girlfriend in disbelief. "You really don't see it, do you? Wow, I can't believe that."_

"_See what?"_

"_That you don't see how amazing you are, how beautiful, how incredible, remarkable, gracious, how …"_

"_Are you going to go through the whole alphabet, Rissa?" Bianca smirked._

"_I could, you know. I could think of a word for each letter to describe you, several times over."_

"_Don't you think that's a little much?"_

"_No, I don't. You need to know how other people see you, how I see you. If you don't, then I'm not doing my job."_

"_I know how you see me, how you feel about me. I see it and feel it each and every time you look at me."_

"_Good and I don't ever want you to forget that. And I know I've said your beautiful many times before, but I want you to know that when I call you beautiful, I'm not just referring to the outside. God knows that you are beautiful on the outside. You're drop dead gorgeous. When I say you're beautiful though, I'm also talking about the inside. I'm talking about your heart and your soul. I have honestly never met anyone like you. When I see you with the kids, I just can't describe it. I can tell how safe and loved they feel just knowing you're there. Then I see you with the rest of your family, with Kendall and your mom. You are the one person who somehow seems to get through to Erica Kane and bring out her best. I see the work you do at the Miranda Center and how you are with your clients. These women are at their lowest point, and you give them a place that is safe and allows them to heal and rebuild their shattered lives. You are so giving and kind. You think of others at the expense of yourself repeatedly. You do inspire those women whether you believe it or not. You give them hope, something to strive for. You show them it is possible to survive. All of these things are done quietly, no glitz, no glamour, no fame or glory. They are done with heart and are done so effortlessly. It's as natural to you as breathing. It is simply who you are, and that is what makes you truly beautiful."_

_Bianca took a shaky breath as she gazed into loving hazel eyes. She never considered herself beautiful. The reason for that was because she compared herself to her mother who had been called one of the most beautiful women alive. How could she compare herself to that? Looking in Marissa's eyes though, she felt beautiful. How could she not feel that way when she saw such love, devotion, honesty from Marissa?_

"_Damn you."_

"_What?" Marissa was thoroughly confused by Bianca's reaction._

_Bianca smiled. "How am I expected to follow something like that? It's not fair, you know. You say these wonderful, heartfelt things to me that take my breath away and leave me without a proper response. You say what I feel for you. You find the words that I can't. For some reason, I just can't find all of the words that describe how you make me feel, and I want so badly to be able to. I don't want you thinking for one minute that I don't feel exactly the same way."_

"_B, I know exactly how you feel about me. I don't need you to say the words. I hear them loud and clear without you saying anything. I hear them when I look in your eyes, when I feel your touch."_

_Bianca grinned. "You did it again."_

"_Sorry. I can stop if you want." Marissa said playfully._

"_Not on your life! You know, I'm feeling a little inspired because I really want you to hear those words. You deserve to hear them. I can do the same thing to describe you, go through the alphabet too."_

_Marissa grinned. "You could, huh?"_

"_Oh yeah, I definitely could. You don't know how mesmerizing, how irresistible you are." Bianca leaned in and stopped a centimeter from her girlfriend's lips. "I cleaned my plate and have my energy up. May I have my one little kiss now? Please, Rissa."_

_Marissa gazed at the darkening chocolate eyes of her girlfriend. There was no way she could possibly deny Bianca anything in that moment. "You most definitely may."_

_/_

_Bianca sat in her office two days later reading over a number of reports. Her eyes were beginning to cross and she needed a break. Jan knocked on the door, holding a box from the florist in her hands._

"_Sorry to interrupt, Bianca. This just came for you."_

"_Come on in, Jan. Really? I wonder who's sending me something." Bianca opened the box and found a single, perfect red rose. She opened the card carefully tucked inside, her eyes lighting up as she recognized the handwriting and read the message._

_B,  
>Adored<br>M_

_Bianca sighed happily as she picked up the rose. She had spent the last two days trying to come up with a way to surprise Marissa, to show her how she felt. Her girlfriend beat her to the punch again. Well, two can play this game._

"_Jan, I need to run a quick errand. Could you hold down the fort for me?"_

"_Of course, no problem. Take your time." She watched her boss dash from the office. She smiled knowing Marissa had struck again. Jan went to look for a vase for her boss._

_/_

_Marissa sat in her office when her phone rang. The receptionist informed her there was a delivery for her. The redhead couldn't hold back her smile as she carried the box quickly back to her office. Once back at her desk, she opened the box up, and inside, found a single, perfect red rose. She read the card inside and grinned even more._

_M,  
>Alluring<br>B_

_She sighed as she held the rose and gazed at the picture of her and Bianca. The brunette had accepted her challenge. This was going to be fun._

_/_

_The next week, flower deliveries were made again to the law offices and those of the Miranda Center. Marissa's word for Bianca that week was beguiling while Bianca chose bewitching for Marissa. Those working with the couple noted a pattern beginning to form. They didn't know what the cards said, only that whatever the sentiment that was written on them made the women beam. If you asked anyone witnessing what was unfolding before them, they would admit to being slightly envious but very happy for them._

/

Marissa was brought out of her reverie by the ringing of her cell phone. She answered without looking at the caller id, not happy at all to be disturbed.

"Marissa Tasker."

"Hey, beautiful!"

"Hey, yourself! I was just thinking about you!"

"Were you now? Fancy that! I was just thinking about you! How's your afternoon going?"

"Better now than it was minute ago. So, are you still able to get out early?"

"I am. What about you?"

"Yep, it helped working through lunch. The only downside was not seeing you."

"Tell me about it, but it's for a good cause. The kids have been looking forward to the school fair all week. Now, they'll get a little extra time there, and we can start our weekend a little early. We couldn't ask for better weather for it."

"I know. I like that they'll be able to have it outside. I also like that we don't have to work this one. What booth is the dynamic duo working again?"

"I'm not sure. I can't remember what Kendall told me. We'll find out soon enough. What time are you heading out?"

Marissa checked the time. "I'll start wrapping things up now and leave in half an hour. Are you sure you're okay getting the kids? I can easily pick up Gabby."

"I'm sure. I'll pick them up and meet you at home. So, I'm captivating, huh?"

Marissa grinned. "You most definitely are. And I'm cherished?"

"More than you will ever know." Bianca smiled hearing the hitch in her girlfriend's breathing.

"You're giving me a pretty good idea. Brian's been teasing me. He's refused to tell Stef about the flowers. He says we'll give him a bad name with her if she finds out."

Bianca laughed. "I very seriously doubt that, but I won't tell her if you don't. You should see the looks I'm getting around here from some of the staff, particularly Jan and Aya. They are highly amused. After making their delivery, they roll their eyes and laugh just a little."

Marissa chuckled. "I'm glad we can amuse them. Let me get off of here so I can get home, changed and ready to help the kids get changed for the fair when you get home with them. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"See you soon. Love you too." Bianca smiled as she disconnected the call.


	43. The School Fair

**A/N: First, as always, thank you for the wonderful reviews! Keep 'em coming because I love reading them! You all are simply the best! Second, this chapter has a little of this and a little of that in it. I'm laying the groundwork for a couple of things. There's always a method to my madness! Things pick up where the last chapter left off. I hope you enjoy this latest update!**

**/ **

Marissa had just reached the bottom of the stairs when she heard the rumble of small feet bursting through the front door. "Whoa! Slow down!"

"Hey, mom! Bianca says we can go to the school fair as soon as we change!"

"Hey, buddy. Yes, as soon as everyone is ready, we'll head out."

"Hi, Rissa! Will you help Gabby get ready then while mom changes, please? That way we'll be able to leave quicker."

"Come on, mommy!" Gabby started to pull Marissa towards the stairs. "I can't wait to go! Mimo says there's gonna be a pony there to ride! Can I ride it?"

"Yes, Miranda, of course I'll help Gabby get ready." The redhead looked at their youngest who was literally bouncing up and down with excitement. "I heard about the pony too, monkey. We'll check it out, and if everything looks okay, we'll let you ride it. First things first though, you all know the rules." Marissa grinned.

Gabby nodded while AJ and Miranda smiled and rolled their eyes. All three said in unison. "No going anywhere until you two have had a chance to say hello to each other."

Bianca smiled as she set her purse down on the coffee table. "Precisely! Now, go on upstairs. We'll be up in a minute."

"They're gonna kiss. I don't get it." AJ said as he headed upstairs.

Miranda agreed. "I don't either, but they sure like doing it."

"Mom says we'll understand when we're older, but I don't think so."

"Whatever. Grownups say stuff like that all the time."

They really didn't mind their moms kissing because it made them really happy, and they wanted them to be happy more than anything else. The problem was that sometimes when they started kissing they didn't seem to want to stop at least not for a long time, and AJ and Miranda really wanted to get to the fair. It sounded like it was going to be really fun, and they didn't want to waste any time waiting around at home.

The women laughed listening to AJ and Miranda grumble slightly as they headed upstairs with Gabby following close behind.

Bianca turned to Marissa, pulling her close for a loving kiss. The brunette smiled brightly when they separated. "Hello!"

Marissa grinned. "Hello, yourself! I gotta say that the kids may not like that rule, but I sure as hell do!"

"I do too! It's my favorite one! I'm glad we came up with it!" Bianca said as she leaned in to taste Marissa's lips again.

"Mommy, can I bring Minx?" Gabby asked as she appeared at the top of the stairs.

The couple separated reluctantly and chuckled. They knew their oldest two had put Gabby up to getting their attention.

Bianca looked up at her youngest daughter and smiled. "It's _may I bring Minx_, and I'm thinking we might want to leave him at home. You don't want to risk losing him or getting him dirty do you?"

Gabby thought for a minute and shook her head. "No, I don't. Okay. Can we, may we go soon, please?"

Marissa shook her head as she smiled. "Yes, you can let those other two know we're coming."

"K!" Gabby smiled and headed back to her room.

Bianca slipped her arm around Marissa's waist as they headed upstairs. "Let's not keep them waiting any longer. Ooh, do you think that if they have funnel cakes we can get one?"

Marissa laughed. Sometimes, Bianca was a big kid. "Yes, of course we can get a funnel cake."

/

They arrived at the school and found a parking space right across the street. AJ and Miranda were so excited that they started to cross the street without their mothers, but stopped immediately when they heard the tone in Bianca's voice telling them to stop. It was unseasonably warm which allowed for more of the fair to be held outside in the parking lot. After paying their entrance fee, the family walked into the transformed lot.

"Wow, this is amazing, B."

"You're telling me. They had it blocked off earlier when I picked up the kids so I couldn't see anything. They've done a great job. We're going to have a hard act to follow in the spring."

Marissa looked down at their kids. "We know you're excited, but there's no running off. Bianca and I need to know where you're going and who you're with, okay?"

"Okay, mom."

"Okay, Rissa."

"Okay, mommy."

"Good! Now, let's see what they've got here and go have some fun!"

Their first stop was the ticket booth for the carnival rides, needing to be prepared for when the kids found one they wanted to ride. It turned out that was pretty much all of them. As luck would have it, Gabby was just tall enough to ride all of the ones she wanted to which caused both women to breathe a sigh of relief.

She wasn't too sure about the little ferris wheel because it was a little too high for her. So, Gabby waited while AJ and Miranda took a turn on it. After the ride was over, they headed over to the pony rides for her turn. Bianca and Marissa made sure they took plenty of pictures of the kids on each of the rides.

When the first pass through of rides was completed, the family decided to take a break from the action and get something to eat. They ran into Kendall and Greenlee working a drink booth.

"Hey, Curly, Greenlee. How's business?"

"Red, Binx, business is good." Kendall looked at her nieces and nephew. "Are you guys having fun?"

"We sure are, Aunt Kendall! AJ and I rode the ferris wheel!"

"I rode a pony!"

"You did, Gabby? That sounds like fun! It all does!"

"It sure does! Do you think your Aunt Kendall and I could ride one?" Greenlee asked with a smile.

Gabby giggled. "No, you're too big!"

"That's the first time anyone's said Greenlee was too big for anything." Kendall smirked.

"Very funny." Greenlee replied dryly.

Bianca laughed. "Where are the kids?"

"They're with Ryan and Zach over in the game area, Binx."

"Ah, we'll be hitting that after we eat, and then, I have a feeling we'll be doing the rides again."

Marissa saw the kids getting a little antsy. "Speaking of eating, let's go find a place to sit down. Some people are getting a little restless."

"Probably a good idea, Red. We'll see you soon."

After they finished eating, they headed over to the game area where AJ cleaned up at the ring toss and Miranda did just well at the bean bag toss. The duck pond was more Gabby's speed, and she had just as much fun as the older two.

As they were making their way back over to the rides, they stopped back at Kendall and Greenlee's booth. They noticed the dunking booth, and more importantly, who was inside. The parent working the booth called over to the pair.

"Bianca, Marissa! Come on over!"

"Would you mind keeping an eye on the kids for a minute, Curly?" Marissa grinned.

Kendall and Greenlee shared a smile.

"Not at all, Red! Good luck!"

"Good evening, ladies!"

"Hi, John. How's it going?"

"It's going pretty good, Bianca. Care to give this a try? It's just $1 a ball or 6 for $5, a bargain if I ever heard of one."

"She'd just be wasting her money. There is no way she'll be able to knock me down. Actually, neither one could knock me down. They're all talk." Tammy smirked.

Things had been quiet since the PTA meeting. Amber was following the rules laid out for her. The school counselor reported that the girl had begun to grasp that what she had been saying was wrong. It didn't seem that her mother had gotten that message yet though. "You think so, huh?" Marissa grinned. She turned to Bianca. "What do you say, B? I've got $5 that says she's wrong."

Bianca grinned. Marissa was reading her mind, again. Her blood still boiled when she thought of Tammy going after her girlfriend. While it wasn't anywhere close to what she deserved, dunking Tammy a few times would be kinda fun. "You're on! Do you want to go first or should I?"

"I'll let you have that honor." Marissa knew firsthand the strength of her girlfriend's arm and how sure her aim was having been in a snowball fight with her and getting nailed in the face.

"Thank you!" Bianca smiled.

"Oh, I'm shaking in my boots. We all know she couldn't hit the side of a barn. I'm sure she's never done anything as ordinary as throw a ball. She probably had someone throw them for her growing up." Tammy smirked. "You might as well get me something to eat, John, because I'm not going anywhere."

The man raised his eyebrows at the amount of smack talking Tammy was doing. They'd had a steady stream of customers since she had gotten into the booth, but no one had managed to dunk her yet. John was hoping against hope that Bianca and Marissa would both be able to hit the target because this woman was getting on his last nerve, and he really wanted the woman to shut the hell up. "Here you go, ladies. I'm guessing you'll be doing three tosses each."

"Yeah, we will. I'm not letting Bianca have all the fun." Marissa smirked.

John smiled as he noticed a small crowd starting to gather. His wife had mentioned something about an incident between the women after the last PTA meeting, but he had only been half listening at the time. Now, he wished he had listened closer.

Kendall, Greenlee and the kids watched from across the way. The kids started to cheer on their moms, and the friends cheered as well crossing their fingers that the aim of the couple would be true and knock the other woman down a few pegs.

"Have at it, Bianca, whenever you're ready."

"It sounds like someone needs to be cooled off. Go for it, B! Show her what you got!"

Bianca took a deep breath. She really wanted to shut the woman up. She heard their kids cheering for her along with her sister and cousin. A few of the other parents started to cheer her on as well, making her a little nervous. Bianca looked at Marissa, seeing the confidence her girlfriend had in her as she winked.

Marissa leaned in. "Think of it as kind of like a snowball fight! We know you have good aim at those!"

Bianca grinned remembering that day in the snow. Marissa knew it was just what she needed that day to help her deal with the stress of her divorce and custody battle. Bianca cocked her arm back and brought it forward letting the ball fly.

Tammy was still talking smack. "I can't believe we can't find anyone better to do …"

The ball hit the target dead center, and the woman was plunged into the cold water. A cheer went up from the crowd.

Marissa burst out laughing and hugged Bianca. They high-fived each other when they separated. "I knew you could do it!"

"That's one of us! Although, that piece of advice you gave me sure helped!" Bianca laughed and tossed a ball to Marissa. "Your turn!"

"The pressure's on now! I can't have you outdo me!"

Across the way, Kendall shouted. "Way to go, Binx! Come on, Red!"

Tammy slowly made her way back onto the booth's perch, glaring at the women. "That was just a lucky throw. There's no way that will happen ag …"

The ball flew from Marissa's hand, nailing the target right in the middle and sending the other woman back into the water.

The couple shared another high-five and burst out laughing.

"Woohoo, Red!"

The seat was reset, and Bianca hit the target again. Marissa matched her yet again with more cheering from the crowd.

Tammy mumbled something about it being rigged since John was obviously their friend.

"How can I rig it, Tammy, when I'm standing over here?" Inside, he wanted high-five the women himself and thank them over and over again. They had made his night.

"What do you think, Rissa? Should we give her a break?"

"Don't do me any favors! There's no way you could do it again!"

Marissa shrugged. "I was going to say 'yes', but you heard the woman. Go get her!"

Bianca nodded and threw one more time. Again, the woman went into the water. Once she was settled back in her seat, Marissa sent her right back into the water.

The crowd went wild and high-five the women as they made their way back to Kendall and Greenlee's booth.

"Way to go, mom and Bianca! That was so cool!" AJ gushed.

"It really was! I didn't know you could throw like that, mom! You either, Rissa!" Miranda grinned.

"You guys did really good!" Gabby giggled.

"Thanks!" The couple said at the same time.

"Ah, Binx and Red, you both made me so proud!"

"I'm with Kendall! I think that's going to be the highlight of the night!" Greenlee smirked.

"I have to admit it was pretty darn fun!" Bianca laughed.

Marissa laughed along with her girlfriend. "It really was! I think my favorite part was the expression on her face when you hit the target the first time. I wish we had a picture of that."

"Gotcha covered there, Red!" Kendall smiled and waved the couple's camera while Greenlee showed them her phone. Both women had taken multiple shots of the event. As they reviewed the pictures, the group was laughing so hard they were in tears.

"You both got some great shots!" Bianca laughed.

"Mom, could we ride a few more rides, please?" Miranda asked.

"Sure. How about we do a couple of more rides and then maybe get a funnel cake?"

"Yeah!"

"How much longer do you guys have to work?" Marissa asked.

Greenlee checked the time. "We should be done in half an hour. I'm thinking Ryan, Zach and the kids might be ready for a funnel cake about that time. I know I will be."

"Great idea, Greenlee. We could meet up with you all." Kendall added.

"Sounds like a plan. Come on troops. Let's go do some more rides!"

/

A short while later, everyone met up for dessert. It was soon determined that more napkins were needed so Bianca headed off in search of some. As she made her way back, she ran into Jesse.

"Bianca, how's it going?"

"Hi, Jesse. It's going pretty good. How are things with you?"

"Pretty good. I was hoping to run into you tonight. I wanted to let you know that we've made an arrest in the break-in."

"You have? That's great! Who's responsible?"

"Well, it's just one person, for now. We believe there are others involved though. The person we have in custody is a female minor. I really can't give you any more information other than that right now. We've questioned her some, but so far, she's not giving up any other names. We're hoping a night or two in a holding cell will convince her to talk." Jesse saw the concern in the brunette's eyes. Of course she would be worried about the kid in spite of what she'd done. "Don't worry. We're keeping her separate from the other prisoners. We would've sent her to juvenile detention, but they are full this weekend."

"Okay. What about her family?"

"We're still trying to track them down. Look, don't worry about her. We're keeping an eye out on her. I just wanted to let you know that we have someone in custody and are still working the case, that we haven't forgotten."

"It's good to hear that progress is being made, and I didn't think you forgot about it. Marissa will be relieved to know about someone being in custody. I think she's been more anxious about the break-in than I have."

"That doesn't surprise me. I'll let you go so you can get back to everyone. I just wanted to give you an update."

"Thanks, Jesse. I appreciate it. Tell Angie and the rest of the family that I said 'hi'."

"The same to your family." Jesse stopped and called back to the brunette. "Hey, Bianca! I heard about the two of you and the dunking booth. The Phillies might be interested in some starting pitchers next season if the two of you are interested in changing careers."

Bianca laughed. "We'll keep that in mind!" The two parted and made their ways back to their respective families.

/

"Hey, can anyone join this party?"

"Hey, Brian. I think we can make room for the three of you. Hi, Stef." Marissa bent over to her godson asleep in the stroller and whispered. "Hey, Jamie."

"Hi, Marissa, everybody. Thanks." Stef took an empty seat next to the redhead. "It's good to see everyone. Where's Bianca?"

"She went to grab some more napkins. We seem to be in desperate need of them." Kendall laughed as she came around to take a look at the baby. "He is adorable." She looked at his proud father and joked. "Thank goodness he takes after his mom!"

Brian laughed. "Tell me about it. We wouldn't want the kid to look like me."

The baby started to fuss, and Brian began to dig in the diaper bag for a bottle for his son. Stef shook her head. "It's not time yet. Marissa, would you like to hold him?"

Marissa grinned. "Oh, I think I could be convinced to hold him." She carefully held her godson, placing a kiss on the top of his head and started to rock him gently. She saw Gabby watching her closely. "Hey, monkey. Would you like to see Jamie?"

The little girl nodded shyly and sat in Bianca's empty seat. The redhead started to hum, and the baby calmed down immediately. Gabby didn't recognize the song.

Marissa looked at her, giving her a knowing wink and whispered. "Don't worry. It's not our song. That's just for our family."

Gabby smiled and started to talk to the baby, raising her voice an octave. "Hi, Jamie."

Bianca stopped when she saw Marissa holding her friend's son. She looked so beautiful holding the baby. Bianca sighed happily as she recalled a conversation they had over a year ago.

/

_The house looked exactly as it had been described. The two story home was exactly what Marissa was looking for. As they toured the home, Mrs. Walker chatted and conducted an interview with the redhead._

_At the end of the tour, Marissa and Bianca stepped out onto the patio to talk. Bianca looked at her friend and could see the excitement in her eyes. "Let me guess. You love it."_

"_Am I that obvious?"_

"_No, I just know you pretty well. Do you think you'd love it enough to buy it someday?"_

_Marissa shook her head. "No, I don't see myself growing old here. I still want more kids, and I'm holding out hope for finding someone for me to share my life with. All of that would mean a bigger place. For now though, it's perfect for AJ and me. Think the girls might like to visit us here?"_

"_I'm pretty sure they would. What about their mom?"_

"_Well she has an open invitation! Any time, day or night!"_

"_Thank you! I'll keep that in mind!"_

/

Bianca chuckled to herself. _Who knew that the girls and I would be part of that family?_ A more recent conversation from that summer flashed in her mind.

/

"_So, we're really going to do this? We're going to build our own house?"_

"_We really are! Are you okay with this?" Bianca grinned. _

"_Definitely! I'm just so excited! We get to decide what we want our home to be like!"_

_Seeing the excitement in Marissa's eyes, Bianca knew that she had to make this perfect for her girlfriend. "So, where do you want to start?"_

_Marissa grabbed a legal pad and pen. "We should make a list of the things we want and how we think it should be laid out."_

"_Sounds like a good plan. What are thinking? How many floors should we have?"_

"_I was thinking two floors plus a finished basement. The basement could serve as a playroom for the kids. I know the girls loved the one they had at Wildwind." _

"_They did, and I think that's a pretty good idea. The kids will love it. We could have a guest bedroom and bathroom down there too."_

_Marissa nodded as she wrote. "I like it. On the first floor, I was thinking family room, dining room, kitchen …"_

"_Could it be an eat in kitchen? I think we should have a formal dining room, but for every day, I like the idea of eating in the kitchen. It's more us."_

"_I agree. I was also thinking a home office that we could share. We could have everything you need for your work with the Miranda Center."_

"_And your law books, we gotta have room for those to keep that legal eagle mind of yours sharp."_

_Marissa laughed and added that to the list. She glanced up at Bianca with a mischievous grin. "I was thinking our bedroom could be on that floor in the back of the house facing the woods."_

"_Ah yes, our bedroom! So, you have it away from the kids with some thicker walls there, right?"_

"_Of course, I do! Any suggestions for the master bath?"_

"_Hmmm, I'm thinking a shower and maybe a jacuzzi tub too."_

"_Ooh, I'm really liking that! That's definitely going on the list!"_

_Bianca laughed. "I thought you might! What about the kids? Bedrooms on the second floor?"_

"_Yeah and they should all be the same size. You know, the girls have been so great about moving here and sharing a smaller room than what they had at Wildwind. I know that was a big adjustment for them."_

"_I told you before. Wildwind was nice, but it always felt temporary to us. There was always something missing. It was you and AJ. Us all being together here has made this place our home. The girls know that as much as I do. So while they had to adjust to sharing a room and one that was smaller, it was more than worth it to them. I still think they'll be thrilled to have their own rooms again though. Well, Miranda maybe more than Gabby. I think we're going to have to talk to Gabby."_

"_I think you're right. We will."_

"_How many rooms are you thinking of for the second floor?" Bianca knew what she wanted, but she needed to know if Marissa was on the same page as her, if she was okay with what the brunette had in mind._

_Marissa grew nervous and bit her lip. "I wanted to talk to you about that. I, I was thinking four bedrooms on the second floor."_

"_Four bedrooms, huh? But we only have three kids." Bianca added, knowing what her girlfriend was implying with that simple question and was relieved by her answer._

"_Yeah, about that, I'd like to have another child with you. And I'm not talking about having one right now. I'm thinking maybe in a year we could add to our family. I mean, we're still getting used to living together and being a family. We have to get the house built and get settled in it. I don't want to spring too many changes on the kids all at one time." Marissa paused to take a breath and saw a grin tugging on Bianca's lips. "I'm talking too much, huh? What do you think?"_

_Bianca tried but just couldn't stop herself from grinning. The sight of Marissa being nervous in a good way was too adorable to her, and she couldn't hide it. "Yeah, just a little. I think having another child with you would be just about the most perfect thing in world."_

_Marissa finally released the breath she'd been holding for what seemed like forever. "You do?"_

"_Yeah, I do. You want to be the one to have our baby?"_

_Marissa beamed. "I, I do. I can't think of anything I want more than to have our baby. I love the girls and AJ with all of my heart. There's nothing I wouldn't do for them, and I consider them mine. I'd like to …"_

"_Experience what it's like to have a baby?"_

_The redhead nodded. "Yes."_

_Bianca pulled Marissa to her. "I understand. It's definitely a miracle, a blessing, and I would like nothing better than having another little redhead join our family. I'm in and ready whenever you are!"_

_There was a hitch in Marissa's breath as she gazed at Bianca and that grin of her's that always did wonderful things to the redhead. She captured her girlfriend's lips for a fervent kiss._

"_Shouldn't we keep working on our list for the house?" Bianca grinned._

"_Later. The kids aren't home at the moment, and won't be for a couple more hours. I say we take advantage of that fact." Marissa took the legal pad at threw it on the floor and smiled wickedly._

"_I do love how you think."_

/

"She's a natural."

Bianca jerked back to the present and found her sister standing next to her with an amused look on her face. "Hi, Kendall. What are you talking about?"

Kendall had walked over to her sister when she saw her heading back to the table. "Red, she's a natural with kids."

"Yeah, yeah she is."

"Have you two thought about having more kids?" Kendall noticed a look of apprehension mixing with a slight blush on her sister's face. "Don't worry. I won't say anything to anyone else."

Marissa glanced up at that moment, and Bianca's eyes locked on her girlfriend's. The redhead gave her a brilliant smile which she returned. "We, we, we've talked. We're thinking of trying soon."

"Really, Binx? I think that's fantastic! I couldn't be happier for the two of you!"

"Thanks, Kendall! We haven't said anything to anyone else yet."

"Like I said before, I won't tell anyone. Marissa will be the one to carry the baby?"

"Yeah, she really wants to be the one to do it."

"It makes sense to me since she's never done that. Are you okay with that?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I am. I want her to be able to experience that. She deserves to. I've had my two little miracles. It's her turn, and it will make her happy. I want that more than anything. So, what do you think?"

"I think I'd really love another niece or nephew. I think any child that has the two of you as mothers is the luckiest kid around. I think no child will be loved more not only by their mothers but by their big brother and sisters and their Aunt Kendall."

"Sounds like a pretty lucky kid." Bianca smiled.

"Definitely! Whatever you and Marissa need, you just let me know, and I'll be there."

"Thanks! You know, I'm pretty lucky to have you for a sister."

"Yes, you are! And so am I, Binx." Kendall gave her little sister a squeeze. "Now, go be with your girlfriend and see Brian and Stef's little boy."

Bianca smiled and headed back to the table. She gave Marissa a quick kiss and said hello to her friends. Gabby moved so Bianca could sit down. "Stef, is it alright with you if I hold Jamie?"

"Of course, it is. That is if you can get Marissa to give him up." The woman joked.

Marissa made a face. "Fine, I guess I have been hogging him a little." The redhead handed Bianca the baby and couldn't help but smile as she watched her girlfriend interact with the little boy.

Gabby scrambled onto Marissa's now empty lap while keeping a close eye on Bianca. She giggled when Marissa tickled her some noticing her daughter's wariness. Bianca glanced over and gave Gabby a wink reassuring the youngest member of their family.

/

They arrived home a couple of hours later. The kids were exhausted. AJ and Miranda slowly made their way into the house and headed upstairs to put on their pajama and brush their teeth. Bianca carried a passed out Gabby inside and up to her room, changing her into her pajamas while Marissa locked up and checked in on AJ. He was sprawled across his bed by the time Marissa got to his room. She helped get him situated in bed and covered him up, giving him a kiss goodnight.

She then joined Bianca in the girls' room and got Miranda settled in. The young girl was almost asleep when she suddenly opened her eyes. "We didn't our story, Rissa."

Marissa smiled. "Well, AJ and Gabby are down for the count, and you look like you're about to join them. How about we do two stories tomorrow night? Does that sound good to you?"

Miranda yawned before nodding. "Okay. You promise?"

"I promise. Now, go to sleep. Love you, Mimo."

"Night. Love you too."

Marissa turned to check on Gabby while Bianca did the same with AJ. They met back up in their bedroom and got ready for bed.

"I saw you talking to Jesse earlier. What'd he want?"

"They made an arrest in the break-in."

"They did? That's good to hear. Who?"

"He didn't give me many details. He just said they have a female minor in custody, and that they think there are others involved. She's not talking though. They're still trying to locate her family."

Marissa saw the look in her girlfriend's eyes. She hadn't even met the girl, didn't know anything about her, and yet, she was feeling sorry for her. "Bianca …"

"What? I just feel bad …"

"Bianca, what she did was wrong, and she needs to pay for it. Let Jesse handle this. Don't get involved in this any more than you already are."

"You're right. I'll try and back off. I just can't help it."

Marissa caught the _try_ part of that statement and decided to let it pass, for now. Bianca would literally give the shirt off her back to help someone she felt needed it, no matter the expense to herself. Marissa saw it as her job to not only support Bianca but to protect her, keep her safe, and she was determined to do it, even if it meant protecting her girlfriend from herself. She really hoped this wouldn't be one of those times but had a feeling it would be. "I know, and that's one of the many reasons why I love you. So again, let Jesse handle this."

"Okay. I can't get over how big Jamie's gotten. He's a cutie."

Marissa recognized the changing of the subject and silently agreed to let it drop for the present. "Yeah, he is. Did you notice Gabby's reaction to him?"

Bianca smiled. "I did. She was a little jealous of him."

"Do you think she'll okay when we have a baby? I mean, she's been the baby of the family for a long time, and I don't want her to think that she's being replaced or that I love her any less …"

"Rissa, she won't. We'll talk to her, explain everything to her. It will be an adjustment for her, but she'll be okay. In fact, I think she'll love being a big sister, and I think she'll be a really good one."

"I think she will too. She does have two of the best examples of how to be a good older sibling in AJ and Miranda."

"Yes, she definitely does, and I think they will love have a new brother or sister, especially AJ if it's a brother!"

Marissa laughed. "I think you're right on that one. He is a little outnumbered here."

"Yeah, just a little!" Bianca paused. "I, um, was talking to Kendall earlier. She asked if we were thinking of having a baby when she saw you with Jamie. She thinks you're a natural, by the way."

"And what did you tell her?" Marissa already knew the answer and was okay with it.

"I told her we were thinking of trying soon. Are you okay that I told her?"

"Yeah, I am. She's your sister, and the two of you are close. But …"

"Don't worry. She promised not to tell anyone else, and she won't."

Marissa sighed in relief. "Good. I just don't want to jinx anything. So, what did she think?"

Bianca smiled brightly. "She thinks it's fantastic and couldn't be happier for us. Anything we need, she's there. She also said she can't wait to be an aunt again."

"Yeah? It's good to have her on our side, knowing that she's there if and when we need her. Plus, she is a great aunt. The way she's accepted AJ means so much to me."

"How could she not love him? He's a great kid. You're doing a wonderful job raising him."

"_We're_ doing a wonderful job with him. I'm not the only one responsible."

"Gotcha. _We're_ doing a pretty darn good job with the girls too so I think everyone's going to be just great with a new addition. So, there's nothing to worry about, okay?"

"Okay. You're right. I'll try not to worry so much."

"Good." Bianca grinned mischievously. "So, you love me, huh?"

Marissa chuckled and rolled her eyes. "You know that I do. I love you desperately and hopelessly."

"I know! I just love hearing you say it. It's something I'll never get tired of hearing. And for the record, counselor, I love you desperately and hopelessly too."

"Yeah, I know that, and you're right. It's something I'll never get tired of hearing either." Marissa wagged her eyebrows. "Would you like to show me how much?"

The brunette laughed. "Oh yeah, I would, more than anything." Bianca pulled Marissa to her for a searing kiss and pushed her back on the bed.

/

**A/N: While I would've liked to have had both Bianca and Marissa deck Tammy, I just didn't see it working in the story because to them, it wouldn't have sent the right message to the kids. That being said, I couldn't resist letting them extract some sort of physical revenge, if you will, on her. Hope you liked it! **


	44. Breakin Update

**A/N: Again, I have to thank you all for the great reviews! I really do appreciate them and more importantly, all of you for reading! It's time for a little drama. This chapter picks up a few days after the last one. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Marissa stood in the doorway of the family room watching Bianca. The brunette was settled on the sofa reading something on her laptop, unaware of being observed. If truth be told, the redhead loved to watch her girlfriend particularly in these unguarded moments. Bianca could sometimes be self-conscious about how she looked, never thinking she was as beautiful as her mother. To Marissa though, her girlfriend had it all wrong. Erica had nothing on her youngest daughter. Yes, she was a beautiful woman. That was something that had been documented in countless magazines time and time again. In Marissa's mind, Erica, however, paled in comparison to Bianca. Some might argue that Marissa was biased, clouded by her love for her girlfriend, but she honestly didn't believe that was the case. Even before their relationship changed, back when they were simply best friends and no more than that, Marissa felt this to be true. The saying 'beauty is only skin deep' didn't apply to Bianca. Her beauty went beyond that. Her beauty was defined by her heart and her soul, and it radiated from her. It was captivating. So much so that sometimes, Marissa just seemed to have a hard time taking her eyes off of Bianca.

Since the kids were in bed, they finally had some alone time tonight, and the redhead had every intention of taking advantage of that. Marissa inched closer to see what had her girlfriend so completely engrossed. Bianca had seemed a little distracted all evening, and the redhead was curious as to why. Marissa had a feeling that whatever had her girlfriend's attention at this particular moment might hold the answer to that question. Her curiosity finally got the best of her, and Marissa snuck up behind Bianca, unable to resist any longer.

"Whatcha reading?"

Bianca was so startled that she'd jumped. She turned and saw Marissa laughing. "Rissa, you scared the hell out of me! You have to stop doing that."

"Sorry, I just couldn't resist. You always give me a hard time about zoning out and going into _lawyer mode_. You were giving me a run for my money just now."

The brunette pulled Marissa down next to her. "I love it when you go into _lawyer mode_. You scrunch your eyebrows and get this little crease in between them which I find completely irresistible." Bianca smiled brightly as she kissed the aforementioned spot.

Marissa sighed happily and grinned. "Okay, I get it now. It's like what you were just doing. It's kind of hot too."

Bianca laughed and gave her a lingering kiss. "Yeah, come to think of it, you are kind of hot when you're like that." The brunette began to trail kisses down her girlfriend's neck.

Marissa moaned softly, before she somehow managed to find the strength to pull herself back. "Stop distracting me and answer the question. What were you reading?"

"I thought you liked my distractions." Bianca grinned wickedly.

"Oh no, I _love_ your distractions, trust me on that, but you've had something on your mind all evening. I want to know what's going on. So, I need you to answer the question." Marissa glanced at what Bianca had pulled up on her laptop. "Pine Valley University Course Catalog? Are you interested in taking some classes?"

"No, no, not really. I was just browsing. It's nothing." Bianca moved to close the laptop, but Marissa was quicker, sensing there was more going on, and pulled the laptop out of her girlfriend's reach.

Marissa scrolled through the site and found what Bianca had been reading. "I don't think so. Psychology classes, huh? Are you looking to try and finally figure out our families? Between what we have on both sides of our family, there's enough there for an entire course and textbook." The redhead smirked.

Bianca laughed. "I can't argue with you there. I was just curious."

Marissa wasn't buying that excuse. She knew there was more going on, and she wasn't going to let it go. "What's going on? I'm getting the feeling there's something more than mere curiosity going on here."

"It's nothing, really. I just …"

"Bianca."

The brunette saw the determined look in Marissa's eyes and knew she wasn't going to let the topic rest. _Suck it up, Montgomery. I might as well tell her. I know I will eventually anyway, and Marissa, well, she won't judge me or laugh at me. I know that all too well. There's no reason to be afraid. I can tell her anything._ "Okay, I was just checking to see what new courses they were offering, and yeah, I was thinking about maybe taking something, after I talked with you of course and if you thought it was all right."

"Really? I think that's great. What got you thinking about that?"

"We have a new volunteer at the Center who is also doing an internship for her bachelor's degree in psychology. She's been talking about the classes she's been taking and some of the new treatments and schools of thought, and it sounded kind of interesting and just got me thinking."

Marissa nodded. She knew exactly what Bianca was talking about. Her girlfriend was always interested in improving herself, even if it wasn't needed, and coming up with new ways to improve the Miranda Center. "So, how long have you wanted to go back to school and take some classes?"

"I thought about it for a little while, but you know, now that I really think about it, there's too much going on around here to do it."

"Why do you say that? We can always make the time for you to do this if you really want."

"Rissa, it's too much. We have three kids. I have a full time job and so do you. I can't ask you to rearrange everything so I can go back to school. Plus, we're building a new home which we'll be moving into soon. That means packing up this place and getting things ready at the new place. We also have the holidays coming up, and _someone_ is dead set on having our families over for Christmas. How I let you talk me into that is beyond me. So, there's too much going on right now. There literally is just no time."

"First, you didn't ask me to rearrange anything. I'm kind of volunteering to evaluate the situation, to see what needs to be done. We can figure things out. You should know by now that when we put our minds together, nothing is impossible. Second, the fall semester is already started so you're looking at the spring semester at the earliest. That means you wouldn't start class until after the holidays, and by that time, we'll be moved and settled into our new home. And before you bring up the kids and someone being with them after school, we can find someone to watch them for a couple of hours after they get out of school. Maybe, we can work something out with Susan. The kids love her, and she has a pretty flexible schedule." Marissa paused briefly. "You know, when you think about it, it makes sense. You're investing in yourself and your work at the Center."

"Yeah, that's true." Bianca gazed at her girlfriend. "There's still one thing we haven't talked about, and it's kind of big. Well actually, it's starts out little and then gets big."

Marissa knew instantly what her girlfriend was referring to. "Yeah, I know, us adding to our family."

"Yeah, the plan is to start trying to have a baby next year. I don't want to put that on hold just so I can take a class. It's too important to you and too important to me. And if you think I'm not going to be there with you every step of the way …"

"Oh no, I don't want to put that on hold either. I know you want to be there, and I want you there every single step of the way. I'm going to need you there. As you well know, there's a lot involved with us having a baby though. If I get pregnant …"

Bianca took Marissa's hands in her's. "Don't you mean _when_ you get pregnant? Because this is going to happen, got it?"

Marissa smiled and nodded. "I got it, and you're right. _When_ I get pregnant, we don't know how long that will take to happen, and _when _it does happen, there's still a lot of time before baby Tasker-Montgomery makes his or her appearance. The last time I checked, it takes nine months to carry a baby to term. As for all of the appointments we'll have, those can be made around our schedules whatever they happen to be at the time. So, I don't see why you can't take a class while all of that's going on."

The redhead could tell that Bianca was weighing everything she had just said and was wavering on her resistance when she made her final push. "There's really nothing to lose. You take one class just to get your feet wet again. See how it feels. We'll work everything else out from there. Besides, I saw the way your eyes lit up when you mentioned learning about new theories and treatments and schools of thought. You really want to do this."

Bianca shook her head slightly in disbelief. Marissa really did know her so well. "I kinda do. Are you sure you're okay with this? It's going to make things even more hectic around here."

"Of course, I am. If it makes you happy, I'm all for it." Marissa grinned and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "Maybe, you'll want to finish up your master's degree, and after that, you could think about getting your doctorate. My mom always wanted me to meet a doctor and settle down." The redhead smirked.

Bianca laughed. "You are amazing, you know that?"

"So, I've been told by you many times." Marissa grinned.

"If it's all right with you, I think I'll pass on the doctorate. Sorry to disappoint you on that."

"That's okay on you not becoming a doctor, I guess. I'll get over it. Maybe, one of the kids will want to be a doctor. I could work with that as long as they don't go the mad scientist route like David." Marissa gave a fake shiver and chuckled.

Bianca laughed. "I'd rather them not go that route myself. You have to admit that he's a brilliant doctor. It's just that …"

Marissa made a face. "It's just that he seems to have a huge problem with the morals and ethics side of his chosen profession. I'm painfully aware of that."

"Hey, you're not at all like him in that regard. Remember, you're like your mom and dad, and AJ is an awful lot like you. It's that whole nature versus nurture thing. In the case of our family, nurture seems to be winning. Don't ever doubt that."

"Thank you. It seems that I'm not the only one amazing around here. You've been there for me too many times to count especially during that whole mess with JR. Me supporting you going back to school is nothing compared to that."

"Rissa, there's no place else I would've been. You don't owe me anything for that. We're a package deal."

"Yeah, we are. I'm not doing this because I think I owe you for anything. I'm doing this because it makes you happy, and I'll do anything for that, just like I know you would do the same for me." Marissa gave her a quick kiss. "So, what are we looking at course wise for you?"

Bianca sighed happily. "I'm not sure. I was trying to figure that out."

Marissa handed her back the laptop, and they browsed the courses being offered for the next semester. Bianca found a couple that she thought sounded interesting and worth following up on.

"You know, I was serious before about you finishing up your master's if you wanted."

"Yeah, I know. I'm just not sure what all that would entail, how many of my existing credit hours I'd be able to apply towards it."

"Well, I have the perfect solution for that. Call the psychology department at PVU tomorrow morning and ask. They can look up your transcript and see what you need and answer any questions you might have."

"Gee, why didn't I think of that?" Bianca smirked.

"I don't know. You must be slipping. It's a good thing you have me around."

"It's a _very_ good thing."

Bianca leaned in closer but stopped short when Marissa got up.

"Hey, where are you going?"

Marissa grinned at her girlfriend wickedly as she made her way slowly up the stairs. "Oh, I'm going up to our bedroom. I was just thinking that if you wanted to distract me some more that it might be better behind a closed door where there's less chance of the kids interrupting us and us scarring them for life. What do you think?"

Bianca cleared her throat and gave Marissa a brilliant smile as she bounded up the stairs behind her. "Have I ever told you that I really love how you think?"

/

The next morning, Bianca contacted both the admissions office and psychology department at Pine Valley University with both agreeing to email her information later that day. She had to admit that she was getting a little excited about the prospect of taking a course or two at PVU, and having Marissa's support and encouragement was making this all that much better. With that taken care of, she settled in for a day of work.

Sometime later, there was a knock on her door. "Bianca, Chief Hubbard is on the line for you."

"Thanks, Jan." The brunette picked up the phone. "Hi, Jesse. What can I do for you?"

"Hello, Bianca. It's more like what I can do for you. I thought I'd give you a more complete update on the break-in if you're interested."

"Of course, I am."

"Good. Would you mind coming down to the station?"

"I can do that. When?"

"Whenever is convenient for you."

"Let me check my calendar." Bianca pulled up her calendar on her laptop. "I could be there in an hour. Does that work for you?"

"That's perfect. I'll see you in an hour."

Bianca went back to work reviewing the latest report from the Center's newest branch in New York City. Construction was going well and should be completed on time later this year. Maybe, if things continued on schedule and she could find someone to watch the kids, her and Marissa could sneak away for a long weekend when they held the grand opening of it. Thirty minutes later, she wrapped up what she was working on. Bianca knew Marissa was in a meeting with a new client. She decided to send her girlfriend a quick text to let her know where she would be in case she looked for her later.

_Rissa, I had a call from Jesse. He wants to give me an update on the break-in. I'll be at the police station if you need me. Love you, B_.

"Jan, I'm heading down to the police station for a meeting with Chief Hubbard. I'm not sure how long I'll be. If you need me for anything, just give me a call."

"Will do, Bianca."

/

Bianca walked into the Pine Valley Police Department and spotted Officer Monroe. "Hi, Brot."

The officer looked up and smiled. "Hi, Bianca. How are you today?"

"I'm good. How are you, and how's Natalia?"

"We're both good. How about Marissa and the kids?"

"Never better. Is Jesse around? He wanted to see me about the break-in."

Brot nodded and got up. "He's in his office and said to have you go back as soon as you got here. I'll take you there now."

Bianca waved him off. "You don't need to escort me to his office. I know the way. Thanks."

The brunette made her way down the hallway to the chief's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

"Hey, Jesse."

"Bianca, come on in and have a seat." He glanced down at the file on his desk and waited until the brunette was settled before starting again. "When I saw you at the school fair, I told you about making an arrest. I discussed the case with the district attorney, and he agreed that I could give you more details. We arrested Samantha Robinson and have charged her with breaking and entering along with vandalism and a few other misdemeanors."

"You mentioned she was a minor when we talked. How old is she?"

"She's 15 years old."

Bianca was shocked at the age of the girl. "Have you located her parents?"

Jesse sighed. "Well, we have and we haven't. Her parents died last year while she was away on an overnight field trip for school. It was carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty line with a gas stove. The police were called to investigate when neither one showed up at their respective jobs. She arrived home just as the coroner was removing them."

"Oh my god, that's awful. Where's she been living? Who's been taking care of her? Does she have any other family? What about counseling? Has she gotten any?"

Jesse knew Bianca would be throwing countless questions his way. "She has an aunt who we've been told lives in upstate New York. We're still trying to locate her. Apparently, there was some sort of falling out in the family. From what we've been able to determine, she doesn't know about her brother and his wife passing away yet. And that's pretty much it in the way of family. Up until her parents' deaths, Samantha was a straight A student and really involved in school. After they died and since they couldn't locate any family members, she was put in foster care. Her grades started to suffer, and she became withdrawn. It doesn't look like she received any counseling, and I'm not sure why. She might've fallen through the cracks. She ran away from the foster home six months ago. We're really not sure why. She was placed back with them and ran away again. For the last three months, it looks like that she's been living on the street. We have gotten some reports that she started hanging out with a pretty rough crowd around that time. They happened to be wanted for questioning in several other break-ins, and we think they are the ones really behind what happened at the Miranda Center. We can't prove it, however, because of the quality of the video surveillance you had at the time of the break-in."

Bianca shook her head. She hadn't even met her, but the brunette's heart was breaking for the girl. "Has she said why they did this? Has she said anything about the others? Where do you have her now?"

"No, she's still not talking. We have no idea why they broke in. We're moving her to juvenile detention in a little while since a space finally opened up. If we can't locate the others, she's going to be the one to take all of the heat for this."

Bianca took all of this in. From what Jesse was telling her, this girl was bright and had a loving home until tragedy struck and took it all away from her in the blink of an eye. To suffer that kind of loss and then receive no support to deal with it was unconscionable and added to the girl's suffering. The story stuck with her, reminding her of others, and she needed to do something to help this girl. She knew she had promised Marissa that she would try not to get involved any more than she already was, but after hearing all of this from Jesse, Bianca just couldn't help herself. Surely, Marissa would understand. "Do you think maybe I could see her, talk to her? Maybe, I could get her to talk to me, open up."

Jesse studied the younger woman for a minute. It never ceased to amaze him that the woman before him was the youngest daughter of Erica Kane. He liked Erica well enough. She had her moments, and he remembered her helping his best friend Jenny many years ago. For the most part though, Erica was a force to be reckoned with, and if she had been in Bianca's shoes at this particular moment, he couldn't help but think that she'd be wanting the girl's hide. She definitely wouldn't be offering to help someone who she had felt wronged her. He had met Samantha, talked with her as much as she would allow and knew the girl was scared. He had a feeling it was a case of falling in with the wrong crowd and being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If possible, he wanted to help her. If anyone could get through to her, it would be the woman in front of him. That was partially why he called her down to his office today. It was worth a try. "If you're willing to try, I'm open to it. I'll take you to the interrogation room we're holding her in until social services gets here."

The pair got up and headed down the hallway. Jesse opened the door, and Bianca followed him inside. The brunette saw the girl huddled in a corner of the room. Her head shot up when the door opened. She was blonde, petite, looked young for her age and scared to death. She began nervously chewing on her nails and eyed the adults suspiciously.

"Samantha Robinson, I'd like you to meet Bianca Montgomery. She is the founder and head of the Miranda Center, the place you and your friends broke into and trashed."

Bianca studied the girl for a few minutes. "Jesse, could we have a few minutes alone?"

"I don't know about that, Bianca. I don't feel right about leaving you alone with her. Your family along with most of Pine Valley would kill me if something happened to you."

"I'll be okay, and you'll just be on the other side of the door if I need you. Please."

Jesse sighed. He looked at the girl. He didn't think she would do anything to hurt Bianca. "All right, but I'll just be on the other side." He shot the girl a warning look. "I'm just outside. Anything happens to her, and there will be hell to pay. I'm throwing you back in a cell. This time, it will be with the other prisoners, no special treatment. I don't even want you looking at her wrong. Do you understand me?"

The girl's eyes widened, not doubting the chief's threat for one minute, and nodded.

Jesse left the room while Bianca took a seat. "Hi, Samantha. Would you like to have a seat?"

"What do you want?"

"I just want to talk. Is that okay with you?"

The girl slowly got up and sat across the table from Bianca. There was something about the woman. She seemed nice and reminded her of her mother. "What about?"

"You're in quite a bit of trouble. I was hoping I could help you, if you let me."

"You really know him?"

"Who? Oh, you mean Chief Hubbard? I do, and we're friends. He's a good guy, and someone you'd want on your side."

"Why do you want to help me?"

"I don't know. You remind me of some people I know, and that's what we do at the Miranda Center."

The girl got uneasy hearing Bianca mention the Center again. "What do you mean?"

"The Miranda Center's main purpose is to help women and children. Many of those that come to us have been abused in one way or another. We offer them a safe place to stay and help them get back on their feet. We offer counseling, training and other skills. Mainly, we let them know that they are not alone, that someone is there for them, to help them. They just need to ask."

"That's what it does? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure. Like Jesse said, I founded it and run it. I should know."

"Why?"

"Why did I start it? Let's just say that I had my reasons. Samantha, you didn't know what we did there, did you?"

The girl shook her head, feeling even more miserable about what she and the others had done now. "No, we didn't know. And I go by Sam."

"Okay, Sam. You said _we_ didn't know. Who are the others?"

"No, I can't tell you that. I won't tell you that. They'll know I talked."

Bianca could tell the girl was frightened of her so called friends, and she wasn't going to give up their names easily. The brunette decided to let the topic drop for the moment. "Why did you do it, Sam?"

The guilt of what she had done was starting to get to the girl. The woman in front of her was being so nice, trying to help her, and she wasn't quite sure what to think about it. She should be yelling at her and wanting to see her punished, but she wasn't doing any of that. No one had been this nice to her since her parents had died. "I don't know."

"I think you do. There has to be a reason. I just want to know why."

"We needed money, and someone said that place kept some there. When we didn't find any, a couple of them got mad."

"So, they decided to trash the place and steal some things."

"Yeah, I guess."

"I see. If you tell the police who else was there, they might be able to reduce some of the charges against you."

"I'm not a rat. I'm not saying anything else. I'm done talking now. I want you to leave."

Bianca looked at the girl. She was shutting down and not going to give her anything else. "Okay, I'll go. If you want to talk, the police and social services both know how to get in touch with me." As the brunette closed the door, she heard a soft "I'm sorry" being whispered from the girl. Bianca knew that she had to help this girl. There was one more thing she could try, one person she could reach out to for help. "Jesse, is there any way you can delay social services from taking her to juvenile detention right now?"

"I should be able to do that. What do you have in mind?"

"I think Sam is in need of a good lawyer, and I have the perfect one in mind." _I have a feeling she's not going to like it too much at first, and I just hope I can talk her into helping._

"Okay, let me see what I can do about keeping her a while longer. I'll let you make your call."

Bianca took a deep breath and dialed Marissa's number.

"Hey, you!"

"Hey, yourself."

"How did it go with Jesse?"

"It went pretty well. I'm still down at the police station. I could use your help with something. Do you have some time right now?"

"Actually, I do. I just finished up a meeting. I'm all yours."

"And I am lucky that you are. Could you come down to the station?"

"Sure, I can be there in a few minutes. Love you."

"Love you too." Before Bianca could say anything else, Marissa had disconnected the call.


	45. Tearing Down Walls

**A/N: As always, thank you for the wonderful reviews! Keep 'em coming! You all are the best! **

**So, why two updates in a week from me? Well, I'm heading out on vacation which means I will be putting down the laptop for a few days and picking up my camera which happens to be my first love creativity-wise, although this writing thing has become a close second. I didn't want to leave anyone hanging and wondering what happened to me when there wasn't a regular update, and I wanted to give you all a little something to hold you over while I'm gone. I'm not sure when I'll have my next update, but rest assured, there will be one. And while I may be leaving the laptop at home, I will be taking a notebook and pen along with me and writing old school just in case inspiration happens to strike me after I'm done exploring during the day while I'm away. Oh, I have to give a quick shout out to the readers from the United States. Happy Independence Day! **

**Okay, I'm picking up this chapter where I left off at the previous one. **

**/ **

Marissa arrived at the police station not long after getting off the phone with Bianca. She wasn't quite sure what her girlfriend needed her help with, but she needed her so she would be there for her. "Hi, Brot."

"Hey, Marissa. What can I do for you?"

"Bianca called and wanted me to meet her here. Do you know where she is?"

"Oh, she's back with Jesse in his office. Let me take you back."

"That's okay. I know the way. Tell Natalia I said 'hi', and I'll be giving her a call soon."

"Will do."

Marissa made her way back to Jesse's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in."

The redhead's eyes immediately found Bianca's and smiled before locating the chief seated behind his desk. "Hi, Jesse."

"Marissa, it's always good to see you." He looked across his desk at Bianca and got up. "I need to check on something. Why don't you two stay here and use my office to talk?"

"Thanks, Jesse." Bianca said gratefully. "Hey. Why don't you have a seat?"

"Hey, yourself." Marissa gave her a quick kiss and took the seat next to her girlfriend. "So, what's up? What do you need my help with?"

Bianca picked up a folder that was on Jesse's desk and handed it to Marissa. "I need you to read something for me and give me your take on it, but before you do, I need to explain something."

"Sure. What is it?"

"This file is on a potential client of the Miranda Center. It's someone that I think needs the Center's help more than she knows. She's 15 years old, alone and has gotten herself into quite a bit of trouble."

Everything came together in that split second for Marissa. _Bianca was called down here to be given an update on the break-in by Jesse. The person they had in custody for it was a female minor. Jesse had a funny look on his face when he saw me just now. Bianca's talking about a potential client who is a 15 year old girl who's in trouble. Dammit, it's the same girl! Does she know what she's asking me to do?_ "No, Bianca, no! I'm not doing it! I can't believe you're even thinking about asking me this!" She threw the file back on Jesse's desk.

Bianca took a deep breath. "Marissa, she's going to need some legal representation, and I was hoping that you …"

"No! She's responsible for breaking into the Center! All of the damage that was done to it? She's one of the people responsible for it! I saw how upset you were when you heard what happened down there, when you came home after spending hours there that night cleaning."

"Marissa, she's a child and didn't know any better."

The redhead was shaking her head as she got up and started to pace back and forth. "No, AJ, Miranda and Gabby are children, and they know better than to do something like this. This girl is 15 which is pretty close to being an adult and definitely old enough to know right from wrong. Don't tell me she doesn't know any better when our _4 year old_ does! What if you were there when they broke in? What if they would've done something to you? Did you ever think about that?"

"But I wasn't there, and nothing happened to me. I honestly don't think this girl would've done anything to physically hurt me and neither does Jesse. I talked with her, and I'd like you to as well. I think if you do …"

"Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that Jesse let you speak with her? Was he there?"

"He was just outside the interrogation room."

"You talked to her _alone? Are you kidding me?_" Marissa was struggling to control her temper. She couldn't believe Jesse had allowed that to happen. If something had happened to Bianca, she would never forgive him and she planned on making sure he damn well knew that the next time she saw him.

"I was perfectly safe."

"Uh no, I don't think so. Being perfectly safe wouldn't have you alone with her. Being perfectly safe would have you either in the same room as her with someone else there or not in the same room with her at all. I can't believe Jesse did that." Marissa stopped pacing and stood in front of Bianca. "Why do always put everyone else first, put everyone else before your own safety?"

"I told you before, I was safe. Nothing happened. There's no reason to worry. And this is my job, this is what I do."

"Well, my job is to worry about you, especially when you don't want to seem to bother worrying about yourself. Why didn't you tell me this over the phone?"

"I tried, but you hung up before I could say anything else."

"You didn't try very hard."

Bianca knew that Marissa was right and that not telling her until she was at the police station was wrong even if she had the best of intentions. She should have told her when they talked, before Marissa came down to the station. "You're right. I should've tried harder. I'm sorry. I had a feeling what your reaction would be, that you would refuse to help her, and she needs help."

"Damn straight, I would've refused! Now what? You want me read her file so I'll feel sorry for her and just blindly agree to help. It's wrong, and you know it's wrong. You should have told me upfront. You _promised_ me that you wouldn't get involved any more than you already were. Does this look like you not getting involved?"

"You're right. I'm sorry. I should've told you everything from the very beginning. I know I promised, but she needs help. If you just read the file and talk to her, you'll see that. She's scared, Marissa, and she doesn't have anyone. I know you know how that feels."

"What do you mean 'she doesn't have anyone'? Where are her parents?"

"Her parents are dead. They died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning last year while she was away on an overnight school field trip. When she got home, the police were at the house and broke the news to her. As for other family, it looks like it's only an aunt who they haven't been able to locate yet. She's all alone."

"That's not fair, Bianca. That's not fair at all. Yeah, I know what it's like to be alone, but I _never_ did anything close to what she did."

"I'm sorry. No, you didn't, and I know that you could never do anything close to what she did. It's not who you are. You're strong and kinda fearless, and there's no way that anyone could ever convince you to do something that you know is wrong, something that's illegal. This girl though, and she is a girl, is scared, and she's not as strong as you. She's alone and needs someone to show her that there's a better way. Until her parents died and her life was turned upside down, she was a good student and never in any trouble. She's scared and hurt and doesn't know how to deal with what's happened to her. She got in with the wrong crowd, and if she doesn't get away from them now, she never will. There's good in her. I can see it."

Marissa shook her head. "Bianca …" She looked at her girlfriend and saw how much this meant to her. She knew all too well what it was like to have your life turned upside down in an instant, to be alone with no one to turn to. "Dammit. What do you want me to do?"

"I just want you to talk to her. See if you can get her to open up and tell Jesse about the other people involved. If she doesn't, then she's going to be the only one punished for this, and I don't want that to happen."

"And you want me to represent her."

Bianca nodded slightly. "Only if you want to and think it's the best thing to do. I know I'm asking a lot."

"Yeah, you are, and I really don't want to have this argument in the middle of the Pine Valley Police Department." Marissa rubbed her forehead and sighed. "Fine, I'll talk to her, but that's all! I'm not promising anything more than that."

"Thank you."

There was a knock on the door before it slowly opened and Jesse appeared. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but the social worker is here and wants to take Sam now."

Marissa glared at Jesse. "I can't believe you let Bianca alone in that room with her."

The chief looked guilty immediately. "I was right outside and would've been in the room in a heartbeat."

"You and I both know that's all anyone needs."

Jesse nodded contritely. "You're right, and I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." He winced when he thought about what Angie's reaction would be when she found out, and she would find out because everyone seemed to know everything that happened in this town. He cleared his throat. "Uh, I hate to ask, but what about the social worker?"

Marissa took a deep breath and looked at Bianca. "She's going to have to wait until I have a chance to talk to Sam, and I just mean _talk. No promises_."

Bianca nodded. "No promises. Thank you. Do you want me to wait for you, or do you want me to go ahead and pick up the kids?"

"No, I don't want you to wait. I don't know how long this will take. You better pick up the kids. I'll see you at home, and we'll be talking more then." Marissa turned to Jesse and spoke with an edge to her voice. "Chief Hubbard, I guess you better let me see this girl now."

Jesse nodded again and led her down the hallway.

Bianca winced slightly as she watched Marissa leave. _I really screwed that up._

/

Marissa and Jesse paused outside the door to the interrogation room when the redhead turned to him. "You're not off the hook, you know."

Jesse looked at her confused.

"With Bianca and leaving her alone with that girl. If something, _anything_, had happened to her, you wouldn't have to worry about Erica or Kendall. I would have had your head on a platter. Remember that and don't let something like that ever happen again. And yes, I'm aware of who I'm talking to."

Marissa shook her head. Maybe she was being a complete bitch right now, but she couldn't help it. If something had happened to Bianca, she honestly didn't know what she would do. The redhead went into the room alone, closing the door behind her. The girl was sitting at the table, and she glanced up suddenly when the door opened. The two eyed each other curiously for a minute.

Marissa pulled out a chair and sat down on the opposite side of the table. "Hello, Sam. I'm Marissa Tasker."

"Hello. What'd you want?"

"I'm here to talk."

/

Bianca left the police station kicking herself and feeling a little sick to her stomach. _Marissa's so upset. God, I hate when she's upset like this. I hate it even more knowing that I'm the reason she is. Be honest, she's not just upset. She's pissed off, and she's pissed off with me. And she has every right to be. I could've handled everything better. I should've handled everything better. Marissa's right about everything. I broke my promise to her. I promised her that I wouldn't get involved with the investigation of the break-in, and not only do I get involved, I've pulled her into it as well. I honestly did have the best of intentions. The girl needs help, and she's all alone. I just couldn't seem to stop myself from trying to help her. I just felt compelled to do something, and now, that compulsion has Marissa angry with me. Things have been so great with us, and now, I go and do something like this. Dammit, why can't I ever just leave well enough alone? I just hope Marissa can forgive me. I need her to forgive me. Okay, calm down and think. How can I make this up to her?_

The brunette checked the time. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate at the office in her current state for the little time she had left in her workday. Plus, it was almost time to pick up the kids from their afterschool programs, and she told Marissa she'd get them tonight. She pulled out her cellphone.

"Miranda Center, Jan speaking. How may I help you?"

"Hi, Jan, it's Bianca."

"Hey, boss. What's up?"

"It took longer than I thought at the police station. So unless there's anything pressing for me back there, I'm going to call it a day and go pick up the kids from school."

"Okay. Everything's under control here. Have a good evening, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"You too. See you tomorrow."

Bianca disconnected the call and headed to her car, trying to come with some way to get herself together so the kids wouldn't know that she was upset and think of how to make things up to Marissa.

/

The girl looked at Marissa, trying to get a read on her. So far, she wasn't having any luck. "Why should I talk to you?"

"Well, to be honest, part of me doesn't care too much if you do talk to me or not."

"Then, why bother?"

"Ah, that's where the other part comes into play. I'm here because someone I care about more than anything wants me to talk to you, and I'll do whatever I can for her, within reason and whether I like it or not."

"Are you talking about that lady that was here earlier?"

"I am, and her name is Bianca. She is without a doubt the best person you are ever going to meet, and she seems to think there's some good in you."

"And you don't." The girl said flatly.

"To be honest, I don't know. I haven't made my mind up on that yet. I will tell you that you have a couple of strikes against you already in my book because of what you and your friends did. Bianca puts a lot of herself into the Miranda Center. She's the heart and soul of that place, and you will never know the meaning of that place to her. When you and your friends trashed it, that was pretty much an attack on her, and that is one thing that I will not stand for, _ever_. Do you understand me?"

The girl shifted uneasily under Marissa's fixed stare. She nodded. "I understand."

Marissa had been watching the girl closely. Every time she mentioned the Center, the girl shifted in her seat. She could tell it bothered her. _That's something, I suppose._ "Good. You know, the Center does a lot of good, helps a lot of people. Why someone would want to do what all of you did to a place like that is beyond me. So tell me, why did you all do this exactly?"

"Someone heard there was money there, and we needed it."

"Why? What did you need it for? Was it for drugs or something like that?"

Sam shook her head vigorously. "No, I don't do that stuff. My parents wouldn't like it if I did something like that."

"Why then?"

"We needed it to get something to eat."

"I see." Marissa saw the wall this girl had built up around her. If she was going to help her, the redhead had to keep chipping at it. "There are places you can go to for food without you having to resort to stealing and damaging other people's property to get it. What would your parents think about what you did? I'm guessing they probably wouldn't like it."

The girl glared at Marissa. "Don't you dare talk about them! You don't know them!"

"No, I don't. I'm just going by what you said earlier."

Sam was near tears. The woman was right. Her parents would be disappointed in her and what she had done. She'd tried to be good, to be the kind of person they would've wanted her to be, but now, she just didn't know how. Ever since she lost them, it seemed like she'd been making one mistake after another, and now, she felt like she was in way too deep with no way out. All she did know was that two things frightened her more than anything. The first thing that scared her was her 'friends'. They had threatened her to not rat them out if she ever got caught. If she did, there would be consequences, and she definitely believed that, having seen what happened to others that had crossed them. The second thing was going back to that foster family. They were nice, at first, but that had quickly changed after the first visit from the social worker. No, she had to keep quiet, no matter what. "You don't know what you're talking about. You don't have any idea."

Marissa shook her head and sighed. As much as she hated to admit it at this moment because she was still pretty mad at her, Bianca was right. The girl was really scared, and unless she opened up, she wasn't going to make it. Marissa saw an opening, and she knew she had to take it. It wasn't going to be pleasant for either of them, but it had to be done. "You'd be surprised. I unfortunately know more than you think I do."

The girl's head quickly popped up, and she glanced into the redhead's eyes. The edge she had heard in her voice earlier had softened, and Sam thought she heard just hint of sadness in it now. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I know what it's like to be alone."

/

Bianca picked up the kids and headed home. Once there, AJ and Miranda got settled in the dining room to start on their homework with Gabby joining them to draw. The brunette was grateful that the kids were occupied for the time-being and didn't seem to notice that she was struggling to stay focused. Her mind was elsewhere as she continued to wonder and worry about Marissa and what was going on with her at that moment.

/

"You, you know? How could you know?" Sam shook her head. People had been telling her that they knew how she felt since her parents died, but they were wrong. They didn't know. Nobody did. There was no way they could because they still had their families.

Marissa had a feeling that might get the girl's attention. The redhead paused for a moment to determine how much of her own story to relate. "When I was a little older than you, I lost both of my parents."

Sam's eyes grew wide. She wasn't sure if this was a trick or not. Something was telling her that it wasn't. "You did? How?"

"They were killed in a car accident. One minute, my life was as close to perfect as I thought it could be at the time. The biggest problems weren't really anything at all. My mom is fussing with me about what I was wearing, and my dad is threatening to not let me drive the car anymore unless I start putting gas in it after I borrow it, the usual stuff. I knew neither one of them was completely serious. That was just what we did." Marissa smiled slightly at the memory before shaking herself back to the present. She braced herself for the painful memory that followed. Time had eased the pain, but there was still a remnant that she knew would always be there no matter how much time had passed. "The next minute, I'm rushing to the hospital to see them only to find out that I was too late. They were gone, and I never got the chance to say goodbye, to tell them one last time how much I loved them."

The tears that had started to form in Sam's eyes finally escaped. This woman really did know what she was feeling. She did know about the ache that Sam had felt every day since her parents had died. "Does, does it get better?"

Marissa sighed. She could see the girl's pain etched on her face and hear it in her voice. The redhead looked her straight in the eyes. "I won't lie to you, it'll take time. You'll have good days and bad days, but it does get better, eventually. You'll still miss them. I know I do. There are a lot of things I wish I could share with them, things that I wish they could see. I wish they had a chance to know their grandchildren and Bianca, to see how happy we are, to see the life we're building. The thing that helps me get through that is the belief that somehow they do know and that they're happy for me and proud of me. The last part is what I try and focus on the most." Marissa leaned forward, wanting, needing to get this point across. "I've done a few things I haven't been proud of, some things I know they wouldn't like, but those things only hurt me and not anyone else. My parents wouldn't have liked that if I had. They would've been extremely disappointed in me if I did, and disappointing them is the one thing I never wanted to do, the one thing I still don't want to do. So, I try and live a life that not only I'm proud of, but one that they'd be proud of. What about you?"

Sam started to sob. The redhead was right. She had hurt others, and no matter what the reasons were behind her actions, her parents would be disappointed in her. She didn't know what to do to fix any of what she'd done, and that fact made everything worse, made her feel even worse than she already did, causing her to break down even more. She suddenly found herself being comforted by Marissa, and Sam clung to her, finally releasing the pain and hurt she had kept bottled up inside of her from the past year.

/

Bianca was getting dinner ready when Miranda came into the kitchen.

"Hey, mom?"

"What is it, sweetie?"

"When's Marissa getting home?"

Bianca looked at the clock, _again_. That, along with checking her cellphone for texts from her girlfriend was something she'd been doing since she and the kids had gotten home. "I'm not sure. She's working late." When Bianca saw the puzzled look on her daughter's face, she quickly followed her answer up. "She's doing something for me, and it could take her a while."

"Oh, okay. Will she be home in time for our bedtime story?"

"I'm sure she will try her best. Would you do me a favor and go get cleaned up for dinner and tell AJ and Gabby to do the same please?"

"Okay, mom."

"Thank you." Bianca began setting the table for five, wondering if Marissa would make it home in time to join them, and if she didn't, she wondered when she would be home.

/

Sometime later, Sam felt her tears beginning to subside, and she wiped them away with some of the tissues that Marissa had given her. The redhead was sitting back across from her again, waiting. Her eyes looked a little red, like she had been crying some too, but the girl wasn't completely sure if that was case or not. Sam finally was able to speak. "I don't know what to do. I don't know how to fix this."

"Do you really want to?"

Sam nodded. "I really do. I don't wanna hurt anybody else, and I really am sorry for what I did to the Center."

Marissa could tell the girl was being sincere. "Okay, good. You also have to stop hurting yourself."

"How do I that? How did you do that?"

Marissa smiled. "Someone offered to help me, and I let them because I finally realized that no matter what I'd been saying to the contrary, I couldn't do it on my own. I needed help, and once I admitted that to myself, I was finally able to start healing and stop hurting as much. Will you let us help you?"

"Us?"

Marissa took a deep breath. She really hadn't planned on getting involved with any of this. She had truly believed what she had told Bianca. The best thing was for them to not get involved and to let the police handle this, but then Bianca got involved anyway and managed to pull her into it as well. She hadn't forced Marissa. That was something she would never do. She had simply asked her, telling her she saw some good in this girl, and she was right. _Damn it all to hell, I see it too. Part of me is still upset with Bianca because she didn't think about her own safety. Nothing unusual there though. She wasn't straight with me, and that was wrong. I just wish she would've told me before I came down here. But would I have come down if she had? Don't think about that right now. Focus._ "Yes, Bianca and me."

"You, you mean you wanna help me? I thought you didn't like me. Why?"

"Yeah, I do, and like I said before, someone that means more to me than anything else in this world next to my kids wants me to. Now, that doesn't mean I'll just agree to whatever because I won't. If someone hurts her, there will be hell to pay, and I'll make spending a day in jail seem like a walk in the park. Do you understand?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Good. So, do you want our help?"

The girl nodded and whispered. "Yes ma'am, but what can you do?"

"I'm a lawyer. There are a couple of things I can do, but …"

"But?"

"You have to help yourself a little bit here."

"What do I do?"

Marissa leaned forward again. "You have to tell us who else was involved with the break-in. Are you willing to do that? Because unless you are, I won't be able to help you."


	46. Sam's Story

**A/N: I'm back, a little sooner than I thought. It turns out that Mother Nature had other plans for me regarding my vacation this year. A storm went through exactly where I was planning on going and knocked out the power there resulting in no place to stay. This changed my vacation into a stay-cation. Oh well, what are you going to do?**

**This chapter picks up where I left off with the previous one. I feel obligated to give a warning. Sam's life over the last several months is mentioned, and some might consider it a trigger. This is done to explain why she's done what she has. **

**Thanks for the reviews! I really do appreciate them so please keep them coming! Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"Mom, are you okay?"

Bianca's head snapped over in the direction of Miranda's voice and saw the worried expression on her oldest daughter's face across the dinner table from her. "I'm fine, Mimo. Why do you ask?"

"I don't know. You just seem kinda sad."

"Yeah, you kinda do, Bianca, and you aren't really eating your dinner." AJ added.

"You're quiet too, mom, and you keep looking over at Rissa's chair. Is everything okay with you guys?"

"Are you guys fighting?" AJ now wore the same worried expression that Miranda did. He remembered the fights his mom used to have with his dad.

"When will mommy be home?" Gabby asked, deciding to join the conversation after listening to her brother and sister question their mother.

Bianca looked around at her children, and for the second time that day, she wanted to kick herself. She thought she had been doing such a good job of keeping the inner turmoil she was going through from the kids, but once again, she was wrong. "You three are too smart for my own good."

Miranda smiled. "Rissa says that all the time."

"Yes, she does, and she's right." Bianca paused, thinking of how to answer each question. "I am a little sad because, well because I messed up. I did something that made Marissa mad."

"What'd you do?" Miranda asked.

"Well, I did something after I promised her that I wouldn't, and then, I asked her to help even though I knew it would be hard for her to do it."

"Why'd you do that, Bianca?"

"Well, buddy, I was trying to help someone, and even though I still believe I'm right in doing that, I went about it all wrong. I should have talked with Marissa first, been more open with her about it. Now, she's mad at me, and she has every right to be."

"Did you tell her you're sorry, mommy?"

"I started to, Gabby, but we got interrupted before I could really apologize to her. I haven't been able to talk with her since this happened."

"You have to make sure you tell her you're sorry, mom. Rissa will understand, and she'll forgive you."

"Oh, I plan on it as soon as I see her. You really think she'll forgive me, huh?"

"Yep, I do." Miranda answered confidently.

"You didn't mean to do it, right, Bianca?"

"No, AJ, I didn't. I would never knowingly hurt her or make her mad. The same goes for the three of you. I just messed up."

The young boy nodded thoughtfully. "Then, I think Miranda's right. Mom will forgive you because she loves you a lot and will be able to see that you're really sorry, and that you mean it. It'll be okay. It's not like the fights she used to have with my dad. He said he was sorry, but he really wasn't sometimes, and mom could tell. She knows you're not like him and wouldn't hurt her on purpose."

Bianca could believe how lucky she was to have such understanding, insightful and caring children. "Thank you, AJ."

"You're welcome."

"Now to answer your question, Gabby, I'm not exactly sure when she'll be home. Marissa is helping me out with something, and it could take her a while. When we did talk earlier though, she said she would definitely be home. If I know her, she'll try her best to get home as soon as she can."

All three smiled with that answer, relieved with her assurance.

"Do you feel better, mom?"

"Yes, I do, Miranda. Thank you. You know, you guys are kind of awesome."

The three children beamed in response. "We know!"

Bianca chuckled at their response and watch as the kids continued their dinner. Bianca still couldn't bring herself to eat, but she had told the kids the truth. They really did manage to make her feel better.

/

Marissa leaned forward. "You have to tell us who else was involved with the break-in, Sam. Are you willing to do that? Because unless you are, I won't be able to help you."

Sam looked at the redhead and could tell she wanted to help, but part of her was still too scared. "I don't wanna go back there."

"Go back where? The foster home you were living in?"

The girl nodded, unable to say more.

Marissa had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. She had been lucky on several counts. First, she counted her blessings that Roy and Lydia and Tasker had adopted her, and they were the amazing parents that they were to her. The alternative to them made her shudder. Second, she had been lucky that she had been old enough to have avoided the foster care system after she lost them. In her legal dealings, however, she was all too familiar with it now. There were some wonderful people that were a part of it, and they provided excellent care and loving homes for children in need of them. They were the ones like her parents. Those kids, well, those kids were the lucky ones. On the flip side however, she had heard the horror stories. Children were taken in as a way to supplement incomes, the families having received money from the state for taking them in, or they were used as a cheap source of labor and given no more than a bed and a meal for working their fingers to the bone. There were cases of abuse and neglect that would make a person's skin crawl and leave them wondering how someone could do anything like that to anyone, particularly a child. Looking at Sam and seeing the fear and pain in her eyes, it was evident that she had been one of the unfortunate ones. Something bad had happened in that home. How bad things were, Marissa didn't know yet, but she was determined to find out and put a stop to it. Sam had finally asked for help, and the redhead was damn well going to do what she could to make sure she got it and that she was safe. This wasn't just Bianca's cause now. It was Marissa's also.

"What happened there, Sam? If you can, I need you to tell me. I might be able to help and make sure it doesn't happen again and that you don't go back there. I just need you to tell me. I know it's hard to trust someone. I'm hoping you can let yourself trust me enough to be able to help you though."

"When I told the last social worker what happened it just made everything worse and got me into trouble with the Allen's."

"That's the name of your foster family, right?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, that's them. I told the social worker what was going on. I was hoping she might be able fix things, stop what was happening, but it didn't fix anything. It made everything worse. I shoulda known better because I could tell she really didn't believe me. She said they had a lot of people that knew the Allen's, and no one had ever said anything bad about them. She said she had to talk to Mr. and Mrs. Allen, and after she did that, things got really bad because the only thing that it did was make them mad.

"Well, I'm not that social worker, and I'm listening. Please, tell me what happened."

The girl looked at Marissa nervously, weighing whether or not she should take the chance and tell her. The other woman she spoke with earlier, Bianca, reminded her a lot of her mom. The redhead reminded her of both her mom and dad. She wasn't letting her off the hook in the least little bit for what she did, but she was listening and talking _to_ Sam not _at_ her like a lot of adults tended to do. The brunette made her feel better, comforted her by just being there. That was exactly like her mom who had a way of making things seem better by just being there and listening. The redhead comforted her too, just differently. She wasn't excusing her for anything, and Sam knew Marissa would somehow make sure she made things up to Bianca. She wanted to anyway, but the redhead was going to make sure she did whether she had wanted to or not. Plus, she made it clear to her at first that she was helping because Bianca wanted her to. These were things that her dad definitely did. He was always doing things that her mom had asked him to. Some of the things he didn't like, but when he saw how much it meant to her, he did it. What Marissa did like her mom though was to somehow find that way to get through to her, to find a way to have things make sense. She also knew what it was like to lose her parents.

If was going to trust anyone, it was going to be these two women. She swallowed and took a deep breath. "The Allen's have two kids of their own, a son and a daughter. He's a year younger than me, and she's two years younger. When I first got there, they seemed like they were happy to have me there, and they were nice. After I was there for about a month, things started to change."

"What do you mean? Take your time. I'm not going anywhere."

Sam's voice was lowered to barely above a whisper, and her eyes started to glisten as she finally began the painful process of relating her experience in the Allen household. Marissa simply listened. It was heartbreaking for her to hear, and the story Sam told her confirmed her suspicions of the hell the girl had endured. It made her blood boil hearing everything this girl had gone through not just at the hands of the parents but of their children as well. Marissa somehow managed to find the strength to keep her emotions in check though, not giving anything away. The more she heard, the more the redhead was resolved to help her.

/

Jesse had been listening through intercom in the observation room. Marissa had given him permission to do so with the understanding that the instant she gave him the signal, the intercom would be turned off and any conversations between the lawyer and the girl would become private and subject to privilege. There was something about Marissa that had always impressed him, maybe it was her honesty and the way she handled the whole mess with JR, but watching her in action just now with Sam, that was something else. That only served to raise her up several more notches in his opinion. In the span of a few short hours, she had accomplished what he and his officers had been unable to for several days. Jesse had a feeling there was more to Sam's story and her involvement with the break-in. Now that she had opened up, he had no doubt that Marissa would be able to get the girl to cooperate. He was also thinking of ways to help the girl because he was going to do everything in his power to make sure she did not go back to that hellhole.

"Hey, chief. I've got that food for you."

"Thanks, Brot. I'll give them a few more minutes before seeing if they want something to eat."

"Did Marissa have any luck?"

"Yeah, she did. I think the hardest part is over. It turns out that we were right. That girl's been through a lot."

"That bad?"

"Yeah, pretty damn bad. Is the social worker gone?"

"She left a little while ago, and she wants you to call her when we're ready to have her move Sam."

"Well, I can tell you that won't be happening tonight. She's staying here in protective custody. I have a feeling her lawyer will be requesting that, and it's a request that I'm going to honor."

"Marissa's representing her?"

"It's not official yet, but I think it's just a matter of time before she is. The girl's going to need a good lawyer, and I can't think of a better one than the one that's in the room with her right now." Jesse saw Marissa glance in his direction through the two way mirror that separated the rooms. He nodded towards Brot who grabbed the bag of food and both headed towards the interrogation room.

Jesse knocked on the door and entered when he heard Marissa give her consent.

"Hey. I had Brot make a run to Krystal's since it's been a while since Sam's eaten. I'm hoping a burger and fries are alright?"

Marissa smiled and looked at the girl. "What do you think, Sam? Are you hungry? I personally know how good the burgers are at Krystal's."

The girl nodded. "Yeah, I am." She took the bag from Brot making sure to thank him.

"I wasn't sure of what you might want to drink so I thought I'd give you a choice from our vending machine." The officer held up two cans of soda, and the girl selected one thanking the officer again.

Marissa glanced at Jesse who nodded. "Why don't we take a little break, Sam? I'll let you eat while I talk to the chief for a few minutes. Will you be okay?"

The girl looked hesitant before Brot spoke up. "I'll stay with her until you get back."

"Is that okay with you, Sam? I'll just be a few minutes. I promise. I'll be back. We need to talk some more."

The girl nodded, and Marissa squeezed her arm before following Jesse out of the room.

"Would you like to talk in my office, maybe eat something? I had Brot get you something too."

Marissa shook her head. "Thanks, but I don't think I could keep anything down at this point. Would you mind if we went outside? I don't know about you, but I could really use some fresh air."

"That's a good idea."

The pair walked outside into the cool evening air and sat on a bench in front of the station. Neither said anything for several minutes as they processed everything they had heard earlier.

Jesse turned to observe the lawyer who appeared lost in thought. He could tell that she had been affected by Sam's story and was thinking ahead of how best to help her. "So, what are you thinking?"

"Is the social worker still around?"

"No, Brot said she left a while ago. She wants me to call her when we're ready to move Sam."

Marissa raised an eyebrow, silently asking the chief a question.

"I think it'll be too late for that to happen tonight. I think it's best for all concerned to have her stay here in our custody. She hasn't given us any other names yet, but someone in juvenile detention might think otherwise given the amount of time she's been here with us. That wouldn't be very safe for her."

Marissa nodded. "I agree. Her safety is an issue. Thank you."

"You're welcome. You believe her?"

"I do. You?"

"Yeah, me too."

"I'll be damned if she's going back to that family to be used as a punching bag for them again. That's over." Marissa stated.

"Any thoughts on your next move?"

"Actually yes, I have several."

"I'll help you anyway I can. Let me know what I can do."

"Thanks, I appreciate that. Could you get the assistant district attorney handling this case down here?"

"Sure, I'll be happy to. What do you have in mind?"

"I'm thinking of making a deal. When I go back inside to talk to Sam, I'm going to need you to turn off the intercom. My client and I will need some privacy."

"You got it. Anything else?"

"Do you think you'll be able to keep her here for a while until I can nail down some details?"

"I'm pretty sure I can. Paperwork sometimes manages to get lost, and even though this is not the biggest of jails, people sometimes get 'lost' here as well."

"Good to know." Marissa smirked. "Thanks. I can't think of anything else I need your help with right now, but I might tomorrow."

"The offer's good for as long as you need it. Let me go track down the assistant district attorney for you."

"Thanks again." Marissa checked the time. "I didn't realize it was this late. I need to make a couple of calls. I'll be back inside in a few minutes."

Marissa watched Jesse head back inside the station and pulled out her cellphone. She needed to let Bianca know where she was. Even though she was still somewhat mad at her, her anger had dissipated over the last several hours. Marissa knew her girlfriend would be worried about her, and she didn't want that. She also wanted to let someone at the firm know what was going on. Her specialty was family law, and she was now venturing into the realm of criminal law. In order for her to do a proper job of representing Sam, she wanted to run her current train of thought by someone with more experience in that area. Caleb was the first one to come to mind, and she decided to make the call to him first.

/

"I think you've got a good handle on everything, Marissa. It all hinges, however, on the girl talking. Do you think you can get her to cooperate?"

"I'm pretty sure I can, Caleb. You think the D.A. will bite on the deal?"

"If this group is responsible for the rash of break-ins that Jesse thinks they are, I think they'll bite. Will Bianca go along with it?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure she will since she did ask me to represent Sam. I'll go over all of that tomorrow morning with her. Which reminds me, I'll probably be in late. I don't have anything pressing though."

"If you don't make it in, don't worry about it. I have a feeling you're going to have your hands full."

"Thanks, Caleb, and thanks for letting me run this by you."

"Not a problem. Take care, and call me if you need anything else. Good night."

"Good night."

Marissa disconnected the call and dialed Bianca's cellphone. The kids would be in the middle of their baths right now, and she didn't want to interrupt that.

"_Hi, this is Bianca. I can't take your call right now. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you."_

After the beep, Marissa began to speak. "Hey, it's me. I'm sorry I didn't call before now, but this is my first chance to take a break. I'm still at the police station, and from the looks of things, I'll be here a while longer. I'll be home as soon as I can. Don't wait up though. I know we've got a lot to talk to about, and there's something I need to run by you. It can wait until tomorrow though. There's no sense in both of us not getting any sleep. Tell the kids I love them, and give them a kiss for me. I love you, Bianca."

/

Kendall saw Marissa sitting on a bench in front of the police station. She smirked thinking of what she could tease her sister's girlfriend about, but something stopped her when she overheard what the redhead was saying. There was something in the tone of her voice coupled with what she'd said that raised Kendall's concern for her.

"Marissa, is everything okay?"

The redhead glanced up suddenly. "Hey, Kendall. Yeah, everything's … fine."

The older woman sat down next to Marissa. "Okay, I'm not buying that. Something's up. I couldn't help but overhear what I'm guessing was a voicemail for Bianca. I can tell just by looking at you that things aren't fine. What's going on with the two of you?"

"It's nothing, Kendall."

"Uh huh, I'm definitely not buying it now. Hey, I care about you. Yeah, I'm going to take my sister's side 9 times out 10."

Marissa raised an eyebrow.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'm going to take my sister's side 9.9 times out of 10, but there's still that small chance that I might take someone else's. What's going on?"

"Let's just say that your sister put me in an awkward position earlier. She had her reasons for it, but I just wish she would've gone about it differently."

"Okaaaay. Does this have something to do with the reason you're sitting outside the police station at this hour and not home?"

"You know, Bianca's right about you. You're like a dog with a bone when you want to know something." Marissa smirked.

Kendall grinned. "Guilty as charged, counselor, but it's only when it involves people I care about."

"Yes, it's the reason I'm here helping someone that I didn't want to at first or hadn't planned on. It's turned out to be a lot more then I think even your sister could've imagined."

"Ah, I see." Kendall did indeed see what was going on. Despite everything that had happened to her over the years, her sister still somehow saw the good in people first and foremost and would do what she could to assist those in need of help. Marissa had some of the same tendencies as Bianca did when it came to helping people, but the redhead was more like Kendall when it came to viewing others. She tended to question first rather than just take things at their face value. It was just her nature to do so. There was no denying that Marissa was nice, but it had a bit of an edge to it sometimes. Kendall definitely identified with that edge and recognized it as a good thing when it came to protecting her sister from others as well as herself. Kendall took comfort in the knowledge that her sister was finally being appreciated, cared for and most importantly loved the way she should be, and she was grateful for it more than she would ever be able to say.

"Do you mind a little piece of unsolicited insight and/or advice?"

"Would it matter if I said I did?" Marissa smirked.

Kendall chuckled. "Not really. I'd give it to you anyway. I can assure you that whatever's going on with the two of you right now is bothering my sister as much as it is you. Whatever she may have done? She's being ten times harder on herself than you ever could be with her. So, try and keep that in mind when you talk with her again, okay? And also, don't let too much time pass before you talk with her."

Marissa nodded, knowing that Kendall was probably right. Bianca had a tendency to be harder on herself than anyone else. "I will. Look, I better get back inside, or I'm going to be here all night." Marissa got up and started towards the door.

"I won't keep you. And just so you know, I'm here if you ever want to talk."

"Thanks. I appreciate it, and thanks for the unsolicited insight and advice. Don't worry. Bianca and I will work everything out. I may not be thrilled with what she did, but I love her too much to let it get in our way."

"I believe you, Red. Good luck with whatever you've got going on in there."

Kendall watched Marissa head inside. She didn't doubt that the couple would work it out. They loved each other too much not to, and they were perfect for each other. That didn't mean she wasn't going to get to the bottom of what was going on with them and try and help. Yeah, she was definitely going to see her sister tomorrow and talk to her.

/

"You guys pick out a book, and I'll be right back in to read it. I just need to check on something." Bianca entered her and Marissa's bedroom and located her cellphone on the nightstand on her side of the bed. She picked up the device and saw that she had a missed call and a voicemail. _I was afraid of that. Please let it be Marissa._

Bianca connected to her voicemail and was flooded with relief when she heard Marissa's voice. The brunette listened to her girlfriend's message. Marissa sounded exhausted, and Bianca could hear the strain in her voice. The brunette had suspected there was more behind Sam's actions, and judging by the tone in Marissa's voice, she'd been right. Now, her girlfriend was dealing with the aftermath of whatever revelations Sam had imparted to her, and Bianca couldn't help but feel guilty that her actions were responsible for that. _She's coming home. Okay, I didn't really think that she wouldn't be coming home, but God, I'm so glad to hear her say it. Well that and that she loves me, and yeah, I knew she still loved me. She just didn't like me too much earlier. Couldn't really blame her for that. She doesn't sound quite as mad with me. She's right. We still do have to talk. Marissa may not want me to stay up waiting for her, but I'll be damned if I'm not. I have to let her know how sorry I am for what I did or actually what I didn't do._

"Mom, are you coming?"

Bianca saw Miranda standing in the doorway. "Yes, of course I'm coming." She sent a quick text to Marissa before following her oldest daughter back into the girls' room. _"Just got your message. Get home safe. I'll be waiting no matter how late. I love you, Marissa."_

When she entered the room, she found AJ and Gabby waiting for her along with Miranda. "I just got a message from Marissa. She's still working on that thing for me, and will be home as soon as she can. She wanted me to tell that she loves you and give you each a kiss for her." Bianca gave each child a kiss before settling down on Miranda's bed surrounded by the kids to start the evening's bedtime story.

/

"Hey, Sam. You feeling better?" Marissa asked as she re-entered the interrogation room.

"You, you came back."

The surprise in the girl's voice was evident and pulled on Marissa's heartstrings. "I told you I was. So, was I right about the burger?"

"Yeah, it was really good."

"I'm glad to hear it. Okay, we still have a lot to talk about. Are you ready to get started again?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"As you probably figured out, you're in some trouble."

"Yeah, I know."

"When people get in the kind of trouble that you're in, they hire a lawyer to help them out."

"I don't know any lawyers."

"Actually, you do. I told you earlier that I was lawyer, remember?"

Sam nodded, remembering their earlier conversation.

"Would you like for me to represent to you, help you sort this trouble out?"

"Lawyers are expensive, and I don't have any money."

"Sometimes, we take cases pro bono which means we work on them without getting paid. It's something we do for people when they need a lawyer but can't afford one. What do you think?"

Sam shook her head. "I don't want any charity."

"It's not charity. Remember what else I told you earlier? Someone offered to help me, and I let them because I finally realized that no matter what I'd been saying to the contrary, I couldn't do it on my own. I needed help, and once I admitted that to myself, I was finally able to start healing and stop hurting as much. That's what this offer is. It's me helping you the best way I know how. So what'd you say? Do you want me to represent you?"

Sam thought for a minute and finally nodded. "Yes, ma'am, I do."

"Alright, you've got yourself a lawyer. First thing as your lawyer, I'm going to advise you to cooperate with the police. That means, we tell them the names of the others involved in the break-in. If we do that, we can work on a better deal for you."

The girl shook her head. "No! I'm not gonna do that!"

"Sam, if you think they're your friends, they're not. A friend wouldn't let you to take the heat for this all by yourself. They'd step up."

"You don't understand. They helped me."

Things fell into place for Marissa. She understood why the girl wasn't talking. "They helped you when you ran away from the Allen's when you were sent back to live them, didn't they?"

"Yeah, they got me a place to sleep and got me some food."

"Did they ask for anything in return?"

"Wh, what do you mean?"

"Did you have to do anything for them as a way to pay them back for helping you?"

"Maybe."

"Was it something that you didn't think was right?"

"I, I guess so."

"Here's the thing. A friend, a real friend, wouldn't make you do something that's wrong, something that goes against what you believe in, something that goes against what you were taught. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, like something that my parents wouldn't want me to do." Sam replied flatly.

"Exactly."

"I still can't tell."

Marissa saw the fear in the girl's eyes. "They threatened you if you talked, didn't they?"

Sam gave her a small nod in reply. "I saw what they did to some other people that got them mad. I don't want that to happen to me."

"I don't either. I think I have a way to keep you safe. To be able to do that though, I need to know who else was involved."

"Why?"

"If I have that information, I can make a deal with the district attorney. That deal would keep you from going back to the Allen's, keep you out of juvenile detention, and find you a safe place to live."

"You could do all that?"

"I'm pretty sure I can. It doesn't mean that you're going to get off scot-free. You are responsible for some damage so you're going to need to make that up. I have an idea about that too. It's going to mean some hard work on your end. But to get all that …"

"I have to give them something. I have to do the right thing."

"Yeah, you do."

"Will you be there?"

"Yes, I will. I'm pretty sure Bianca will be too. I'm going to need her help with a couple of things I have in mind."

"I like her. She's really nice. I'm sorry for what I did."

"I know. Yeah, she's definitely a special person."

The two sat in silence for several minutes while Sam mulled everything over.

"Okay, I'll do it. I wanna make things right. My mom and dad would want me to."

"It's the right decision, and your mom and dad would be proud of you for making it. Who are the others?"

/

"Chief Hubbard, I hear you have some good news for me regarding the break-in at the Miranda Center."

Jesse turned and greeted the assistant district attorney. "Mr. Taylor, I believe I do."

The lawyer peered through the two way mirror and into the interrogation room. "Is that the girl?"

"It is."

"Who's that with her?"

"That would be Marissa Tasker, her lawyer."

"The name's vaguely familiar."

"She works with Jackson Montgomery and Caleb Cortland."

"Okay, I got it now. She doesn't handle criminal cases."

"No, she doesn't, but if I were you, I wouldn't underestimate the woman. That would be a big mistake."

The lawyer smiled. "Thanks for the warning, but I'm pretty sure I can handle her. I mean, we are playing on my turf."

The redhead joined the men outside the room.

"Marissa Tasker, this is Pete Taylor. He's handling the case for the D.A.'s office."

"It's nice to meet you, Ms. Tasker."

Marissa shook the other lawyer's hand. "Mr. Taylor, I wish this were under different circumstances."

"So, do you have some information for me?"

"I might, but it's going to cost you, Mr. Taylor."

"I really don't see you having much room to negotiate here."

Jesse shook his head, trying to hide his smirk. _I warned you._

"Oh, I think you're wrong." Marissa smiled.

"Really? How so?"

"My client will make an awfully sympathetic defendant. She lost both of her parents last year, was abused by the foster family in whose care she was placed not once but twice and social services didn't follow up on her complaint of the abuse. There's also the fact that I'm pretty sure that you won't have the complete cooperation of the Miranda Center."

"Why wouldn't I have their cooperation?"

"Bianca Montgomery, the woman who runs the Center …"

"I know who she is."

Marissa smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Bianca is the one who asked me to represent Sam."


	47. Striking A Deal

**A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! Please keep them coming! This chapter picks up where I left off with the last one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"So, do you have some information for me?"

"I might, but it doesn't come free, Mr. Taylor. It's going to cost you."

"I really don't see you having much room to negotiate here, Ms. Tasker. We've got your client in custody, and she hasn't been inclined to help the police track down the others. Plus, we have her on tape. It was a pretty clear image of her too from what I'm told, the only one that was. The way I see it, you really don't have a leg to stand on. So, I'm going to say no deal." The assistant D.A. struck an arrogant tone. They were playing on his turf and not her's, and he was going to be calling the shots.

Jesse shook his head, trying to hide his smirk. _I think I'm going to enjoy this. Don't say I didn't warn you._

"Oh, I think you're wrong there." Marissa smiled.

"Really? I am, huh? How so, exactly?" Pete chuckled.

"You haven't read her file, have you?"

"No, I haven't, but it wouldn't change anything if I had. The way I see it, it has no bearing on this at all. It's pretty clear cut."

"I beg to differ. The way _I_ see it, my client will make an awfully sympathetic defendant. If you had taken the time to read her file, you would know that she lost both of her parents last year, was abused by the foster family in whose care she was placed not once but twice and social services didn't follow up on her complaint of the abuse. All of that makes her pretty sympathetic."

"I'm still not seeing it or buying it. You're going to have to do better." He stated with less bravado than before.

"Did I forget to tell you about the Miranda Center?"

"What about them?"

"Oh, I did forget to tell you. You see, besides her being sympathetic to the jury because of her history that you seem to want to disregard, there's also the fact that I'm pretty sure that you won't have the complete cooperation of the folks at the Miranda Center."

"Why wouldn't I have their cooperation? They _are_ the victims in this case."

"True, they are, but they may not see it that way. Bianca Montgomery, the woman who runs the Center …"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know who she is."

Marissa smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. You see, Bianca is the one who asked me to represent Sam."

"Who in the hell is Sam?"

"Samantha Robinson, the defendant. She prefers Sam, by the way."

"Whatever. You're saying Ms. Montgomery did _what_?" He couldn't hide the surprise in his voice.

"She asked me to represent Sam. When you think about it, it makes me wonder."

"Wonder what?"

"How do you think it's going to play with the jury if the founder and head of the Miranda Center is reaching out to help the girl on trial for breaking into it?"

"I don't believe you. You're either bluffing or making this up."

"I'm afraid that it's neither. We could call her and clear all this up right now if you want. I've got her home and cellphone numbers right here." Marissa held up her cellphone.

Jesse did his best to hide the smirk forming on his face. He had warned the other lawyer, but he wouldn't listen. Instead, he was, as always, cocky and condescending so he kind of deserved this reality check the redhead was handing him. Jesse also had to admit to himself that he really did like seeing Marissa in action. He didn't think he'd want to play poker with her however. She had way too good of a poker face right now and wasn't giving anything away. That surprised him a little. The chief knew she was absolutely head over heels about Bianca, but you couldn't tell that right now. She was all business and checked her personal feelings at the door. Now, she was all about helping her client. He really respected her for being able to do that.

"Chief Hubbard, is she telling the truth? Did Bianca Montgomery ask her to represent one of the people responsible for breaking into the Miranda Center?"

"Afraid so, Mr. Taylor. Ms. Tasker is telling the truth. Ms. Montgomery came down here earlier today for an update. When she heard about Sam's history of losing her parents, she called Ms. Tasker. Once she was here, Ms. Montgomery asked for her to help Sam."

"Why in the hell would she do something like that? That doesn't make any sense at all. No one in their right mind would do that."

Marissa smiled. "You may know _of_ Bianca, but it's obvious that you don't _know_ her. It's who she is and what she does. I can assure you that she is most definitely in her right mind." _You condescending son of a bitch. You arrogant sack of shit. _"I think she'll make quite an impression on the jury as a witness for the defense."

"You're, you're planning on calling her?"

"Of course, I am. Why wouldn't I? I wouldn't be doing my job if I didn't."

"If you have such a great case, why do you need to make a deal?" _Gotcha!_

"Well, there's the matter of where my client will live once she's free and the charges are dismissed. I don't want her blindly turned back over to the foster care system. I figure if we make a deal where we can be sure my client is safe and well cared for, it will help all concerned."

"What do you mean? How is the D.A.'s office helped by that?"

"It saves you all a black eye. It wouldn't look good for your office to have a trial where the victims side with the defense, now would it? Plus, I'm sure the press will eat up my client's story."

"I, I need a minute. I have to make a call."

"Take your time." Marissa nodded and watched as the other lawyer pulled out his cellphone and walked away.

"You think he's calling his boss?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah, I know he is, and that is just fine with me. I'd rather deal with Mike any day of the week over him."

Jesse nodded. "I agree with you on that. D.A. Jensen has always struck me as a pretty reasonable guy. Don't you know him?"

"Uh huh, he handled JR's trial."

"That's right! He did, didn't he?"

"His sister-in-law Lori serves as a consultant for the Center as well."

"So, it's safe to say that Mike knows about you and Bianca, your relationship. A fact that I noticed you didn't share with Mr. Taylor."

"He didn't ask so I didn't feel the need to share the information with him. I noticed that you didn't say anything either." Marissa smirked.

"It must have slipped my mind just like Bianca's visit with Sam slipped your's." Jesse chuckled.

"What he doesn't know won't hurt us." Marissa grinned.

"I appreciate that."

"Sam's all set to stay over tonight?"

"Yeah, I had someone make up a place for her again. It's away from everyone else. She'll be safe. We'll move her as soon as you want."

"Thanks, Jesse."

"You're welcome. Ah, here he comes."

The assistant D.A. cleared his throat and held out his cellphone to Marissa. "The district attorney would like to speak with you."

The redhead nodded, took the phone and moved away from the men. "Good evening, Mike. How are you tonight?"

"I'm good, Marissa, and yourself?"

"I'll be honest. It's been a long day."

"It sounds like it's been a busy one for you too. It appears that you have Pete flustered a bit. He was thinking this was going to be a cake walk since you're playing outside your area of expertise, like that would matter one damn bit. It seems he didn't see it coming that he wouldn't have the complete support of the Miranda Center. He just assumed that he would. I suppose that would be understandable if he lived under a rock. Let's face it. It's common knowledge that you're involved with Bianca, and there's no way in hell you'd be representing someone who damaged the place that means so much to her. He also doesn't have the first clue of who she is." Mike chuckled.

"I thought everyone knew, but he didn't ask. He didn't seem to care either. Besides, does Bianca being my girlfriend really have any bearing on this?"

"I suppose not other than the fact that I know you're know telling the truth about the extent of her cooperation, and you'll fight like hell for her. Besides, Pete's an ass."

Marissa laughed. "Not that I'm going to argue that point with you, but should you be telling me that about one of your prosecutors?"

"Oh please, he's working in this office because of who his dad is, and daddy has connections with the governor's office. That's the only reason. He's more trouble than he's worth. He expects every defense attorney to shake in their boots because he works for the D.A., and he doesn't even try. Let me guess. Some of the first words out of his mouth were 'no deal'."

"Yeah, you guessed it. He just expected me to turn over information without negotiating. You know me well enough to know that I won't do that. I have to look out for my client's best interests."

"Yeah, you do. Can I ask you something? Did Bianca really ask you to represent this girl, this Sam Robinson?"

"She really did, but she did it with the caveat that the request was only if I thought it was the right thing to do."

"I'm guessing that you think it is?"

"Yeah, Mike, I do. I can tell you've read her file, but there's a lot that's not in there. You don't know everything this girl's gone through. It doesn't excuse what she's done, but it does give some insight and an explanation."

"Which is something that a jury will be able to hang on to when giving a verdict. I take it you have something specific in mind, Marissa."

"You know me pretty well."

"I think I do. Alright, you want to give me an idea of what you've got and what you want. We'll let Pete cool his heels while we see if we can find a compromise we both can live with."

/

Marissa pulled into the driveway and turned off the ignition. While she was happy to finally be home, she remained in her car and looked at the house. Even though it was extremely late, there was still a light on downstairs in the family room and another upstairs in her and Bianca's bedroom. She wasn't surprised by that. She knew Bianca would be inside waiting up for her, and she hadn't needed a text to let her know that would be the case. Marissa remembered the text she had received earlier. _"__Get home safe. I'll be waiting no matter how late. I love you." _The redhead had meant what she had said in the voicemail she had left Bianca earlier about wanting her girlfriend to get some rest and not wait up, but Marissa had to admit to herself that she was glad she hadn't listened to her. Those few words and knowing that Bianca would be there for her when she got home helped get her through what had been a tough evening.

She continued to sit in the car torn about going inside. It wasn't that she still angry with Bianca. That had faded hours ago. She hadn't doubted for one minute that it would. No, what bothered Marissa now was seeing Bianca's reaction when she told her everything Sam had gone through. No one felt the pain of others more acutely than Bianca, and Marissa knew how upset her girlfriend would be when she heard what Sam had been through. Seeing that hurt and pain in the eyes of her girlfriend was the last thing Marissa ever wanted to see, but she would have to see it because Bianca needed to know, would want to know, in order for them to help Sam. The girl had given her permission to tell Bianca everything. Marissa had convinced her that it was necessary because Bianca was a key part of the deal that she had struck with the district attorney.

Besides discussing Sam's situation, the couple also needed to talk about what had happened between them. She understood the reasons behind Bianca's actions now. What still bothered Marissa was how Bianca went about it, and she knew that was what she needed to talk with her girlfriend about. They needed to clear the air and sort everything out. It's what they had done before when they had fought, not that Marissa considered what they were going through now as a fight really. No, this was different, and whatever it was, they would get through because neither let their ego nor pride get in the way of their love and trust for the other. They started out as and remained best friends, something neither lost sight of. There was also the undeniable fact that they had found their other half, their soul mate, the one they had been destined for.

Marissa sighed as she got out of the car and slowly made her way to the door. The events of the day were finally catching up with her, and she was emotionally and physically exhausted. She took a deep breath, unlocked the front door and went inside.

/

Bianca had heard Marissa pull into the driveway. She had been waiting for her girlfriend to arrive home for several hours. She had managed to keep herself from dwelling on her earlier actions too much when the kids were awake, but after putting them to bed, she struggled with that. The brunette had sorted and organized things around the house. After that, she started to clean before finally taking a break not long ago. She heard Marissa's key in the lock and held her breath. Her eyes met the redhead's when she entered their home.

"Hi."

"Hi. I thought I asked you not to wait up."

Bianca smiled softly. "You did, but you really didn't expect me to not wait up, did you?"

Marissa returned the smile as she walked into the family room and set her things down. "No, I didn't. I knew you'd be up, even before I got your text."

"Are you okay? You look exhausted."

"I'm both, and I'm also really glad to be home. What about you? You look like you're as exhausted as I feel."

"I'm okay. I'm just really glad you're home."

"Are the kids okay? They didn't give you any problems?"

"Yeah, they are, and no, they didn't give me any problems." Bianca paused. "Rissa, I'm so sorry. I was wrong, and I should've been up front with you earlier about everything."

"I know you're sorry, and I'm honestly not angry about that anymore. I know we have to talk about a lot of things, and I know you want to know about Sam."

"Yeah, I do want to know about her, but right now, I'm more concerned about us. Are we okay?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure we are. Would it be okay with you if we talk about everything tomorrow though, or actually later today I guess now? I'm wiped out, and I don't want to say something that I don't mean. That could happen because I'm not really thinking very clear right now."

"I understand."

"Thanks. Right now, I just want to see our kids, give them a kiss and tell them I love them. It doesn't matter that they're asleep and won't hear me. It's something I need to do."

Bianca heard the emotion in Marissa's voice and simply nodded. The brunette knew they would talk, but now, Marissa needed some rest and a little time. Bianca would give her whatever she needed. "Okay. Why don't you go on upstairs and do that. I'll lock up, get the lights and be up after that."

Marissa took a shaky breath and headed upstairs. She checked on AJ first, sitting on his bed and brushing his hair back from his face. She kissed the top of his head and whispered. "I love you, buddy, so much. You changed my life that day I found you." She sat watching him sleep peacefully for a few more minutes before pulling the blanket he had kicked off back over him. She kissed him once more before heading to the girls' room.

Miranda was lying on her side with her blankets kicked off as well. _What is it with you kids and your blankets? _Marissa sat down next to her. She stoked her hair and smiled. Miranda was so much like her mother. She'd been through so much in her young life, but she was strong and a survivor. How anyone could hurt her or Gabby was beyond her comprehension. Marissa whispered, "I love you, Mimo. I'll always be here for you and your sister." She kissed her and covered her back up.

Gabby was lying diagonally across her bed, hugging Minx the monkey tightly. Marissa couldn't hold back a smile. _How does someone so little take up so much space?_ She gently repositioned her youngest daughter and sat down. Like her mother, Gabby had such a big heart and was so loving. Again, Marissa questioned how someone could ever walk away from these girls or their mother. "I love you, monkey, with all of my heart." She covered her up and kissed her as well. She crossed to the door and gave them one last look before closing it behind her.

Marissa turned and found the brunette waiting for her, concern for her evident in warm chocolate eyes. They walked into their bedroom in silence. The redhead grabbed her pajamas and went into the bathroom to wash up while Bianca turned down the covers and got into bed. Marissa came back into their bedroom and turned off the lights before climbing into bed next to Bianca.

"Don't worry. I'll be okay. It's just been one hell of a day." Marissa said softly.

Bianca caressed the redhead's cheek. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I promise. Hey, I love you. I just …" Marissa yawned.

"I know. I love you too. Get some rest. Do you need to be up at certain time? I could wake you up after I drop the kids off."

"You need some rest too."

"I'll drop the kids off and then come back home. We'll talk then?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, we'll talk then."

/

Bianca turned off the alarm the instant it started to blare. Marissa had slept fitfully. Sometime during the early morning hours, Bianca found Marissa pressed next to her side. The brunette shifted slightly and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. After that, the redhead seemed to have relaxed, and both women drifted back off to sleep. Bianca carefully got out of bed and ducked into bathroom hoping that a shower would help her wake up more.

/

Marissa felt someone watching her. It wasn't Bianca. There was a difference when she watched her, and the redhead sensed her absence. Marissa slowly opened one eye and saw Gabby standing next to her. "Hey, monkey. How are you?"

Gabby yawned and gave her a sleepy grin. "Morning, mommy. I missed you last night."

"I missed you too, monkey. You want to snuggle?"

Gabby nodded and climbed into bed after Marissa lifted the covers. The little girl snuggled in, and both drifted back to sleep. When Bianca came back into the bedroom, her heart leapt at the sight. She hated to break up that peaceful scene, but she needed to get Gabby ready for daycare.

Bianca knelt next to the bed and whispered. "Hey, Gabby. It's time to wake up and get ready, baby. I need you to be quiet though. We don't want to wake up Marissa."

"'K, mommy." Gabby whispered as she climbed out of bed with her mother's help and followed the older brunette out of the room.

Bianca helped the three kids get ready for school. After breakfast and before heading out for the day, Miranda and AJ poked their heads in their mothers' bedroom. Both smiled when they saw Marissa sleeping, glad that she was home. Her presence confirmed what they knew. There may be a strain between the couple at the moment, but things would be worked out between them.

/

The sound of the front door closing roused Marissa awake. She had been drifting in and out of sleep for a while now. She had heard the kids trying and failing to be quiet. It seemed the more they tried to be quiet, the louder they actually got. She wasn't sure how that worked exactly, but it was always the case. The bedroom door had opened several times, and each time she heard Bianca quietly shooing the kids away before closing it again. The last time it closed was when Bianca came in to give her a soft kiss goodbye. Moments later, she heard her family exit their home. Marissa felt somewhat drugged. The few hours of sleep that she had managed to get almost made her feel worse than if she hadn't slept at all. It had been a fitful night for her. She had actually gotten up several times during the night because she didn't want to wake up Bianca with her restlessness. She had so much on her mind that she just couldn't seem to shut it off. She was only able to finally settle when she felt Bianca take her in her arms and envelop her in a loving embrace.

She laid in bed for several more minutes before finally giving up on the idea of more sleep. Marissa sat up and thought about what she needed to do in the day ahead. She padded downstairs, grabbed her laptop and headed back upstairs. Marissa typed up her notes from last night's plea discussion with the district attorney. After her notes were transposed, she called the office and spoke with the paralegal she'd been assigned. Marissa emailed the details to the young woman and then proceeded to go over everything with her, explaining what she wanted and needed from her. The paralegal would type everything up and then, after the redhead had reviewed everything, she would deliver the finalized version to Marissa's home for the lawyer to review with Bianca. She knew her girlfriend would go along with what she had come up with but wanted to go over all of the details with her before getting the district attorney's signature.

Once she got off the phone with the office, she made her way to the bathroom and hoped that a shower would help scrub away the last remnants of sleep and give her a better outlook than what remained from last night.

/

Bianca pulled back into the driveway after dropping off the kids at school and daycare. As she was grabbing a bag from the front passenger's seat, she heard a car pull up behind her. She shook her head when she saw her sister get out of the car and walk towards her.

"Kendall, good morning. Are you following me by any chance?"

The older woman chuckled. "Nope, I called your office and was told you were coming in late today, if you came in at all. I decided to take a chance and hopefully catch up with you here."

"What's up? Why the sudden visit?"

"What? I'm not allowed to stop by and see my little sister for no reason?"

The two made their way into the house. "No, you know you're welcome to stop by anytime. You don't need a reason."

Kendall smiled. "Thank you! What's in the bag?"

"I stopped by Krystal's to pick up some breakfast for Marissa and myself. And back to the original subject of your visit. While you don't need a reason, I have the distinct impression that you have one this time."

Kendall feigned shock. "I'm hurt that you would think that, Binx."

Bianca simply raised an eyebrow and looked at her sister.

"Fine! I wanted to check on you, and I'm glad I did. You look tired. Is everything alright?"

Bianca glanced upstairs. She didn't want to disturb Marissa by having a drawn out conversation with her sister in the family room. She wanted the redhead to grab a little more sleep if she could so she directed her sister out of the room. "Let's talk in the kitchen."

Kendall followed her sister and sat down at the table while her sister grabbed them both some coffee before joining her.

"Okay, Binx, spill it. What's going on?"

Bianca sighed. "I screwed up, Kendall, big time."

"Come on, Binx. I'm sure whatever you did isn't nearly as bad as you think it is."

/

Marissa threw on a pair sweats and a t-shirt before heading downstairs. Autumn had finally arrived, and it was a cool day. She didn't feel like dressing for work quite yet. She padded downstairs having heard Bianca pull up. She heard voices coming from the kitchen and headed in that direction, stopping when she heard Bianca and her sister.


	48. Back On The Same Page

**A/N****: ****Thanks for the reviews! I really do appreciate them so please keep them coming! This chapter picks up exactly where the last one left off. I have to admit that part of it was a little tricky, but I got through it and think it turned out okay. I hope you all agree and enjoy this latest update!**

**/ **

Marissa threw on a pair sweats and a t-shirt before heading downstairs. Autumn had finally arrived, and it was a cool day. She didn't feel like dressing for work quite yet. She padded downstairs having heard Bianca pull up and decided now was the time to talk. She heard voices coming from the kitchen and headed in that direction, stopping when she heard Bianca and Kendall talking.

"You did what? You knew how she felt about the break-in and everything connected with it, Bianca. Why would you do something like that?"

"Because I'm idiot, Kendall. Marissa was angry, and she was hurt. She has been nothing but supportive of me, and then I go and do something like this. Did you know that just the other day we were talking about me going back to school and taking a few classes, and she was all for it?"

"Really? You're thinking of going back to school? I think that's great, Bianca. It doesn't surprise me at all that Red would be behind that."

"That's pretty much what Marissa. How do I repay her? I turn around and do this. I can't believe how selfish I was."

"Bianca, what you did was not selfish, maybe a little, what misguided because of how you went about things, but definitely not selfish. You were trying to help a girl who is all alone."

"I know, but I should've been upfront with Marissa. I wasn't though. I keep screwing up."

"What are you talking about, Binx?"

"My relationships. I keep screwing them up. You know, maybe _I'm_ the reason my relationships keep failing and don't work."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Don't you dare blame yourself for what those others did! _You_ didn't make them to decide to cheat, or lie, or close themselves off and put their family second! _They_ are the ones that did that! Okay? That's on them, and you don't get to blame yourself for their stupidity and being asses and not knowing what a good thing they had with you! You got it?"

"Kendall …"

"No, I'm serious, Bianca. You don't bear the responsibility for their actions. _They_ made those choices, not you! Don't be taking on their garbage. I mean it! Got it?"

"I got it."

"Good. Now, I know Marissa. Granted, I don't know as well as you, but I do know her pretty well. The woman loves you. She lights up whenever she sees you, hears your voice or even whenever she just talks about you or hears your name. I know she's a little upset with you right now and rightfully so, but someone who loves you that much will forgive you for this. When I saw her last night, I think she pretty much already had."

Bianca was surprised to hear this news. "You saw her last night? Where? What did she say?"

"Yes, I saw her last night. I had to drop something off at the post office, and I saw her outside the police station. She was just leaving you a message when I walked up. I believe Red's last words on that message were 'I love you, Bianca'."

The younger brunette nodded. "They were."

"See! She may've been upset, but it didn't change her feelings towards you. As for what else she said, Marissa only told me that you 'put her in an awkward position'."

"That's how she described it? Is that all she said?"

"Yep, that's it. Well, other than the fact that I shouldn't worry because she loved you too much to let whatever was going on between you get in the way of that and that the two of you would work things out, that was it. So, I'm going to take her at her word. I think you should too." Kendall smiled.

Bianca released a shaky breath. "She said that? You're right. I should, and I do. I just …"

"You're human, Binx, just like the rest of us. You made a mistake. Marissa knows and understands that. As I much as I love to give her a hard time about you having her wrapped around her little finger, I know that Red is her own woman and is fully capable of telling you 'no' if she ever needs to. So, she must have sensed you were on to something with Sam for her to go along with things."

"Yeah, she definitely can and has told me 'no' before."

"Then why are you beating yourself up so much over this?"

"I hurt her, Kendall, and that's the last thing I ever want to do. She means everything to me. There was a time when I thought I would never find anyone to share my life with again. That I had my shots at love, and well, that was it. But then I met her, and something clicked. I didn't want to admit it at first because you know my track record. Everything was different with her though. She was so sure about me, us and her feelings once she admitted them to herself. She didn't run or hide from them. She was in all the way, and there's been no looking back for her. Do you know how special someone like that is? How rare it is to find someone like that? Well, it is for me at least. She has done so much for me and the girls, given so much and so freely. She's put a lot on the line for us and has never once asked for anything is return. I don't doubt for one second that she would do whatever she needed to in order to keep us safe."

"You have done and would do the same for her, and she knows that. Marissa knows how you feel about her. How could she not know that? It's written all over your face just like it is her's."

Bianca nodded. "Yes, I would do anything I needed to in a heartbeat. I can't remember when she wasn't a part of my life, when I didn't love her. I can't imagine my life and world without her. When I think of my future, Marissa is always there beside me, giving me the strength and love that I need. I see us watching our kids and grandkids growing up and the two of us growing old together. I don't want anyone else. She's it for me, Kendall. I know I will never find anyone else as perfect for me as Marissa. I know I have never or will never love anyone the way that I love her."

/

A knock on the front door prevented Marissa from entering the kitchen at that moment. She quickly collected herself as she hurried to the front the door. When she was far enough away from the kitchen, she called back to Bianca. "I've got it."

Marissa checked the door viewer and saw it was her paralegal. "Hi, Lisa."

"Hi, Marissa. Here's the finalized version of the plea deal." The young woman followed Marissa into the family room as the redhead reviewed the document. "Hi, Bianca."

"Hi, Lisa. How are you?"

"I'm good. It's a good thing I start early because the boss is keeping me busy this morning, not that I'm complaining. This was definitely a change in pace for me, and I kind liked it. There is a definite difference between the criminal and civil sides."

Marissa glanced up, meeting Bianca's steady gaze and smiled.

"She's working you that hard, huh?" Kendall smirked, having following her sister from the kitchen.

"Who, the boss? She's a real slave driver." Lisa chuckled. "She lets me have a life outside the office, unlike some of the other associates with their paralegals. Between us, I lucked out when I was assigned to her, and I'm not just saying that because my review is coming up."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "You're lucky I can tell the difference between a smartass and a kiss ass."

"Guess I am. How does it look? Did I get it the way you want? Are there any changes you need me to make?"

"No, it's good. You've got everything in here and have dotted all of the i's and crossed all of the t's. Good job."

"Good, I'm glad. Do you want me to run it over to the D.A.'s office for you on my way back to the office?"

"No, I need to review this with Bianca. I'll drop it off after that. If there are any changes, I'll let you know. For now, why don't you head on back to the office and hit the law library there. I seem to recall you having a big test tomorrow."

Lisa looked over at the sisters and grinned. "Now, she's making me study for my tests! See what I mean? She's a real slave driver."

Marissa shook her head and chuckled at the younger woman. "Get out of here before I come up with something long, drawn-out and boring for you to do. Better yet, I could loan you out. I know of a couple of other associates that would be more than happy to find some work for you."

"Please not them! Those two are just downright scary and really creepy. Okay, I'm outta here. You know how to reach me so call me if you need anything else. Good to see you again, Bianca. You too, Mrs. Slater." She followed the redhead to the door. "Thanks for giving me the time to study. Have a good day, boss."

"You're welcome, Lisa. Thanks for dropping this off for me. I'll see you tomorrow, _after_ your test. Good luck."

Marissa walked back into the family room. "Good morning, Kendall. To what do we owe the pleasure of your company this morning?"

Kendall laughed, glad to see some of the spark back in the redhead. "I was in the neighborhood and decided I would grace you with my presence to brighten your day."

"Wow, I'll have to remember to go out and buy a lottery ticket since luck is on my side today." Marissa smirked.

Bianca laughed as she watched the exchanged between the two women who meant the world to her.

Hearing Bianca laugh prompted Marissa to glance her way. A smile tugged on her lips as she replayed the conversation she had overheard earlier.

Kendall watched as the couple gazed at each other. "Okay then, I think I'll be going now. No, no, I insist. I really can't stay so don't ask. I need to go do … something." Kendall hugged her sister and whispered. "Remember what I said. Talk to her and tell her what you told me. I'll call you later."

Marissa looked at the older brunette and smirked. "Are you sure, Curly?"

Kendall made her way to the front door as the redhead followed her. "Yeah, I'm sure, Red. I'll catch up with you later."

"Hey, Kendall. Thanks, for everything. I'll take it from here. Trust me, I got it." Marissa smiled.

Kendall smiled and knew instantly that Marissa had heard some if not all of her conversation with Bianca. She hugged the redhead. "You're welcome. I know my little sister's in the best possible hands, and I know you've got everything under control. If you need anything though, you call me. I'll see you later, Red."

/

After seeing Kendall out, Marissa walked back into the family room. Hazel eyes met brown and neither woman was able to speak for a moment.

Marissa finally broke the silence. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. From what I gathered from what Lisa was saying, you were up early working. Were you able to get much sleep? I tried to keep the kids quiet, but you know how that is."

"Yeah, I do know how tough that can be keeping them quiet. I managed to get a little, but I just couldn't get back to sleep when I heard you all leave. After a while, I just gave up. I had a few things I needed to get done, and once the brain kicked back on, sleep was out of the question. I'll be okay though. I know you didn't get that much."

Bianca smiled. "I'm okay. Besides, sleep is overrated sometimes."

"I highly doubt that." Marissa smirked before turning serious. "I don't want you getting sick."

"I'll be fine. Have you had breakfast yet? Are you hungry?"

Marissa's stomach growled, answering for her.

Bianca laughed. "I guess that answers my questions. Have a seat, and I'll bring us something in here."

Marissa started to argue that she was perfectly capable of helping, but the look on her girlfriend's face put an immediate stop to her argument. "Okay."

Bianca headed to the kitchen and returned with a tray carrying two mugs of coffee along with the takeout she had brought back with her from her earlier trip out. She set the tray down on the coffee table and sat next to Marissa after handing her a mug of coffee.

The redhead took a drink and released an appreciative groan. "Oh god, I needed that! The shower helped, but the caffeine is what I really need about now." Marissa looked at the bag expectantly. "Is that what I think it is?"

Bianca chuckled as she pulled out something from the bag. "Yep, I stopped by Krystal's on my way home from dropping off the kids and picked up a blueberry muffin for you."

"Thanks! You know how I love them. You better have gotten yourself something while you were there. When was the last time you ate something?"

"Yes, I got myself a chocolate chip muffin. And I ate some dinner last night. What about you?"

"What about me? Oh, I, uh, I haven't eaten since lunch yesterday, but I just wasn't hungry last night. Besides, the question wasn't about me originally. It was about you. If I had to guess, your dinner was more like you pushing things around on your plate. Kendall and Erica will think I'm falling down on the job and not taking care of you."

"Trust me, you take excellent care of me. My sister knows that. As for my mom, I think she does too, but just in case she gives you any problems, Kendall and I will both set her straight."

"Thanks. I appreciate that." Marissa smiled.

The two ate in silence for several minutes before Bianca finally broke the silence, unable to hold the words she needed to say in any longer. The brunette turned to face her girlfriend. "Rissa, I'm so sorry for everything. You have to know that I never meant to hurt you. I was just so focused on trying to help Sam that I didn't think things through the way I should have. I hope you can forgive me. I mean I was thoughtless and selfish, and I acted just like …"

"Stop right there! I don't _ever_ want you to compare yourself to him. You are _not_ remotely like him. You never have been or never will be."

"But what I did …"

Marissa took Bianca's hands in her's. "Okay, I need you to listen to me. I thought I told you this when I got home, but it looks like I didn't. I forgive you. I had by the time I called and left you that message. Were you wrong in not telling me up front what you wanted? Yeah, you were, but I know why you did it. You were trying to help someone, and God knows Sam needs help. It's what you do, and who you are. I know that, probably better than anyone else given everything we've been through. I forgot that briefly because I couldn't see past the fact of what she'd done to you. I'm sorry for that."

"She didn't do anything to me."

"Yes, she did. I know what the Center means to you, what it represents, everything that it stands for. An attack on it is the same as an attack on you in my book, and I will not stand idly by while that happens. When I see something like that, you can be damn well sure that I'm going to do something about it. I guess I have a hard time being as forgiving as you when it comes to someone hurting you. It's simply the way it is, and when it happens, well, I just kinda can't see straight and lose it a little bit."

"No, don't turn this around and blame yourself for anything. I was wrong, and I should have just asked you and accepted your decision, whatever it was. Just so you know, I'm the same way when it comes to someone hurting you. I really hate that I'm the one who hurt you this time, trying to get you to do something you didn't want to do. I should've let it go and did what you asked and let the police handle it."

"Bianca, you are _never_ going to stop wanting to help someone that needs it. It's just one of the many reasons of why I love you so much, and you don't have a selfish bone in your body, unlike others that will remain nameless. Those others, well, they would do things to just get what they could for themselves. They always think about what's in it for them and don't give a damn about anyone else or the repercussions of their actions. God knows, they wouldn't be the least bit sorry of how I felt about what they did. My feelings wouldn't even begin to cross their mind. They certainly wouldn't have waited up half the night for me to get home and made themselves sick with any type of remorse or guilt. They wouldn't even know the meaning of those words. You do, and I know that you're sorry. I know that you would never purposefully hurt me."

"You're right. I wouldn't. You mean too much to me. You and our kids are everything to me. I don't want to lose you."

"You're not going to, B."

Bianca released a breath of relief upon hearing those words. "Good, because I can't imagine my life without you. I don't even want to think about it. You make it so much brighter and bolder."

"You do the same for me. I think I was just hurt and upset because I wasn't expecting you to do something like that."

Bianca winced. "I know. I'm sorry. I screwed up and was an idiot."

"Yeah, you were. You made a mistake."

"I did, a big one. I never said I was a saint, and I never said I was perfect."

Marissa smiled. "No, you didn't, and for the record, I never said you were. Others may think that you are, but I know better. You are wonderfully human and flawed just like the rest of us. What makes you different is that you try and bring out the best in people. What you fail to recognize sometimes is that it's not always possible. Sometimes, your expectations for the rest of us are a little hard to meet. We're just not as good as you."

"Rissa, you have to know that you _are_ a good person. You help so many people day in and day out without giving it a second thought. I'm definitely not any better than you."

"You're more forgiving than I am. When I think what …"

"I made my peace with that a long time ago. I had to, or I wouldn't have been able to move forward with my life or set the kind of example for Miranda, and then later Gabby, that I wanted, one that my grandma would've been proud of."

"Mona, I would've liked to have met her."

"She was one of the kindest and sweetest people I've ever known. I still miss her. You would've loved her, and more importantly, she would've loved you. She would've loved your fire and how you don't back down from my mom. There aren't many people that do that. She also would've loved how you fight for me, our kids and our family. Family meant everything to her, just like it does to you. As for …"

"I know, and I'm trying, for you. I know it's better if I do, especially for AJ. It just seems like sometimes that you're so willing to set yourself up to get hurt, and I can't stand that. I know I can't protect you all the time, but it doesn't stop me from wanting to. I think what got me the most was that with Sam, you really didn't know anything about her, but you were ready to help her in spite of what she did. By not telling me right away what you wanted, it felt like you weren't listening to me. Then, I got over myself and realized that you were. It's just that you were doing what you thought was right and staying true to yourself, to who you are, and that you were discounting my opinion. You had the best of intentions. You just didn't go about it the way that you should've. If you had told me what you wanted, I honestly don't know if I would've come down there to help. I just know that I'm glad that I did. I need you to do a few things for me though. I need you to make me a few promises."

"Anything, you just have to ask. I'll do anything to make this up to you, whatever it takes."

"Next time, and I really hope there isn't a next time but if there is, I need you to just stop and think for a minute before jumping in right away. You see, I don't know what I would do without you, if something happened to you. Life without you is something that I can't even begin to fathom."

"I promise I will. What else?"

"Next, I want you to stop beating yourself up about this now. I need you to forgive yourself because I meant it when I said I forgive you. I also _never_ want you to compare yourself to someone else because you are in no way shape or form like him."

"I'll try my best, for you. Anything else?"

"Yeah, there is. I know you're not a saint. I don't want you to be. Let's face it, they can be kinda boring, and you are _anything_ but boring."

The look in Marissa's eyes made Bianca's heart skip a beat and caused her to give the redhead that goofy grin that she loved so much.

"The last thing I need you to do for me is to kiss me because I can't begin to tell you how much I've missed …"

Bianca surged forward to Marissa, silencing her before she could finish speaking, and captured her lips with her own. The longing and love in that contact sent shivers through both, and the kiss deepened as they wrapped their arms around each other. It had only been one day, less than one actually, but the emotional distance that had been between them made it feel longer. As they pulled each other closer, quickly becoming lost in each other, a thought managed to cut through the fog that was quickly forming in Marissa's consciousness. With what felt like a herculean effort, the redhead pulled back from Bianca causing the brunette to groan in protest.

"As much as I want to continue this, _and God knows I do_, I can't, not right now at least."

"_Why not?_"

Marissa swallowed hard. "I have to get some papers over to the D.A.'s office, and before I do that, I have to go over them with you and get your okay."

Bianca's breathing slowed as she nodded in comprehension. "Sam's plea deal, right?"

"Yeah, I also need to tell you a few things about her, what I learned last night. It's not going to be easy to hear."

"I had a feeling it wouldn't be. I'm okay. Go ahead."

Marissa took a deep breath. "Sam was placed with a foster family by the name of Allen. They know some people, and have been a foster family a couple of times before her. Things were okay there for about a month, and then, everything went to hell in a hand basket. She wasn't getting the counseling she was supposed to in order to deal with losing her parents. The Allen's didn't think it was necessary. Any money that she was supposed to get for her care, they pocketed. Before she knew it, she had become the family punching bag. She was an easy target because she was the outsider. They took all of their frustrations out on her, even the kids. They seemed happy to have someone else around to take the heat off of them."

"What about the social worker? They usually pay a follow up visit."

"Sam told her what was happening when she did, but she did basically next to nothing. She went to the Allen's and told them what Sam had told her. She didn't bother doing any investigation at all other than that. If she had really listened to Sam, she would've followed up at a few emergency rooms that Sam had told her she had visited, and gotten all of the proof that she needed."

"It was that bad?"

"Yeah, it was. Sam had some broken bones on a few of those trips. They were careful not to go to the same one too often because …"

"It would raise flags if they did. Yeah, I've seen that before, unfortunately. So when the social worker talked to the Allen's …"

"It made everything worse because now they were even madder because she was damaging their reputation."

"They couldn't have that now could they. You'd think they would've let the social worker take her away and get her off their hands."

"They couldn't do that because it wouldn't look good if they did. So, they kept her, and the social worker chalked it all up to Sam being disturbed because of losing her parents. The Allen's, in turn, made the place a living nightmare for her. She couldn't trust the social worker because when she did it just made things worse. She didn't know who else to go to. Sam stuck it out for as long as she could. When she couldn't take it anymore, she ran away."

"And she was put back with the Allen's when they found her. So, she ran away again."

"Yeah, she did. That time she fell in with that gang that's been robbing places. They took her in because she could fill a role for them. At first, she was a look out. She was good at that because she could fly under the radar. The break-in at the Miranda Center was her first job where she actually participated. They told her that if she didn't help that she'd have to go back to the Allen's."

"That probably scared her more than anything else. Of course, she went along with them. I'm guessing they threatened her not to talk to the police if she was caught."

Marissa nodded sadly. "They did. That's another reason why she was so reluctant to talk. She knew what they could do to someone who crossed them."

"Somehow, you managed to get through to her, got her to trust you enough to tell you everything. You're incredible, you know that?" Bianca smiled.

"I don't know about that. I was able to relate to her on one level because of us both losing our parents. This all made me realize how lucky I was. I had my mom and dad, and thank God, they were the loving and wonderful people they were. When they died, I was old enough that I didn't have to deal with the foster care system and take my chances with that."

"How did you get her to open up, to let you help?"

"I told her that someone offered to help me, and I let them because I finally realized that no matter what I'd been saying to the contrary, I couldn't do it all on my own. I needed help, and once I admitted that to myself, I was finally able to start healing and stop hurting as much."

"And Sam took that offer just like you did." Bianca caressed Marissa's cheek. Her girlfriend's actions upon returning home made perfect sense to her now. After hearing everything that Sam had gone through, the first instinct Bianca had was to hug each of their kids and tell them how much she loved them just like Marissa had done. "I'm sorry. I didn't know that her situation would be that bad. It brought up some painful memories for you. Are you okay?"

"I am. Again, this all made me realize how lucky I was, how lucky I am. Krystal did help get me out of where I was and get me here. She may have done it partly out of guilt, but it was enough. If I hadn't taken her up on that offer of helping me with school, then, I wouldn't have moved here. I wouldn't have adopted AJ. I also wouldn't have met you, become your friend, fallen in love with you and have the family that I always wanted." Marissa leaned in giving Bianca a loving kiss.

"I'm glad you took her up on that offer. It changed my life. Is it safe to say that you know who the others are?"

"It is. I need to go over the deal I struck with Mike on this with you. If you're not comfortable with any of it, let me know, and we'll figure out something that will work for everyone. Okay?"

"Okay, but I trust you on this."

"For Sam giving up the others, she'll be charged as a juvenile but to a lesser offense. Instead of being put in detention to serve her time, she'll have to do community service, a lot of it."

"Let me guess where, the Miranda Center?"

Marissa smiled. "Yeah, I thought it was only right."

"I suppose it is, and that's fine with me. How many hours?"

"Mike and I went back and forth on that point. We compromised on 300 hours. We figure that could take her around a year to complete. She can work after school, on the weekends and breaks."

Bianca thought for a second. "We can always use the help. We'll find something for her. Where's she going to live?"

"That's the next part of the deal. Mike agreed that she will not be going back to the Allen's. He's going to open up an investigation into them."

"Good! Knowing him, he'll make sure it's actually done this time and that they pay for what they've done. It's sad and kind of ironic that their kids are now going to be on the other side of the system."

"Yeah, it is. Hopefully, they'll get the help that they didn't want to give Sam."

"So, where is Sam going?"

"For now, I'm hoping that she can temporarily stay in one of the Center's safe houses until a proper foster home is found for her. And B, when I say a proper foster home, I don't mean …"

Bianca stopped Marissa. "I know, and I understand. It can't be us. We've got our hands full as it is, and we won't be able to give Sam the attention that she needs. She's going to need a lot. She can definitely stay at one of the safe houses. Could we maybe have some say where she goes?" Bianca smiled when she saw the answer in Marissa's eyes. "You got Mike to agree to that, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did. We'll be able to have a say since I'm her lawyer and she has to work for you."

"You're absolutely amazing."

"So you keep telling me." Marissa chuckled.

"I only speak the truth. Sam's good with the deal?"

"She is. One last thing, her record will be expunged when she turns 18 as long as she's completed her community service, gotten herself straightened out at school and stayed out of trouble. So, what do you think?"

"I think it's a very fair and well thought-out deal. I'm with good it. What next?"

"I take these papers over to the D.A.'s office for Mike to sign, and then, he files them with the court."

"Okay, I'll head to the office and get things set up on our side."

"I was wondering if you could do one more thing for me."

"Whatever you need, Rissa, you just need to ask."

"Call Jan and Aya and let them handle some of the details. Before you ask me why, I want you to get some rest. You need it. I know you didn't get that much last night so I know you're exhausted. You can protest all you want, but I know otherwise. Would you do this for me, please?"

"You're just as tired as I am. I know yesterday was rough on you. You could let Lisa run those papers over for you."

"Sam's my client, and I have a responsibility to her."

"And she's my client as well now giving me an equal responsibility to her as well." The two women stared at each other, neither wanting to give on the point.

Marissa smiled and shook her head. "How about we compromise?"

"What do you have in mind, counselor?"

"You call your office and handle things from here, but let Jan or Aya handle her intake at the Center and getting her settled at the safe house. I'll have Mike meet me at the police station to sign the deal and make sure Sam's okay with going with Jan or Aya since I can't go with her to the safe house. I'll come back home as soon as I'm done. We'll check on her later today to make sure she's okay."

Bianca thought for a moment and finally relented. "Okay, I suppose I can live with that. It's probably better for Sam if I'm not hovering around the staff. They can do their jobs better if I'm not, and it will give her a lower profile. There's no need to bring more attention to her than what's necessary. While they're handling that, I can think of how she can best complete her community service. Will you let Sam know I'll check on her tomorrow?"

Marissa grinned, happy to see Bianca accept the compromise. "You know I will. Let me go change into something slightly more professional than sweats and call Mike." The redhead grabbed her cellphone and headed upstairs.

Bianca cleaned up the remnants of their breakfast from family room before starting on her calls. Marissa rejoined her a short time later.

"Aya will meet you at the police station while Jan starts on the paperwork. We think we've found the best place for her to stay."

"Good. Mike agreed to meet me at the station." Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'll be back as soon as I can. In the meantime, please try and get some rest."

Bianca sighed. "I will. I promise."

"I'll pick us up some lunch on my way back. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect." Bianca followed Marissa to the door giving her a lingering kiss goodbye. "I'll see you soon. I love you."

Marissa grinned. "You definitely will. I love you too."

/

Marissa walked into Krystal's and headed straight for the counter to place a lunch order to go. She was anxious to get home to give Bianca an update and to pick up where they had left off earlier.

"Hey, Red."

"Hey, Kendall, Greenlee. How're you both doing?"

"Not bad. You look better than you did when I saw you this morning. I'm surprised to see you out and about."

"That's because I am better, a lot better. I had to wrap something up from yesterday."

Greenlee looked around. "Where's the other half?"

"Bianca's at home getting some much needed rest. I'm picking up lunch for us."

"Why does she need rest in the middle of the day? Should I take a guess?" Greenlee waggled her eyebrows and grinned.

"Do you mind? I'm eating here, and come on! You're talking about my little sister! We've talked about this many, many times. There are certain aspects of their relationship that I don't want to talk or even think about, alright? Bianca feels the same way that I do when it comes to my relationship with Zach."

"Sorry, I brought it up." Greenlee smirked.

Kendall shook her head seeing the glint in her friend's eyes. "The hell you are. You do it on purpose. I know you do."

Greenlee laughed. "You're right, I do. It's fun getting a rise out of you and surprisingly easy sometimes. Besides, you do the same thing to me."

"Yeah, I know I do. Guilty as charged. Don't get any ideas, Red."

Marissa chuckled. "I'm not saying a word, Curly. I like to keep some things between Bianca and myself just between the two of us and private. Greenlee, you are free to speculate all you want, and I will neither confirm nor deny what you say. Oh good, it looks like my order is ready. I'm going to get it and head home. As always, it's been … interesting chatting with you. I'll tell Bianca you said 'hi'."

"Thank you. See you later, Red." Kendall watched the redhead leave.

"It looks like things are patched up between the two of them." Greenlee stated.

"Yes, it does. I'm glad to see it."

"Did you really doubt they wouldn't work it out?"

Kendall shook her head. "No, I knew they would. I just …"

"Don't like seeing them both so miserable, yeah I know. Don't worry so much. Yes, they've both been through a lot. That's the reason why I know that this time is different for both of them, particularly your sister. What they have is special, and they are going to fight like hell to keep it."

"And we'll be there to help them if they need it. You really are getting soft."

"Shut up!"

/

When Marissa let herself in, she was relieved to see that Bianca wasn't in the family room and to hear that the house was quiet. Both were good indications that the brunette was indeed getting some much needed rest. Marissa went to the kitchen and placed the food on the counter before heading upstairs to check on her girlfriend and change her clothes. She found Bianca had changed into an old pair of sweats and a t-shirt and was sleeping peacefully on their bed. Marissa smiled and gazed at the beautiful sight for several minutes. She shook herself back to the present and changed into her sweats again. As she about to pull her t-shirt over her head, Marissa yelped in surprise as she felt Bianca's arms wrap around her. She leaned back into the embrace, enjoying the feel of Bianca enveloping her.

"Hey, you."

"Hey, yourself. I didn't wake you, did I? I was trying to be quiet."

"I woke up to the intoxicating smells of you and chili cheese fries."

Marissa laughed. "I'm glad to hear I rank up there with chili cheese fries."

"Oh, I think you have the edge there." Bianca grinned. "Am I right about smelling the fries though?"

"Yes, you are. I stopped by Krystal's on the way home. I know how much you love them. Everything went fine at the station by the way. I'll give you all the details while we have lunch."

"I had no doubt that it would. Thank you for getting me lunch and making me get some rest. I didn't realize how tired I was."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to do it. So, you feel better?"

"Definitely. I'm extremely well rested." Bianca began to nuzzle her girlfriend's neck as she pulled the t-shirt from her hands and discarded it.

"What about lun, lunch?" Marissa's heart began to race as she fought to keep her train of thought. The brunette was making that extremely difficult at the moment. Her lips were a very pleasant distraction, and she knew Bianca knew that.

"Hmm, you or chili cheese fries? It's a tough call but I think the fries can wait." Bianca grinned as Marissa tilted her head giving her better access and the brunette accepted the unspoken invitation as she trailed kisses from her girlfriend's shoulder to her neck, finding that one spot that she loved behind Marissa's ear, the one that made her powerless and caused the redhead to inhale sharply and release a soft moan. "Is that alright with you?"

"Huh? Uh, uh yeah, that's, that's fine with me. We can, we can wa, warm them up later." Rational thought was impossible for her as those soft lips continued their exquisite torture. Marissa turned around and found Bianca's lips for a searing kiss as her hands found their way under the brunette's shirt. Bianca moaned at the contact, and their remaining clothes were quickly discarded as Marissa pulled them to the bed.


	49. Erica Finds Out

**A/N: How have you all been? I'm sorry about being a little late with this update. The chapter was getting a little long so I decided to split it up. That means part of the next one is done already so hopefully I can get it posted pretty soon. **

**As always, thank you for the reviews! I love them, and they help feed the beast so please keep them coming! Okay, I'm picking up this chapter not too long after the last one. I hope you enjoy this latest update! **

**/ **

Bianca moaned. "Oh God, this is so good! I can't even begin to describe just how good it is!"

Marissa laughed as she watched the expression on her girlfriend's face. "I think I have a pretty good idea judging by your reaction. You have some chili and cheese on your chin. Come here."

Bianca grinned and leaned across the kitchen table where Marissa kissed the chili and cheese off her girlfriend's chin before placing a lingering kiss on her lips.

Marissa grinned mischievously. "Mmmm, you're right. It is _really_ good. Do you think Krystal would give me her chili recipe if I asked her? I could make these for you more often."

"She might. It's definitely worth a shot." Bianca took another bite of her chili cheese fries and rolled her eyes. "Even re-heated, these are still the best ones in town. I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"If I seem to recall, you made the decision to hold off on lunch." Marissa smirked.

"And if _I_ seem to recall, I didn't hear you complain about that decision." Bianca smirked right back.

"No, you definitely didn't. I was _more_ than happy with your choice. Gotta love a woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it." Marissa grinned. She gazed at Bianca. The redhead loved the private moments like this when it was just the two of them, and they were just simply Bianca and Marissa and not someone's mother, sister or daughter. They loved those roles, cherished them, but it was nice to have time like this to themselves. She gave a contented sigh as she continued to watch Bianca. She knew without a doubt that she had never seen anyone or anything as beautiful as the woman sitting across from her. The smile in Bianca's warm, chocolate eyes matched the one crossing her lips as she thoroughly enjoyed something as simple as her favorite junk food, and her luscious brown hair was tousled from their earlier lovemaking. There seemed to be this glow, this warmth that emanated from her soul, and it touched and warmed every part of Marissa. _She is absolutely breathtaking._

Bianca glanced at Marissa. The look in hazel eyes captured her attention as she was about to take another bite of a chili cheese fry. "What? Do I have more chili on my face? If I do, feel free to take care of it like you did a minute ago." Bianca waggled her eyebrows and grinned mischievously.

Marissa laughed. "No, you don't have anything else on your face, and I'll be more than happy to rectify that situation should it happen again. I was just thinking about how beautiful you are and how happy you make me."

Bianca gave Marissa that goofy grin she loved. "No happier than you make me and definitely no more beautiful than you are. Talk like that will get you absolutely everywhere." The brunette leaned forward for a lingering kiss.

"Good, I'm planning on getting absolutely everywhere again with you later."

Bianca's eyes drifted down. "Hey, how did you get my t-shirt?"

"Just noticing that, are you?"

"Well, I was pretty distracted and needed to replenish my energy from earlier."

"Ah, I see. I hope I didn't wear you out too much." Marissa flashed a wicked grin.

Bianca laughed. "Not a chance! Did you forget that I recover pretty quickly when I'm properly motivated?"

"I do love when you are motivated."

"Back to the question at hand, counselor. Why are _you_ wearing _my_ shirt?"

"I seem to recall us having this discussion before, B. Remember, possession is nine-tenths of the law. So, this would be _my _shirt at the present time." Marissa smirked.

"Hmmm, I think I found a loophole in that _so-called law_ when we had that discussion. I'm pretty sure I can find it again." Bianca grinned as she leaned in close.

"I have no doubt that you can." Marissa sighed. "You don't know how much I hate to say this, but before you get too many ideas about that loophole, Susan will be dropping the kids off any minute."

Bianca groaned, settling for a lingering kiss and pulling away reluctantly. "I didn't realize it was that late. Just so you know, I plan on retrieving my shirt later."

"I'm look forward to it." Marissa gave her a brilliant smile.

Bianca leaned back slightly in her chair but still held onto Marissa's hand, entwining their fingers. "So, tell me how things went earlier."

"To be honest, it went better than I thought it would. I had a few minutes alone with Sam to go over everything again with her. I wanted to make sure that she understood why she couldn't stay with us. I also wanted to make sure she knew that we would still be involved and there to help her, that we weren't deserting her. She seemed to understand. Mike got there and signed the papers, and Sam told them everything. Jesse dispatched some officers to track down the others involved. By that time, Aya had arrived. Sam was a little unsure of her at first, just a little leery."

"That's perfectly understandable."

"Yeah, it is, but Aya, as you well know, is a force of nature. You can't help but like her and trust her. She handled the situation perfectly. Sam was at ease with her in no time. I'm pretty sure you knew Aya would come through though." Marissa smiled.

Bianca shrugged. "Like you said, you can't help but like and trust her. I decided I'm going to keep the number of people connected to the Center that know about Sam's involvement in the break-in confined to a small group. You, obviously, Aya, Jan, Kendall and me will know. That's it for now. Kendall will probably tell Greenlee though which I can deal with. Mom's out of town again, and I don't want to have to deal with her reaction over the phone. It's better if I do it face to face. I think the staff would be okay with everything and understand, but I don't want Sam to feel like she's constantly being watched for signs of doing something like this again. I don't think she will though, do you?"

"No, I don't think so. This whole thing shook her up, and hopefully, it scared her straight. Her attitude did a 180 between yesterday when we first met her and today. Sam sees this as a chance to get some semblance of her old life back, and I don't think she'll do anything to jeopardize it. I told her we would check on her later after she got settled in and that you would see her tomorrow at the Center. As for limiting the number of people who know the details, I think that's pretty smart. It'll make her transition a little easier. And you can add Jack and Caleb to the group of people that know for obvious reasons. As for Erica, I will leave that up to your discretion. You know her better than I do, but I think the sooner you tell her, the better."

"Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome." Marissa met Bianca halfway across the table for a tender kiss.

They pulled apart when they heard the front door open and Susan calling for them. "Hello, Bianca? Marissa?"

Bianca saw Marissa's eyes light up and smiled. She knew the redhead missed spending time with the kids last night. "Go ahead. They're just as anxious to see you as you are them. I'll clean up in here and be with you guys in a minute."

Marissa smiled brightly and gave her girlfriend a quick kiss. "Thanks!"

/

The redhead entered the family room, smiling even more when she saw her children. "Hey, gang!"

"Mom!"

"Rissa!"

"Mommy!"

The kids rushed forward to be showered with hugs and kisses.

"We missed you, Rissa!"

"I missed all of you too, Mimo. Thanks for picking them up for us, Susan."

"No problem, Marissa. Tell Bianca I said hi, and you all have a good night. I'll see you later."

The redhead followed Susan to the door and locked up after her. When she returned to the family room, she looked down at the kids. "Let's sit down, and you all can tell me about your day."

The kids nodded and followed her to the sofa. Gabby took her usual position on Marissa's lap while AJ and Miranda settled on either side of her.

"Where's Bianca?"

"She's in the kitchen, buddy. She'll be out in a minute. So, what's the homework situation look like tonight?"

"We don't have any, Rissa. Since we have our field trip to the museum tomorrow, they didn't give us any today."

"Well, that worked out pretty good, didn't it?"

"Are you still mad at mommy?"

"She was really sad last night, mom. I know she's sorry for whatever she did."

Marissa looked at the anxious, faces of their children and smiled softly. _The kids just get straight to the point, don't they? _"No, I'm not still mad at mommy, and I know she's sorry. We had a nice long talk earlier and worked everything out. Look, I know it's scary when you see us not getting along sometimes. It's something that happens with everybody though, in every relationship. The three of you fight sometimes, but does that mean that you don't love each other?"

The three shook their heads.

"No, we still love each other. We just get on each other's nerves sometimes." Miranda stated.

"She's right. We bug each other sometimes." AJ agreed.

"Well, it's kind of like that with me and Bianca. Just because, every once in a great while, we might not get along, it doesn't mean that we don't love each other. I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay? I've never lied to you, have I?"

The kids shook their heads in unison.

"Bianca and I love each other very much, and because we do, that means we're going to do everything we can to always work things out. I don't want you to worry about us. Neither of us is going anywhere. Okay? We're good now. I promise."

The kids sighed with relief and smiled having received the reassurance they needed.

"Were you able to help mom out, Rissa?"

"Yes, I was. Actually, we're both helping a girl who has gotten into some trouble, and she doesn't have anyone else around to help her right now. Bianca was the first one to recognize all of this and asked for my help. Luckily, I was able to take care of a few things for her."

Bianca had been watching from the doorway as Marissa explained things to the kids. _She always manages to break things down perfectly for them and ease their fears. She's absolutely amazing._ She walked over to her family. "Don't listen to her. Marissa did more than take care of a few things. She figured out a solution that everyone involved could agree to. I'll be honest that was no small task, and it took a lot of work. In other words, she was her awesome self." Bianca grinned as her girlfriend blushed at the compliment. The brunette leaned in and gave Marissa a quick kiss. Bianca sat down next to AJ. "Did I hear correctly that there's no homework tonight?"

Marissa nodded. "You did. There's no homework because of tomorrow's field trip to the natural history museum."

"Well, if that's the case, what would you all say to movie night and pizza for dinner?" Bianca knew the answer before she asked the question, but loved the enthusiastic response she received from everyone. "Alright then, why don't you three put your backpacks in your rooms? We'll pick out a couple of movies when you get back and order pizza."

The kids nodded, hopped off the sofa and headed up to their rooms.

"Pizza, huh?" Marissa smirked as Bianca slid next to her.

"Well, I don't feel like cooking, and I don't think you do either."

"You would be correct. Pizza is perfect. Since we had such a late lunch, we can just grab a slice later."

"That works for me. You were great with them, as always."

"Well, I didn't want them to worry about us. I meant what I said. I love you too much to let an argument get in between us."

"I love you too, and I'm right there with you on not letting anything get in between us. I'm going to make sure to let you know that every day."

"I already know that, but I'm not adverse to you telling and showing me." Marissa grinned.

Bianca sighed happily. "It will be my pleasure." She pulled Marissa close for a loving kiss.

"I told you they'd be kissing, AJ. Mom had that goofy grin on her face when she was talking to Rissa."

"You're right, and mom loves when she does that."

The women laughed and pulled apart hearing their oldest children's commentary.

"Did I really have that grin on my face?"

"Yep, and I can't help myself when you do." Marissa gave her a quick kiss, and both women laughed again hearing AJ and Miranda release an exaggerated groan.

Gabby wasn't quite sure what her brother and sister were complaining about. She didn't see anything wrong with what her mothers were doing. They looked really happy and that's all that mattered to her. She shrugged and skipped over to the sofa. The couple made a Gabby-sized space for her in between them, and she nestled into her favorite spot. "What's wrong with AJ and Miranda?"

"They're being silly and teasing us." Bianca smiled. "What movies are we watching?"

"They're picking the movies, and I get to pick our story for bedtime." Gabby smiled brightly.

"What story do you want to hear later, monkey?" Marissa smiled as she asked.

"I wanna hear the 'Little Mermaid', please."

"Well, the 'Little Mermaid' it is then. What movies do you guys have in mind?"

AJ and Miranda had picked 'Finding Nemo' and 'The Muppets'. They settled back on the sofa with Miranda next to Marissa and AJ next to Bianca. The first movie was started after the pizza was ordered, and they settled in for the evening.

/

It had been two weeks since Sam's life had finally taken a turn for the better. She still had a long way to go, but it was definitely better than it had been at any time over this past year. It had been over two weeks since she had met Bianca and Marissa, and the couple, as they had promised, had been with her every step of the way so far. The goal was to place her with a new foster family. This time, however, it would be one that was properly vetted by Bianca and Marissa. She was still staying in one of the safe houses, and she was okay with that because she was indeed _safe_. Everyone there was keeping an eye out for her, and she was starting to relax and find a routine she was comfortable with. She was also starting counseling sessions. She'd only had a couple sessions so far, and while it was hard at first to open up, she was beginning to start that process. Sam, in turn, was making good on her promises to them. She was cooperating with the police and making progress catching up with her school work with the help of a tutor. In addition to all of that, she was now working on her community service and helping out at the Miranda Center every chance she got, within reason. Bianca and Marissa didn't want her to take on too much all at once and be overwhelmed. For now, she was shadowing Jan and Aya and serving as a gofer for them. She found she really liked the work and helping out. She also liked spending time with Bianca and Marissa. They were probably the nicest and most honest people she had ever met, next to her mom and dad, and she didn't want to disappoint them.

Today, she was helping Jan and Aya with some filing that needed to be done. The three were making good progress. Bianca was currently out of the office at a meeting with Kendall and Greenlee. Sam had to admit that she really liked that pair as well and thought they were pretty funny. She was leaving Bianca's office after grabbing some files when she practically came face to face with a petite woman who looked very familiar, but she just couldn't think of her name. Sam knew she was somebody famous though.

"Jan, dear, is Bianca in?"

"Erica, it's nice to see you again. No, she's not. She has a meeting over at Fusion with Kendall and Greenlee, but she should be back soon."

Erica noticed the young woman watching them. "And who are you dear?"

Aya came around to Sam's side and put a comforting arm around her. "This is Samantha Robinson, and she's helping us out around here for a while. Sam, this is Erica Kane, or as we know her around here, Bianca's mom."

Before Aya had said the woman's name, it finally dawned on Sam who this woman was. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know who she was. Sam's mom loved reading about the woman's exploits and used to watch her talk show all the time. Now, she was face to face with the living legend and immediately intimated as the woman inspected her. _Whoa, Bianca's mom is Erica Kane? Holy crap! I would never have guessed that. Erica Freakin' Kane! Pull it together, Sam and don't embarrass Bianca._ "H, hi, Ms. Ms. Kane. It's nice, nice to meet you."

Erica raised an eyebrow at Aya's introduction. The woman was lucky she liked her and that she was such a valuable asset to her daughter. It wasn't that she wasn't proud of her daughter because she was extremely proud of Bianca, but she was, first and foremost, Erica Kane after all. She eyed the nervous, young girl. Erica had the sneaking suspicion that there was something she didn't know about this girl. Both Aya and Jan seemed to be on alert and protective of her. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn't place where she'd heard it quite yet. "Samantha, how long have you been helping out at the Center?"

"I, I, I've been helping out for a couple weeks. I have to tell you that I think Bianca's just the nicest person in the whole world. She's been great to me, her and Marissa. I don't know anybody that would help me like they have, especially after everything I did."

Jan and Aya sprang into action and tried to usher Sam away. Judging by Erica's reaction, it was obvious that she didn't know exactly who Sam was and what she was referring to yet, and they really didn't want to be the ones to tell her. They were also worried about how Erica would react towards Sam. "We really should get back to work."

That last comment caught Erica's attention immediately. She raised her hand and effectively stopped the other women in their track and prevented them from whisking the girl away. "My daughter is an extremely remarkable woman, and yes, Bianca is very nice, almost too nice sometimes. The same thing could be said for Marissa. Tell me, Samantha, exactly what kind of assistance did they offer you?"

"Well, Bianca offered to help me after just talking to me for a few minutes. I was expecting her to yell at me and be mad when she found out I helped cause some of the damage here from the break-in, but she wasn't. She was nice and just talked to me. She talks to me every day and checks up on me. And Marissa, well, she worked out that deal with the district attorney so I have community service here now instead of being locked up in detention. Now, I have a nice place to stay too because of her. She checks up on me too. Like I said, they've been great."

Everything fell into place for Erica now, and she remembered where she had heard the girl's name. Jack had mentioned it once while on a phone call with someone, most likely Marissa. This girl was one of the people responsible for causing so much damage to the Center, the place that meant so much to her youngest daughter. She could see Bianca offering to help her through some misguided notion that this girl could be saved, but Marissa was different. The redhead had assured Erica time and time again that she would go out of her way to protect Bianca, and now, she does something like this? She offers legal advice to someone who basically attacked Bianca and helped get her off with just a slap on the wrist? No, that was not Erica's idea of protecting her daughter. Marissa had a great deal of explaining to her, and she was going to get to the bottom of this mess and make sure it was rectified. Those responsible would be punished to the fullest extent of the law. While she was tempted to give this girl a piece of her mind, she held off, for now. It would not be good for her public image to be seen berating a teenager in public. She would be dealt with later in private.

"I see. They have done quite a great deal for you, particularly Marissa it would seem."

Sam grew increasing uncomfortable under Erica's steady gaze and upon hearing the icy tone in the woman's voice. She was hoping against hope that she hadn't screwed something up. "Y, yes, ma'am."

Jan cleared her throat. "Bianca will be back any minute, Erica. Would you like to wait in her office?"

"No, that's fine. I just remembered another appointment I have to get to. I'll see her later. Good day, ladies."

_Crap on a cracker. This is not going to turn out well._ Aya turned to Sam. "Why don't you grab the rest of the files from Bianca's office and take them to the conference room. We'll finish everything up in there."

Sam nodded. "Did I do something wrong? Bianca's mom seemed really upset. I didn't get Bianca or Marissa in trouble, did I?"

"No, that's just Erica being Erica. Don't worry. Everything will be okay."

Jan nodded. "Aya's right. There's nothing to worry about." She waited until Sam was out of sight before turning to her friend. "Okay, we need to get a hold of Bianca and Marissa. Erica did not take that well at all, and she was pissed off."

"That's an understatement. You try Bianca, and I'll try Marissa."

The women pulled out their cellphones and began to make the necessary calls when they were interrupted.

"Good afternoon, ladies. Bianca and Kendall aren't here yet, are they? We had a little bet on whose shortcut was better."

"No, they're not, Greenlee, and we really need to get a hold of Bianca." Jan said.

Greenlee noticed the concerned look on the other two women's faces. "If they're not here, they should be right behind me. What's up?"

Aya answered. "Erica was here and met Sam."

"Erica's in town? Oh, she doesn't know what Sam did, yet."

"She does down. Sam told her how great Bianca and Marissa were about everything she'd done and were helping her. While she was doing that, she let it slip that she helped with the break-in. It was out before we could stop her. Erica did not look happy."

"Where's Erica now?"

"She left. I have a feeling she's on her way to see Marissa since Bianca wasn't around."

Greenlee nodded. "You're probably right. If I know her, she's going to rip into Marissa."

"Who's going to rip into Marissa?" Bianca asked, immediately concerned for her girlfriend.

Kendall was right behind her sister. "Is Red okay?"

Greenlee looked at the sisters. "These two were just telling me that Erica's back in town and stopped by. She met Sam. Long story short, she knows what she did, and that you and Marissa have been helping her. Your mom was not a happy camper."

Jan nodded. "Erica left as soon as she heard that Marissa was the one who worked out the deal with the D.A."

"Oh God, she's going to take it out on Marissa. I have to warn her." Bianca started for the door, but stopped briefly. "Is Sam okay? What did mom say to her?"

"Sam's fine. Erica didn't say anything to her." Jan answered.

Bianca released a breath. "Good. I'm glad to hear that at least. I've got to get to Marissa."

Kendall nodded and headed out with her sister. "I'll drive while you try and get a hold of Red. Greenlee, will you take care of things here?"

"I'm on it. I'll get these two to help me with the information we needed. Keep me in the loop. Good luck!"

/

"_Hi, this is Marissa Tasker. I'm unable to take your call right now. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

"Rissa, it's me. Mom's back in town, and she found out about Sam when she stopped by the Center while I was over at Fusion. I have a feeling she's headed your way. Kendall and I are on our way over. I hope you get this before she gets there. I love you." Bianca disconnected the call.

"Don't worry, Binx. Red can handle herself around mom. She's done it before."

"Yeah, Kendall, but this situation is a little different. I wish I would've been able to talk with mom before she found out, told her myself. Maybe, I could've explained things to her so she wouldn't try and take this out on Marissa. You know how mom is. I really hope she gets my message before mom sees her. "

"Yeah, I do know how mom gets, but I honestly believe that Marissa will be alright. She knows how mom can be. If she gets your message before mom gets there, she'll have some time to prepare herself."

"I hope so. I'm a little a surprised mom didn't say anything to Sam."

"I'm not, Binx. Think about it. How would it look if she was seen tearing apart a girl in public? That's a scene that would be going viral in no time flat. That would definitely hurt her image, and you know how mom feels about her image." Kendall smirked.

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." Bianca conceded.

"Okay. Where do you think Marissa might be right now?"

"Well, I know she's not in court. She said she was meeting with some clients today and then catching up on some briefs."

"So, if she's with a client, she wouldn't be answering her cellphone, right?"

"Right, she puts it on silent when she's with them because it cuts down on the interruptions. She likes to give them her full attention when she's meeting with them."

"If she's not in her office meeting with clients, where else could she be?"

"She could be in the firm's law library doing some research. When she goes there, she'll sometimes either put her phone on silent or leave it in her office if she needs to concentrate. I'm going to text her."

Kendall nodded and pressed her foot down on the accelerator. _Hang in there, Red, and remember, don't show her any fear._

/


	50. Handling Erica, Again

**A/N: First, as always, thanks for the reviews! I really appreciate them so please keep 'em coming. Second, sorry for the delay in getting this update out here. Life interfered with me updating earlier. Well, life and Olympic fever. London is putting on quite the show for everyone. Nice job!**

**I can't believe I've reached the milestone of 50 chapters with this story! When I started this, I honestly didn't think I'd be taking it this far. There's still more ideas floating around in my brain including picking up some of the breadcrumbs I've left along the way. So, look for some more drama and fluff to come. For this chapter, I'm picking up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Erica breezed into the law offices and made her way to Marissa's office. Finding it empty, she decided to track down the redhead rather than wait for her. Her initial anger had diminished somewhat on the drive over, but she still needed to speak with Marissa and have her explain how she could help someone who had been responsible for damaging a place that meant so much to Bianca. On her way to the reception desk, she heard a familiar voice coming from one of the offices. She recognized the name on the outside of the office. She paused briefly before entering.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Brian. That defense won't hold up under a good cross examination. You should let me handle it. If you do this, you're going to crash and burn, my friend." Tim smirked.

"Tim's right. He really should be the one handling this case. If you ask me, that's a crappy defense if I ever heard one. Why would you even think something like that would work?" Vicki asked.

Brian sighed heavily and wondered why he'd been saddled with Tim and, by default, Vicki. He considered himself a patient man, but these two had finally crossed the line. "First off, Tim, you're not my friend. You never have been, and you never will be especially after that the stunt the two of you tried to pull on Marissa. Now, if I seem to recall, Jack made me lead counsel on this, first chair. Tim, you're _second_ chair and only there to _assist_ me. And just to be clear, I didn't ask for your help. You were assigned because Jack and the other partners didn't think you could do a lot of damage on this case just _assisting_ me. Vicki, you're not even assigned to it so I'm not really sure why the hell you're even here. I didn't invite you to this meeting, and I sure as hell didn't ask for your opinion. Maybe if you concentrated on your own cases more instead of butting in where you're not wanted, you'd be doing better by your own clients. I will answer your question though before you leave my office. I ran this by someone whose opinion I respect and admire. I asked someone who knows what she's talking about and puts her client's interests above her own. I asked Marissa, and you know what? She agrees with me. I'll put her opinion up against either one of your's any day of the week."

Erica knocked on the doorframe as her head peered inside the office. "Excuse me, dear, but aren't you Marissa's friend Brian?"

Brian looked up and smiled. He was glad to be interrupted from dealing with dumb and dumber, or as Marissa affectionately called them privately 'bitch and jackass'. To say he was surprised by the woman appearing in his office doorway was an understatement. "Ms. Kane. Hello. Yes, I am. Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, I'm looking for Marissa. Would you happen to know where she is?"

"If she's not in her office, I would say she's most likely in the law library."

/

Marissa was engrossed in reading the case law for a brief she was writing when she entered her office. She quickly checked the time and sat down behind her desk and immediately got to work, not noticing that the cellphone she had left on her desk when she was in the law library reflected that she had a missed call and a new voicemail.

/

"I'd be more than happy to show you where that is, Ms. Kane." Vicki piped up, unable to stop herself from trying to get an in with someone of Erica's stature who was also a partner's fiancée.

"And who are you?"

"I'm Vicki A…"

Erica recognized the name of this insipid blonde instantly. "Oh, _you're _Vicki. That explains a great deal." She turned to the tall, dark-haired man. "And I suppose _you_ must be Tim?"

"That would be me. I guess my reputation precedes me." Tim gave her his most charming smile.

Erica rolled her eyes. "Yes, it does, and trust me, it's not something to be very proud of." Erica turned back to Vicki with a look of utter distaste. "The same can be said for you. Did either of you really think you had any chance at all with Marissa? Did you really think she thought so little of herself and Bianca and their relationship that she would lower her standards and choose either of you when she has my daughter? Did you really think she would throw their life together away for the likes of trash like you?"

Brian coughed back a laugh. It was obvious that Erica knew not only about the pair's bet and but what had happened in New York. He had kept his word to Marissa and not mentioned anything to anyone at the firm. She hadn't wanted to draw any more attention to what the pair had attempted and didn't want to recount what they pulled in New York with any of their coworkers. It was bad enough with everyone talking about the bet. She really didn't want to add to any more gossip. With her permission though, he had told his wife what had happened when he called her later that night from New York. Stef was furious at the pair's actions because she really liked and cared for Marissa and Bianca. They discussed what had happened more when he had gotten home, and after she had thought about it, she advised him to let Kendall know what happened. Bianca's sister would have a much better idea of how to handle the situation. He followed her advice and told Kendall when they ran into her at the school fair. The couple had given her the highlights of what had happened, telling her that Marissa had taken care of the pair. They did not, however, share the ugly details that Brian given her. She thanked him and assured him that she would take care of things. It was clear to him that Kendall had been keeping an eye on things and that she had also informed Erica, and he was thoroughly enjoying his front row seats to the floor show. Bianca and Marissa had told him about the legendary woman and how she could cut someone down to size with a simple look. He remembered laughing and not entirely believing them at the time, but he now realized that he was wrong on that count and owed them an apology.

"Wh, what do you mean?" Vicki turned glare at Brian. He managed to hide his smirk and put his hands up to signal that he had nothing to do with this.

"Oh, don't blame Brian. He didn't say anything to me about your so-called bet and what I believe would be called your 'crash and burn' in New York and neither did Marissa or Bianca. In fact, I would dare say that neither one of them gives either of you a second thought, particularly Marissa. As for Bianca, she knows she has nothing to worry about where you're concerned. I mean, why would she? Let's face it, neither of you remotely compare to Bianca." Erica looked at Brian. "Would you be a dear and tell me how to find the library, Brian?"

"I'd be happy to, Ms. Kane."

"Please, call me Erica."

"Okay, Erica, head back towards Marissa's office. At the end of that hallway, take a left, and it's right there. You can't miss it."

"Thank you, Brian." Erica smiled and headed out of the office when she was stopped by a mumble of someone calling her _bitch_. She turned and gave the pair a withering glare, and Brian would've sworn on a stack of bibles that he saw Vicki and Tim visibly shrink right in front of him. If he had to describe it, he would say she looked at them like they were something she had scraped off the bottom of her shoe. Brian did manage to close his mouth, unable to believe they had the nerve to call her that even though it was to her back, but she was still within earshot and way too close to hear it, which she obviously did.

Erica crossed back to the pair. "Oh my, I really hate to disappoint you, but I've been called much worse by far better people than the likes of either of you. I find it highly amusing that you would think that I would be insulted by a term as crass as that. You also seem to forget who I am. I believe the partners of this firm, and they are well aware of your little stunts around here by the way, will be extremely interested in your conduct here today. I believe the term 'borrowed time' had been mentioned in conjunction with your names prior to today. I would suggest you start packing your things now and look for another firm, one outside of Pine Valley. It's going to be extremely difficult for you to find employment here. You see, I have contacts at all of the firms here in Pine Valley, and they know it's to their advantage to keep me happy. Not hiring you would make me very happy." With that parting shot, Erica turned on her heels and headed off to find Marissa. A smirk crossed her face as she walked down the hallway. She did rather enjoy that.

Brian couldn't help but chuckle as he made a mental note to tell both Stef and Marissa about what he'd just witnessed. He also told himself to make sure he never got on the bad side of Mama Kane.

/

Marissa heard her cellphone buzzing somewhere on her desk and scrambled to find it. She finally located it under a file and saw she had a voicemail and a text message. She decided to check the voicemail first and listened to Bianca's warning that Erica was most likely on her way to her office. _Great, I get to deal with a pissed off Erica. That's just perfect. I don't mind Erica at all, but I hate handling her when she's hacked off. Damn. Oh well, it's for Bianca._

"Marissa, how are you this afternoon, dear?"

The redhead looked up hearing her name and smiled, wishing she'd had more time to come up with a plan for dealing with her. _It's my fault for not having my phone with me earlier. _"Erica, what a nice surprise to see you."

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"No, of course you're not. Please have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"No, I'm fine, dear. Thank you."

"Could I ask you to give me just one minute then? I really should answer this text. My paralegal has a question on something she's researching for me."

"Of course, dear."

"Thank you." Marissa read her text, having a feeling it was a second warning from Bianca.

"_Rissa, mom knows about Sam. I think she's on her way over to your office. __Kendall and I are on our way. Let me know if you get this. Love you."_

Marissa answered back. _"The diva has landed. Love you too."_

The redhead smiled as she faced her girlfriend's mother again. An idea of how to diffuse the situation she was now facing had sprung to mind. She wasn't sure if it would work, but it was worth a chance. "I'm sorry about that, Erica. I didn't know you were back home. I'm glad you're here though. It saves me a phone call."

Erica was taken slightly by surprise. She had hoped to catch the redhead off-guard with her sudden appearance. "You were going to call me?"

"Yes, I was going to call you. I wanted to talk to you about a few things that have happened since you've been out of town. They concern the break-in at the Miranda Center."

"Oh, they do? What about it?"

"Well, there's some really good news regarding it. A number of arrests have been made. There was actually a gang of sorts behind what happened there along with the break-ins at several other businesses throughout the city."

"A number of arrests? How many are we talking about?"

"Jesse has a total of six individuals in custody at the moment. Some of them are cooperating in hopes of less jail time while others are holding firm. You'll be happy to know that the district attorney himself is handling everything."

"Mr. Jensen is handling this personally? That is good to hear. I have to say it's about time as well. This has drug on for far too long for my liking."

Marissa sighed. "I agree with you on that. It has drug on for too long for taste as well. That being said, I don't believe you're going to be happy with this next part."

Erica raised an eyebrow as she tilted her head indicating that Marissa had her full attention. "And why is that, dear?"

Marissa cleared her throat and dove in to her explanation. _No guts, no glory, Tasker!_

/

Bianca looked at her cellphone as an alert came through of a new text message from Marissa. _"The diva has landed. Love you too."_ She released a sigh.

Kendall glanced over at her sister. "What is it, Bianca?"

"It's a text from Marissa."

"And?"

"She says 'the diva has landed'."

Kendall couldn't help but laugh. "Well, you've got to hand it to Red. She manages to keep her sense of humor even when facing mom head on."

"Yeah, she does. I probably shouldn't be worrying so much about her, huh?"

"No, you shouldn't. All Red needs is just a small opening, and I think she'll be able to get through to mom."

"You're right. Marissa is extremely good at making people see the other side of an argument reasonably. Plus, mom actually likes her, and she respects her too. I never thought I'd be saying that about anyone I was involved with."

Kendall chuckled. "I never thought I'd hear it, but you're right on both counts."

"I just hope this doesn't mess any of that up. Can you go any faster, Kendall?"

"You got it, Binx."

/

Marissa knew she was taking a chance, but it had to be taken especially since Erica already knew she was involved with helping Sam. Better to face her head on now with a little spin than deny it and be called out on it later. That was something she wanted to avoid if at all possible. Erica was a force of nature and could be extremely intimidating especially when crossed. Besides, Marissa could see where Erica was coming from in her fierce protection of her family in general and Bianca specifically. Her youngest daughter had endured too much heartache to count. Marissa had given Erica her word that she would protect Bianca and would never knowingly hurt her. Helping someone responsible for the Center break-in would definitely be seen as a violation of that promise, that trust. "Well, I represent one of the individuals responsible for the break-in, a girl named Sam."

The lawyer had managed to surprise Erica several times since the two had known each other, but the confession she had just received from Marissa was definitely the most surprising of all to date. "You represent someone who did this? How in the world could you do something like that? I was under the impression that you were as appalled as I was regarding what they had done. To represent …"

Marissa held up her hand to stop Erica from continuing. "You're right. I am just as appalled as you are by what happened. I also didn't see me representing one of them, but there are mitigating circumstances."

"I don't see what on earth would change your mind."

"Please, Erica, hear me out. Jesse arrested Sam a little over two weeks ago. He called Bianca down to the station to give her an update. That's when things changed."

"I don't understand, dear. What changed?"

"Bianca saw something, recognized something in Sam, and decided to help her. She then asked me to help her as well, to represent her. I wasn't going to at first. I didn't even want to listen or talk to her, but your daughter is very convincing. So, I talked to Sam, and what I heard made me realize that Bianca was right and convinced me to help her. I can only give you a few details because of confidentiality, but I can tell you this. Sam was a good kid. She was a good student involved in a lot of activities and never caused any problems and had a clean record. A year ago, her world fell apart. She was away on an overnight field trip for school. While she was gone, her parents died. It was carbon monoxide poisoning due to a faulty line with a gas stove. The police were called to investigate when neither one showed up at their respective jobs. She arrived home just as the coroner was removing them. The only family they know of is an aunt that was estranged from them, and they haven't been able to locate her. As a result, Sam was placed in foster care."

"Well, that is quite sad, but I don't see how that …"

"I'm not done. The foster family she was placed with was quite literally a living nightmare. She became the family punching bag. The abuse was pretty brutal. She ran away but was found and turned back over to them."

"She was turned back over to them? How was that even possible if what you're saying about the abuse was true?"

"I wish I could give you answer that made any type of sense, but I can't. Sam told the social worker what was going on, but she didn't believe her and failed to follow through. Sam fell through the cracks. After she was returned things got much worse for her. So much so, that she ran away a second time and that's when she hooked up with that gang."

"While it's tragic what happened to her, it doesn't justify what she did to Bianca and the Center, Marissa. Surely, you must see that."

"I do, Erica, and I never said it did. What it does is explain what happened and why. Sam had nowhere else to go and no one else to turn to. The members in this gang are, from what Jesse tells me, masters of manipulation. They knew how to play her perfectly to get her to do what they wanted. They used her fear of being put back with that foster family to their advantage at first, and they later used her fear of what they would do to her if she turned them in to the authorities. Sam saw no way out, had no one to help her, no one to trust until Bianca came along and saw past her tough exterior and was willing to give her the help she needed."

Erica had been listening intently to what Marissa had told her. It was a lot to absorb. She had been angry when she found out the redhead was helping that girl out, but after hearing what she had been through from Marissa in the usual straight-forward manner she always had with Erica, her mind was changing.

"We're not interrupting anything, are we?"

Erica turned upon hearing Bianca's voice and saw both of her daughters standing in the doorway of the lawyer's office. "Kendall, Bianca, I was wondering when you would get here."

Kendall gave her mother a hug and smirked. "Hi, mom. We would've been here sooner, but traffic was surprisingly heavy."

"Hi, mom." Bianca followed Kendall in hugging their mother before walking over to Marissa's side of the desk and giving her girlfriend a quick kiss. "Hey."

Marissa grinned. "Hey, yourself."

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Your mom and I were just talking."

"Yes, sweetheart, Marissa is just fine. There really is no need to worry. She's perfectly capable of taking care of herself. As she said, we were just talking." Erica huffed slightly.

Kendall took a seat next to Erica while Bianca pulled a chair around the desk and sat next to Marissa.

"So, what were you and Red talking about?" Kendall smirked.

Erica noted Bianca taking Marissa's hand by what seemed like instinct. Their fingers instantly entwined, and Marissa smiled and winked at the youngest Kane woman in a show of what was obviously a mixture of love and support. Erica smiled inwardly at the loving gestures shared by the couple and was reassured that whatever help the lawyer had given was done so with the full knowledge and support of her youngest. A wave of relief washed over Erica again where Bianca and Marissa were concerned assuring her that this time was indeed vastly different. "Please, dear, don't insult me. You and your sister know exactly what we were talking about. Marissa was finally filling me in on the break-in and the progress that's been made in regards to it. Something the three of you should have done earlier."

"I'm sorry, mom. That's my fault. Don't blame Marissa or Kendall. Marissa wanted me to tell you earlier, but I wanted to wait until you were home to have this conversation and tell you face to face and not over the phone. I thought it best for all concerned."

"I suppose I can see your point. Well, I'm here so let's have it now, shall we?"

Bianca looked at Marissa. "Are you okay with us doing this here?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes, I am. I don't have any other appointments this afternoon. Here's fine."

Bianca turned to her mother. "I'm not sure where you want me to start."

"Marissa tells me that you thought this girl Samantha needed help."

"Marissa's right, mom. And she goes by Sam, by the way. I had to help her. She didn't have anyone else. There is no family or friends to speak of."

"So, you took it upon yourself to help someone you have no idea about, yet again, and Marissa just blindly agrees. I know how you are. Your heart is too big for your own good sometimes. I really did expect more from Marissa though, some more common sense."

The redhead simply raised an eyebrow and her smirk met Kendall's

"Mom, don't! Marissa didn't want to help at first. To be honest, she wasn't very happy with me. I didn't ask for her help in the best way. It definitely wasn't one of my finer moments, and let's just say that it's a mistake I'll never repeat again."

"Bianca, if I didn't want to help, I wouldn't have. Despite what everyone seems to think, I am perfectly capable of telling you 'no'. You just have this annoying habit of being right a majority of the time. Not all the time mind you, but a majority of it. So, you don't get all of the credit." Hazel eyes cut to Erica. "Or blame this time. I'm equally responsible, and I don't regret it for a minute."

Kendall snickered at the united front the couple was presenting. It really didn't surprise her at all. What did surprise her was the slightest ghost of a smile on her mother's lips which disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

"That's all well and good, but this girl is walking away with barely a slap on the wrist."

"Mom, she's not getting away with anything. Marissa also saw to that. In exchange for her cooperation with the police and testifying against the others, there are a number of things Sam has to do per her agreement with the district attorney. The biggest among them is a significant amount of community service. Marissa thought it was only fitting to perform that at the Miranda Center, and I couldn't agree more. That's why Sam was at the Center today. She's already begun her work there and has been meeting and actually exceeding all of the other requirements. The thing we need to do now is find her a good home."

"Bianca, please tell me you're not considering her moving in with you."

Bianca gave a wry smile. "You know, mom, it's funny. Marissa had pretty much the same reaction when the subject of finding a place for Sam to live came up. I'll tell you what I told her. I know Sam can't stay with us. We've got our hands full with our three kids and all of their activities in addition to our jobs along with moving to the new house. We won't be able to give Sam the attention that she needs, and she's going to need a lot of it. What we are going to do, however, is make sure we find a good home for her where she is safe and taken care of."

Erica smiled upon hearing that Marissa had moved quickly to point out that them taking the girl in was not an option. She was also relieved that Bianca was so willing to see reason on that point. "I'm curious. Where is she staying right now?"

"She's staying at one of our safe houses. We wanted her to be someplace where we knew both her foster family and that gang couldn't find her. A safe house was the most logical choice. Again, that was Marissa's idea and one I fully support."

Erica noted how many times Bianca had said 'we' during the course of their conversation. She was more confident in using that term than Erica had ever seen her before, and Marissa's reaction to it warmed Erica's heart. The redhead's eyes had barely left Bianca from the moment she had entered the room, and the same could be said for her daughter. Even when addressing Erica directly, Bianca's eyes inevitably made their way back to Marissa. Erica saw the amused look on Kendall's face indicating what was happening was a common occurrence where the couple was concerned. Erica shook her head and smiled softly. She had been out of town on her book tour since two days after the break-in so she hadn't spent a great deal of time with the couple recently, preventing her from observing them up close herself. While Kendall had kept her apprised, it wasn't the same as seeing things for herself. To her expert eyes, the relationship was stronger than ever, and there was no wavering on either side. Erica considered everything she had been told by the couple. While she hadn't been happy at first, she was re-thinking that position. "Well, it appears that Marissa really did think of the best interests of all concerned, particularly your's, dear. Does this Samantha, I mean Sam, need anything?"

Marissa smiled and shook her head. "No, Bianca is making sure Sam has the proper supervision with Aya and Jan taking that on personally, but thank you for the offer."

"Thank you, mom. I appreciate it, and Marissa has things covered on the legal front."

"Very well, I need to get going. I'll be in town for the next two weeks. I'd like the three of us to do lunch. Do you think you can find the time in your schedules?"

"We'll make the time, mom."

Erica nodded. "Call me later with a date and time, and I'll make the arrangements. Kendall, dear, I'd like to catch up with you and Zach as well."

"I'm sure we can arrange that. I'll walk out with you and give these two a minute alone. I'll meet you outside, Binx. Good seeing you again, Red."

"Good seeing you too, Curly."

Bianca waited until her mother and sister left and had closed the door behind them before focusing completely on Marissa. "Are you sure you're okay, Rissa?"

"I told you before I was fine, and I meant it. I had just a sliver of time enough to collect myself, thanks to your heads-up, before your mom got here, and honestly, she was fine. I could tell she was a little ticked at first, but there was no huge blow up. I decided to be upfront with her for the most part. She heard me out, and that's all I could ask. Erica was just making sure I was doing my job where you're concerned and taking care of you."

"If she wanted to know that, all she had to do was ask me. I would tell her you are taking excellent care of me." Bianca grinned as she closed the distance between them with a tender kiss that soon deepened.

The pair separated reluctantly when the need for oxygen became a necessity.

"You're doing the same for me. Okay, you need to get out of here so I can finish up and get home and finish this _conversation_ properly there." Marissa gave her a wicked grin.

Bianca sighed. "Alright, I'll go but only because I don't want Kendall to come looking for me and finding the two of us in a position that will scar both my sister and me for life."

Marissa laughed. "I'll walk you out."

/

After seeing Bianca to Kendall's car, Marissa headed back to her office. As she passed Brian's office, her friend stopped her and motioned her inside.

"Hey, Marissa, got a sec?"

"Hey, Brian. Sure. What's up?" The redhead took a seat.

"Did Erica find you?"

"Yeah, she did. You knew she was here?"

"She was looking for you earlier and stopped by my office when she couldn't find you in your's. You'll never guess who she met."

"Who? NO! You've got to be kidding me! Not dumb and dumber!" Marissa refrained from using her favorite nickname for the pair at work.

"Yep, and let me tell you I had a front row seat for the action. Wanna know what happened?" Brian smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Of course, I wanna know! Like you even have to ask!"

As Brian related every detail of the earlier encounter, Marissa couldn't recall a time where she had laughed harder, and she had yet another reason to wrap up her work and get home as soon as she could. She knew Bianca would absolutely love hearing what Erica had done, but that would be after they finished their earlier _conversation_ though.


	51. The Meeting

**A/N: I'm back! Sorry for the delay in posting. Work pretty much kicked my ass this week, but I got through it. Thanks as always for the reviews! They are greatly appreciated! This chapter picks up about a week later from the last one. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Marissa stood at the kitchen counter waiting for the coffee maker to finish brewing. She really needed the caffeine this morning because she was tired, but it was a happy kind of tired. She had been up late last night. Actually, Bianca and her both had been up late last night, and whatever amount of tiredness she felt this morning was totally worth it. She couldn't help the grin that spread across her face as she remembered last night. _My god, Bianca is incredible._ Soft arms encircling her from behind brought her from her reverie, and she sighed happily.

"Good morning, beautiful." Bianca whispered softly in her ear before her lips trailed their way down Marissa's neck.

"Good morning, yourself. How'd you sleep?"

Bianca rested her chin on Marissa's shoulder and smiled. "Well, when I actually got to _sleep_, I slept pretty well. I'm a little tired this morning though. How about you?"

"The same, but it was totally worth it." Marissa laughed.

"Yeah, it definitely was. You're up and dressed early. What do have planned at work for today?"

"I have a busy day ahead of me. I'm meeting with several clients, and Joanna's bringing her sister in to meet with me today."

"Really? That's good to hear. Do you think she's ready to leave her husband?"

"I'm not sure. I hope so for her sake. From what Joanna's told me, Colleen is pretty reluctant and still hasn't said exactly what's going on there. She's not quite ready to open up to her yet, but she at least wants to talk. Joanna is taking that as a good sign. I hope she's right."

"I hope so too. The whole situation is so sad especially since there's a child involved."

"From what Joanna's told me, Colleen wants to keep her family together, but there comes a point when you can't, when you have to put your physical and emotional safety and that of your child above that idealized version of a family."

"You're right. We both know that all too well."

"Yeah, we do, unfortunately. You know, I've learned something from my past experiences over these many years."

"You have, have you? And what, pray tell, would that be, Rissa?"

"Sometimes, you have to kiss a hell of a lot of frogs before you strike the mother lode like I did with you."

"You think you struck the mother lode with me, huh?"

Marissa turned and placed her arms around Bianca's neck and gave her a brilliant smile. "Oh, I don't think it. I know it, as sure as I'm standing here. You, Bianca Christine Montgomery, are most definitely the mother lode!"

Bianca rewarded her girlfriend with the goofy grin she loved so much. "Well, I'm not the only one because you, Marissa Lynn Tasker, are most assuredly one too! You make me feel like I'm the luckiest woman in the world."

The distance between them was closed as both women moved as one towards each other for a loving kiss.

"Mom! Bianca! I can't find one of my shoes!" AJ called from upstairs.

The couple sighed as they separated, a knowing smile crossing both of their faces.

"I'll go help AJ and check on how the girls are doing. They were both almost ready. I need to finish getting ready myself." Bianca smiled and gave Marissa a quick kiss.

"And I'll get breakfast ready."

Several minutes later, Bianca returned downstairs with all three children trailing behind her. Marissa served up breakfast, and the family settled down to eat, chatting about the day ahead for each of them.

"Aren't you meeting with the administrator of the New York safe house today, B?"

"Yeah, I am. It's really starting to come together there again after all the delays we've had. Oh, Rissa, don't forget we're meeting mom for lunch today."

"I remember. We're meeting her at noon at the Yacht Club. Don't worry. I won't be late. I wouldn't think of making your mom wait." Marissa grinned.

"Thank you. I think she just really wants to catch up with us like she said last week. She hasn't been able to spend much time at all with us since she's been on her tour."

"Erica also wants to check up on us. Don't deny it. You know she does." Marissa added with a smirk.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You're right. She does, but she doesn't mean anything bad by it. She really does like you."

"I get why she's doing it, and I'm not offended by it at all. You're her daughter, her little girl. She loves you and just wants to make sure you're happy. She's just being a mom."

Bianca quirked an eyebrow. "Seriously? Just being a mom?"

Marissa chuckled. "Okay, maybe she's being a mom on steroids, but you get what I mean. To be honest with you, I like her too. I know she has her moments, but there's something about her that I just can't help but like. Now, I'm not saying Erica and I are going to be BFF's and hang out, but I do like spending time with her every now and then."

Bianca laughed. "Wow, I'm trying to picture you and my mom being BFF's! It's quite the visual!"

"I'm sure it is. Kendall would love it. Seriously though, Erica's been nothing but great with AJ and me. She's made us feel like family, and she gave us a lot of help and support when we needed it a while ago. That meant a lot to me. It still does, and I won't ever forget it."

"Mom can be a handful and a half sometimes, but she's definitely someone you want on your side. When she gives you her support, she gives it to you 110%."

"So I found out. If anything, I only really have one complaint about her. She has this habit of showing up at my office unannounced. She really seems to get a charge out of trying to catch people off guard."

"Yeah, mom does like that. You are a bit of a challenge to her though because you're pretty quick on your feet, and she hasn't been able to catch you off balance yet. So, I have this feeling that she's going to keep making unannounced visits to you."

"Great. That gives me something to look forward to." Marissa smirked. "I think I can handle it though. I'll just remember that your mom and I actually have something in common. We have a common goal or purpose, if you will."

"You do, huh? Can to share what that is?"

"I'd be happy to. It's you and the girls, making sure you're happy and taken care of. I really can't find any fault with her thinking on that point."

Bianca gave a contented sigh. "Well, you're doing a great job so you have nothing to worry about with my mom." She turned to her daughters. "What do you think, girls? Is Marissa doing a great job or what?"

Miranda and Gabby both grinned. "Yep! She sure is!"

Marissa smiled. "Thank you, ladies."

"Bianca's doing a great job too, mom!" AJ grinned.

"Thank you, AJ."

"She sure is, buddy. She sure is." Marissa smiled and gently ruffled her son's hair. "Okay, time to break this up. We need to get going."

"She's right. Grab your stuff, guys. Marissa's taking you to school today."

Bianca gave each child a hug and kiss goodbye before they headed to the family room to get their backpacks. While the brunette was saying goodbye to the kids, Marissa quickly loaded the dishwasher. With that task completed, the couple walked into the family room together. Marissa gathered her things before turning to Bianca and giving her a quick kiss.

"I'll see you at the Yacht Club at noon. I love you."

"I love you too." Bianca smiled as she watched her family head to Marissa's car. After watching them drive away, she gathered her things together and headed out.

/

Marissa's office phone rang with the caller id indicating it was the receptionist. The redhead glanced at the clock on her desk. It was time for her next appointment. She'd been so busy that the morning had flown by. After this meeting was over, she would be heading out to meet Bianca and Erica for lunch. "Hi, Elaine."

"Hi, Marissa. Ms. Gallagher and Ms. Brennan are here for you. Would you like me to send them back?"

"Yes, please do. Thanks."

A few minutes later, there was a knock on her office door. Marissa opened the door and greeted her friend. "Hi, Joanna."

"Hi, Marissa. This is my sister Colleen Brennan. Colleen, this is Marissa Tasker."

"Hello, Ms. Tasker."

The redhead gave a comforting smile and offered her hand to the woman to shake. "It's Marissa. Please come in and have a seat." Marissa closed the door as the women settled in. As she made her way to her side of the desk, she studied the sisters briefly. Both were brunette. Joanna was slightly taller than her sister. Marissa knew from talking with her friend that Colleen was three years older, but the redhead would've guessed the difference was greater than that. The older woman looked gaunt and had dark circles under her eyes, and they held a haunted look in them. "Would either of you like something to drink?"

Joanna nodded. "I'll just have some water, Marissa. Thanks."

"Mrs. Brennan, could I get you something?"

"Water is fine. Thank you, and you can call me Colleen."

Marissa smiled and walked to the counter. She retrieved a bottle of water from the small refrigerator and filled two glasses of water. The redhead handed a glass to each of the sisters before taking her seat. She took out a pen and a clean legal pad. "We can start whenever you're ready, Colleen."

The older brunette cleared her throat. "I'm not sure what my sister has told you."

"All Joanna has told me is that she's worried about you and your son. His name's Will, right?"

The woman smiled and nodded. "Yeah, it is, and he's everything to me. He's as smart as a whip and will start kindergarten next year. I don't know how I'll handle that."

Marissa had been weighing how much of her own story she should share. She knew that Joanna had most likely told her sister some of her story already. She normally preferred to keep her personal life just that, personal, but she realized there were exceptions to the rule sometimes where her clients were concerned. This was one of those times. If Colleen was in an abusive relationship, Marissa hoped her story could help the woman see that there was a way out and there was life after a broken relationship. She nodded. "I know what you mean."

"You have children?"

"I do. I have three of them with my partner. Our youngest will be going to kindergarten next year too. I'm not looking forward to it at all. She's growing up so fast, and I really don't want to think about it sometimes."

"Joanna tells me that both of you are divorced."

"We are. Neither one of us had very much luck in any of our previous relationships, to say the very least. I won't speak for Bianca, but my relationship with my ex-husband was not a very healthy one. It got pretty ugly at the end. The decision to file for divorce was made after too many sleepless nights to count. I had made a commitment, and I honestly believed that I would be married to him for the rest of my life. I didn't want to give up without giving everything that I had. I came to that point, however, when I realized it wasn't enough, and that no matter how hard I tried, our relationship wasn't going to work. It wasn't good for either of us, and it especially wasn't good for our son. I know how hard it is to make the decision to end a marriage, and it's one that I want my clients to carefully consider and not make lightly."

Colleen nodded. "I just don't know. I don't want to be alone, and my son deserves to have a real family, a real home."

Marissa shook her head at Joanna when she saw that her friend was getting ready to speak. The redhead could tell Colleen was feeling her out, almost testing her and the waters. "I know. I won't lie to you. It's hard. Sometimes though, you have to make that hard decision because it's the right one to make, the only one you really can make, not just for you but for your son. Like I said before, it wasn't healthy for AJ to see us fighting all the time. None of us were happy, him most of all. For the longest time, I thought I was doing the right thing by staying and giving him the family that I thought he needed and wanted. I was wrong, and that wasn't easy to admit. What AJ and I both deserved was to be happy, and we weren't. We tend to have a set idea of a 'real' family is. I know that I did, at least. It was a mother, a father and children, and I bought into it and tried like hell to make my life fit that picture that perfect ideal. That's only one kind of family though. You can also have one with just a single parent, two mothers or two fathers or any other number of configurations. You don't have to be related by blood to be family. That's just part of it, part of the makeup if you will. I don't believe it's the most important part or what defines it. To me, what truly defines a family is the love, trust and faith that is shared along with the belief that someone's always going to have your back and would never do anything that would purposefully hurt you. And a home is someplace safe, where your family can be nurtured and know without question that they're loved. It's the one place you can go to when the world comes crashing down around you. When I realized all of that, my thinking changed on that ideal, I knew what I needed to do, not only for my son but for me as well."

"How did you do it? How did you manage? You were alone."

"That's the thing. I really wasn't alone. I had my son, and I had some amazing friends to help me, to let me lean on them so I could get through the rough parts. I concentrated on making the best home that I possibly could for my son and myself, and I let people help me. You have a pretty good support system yourself, starting with your sister."

Colleen nodded and looked at her sister. "Joanna's great. I just don't know that I can do it, that I can leave, that I should leave. My husband really is a good guy. We've been together since high school. He's just had some rough times lately, since he lost his job, and I know I'm not the easiest person to live with. I do a lot of things to make him … upset sometimes, to irritate him. I can't really blame him when he loses his temper because of something I've done, something that's my fault."

"He's not just losing his temper, Colleen. It's way more than that, and you know it. I've seen the bruises. I'm worried about you and Will and what else Robert might do to you."

"Joanna, we've been over this, and I've told you what happened. I lost my balance and bumped into a few things. That's it. You know how much of a klutz I am. I would never let anything happen to Will."

"You're …"

Marissa broke into the conversation between the sisters. She knew Joanna desperately wanted to help her sister, but confronting her like this right now wasn't going to help. She could tell the woman was still in a state of denial, and until she made the decision that what was happening was wrong, no one would be able to change her mind. The redhead had seen this before with clients. "Colleen, there was a reason you came here today. What was it?"

The older brunette took a deep breath. "I told Joanna that I would talk to you and hear what you have to say. She's been going on and on about it. I thought if I agreed that she would let it go."

"Okay, I understand. This is a decision you have to make. Do you have any questions that I could answer for you from a legal standpoint?" Marissa could tell that the woman was weighing things in her mind.

Colleen thought for a minute. "I wouldn't even know where to start."

"Well, there are different reasons or grounds for divorce. The most common is irreconcilable differences which covers a whole range of things. It's kind of a catch all. Other grounds include adultery, bigamy and cruel and barbarous treatment which endangers the life or health of the injured and innocent spouse, better known as cruelty and covers both physical and emotional abuse. If it's used, it's best to have documented evidence if at all possible. That would include pictures and witness statements. If a client uses that, I always advise taking out an order of protection. There have been extreme cases where I advise other steps for their protection. When that happens, I work with the Miranda Center."

"I've heard of that place."

"They do excellent work with helping women and children that are in abusive relationships. The staff is above reproach, and they don't judge anyone. They offer support and counseling among many other services. They also have safe houses. The location of which are kept private and only a few select people know where they are."

"I know this is a big law firm. I'm guessing your fee must be pretty expensive."

Marissa knew the most important question was still unasked and had a feeling it would be soon. "I'm an associate so I don't command the fees that the partners do. Besides, I didn't become a lawyer for the money. I wanted to help people, and I still do. There are some here who believe that's pretty idealistic, but I don't pay attention them. Yes, I have to make money for the firm. I can also take cases at reduced rates or pro bono though. If the situation arises where a potential client doesn't have the funds, I go to the partners and discuss it with them. They haven't turned me down yet when I've done that."

"Wh, what about custody? You said your divorce got ugly. Was it because of your ex-husband fighting you over custody of your son?"

_There it is. _Marissa didn't want to get into specifics on that issue because it was still a slightly touchy subject to her even all these months later. The thought of losing her son was unbearable. Nightmares plagued her almost nightly during the custody battle for AJ. The only other time she had experienced night terrors on that scale was when she remembered the day her parents died. Both events still invaded her peaceful slumber every now and then. When that happened, Bianca was always there to hold her, to comfort and assure her that she was there and that everything was and would be alright.

"In a majority of divorces, mothers are still seen as the primary care giver and granted primary custody. Now, while that has changed some recently, it still pretty much holds true. Usually, it's the custody issue that is the greatest source of contention in divorces. It was in mine. In the extreme cases, one parent will try to portray the other one as unfit. When that happens, they can go to great lengths to try and prove it. Just because they make those threats though doesn't mean that they'll be successful. There are a lot of resources at my disposal here to fight those threats. I've used them in the past and will continue to use them. I'm not afraid to fight for my clients."

Colleen let the lawyers words sink in. She couldn't bear it if she lost her son, and what she heard did reassure her some. She continued to ask questions, and Marissa answered each one in a straightforward and honest manner while taking notes throughout the discussion. Joanna had told her about some of the redhead's background but not everything because there were some things that she didn't know even though they were friends. Her sister knew Marissa's divorce a couple of years ago had been contentious and a subsequent custody fight earlier this year had been even more so. Some of it was public record because it had involved JR Chandler, and the Chandlers had a lot of money and power and not just in Pine Valley. You don't get into a fight with a family that powerful and not have some of the ugly details splashed on the front page of every tabloid and all over the internet. Marissa had somehow managed to come through it relatively unscathed from what she could tell. She had been successful in retaining custody of her son, and she had this look about her that gave every indication that she had found true happiness in her new life. It offered Colleen a glimmer of hope, but she just wasn't sure. She had built up so many walls and had so much of her identity defined as Robert's wife. She remembered him as he had been at the beginning of their life together. He had been so sweet and loving. She couldn't help but think and hope that just maybe she could help him find his way back to his former self. She checked her watch and stood up to leave. "I need to go. I have to get back to work. Thank you for taking the time to talk to me. You've given me a lot to think about. I just don't know that I can leave him, give up on our marriage right now."

Marissa rose and shook Colleen's hand. "I understand. It's your decision. You have to do what's best for you and your son. Here's my card. If you change your mind or if you just to talk, give me a call. I'll do my best to answer any questions you might have or help in any way that I can."

"Thank you. I appreciate it. I really do. I'll meet you outside, Joanna."

Her sister nodded and waited until the door had closed behind the older woman. "I'm sorry, Marissa. I feel like this was a big waste of time. I just don't know why she won't leave him, why she won't admit what's going on."

"She's scared and embarrassed. It's hard for some to admit a relationship isn't working out, that there is abuse. Your sister hasn't gotten to that point where she can admit that yet. Don't push her. Be there for her. She's going to need you. For what it's worth, I don't think today was a waste of time."

"You don't?"

"No. Colleen stayed and listened and asked a lot of questions. That tells me she's considering taking that step, and it's a huge one. Like I told her, I'm here if she changes her mind or wants to talk. I'm here for you too."

Joanna smiled. "I know and thanks, for everything. I'll be there for her, every step of the way. I better go and let you get back to work."

"You're welcome. Actually, I'll walk out with you. I'm meeting Bianca and her mom for lunch at the Yacht Club."

"Lunch with Erica Kane? You're a brave woman, Marissa. Judging from the smile on your face when you just mention her name though, I'm going to assume that Bianca's doing good, and that lunch with Ms. Kane is a small price to pay."

Marissa laughed as they walked down the hall. "Erica's not that bad once you get to know her. She's nothing like what the tabloids say, at least not in my experience. And you couldn't be more right in your assumption. Bianca is definitely worth whatever trouble or inconvenience I have to deal with or whatever price there is to pay. I couldn't be luckier or happier. Now, I just have to make sure I'm not late. Erica doesn't like to be kept waiting."


	52. Lunch With Erica

**A/N: As always, thanks for the reviews! I truly appreciate them so please keep them coming. It's time for the ladies to have lunch with Erica. Hope you enjoy this latest update!**

**/ **

Bianca had arrived at the Yacht Club ten minutes early. She gave her name to the maître d' and was seated immediately at the very best table. _Nothing but the best for Erica Kane, naturally. _The brunette chuckled to herself and shook her head. The text she had received from Marissa when she pulled up to the valet station at the restaurant told her that her girlfriend was on her way and should be there any minute. A waiter appeared the moment she had gotten settled and took her drink order. Bianca had gotten a second wind, but she felt she could still use the jolt of caffeine she would get from the iced tea. Her mind drifted to her memories of last night, and a grin spread across her face as remembered every touch and feeling the couple shared.

"I'm not late, am I?" Marissa whispered into her girlfriend's ear, sending shivers through the brunette.

Bianca grinned as she turned to gaze into the hazel eyes that she loved so much. "No, you're right on time."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss and took the seat next to her. "Good. I know it's like a mortal sin to keep Erica waiting." The redhead smirked.

Bianca laughed. "I don't know if it's that bad, but it's definitely frowned upon."

"So, what were you thinking about just now?" Marissa gave her a mischievous grin.

"You know exactly what I was thinking about."

"You're right. I do. It's crossed my mind several times today. You make it really hard to concentrate on work sometimes." Marissa ordered iced tea as well when the waiter reappeared.

Bianca was about to respond when the sound of her mother's voice interrupted her train of thought. The pair turned in time to see Erica enter the restaurant. Let it be said that Erica Kane had never met a grand entrance she didn't like, and today was certainly no exception. Bianca smiled as she watched her mother make her way through the gauntlet of wait staff and customers, all seeking favor with the iconic Erica Kane. Her mother soaked up the attention, basked in it. There were many times while growing up that Bianca had wished her mom would simply be just that, her mom, and allowed them to live a normal, quiet and drama free life. That was not to be, however. Erica was Erica, and as Bianca had gotten older, she accepted that as a fact of life. She knew her mom loved her and accepted her, and Bianca did the same of her. Her mother might make small concessions along the way, but by and large, Erica would remain the force of nature that she always was. Bianca accepted that this was something that would never change, and now, could not imagine her mother any differently. As for herself, Bianca was more than happy to keep her appearances in the spotlight to a minimum and focus on what was the most important to her, her family. Having Marissa and the kids, she had everything.

Marissa found the whole scene highly entertaining as she watched Erica wade through the many admirers hoping for a glance or smile from the living legend, some form of acknowledgement by her of their existence. It reminded the redhead of a scene from the musical 'Hello, Dolly'. All that was missing was the title song with Erica's name replacing Dolly's. Erica actually seemed to become larger than life the moment she set foot in the spotlight. It was truly a sight to behold. Marissa glanced at Bianca and saw her smile at her mother. As much as Erica craved the spotlight, her youngest daughter shied away from it. When it was necessary, she would step into it, but it was always for causes close to her heart such as the Miranda Center. This was just fine with Marissa. She didn't need the attention of an adoring public to be happy. As long she had Bianca and their kids, she was more than happy. She finally had the family she had been waiting for all of her life. She turned back to watch Erica and the show she was putting on. She had only taken a few steps towards their table when the cell phones and cameras appeared and began to snap her picture followed by requests for autographs.

Bianca glanced over at Marissa, seeing the amused look on her face. She wasn't put off by Erica's appearance the least little bit. In fact, the brunette swore she heard her girlfriend humming. "Rissa, are you humming 'Hello, Dolly'?"

Marissa blushed slightly not realizing what she had done and gave her a sheepish grin. "Sorry. It's actually 'Hello, Erica'. I'm just replacing the names. I thought it kind of fit here."

Bianca laughed and gave the redhead a quick kiss. "You know, you're right. It really does. I never thought of her entrances that way, but from now on though, I'll never see them any other way again. Sorry, they can be a little over the top."

"Hey, the public loves her, and she's just giving them what they want, what they expect. I have the feeling that she loves it as much as they do."

"She definitely does. It's not too much for you, is it?"

"Nope, not at all. It's just something I've come to expect from her. It's actually quite entertaining. My mom would've gotten a kick out of it, but …"

"But?"

"I'm really glad you're not like that."

"Yeah, I really don't see me doing that. I couldn't pull it off like her. So, you don't have to worry about that."

"Good. My mother-in-law being like that is more than enough for me to handle."

Bianca blinked in shock, wondering if she had heard Marissa correctly. The smile on her girlfriend's face told her that she had, but she wanted to be sure. She had never heard Marissa refer to Erica that way. "Did you say mother-in-law?"

Marissa gave her a brilliant smile. "I did. That's pretty much how I see her now. We may not be married, but I don't need a piece of paper to define my commitment to you, our kids and our lives together which includes our functionally dysfunctional extended family with Erica at the top of that list. That being said, I think I'll hold off on calling her 'mom' for a while. In the meantime, you'll have to continue to brazenly 'live in sin' with me, if that's alright with you." Marissa wagged her eyebrows and flashed a wicked grin.

Bianca gave the redhead the grin she loved in return. This wasn't the first time the subject of their getting married had come up between the two, but it was the first time it had been brought up in public. The subject was first broached between the two of them was when they had gone away to New York. Both had been nervous at first but were quickly assured they were on the same page. Their lives were meant to be spent together, and it was a simple truth that they knew in the bottom of their souls. Marissa had been just as right then as she was now when she said they didn't need a piece of paper to define the level of their commitment. It still wasn't legal for them to get married in Pennsylvania, and neither was quite sure how they felt about the institution of marriage anyway. They had both been burned badly by their previous marriages and were gun shy about walking down the aisle again. This had absolutely nothing to do about their relationship and everything to do with the bad taste left in their mouths from their past ones. The one thing that Bianca was positive about was that if they ever did decide to get married, she planned on being the one down on bended knee and sweeping Marissa off her feet because she deserved no less. Until that day, Bianca would happily settle for sweeping her girlfriend off her feet every chance she got. "That's more than alright with me."

"What's more than alright with you, sweetheart?"

The couple turned their heads to see that Erica had finally made her way to the table. The maître d' pulled the chair out for her and took her drink order, and she settled in across from them. Erica took note that they were holding hands and both had smiles that lit up the entire room.

_I swear my family has the absolute worst timing, ever. Well, this is a conversation I'm not sharing with anyone other than Marissa._ "Oh, we were just talking about something to do with house."

_Nice cover, Bianca. I'm not quite sure she's going to buy that, but hopefully, your mom will let the subject drop._ "Yeah, we were just talking about a decorating idea. It's good to see you, Erica. How are you?"

Erica saw the look the couple had shared and didn't believe them for one minute, but judging by the smiles on their faces, it was not something she needed to worry about so she would let it pass. "I'm fine, Marissa dear. It's good to see you too. I'm glad you were able to join us. From what Bianca and Jack tell me, you've been very busy lately and are building up quite a good reputation at the firm."

"I always make time for my family, no matter how busy I am. They will always come first." Marissa answered earnestly.

Erica nodded and smiled, pleased with that response. She glanced at her daughter who seemed to be glowing from her happiness. "Bianca sweetheart, how are you today?"

The young brunette smiled. "I'm great, mom. You look fantastic, and I'm really glad you're home. I know Uncle Jack is."

"Come to think of it, Jack has been smiling a lot more than usual this past week, when he's been in the office."

Erica cleared her throat, and the couple could swear they detected the very slightest of blushes. "Yes, it is nice to be home and to spend some time with Jack. We've discussed his joining me on my trip to Los Angeles so we can spend some more time together."

"I think that's a great idea, mom. You both deserve to get away and have some more time to enjoy being together."

"Thank you, sweetheart. How are the children? I heard there was some unpleasantness with another child trying to bully our sweet Miranda. Who was it? Do I need to get involved, make some phone calls?"

"The kids are great, and yes, a girl named Amber was bullying Miranda a couple of months ago."

"That name's familiar. She was bullying her before, wasn't she? She has that nasty woman for a mother. What's her name? I'll be more than happy to take care of her."

"While I appreciate it and know that you're more than willing to take care this, the truth is that you don't have to, mom. We handled it. Actually, Marissa handled it."

"You did? What did you do?"

"Your daughter was right the first time. _We_ handled it. After AJ and Miranda told us what was happening …"

"Was AJ being bullied as well?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not really. The other girl was using him as another way to get to Miranda. AJ knew something more was being said and he was doing everything he could to protect her. They both were protecting each other. We've never been prouder of them."

"Yeah, you're right. We have some amazing kids. When they finally told us what was happening, we went to principal and reported it. She determined what was going on, and the girl was punished. Things have gotten much better. Amber has been making progress, and the counselors are saying she's making great strides with changing her attitude. The same can't be said for her mother, unfortunately."

"She's downplaying her role in everything, mom. Marissa did all of the research that needed to be done so we could make sure that all of proper procedures were being followed. She also came up with an alternate plan in case Amber's mom didn't agree with the decision and punishment laid out. Best of all was how she handled Amber's mom. You would've been impressed, mom. That woman didn't know what hit her."

"Speaking of not knowing what hit her, you should've seen Bianca at the school fair. Amber's mom was in the dunking booth. She didn't think your daughter could knock her off. She couldn't have been more wrong. Bianca was a perfect 3 for 3. I'll never forget that woman's face the first time she hit the water. It was priceless. We'll have to show you the pictures."

"There are pictures?" Erica asked.

Marissa laughed. "Oh yeah, there are pictures. Kendall and Greenlee took them for us. They turned out great." The redhead turned to Bianca. "My personal favorite is the action shot they snapped of you."

"They have some good ones of you too. Your aim was perfect as well." Bianca smirked.

"Let's just say I was motivated to cool someone off. I don't know why she thought she could goad you like that, why she underestimated you. I don't know why anyone continues to do that. You'd think they'd know better by now. If she had seen you at the PTA meeting, she wouldn't have done it. I thought you were going to take her head off for a minute there."

"Trust me, I wanted to. The only reason I didn't was because Kendall and Greenlee stopped me. When I think of her going after you like she did, I still want to rip her head off. I can't get over how great you handled her. If the roles were reversed, I don't know that I could've done that."

"Yeah, you could've."

"How are you so sure about that?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "It's because I know you, and I don't think there's much that you can't do, especially when it comes to our family. You would've realized that while ripping her head off would've been really fun to do, it was much more satisfying exposing her true colors to everyone."

Erica watched the exchange between the couple, half amazed and half amused at how quickly they had forgotten about her even being there. She might have been insulted if she hadn't seen just how happy her daughter was. She couldn't remember the last time she had seen Bianca smile like that, and from the adoring look in Marissa's eyes, she could see the redhead was just as happy. Erica recalled her conversation with Kendall and Zach from their lunch the other day. They had told her how the young couple managed to zone out everyone and everything else around them and not realize what they were doing.

/

"_So, I need the two of you to be completely honest with me. How are Bianca and Marissa doing? I haven't had much of a chance to observe them for myself so I'm relying on your opinion until I have a chance myself."_

"_Mom, I don't think you have anything to worry about. I've been around them a lot, and I've never seen Bianca like this. Come to think of it, I didn't see Marissa like this either when she was with JR."_

_Zach shook his head as he thought of the other man. "Talk about a piece of work. I wish I had a few minutes alone with him before they carted him off to jail. I think he got off light for what he put the two of them through. I might just have to make that happen."_

_Kendall smiled at her husband as she saw the glint in his eyes. He was fiercely protective of her sister, and over this past year, he had become just as protective of Marissa. The redhead was family now, and no one crossed Zach's family. "There will be a long line if you can arrange that, with me right at the front of it." She turned to her mother. "As soon as you spend any time alone with them, mom, you'll see. It's pretty damn amazing because it's something you have to see with your own eyes, something you have to see and experience to believe."_

"_I'm sure you're exaggerating, Kendall dear. Bianca is not like that."_

"_I have to tell you, Erica, your daughter's right. I didn't believe Kendall at first either, but then, I saw it for myself. One minute, they're talking to you and fully engaged, and the next, as soon as they look at each other, they forget all about you."_

"_It's not like you can be mad about it either because they're both so happy. They have this glow about them, and it's like nothing can touch them. Look, I know as well as you how much Bianca's been hurt, but I honestly believe that we don't have to worry about that anymore, at least not where Red's concerned. That woman would do absolutely anything for Bianca."_

"_I suppose I'll see this for myself when I have lunch with them."_

/

Erica cleared her throat drawing the attention of the couple. Both were clearly embarrassed by their lapse and forgetting about her. "So, the two of you were talking about the house when I arrived. How is it coming along?"

"It's coming along really well, mom. We're still on track to be in the week of Thanksgiving. We can't wait to get settled in there."

"Yeah, the kids are excited to see their rooms. Miranda's been great about sharing one with Gabby, and as much as she's told us that she's liked it, I'm sure she can't wait to have her own room again."

"Marissa, Bianca tells me that you came up with the idea of having the children design their rooms."

The redhead nodded. "My mom and dad let me when I was around AJ and Miranda's age. They said it was important that I got to decide since it was my room and I was going to be the one living in it, and I loved it. I thought our kids should be able to do the same thing that I did. I think it makes it more of a home for everyone when they're apart of the decision making process. After all, it is their home too. And yes, I know Gabby's a little on the young side, but we couldn't let the other two have a say on their rooms and not give her the same right. It's only fair, and it gives her an equal voice. We did have final say on what they came up, the right to veto if we thought what they came up with was too out there. It turns out that we didn't have to worry about that at all. We have some very creative kids."

Bianca smiled. "We do, and I have to say that I like Gabby's room the best and so did the decorator we hired. By the way, thank you for recommending her, mom."

"Oh, you decided to go with Trish? You're welcome, and I'm glad to help, sweetheart." Erica smiled.

"Yeah, we talked about it and realized it would be the best solution for us. Work's been crazy for both of us, and there was no way we'd be able to move in before Christmas otherwise. Trish has been great. She loves all three of the kids' rooms, but Gabby's is definitely her favorite. It didn't hurt that Marissa found the perfect stuffed monkey for it when she was in New York. She's doing her best to spoil them, mom."

"Oh, be quiet. You're one to talk. Besides, I don't think it's possible to spoil any of them. They're way too grounded. So, I guess I'll have to concentrate on spoiling you." Marissa grinned.

Bianca matched the redhead's grin. "You're off to a good start. You haven't seen the locket she bought me when she was in New York, have you, mom?"

Erica admired the locket around her daughter's neck and smiled when she saw the picture of the couple's family inside. It was tasteful and elegant at the same time. She could tell immediately it was purchased at Tiffany's and no expense was spared. She definitely approved. "I noticed it last week, but I didn't get a chance to ask you about it. You did a very good job with that, Marissa. I'm impressed. So, I take it you liked New York."

"I didn't get out that much. They kept me busy with all of the seminars and workshops. Besides, I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I did when I was there with Bianca earlier this year. I don't know that I could ever thank you enough for all of your help with that trip."

"It was my pleasure, dear. After all of the unpleasantness the two of you went through earlier this year, you deserved some time away."

"I wanted to thank you for something else, Erica, something you did last week. Brian told me about what you said to a couple of my co-workers, or I should say former co-workers. They turned in their resignations last Friday."

"Yes, Jack told me those two had resigned. You're welcome, but you really don't have to thank me, dear. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I have to tell you that I'm very pleased they decided to finally see reason and leave. They are nasty people who deserve everything they are going through right now. When I heard what they'd done, I'll just say they got off lightly. _No one_ plays games with my family. I just won't have it. From what I hear, you did a very nice job of handling them yourself. Although, I think you should have gone to Jack about that distasteful bet."

"Marissa and I talked about it, mom. We thought it was better to keep things quiet at the firm. Those two could've made things very uncomfortable for her there. I didn't want that for her, and Marissa agreed to handle things quietly for me." Bianca smiled.

Erica nodded. She knew it must have been extremely unpleasant for Marissa to have to see those two every day and keep her temper in check, but she had done it for Bianca. Erica had to admit the redhead never ceased to surprise her in the best possible ways. "What else has been going on with the two of you?"

"Oh, how'd it go with Colleen?"

"It went okay, I suppose. She's still not ready to leave him, but she stayed and listened. She also asked a lot of questions. I know Joanna was hoping for more, but right now, Colleen's just not ready to admit everything that's going on."

"Is Colleen a new client, Marissa?" Erica asked.

"No, she isn't, at least not yet. She's my friend Joanna's sister. Joanna thinks that Colleen's husband is abusing her, and unfortunately, I think she's right. She's showing the classic signs of someone who's in an abusive relationship. I can only hope that I was able to get through to her somehow and that she'll ask for help soon before things escalate."

"I have every faith in you that you did just, Rissa."

"I hope so. Enough about that for now. So, did you get registered?"

Bianca nodded and smiled brightly. "I did. You are now looking at Pine Valley University's newest part-time student."

"Did you say 'part-time student'? Are you going back to school?" Erica asked.

"I am. I'm going to take a class in the spring."

"We'll celebrate tonight, and you'll have to tell me all about it. I know you're bursting to tell me now, but I have to get back for my next meeting. The Regan's are coming in with Beth."

"They changed their minds and want you to represent Beth again?"

"It would appear so. I'll find out more when I see them and tell you what I can tonight."

"I knew they would come to their senses. Why settle for anything but the best kick-ass lawyer around."

Marissa laughed. "Thank you, and I'm with you on not settling for anything but the best. I know that's what I finally have with you."

Bianca's goofy grin spoke volumes, and Marissa gave her a quick kiss. The redhead turned to the older woman. "Erica, I'm sorry I can't stay longer, but duty calls. It was nice seeing you again and thank you for lunch. Maybe you can come over for dinner before you head out of town? Would you do me a favor and take care of our girl for me?"

Erica smiled seeing the sincerity behind both requests. "Of course I will, dear. It was nice seeing you again as well, and dinner sounds lovely. Thank you."

"Great! I'll let you work out the details with Bianca." Marissa leaned in for one more quick kiss from Bianca. "I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too."

Erica watched as her daughter's eyes followed Marissa out of the restaurant. This had indeed been an eye opening lunch for her. The redhead impressed her more and more each time they had spoken and today was no exception. "Bianca, tell me about your going back to school. What made you decide to go back, and what are you taking?"

"It's something I've thought about for a while now. It's only one class in psychology, and I won't start until next semester which begins in mid-January so we'll be settled into the new place by then."

"I see." Erica was mulling over what she would say next. She didn't want to discourage Bianca, but felt her daughter needed to proceed with caution. As her mother, Erica felt she needed to play devil's advocate.

"Is something wrong, mom? You're being awfully quiet."

"Do you think it's wise to go back to school at this point in time?"

"What, what do you mean?"

"You have a great deal going on right now. You're building a relationship with Marissa, and from all accounts, her career is taking off. The children are busy with school and their activities. Now, you have a new home to set up. You have all of that on top of your own career. I'm worried that you might be overextending yourself by taking this class."

"I know it's a lot, mom, but Marissa and I can handle it."

"That brings me to my next concern. What about Marissa?"

"What about her?"

"How does she feel about this?"

"She's all for it. She couldn't be more supportive."

"I see."

Bianca took a deep breath. Her mother could get under her skin like no one else. "What, mom? Spit it out."

"Well, are you sure she's really okay with this? She may say that she is, but it's clear that she would do anything for you. I'm just afraid that your being away from home and making her shoulder everything while you're at school will be a terrible strain for her and as a result, your relationship. I wouldn't want that to happen."

The happiness Bianca had felt earlier about registering for class began to diminish. Whether she meant to or not, Erica gave voice again to all of those doubts and fears she first had about doing this, the ones that she and Marissa had discussed. Now, she wondered if Marissa really was okay with this or if was only agreeing to it because she wanted Bianca to be happy. "You don't think I should do this, that I'm not capable of balancing everything."

"Oh, sweetheart, it's not that I doubt you. I just want you to be sure of what you're doing. I only ever want to see you happy. I only want what's best for you. I …" Erica was interrupted by her cell phone ringing. "Excuse me, sweetheart. I have to take this."

Bianca nodded numbly. She had been so excited about going back to school, but if it meant putting a strain on her relationship with Marissa, it wasn't worth it. She would drop the class without giving it a second thought.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I need to go. I need to take care of something. I can't begin to tell you how hard it is to get good help these days."

"That's fine, mom. I understand. I'll call you later to set up a good day for you and Uncle Jack to come over for dinner." Bianca got up and waited for mother to settle their bill, and the two headed out together.

"That sounds perfect." Erica hugged her daughter before starting to get into her car. She stopped and turned. "Bianca, I just want you to be cautious about this school thing. You're happy right now, and I want you to stay that way."

"I know, mom. I do too. I'll talk to you later."

Erica smiled as she got back in her car and drove away. She didn't notice that Bianca was still standing beside her car, lost in thought.

/

Marissa walked back into the bedroom and watched Bianca. The brunette had been quiet for a large chunk of the evening. Something had been on her mind, but Marissa wasn't able to question her because of the kids needing their attention. Now, the couple was finally alone, and she was determined to find out what was going on.

"Bianca, is everything alright?"

"Yeah, of course it is. Why wouldn't it be?"

Marissa sighed, grateful that her girlfriend couldn't hide the truth from her no matter how hard she tried. She sat down on the bed next to Bianca. "You know, you're a lousy liar. You'd think you would know by now that you can't hide anything from me. I know you all too well. You've been quiet, too quiet, all evening. I call tell you have something on your mind. You were in such a good mood at the Yacht Club. Did something happen at work to change that?"

Bianca shook her head. Marissa was right. She could never keep anything from her, and Bianca didn't even know why she tried.

"Did something happen with Erica?"

The brunette sighed and nodded.

_Dammit. What the hell did Erica say? _"What happened? Baby, you know you can tell me anything."

"I know. I've been thinking. I'm going to drop that class."

"Why? You were looking forward to it. I saw how happy you were just telling me you registered for it. What changed your mind?"

"Rissa, we have so much going on right now. I just don't see how I can spare the time to do it. It wouldn't be fair to you."

"It wouldn't be fair to me? What are you talking about? What did Erica say exactly?"

"She just made a few good points. Some things that I need to take into account."

"Okay, you lost me, B. We talked about this before. I thought we had everything settled. What points did Erica make that had you change your mind?"

"We have three kids, our careers and a new house along with trying to have a baby next year. I didn't tell her about that last part so she doesn't know about that. I just can't justify taking a class right now. It's too much for me to ask, too much for you to do by yourself. I can't …"

"Will you stop, please. We talked about all of this. You're just taking one class. We can get Susan to pick up the kids after school and watch them until I get home on the night you have class if I have to work late. Kendall's said she'd help too. We'll be in the new house before the semester starts for you. As for the baby, we were talking about starting that process in the spring, and after I get pregnant, it's still going to be nine months before the newest addition to our family makes their grand entrance. All of the appointments, we'll take everyone's schedule into account. There's plenty of time for you to take a class. So, what other points did your mom make?"

"Rissa, I don't want you to regret agreeing to this just because it makes me happy. I don't want you to discount your feelings on this, ignore the strain or stress this will put on you. I don't want you to hide your feelings or doubts about me doing this just to protect me. It's only been just under a year since we've gotten together. I don't want to lose you because of this. It's selfish of me."

"I won't have you talking about the love of my life like that. You don't have a selfish bone in your body. This is your dream, something you've wanted to do a long time. What kind of partner would I be if I didn't support you in that? I'm not going anywhere so you're not going to lose me. You're stuck with me. I'm yours for as long as you want me. As for hiding anything from you, let me just ask you this. Have I ever lied to you?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, you haven't."

"And I never will. If it gets to be too much for me to handle, I promise you that I'll let you know. I also know that if I need you for anything, you'll be there for me and the kids in a heartbeat without thinking twice about it."

"I will, you know. There's nothing more important to me than you and the kids."

"I know, and I feel the same way. I'm sure your mom means well, but this isn't about her. This is about the two of us and our family. Look, if you really want to do this, then I want you too. I'm with you all the way on this. I tell you what. Tomorrow, we'll map out everything and call Susan and make sure she can help out. What do you say?"_ I am so going to have to talk to Erica about this tomorrow. I don't think she knows how much this really means to Bianca. I'm going to have to set her straight on this. I won't have her putting Bianca through this kind of doubt or worry whether she means to or not._

Bianca smiled. "I say okay. I'll take the class. If things get too crazy though, I'm dropping it."

"Good! I'm glad that's settled." Marissa gave her a quick kiss and grinned. "You know, there is one big advantage to you going back to school."

"There is, huh? What would that be?" Bianca quirked an eyebrow.

"I get to help you study, and I have it on good authority that I'm an excellent tutor. I've got this great reward system in mind to help you study."

Bianca laughed. "You really are an excellent tutor, counselor. I never knew learning could be so much fun, and I can't wait to see what you have in mind for my reward for getting a question right. And just to make things clear for you, you're not going anywhere."

"I'm not, huh?" Marissa grinned.

"No, you're not. I'm not letting you. I want you right here with me for the rest of our lives. Remember, you promised me old and gray, and I intend to hold you to that. I love you."

Marissa's breath hitched. "There's no place else I want to be. You're my home. You're what I've been searching for my whole life. I love you."

The tender kiss between the two soon deepened. Bianca gently pushed Marissa back onto the bed, and they quickly became lost in each other.


	53. Discussions

**A/N: In the little world I've built here, it's the day after Bianca and Marissa had lunch with Erica. I think that'll do it in the way of an explanation. As always, thanks for the reviews! I like getting notices from this site much more than any spam that makes its way to my inbox. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"Are you sure you're okay with dropping the kids off at school today, Bianca? I know it's my day, but this meeting came up at the last minute."

"I understand, and yes, I'm okay with taking them to school. It's no problem. You'll just owe me and will have to pay me back later." Bianca flashed a mischievous grin.

Marissa laughed. "I've never enjoyed being in someone's debt so much in my life. I look forward to paying you back."

"So, what's the meeting about, mom?" AJ asked.

_Well, I'm going to attempt to set Erica straight on a couple of things regarding Bianca and our family. This could either be a really good idea, or it could be the worst one ever and blow up in my face. Yeah, I don't think I'll tell them that._ "Well, buddy, I'm going to try and help a family take care of a situation before things escalate and get out of hand."

"You can do it, Rissa. I know you can." Miranda told her confidently.

"Thank you, Miranda. I'm going to try my very best."

Bianca smiled. "I'm with Miranda on this. You'll be able to help them, and you always do your very best. That's what makes you so good. Right, Gabby?"

The youngest member of the family nodded and smiled. "Mommy's really good at everything she does."

Marissa smiled at her family._ I'm going to give it everything I can. God, I hope this works because I can't let them down. I'm going to fight tooth and nail for them, and if they aren't worth fighting for, I don't know what is._ "Well, I thank all of you for your support. You don't know how much it means to me." She checked the time. It was time for her to go. She knew from talking with Bianca last night that Erica would be up early since she had planned to interview new assistants this morning. If she timed things just right, she would be able to catch Erica off guard and get there before the interviews started. Marissa gave each child a kiss before turning to Bianca and giving her a quick kiss. "I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too. See you later, and good luck with your client."

/

Marissa stood in front of the door to Erica's place. She'd been okay on the way over, thinking about what she wanted to say, but now, her nerves were finally starting to get the better of her. She hadn't had much time to come up with a plan, but she did have the element of surprise on her side. Marissa planned on using that to her advantage if at all possible. After all, it was only fair given the number of times Erica had shown up unannounced at her office to catch her off guard. A little payback was definitely in order. Bianca didn't know what Marissa had planned for today. She had accepted the redhead's explanation of an early meeting to help a client and their family, and that was essentially true. Marissa just didn't tell her the meeting was with Erica who had no idea she was stopping by and that the family in question was theirs. She hated not telling Bianca what she had planned, hated keeping things from her, but if she had told her, she knew that her girlfriend would have stopped her. She wouldn't have wanted Marissa to confront Erica, wouldn't have thought it was worth it, but to Marissa, this was something that needed to be done and was something that was more than worth it. Nothing else was worth more than sticking up for Bianca and setting Erica straight on a few things. She just hoped she could keep her temper in check. _Okay, suck it up, Tasker. You can do this. You need to do this. Remember, this is for Bianca._ The redhead took a deep breath and knocked.

Erica answered the door in complete shock. "Marissa? Good morning, dear. Is everything okay? Bianca and the children, they're not hurt, are they?"

"No, everyone's fine. I was hoping we could talk. There are a couple of things I'd like to discuss with you. Is it alright if I come in?"

"Who's at the door, mom?" Kendall smiled when she saw Marissa. "Good morning, Red. I wasn't expecting to see you. Come in. Would you like some breakfast?"

Marissa smiled and entered when Erica waved her inside upon her daughter's invitation. "Good morning, Kendall. Thank you, but I had breakfast at home with Bianca and the kids. I'm not interrupting anything between the two of you, am I?"

"No, of course not. I'm helping mom with her interviews for a new assistant today. I came over early to go over a few things before they started. What brings you here this early?"

"I wanted to talk to Erica about something."

"Okay, do you want me to leave?" Kendall offered even though she wanted nothing more than to stay and hear what was on Marissa's mind. There was a look in the redhead's eyes that told her something was definitely up, and she wanted to know what it was.

"Would you like Kendall to leave?"

Marissa had wanted to do this without an audience, but maybe having Kendall present might work to her advantage. "No, that's fine. Kendall can hear what I have to say."

"Very well. Shall we get comfortable?"

The three women took a seat, and Erica waited for the redhead to begin.

"When you asked me if something was wrong with Bianca, I wasn't exactly truthful. There was something going on with her last night after I got home from work, something that started after I left the two of you at the Yacht Club yesterday. I have to ask you something, and I hope this doesn't come out wrong because I really don't want to offend you. You have been very supportive of not only of my relationship with Bianca but of AJ and me and that whole mess with JR. You've welcomed us into your family, and I will never be able to tell you how much that means to me."

"Go on, dear. Ask your question."

"What exactly did you say to Bianca after I left the two of you at the Yacht Club yesterday?"

"Why do you want know?"

"Because whatever you said got her upset, and before you say it was a private conversation between you and your daughter and not really my business, I have to tell you that you're wrong. Anything that affects Bianca, anything that makes her upset or doubt herself _is_ my business, and whatever you said, did exactly just that."

"What happened, Marissa? Is Bianca okay?" Kendall couldn't hide the concern in her voice.

"Bianca's okay, now. Remember when she told you that she was going to go back to school next semester and take a psychology class?"

Kendall nodded. "I remember. She was so excited about it because she'd been wanting to go back for a long time and now she finally could. Bianca told me you were encouraging her to do it because you knew how much it meant to her, how important it was to her. Having your encouragement means the world to her."

Marissa smiled. "One of the many things I love about Bianca is this thirst for knowledge that she has and how she uses it to not only better herself but to better the lives of everyone she touches. She searches for new ways to help all the time and never settles when it comes to that. She says it's more to improve herself, but if you ask me, she doesn't need improvement. Bianca's about as close to perfect as you can get, not that I'm biased or anything."

Kendall snorted. "Of course you're not. You're completely impartial when it comes to my sister, just like she is with you."

"Exactly." Marissa grinned at the playful sarcasm from Kendall before turning serious again. "When I got home last night, I could tell something was bothering her. She was just too quiet. I finally got a chance to ask her what was going on after the kids were in bed. That's when she told me she was going to drop the class, that she was being selfish and asking way too much of me in order for her to go back to school."

Kendall turned to her mother. "What did you say, mom?"

"I only suggested that she re-think going back to school, that it might not be the best time to do it. I never said she was being selfish or even implied it. I never would do anything like that. There is not one selfish bone in her body which is a trait she inherited from my mother."

"I hope you set Bianca straight on that, Red."

"I did. Bianca wouldn't know the first thing about being selfish. Selfless, yes, but selfish? Not a chance. Erica, why did you tell her she should re-think her decision?"

"Marissa, dear, I was only thinking of your family. All of you have a great deal going on during the next several months. I believe your plates are full enough and don't need one more thing added to the mix."

Marissa sighed in mild frustration. She knew Erica was only trying to help, but she had ended up hurting Bianca instead. "Erica, I know that, but you have to give us some credit here. Bianca and I discussed all of this about a month ago. I honestly believe we can handle this."

"That's all well and good to say but how …"

"We're going to get Susan to watch the kids when Bianca has her class and I have to work late. We've also enlisted Aunt Kendall to help out when needed. Besides all of that, I really am capable of taking care of my children for a few hours by myself. I do it all the time. When Bianca has to work, I take care of them just like she does when I have to work late. When Bianca had to run to New York to handle that crisis the other week with the Miranda Center branch there, I took care of them just like she did when I had that convention. Bianca and I are partners in every sense of the word. Neither one of us gives it a second thought when anything regarding our family needs to be done. There's another reason why this is so important. Bianca really wants to do this. When was the last time that she did anything for herself? Please let me know when because I can't think of a time. So, if it's at all possible, I'm going to help her every way I can so that she gets to pursue this dream. Look, I'll keep telling you this until you believe me. Bianca and our children, our family, will always come first. And just so you know, I've promised Bianca that if things get too overwhelming for me that I'll let her know. I don't break my promises to her, and I don't lie to her. I just can't do it because I know what it feels like to have someone you love and trust betray you. I simply won't hurt her like that. She knows what it feels like too, and she won't hurt me like that either. I know I'm asking a lot here given my family's history with yours and given the track record of Bianca's former partners, but please trust me. Bianca and our children mean everything to me, and I will not risk losing them for anything or anyone."

Erica studied the redhead and heard her impassioned plea. _Dammit if I don't trust her and believe her._ "Alright, dear, what would you like me to do? I could call Bianca and give her my permission if you'd like."

Marissa shook her head. "Bianca has already decided to move forward with her plans and go back to school. And she doesn't need your permission to do it. I hope you don't take that wrong way, but it's true and you know it. What I'd like is for you to call her and give her your support. That's what she needs and wants. She needs you to tell her that you believe in her and trust her to do what's best for her and our family. She hasn't let you down yet, has she?"

"I know you hate to admit it, mom, but Marissa's right about all of it. They can handle this, and I'm more than ready and willing to help if they need me."

"Very well, I'll call her and do as you ask if you think that's what she wants."

"Thank you, and it is. You know, it doesn't matter how old we are. We're always going to want our parents' support and understanding whether they're still here or not. That's something you can still give Bianca so thank you for doing it."

Erica nodded slightly. She recognized the look in Marissa's eyes. It was the same one she had seen reflected back at her from a mirror whenever she thought of her own mother and felt her loss. Erica had never truly appreciated Mona until she was gone. She knew this wasn't the case with Marissa. She had heard a few stories about the bond between Marissa and her parents from Bianca and Kendall, ones they had passed along to her. And now, she was here trying to not only help Bianca but Erica as well it would seem. Marissa could have easily left everything alone with a strain remaining between mother and daughter, but she didn't. She couldn't because she knew how much this meant for all concerned. "You're welcome and thank you."

"For what?"

"I think you know, dear."

A small smile tugged on the corner of Marissa's mouth and a knowing look flashed in her eyes. "You're welcome. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get to work."

"I'll show you out, dear."

"I'll see you later, Kendall."

"See you later, Red." Kendall watched as her mother escorted the redhead to the front door and the two shared a hug goodbye. _I could swear the two of them shared some sort of moment there. That's definitely something I've never seen mom do before with anyone outside of the family. Interesting._

When Erica returned, Kendall couldn't help but ask her mother a question. "So, what was that with Marissa?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, sweetheart?"

"It looked like you and Red had some sort of moment."

"It was nothing. I simply believe Marissa and I realized we have something in common other than Bianca."

Kendall let that particular subject drop sensing her mother would not allow her to pursue it further. "You know, you handled her surprise visit better than I thought you would, unless it really wasn't a surprise."

"No, I was not expecting Marissa to stop by this morning. Although, I do have to say that I'm glad she did. She showed me something by doing so, something she needed to show me."

"What would that be?" Kendall had an idea.

"That she is willing to fight for Bianca, do what needs to be done to ensure her happiness even if that means taking me on to make that happen. There aren't many people willing to stand up to me. I can only actually think of a handful of individuals brave enough to do so. I have to say that I'm glad she does that in regards to your sister. It doesn't seem like I intimidate her."

"That's a hard one. I'm not sure that you do. If you did, Red's not going to let you know. She keeps some things private from everyone, everyone but Bianca that is. What I have learned about her is that everything goes out the window when it comes to Bianca and the kids. She will take on whoever she needs to, whenever and wherever she needs to. I've seen her in action, and it's something to see. We both know that we're never going to stop worrying about Bianca. She's too special to us. I don't believe we need to shoulder that worry by ourselves anymore though. Marissa is more than willing and able to as well. I mean, she did come here unannounced and wasn't going to leave until you agreed with her and promised to back Bianca which I'm glad you did, by the way. What were you thinking, mom? You know that Bianca would never put anything above her family just like you know that she always puts everyone else's wants and needs above her own. For once, she was doing something that she wanted to do for herself and then you go and …"

"As I told Marissa, I honestly didn't mean to undermine Bianca. I only wanted her to be sure of what she was doing and to think about everything involved with her decision. I know all too well the risks of not having the right priorities. Bianca is not me, however, and I don't have to worry about that."

"No, you don't. If anyone in this family has their priorities straight, it's my little sister. She's the best of us." Kendall smiled.

"Yes, she most certainly is. Speaking of which, I have a call to make and a promise to keep."

/

"Just what do the three of you think you're doing?" Bianca had her hands on her hips and gave the children her sternest look.

The kids looked down at the ground clearly remorseful. "We were just …"

"Do you know how long it took me to rake those leaves and get them in that big pile?"

The kids mumbled. "We're sorry."

It took everything in her to keep a straight face. "I would hope so. I do all that work, and you go ahead and jump in that pile without me."

Three heads jerked up suddenly in surprise and found Bianca with a wide smile across her face. It took them a minute to realize that they really weren't in trouble and that Bianca had just been pulling their legs. Once they did, they all started laughing.

"I thought you were really mad at us, mom." Miranda grinned.

"Me too, Bianca. You got us good." AJ added.

"Did I get you, Gabby?"

"Uh huh, you really did, mommy."

"I'm sorry, but I just couldn't help myself. Now, what do you say that we get these leaves piled back up and I show you how it's done?"

"Yeah!"

/

A car pulled into the driveway taking the spot behind Bianca's car and leaving the spot next to the brunette's car free. The driver got out and headed to the front door before stopping. The laughter coming from the backyard changed their course, and they headed in its direction.

Carolyn Walker watched the scene in front of her and laughed at the family.

All four family members glanced up. Bianca smiled while the kids waved and continued to giggle.

"Mrs. Walker! What a nice surprise." Bianca got up and began brushing leaves off of her.

"Now Bianca, how many times do I have to remind you to call me by my first name?"

Bianca chuckled. "Quite a few apparently. I'm sorry, Carol. What a nice surprise to see you. You'll have to excuse my appearance. The kids needed a lesson on leaf jumping." Bianca directed the older woman to have a seat while the kids continued to play in the leaves.

"So, I gathered. How are you, Bianca? How are things coming with the new house?"

"I'm great, and the house is really coming along. How are you?"

"I'm pretty good. You know, dear, while I'm happy for all of you, I have to admit that I'll be sad to see you go. I really have enjoyed your family living here and making this place truly a home again. Whoever moves in after you will have some awfully big shoes to fill."

Bianca smiled. "Thank you. We've loved it here. You know that you have an open invitation to visit us anytime."

"Good. I plan on taking you up on that. I was wondering if Marissa was around. I didn't see her car in the driveway."

"Not yet, but I know she's on her way and will be home soon. Is everything alright? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"Everything is fine. I just wanted to get her expert opinion on a couple of things. I don't really know any lawyers other than her, and I trust her opinion. I thought I could pick her brain a little. You don't think she'll mind, do you?"

"You won't get any argument from me on how good of a lawyer she is. And no, she won't mind a bit."

"Who won't mind what?" Marissa smiled as she rounded the side of the house. She gave Bianca a quick kiss and waved to their children. "Having fun in the leaves without me, huh?" She chuckled as she picked leaves out of her girlfriend's hair.

"The kids started it."

"And you say I'm the big kid around here." The redhead smirked before turning to their guest. "Carol, it's nice to see you. How is everything?"

The older woman laughed. She did love being around this family. "As I was just telling Bianca, everything is fine. I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes if you have the time."

"Ah, that's what Bianca was talking about. Of course, I don't mind."

"Is this where the party is?"

"Hey, Aya!" Miranda called from the pile of leaves that had been rebuilt. AJ and Gabby greeted her as well. She was by far their favorite worker at the Miranda Center.

"Hey, guys! What's up? Do you remember Sam?"

AJ nodded. "Hi, Sam."

"Hi, AJ. Hi, girls."

"Hi!"

Sam greeted the couple.

"I was getting ready to take Sam home when this email came in for you, Bianca. I thought I'd drop it off on the way and see if you need me to do anything about it for you." She handed the printed email to Bianca.

While Bianca read, Marissa handled the remaining introduction. "Sam, this is Mrs. Walker, our landlady. Carol, this is Sam. She helps out at the Miranda Center."

"Hello."

"Hello, Sam. Do you like helping out at the Center?"

The blonde nodded. "Yeah, I do. Everybody there is great, especially Bianca, and they've helped me a lot. Marissa's helped me out a whole lot too."

Mrs. Walker wondered at the precise meaning behind that comment.

"There is something you can do for me, Aya. Why don't you and Sam come inside? Marissa and Mrs. Walker needed to talk about a couple of things, and I need to check on dinner."

Aya nodded. "Lead the way, boss."

"Kids, time to wash up. Dinner will be ready in a little bit, and I think the three of you will need some extra time to clean up."

The kids clambered out of the leaves and stopped to give Marissa a hug before heading inside.

/

The redhead turned to her guest. "So, Carol, what can I do for you?"

"There are two things actually. The first is for me, and the second is for my son and daughter-in-law."

"Okay, let's start with you first and then we'll move on to Alex."

"I was hoping you could help me update my will."

Marissa leaned forward with concern. "Is everything alright? You're not sick, are you?"

"No, I'm perfectly fine, dear. There's no reason to worry. It's been a while since I've looked at it, and there have been some changes I should have added to it, like this place for example."

"I'm relieved to hear to that you're okay." Marissa smiled as she glanced back at the house. "This place is great. I really love it. I'm excited to move to our new home, but this place will always be special. This was where Bianca and I and our kids became a family. There are so many great memories here. This was my real home since moving to Pine Valley. I remember Bianca and me looking at places. By the time I got here, I was getting pretty discouraged because the others were busts. Talk about false advertisement. I saw this place though and knew it was perfect. If it wasn't for Bianca urging me to keep it under control, I would've agreed to pay you anything wanted for rent."

"I remember that day very well. If it wasn't for my son, I would've given you the keys immediately. I didn't need a background or credit check to tell me that you were the perfect one to rent to. I was struck that day by how much the two of you reminded me of my husband and me when we were just starting out."

Marissa was surprised by that revelation. "Bianca and I weren't a couple yet. We were just friends."

"So I found out later, but I knew. I could tell there was something special between the two of you."

Marissa shook her head in disbelief. "It amazes me that other people saw it before Bianca and I did."

Mrs. Walker chuckled. "Sometimes that happens when you're too close to something. If it makes you feel any better, Alex didn't see it either. He looked at me like I had two heads when I told him the two of you made a nice couple. Of course after I pointed it out to him and he saw the two of you together, he finally saw it. My daughter-in-law Gail gave him such a hard time for doubting me. You see, I realized he was in love with her long before he did."

Marissa laughed. "Sounds you have quite the superpower."

"That's what my husband used to tell me. I have to say that you and Bianca still remind me of us."

"Thank you. That means a lot. So, as to your will, I'll be more than happy to help you and answer any questions you might have. I would feel more comfortable though if someone whose specialty is estate planning actually drew up the will. I want to make sure you have the best representation possible, that nothing's missed."

"Thank you. Do you know someone?"

"I have a friend at work who is one of the best in this field, and she owes me a favor or two. I know she'll be happy to help. I could set something up for you if you'd like."

"I would like that very much. Thank you."

"You're welcome. It's the least I can do. Any questions you have in the meantime, please feel free to ask. Now, you said the other question had to do with Alex and Gail. I hope everything's alright with them."

"Yes, everything's fine with them. Let me clarify that. Everything's fine with their marriage. As you know, they don't have children. They've tried for years but have been unable to have any of their own."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Have they thought about adoption?"

"They have. Gail has gone online and done some research. As you can probably guess, there is a high demand for newborns so they've considered adopting an older child. They are a little overwhelmed. It's very long and involved process and has made them hesitant about doing it. I was hoping they could meet with you to discuss it and that you could answer any questions they might have."

Marissa heard a burst of laughter coming from inside the house and glanced inside through the patio door. A thought struck her suddenly. She knew Alex and Gail Walker quite well. They were a loving couple and could provide a wonderful home for a child in need of one. "I'd be happy to. Carol, have they ever considered becoming foster parents?"

/

"Thank you for bringing this over right away, Aya." Bianca snuck a peek in the family room making sure their conversation couldn't be overheard.

"You're welcome. As soon as I saw it, I knew that you'd want to know. Do you want to tell her or should I?"

"No, I'll tell her. I want to talk with Marissa about this first. She knows better than anyone else how to talk to Sam. We'll tell her tomorrow at the Center."

"Sounds good. We better go. I need to get her back to the safe house so she can finish up her homework."

The two women entered the family room and saw Mrs. Walker and Sam engaged in conversation. Bianca looked at Marissa who was standing nearby observing the pair. The redhead smiled when she saw Bianca and Aya and walked over to them.

"What's going on, Rissa? What are you up to?"

"I'll tell you later, but I think we might have found a solution to something. Everything okay with you?"

"That's another discussion for later too. Aya needs to get Sam home. Is it okay to interrupt them?"

"Yeah, it's fine."

Aya nodded and headed into the family room. "Are you ready, Sam?"

The young blonde glanced up and nodded. "Yeah, I have that history paper I need to work on. It was really nice talking to you, Mrs. Walker."

"I should be heading out myself. It was nice talking to you too, Sam. I hope we can do it again soon."

After goodbyes were exchanged and the visitors had left, Bianca turned to the kids. "Okay, guys. I need you to finish setting the table so we can eat. Marissa and I will there in just a few minutes."

The kids nodded and headed into the kitchen.

"First things first." Bianca grinned wickedly before pulling Marissa in for a fervent kiss.

Marissa gasped for air when they finally separated. Her own goofy grin spread across her face. "What was that for?"

"That was for going to see my mom this morning and talking with her. Thank you."

"Judging by your reaction, you're not upset that I did."

Bianca shook her head and smiled. "No, I'm not. Mom called this morning, and we had a really good conversation. After lunch, I had an interesting call from Kendall."

Marissa laughed. "I'm guessing I don't need to fill you in on much, huh?"

"Nope, Kendall gave me a pretty detailed description of what happened, but I would like to hear more from you about it later."

"You know that I'll tell you everything. Want to give me a highlight of what was going on with Aya?"

"We received a report from the detective agency we hired to track down Sam's aunt. She passed away three months ago. I was hoping we could tell her together tomorrow. I thought it would be better coming from us."

"I think you're right. I'll clear my schedule tomorrow afternoon and come over to the Center."

"Thanks. Sadly enough, it's official now. Sam doesn't have any living relatives, and we still haven't found a good foster home for her."

"I might have stumbled upon a solution there."

"Does this have something to do with Carol?"

"Yeah, a little. It has more to do with Alex and Gail. They've been talking about adoption, specifically an older child, but are a little overwhelmed by the whole process. I mentioned the possibility of them becoming foster parents to her."

"Let me guess, you mentioned Sam and her situation to Carol."

"You know me too well. Carol wanted to talk to Sam. She told me on her way out that she's going to talk with her son and daughter-in-law when she gets home and see if they may be interested in meeting with Sam."

"That would be so good if they did. They're a great couple, and I know they're great with kids. Our's love them and you know they are excellent judges of character. What do you think the chances are of this working out?"

"I'm not sure. I mean, we don't even know if they would be interested in this. If they are, they still have to meet Sam. Plus, there are background checks to be done, not that I see a problem there. I don't want to get Sam's hopes up though. She's been through so much."

"You're right. She has. We won't say anything about this until we know more." Bianca grinned. "It seems you've been very busy today, Rissa. So busy in fact, that I think you deserve a reward."

Marissa raised an eyebrow at the dip in Bianca's voice. "I'm never one to turn down a reward. Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"I do, but it will have to wait until after the kids are in bed."

"Do you we could get them to go to bed early?" Marissa asked with a mischievous grin.

Bianca laughed. "Let's have dinner first and then will see about that."


	54. A Family Adventure

**A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating. It's a holiday weekend here in the States, and I'm having a few people over and needed to get the house ready. The small gathering doubled in size so a round of cleaning was in order. Since that's out of the way, I finally have time to finish this update before people start to arrive. Thanks for the reviews! I appreciate them so please keep them coming. I got nothing else. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Marissa sighed happily as she felt the warm body she knew every inch of press into her's from behind and pull her closer. Soft lips dropped a kiss on her shoulder and began to inch their way up to her ear where Bianca whispered.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, yourself. I do love this morning routine of yours."

Bianca laughed. "It's just a spinoff of yours which I love quite a bit. Did you sleep well?"

"In your arms, how could I not?"

"Wow. Talk about a line. Where did you pull that one from, counselor?"

Marissa grinned and turned to face Bianca. "What can I say? You inspire me." She leaned in for a loving kiss. "I can't think of a better way to wake up. What time is it?"

"It's still early, but you know who will be in here in a few minutes so don't get any ideas."

"You wake me up like that and then tell me not to get any ideas? That's just not right at all."

"Sorry, I just can't help myself. My lips have a mind of their own where you're concerned. I promise to make it up to you later." Bianca grinned.

Marissa smiled and settled back into Bianca's arms. "You better because I'm gonna hold you to that. You know we really need to start teaching Gabby the joys of sleeping in on the weekends, especially in her own bed. Then maybe, we can _sleep_ in more ourselves."

Bianca chuckled. "I think that is an excellent idea. I'm going to have to think about how we can do that. So, do you have any thoughts on how we should spend the day, other than lying in bed all day and ravishing each other? While I love that activity and would like to do nothing more, we have three kids to think about which makes that out of the question today."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, I know. I do have an idea. I was thinking we could have breakfast at Krystal's, pick up a picnic lunch for later and head over to the house to check it out, let the kids explore some. It's been a couple of weeks since the two of us have seen it and even longer for the kids. I spoke with the builder yesterday and almost all of his work is done which means Trish and her crew will be able to take over soon. He stopped by when I was getting ready to leave the office and dropped off one of the garage door openers so we can get in."

"I think that's perfect. The kids have been dying to see it again, and I've gotta admit I want to see it and explore it myself."

"It's settled then."

The couple heard a soft knock on the bedroom door and sat up in bed making a space for their expected visitor. "Come in, Gabby."

Gabby poked her head in and grinned. "Morning, mommy."

"Good morning, sweetie." Bianca smiled.

Gabby scampered into bed and took her favorite spot. She turned to Marissa and grinned. "Morning, mommy."

"Good morning, monkey."

/

A short while later, the Tasker-Montgomery family made their way into Krystal's and immediately headed to _their_ table. They weren't sure how she did it, but Krystal somehow always made sure that table was ready and waiting for them even when she had no idea they were coming in, like today. The kids were bouncing with excitement over the thought of seeing their new home. It was a far cry from AJ's and Miranda's initial reactions at having been woken up a little earlier than normal for a Saturday by Gabby. When Marissa and Bianca told her what they had planned for the day, she was so excited that she began jumping up and down on their bed. Once she had settled down somewhat, she jumped off the bed and ran to wake up her brother and sister. After their initial grumbling was over and they could understand what Gabby was actually trying to tell them, they quickly forgave her and joined in with her excitement. They hurried up and got dressed and were soon trying to get their mothers to move faster so they could head out and get the adventure started.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite family! How are the Tasker-Montgomery's this morning?"

"Good morning, Krystal. We're doing just great. How are you?" Bianca smiled.

"I'm doing pretty good. What brings you all out this early on a Saturday?"

"We're going to check on the new house, grandma!" AJ said barely able to contain his excitement.

"You are? That sounds like fun. It's coming along then?"

Marissa nodded. "Yep, it sure is. It won't be too much longer before we're moved and settled in. The kids haven't seen it in a while so we thought it would be fun to let them explore especially while the weather is nice. I was hoping we could get a picnic lunch to take with us after breakfast. That way, we'll have plenty of time to explore."

"I think I can arrange that. I'm on pretty good terms with the owner, and I have it on good information that she likes this family a heck of a lot too. So, you're happy with your builder? They're doing a good job for you?"

"He's doing a great job, and his crew does wonderful work."

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you think I could get his name and number from you?"

"Why? Are you thinking of building a place?" Bianca asked.

"I'm actually thinking of expanding."

Marissa smiled. "Really? That's great! So, business is that good? Not that I'm surprised, this place is always busy."

Krystal nodded. "It really is. It's a little surprising when you think about it."

Bianca smiled. "Give yourself more credit. With the food, the service and the atmosphere, you have it all. Like Marissa said, I'm not all that surprised that you're doing that well."

"Well, thank you, but you're both being way too kind."

"I'm going to agree to disagree with you on that. We'd be more than happy to get you his contact information. No one will be around the site today or we'd give him your number."

"No, that's fine. I'm only thinking about it for now. I've been talking to Mr. Taylor who owns the shop next door. He's planning his retirement and asked if I'd be interested in buying his place."

Bianca saw the look in the older woman's eyes. It was one she had seen in Marissa's on several occasions. "And I can tell that you are."

"I am. I have to say that I could really use the space. I could expand the kitchen and add more seating in here and even a dining area outside. There's a lot involved though, and I want to make sure I have all my ducks in a row before I start discussing details with a builder."

"Well, if you need any legal help, you know I'm here. You just have to ask, and I'll be happy to help." Marissa told her earnestly.

"Oh, I don't want you to think I was asking for anything other than his information. I know you've got a lot going on right now."

"Krystal, I wouldn't have offered if I didn't want to help. You seem to forget that I have the world's greatest partner, and I know without a doubt that she'll be okay with me making time in my schedule to help you."

"She's right about me being okay with her helping. While I can't give you any legal advice like this one can, I'm here for any other help you need, just let me know."

"Thank you both so much."

Marissa noticed someone she knew at another table. "Would you excuse me for a minute? I see someone I need to get an update from. Bianca, could you go ahead and order for me when the kids are ready?"

"No problem. Tell them I said 'hi'."

Marissa had started to walk towards the other table when she stopped and turned around. "You're welcome, Krystal. Besides, it's what family does for each other, right?" The redhead smiled and headed towards the other table.

Krystal took a shaky breath, truly touched by her daughter's words and the sincerity behind them. She watched as Marissa walked over to a family of three and was greeted warmly by them. Krystal smiled as her daughter's words echoed in ears. _It's what family does for each other._

"Krystal, are you okay?"

"I am more than okay, Bianca. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For Marissa offering to help."

"I can't take credit for that. That was all her. You have an amazing daughter. I think you already know that though." Bianca smiled.

"I do. She is quite a remarkable individual, just like her partner." Krystal knew there were four people responsible for that. The first two were her friends, Roy and Lydia Tasker. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't regret giving Marissa up, selling her. She had realized over the years, however, that she had made the right decision. She shouldn't have sold her, and she'd never forgive herself for that. No, the right decision was in choosing Roy and Lydia. They gave Marissa everything she couldn't. They gave her a loving and stable home. They had instilled in her a strong set of values and sense of right and wrong that couldn't be shaken or influenced by anyone along with the innate desire to help those in need.

The third person was Bianca. She was simply the most forgiving woman on the planet, had the kindest of hearts and the most beautiful soul Krystal had ever encountered. Despite everything she had been through, Bianca survived, endured, came out stronger and never gave up hope. She turned her darkest moments into triumphs and had helped countless others as a result.

The fourth person was Marissa herself. Despite everything she had been through, her daughter had not allowed life's adversities to defeat her, to change or define who she was. She listened to the better angels in her life and set a path for herself that was truly her own. It was a path that she could be proud of and one that finally led her to the life and family that was worthy of her.

"Do you see the people she's talking to?"

Krystal nodded. "The man looks familiar. Oh wait, that's Alex Walker and his wife, and that girl is …"

"That's Sam. Marissa was able to put things together and realized they could offer each other something they all wanted and needed. Sam needs a home, a true home. Alex and Gail have been trying for years to have a child. Thanks to Marissa, it looks like both of those dreams are about to become a reality. I mean, it's not official, but it looks really good. Marissa is guiding them through the process. You should be very proud of her. I know I am." Bianca beamed.

"I had no idea she was doing all of that."

"That's because she doesn't like to toot her own horn."

"It's a very good thing she has you to do it for her then, and rightfully so." Krystal smiled.

"I try. She deserves it."

"Bianca, could I have French toast?" AJ asked having finally made up his mind.

"Of course, you can, AJ."

"I guess I should get these orders in so you all can get on with your adventure." Krystal took the remaining breakfast orders along with the one for the picnic lunch and headed to the kitchen.

Marissa rejoined her family a few minutes later.

"How's it going over there?" Bianca inquired.

"It's going pretty good. The three of them are going to spend the day together, and they've cleared it so Sam can stay overnight. They said to tell you 'hi' by the way."

Bianca couldn't help but smile at that news. "Rissa, that's great to hear."

"Yeah, it really is. They've really hit it off. It's hard to believe it's only been a week since they first met. They just clicked. Gail asked me if she and Alex could meet with me on Monday."

"And of course you said they could. So, you think they're going to apply to be Sam's foster family?"

"It's really looking like it, B. I'm glad I had Lisa do all of that research for me on the foster care process."

Bianca grinned. "You're always thinking ahead, aren't you? That's one of the reasons of why you're so good at what you do. Another one is because you care so much. The three of them couldn't be in better hands."

Marissa shook her head and chuckled. "You're completely impartial, right?"

"Completely! Sam told me that Alex was helping her build something for a school project she has coming up, and Gail offered to help her with a paper she has. Have you talked to Carol recently about Sam?"

"I have. She stopped by the office yesterday. I think it's safe to say that Carol adores Sam. She's wanted to be a grandmother for so long. I think she's finally getting her wish. Her visit reminded me of something I want to discuss with you. It's something we should've discussed a while ago."

Bianca grew concerned. "What is it?"

Marissa smiled. "Don't worry. It's nothing bad. I promise. She just got me to thinking about something, and you know how I get when that happens. We'll talk about it tonight when we get back from our adventure."

Bianca nodded. She took Marissa at her word. She also understood that the redhead wanted to have this discussion in private and away from little ears. "Alright, we'll talk about whatever she got you thinking about later."

A server brought their food, and the family ate and planned their day. When Krystal returned a short while later to check on them, Miranda had an idea. "Krystal, do you have any stale bread you wanna get rid of?"

The older woman smiled at the question. "I think I can find some. Why?"

"I was thinking we could feed the ducks that come to our pond."

AJ smiled and wished he had thought of that. His sister was always coming up with the best ideas. "That's a great idea! Gabby really likes feeding the ducks, don't you, Gabby?"

The littlest brunette bobbed her head up and down and smiled brightly. "Uh huh, I do. I like them better than the geese."

"Well then, I definitely need to get you some bread. I'll be right back."

Bianca turned to Marissa. "You know, that meant a lot to Krystal before."

Marissa gave her a puzzled look. "What did?"

"You're offering to help her with the expansion."

The redhead shrugged in response to the proud smile on Bianca's face. "It's nothing really, and I'm glad to do it. She's been very supportive of us so I figure I can return the favor. I guess you're a good influence on me."

"I can't take credit for that. That was all you. I'm proud of you."

Marissa beamed. "Thank you."

"Here you go." Krystal returned with a foam cooler and a bag of bread. "I found some bread for you to feed your ducks. I thought packing the lunch in the cooler with a couple of ice packs would keep it better for you since I wasn't exactly sure when you planned on eating."

"Thanks, Krystal." Bianca reached into her purse for her wallet.

"Put that away. Your money is no good here."

"If you're going to expand, you're going to need all the money you can. As your lawyer, I insist we pay." Marissa grinned.

Krystal chuckled. "Fine, I guess I can't go against my lawyer's advice now, can I? But you get the family discount."

"I can accept that." Bianca smiled and placed some money on the table. "Ready, gang?"

Everyone nodded. Marissa picked up the cooler. "Thanks for taking care of this for us."

"Anytime. Have fun."

/

Marissa turned down the long gravel driveway that led to their new home. She glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled as she saw the kids peering through the tree lined drive and straining to catch a glimpse of the house.

"Did they tell you when they plan on paving the driveway, Rissa?"

"They're planning on starting it on Monday since they're finished with the heavy construction equipment. They wanted to wait until they didn't need it anymore, no sense in tearing up the new driveway and having to redo it."

"That makes sense. I'm glad we decided to pave it. It'll make it easier for us in the winter."

Marissa followed a small curve in the road, and the two-story redbrick house came into view.

"I see it!" Miranda exclaimed.

"It looks so cool!" AJ said excitedly.

"It's really pretty, Mommy!"

Bianca and Marissa just grinned and took in the view of their new home. The modest exterior belied the true size of the home. Marissa followed the driveway around to the side of the house to garage, hit the opener button and pulled in. The kids started taking their seatbelts off but stopped when Bianca began to speak.

"We know you're excited and want to check everything out, but we don't want you to wander out of the house, particularly the woods, without letting either one of us know. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Bianca and I promise to take you all on a little hike through the woods before we leave and go feed the ducks. Now, let's go check this place out!"

The kids jump out of the car and waited while Bianca opened the door in the garage that lead into the kitchen. While the kitchen appliances wouldn't be delivered and installed until closer in to the actual move date, the other fixtures were already in place. Bianca ran her hand over the granite countertops and couldn't help but open some of the cabinets.

"Mom, where are our bedrooms?" AJ asked.

"There upstairs, Buddy, remember? But …" Before she was able to finish, the kids had raced upstairs. "I think they're a little excited."

"You think?" Bianca chuckled. The women waited for the inevitable call from upstairs.

Miranda called from the top of the steps as the couple walked into the family room. "Mom? Our rooms aren't done. How do we tell who gets what room?"

The couple climbed the stairs and joined their children in the hallway. "That's what Marissa was trying to tell you before you all raced off. The three of you need to decide who gets which room. We'll let Trish know so she and her crew can start decorating them."

Gabby furrowed her brow. Something wasn't adding up for her. "Mommy, I thought she told us your bedroom was downstairs."

"It is."

"There're three of us but four bedrooms up here. What'd we do with that extra one?"

Marissa looked at Bianca who nodded. "That's something we want to talk with you about. Let's go in here and talk for a minute." The redhead took Gabby's hand and led her into one of the bedrooms. AJ, Miranda and Bianca followed, and everyone took a seat on the floor. "What would you think about adding someone else to our family?"

"You mean like a little brother or sister?" AJ asked.

"Yes, a little brother or sister." The couple held their breath while the children pondered the question.

Gabby grinned. "I'd be a big sister like Miranda!"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, you would. Do you think you'd like that?"

"Uh huh, I would. I'd be a good big sister."

"You would be a great big sister, monkey." Marissa looked at the older two children. "What do you think?"

"That's cool. Do we get to pick which one?" AJ asked hopefully.

Bianca chuckled. "Well, it doesn't quite work like that, Buddy. We just want a healthy and happy baby."

Miranda smiled. She liked the idea of adding to their family. "I like it. When's this gonna happen?"

Marissa released the breath she'd been holding. "We're hoping sometime late next year or early the next one. Here's the deal though. We don't want to tell anyone else just yet. So, this is going to be our secret. Do you think you guys can do that?"

The three nodded in unison.

"The baby would get the other room then." Gabby reasoned since that made perfect sense to her.

"Yes, the baby would get the other room, and we won't decorate it until they get here." Bianca smiled.

"There's one more thing we need to tell you. We want to make sure you all know that a new baby won't change how much we love each of you. Nothing will ever change that. We love you all very much and equally." Marissa added looking each child directly in the eyes.

"Inside out and upside down, Mom, right?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "Exactly, AJ, inside out and upside down!"

"So who gets what room?"

"Well, Mimo, we'll let the three of you talk about that for a little bit. Marissa and I will be downstairs looking around. Sound good to you guys?"

"Yeah, it does, Mom."

/

Marissa grinned at Bianca as they made their way back to their bedroom. "That was a lot easier than I thought it would be."

"I know. It was, and I'm very happy about it." Bianca opened the bedroom door.

Marissa's eyes immediately focused on the huge bay window. She crossed the room and took in the view of the woods and the pond. The leaves on the trees were a brilliant mix of red, gold and orange. She sighed happily when she felt Bianca's arms wrap around her. "It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is, and it's all our's. Think you'll be happy here?"

Marissa shook her head. "There's no thinking. I know I'll be happy here. What about you?"

Bianca sighed happily. "Oh yeah, I'll definitely be happy here."

The couple continued to gaze out on the landscape outside for another minute before something caught there attention.

"Gabby's going to be happy that the ducks have decided to visit today." Marissa chuckled.

"Yes, she is. Come on. Let's check the rest of this place out."

The women ventured into the walk-in closet and then into the master bathroom. Marissa grinned seeing the walk-in shower and jacuzzi tub. "Bath time just got a whole lot more interesting."

Bianca laughed. "I couldn't agree with you more."

"Mom?"

"We're in here, Miranda."

The kids entered the bathroom and took in the shower and tub.

"Whoa! Look at the size of that bathtub." AJ walked over.

"Have you guys figured out who gets which room?" Marissa asked.

Miranda nodded. "Yep, AJ and me will have the rooms on the left, and Gabby and the baby will have the rooms on the right."

"Sounds good. We'll make sure we leave Trish a note before we leave." Bianca smiled. "Have you checked out downstairs yet?"

"The playroom! We forgot about the playroom!" Gabby squealed and took off in the direction of the room followed closely behind by AJ and Miranda.

Marissa and Bianca checked out the room that would become their home office followed by the spare bathroom before wandering into the dining room with its hardwood floors. They then headed downstairs into the basement. The kids were discussing how they wanted the room set up while their mothers listened amused and ducked into the guest bedroom and bathroom.

"Anyone interested in checking outside?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah!" The kids raced upstairs with their mothers close behind. Bianca unlocked the sliding glass doors that led from the kitchen to the backyard. Slightly off to the side were the patio, in-ground pool and wooden jungle gym.

"Where's the slide, Mommy?" Gabby asked.

"Don't worry, Monkey. We're still going to have a slide for the pool. When we open the pool next year, they'll install it."

"Mom, can we check out the jungle gym?" Miranda asked hopefully.

"Go on." Bianca smiled and watched the three kids run over to the gym set. They began to climb, slide and swing.

Marissa put an arm around Bianca's waist. "I think it's a hit."

"I do too." They let their children play for a bit longer while they checked the outside area in more detail. Bianca noticed the time and realized it was later than she thought. "Hey, do you think we should set up lunch?"

"Works for me. I'll go grab the stuff from the car and be right back."

A few minutes later, Marissa was back with the cooler containing their lunch and a blanket. The couple spread out the blanket and unpacked the lunch. Bianca called the kids over and handed each a wipe to wash their hands before eating. After lunch, everyone pitched in to clean up before loading the cooler back in the car and heading off for a short hike through the woods. They headed back to house after stopping at the pond to feed the ducks. They piled into the car a short while later and headed back to their current home, each eagerly awaiting the day when the move to their new home would arrive.

/

"I think that's the first time in I don't know how long that I didn't have to convince Gabby to lie down for a nap. She was worn out." Bianca joined Marissa on the sofa.

"I wouldn't be surprised if AJ and Miranda don't join her for a little one. They really loved the jungle gym. Throw that in along with the hike, and we have some tired kids." She'd been making notes on a legal pad when Bianca came back downstairs.

"So, do you want to discuss what your visit with Carol got you to thinking about?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, we really should. Carol is updating her will."

"Is she okay?"

"She's fine. It's been a while since she looked at it, and there have been some changes that she wanted to account for in it. That got me to thinking. It's something I should've done a long time ago. I want you to have my power of attorney and my medical power of attorney. If anything happens to me and I can't make any necessary decisions regarding my well-being, I want you to be the one making those decisions for me. The medical power of attorney is the most important thing I want you to have right now. As things stand currently, it's possible that you wouldn't be able to see me if I was injured and unable to speak for myself. Krystal and David would have the power to decide that since they are my closest living relatives above the age of 18. Nothing against them, because I don't think they would stop you, but I want, no I need to know that your rights are protected. There's also no one else I trust more than you to make any decisions needed for my care. I also want to draw up papers making you AJ's legal guardian. Again, there's no one else I trust more than you with him, and I don't want to see him separated from his family."

Bianca listened quietly. Marissa was right. These things needed to be discussed no matter how much they didn't want to think about the other never being there. "What about JR and Adam?"

"JR lost his parental rights with all of the stunts he pulled. As for Adam, I spoke with him late yesterday via Skype. He agreed with me."

"Wait, Adam Chandler agreed to give someone else the responsibility for raising his grandson? What did you say to him?"

Marissa chuckled. "I didn't really have to say a lot. He knows you. While he may a problem with Erica, he's never had a problem with you. He adores you and knows how much you love AJ and how much he loves you. He knows that AJ has never been happier and that living with you, me and girls has given him a loving and stable home. Adam loves his grandson, and everything that happened with JR showed him the mistakes that he made with his own son. He doesn't want to risk making them again. Plus, Brooke has been a very good influence on him. I did promise that he could still visit and talk with AJ no matter what happens. If all of that's okay with you."

"I don't want to think about you not being here, but you're right. We need to do this. Anything you want or need me to do, I'll do. That you trust me this much means so much to me. I want you to have the same rights in regards to me and the girls. Reese gave up her rights, and while I don't believe Mom or Kendal would make a decision I don't agree with or prevent you from seeing me, it's not something I want to leave to chance. I want to know for sure that you are the one responsible. I know that you will do exactly what I want done." Bianca leaned for a loving kiss and rested her forehead against Marissa's when they separated. "So, what's our next step, counselor?"

"We have someone draw up the papers for us. If I do it, that could raise all kinds of questions, legally, and I want everything done so that doesn't happen."

"That makes sense. Do you have someone at the firm in mind?"

Marissa nodded. "I do. Tracey owes me a couple of favors, and she's the best in estate planning. She'll make sure we have everything covered, all the i's dotted and t's crossed. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Yeah, it does. We should probably do this sooner rather than later. So if you can set it up for Monday, I'll make sure my schedule is free."

"I'll call her in a little while and see when she's available." Marissa made a face. "This isn't the most enjoyable conversation to have, and we should've done it a while ago. I just don't like to think of life without you so I let the lawyer in me keep quiet."

Bianca sighed. "You're right, it's not the most pleasant conversation to have, but it's one we needed to have. I'm glad you waited until after we got home to bring it up. Now that we've had it, we can both rest easier knowing that everyone's taken care of. We should probably have someone else in place in case something happens to both of us."

"I was thinking Kendall and Zach. Do you think they would be willing to do it?"

"Well, I already have them tapped as the girls' guardians prior to this discussion. You're okay with them watching AJ?"

"Besides you, I can't think of anyone I trust more. AJ loves his Aunt Kendall and is in total awe of his Uncle Zach."

Bianca laughed. "Zach has that effect on people. I think they would be honored with the fact that you entrust AJ to them. I know I am. You're always thinking about our family and how to protect us. How did I get so lucky to find you?"

Marissa smiled. "I told you before. I'm the lucky one. I have the family I've always wanted, always dreamed of."

Bianca smiled as she leaned back on the sofa and pulled Marissa into her arms. "So do I."


	55. Being There

**A/N****: ****I'm revisiting a story thread that I touched on a while ago. It's one I've been planning for a while, and I feel obligated to give a warning about it. There might be some triggers. Please know that this is not a storyline that I take lightly. Again, I have to thank you all for the great reviews! I really do appreciate them and more importantly, all of you for reading! Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"Well look what the cat dragged in! What's it been, about a week since I've seen you or Bianca in here?"

"Hey, Opal. I guess it has been that long."

"How've you been, Marissa?"

The redhead grinned. "I've never been better. You're in luck. I'm meeting Bianca for lunch so you'll get to see her today. So how have you been?"

"That is good news. I've missed the two of you lighting this place up. I can't complain too much. Krystal tells me that you're helping her out with the expansion of this place. I have to say that's mighty nice of you, and it means a lot to her."

Marissa shrugged. "It's nothing really, and I'm happy to help." She didn't want to make too big of a deal out it. In her mind, it was the least she could do. Being with Bianca, well, being with Bianca had made her happier than she had ever been in her life. She had a partner who loved her and whom she loved without question, someone she trusted unconditionally and was building a future with. Together, they had three wonderful children and were planning on adding to that number in the near future. She had a career that she loved, one where she felt she was making a difference and helping people. In short, she had a full, rich life, the one that she had always dreamed of. It was because of that and because of her promise to Bianca that Marissa was trying with her birth mother. She knew that her relationship with Krystal would always be complicated, and she would never be able to understand the other woman's actions. The rebuilding process was slow, but there had been steady progress. Marissa didn't realize how much progress had been made until she offered to help, an offer she meant.

"So what's been keeping the two of you so busy that you haven't been in here?" Opal asked.

"We've both had a lot going on workwise. Plus, we've been organizing things for the move which included some shopping."

"Oh, the new house. I hear it's quite the place, and I'm glad to hear that it's coming along. I know how much that girl of your's likes shopping. She comes by it honestly. There's not much that Erica loves more than shopping."

Marissa laughed. "Well, we plan on having an open house after we get settled in so be on the lookout for your invitation. You're right on all counts with the Kane women. The difference between them though is that my better half is an excellent bargain hunter and more modest in her tastes. Nothing against Erica, mind you. It's just that Bianca's style is definitely more in line with mine."

"Speaking of your better half, here she is now."

"Hey, Opal." Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss and took a seat at the table. "I thought we talked about this _better_ half thing, and it was established that _you_ were the better half."

"I agreed to no such statement. We'll have to agree to disagree."

Opal just smiled and shook her head at the pair. "The two of you are something else."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Opal. What are they _disagreeing_ about?" Kendall asked as she joined the group.

"Who's the better half in their relationship."

Greenlee smirked. "The two of you just can't help it, can you?"

"Can't help what?" Bianca asked.

"Never mind." The smaller woman rolled her eyes and joined the others at the table.

The friends listened as Marissa and Bianca told them about the progress being made on their new home. They also shared pictures they had taken on their recent visit. The older women were impressed with the design the couple had come up with and could easily see the excitement in the couple's eyes. Lunch was delivered to their table, and the group continued to chat while they ate.

"If you'll all excuse me for a minute, I need to use the ladies' room." Bianca stood and started to leave the table.

"Hold up, Binx. I'll join you." Kendall caught up with her sister and walked with her. They finished up, but before they left to head back to the table and after the older sister was assured they were alone, Kendall turned to her younger sister. "Do you have a minute, Binx? There's something I want to ask you."

"Sure, Kendall. What's up? We're still on for tomorrow, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are. Zach and I will meet you and Red at her office to sign the papers. I have to tell you again that we're both honored that the two of you trust us that much, and it means so much that Marissa feels that way about us. Neither of us wants anything to happen to either of you. Quite frankly, I don't know what I'd do if something did, but if something does, please know that we won't let you down."

Bianca smiled. "I know you won't and so does Marissa."

"Good. That brings me to what I wanted to ask. I wanted to talk with you in private first. You can discuss it with Red later tonight. Your taking these steps have Zach and I thinking about the plans we have in place. Obviously, our situation is slightly different than your's since Ryan is still around and involved in Spike's life. If something were to happen to Zach and myself, he would go live with Ryan, and you've already agreed to be Ian's guardian, but we would like to update our wills so that you _and_ Marissa take Ian. I'm sure something can be worked out with Ryan so the boys are still in each other's lives. I don't ever want them to lose each other. All of this just got Zach and me thinking. We both love Marissa, and the boys are crazy about her. After everything that's happened and what she's done for you and the girls, we can't think of anyone else, other than you, that we trust more. So, do you think Marissa would be willing to take on that responsibility?"

It took Bianca a few seconds to answer Kendall. She was truly touched that her sister and brother-in-law thought so much of her partner. "I'll talk with her tonight, but I already know her answer. Marissa would be honored."

Kendall sighed in relief. "Good, but I want you to run it by her and tell her to take whatever time she needs to make her decision. Now, let's get back to the table."

Marissa glanced up seeing the sisters approach their table. "Is everything okay?"

Bianca smiled. "Yep, everything's fine."

The redhead knew something was up by the look in Bianca's eyes but knew she would tell her about whatever it was later. "Well, Greenlee and I were talking and think we could all use a girls' night out." She was interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone and recognized the name on her caller id. "Sorry, I better get take this. Hey, Joanna. What's up?" She listened but couldn't make out what her friend was saying. "Joanna, I need you to take a breath and slow down. Now, tell me what's wrong."

Bianca could only hear Marissa's side of the conversation, but she could tell by her expression that something was wrong.

"Where's Will?" Marissa nodded hearing the response. "Have you called the police?"

At the mention of 'police', Kendall and Greenlee exchanged worried glances with Bianca who indicated that she had an idea of what was going on and would answer their questions as soon as she could.

"Okay, I'm on my way." Marissa disconnected the call and looked at Bianca. "Colleen's been taken to the hospital."

Bianca didn't have to ask why. She could tell from Marissa's expression why. It was something they had discussed and were both afraid would happen. "Is she alright, Rissa? What about Will?"

"Will's fine and is safe. Joanna's at the hospital waiting to get an update on Colleen's condition. I need to get over there." She looked at the friends. "I'm sorry. Bianca can fill you in. I'll call or text you when I know more, B." Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss and headed out.

"What's going on, Binx?"

Bianca informed the pair of the situation as best she knew up to that point.

/

"Joanna, how's Colleen?" Marissa asked as soon as she spotted her friend in the hospital waiting room.

"Marissa, thank you for coming. They took her to get some x-rays. We should know something more soon."

"Okay, tell me what happened."

Joanna took a breath. "Colleen had dropped Will off at daycare when she remembered she'd forgotten something she needed for work at home. Robert was going through her desk for some reason and found your business card. He started questioning her about why she had a lawyer's card. She tried to give him some sort of excuse, but he wasn't buying it. Things got ugly and went downhill really fast from there. He just started hitting her and wouldn't stop, even after she passed out. Eventually, he got tired of using her as a punching bag and left. When she regained consciousness, she called me. I sent Steve over to get Will from daycare and called the police on my way over to her house. She was able to tell me what happened before the police got there. I came here in the ambulance with her."

Marissa spotted Brot walking down the hallway. "I'll be right back."

The policeman spotted the lawyer headed his way. "Marissa, what are you doing here?"

"I'm here with a friend of mine, Joanna Gallagher. Her sister Colleen Brennan was brought in earlier."

"Ah, Mrs. Brennan. I'm here to question her. Is there any update on her condition?"

"No, Joanna said they took her up to x-ray. What's being done to find her husband?"

"Are you asking for professional or personal reasons?"

"For now, I'm asking for personal reasons. It may turn professional, but that's up to Colleen. She met with me a few weeks ago. Her sister has been trying to convince her to leave her husband. Joanna suspected that he was abusing her. Colleen wasn't admitting to anything and was just asking me questions. I gave her my card in case she wanted talk more. From what Joanna just told me, her brother-in-law found it and that set him off."

"You know this isn't your fault, right?"

Marissa nodded. "I do. So, can you tell me what's being done to find him?"

"He's only considered a person of interest at this time, and we've got an APB out on him. That's really all I can tell you until I interview Mrs. Brennan."

"I understand. Oh, I see Frankie's talking to Joanna now. It looks like we might have an update on her condition." The pair headed back to the waiting room.

"She's going to need to stay here a few days. She has a collapsed lung, some broken ribs and a fractured jaw."

"May I see her Dr. Hubbard?" Joanna asked.

"Of course, you may. We've given her something for the pain so she may not stay awake."

Joanna nodded. "I understand. Thank you, doctor. Marissa would you mind waiting?"

"I'd be happy to."

"When do you think I could talk to her, Frankie?" Brot asked.

"I'd say you could try and talk to her in a couple of hours."

The policeman answered Marissa's unasked question. "I'll stay here a while to make sure she's safe, and I'll call Jesse to see about arranging some protection for her."

"Thanks, Brot. I need to make a couple of calls." She saw he had a question of his own. "I'm not representing her at the moment, and I don't even know if she'll want me to. There's not much I can do until I know for sure what she wants from me in the way of help, but I'm going to get my paralegal to start working on an order of protection for her. If she decides that wants to leave him and wants my help in doing that, I'll have the order ready to file as soon as possible."

/

Bianca was in the kitchen getting dinner ready when she heard Marissa pull into the driveway. She was anxious to talk to her and find out how Colleen was doing. She'd had a few updates from the redhead throughout the afternoon, but the texts didn't give her the details she wanted. More importantly, she wanted to see how Marissa was. She knew the day's events had to have been hard on her partner. She smiled softly as she greeted Marissa by the door. "Hey, how are you? You look tired."

Marissa sighed and let herself be enveloped by Bianca's loving embrace. "I'm much better now."

The couple stayed like that for several minutes before Bianca leaned back slightly. She gave Marissa a loving kiss and pulled her towards the sofa. "Let's sit down, and you can tell me everything that happened when you're ready."

Marissa rested her head on Bianca's shoulder and closed her eyes briefly. The afternoon had been emotionally draining, and she needed the quiet strength of Bianca to regroup. "Where are the kids?"

"Homework is done, and now, they're all playing in AJ's room."

Marissa nodded, glad that they wouldn't be around to overhear what she was about to relate to Bianca. "I'm not sure where to start."

"How's Colleen?"

"She's still in the hospital. They want to keep her for a few days. She has a punctured lung, some broken ribs and a fractured jaw along with too many bruises to count."

"So, she'll heal physically. How's Will, and where is he?"

"He's fine. Luckily, he wasn't at home when this happened. Colleen had dropped him off at daycare. He's going to be staying with Joanna and Steve for the time being."

"What about Colleen's husband? Where is he?"

"They're not sure where he is right now. The police are looking for him. At this point, he is merely a suspect and hasn't been charged with anything. Brot was at the hospital to interview Colleen, but she was out of it and couldn't talk. They had her on some heavy pain medication because of her injuries. He's going back tomorrow to interview her. He spoke with Jesse, and they are posting a guard outside of her room for now."

Bianca sighed in relief. "I'm glad to hear that. Did you get a chance to talk with her?"

"Only for a minute. I asked her if she wanted me to come back tomorrow, and she nodded. I had Lisa prepare the paperwork requesting an order of protection be issued. If Colleen agrees, we'll file it with the court immediately. I'm also hoping she'll agree to press charges."

"You think there's a chance she won't." It wasn't a question, merely a statement of fact, one that came from her years of work at the Miranda Center.

"You know as well as I do that it's a possibility. When someone's in an abusive relationship, sometimes they blame themselves. They think they've done something wrong, that they're at fault and deserve what's happening to them, that they deserve the abuse. That's why, if it's possible, I want Colleen to use some of the services that the Miranda Center offers, particularly the counseling for both her and Will."

"Unfortunately, you're right. I see it every day. That mentality becomes engrained in them, and it takes something like this to break them of it. Sometimes, it's too late, and they never get away. Hopefully, Colleen will be able leave before it's too late. You know that the Center will do whatever we can for her. She has to take that first step though."

"I'm hoping the same thing, that she can find the strength to leave and break this vicious cycle she's in. You're right about her taking that first step. I know Joanna wants to make her leave, but I've told her many times that this has to be her sister's decision. It's just that Joanna is worried sick about both her sister and her nephew. She asked about seeking some sort of custody of him if Colleen doesn't leave. She doesn't want to do it, but she knows that she needs to think about him and his safety. Nothing's happened to him, yet, but that could change in the blink of an eye. You don't know what could set her husband off and have him start taking things out on Will. I told Joanna that I would look into that tomorrow."

"Joanna's right about keeping Will safe. He has to be everyone's first priority right now. Do they have any idea what set off Colleen's husband?"

"He found my business card. When she got back from dropping Will off at daycare, he started questioning her about why she had a lawyer's card. He didn't buy her explanation, and he lost it."

Bianca gazed into Marissa's eyes and gently tucked a stray lock of hair behind an ear. She could see the toll the day had taken on her. "Are you okay? I don't want you thinking that this is your fault."

Marissa saw the worried look on Bianca's face. "I know it's not, and Brot told me the same thing. I'm okay, really. I'm just tired. These cases are always hard. This time I actually know one of the parties involved. Something like this makes me appreciate what I have with you, what we have together. It makes me realize how lucky I am." She leaned in for a loving kiss. "Now, I'd like to talk about something else if we could. I could really use a little break."

"We can do that. I had an interesting conversation with Kendall today."

"Yeah? What about?"

Bianca grinned. "You."

"Me? What about me?"

"Well, she and Zach were talking about our request of having them be guardians for all three kids. They already have me as a guardian for Ian in their wills, and they would like to add you as well."

Marissa blinked in surprise. "They want me …"

Bianca smiled softly and nodded. "Yes, they do. You know how they feel about you. They love you, and they trust you. They know that you won't let anything happen to either of their sons. If Ryan wasn't in Spike's life, they would have us as his guardians too. He is though, and he's a good father. What they can do is entrust Ian with both of us. She wanted to know if you would be up for it."

"That's what the two of you were talking about at Krystal's."

"It is. I told her I would talk with you about it when you got home. She said you could take your time to think about it and give her your answer when you were ready."

Marissa nodded. "Of course I'll do it. I'm honored that they trust me that much. You know how I feel about your family. I love them. They're …"

"They're your family too. You know that right?"

"I do, and I'll do anything for them."

"I know that, and so do they. That's why they're asking this."

Marissa smiled seeing the look in Bianca's eyes. "Let me guess. You already knew what my answer would be and told Kendall."

Bianca made a face. "How do you know me so well? I did. I told her that I would ask you but that I knew you would do it. I hope you're okay with it."

"Why wouldn't I be? It seems you know me just as well as I know you." Marissa smiled even brighter. "Anything else happen after I left?"

"Greenlee told us what the two of you were thinking about a girls' night out. Kendall and I think that it's a great idea. Now comes the hard part, finding a day that works for everyone."

"Mom!"

Marissa turned and saw AJ racing down the stairs with Miranda and Gabby close behind. "Hey, guys. How was your day?"

"It was good, Rissa. Are you okay? We were wondering why you were late and Mom said it was because a friend of yours was hurt and in the hospital."

"Is she gonna be okay, Mommy?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca and took a shaky breath. She didn't think she would ever stop being surprised by the thoughtfulness of their children. Marissa pulled Gabby onto her lap while Bianca scooted over so AJ and Miranda could sit on either side of the redhead. She hugged each child. "I'm much better now that I'm home with the four of you. Thank you for checking on me. You know, I think you guys are just the best kids in whole world. She's doing better but will have to stay in hospital for a few days. Frankie is taking care of her though, and you know how good of a doctor he is."

AJ nodded. "He took really good care of me when I hurt my knee in the park this summer."

Bianca nodded and ruffled the boy's hair. "He sure did, Buddy, so you know he'll take good care of your mom's friend. Would the three of you stay here and take care of your mom for me while I go check on dinner?"

"Okay, Mom. We'll take good care of Rissa." Miranda smiled.

"Thank you." Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss before heading off to the kitchen. Seeing the smile return to her partner's eyes told her she was in the best possible hands.


	56. The Miranda Center

**A/N****: As always, thank you all for the great reviews. I really do appreciate them, and they never fail to make me smile. This chapter picks up a couple of days after the last one. Hope you enjoy the update! **

**/ **

"Jan, Marissa is on her way over. Please let me know as soon as she gets here. It doesn't matter if I'm in a meeting or not."

"You've got it, Bianca. Is everything okay?"

"With Marissa, yes, she's fine. She won't be alone though. She'll have a client and her son with her. We may need some intake forms so I need you to pull out some for me. Also, will either you or Aya be available to provide transportation later today?"

"I'll make sure one of us is available and get started on those forms."

"Thanks." Bianca ducked back inside her office.

Jan reached for the necessary paperwork. She didn't need to ask any further questions. She knew that the client Marissa was bringing in needed their help and that was all she needed to know. The lawyer had done this a few times in the past, and whenever she had, it was usually an extreme case. The staff at the Miranda Center was well trained. Bianca had seen to that. Jan and Aya, however, had been tapped to receive extensive training for handling cases involving children. That was the reason behind Bianca's request that either one of them be available for providing transportation. The assistant received the distinct impression from her boss that the mother and son would be moving to a safe house.

/

Sam walked into the Center's offices and spotted Jan. She headed her way to see what was on the schedule for her today. The girl found she really enjoyed working here and was strongly considering asking Bianca if she could stay on after her community service was completed. Sam still had a lot of hours to complete, but it was something she was definitely considering. Gail and Alex Walker were very supportive of the idea when she mentioned it to them when she saw them at dinner last night. It was during that dinner that they brought up the idea of becoming her foster parents. Sam had to admit that she really liked them and was hoping something like that might happen. She was still a little leery of putting herself out there though, and she was hoping she could speak to Marissa and Bianca about it. Sam respected both women a great deal and enjoyed the time she spent with them and their kids. It was because of them that she had been given a second chance, and she wasn't going to screw it up. The irony that the place she had been coerced into damaging now offered her solace, hope and a future wasn't lost on her.

"Hey, Jan." The girl smiled as she stowed her backpack in a closet near the assistant's desk.

"Hey, Sam. How was school today?"

"Pretty good. I aced my history test!"

"That's great! Is that the one Gail was helping you study for?"

The girl smiled and nodded. "Yeah, she's a really good tutor. I can't wait to tell her how I did."

"When are you seeing her and Alex again?"

"I'm seeing them tonight for dinner again. Don't worry. I cleared it all with Mrs. Santos. Alex is going to pick me up here, and she's going to pick me up at their place after dinner."

Jan smiled at the girl. She had made a lot of progress in the time that she had known her. The assistant received daily reports from Eva Santos who managed the safe house where Sam was staying. She, in turned, passed those reports on to Bianca for review. From there, they went to Marissa and the District Attorney. Jan was happy that Sam was getting along with the Walkers. She had met the couple at a cookout Marissa and Bianca had over the summer. They were a very nice and genuine couple, and from the interactions with Sam that she had witnessed, they really cared about the girl. "I'm not worried. I figured you had everything approved."

"So, I was hoping to talk to Bianca before I got started today. I'd like to call Marissa too if I could sometime this afternoon."

"Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, I just wanted their opinion about something."

"Okay. Bianca's on a call right now, but I'm sure she'll be happy to make some time for you when she's done. You're in luck though about Marissa. She's stopping by here soon. I know she'll make some time to talk to you too if she can."

"Cool! So, what'd you have planned for me today?"

Jan pulled out the list she had compiled of things for Sam to do and was about to go over it when she saw Marissa enter the building and hold the door open for two other women and a small boy who looked to be about the same age as Gabby. One of the women was moving very slowly and was very self-conscious of her appearance. She had a black eye and a swollen jaw. Judging from the way she was moving, there were other injuries that she couldn't see. The boy had his head on the shoulder of the other woman.

Sam started to walk up to Marissa but stopped when she saw the injured woman. The girl knew something was up and that this was not a social call. The lawyer had business with the Center.

"Hi, Jan. Hi, Sam."

The girl gave her a soft smile. "Hi, Marissa."

Jan nodded. "Hi, Marissa. Bianca is expecting you. You can go right in."

"Thanks. This is Colleen and her son Will and her sister Joanna. Would you look after them while I talk with Bianca?"

"No problem."

"I appreciate it." She turned to the sisters. "I'll only be a few minutes. Jan will take excellent care of you. She is Bianca's assistant, and Sam is a volunteer here."

The younger brunette nodded. "Thanks, Marissa."

The lawyer headed into Bianca's office.

Jan got up and walked to the family. "How about we find you a place a little more comfortable to wait? Would you like something to drink?"

"Maybe some water."

"Sure, that's not a problem. Would Will like some juice? We have apple, orange …"

"I think apple juice would be great. Right, Will?" Joanna asked the boy who nodded in reply.

Jan nodded. "Sam, would you get some apple juice and water for our guests and meet us in the waiting room?"

"Sure. I'll be right there."

/

Marissa gave a quick knock before walking into Bianca's office. The brunette was on the phone and glanced up at the sound. She smiled as soon as she saw her partner.

"I need to go. My next appointment just got here. Could you send me an email with the details, and I'll follow up with tomorrow?" The brunette paused hearing the reply. "Thank you. I'll talk to you tomorrow." Bianca hung up and walked over to the redhead waiting patiently for her, giving her a quick kiss. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. If I knew you were on a call, I would've waited. Jan said to come in."

"No, she was right to do it. I told her to let me know as soon as you got here. Are Colleen and Will here?"

Marissa nodded as the couple took a seat on the small sofa the brunette kept in the office. "They are. Joanna's here too, for moral support. I have an update for you. Actually, I have several updates for you. The first of which is that Colleen is now officially my client."

"Does that mean she's filing for divorce?"

"It does. The severity of this beating was the wake call she needed. She knows that it's just not safe to stay with Robert any longer. It's not safe for her, and it's definitely not safe for Will. She admitted that her marriage is over and has been for some time. She wants nothing more than to start over and provide her son the home he needs and deserves."

"It's never easy ending a marriage. We both know that all too well, but sometimes, it's the only option, especially when violence comes into play."

"That's pretty much what Colleen told me when we spoke at the hospital. She also wants to press charges against him. We called Jesse and Mike right away so they could get the ball rolling on an arrest warrant for him. I sent Lisa down to the clerk's office to get a hearing scheduled for the order of protection. That will be happening in about 30 minutes. Brian's going to handle that hearing for me."

"That's good news. Once they get him behind bars …"

"Actually, that's my next update for you. Jesse called while we were on our way over here. They found Robert stumbling out of one of his favorite bars and placed him under arrest. He's currently sitting in a cell at the police station."

Bianca sighed in relief. "That was fast and even better news. I have to tell you that I didn't like the idea of him being on the loose."

"You and me both. The police been looking for him since this happened so it helped with tracking him down to place him under arrest. I still want the order of protection in place for her, and I'd like to have her and Will stay at a safe house for the time being. We don't know if Robert will get bail or not."

"Having them stay in a safe house is not a problem, and I agree that it's the safest course of action for her given the uncertainty right now. Is Colleen okay with doing that?"

"She is. We stopped at her house on the way over after hearing from Jesse, and she packed a small bag for both her and Will."

"Good. Let's talk with her." Bianca glanced outside her office and saw no one by it which confirmed that Jan had moved them to one of the private waiting rooms. She sent a quick text to her assistant asking her to bring Colleen and Joanna back to her office.

Marissa moved to a chair to give Colleen the more comfortable seat on the sofa. Bianca took the chair next to her.

A few minutes later, Jan entered the office followed by the sisters. "Will is with Aya and Sam." Jan offered the information to her boss.

Bianca nodded and waited until Colleen was seated and as comfortable as she could get before she stood and offered her hand to the seated woman. "Hi, Colleen. I'm Bianca Montgomery. Is there anything you need, anything we can do to make you more comfortable?"

The injured woman shifted slightly on the sofa and winced. "Would it be possible to get some more water, Ms. Montgomery? It's time to take my pain medicine."

"Of course and please call me Bianca." The brunette grabbed a bottle of water from the small refrigerator in her office, opened it and handed it to Colleen as Joanna retrieved the needed medication and handed it to her sister.

"Thank you, Bianca." Colleen spoke slowly, unable to open her injured jaw too wide. She'd heard about Bianca Montgomery. She was Erica Kane's daughter after all, and you'd have to be living under a rock not to know who Erica was. Bianca was famous in her own right though, but her fame was for her charitable work particularly with the Miranda Center. Now, Colleen found herself a recipient of that work. She couldn't help but wonder how her life came to this.

Bianca waited patiently while Colleen struggled to find the words she needed. "Take all the time you need."

The other woman nodded and noted how effortlessly Marissa had handed over the reins of this conversation to Bianca. Colleen knew from Joanna that the two were a couple and remembered seeing a photo of the two in the lawyer's office. She found herself envying the love and closeness that was obvious in that photo. Their relationship seemed like a true partnership. "I gave Marissa permission to fill you in on everything so I'm guessing you know all the ugly and sordid details. I never thought my life would come to this point. I can't believe I was so stupid and blind. I can only imagine what you think about me."

Bianca leaned forward. "Colleen, no one here is judging you. That's not how it works at the Center. You've asked for help, and we're here to give it to you. I'll be honest with you. It's not going to be easy. There will be some very tough days ahead, but if you're willing to do the work, you can get through this. Okay?"

Colleen simply nodded.

"Now, Marissa has told me that she feels it's in your and Will's best interest to stay at one of our safe houses for a while and that you agree with her."

"I do."

"Alright, we'll take care of that today. There are a few rules to go over. The house manager will go over all of them in detail with you, but I want to go over a couple of them now with you. The locations of the safe houses are kept secret. Only a handful of people know where they are, and they have pledged to keep that information secret. So, you won't be able to tell anyone where you're staying not even Joanna. That's not just for your safety. There are others staying in the house who are in a similar situation. We can't risk anyone's safety by letting that information get out. We have a process in place to allow for communication, but it won't be direct. Do you understand?"

Colleen nodded. "What about Marissa? I'm guessing she knows the locations because of your relationship. Will we meet there?"

Marissa leaned forward and answered this question. "No, we won't. I do know the locations because of my personal relationship with Bianca and because I'm on the board, but I'm under the same obligation as any other resident's lawyer. Any meetings we have will be conducted off the premises of the safe house. If I need to reach you, I'll contact the Center to have them set up a meeting either here or at my office. If you need to reach me, you let the manager of the safe house know, and they'll get in touch with me. This is for everyone's safety."

"Okay, I understand."

Bianca picked the discussion back up from there. "There will be some counseling sessions you'll be required to attend, and we'll have someone talk to Will as well. The two of you will share a room. Everyone helps out around the house too. Obviously, you need to heal from your injuries so that will be taken into account, but they'll come up with something for you to do. Speaking of your injuries, we have several doctors who volunteer their time. In fact, you already met one of them."

"You mean Dr. Hubbard? I liked him a lot."

"Frankie's volunteered for a while. Any doctor's appointments you have will either be handled here or at the hospital. Transportation is provided for those along with any appointments you may have with Marissa or any court dates. Do you have any questions about what I've gone over with you so far?"

"No, I understand the reasons for everything you've told me. I don't have any problems with those rules."

"Good. Do you have any questions for me right now?"

"I can't think of anything at the moment, but I'm sure I'll have some questions later." Colleen had found that she had relaxed a great deal since she had entered the Miranda Center. It was all due to Bianca. She offered comfort without suffocating or judging her, and her demeanor had a calming effect on frazzled nerves of the injured woman.

"That's fine and perfectly understandable. It's a lot to take in. The house manager will be able to answer any questions that you might have. If you need to talk to me though, just let her know. If there's nothing else, it's probably better for …" Bianca looked at her assistant.

"Aya will be taking them, and I've got all of Colleen's information." Jan offered and then left to retrieve Aya and Colleen's son.

"It's probably better for Aya to take you and Will to a house now so you can get settled. I'm sure it's been a long day for both of you."

Colleen nodded. "Yeah, it really has been and thank you, Bianca." She slowly stood up with her sister's help. "I guess this is it for now, Jo."

Joanna held back the tears that wanted to escape. The sisters spoke every day, and she was going to miss that. She knew what Colleen was doing right now was necessary, and she would do whatever she needed to keep her sister and nephew safe. "Yeah, it is but just for a little while, Col. I'll be here no matter what you need and so will Steve. I love you."

"I love you too. Thank you for everything you've done for us. I won't let you down this time. I promise."

"Hey, don't worry about me. I'm proud of you, especially for doing this. You should know by now that I always have been. I just want you to keep yourself safe and let them help you. Use this time to heal, all the way around."

Marissa looked at Colleen and gently squeezed her hand. "I'll be in touch with an update on everything that's going on."

Bianca nodded to Aya who had entered the office. Joanna lifted her nephew and followed her sister and Aya out of the Center.

Marissa sighed as she watched the group leave. She turned to Bianca. "I've said it before and I'll say it again, you and your staff are amazing."

Before Bianca could argue that it was her staff that deserved all the credit, she was interrupted by her assistant.

"If the two of you have a few minutes, Sam told me earlier that she wanted to talk with you both."

"Did she say what about, Jan?" Marissa asked.

The assistant shook her head. "No, the only thing she said was that she wanted to get your opinion on something. Since your both here, I figured two birds, one stone."

Bianca chuckled. "Send her in please, Jan."

The assistant nodded and headed out in search of the girl.

"What do you think she wants, Rissa?"

"I really don't know. I mean the only thing I can think of is that it's maybe something to do with Alex and Gail. I spoke with Gail this morning. She told me that they brought up the idea of becoming Sam's foster parents to her last night."

"What did Sam say?"

"She wanted time to think about it which I can understand."

There was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in." Bianca smiled when she saw Sam poke her head inside the office. "Hey, Sam. Jan said you wanted to talk to both of us about something?"

"Yeah, I did. Is now a good time?"

Marissa smiled. "It's a great time. Have a seat."

"Sam, I want to tell you before you start that you did a great job with Will just now. Thank you."

The girl sat a little straighter and the words of praise she received from Bianca. "You're welcome. Are they gonna be okay?"

The brunette sighed. "I'll be honest with you. I'm not sure. It's too early to tell for sure. I can tell you that they are on the right track."

"Bianca's right. She's asked for help. That's a big first step and one in the right direction. So, what's up?"

The girl cleared her throat. "You know I've been spending a lot of time with the Walkers, right?"

The couple nodded and waited for Sam to continue.

"Well, I had dinner with them last night, and they asked if I might like to live with them. They wanna be my new foster parents."

Marissa cocked her head slightly. "And what do you want? Do you like the idea?"

"I really like them. They're really nice, and they listen to me. They help me out with my homework, and they're a lot nicer than those other people I stayed with. I really love Mrs. Walker, I mean Carol. She's great."

The women both nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more. Carol's the best." Marissa added. "So, what do you think of living with them?"

"I kinda like the idea, but I'm a little scared."

"That's understandable. It's a big decision." Bianca said understanding the girl's hesitation.

"Yeah, it is. It's just that. I dunno how to say this without it sounding weird."

Suddenly, Marissa understood what Sam wasn't saying, the real reason for her reluctance. "Sam, it's okay to like Gail and Alex, and it's okay to want to live with them. Your parents would understand, and they'd want you to be happy."

Sam knew that Marissa would understand. "You don't think they'd think that I forgot them?"

The redhead smiled softly and shook her head. "No, I don't think they would. They'd want you to be happy, safe and with someone who cares about you, who would take of you. No one can ever take their place, and Gail and Alex aren't asking to do that. The three of you, well actually the four of you if you include Carol, are helping each other. You need a home, a real home, a place you can call your own. You need someone you can go to, someone that will have your back and be there for you with love and understanding. Actually, you deserve all of that. You have a lot of love to give and so do the Walkers. They care about you a great deal, and I know them well enough to know that what you see is what you get with them. They don't hide who they are so you don't have to worry about that. They would never try and replace your parents. You can give each other something all of you want, need and deserve. You can be a family, and there are all kinds of families. I guess I should tell you a little more about my family."

The girl nodded and listened carefully.

"You know that my mom and dad died in a car accident. Well, there's a little more to the story. They weren't my biological parents. They adopted me when I was just a baby."

"What happened to your other parents?"

"That's a whole other story that we won't go into. The point I want to make is that they wanted me, and they gave me a home and so much love. I wouldn't trade them for anything. Even though they weren't my biological parents, we were still a family. You don't need to share DNA to be a family. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

Sam sat quietly for a minute absorbing everything. She liked the Walkers a lot, and they really were becoming a family of sorts. "I think so. I'd like to give it a try. I'd like to live with them. What do I do next?"

Marissa smiled. "Well, you tell Alex and Gail what you want to do, and I'll start on the legal stuff first thing tomorrow."

"I have an idea. Why don't you go into one of the huddle rooms and call them. See if they can pick you up early, and you can tell them." Bianca suggested as she smiled.

"But what about what Jan wanted me to do for her today?"

Bianca chuckled. "I think she'll understand. Besides, her boss says it's okay."

"Her boss is a pushover sometimes." Marissa smirked.

Sam grinned and finally allowed herself to laugh. "Okay, I'll go give them a call." She started to rush out of the room but quickly turned and hugged both women. "Thanks! You guys are great!"

/

Two days later, Marissa and Bianca were at Krystal's having lunch. The redhead was filling her partner in on the latest with the Walkers' petition to become Sam's foster parents when her cellphone rang.

"Hi, Jesse. What's up?" Marissa listened carefully to the police chief on the other end of the line. "I see. When?" There was another short pause. "I understand. Thanks for calling and letting me know."

Bianca looked at her partner. She recognized the look in her eyes. Whatever Jesse had told her wasn't good news. "What is it, Rissa?"

Marissa took a deep breath. "Robert Brennan is out on bail."


	57. Collisions

**A/N****: First, thanks for the great reviews! They are truly appreciated so please keep them coming. It's hard to believe that on this date one year ago was the last time All My Children graced our televisions, computers and various other electronic devices. Personally, I still think it was huge mistake in cancelling it. Oh well, they obviously didn't ask me. This chapter picks up a day or two after where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

"Okay, Bianca, you're going to have to explain this to me again. How in the hell did that man get out on bail?"

Bianca understood her sister's confusion and shook her head. She had informed Kendall and Greenlee about the Brennan's and everything Colleen had gone through. There was no way around it since the pair was present when Joanna asked how her sister was really holding up at the safe house. As soon as Joanna left, they asked what was going on with the woman's sister. While they sat at Marissa and Bianca's table at Krystal's, Bianca tried to answer their questions as best she could. She knew that Marissa would've done a much better job with the explanation. "I wish I understood, Kendall, but I don't. According to Marissa, there were several reasons. He didn't have any prior arrests and isn't considered a flight risk. Jesse isn't permitted to hold prisoners at the police station for an indefinite period of time. After so long, they're supposed to be transferred to the county jail, but there's overcrowding there. The most violent offenders are at the top of the list for who gets housed there."

"Don't tell me that son of a bitch isn't a violent offender, Bianca."

"Oh, you won't ever hear me say that, Greenlee. You didn't see what he did to Colleen. I'm just glad that Marissa had the foresight to have Colleen and Will moved to a safe house after his arrest. We know they're safe at least."

"Red's always thinking. She can't be happy about this. Where is she by the way?"

"She had to take a deposition for a case. Saying she's not happy is an understatement, Kendall. Well, let me rephrase that. She was okay at first. She wasn't happy, but she took it in stride. We were actually here having lunch when she got the call from Jesse letting her know that Robert Brennan had been released on bail. Needless to say, neither of us could eat lunch that day. We discussed the best way to break the news to Colleen. We decided that I would go to the safe house and tell her in person while Marissa made sure the order of protection was firmly in place. She also wanted to know what happened at his bail hearing. Something just wasn't setting right with her regarding it. I didn't see her until later when she stopped by my office. She was absolutely furious. I think I've only ever seen her that mad once before and that was when JR tried to take AJ and leave the country."

Kendall nodded. "I remember that all too well. What was it that got her so mad this time?"

"She found out the main reason he was released on bail was that the assistant D.A. assigned to the case completely bungled it."

"Who handled it or didn't handle it as the case may be, Bianca?" Greenlee asked.

"Pete Taylor is the jackass that's supposed to be in charge of the case for the D.A.'s office. That is Marissa's qualified opinion of him, and I couldn't agree with her more."

"Why is that name familiar?"

"He's the A.D.A. that was originally assigned to Sam's case, Greenlee."

The name finally clicked for Kendall. "Oh, I remember him. He's the one who expected Marissa to simply fold and hand him everything without anything in return. Isn't his dad some bigwig in the party and friends with the governor?"

"Yes, he is, and Marissa can't stand him. If he'd had his way, Sam would probably be back with that other foster family going through who knows what kind of living hell instead of starting over in a loving home with the Walkers. Actually, the D.A. can't stand him either and shares Marissa's opinion. Mike would love to get rid of him but doesn't have quite enough evidence to fire him. His being a jackass isn't enough of a reason."

"What'd he do to bungle this case, Binx?"

"According to Marissa, it's more a matter of what didn't he do. She spoke with a clerk at the courthouse and got the scoop from her. He was late for the bail hearing and completely unprepared. He smelled and looked like he just got in from an all-night bender. He was supposed to file some paperwork regarding the motion the day before when they received notice of the hearing but didn't. He forgot the pictures and hospital report detailing Colleen's injuries so they couldn't be used to show how violent Robert really is. The judge's hands were tied, and he had no other choice but to grant bail. He did set it as high as he possibly could. According to the clerk, the judge read him the riot act for being unprepared and unprofessional. Mike was fit to be tied when he found out what happened."

"I thought you said Brennan was unemployed. How'd he even post bail?"

"His mother posted it for him. She didn't believe her son could be capable of doing any of the things he was charged with so she posted it. The clerk heard something about her home being put up as collateral for the bond. She also overheard the woman mention something about maybe trying for custody of Will."

"Please don't tell me there's a chance of that happening!"

"Not if Marissa has anything to say about it, Greenlee. You see, Robert is going to be staying with her, and there's still an order of protection in place for both Colleen and Will. Robert won't be able to stay there as long as that order is active, and Marissa has no intention of letting that order lapse. My amazing partner has a few other tricks up her sleeve to keep Will with Colleen and to keep them safe."

Two police officers nodded at the three women as they passed them to sit at the table beside the three.

"I tell you, Hank, I think that was a first for that law firm."

"I think you're right, Gill. I've responded to disturbances at a few other lesser known firms, but this was the first time I've responded to one at TSMC."

Bianca's ears perked up hearing the police officers' conversation and the mention of TSMC which was short for Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery and Cortlandt, Marissa's firm. Bianca turned to the officers. "Excuse me, but I couldn't help overhear your conversation. Did something happen at TSMC? I know a few of the lawyers there."

"There was a minor disturbance there not too long ago. Witnesses told us that a lawyer was taking a deposition, and the guy being deposed lost it and started going off. I gotta say that lawyer is one tough lady. He trapped her, a paralegal and a stenographer in a conference room. The jerk's lawyer high tailed it out of there when things started going south. The jerk was threatening the other lawyer and kept demanding to know where his wife and son were, but she refused to give him anything."

Bianca's heart stopped. Her mind immediately raced to Marissa. The details she received were too much of a coincidence for it to not be her. Kendall grasped her sister's hand seeing the panicked look on her face, knowing instinctively what she was thinking.

Greenlee asked the question neither of the sisters could at that moment. "The lawyer involved, do you know her name?"

"I can't remember her name off the top of my head. She's a redhead. I've seen her around the station and courthouse before. What's her name, Hank?"

The other officer thought for a moment before releasing the information. "Tasker, Marissa Tasker."

"Was, was she hurt?" Bianca swallowed hard and held her breath.

"No, she wasn't. Not that I recall at least. She seemed fine when we saw her. The firm's security got there before things got too out of hand."

"What about the guy? Did you arrest him? Is he in jail?" Kendall asked, still holding her sister's hand tightly.

"Unfortunately, no. He got away before we got there. We've got an APB out on him. Chief Hubbard is handling this personally since he's friends with Ms. Tasker."

"See, Binx. Marissa is fine, and you know Jesse won't rest until he finds Brennan and locks him back up."

"Oh wow, you know her? Your friend is right, ma'am. Chief Hubbard was fit to be tied and has everyone on patrol looking for him. We're heading back out after we grab a quick bite. We'll find the guy, ma'am. You should know that the district attorney was hopping mad about this too. With those two on the case, he doesn't stand a chance."

Kendall nodded. "Thank you."

Bianca started to get up.

"Where do you think you're going, Bianca?"

"I have to get to Marissa's office. I have to make sure she's okay and don't say I should call or text her. It's not the same, and you know it. I need to see her to see for myself."

_Oh crap. The lawyer mentioned something to the chief about wanting to tell someone named Bianca what happened before she heard it from anyone else. She was afraid of what her reaction would be. I think they're more than friends. _"Ma'am, she's not down there. She was going over to the station to give a statement and to file charges. She had a few choice names for that jerk when she was talking to the chief. He didn't even have to ask if she wanted to file charges. That was one of the first things out of her mouth. I tell ya, I wouldn't want her mad at me. She's a fighter."

"You're Bianca? Ms. Tasker was telling the chief she needed to call you. Someone she called 'Jack' said he'd call you for her. He may not have had a chance yet since they were trying to get a handle on things. My partner's right, ma'am. She wasn't hurt."

Bianca nodded to the officers. "Thank you." She turned to her sister. "I'm going to the police station."

"Binx …" Kendall stopped. She saw the look on her sister's face telling her this wasn't up for debate.

Just then, Bianca's cellphone alerted her to a text. She released a huge sigh of relief when she saw it was Marissa.

"_Hey. Where are you right now?"_

"_At Krystal's. Are you alright?"_

"_I guess you heard what happened?"_

"_Yeah. Are you alright?"_

"_I'm fine."_

"_You're not hurt?"_

"_Not a scratch on me."_

"_You swear?"_

"_I swear I'm okay, B. I'll tell you everything that happened. I promise."_

"_Where are you?"_

"_At the police station finishing up with Jesse." _

"_I'm on my way."_

"_No, I'm leaving in a few minutes. Meet me at home? Jack gave me the rest of the day off."_

"_Good. I'll meet you at home."_

"_You'll have to make sure the staff knows what happened. They need to be on alert. I'll tell Colleen though."_

Bianca shook her head. She wasn't surprised at all that Marissa was thinking about Colleen and Will's safety. _"I'll call the Center."_

"_Gotta go. Jesse's coming back. See you soon. Love you."_

"_Love you too."_

"Judging from the relieved look on your face, I'm guessing that was Red."

Bianca smiled. "It was. She said she's okay and was finishing up at the police station. I'm going to go home and meet her there." As she was leaving the restaurant, her cellphone rang. She smiled when she saw who it was. "Hi, Uncle Jack. How are things at the firm?"

"So, you've heard about the incident today?"

"I have."

"From the tone of your voice, am I safe in assuming that you've spoken with Marissa and know that she's okay?"

"I just got a text from her, and yes, she told me that she's okay."

"I'm so sorry. I should have called you earlier. Things have been a little on the crazy side here. That's no excuse though. I should have called. I promised Marissa that I would. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Uncle Jack. I know she's okay and that's what matters. She's finishing up with Jesse, and I'm on my way home to meet her there."

"Alright, I'll let you go then. I can tell you're anxious to see her. Drive safely."

"I will, Uncle Jack. Talk to you soon."

/

Bianca was anxiously waiting for Marissa to get home. She knew they would need some time alone to discuss what happened so after calling the Center and alerting her staff, she called Susan to see if she could pick up the kids from school and daycare for them. The brunette didn't want to take the chance of the kids overhearing this particular conversation. Once the kids got home, they really wouldn't have much time alone. She would have to wait until later that night after the three were in bed, but Bianca knew she wouldn't be able to wait that long. When she heard Marissa's car pull into the driveway, it took every ounce of strength she had not to bolt for the door. Instead, she slowly stood when she heard the key in the lock and walked towards the door.

Marissa opened the front door and her gaze instantly found Bianca's. The redhead set the alarm and dumped her purse and briefcase before quickly meeting Bianca halfway. The couple melted into each other's embrace for several minutes. Bianca pulled back slightly and kissed Marissa lovingly.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself."

"I can definitely get used to that kind of greeting every night." Marissa chuckled.

Bianca leaned in for another kiss. "I'll keep that in mind." She studied her partner for a moment. She just couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. "Now, are you sure you're okay? We've got plenty of time to talk. I called Susan, and she's picking up the kids."

Marissa smiled softly. She couldn't hide anything from Bianca. "Let's sit down." The couple walked into the family room towards the sofa. Marissa waited for the brunette to sit. "Please don't freak out. I didn't know about this until after I texted you."

"Okay, now I'm really worried. What did he do and why didn't you tell me earlier?"

Marissa spoke as she removed her suit jacket. "I didn't tell you earlier because I honestly didn't know. It looks worse than it is, and I swear I'm alright." When she removed her jacket, she revealed what was the beginnings of a large bruise on the upper portion of her left arm.

Bianca reached out gently to touch her lover's arm when Marissa sat next to her. "Oh my god, Rissa! He did that to you? How? I need to know what happened. How did you not know that you were hurt? Why didn't you tell me he was coming into the office today?"

Marissa calmly took Bianca's hand in her own. "Bianca, I need you to listen to me and to believe me. First, I really am okay. I know it looks bad, but it really doesn't hurt that much. I guess I didn't know because of adrenaline, because of everything that was going on. It wasn't until I had a chance to slow down, after we texted, that I noticed my arm was a little sore. I took my jacket off and saw the bruise. Jesse immediately got some pictures of it and documented it for evidence."

Bianca started to speak, but Marissa stopped her before she could say anything. "Let me start at the beginning. I told you earlier that I would tell you everything, and I will."

The brunette nodded, still gently stroking the ugly bruise on her lover's arm.

"I didn't tell you about his deposition because it was a last minute change. I received a call from the judge assigned to preside over the divorce hearing asking if we could move up the depositions. Because of the request coming so late, there wasn't time to arrange anything for Colleen's, and I simply refuse to risk her safety by throwing something together at the last minute. Her deposition will only take place after I'm able to plan her transportation and am assured that Robert is nowhere around. There's absolutely no way in hell that I'm bending on that order we have in place."

Bianca smiled softly. "Of course you're not. You wouldn't put them in jeopardy."

"Damn straight. He showed up with his lawyer, and things were going okay, nothing unusual happened. We were wrapping up his deposition when he started looking around and asking when Colleen was going to be there. I informed him that she would not be coming in today, and when she gave her deposition, he was not permitted to be present because of the protection order. He didn't like that answer and started to demand to talk to her, to see her, to know where she was. Things escalated pretty quickly when he realized that none of what he wanted or expected was going to happen. He started calling her a liar and a lot of other things I'm not going to repeat. Then, he started accusing me of putting things into her head and keeping him from her and his son. I told him I wasn't doing anything like that, but nothing I said was going to matter. He was too angry. It didn't help that his lawyer ducked out of the room when Robert started losing his temper. I could tell that the stenographer was getting nervous and so was Lisa. I'll be honest that I wasn't all that comfortable with the situation myself. The conference rooms all have a panic button underneath the table on the side that we always sit on. I pressed it."

"And that's what got security there. They weren't there fast enough though, were they? You still got hurt. How exactly did that happen?"

"He approached Lisa. He seemed to think she might give him some answers since he wasn't getting anything from me. I stepped in front of her and that's when he grabbed me to push me out of the way."

"Rissa …"

"It was Lisa, and I wasn't going to let him hurt her. Before anything else happened, security was there. Unfortunately, there was some confusion, and he got away. That's everything that happened."

"That's it? This is the only mark, the only thing he did?"

"That's it. I swear. You can do a full body inspection later to verify that if you want."

"Marissa, this isn't funny. You could've really been hurt, and I don't know what I'd do if that happened."

"I know it's not funny, and I'm really not trying to make light of this. If our roles were reversed, I don't think I would be nearly as calm as you. The fact of the matter is though that I'm alright. It's over."

Bianca shook her head. "No, it's not. It's not over as long as he's out there. I think you should consider some personal security."

"No, Bianca. I don't need my own security guard hovering around me."

Bianca was interrupted with their children arriving home. "We're not done with this conversation. We _will_ be finishing this up later."

Marissa smiled. "Oh, I know."

Bianca whispered before Gabby ran over to join them. "After we're done talking, I might have to do that full body inspection if the offer is still available."

"It always will be."

/

"Marissa, wait up!"

"Hey, Brian. What's up?"

"Did you forget something?"

Marissa gave her friend a puzzled look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm supposed to be walking you to your car and making sure you get there safely. I'm the security compromise, remember?" Brian smiled.

The redhead sighed. Bianca and Marissa had reached a compromise. Since Robert Brennan knew where Marissa worked, the concern was that he might try and come after her there. In lieu of a personal security guard, the couple agreed to have one of the firm's security guards escort Marissa to her car. When Brian heard about this, he happily volunteered to take over the responsibility. "Sorry, Brian. I'm running a little late to meet up with Bianca and the kids. We're doing dinner out tonight."

"No problem. I don't want Bianca to think I'm slacking off though." Brian grinned.

Marissa laughed. "There's no chance in that happening."

The friends chatted as they walked to their cars. When they reached the redhead's, they stopped. "Marissa, I think you're going to be a little later than planned."

"Damn, you're right. How in the hell did I get a flat?"

"I don't know, but I'll help you change it. Don't even say it. I know you're perfectly capable of changing a tire, but I'm here and not taking 'no' for an answer. Consider it part of the services I'm providing. Besides, Stef would want me to help you out." He removed his jacket and held out his hand.

Marissa shook her head smiling as she dropped her car keys in her friend's hand. "Okay, I won't argue with you. Thank you. I better give Bianca a call and let her know I'll be a little later. Want me to call Stef for you?"

"Thanks, I'd appreciate it."

While Brian changed the tire, Marissa made the necessary calls to their other halves. As he was loading the damaged tire into her trunk, he took a moment to examine it. "Marissa, this tire almost looks like someone slashed it."

"Are you sure?" The redhead looked around.

"I'm pretty sure. I think you should let the police know about this."

"I guess you're right. I should. I promised Bianca that I wouldn't take any chances. I'll call Jesse later and let him know. Thanks for your help."

"Anytime. I'll see you tomorrow."

/

To say Bianca had been extremely concerned when Marissa told her about the flat tire after they had gotten home from dinner would be a huge understatement. While the redhead called Jesse, she called Zach to arrange security. After this latest incident, she wasn't going to take any chances, not when it came to Marissa's safety. She was adamant about extra protection for her partner, and there was no budging her on the matter this time. While she didn't like it, Marissa agreed to the added security seeing the determined look on Bianca's face and unable to fight her on the point. If the roles were reversed, she knew she would be doing the same exact thing, do whatever she could to ensure her lover's safety. The redhead did insist on the condition that it not interfere with her job. Zach assured her the guards protecting her would be discreet.

Jesse and Brot came over to their home and examined the tire. They agreed with Brian's assessment that it was slashed and took the damaged tire to be examined. They also checked Marissa's car around the wheel well for any fingerprints. If they were lucky, whoever damaged the tire might've left prints on either the car or the tire. The police were still looking for Robert Brennan. They had checked his mother's home along any of his familiar haunts with no sign of him.

The couple decided not to inform Colleen about this latest incident. She was already dealing with the heavy guilt of what had happened several days earlier at the law firm, and they didn't want to add to her burden. Besides, they weren't sure if her husband was responsible or not, and wouldn't know until the crime lab had a chance to examine the evidence.

/

Three days later, there was still no sign of Robert Brennan. His fingerprints were found on the tire and more charges were added to those already in place. The security guards Zach had recommended and Bianca had hired were discreet and very good. They trailed Marissa from home to the office, court or wherever she needed to go. Somehow, the couple was able to keep all of this from the kids. The last thing they wanted was to have their children worried or scared. They had been through too much in their young lives, and if they could avoid adding to it, they would.

"What time do you think you'll be home tonight, Rissa? Don't forget we're going out with Kendall and Greenlee."

"I won't be late, B. I don't have court. I'm just meeting with a few clients so I should be home at my normal time. I'm looking forward to our girls' night out." She glanced at the clock. "I need to go." Marissa kissed each child. "Love you guys and the three of you have a great day and learn lots of good things. I'll see you tonight." The redhead turned to Bianca and smiled. "Too bad we won't be able to meet for lunch."

"I know. I'm sorry, but it's a working lunch with a perspective donor."

Marissa grinned and gave the brunette a quick kiss. "Well, I know you'll convince them of how worthy the Center is and have no problem signing them up. I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too." Bianca smiled as she watched her lover head out.

/

Marissa waved to her security guard as she left the office for the day. "Hi, Ben."

"Good evening, Ms. Tasker. Where are we off to now?"

"I told you to call me Marissa. I'm heading home, but Bianca and I are going out tonight."

"Very good. We do have it down that the two of you are going out with Mrs. Slater and Mrs. Lavery. I'll follow you home and be ready for you to head back out."

Marissa nodded and got into her car. She waited for the guard's signal that he was ready before pulling out of the lot.

/

"Bianca, when's Mom coming home?"

"I got a text from her a few minutes ago. She was just leaving work, and depending on traffic, she should be home in about twenty minutes."

AJ smiled and took his seat at the kitchen table. "Good. I can't wait to show her how I did on my test."

"I know she'll be just as proud of you as I am."

Miranda entered the room followed by Gabby. "We're all washed up, Mom. I just saw Susan pulling up."

"Thank you, Mimo." Bianca greeted the kids' trusted babysitter at the front door. "The kids are in the kitchen starting on dinner." Just as she was closing the door, she heard someone calling her name.

"Kendall, Greenlee, you guys are early."

"Hey, Binx. We got sprung early and decided to get while the getting was good. I didn't see Red's car. She's not home yet?"

"Don't worry. She's on her way. She's looking forward to going out. We both are."

/

Marissa noticed a pickup truck had cut off Ben at the last stoplight and was now separating her from the guard. She wasn't able to make out who was driving the truck, but their actions had put on alert. Her instincts were telling her this was not just another driver. She continued to watch them in her rearview mirror. Ben tried to pass them, but the truck swerved and blocked the guard. She sped up a little and noticed they sped up as well. They were definitely following her. She had discussed with the guards what to do if something like this happened. She was to try and remain calm and avoid heading home at all costs. There was no way she was going to lead them to her home. There was no way in hell she would put Bianca and the kids in any danger by leading them to their front door. At the next light, she turned left instead of right and headed in the direction of the police station. With luck, she could get there and to safety.

Her mind raced as to who could be following her. Marissa could only think of two people who would want to hurt her. One was still in prison. The other was still on the loose. She noticed the pickup was getting closer so she sped up some more. Suddenly, the truck bumped her car hard. She was able to maintain control and sped up to put space between them. Marissa glanced around keeping an eye on other traffic when the truck rammed into her a second time. Panic began to set in, but she was able to correct herself quickly before it slammed into her a third time. This time, she wasn't able to maintain control and spun out. She glanced around quickly to try and locate the pickup and Ben's car. The redhead hadn't seen the guard's car for a while.

Marissa started to turn the steering wheel, knowing she had to move and not remain where she was, when she looked to her right. She saw the truck headed straight for her. She hit the gas but was a fraction of a second too late. The pickup slammed into the passenger's side of her car. The force of the collision caused her head to smash into the driver's side window. The pain of the impact ripped through her, stunning her temporarily. She shook her head in an attempt to clear it. Before she knew what was happening, the truck plowed into her one final time. This time, the other driver floored the pickup and drove her forward and slamming Marissa's car into a huge oak tree, driver's side first.

The faces of Bianca, AJ, Miranda and Gabby, her family, flashed before her eyes. Swimming through her rapidly clouding brain was one thought. _Bianca._ Then, everything went black.

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I left it there. I guess I'm just a little bit evil. Please don't hate me. I've had this cliffhanger in mind for a while. It's purely coincidental that this chapter happens to fall on the anniversary of the last air date of AMC. Unlike those in charge of the show's fate at that time, however, I will not end this story here. I promise I won't leave you all hanging and wondering about our girls' fates. Like I said, I'm a little bit evil, but I'm not cruel. You will have to wait a few days though. See you back here soon.**


	58. Waiting

**A/N****: I hope I didn't keep you all waiting too long for this update. The day job was kicking my butt this week and I had to focus on it since it pays the bills. It also made it hard to find time to write. I'm glad to see that you all don't think I'm completely evil. We'll see what you think after reading this update. This chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Thank you as always for the reviews. Trust me when I tell you that they are greatly appreciated, and I love reading them. So, please keep them coming! Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Greenlee watched as Bianca once again walked from the fireplace in the family room back to the front window and glance outside looking for Marissa's car to turn into their driveway. She'd lost count of how many times the younger brunette had taken that route in the last half an hour.

Kendall reentered the room from the kitchen and handed Greenlee a drink. "She's doing it again?"

"Yeah, and I have to say I'm getting worn out just watching her. She's starting to wear a path out between here and the window. Every time she sees a set of headlights, she rushes over there. Of course if I were in her position, I'd probably be just as bad."

Bianca glanced out the window hoping the car would make the turn into their driveway, but it didn't. It merely continued down the street like every other car tonight. She closed her eyes and sighed. Something wasn't right. Marissa should've been home over half an hour ago. Whenever she was running late, her lover would either call or text Bianca to let her know so she wouldn't worry. Tonight, the last time she heard anything from Marissa was when she had sent a text saying she was leaving the office and on her way home. There'd been no word from her since, and that wasn't like Marissa at all. Bianca had tried to call her several times, but there was no answer and the call would just go to voicemail. She'd called Marissa's office as well, but was told she'd left. Something was definitely wrong. Bianca just knew it. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake this feeling that something had happened to Marissa.

"Binx, please sit down. I'm sure Red is just fine. She probably ran into some traffic."

"I don't think so, Kendall. If that were the case, she would've called or answered her phone by now. I just know something's wrong. I can feel it."

"Mommy's not home yet?"

Bianca glanced up and saw her youngest daughter at the top of the stairs. "Hey, Sweetie. No, she's not home yet. She got held up, but she'll here be soon." Bianca climbed the steps and scooped Gabby up in her arms. As much as Bianca wanted to believe what she was telling her daughter, she just couldn't. She only hoped that the kids weren't able to see how worried she was. "How's the game going? Are you winning?"

Susan had taken the kids up to AJ's room to play some games to keep them occupied while everyone waited for Marissa to get home. 'Go Fish' was Gabby's favorite game, and she was known as a little card shark in the family. When she was first learning the game, she had 'help' in winning. That was no longer the case, thanks in large part to Marissa giving her some tips. Now when she won, which happened far more often than she lost, it was fair and square.

Gabby grinned. "Uh huh!"

Bianca managed to chuckle at her daughter's 'of course I did' attitude, something she seemed to adopt from Marissa. "Hmmm, maybe we should see how AJ and Miranda are taking this." She called to her sister. "Kendall, I'll be right back. If Marissa …"

She didn't have to finish the thought for Kendall. "You know I will, Binx." The elder sister doubted she would have to say anything at all when Marissa arrived home with the way Bianca had been jumping at the slightest sound coming from outside. She watched as her sister disappeared into AJ's room and hoped the kids would be able to take her sister's mind off of Marissa's absence for a short while. Kendall reached for her cellphone.

"Who are you calling?" Greenlee asked her friend seeing the concern in her eyes. She knew how close the sisters were and knew Kendall was worried about her little sister.

"I'm going to call Zach and see if he can reach the security team guarding Marissa. No matter what I've been saying to my sister, I'm worried as hell too. I'm afraid Binx is right. Something's wrong because this isn't like Red at all. If something has in fact happened to her, I don't even want to think how Bianca will take it."

/

Ben Gibson kicked out the front window of his car and crawled out. He winced at the effort and his shoulder began to throb. He quickly looked around for Marissa's car and saw no sign of it. He swore at himself for losing sight of her and for letting that pickup truck blindside him. As he had tried to pass it, it swerved and slammed him into a telephone pole. Ben heard his cellphone and retrieved it from his damaged car. He recognized the number as his supervisor's and answered. It was then he heard the sound of shouts and screams amidst that of a loud crash. He instructed his supervisor to track the GPS in his phone and to send help. He then took off in that direction ignoring his own injuries and hoping to get to the redhead in time.

The security guard found Marissa's car a block away. The driver's side had been plowed into a huge oak tree. The pickup truck was imbedded into the passenger's side. He saw a man that he instantly recognized climb out of the truck and begin to approach the driver's side of the redhead's car when shouts from the crowd beginning to form stopped him. The man whipped around when Ben shouted at him to back off. As the guard went for his gun, the man took off. The guard quickly holstered his gun and raced to Marissa's car.

Neighbors were exiting their homes with phones in hand calling 911 for help for the injured driver. Ben quickly accessed the situation. Luckily, there was no leaking of fuel or sparks which greatly diminished the risk of fire. Ben peered into the car and saw a lifeless Marissa. He was grateful that the air bags had deployed and that the redhead's seatbelt was still secure. He knew immediately that he wouldn't be able to open the door because it was too heavily damaged. He looked for the safest way to try to reach the redhead. He made the decision to break the passenger window on the driver's side more and snuck his arm through the opening to check for a pulse. He was relieved when he found one. It was weak but at least there was a pulse, and it was steady. She was unconscious but alive, and he was grateful for that.

Just then, he heard the sound of sirens approaching. A fire truck and ambulance along with several police cruisers were soon on the scene. Ben stepped back to allow the firemen begin to work on extracting Marissa from the car. A police officer approached him.

"I'm Officer Monroe. Several of the neighbors seem to think you have an idea of what happened. I can see you're injured though. Are you up for talking right now?" Brot noticed the man didn't take his eyes off of the damaged car.

"Yeah, I am. My name's Ben Gibson, and I work for a private security firm. I have to tell you that I am armed but I have a carry permit. My firm was hired to keep an eye on Ms. Marissa Tasker. A client's husband has made several threats against her, and her partner's brother-in-law hired us for protection."

"Damn, you mean to tell me that's Marissa Tasker in that car?" Brot asked surprised as he looked in the car's direction. He said a quick prayer for his friend. He then thought about Bianca and said a quick prayer for her as well, knowing how hard this was going to hit her.

"Yes, sir, that's her. She's a really nice woman. You know her?"

"I do, and you're right. She's probably one of the nicest people I know. Tell me what happened, Mr. Gibson."

"We left Ms. Tasker's law firm and were headed to her home when a pickup truck, _that pickup truck_, cut me off and separated the two of us. The other driver and I kept dodging each other for a few blocks while Ms. Tasker took some basic diversionary measures. The pickup took one final swipe at me and drove me into a telephone pole a block away."

"I thought that might be your car. What happened next?"

"I managed to climb out and looked around for Ms. Tasker. That's when I got a call from my supervisor asking what was going on. Mr. Slater was calling to check on Ms. Tasker for his wife. I was about to respond when I heard a crash along with shouting and screaming. I ran over this way and got here as fast as I could. I saw the driver of the pickup get out and start to approach Ms. Tasker. The crowd that was forming started shouting at him, and he stopped. He saw me start to go for my gun and then he took off. He headed south on Main Street. I ran over to check on Ms. Tasker and found her unconscious. I checked and found a pulse. That's the point when all of you arrived."

"Can you give me a description of the other driver?"

"Yes, sir, I can, but I can do you one better. It was Robert Brennan. We were given photos of him so we could watch out for him. I got a damn good look at him when I saw him get out of the truck."

Brot nodded and put a call in to the station to place an APB out on Brennan. He also briefly spoke with Jesse to let him know what was going on. The men then watched helplessly as the firemen pried the pickup away from Marissa's car. They then used the 'jaws of life' to cut into a seam in the passenger's door. Once there was an opening wide enough, a paramedic climbed in to begin to administer first aid to the redhead.

Jesse arrived on the scene while this was going on. "How is she, Brot?"

"She's alive. I'm not sure how bad she's hurt. The paramedic just got in there. Have you called Bianca yet?"

"No, I haven't." The chief looked at the man standing next to Brot. "No one is saying anything until we know something more. I'll be the one to tell her. Understood?"

Ben nodded to the police chief. "Understood." The security firm's supervisor arrived, and Ben filled him in on everything, including Jesse's orders not to inform anyone of what happened. The supervisor wanted Ben to be checked out, but the guard refused. He wasn't going anywhere until he knew Marissa's condition. He wasn't a religious man by nature, but he'd been praying for her ever since finding her lifeless form. In the few days he'd been guarding her, he found there was something about her that he really liked. Besides being nice, she was funny, smart and reminded him of his sister. When he saw her and Bianca together with their kids, he saw the kind of family that he wanted one day for himself. Marissa had to be alright for her family.

"I'm ready for the backboard." The paramedic shouted.

Marissa was carefully placed on the board. Her head and neck were secured to prevent any unnecessary movement and cause any more possible injury. She was then placed on a gurney and rolled to the ambulance.

Jesse caught up with the paramedics as they were loading the injured redhead into the ambulance. "How is she?"

"It's too soon to tell. She's breathing on her own and while her pulse is weak, it is steady. She's still unconscious, and she does have a head injury. How severe? We don't know yet. They'll have to determine that at the hospital. We suspect there are some internal injuries, and her left leg is definitely injured. I'm sorry, Chief Hubbard, but we need to get her to the hospital."

"I understand."

The doors to the ambulance were closed, and it sped off with the sirens blaring. Jesse motioned to Brot. "I want you to take Officer Simmons and go to the hospital. Keep an eye on Marissa. No one unauthorized gets to her. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir. I'll make sure of it. Will you be there?"

"Good. Yeah, I'll be there shortly. I'm going to go inform Bianca about what happened. I'm not looking forward to it, but it needs to be done. It also needs to be done in person. I'm not having her find out about this over the phone."

Brot nodded and left the scene with the other officer, heading in the direction of the hospital.

Jesse glanced over to the security guard and called to him. "Gibson, you should get that shoulder checked out. I'll have an officer meet you at the hospital to get your formal statement."

"What about Ms. Tasker?"

"Officers Monroe and Simmons will be standing guard. Any help your firm would like to provide would be greatly appreciated. I'm not above asking for help. I don't want that son of a bitch within 50 feet of Marissa."

"That makes two of us, Chief. He got the best of me once. Trust me, he won't get that chance again. What about Ms. Montgomery?"

"I'm going to speak with her now. Get to hospital, and get yourself patched up. We're going to need you."

Ben nodded and walked to his supervisor's car. They headed to the hospital discussing added security for Marissa.

Jesse stood for a moment surveying the damage. Marissa was damn lucky she survived the crash. He prayed her luck would continue to hold out. Try as he might, he had a hard time reconciling the image he had of Marissa tonight being pulled battered and bloodied from the mangled car with that of the fiery redhead who he knew and respected. He remembered when she ripped into him not too long ago when she found out about him leaving Bianca alone in a conference room with Sam. He smiled as he remembered the way she played A.D.A. Taylor and got the best deal possible for the girl after hearing her whole story. He remembered her fire when she was first attacked by Brennan only days ago. There was not even the slightest hint of the intimidation the man had been hoping to accomplish with that stunt. Then, he remembered the times he saw Marissa with Bianca and their kids. Her smile lit up the room. Both of theirs did, and you'd have to be a damned fool not to see how much the couple was in love, how perfect they were for each other. _How in the hell am I going to tell Bianca that the woman she loves is fighting for her life?_ He shook his head and headed for his car.

/

The ambulance pulled up to doors of the emergency room of Pine Valley Hospital. The paramedics pulled the gurney off the ambulance and wheeled the injured patient into the bustling room. They were met immediately by Dr. Angie Hubbard. "What do we have?" Angie read the chart the paramedics had started in the field while trailing them into an exam room.

"We have a woman in her late 20's injured in a multiple vehicle accident. Vital signs are shaky. Her pulse is weak but steady. Blood pressure and respiration are low. She's unconscious and has been since we arrived on the scene. Her name is Marissa Tasker."

Angie's head snapped up hearing the name. "Marissa? Oh my god."

"You know her, Doc?"

"I do. What happened?" Angie pulled her stethoscope from around her neck to listen to the redhead's heart rate. She then checked her pupils and began a preliminary exam.

"From what we heard, a client's husband chased her down and plowed her car into a tree. It was a pretty nasty wreck. Luckily, she used her seat belt and her airbags deployed. Those things have given her a fighting chance. The police are notifying her emergency contact."

"Well, Marissa is definitely a fighter." Angie started giving orders to the staff assisting her. "Let's get her up to x-ray. I want a head CT. Who's on for Ortho and Neuro?"

/

Bianca came downstairs to find Kendall and Greenlee speaking quietly. She noticed her sister had her cellphone in her hands. "Kendall, have you heard anything?"

"Well, I called Zach to see if he could find something out from the security firm."

"And?" The younger brunette asked hopefully.

"Nothing so far. I'm waiting to hear back from him."

Bianca took a shaky breath and walked over to the sofa. She struggled to keep the tears that were starting to form at bay.

It was killing Kendall to see her little sister like this. "How are the kids?"

"They're okay. Susan has managed to distract them. Dammit, why haven't we heard anything?"

"I don't know, Binx. I'm sure we'll hear something soon."

Bianca heard a car pull into the driveway and raced to the door. She disarmed the alarm and flung the door open only to see Jesse approach. "No." The young brunette whispered.

"Who is it, Bianca? Is it Marissa?" Greenlee asked as she and Kendall walked over to the door.

"No, no, no, no, no, no." Bianca whispered over and over again when she saw the expression on Jesse's face.

Kendall grabbed for her sister as her legs started to give out. Looking at the police chief, she knew he had bad news for Bianca. How bad, she didn't know yet.

Jesse darted forward when he saw Bianca start to collapse. He had a feeling she would assume the worst. "Bianca, maybe we should go inside, someplace private to talk."

Kendall guided her sister to the sofa while Greenlee closed the door.

Bianca pulled away from her sister. "No, I need to know, Jesse. Is Marissa …" She couldn't finish the thought.

"She's alive but in the hospital. I'm not sure of her condition."

"She's alive. Thank god. Okay, we have to go _now_. I have to see her." Bianca struggled to her feet.

"I'll take you to her."

"The kids. I have to tell the kids something."

"I can do it, Binx." Kendall offered.

"No, I have to do it." Bianca raced upstairs. She had to be strong for the kids and not let them worry until she knew something more, until she was able to get to Marissa and see her. _God, please let her be alright. Please don't take her from me. _She took a deep breath and stepped into AJ's room. "Hey, guys. I'm going to go now."

"Is Mom home?" AJ asked.

"No, she ran into a little problem, and I'm going to go meet her. She wanted me to give you each a hug and kiss and tell you that she loves you very much and so do I."

"We know. We love both of you too." Miranda smiled.

"She knows that, but I'll be sure to tell her. Be good for Susan." Bianca gave each child a tight hug and kiss. With monumental effort, she somehow managed not to break down. As she left the room, she motioned to the babysitter to follow her. "I may need you to stay late. Are you able to?"

"Of course, I can stay as late as you need. Is everything alright?"

"No, it's not. I can't go into details right now. Thank you though." Bianca headed downstairs where the others were waiting. "Let's go, Jesse. I have to see Marissa, and I need you to tell me what happened."

"I'm going with you, Bianca." Kendall grabbed their purses.

"Wait. This is about Robert Brennan, isn't it? Are our children safe?"

"I'm afraid you're right. It is about him. The kids will be safe. I have a patrol car watching the house, and that security firm that Zach hired is sending some people over as well."

"Susan, I need you to make sure this alarm is set as soon as we leave." Bianca then raced over to the desk.

"What are you doing, Bianca?" Kendall asked her sister as pulled out an envelope from a desk drawer.

"If Marissa's hurt, I'm going to need this. Let's go."

"I'll be right behind you and meet you at the hospital." Greenlee grabbed her purse as well and followed the others out.

/

Jesse waited until he was down the block before turning the siren on in his car. On the way to the hospital, he told Bianca everything he knew. Jesse wasn't sure how much she had actually heard. She seemed to be in shock, to be holding it together by a thread, and the police chief was worried about her. Kendall, however, heard everything as she tried to reassure and comfort her sister while quizzing him about every detail of the night's events.

Kendall was worried about her sister. All of the color drained from Bianca's face. She looked ghostly white and was quiet, too quiet. It was like she was folding in on herself. Bianca had been through so much, and Kendall wasn't sure if she could handle one more loss. If she lost Marissa, it would leave her devastated, and she didn't know if her sister would ever recover from it. As for Marissa, she had to be alright, and it wasn't just for the sake of Bianca and the kids. Kendall loved the woman who not only captured her sister's heart and healed the wounds left by others over the years but also brought a spark to their family as a whole. She fit in so perfectly like she had always been a part of their family. That's exactly what she was to Kendall, family, and her loss would cause a void that would never be filled. Kendall noticed the envelope Bianca had retrieved from the desk. She had no idea what it was or its importance, but her sister was gripping the envelope like it was a lifeline.

Bianca was numb. She'd heard every single word Jesse had said. Robert Brennan was responsible for what had happened. He went after Marissa and tried to kill her. The security guard was injured in the assault while her lover's fate was still unknown. _What if? NO! I can't go there! I won't go there! Marissa's going to be alright. She has to be alright. I can't think any other way._ Bianca couldn't let her mind even consider the possibility that Marissa wouldn't survive. The mere thought of never seeing those beautiful hazel eyes so full of life and love, of never seeing the smile that lit up the darkest night or kissing those soft lips or making love to Marissa was simply unbearable. Bianca clutched the envelope. _I need to focus on what Marissa would want, what she needs me to do. I can do this. I have to do this. I need to be strong for her and the kids. _Bianca took a deep breath. _Marissa's going to be alright. She's a fighter. She's strong. She's going to make it. Dammit! Drive faster, Jesse! Marissa needs me. I need Marissa._

/

Jesse pulled up to the emergency room entrance. As soon as the car came to a stop, Bianca bolted out of the car and into the emergency room with Kendall on her heels. The younger brunette headed straight for the admissions desk. "I'm Bianca Montgomery. I'm here about Marissa Tasker. She was brought in earlier. I need to know her condition and who her doctor is."

Frankie was walking through the emergency room when he saw Bianca, Kendall and his dad at the admissions desk. "Dad, what's up?"

Jesse greeted his son. "Marissa was brought in earlier tonight. We're trying to find out her condition and who is treating her."

The young doctor was shocked at hearing this. "I'll look it up for you. I'm guessing since you're here, Dad, that it's official."

"It wasn't an accident." Jesse said grimly.

"Mom's treating her. I don't see an update on her condition. Let me call her and see where they are." He glanced at Bianca seeing the obvious strain she was under. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I need to find out about Marissa. I need to see her. Please, Frankie."

The young doctor nodded and pulled out his cellphone. "Mom, I'm here with Bianca."

"You are? Your father must have contacted her. Where are you?"

"We're in the ER."

"I'm on the fourth floor. Meet me in the waiting room here. Tell Bianca that Marissa is holding her own and that I'll give her a complete update when she gets here."

"I will." He turned to Bianca. "Mom said Marissa is holding her own. She's on the fourth floor and will meet us there for an update."

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief. _Marissa is alive!_ "Let's go."

/

"Dr. Hayward says we should proceed with the surgery."

"Who called David?" Angie asked the resident.

"I did. He's her father, and she's not married. Someone needs to make a decision on her treatment so he's asserting his parental rights."

Angie shook her head. Some residents still viewed David with awe and thought the disgraced doctor could do no wrong. This one in particular was his most loyal disciple and would be the death of Angie's patience. "First, it is not _your_ place to inform anyone of anything regarding _my_ patient unless I tell you. Second, Marissa has a strained relationship at best with her father. She has a mother who can assert her rights as well."

"But he's a doctor …"

"Who lost his license. He's not here because he's in Harrisburg hoping to pull a Hail Mary to get it back. The fact is that we don't know who holds her proxy. Marissa has a partner to consider."

"That relationship holds no bearing in this case. She has no rights."

Bianca had heard this entire conversation and knew that Marissa had been a step ahead of everything. She approached the group of doctors. "Angie, I believe this will settle your discussion."

Angie took the paper Bianca removed from an envelope and read it. She glanced up at the brunette and met her steady gaze with a smile. "Thank you. It certainly does." She turned to a nurse. "Please make a copy of this and attach it to Ms. Tasker's chart. Any medical decisions regarding her care and treatment will be made by Ms. Montgomery."

"What about her father? What about his rights?" The resident protested.

"Ms. Tasker has made her intentions clear. She has given her medical power of attorney to her partner, Ms. Bianca Montgomery, _end of discussion_. If David calls back, _I'll_ talk to him and explain that to him. Do I make myself clear?"

The resident nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

Angie turned to Bianca. "Let's go somewhere where we can discuss Marissa's condition. Dr. Torres, if you would join us."

Kendall couldn't help but smile with pride at her sister. Now, she understood the importance of that document. It protected Marissa's rights as well as her own regarding the redhead. The resident assumed the decision would fall to David who then assumed he would have free rein, but he, like most others, underestimated the couple. _When are people to going to learn? Bianca handled that so much better than I would have._ Kendall suspected that Marissa held Bianca's medical power of attorney as well. She followed her sister and the doctors to the waiting room while Jesse hung back and spoke with a police officer that was posted near the desk. The chief had told them on the way over to the hospital that the police would be guarding Marissa.

As soon as everyone was seated, Bianca looked at Angie. "How's Marissa? When can I see her?"

"She's in serious but stable condition. Right now, we're running a few more tests. This is Dr. Sandra Torres, our Chief of Neurology. Dr. Torres, this is Ms. Tasker's partner Bianca Montgomery and her sister Kendall Slater. Bianca, I'm guessing you're curious about the discussion you overheard."

Bianca nodded to the other doctor before addressing Angie again. "Yes, I am. Someone mentioned surgery."

"I'll go over that, Dr. Hubbard. Ms. Montgomery, what I'm about to tell you will sound scary, but unfortunately, there's no other way to really state this. If you have any questions, please stop me and ask. Ms. Tasker suffered what is called a traumatic brain injury in the collision when her head hit the driver's side window. Basically, she has a concussion. How severe? We just don't know yet because she is still unconscious. When you have these types of brain injuries, one of our concerns is swelling of the brain which in critical cases may cause brain damage due in large part to a lack of oxygen."

Bianca took a shaky breath and gripped Kendall's hand. "There's swelling in Marissa's brain?"

"Yes, there is, but it's minimal. There are several treatments we can pursue. There's positioning where we would elevate her so the fluid would drain from her head with the assistance of gravity. We could put her on a ventilator and increase the oxygen in her blood. There are drugs that can decrease the fluid."

"And there's surgery."

"Yes. Surgery would require us removing part of her skull which would relieve the pressure. What you overheard was a discussion of the approach that should be taken. It would seem, according to the resident that spoke with him, that Dr. Hayward favors the more aggressive approach of surgery."

"You disagree with that approach."

"In Ms. Tasker's case, I do. The swelling is so minimal that the other treatments should be pursued. Surgery, in my opinion, is not warranted at this time. It's an extreme measure and has its own risks especially when it's not needed. I know David Hayward is a brilliant doctor, but he can be rash and tends to favor aggressive procedures when they are not needed, as in this case. This also isn't his area of expertise. It's mine. I know Ms. Tasker is his daughter."

Bianca could tell the doctor was biting back the comments she wanted to make about David. "Believe me, Dr. Torres, I'm all too familiar with David, his reputation and his relationship with Marissa." _This is exactly why Marissa didn't want him making a decision like this. He thrives on risk in the pursuit of glory and feeding his ego and perpetuating his god-like complex. We're talking about Marissa's life though, and there is no way in hell that I'm risking it for the sake of his ego and reputation. I have to think about what Marissa would want. _"You're recommending a more cautious approach."

"I am. I've seen the scans. I've examined her. There is nothing that indicates us performing what I believe is a drastic procedure at this time. We'll closely monitor her for any changes. If we were to get to that point where surgery is needed, I'll be the first to tell you."

Bianca nodded and looked at Angie. She trusted the doctor. "Angie, could I ask your opinion?"

"Are you asking for my opinion strictly as a doctor or what I would do if I was in your position knowing what I know and that the person I loved was in Marissa's place, if it was Jesse?"

"Both." Bianca stated earnestly.

"I've seen the scans and test results. I also know Dr. Torres. She is an excellent surgeon, one of our best. I agree with her. Surgery isn't needed at this time. I would recommend another treatment. The decision is ultimately yours though."

Bianca processed everything she'd been told and slowly began to nod her head. "I'll follow your advice, Dr. Torres. No surgery at this time. How do you want to proceed?"

"We're running some more tests right now to assess her responsiveness. I'd like to take a look at those results, get her settled in her room and start her on a low dose of medication."

"Okay. When can I see her?" Bianca couldn't disguise her anxious tone.

"As soon as we get her settled in her room, you can see her. I'll have someone come get you and bring you back."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." Dr. Torres nodded and headed off.

"Are you ready to hear about Marissa's other injuries?"

"I am. Please continue, Angie."

"She has two broken ribs and a tear in both the ACL and MCL of her left knee. It appears that injury was due in part to how her leg was positioned when the impact occurred and what Rescue needed to do to remove her from the car. We'll perform surgery to repair those tears, but we need to wait until she regains consciousness and the swelling in her knee has gone down. That's a less invasive surgery, and the head of Orthopedics has been evaluating her. After surgery, she'll need to wear a brace and use crutches for a few weeks in addition to physical therapy. The expectation is a full recovery. As for other injuries, there is some bruising and minor cuts, nothing significant. She was wearing her seat belt, and the car had air bags. That helped reduce her injuries."

"Marissa's adamant about wearing her seat belt. She says it doesn't feel right not wearing it."

"Well, I'm glad she feels that way." Angie observed the younger woman. She knew she was on both information and emotional overload. "Is there anything I can get you, Bianca?"

"No, thank you. I just really need to see Marissa."

"I understand. As soon as she's settled, I'll make sure that you do. If you need anything, let me know."

Bianca nodded. "I will."

"Binx, are you okay?"

The younger woman shook her head. The emotion was heavy in her voice. "No, I'm not. Marissa's hurt all because of that son of a bitch. I can't get to her yet and see her. I hope I'm making the right decisions."

"Bianca, listen to me. Marissa trusts you. If she didn't, why else would she pick you to make these types of decisions for her when she's not able to? You know her better than anyone else and know exactly what she would want. You're making the right decisions. I know you are."

"What am I going to tell the kids?"

"I might be able to help you a little with that or at least buy you a little time to think about what you want to tell them." Greenlee offered. She'd arrived while the sisters were speaking with the doctors.

"What'd you mean, Greenlee?"

"I called Zach. He's going to pick up the kids and keep them tonight. He'll be able to keep them occupied and keep them safe. I hope that's alright."

"It's more than alright. Thank you, Greenlee." Bianca said gratefully.

"Good job, Greenlee. You know the kids are crazy about their Uncle Zach. He's just as big of a kid as they are." Kendall smiled.

"Yeah, he is. I told Jesse where they were going, and he's sending a patrol car over there. Susan said to call her if you need anything. Is there anything you need for me to do for you?"

"I can't think of anything. I need to make some calls. I need to call Krystal and Mom."

A nurse appeared and looked at the three women. "Ms. Montgomery?"

"Yes, that's me."

"Dr. Torres sent me. You can see Ms. Tasker now."

Bianca shot up out of her seat. "Kendall?"

"Go see Marissa. We'll make the calls for you."

With that, Bianca quickly followed the nurse down the corridor.

"How's she doing, Kendall?"

"Bianca? She's holding it together somehow, but I know she's scared to death. With Marissa, they're keeping an eye on swelling in her brain. Do you remember that envelope that Bianca got out of the desk?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that. What was it?"

"It was Marissa's medical power of attorney. Any decisions regarding her treatment will be made by Bianca. It's a good thing they did that. A resident, actually more like one of David's disciples, called him. He assumed he was in charge and wanted her rushed into surgery. Angie and Dr. Torres disagreed. With that piece of paper, Bianca settled the argument and asserted her rights regarding Marissa. I didn't get the chance to ask, but I'm pretty sure she has Bianca's power of attorney."

"I wouldn't be surprised. It looks like Marissa was thinking ahead. You want to call Erica and I'll call Krystal?"

/

Bianca paused outside of the door to gather herself and nodded to Brot who was standing guard. She took a deep breath and entered. There was no way she could have prepared herself for what she saw. It was almost too much for her to bear. Marissa looked so pale and fragile, so unlike how she normally was. She looked almost lifeless. _NO! She's alive, and she's going to be okay. Please God, don't take her away from me. I need her. The kids need her._

The brunette moved closer and pulled out the chair on the right side of Marissa's bed. Up close, she could see bruises were starting to appear on her left side. There was a brace of some kind around her left knee. She was hooked up to couple of monitors, and she was on oxygen. Bianca carefully tucked a lock of copper hair behind her ear and leaned over to gently kiss Marissa. The brunette then sat down and took her lover's hand. She softly whispered. "Please wake up, Rissa. I need you. I love you so much. Don't leave me. You promised me old and gray. We're nowhere close that."

/

Bianca lost track of time. She wasn't sure how long she'd been in Marissa's room. Time had just seemed to stop. Nurses came in and checked on Marissa, but they were a blur. She vaguely recalled Kendall ducking her head in to inform her that their mother and Krystal were on their way. Other than that, nothing else made it through the haze she was in. She continued to hold her lover's hand as she listened to the monitors and watched the steady rise and fall of her chest. Bianca whispered to her, urged her to fight, willing her to fight and come back to her. Suddenly, the beeps from the monitors increased.

Marissa groaned and winced in pain as she struggled to open her eyes. They slowly opened, and she tried to focus on the person next to her. The lights in the room were too bright, and she couldn't keep her eyes open. She heard her name, but the pain was too much to focus and know who it was. She felt a gentle touch and heard soft whispered words that comforted her.

"_All through the night, near and far, we will be together. So hush, don't you cry. You will be in my arms, forevermore."_

Marissa drifted back to sleep.

**/**

**A/N****: Damn if leave another cliffhanger, but sorry, I just couldn't help it. I don't think it's quite as evil as the last one though. I'll finish by saying that's it probably pretty obvious that I'm not a doctor. Thanks to the internet though, I can look some things up and hopefully not butcher them too much.**


	59. Waking Up

**A/N****: As always, thanks for the great reviews! Please keep them coming because they fuel the creative beast. A reviewer asked about the song "Forevermore". I did a search of it (gotta love Google), and there are songs out there with that name. They are not, however, the same song which leads me to believe that the show's writers just made it up. There were a few questions/comments, obviously, wondering about Marissa's condition. Those get answered in this chapter. Speaking of which, this update picks up where the last left off. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Bianca held her breath when she saw Marissa starting to stir. When she saw those beautiful hazel eyes open, she released that breath and smiled. It soon faded when she saw the pain etched on her love's face.

Marissa groaned and winced in pain as she struggled to open her eyes. They slowly opened, and she tried to focus on the person next to her. The lights in the room were too bright and intensified the pain in her head making it impossible to keep her eyes open. She heard her name, but the pain was too great for her to focus, know who it was or respond to them.

Bianca didn't know what she could do to ease Marissa's pain. It killed her to see her lover in such distress. She reached for the call button and pressed it hoping a nurse or doctor would come soon with help. Bianca then acted on instinct. She remembered how Marissa comforted her over a year ago when she rushed her to the hospital. The brunette gently stroked Marissa's head, kissed her forehead and began to sing softly.

Marissa felt a gentle touch and heard soft whispered words that comforted her and began to ease her pain.

"_All through the night, near and far, we will be together. So hush, don't you cry. You will be in my arms, forevermore."_

Marissa drifted back to sleep feeling the love behind those words.

"Ms. Montgomery, is everything alright?" Emily, the nurse on-call, asked as she entered the room.

"I need Dr. Torres. Marissa just woke up."

"I'll get her right away." The nurse nodded and headed off to get the doctor.

Bianca gazed back at Marissa and continued to softly stroke her copper locks. "You're fighting, aren't you? Keep fighting, Rissa. I'll be here no matter what. I'm not leaving, ever. I love you."

/

"Kendall, where's Marissa? Is she …"

"She's holding her own, Krystal. Red's a fighter, and she's got a lot to live for, to fight for."

The older woman exhaled in relief. "Yes, she definitely does. What happened? Who should I talk with?"

"Kendall, how is Marissa? How is Bianca? Do they need anything?" Erica rushed into the waiting room.

"Relax, Mom. Marissa is hanging in there and so is Bianca. She's back there with her right now." Kendall looked at both women as they acknowledged each other with a nod. "Why don't you both have a seat? I'll tell you everything I know." She waited until both older women settled in. "First off, Marissa's condition is listed as serious but stable. The doctors' main concern right now is her head injury. There's some swelling in her brain, and they need to reduce that."

"Did they say how they want to treat that? Should I be talking to them? Who are they?" Krystal asked anxiously.

"Angie Hubbard is her primary doctor since she admitted her. Angie called in Dr. Sandra Torres who is the chief of Neurology. Before you ask, Mom, she's pretty impressive. Greenlee looked her up."

"I figured I could do a little research while we were waiting for an update. Thanks to Google, I was able to find out quite a lot about her. She's very respected in her field and considered an authority on head traumas. She's consulted at a number of hospitals around the country. Plus, there's the added bonus that Angie recommended her."

Erica nodded. "Angie's an excellent doctor in her own right, and she cares a great deal about Marissa and Bianca. She wouldn't recommend just anyone."

"You're right. Going back to your question, Krystal, I have no doubt the doctors will speak with you, but they've already been given permission on how to proceed with her treatment by …"

"David spoke with them?"

"Yes, he spoke with them, but he doesn't have the authority to give consent. Bianca has the authority to make the decisions regarding her treatment." Kendall continued before Krystal could stop her. "Marissa gave Bianca her medical power of attorney before this happened. I'm guessing they did this when they updated their wills a few weeks back."

The other three women observed Krystal as she processed this. She had to admit that she was a little stunned. Bianca wasn't her … _No, Bianca is her family. They love each other and are building a life together. Bianca knows Marissa better than I ever will, and my daughter trusts her. She trusts her with her life, and I can't think of anyone better to make those decisions. She has more of a right than I do to make these decisions._ "It makes perfect sense to have Bianca be the one to decide those things. You said they talked with David?"

Kendall relaxed seeing Krystal's acceptance of things and knowing she wouldn't fight her sister on anything. "One of his disciples made the call to him in Harrisburg without Angie knowing."

Erica quirked an eyebrow. "The state medical board is located there."

Greenlee nodded. "Apparently, he's there to try and get his license back. From what I gathered, he assumed he would be in charge and wanted them to proceed with surgery. Bianca wasn't having that though."

"David can't be too happy about that." Erica offered with a slight smirk.

Kendall agreed with her mother. "I'm sure he's not. Angie's taking care of setting him straight though. Bianca spoke with her and the neurologist. Dr. Torres explained everything. She recommended treating Marissa with medication after assuring Bianca that the swelling was minimal and that this was the best course of treatment."

Krystal nodded. "Well if Bianca thinks that's the best way to go, I trust her. She loves Marissa and would never do anything to jeopardize her health and more importantly her life. Are there any other injuries?"

"She has some broken ribs and her knee is injured. She'll need surgery on it after the swelling's gone down."

"Do you know when we can see her? You said Bianca's with her?"

"Yeah, she is. She's been back there with her ever since the doctor said she could see her. We're going to have to pry her away from Marissa's side."

"Kendall, how's Bianca holding up?" Erica knew how much her youngest daughter loved Marissa. She'd been through so much in her life, and this had to be killing her.

"Bianca is Bianca. She's focusing on Marissa and holding it together somehow."

"When you called, Greenlee, you said this wasn't an accident. It's that man, isn't it? What's his name?"

"His name's Robert Brennan, and Jesse said that he's responsible, Krystal."

"Where are the children? Are they safe?"

"The kids are safe and with Zach, Mom. Jesse has an officer watching them, and he also has them watching Marissa. You know that Bianca isn't going anywhere anytime soon so she'll be safe here as well." 

"What happened exactly, Kendall? I thought Marissa already had a security guard watching her. How did this happen?"

"She did, and he was injured. This is what Jesse told Bianca and me on the way over." Kendall then related everything the police chief had told them.

/

"Ms. Montgomery, I'm told Marissa woke up." The doctor began to examine the redhead.

"Yes, she did, Dr. Torres."

"Tell me exactly what happened."

"She groaned and opened her eyes. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. I could see it in her eyes and on her face. It was like the light was hurting her when she opened her eyes, and she closed them right away."

"Light sensitivity is definitely an after effect of the head trauma. We'll make sure we lower the lights along with the sound of the monitors. There could be some sensitivity with that as well. Did she say anything?"

"No, she didn't. I think she was in too much pain. Can we do something about that please?"

"Yes, I'll increase her pain medication." The doctor looked at the brunette. "I'm curious. The nurse said Marissa was asleep when she came in. How did you get her to relax and fall back to sleep?"

Bianca gazed at Marissa. "I whispered to her and tried my best to comfort her. There's a song from her childhood that she brought to our family. It always made her feel better and safe when she was growing up and scared or hurt. She's sung it to me and our kids when we've needed it, and it turns out it does the same thing for all of us. I simply sang it to her this time. I guess you can call it our family secret."

"It must be one heck of a song, but I have a feeling it's who's singing it as well." The doctor noticed the worried look on the other woman's face. "Ms. Montgomery, she woke up. Yes, she was in pain, and we will handle that. This is a good thing though. She woke up, and it's actually a little sooner than I thought she would. This is a very good sign. Trust me."

"You're not just saying that, are you? Trying to make the patient's family feel better and hold back the truth."

The doctor smiled. "If you were to ask any of my colleagues, they would tell you that's not my style. I don't sugarcoat things when it comes to doing what's best for my patients. This is a very good sign. I know you'd like her to wake up, but right now, she needs sleep. It gives her body the time it needs to heal." She observed the brunette carefully. "I don't suppose I could convince you to go home and get some rest?"

Bianca shook her head vehemently. "No, I'm not going anywhere until I know that Marissa's out of the woods."

"I thought so. I need to examine her though, and you can't stay while I do that." Bianca started to protest but was quickly stopped by the doctor. "I'm just asking you to you take a small break and get some coffee, tea, soft drink, whatever while I finish her exam. As soon as I'm done, I'm come get you, and you can stay in here. We'll find you a more comfortable chair. I promise to go over everything with you when I'm done. Besides, Emily tells me that you have some family out in the waiting room. Both of your mothers are here in addition to your sister and her friend. I'm sure they would appreciate an update from you."

Bianca sighed. Krystal needed to be told about Marissa, and it was her responsibility. "Okay, I'll go, and you'll come get me as soon as you're done?"

"Cross my heart. The sooner you go, the sooner you can come back."

Bianca started to say something but stopped. She leaned over and kissed Marissa gently. "I'll be right back. I love you."

/

Erica and Krystal were sitting quietly together in the waiting room. They weren't talking to each other but at least they weren't fighting. Each was worried about both Marissa and Bianca. They were worried about Marissa recovering from her physical injuries, and they were equally worried about Bianca and how she was handling all of this.

"Bianca, sweetheart, how is Marissa?" Erica embraced her daughter as Bianca walked into the waiting room.

Krystal hugged the young brunette as well. "Bianca, do you have an update?"

"Hi, Mom. Hi, Krystal. Yeah, I do. Marissa woke up."

"She did? That's great. Did she say anything?"

"No, she didn't. She was only awake for maybe a minute and went back to sleep right away. Dr. Torres said that was a good sign though. She's examining her right now and made me leave."

"I'm sure you could use the break. You have to be exhausted. You need to get some rest."

"I'm okay, Krystal. I just need Marissa to be alright. Before either of you say anything, I'm not leaving."

"I need her to be alright too, and I wasn't even going to suggest it. I don't think Erica was either."

"No, I'm not going to. I can tell by the look in your eyes that that would be impossible. I do want you to get some sleep though, Bianca. Marissa's going to need you during her recovery, and you'll be no good to her if you're exhausted and don't take of yourself."

"Part of me knows you're right, Mom, but I can't, not yet. When I know she's out of the woods, I'll get some rest then. I promise."

"I suppose that will have to do for now. Jack called Caleb, and they are taking care of things for her at the office. So, you don't need to concern yourself with any of that. Jack also said he'll be by later to visit."

"Thanks, Mom. Did Kendall and Greenlee go home?"

"No, they went down to the cafeteria to get some coffee."

"What did they tell you?"

"Kendall and Greenlee told us everything that they know. We know about you having Marissa's medical power of attorney, and that you're making all of the necessary decisions for her."

"Are you okay with that, Krystal?"

"Bianca, there's no one that I trust more with my daughter's life than you. There's no on that knows her better than you. You are the perfect person to make these decisions. I'll be behind you with whatever you decide. If David tries to give you a hard time about this, you let me know. I'll take care of him."

Erica nodded. "That makes two of us. Marissa has made her decision more than clear, and it will be respected and followed. Kendall and Greenlee did some research on Marissa's doctor. It sounds like she's quite impressive."

"She is. I like her. She's been very good and upfront about everything. There she is now." Bianca stood. "How's Marissa?"

"Her vital signs are improving, and she's resting quietly."

Bianca released a deep breath. "Dr. Torres this is my mom, Erica Kane, and Marissa's mom, Krystal Carey."

"Ladies, I wish I were meeting you under better circumstances, but as I told Bianca, Marissa is improving. She's young and healthy and has a loving family. These are things that will all aid in her recovery."

"Is it possible I could see her, Doctor?"

The doctor threw a questioning glance towards Bianca who nodded. "You can see her for a few minutes, Ms. Carey, but only a few minutes. I'm keeping her visitors along with the amount time spent with her to a minimum for now."

"I understand. Thank you."

"I'll take you back now."

Krystal turned to Bianca. "Are you coming back?"

"I'll let you have a few minutes to yourself."

"Thank you, Bianca. I'll keep it brief. I know you're anxious to get back to her."

Erica observed her daughter. "Are you sure you're alright, Bianca?"

"Honestly, I don't know how I am, Mom. When I first saw Jesse, I couldn't help but think that Marissa had …" Bianca closed her eyes and shook her head simply unable to say the word.

Erica pulled her daughter to her, hugging her fiercely before releasing her to look directly into her eyes. "Sweetheart, I want you to listen to me. You are not going to lose her. You heard the doctor. She's improving."

"But …"

"No buts. I've learned a few things about Marissa since I've known her and even more since the two of you have become a couple. Here's what I've learned about her. She loves you. That young woman would go to hell and back for you. She's stubborn and a fighter, and I am certain that there's nothing that will keep her away from you. Marissa isn't going anywhere. The two of you have a long life ahead together."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. I'll tell you something else if you didn't know it already. I care a great deal about Marissa. I love her and respect her quite a lot. She's good for you, and I've never seen you happier."

"I second that. Mom's right on all of it." Kendall smiled as she and Greenlee rejoined Erica and Bianca. "How's Red?"

"She's improving and woke up for about a minute. Dr. Torres said that was a good sign even though she was in a lot of pain. She adjusted her pain medication. Krystal's with her now. I thought I'd give her a few minutes alone with her."

"That's great news that she woke up, Bianca, and what the other two just said, that makes three of us. We brought you something to eat."

"Thanks, but I can't eat anything, Greenlee."

"Bianca, you have to eat something. I know for a fact you haven't eaten all night. You're getting sick isn't going to help Marissa, and you know she won't be happy when she finds out that you're not taking care of yourself." Kendall gently scolded.

The younger brunette sighed. She knew her sister would rat her out to Marissa and that her partner wouldn't be happy with her. "Fine, I'll eat something. I know you'll tell Marissa if I don't."

Kendall smirked. "You're right. I will."

/

Bianca gently kissed Marissa before settling down in the chair the nurse had provided for her. It was late or early depending on how you looked at it. She had sent the others home to get some sleep. While she promised to get some rest herself, she wasn't sure how realistic that was. She had eaten some, not a lot, but enough to appease her mother and sister. Bianca was grateful for family's support, but now, she wanted some time alone with Marissa and time to think. She was thinking positively that Marissa was going to make a full recovery. To assist with that, Bianca knew some changes or rather some adjustments would be needed. To that end, the brunette was taking a page out of Marissa's notebook and coming up with a plan.

She knew that her partner would need to stay in the hospital at least two more days. Dr. Torres had told her that earlier. Bianca planned to spend most if not all of that time here. She knew Marissa would fight her on that, but it was just too bad. Her partner would have to deal with it. She would ask Kendall and Zach to watch the kids. Kendall had already volunteered so that wouldn't be a problem. The kids. She'd have to talk with them, tell them something. They could only be distracted for so long. They would be asking where Marissa was and why they hadn't seen or heard from her. Bianca was hoping for something more concrete, more positive to tell them. She wouldn't know that until more tests were run later today. She decided that for now she would tell them that Marissa was in a car accident, was recovering and needed lots of rest. This was partially true. _It wasn't an accident though, and they didn't need to know that some abusive son of bitch tried to kill her and was still running around Pine Valley._ Bianca shook her head. _Focus on what needs to be done._ _I'll talk to the doctors on allowing the kids to see her. In the meantime until they can, I'll have them make her get well cards._

The next thing Bianca needed to work on was security. She was going to make damn sure that Robert Brennan didn't have another chance of hurting Marissa. She would talk with Jesse about what the police were doing. She would also talk with Zach and get additional security set-up. She hated that they might feel like they were prisoners in their own home, but she would do whatever it took to ensure her family's safety.

Bianca would also need to call her staff. She would be taking some time off to care for Marissa. How much time, she wasn't sure yet. Bianca knew that Marissa would need surgery on her knee in maybe another week once the swelling was down. After that, there would be some time for recovery. Right now, Bianca was looking at being off for at least two weeks. If she needed more time though, she would take it. It didn't matter. This was her family, and they always came first. While she was off, Jan would be in charge. She knew her assistant was more than capable especially with Aya's help, and Bianca would be available by phone if she was needed.

The brunette decided that while they were home that they could make the final plans for the move to their new home. It would be done in a few weeks, and they needed to start sorting things, line up a mover and plow through the list that Marissa had created for them. Bianca gazed at her lover and smiled. She looked so peaceful now. The brunette put down the pad of paper and pen she had borrowed from a nurse and scooted the chair closer to the bed. Bianca took Marissa's hand and kissed it softly. The events of the day began to take their toll. _I'll just close my eyes for a minute._

/

Hazel eyes slowly opened and began to scan the darkened room trying to find something familiar to latch onto to clear the confusion she was feeling. A smile tugged at the corners of their owner's mouth when they landed on the sleeping form of a brunette. She heard someone clear their throat and quietly say her name.

"Good morning, Ms. Tasker."

The redhead winced in pain when she turned her head too quickly towards the voice. "Do I know you?"

"We haven't met officially. Before I introduce myself, I need to ask you a few questions. Are you in a lot of pain?"

"Some. I moved my head too fast."

"I'll give you something for the pain if you want."

Marissa closed her eyes and tried to focus on something other than the pain to no avail. "Maybe just a little something. I don't want a lot."

"Okay, I can do that." The doctor administered a small dose of pain medication. "You should feel some relief in just a minute. Do you know your name?"

"Yes, Marissa Tasker."

"Good. Do you know where you are?"

"Judging by all of these machines, I'd say a hospital."

"Very good. Do you know …"

Marissa felt the pain medication begin to kick in and take the edge off for her. "No more questions until you answer some of mine. Who are you, and where am I exactly?"

The other woman chuckled softly. She'd overheard the redhead's loved ones last night discussing how tough and stubborn she was. She was proving them right. "Fair enough. I'm Dr. Sandra Torres, and you're in Pine Valley Hospital. Now, it's my turn again. Do you know who the woman in the chair is?"

Marissa slowly turned her head back towards the chair and smiled. "She's been here all night." It wasn't a question just merely a statement of fact.

"Yes, she has, but you're not surprised by that, are you?"

"No, I'm not."

The quiet conversation being held jostled Bianca awake. Warm chocolate eyes met hazel and a smile quickly formed on both women's faces.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Relief flooded Bianca when she saw Marissa's smile.

"Ms. Tasker, can you tell me who she is?"

Bianca held her breath waiting for Marissa to respond to the doctor's question. _Please remember me, remember us._

Marissa kept her eyes peeled to Bianca's and gave her a goofy grin as the medication took more effect. "She's absolutely beautiful, isn't she? Scratch that. She's breathtaking. She's the love of my life, the other half of my heart and soul, the most beautiful woman in the world inside and out, the mother of my children, and I'm going to grow old and gray with her. She's Bianca Christine Montgomery, and I am so lucky to have her in my life."

Bianca blushed and wiped the stray tears that escaped from her eyes as her partner gushed. She gave Marissa a loving kiss and rested her forehead against the redhead's. "I'm the lucky one, and I've got nothing on you. I love you so much."

"And I love you."

"How are you feeling?"

Marissa grinned. "I'm feeling pretty damn good."

Bianca gave the doctor a worried glance.

Dr. Torres was smiling watching the interaction between the couple. Seeing the look the brunette directed to her, the doctor shook her head. "The pain medicine is kicking in. I gave her a small dose before you woke up. Is she usually so passionate when talking about her feelings for you?"

"She …"

"Don't you dare say I over exaggerate when it comes to you because I'm only speaking the truth."

Bianca leaned in and gave Marissa a chaste kiss. "I won't argue with you right now on that. Once you're out of here though, it's another story."

Marissa struggled to clear her head some of the pain medication's effects. "Speaking of that, what happened and why do I feel like I got run over by a truck?"

"What's the last thing you remember, Ms. Tasker?"

"I left the office, and Ben was following me home. We had a girls' night out with Kendall and Greenlee. I remember seeing the headlights of a car behind me getting closer. I can't remember anything else after that. What happened?"

"Two words, Robert Brennan."

"You're going to have to give me a little more than that, B."

"From what Jesse's told me, Brennan was waiting for you outside your office." Bianca then related the events of the previous evening as they had been pieced together by the police to that point based on witness statements and examining the crime scene.

"How's Ben?"

"He was injured, but he's going to be okay."

Marissa sighed in relief at hearing that. She felt responsible for the man who was guarding her. It was his job, but in her mind, she was the reason he was injured. "What about the kids?"

"They're with Kendall and Zach. I haven't told them anything yet. I wanted to wait until I knew more, until I could talk with you. I think it's best if we tell them it was a car accident and not …"

"Not a blatant attempt on my life. Yeah, I agree. There's nothing to be gained by worrying them. Security's in place for them."

"And for you. Jesse has a police officer right outside your door."

"What about for you?"

"I'm not leaving your side so I'm safe."

Marissa smiled. "We'll talk about that in a minute." The redhead glanced up at the doctor who had moved to the same side of the bed Bianca was on. "Why can't I remember the crash?"

"I don't want you to push yourself or take that as a bad sign. What you're experiencing isn't unusual for patients that have experienced head trauma."

"Head trauma? Okay just for the record, Bianca and no one else is to make the medical decisions for me if I can't."

"We know. She brought us the paperwork detailing that she holds your medical power of attorney. It was good that she did and that you had those orders in place. Otherwise …"

"Let me guess. David assumed he was in charge and tried to throw what little pull he may still have here around." Judging by the lack of reaction from the other two, Marissa knew she had guessed correctly. "I won't bore you with my family's whole sordid story, Doctor. I'll just state again for the record that Bianca is to make any decisions if I'm not able to. I don't trust David. I know how that must sound, but it is the truth, unfortunately. I trust Bianca with my life because she is my life."

"You're my life too." Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand.

"So, Dr. Torres, what kind of head trauma and what else is going on with me? When can I go home?"

The doctor shook her head. "Not that you could tell so much from this discussion, Ms. Tasker, but you took a pretty good shot to the head from the impact of the crash. The result of which is a concussion. There's some minimal swelling of your brain which we are treating with medication per Ms. Montgomery's directive."

"Please call me Marissa. I think you're allowed since you're dealing with my brain." Marissa smirked.

"And I'm Bianca."

"Alright. From observing you, Marissa, I would say that the medication appears to be working. I will be running some more tests to confirm that. You have some broken ribs and a tear of your ACL and MCL in your left knee. That will require surgery but not until the swelling has gone down. As for going home, I want to keep you here a couple of days for observation. Speaking of the tests, I'd like to go ahead and do those now."

"How long will they take?" Marissa asked.

"I'd say about an hour, and after that, I want you to get some rest."

"That's enough time for Bianca to go home, get something to eat and get some rest herself."

"I'm not going anywhere, Rissa."

"Bianca, you were here all night, and knowing you like I do, you didn't get hardly any sleep or eat much if anything at all."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Hey, Curly."

"Hey, Red. It's good to see you."

"It's good to be seen. I need some help here."

"You got it. What do you need?"

"I need you to take your sister home and don't let her come back until she's at least had something to eat and a nap."

"Rissa, I'm fine. You're the one in the hospital bed."

"And you'll be joining me unless you take care of yourself. Besides, the kids need to know why I'm not home, and you know as well as I do that's something that needs to be done face to face. I'm not going to be in the room anyway. I've got tests and then I'll be sleeping. All you'll be doing is watching me."

"I love watching you." Bianca grinned.

Marissa's grin matched her partner's. "I know you do. It's that nasty habit of your's. You can watch me when you come back in a couple of hours. You know I'm right."

Dr. Torres watched the couple and whispered to Kendall. "Is this normal for them? Are they always like this?"

Kendall gave the couple an amused look and nodded. "Yeah, they are. You get used to it after a while. Watch. Bianca's realizing that Marissa's right and is going to give her this point, but she'll come back with something else."

Bianca sighed in defeat. Marissa was right about the kids. They needed to be told about Marissa being in the hospital, and Bianca needed to be the one to tell them. "Okay, I'll go, but only for a couple of hours. I'm staying tonight, and don't even try and argue with me on that."

Marissa smiled. "I won't even try. Kendall, will you make sure she does what I want? I'm counting on you."

"I'll do my best for you, Red. You concentrate on getting better, and I'll keep an eye on Binx for you."

"Thanks."

Bianca leaned in for a loving kiss. "I'll be back soon. Do what the doctors tell you to until I do. I love you."

"I love you too."

"Okay, Marissa, let's get these tests started."

/

Bianca smiled when she re-entered Marissa's room and saw her resting comfortably. Doctor Torres said the tests went better than she hoped, and Marissa's condition had been upgraded to good. She had asked if the kids could visit, but it wasn't possible. It just wouldn't work with the restrictions for Marissa to have as much quiet as possible for another day. Bianca had another suggestion for the doctor then. The kids were anxious about seeing Marissa and she was just as anxious. The doctor agreed with her proposal. While Kendall worked on setting up the laptop and finding a signal, Bianca unpacked a late lunch.

Marissa chuckled as she opened her eyes. "Are the chili cheese fries for me or you?"

Bianca grinned and gave her a quick kiss. She helped Marissa sit up in bed. "They're for both of us. I also got you a burger with the works from Krystal's. The doctor said it was okay."

"It helped that Binx bribed her with a burger of her own." Kendall smirked. "Before you ask, she did get about an hour's sleep and a nice hot shower before she talked to the kids. I tried my best to get her to eat at home, but you know how stubborn she is. She wanted to get back here as soon as she could. We came up with a compromise. We stopped at Krystal's and brought everything here. This way you both get to eat."

"That's as good as I'm going to get so I'll take it. Thanks, Kendall."

"You're welcome, Red. How are you feeling?"

"Better. They dialed back the pain medicine so I'm definitely feeling clearer and more with it. Dr. Torres seemed happy with the tests, B."

"She told me. Your condition has been officially upgraded. Krystal said to tell you 'hi', and she'll stop by later. She was here last night and so were Mom and Greenlee. They're going to stop by for a few minutes later too and so is Uncle Jack. The kids are just too young to visit so we're going to Skype with them after we eat."

"That sounds perfect. How are they?"

"They're worried about you, but they're doing okay. They know that you're hurt but getting better. They're also making you get well cards along with Spike and Ian."

Marissa moaned as she bit into the burger. "This is so good. I didn't realize how hungry I was." Her eyes quickly found Bianca, and she smiled as her lover dug into the fries.

Kendall laughed. "Next to you and the kids, Red, those things are her biggest weakness."

Marissa laughed when Bianca made a face at her sister. "I see where Gabby gets it. What else is going on out there in the world?"

"Well, you were definitely the topic of conversation at Krystal's. Everyone we ran into sends you their best. Dr. Torres has a limit on the number of visitors so they'll stop by the house after I get to take you home."

"I can't wait to get home." Marissa spotted the small duffle in the corner of the room. "And what's that, B?"

"It's a change of clothes for me. I told you I'm staying tonight. Kendall and Zach are going to watch the kids again, and before you argue about it, you should know that the kids took a vote and want me to stay here with you so you're not alone."

Marissa took a shaky breath. "We really do have the best kids, don't we?"

Bianca smiled. "Yeah, we do. We, uh, also ran into Jesse while we were at Krystal's. He's going to stop by in a little while, get your statement and give us an update on the case."

"That means that Brennan is still out there on the loose."

**/**

**A/N****: It was tricky writing the part with Krystal. I know she's Marissa's mother, but there relationship is complicated. In my mind (and story), they are still working through it. As someone stated in a review, Bianca is Marissa's "person" so this naturally (again in my mind) all falls to her. I hope this makes sense to you. On another note, did you really think I'm just going to wrap this storyline up that quickly? Remember, I'm dealing with an evil part of me that is enjoying writing cliffhangers! **


	60. Pine Valley Hospital

**A/N****: Thank you, as always, for the great reviews! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I love reading them and am inspired by them. Please keep them coming! I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long for this update. It's a little longer than I planned, but I'll explain that at the end of this update. I'm picking up where the last chapter left off. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Words could not describe the relief that Bianca felt as she watched and listened to Marissa closely. Dr. Torres had spoken with her when she returned to the hospital and informed her that the swelling in Marissa's brain had dissipated, and it was now back to its normal level. She still had to deal with some symptoms from the concussion and would need to take it easy for a few days, but the doctor expected a full recovery for her. She would continue to monitor Marissa the next two days before discharging her.

"Dr. Lawson stopped by to look at my knee while you were gone, and she had me try out the crutches. She expects the swelling to be down enough to operate in about a week. She'll be back later today to talk to you and have me walk around again."

"It's not too soon?"

"No, she wants me out of bed and walking around some. I'll have to use the crutches and brace, but I can at least be mobile." Marissa saw the questioning look in Bianca's eyes and smiled. "Don't worry. When she comes back, she'll go over everything with you."

Bianca smiled. "Okay, I'll try and relax. You were definitely the topic of conversation at Krystal's when we stopped there. Everyone we ran into sends you their best. Dr. Torres has a limit on the number of visitors so they'll stop by the house after I get to take you home."

"I can't wait to get home." Marissa spotted the overnight bag in the corner of the room. "And what's that, B?"

"It's a change of clothes for me. I told you I'm staying tonight. You told me earlier you weren't going to argue with me about it. Everything's arranged. Kendall and Zach are going to watch the kids again, and you should know that the kids took a vote and want me to stay here with you so you're not alone."

Marissa took a shaky breath. "We really do have the best kids, don't we?"

Bianca smiled. "Yeah, we do. I also brought you a few things from home." The brunette paused. She didn't want to bring up the next subject, but the couple had promised each other that they wouldn't keep anything from the other one. She wasn't about to start now. "We, uh, also ran into Jesse while we were at Krystal's. He's going to stop by in a little while, get your statement and give us an update on the case."

"That means that Brennan is still out there on the loose." Marissa said grimly.

"Yeah, that's what I think too, but he didn't say anything other than that he'd be by later."

"Okay, we'll see what he says when he gets here. I know I don't have to ask whether or not you've arranged security for the kids."

"Yes, I've spoken with Jesse, and police have an undercover officer watching Kendall and Zach's place right now. When we get home, they'll switch over to our place. The same goes for the security firm we hired. They are working with the police. Before you ask, yes, someone was with Kendall and me."

Marissa nodded. "Good. I don't want you out there on your own and unprotected. Until we talk with Jesse then, there's nothing else we can do for now. Tell me about the kids. Are they really okay?"

"Yes, they are."

/

"_Are you ready for this, Binx?"_

"_Yeah, I'm as ready as I'm going to be, Kendall. The kids need to know something. I'm not going to tell them about Brennan though. They don't need to know about him. Let's go."_

_Kendall nodded and opened her front door._

"_Mom!" Miranda sprinted across the room seeing her mother and hugged her._

"_Hi, Sweetie." AJ and Gabby soon joined their sister in greeting Bianca._

_AJ looked around. "Where's Mom? Is she at home?"_

"_Let's sit down and talk." Bianca sat on the sofa with Gabby on her lap with AJ and Miranda on either side of her. _

"_Where's Rissa, Mom?"_

"_Marissa was in a car accident last night. Someone hit her car, and she was hurt so she was taken to the hospital. I want you to know that she's going to okay though. I was with her earlier, and she was talking and laughing and missing you guys."_

"_She's really gonna be okay, Bianca?"_

"_Yeah, Buddy, she's going to be okay."_

"_What's wrong with her, Mommy?"_

"_Well, Baby, she hit her head, and the doctors want to keep an eye on her. She also hurt her knee."_

"_Is she coming home, Mom?"_

"_Well, the doctors want her to stay in the hospital a couple of days just to keep an eye on her like they did last year when I had to have my appendix removed. Do you remember that?"_

_The kids nodded. _

"_It's like that. When Marissa comes home, she's going to need a lot of rest. She's also going to have to take it easy. I'm going to need you guys to help me take care of her. Do you think you're up for that?"_

"_We'll take real good care of her, Mommy." Gabby nodded solemnly. AJ and Miranda quickly agreed as well._

"_Good. Now, there's something else. Marissa will need to go back to the hospital to have them fix her knee, but she won't have to stay there after they've done that. The doctors say she'll be alright as long as she does what they tell her to do."_

"_We'll make sure she does what they say, Bianca."_

"_Yes, we will, AJ. I knew I could count on you guys to help me with that."_

"_Can we see her, Mom?"_

"_I don't know, Mimo. Hospitals have a lot of rules about letting children under 12 visit patients. I know you were able to see me when I was there, but it's little different because of Marissa's injuries. When I go back to the hospital, I'm going to ask her doctor if she can maybe bend that rule for us. If she can't, I have another idea. Do you remember what we do when one of us has to go on a trip for work?"_

_Miranda nodded. "We use Skype. That way we get to see each other."_

"_Exactly. So if the hospital won't let you visit Marissa in person, you can visit her over the computer."_

"_Bianca, would it be alright if we made Mom a get well card?"_

"_I think that's a great idea. She'll love it."_

_Bianca noticed the thoughtful look on her oldest daughter's face. "Miranda, is something on your mind?"_

"_I was just thinking. When you were in the hospital, Rissa stayed with you so you weren't alone, and that was when you were just friends, before you fell in love, right?"_

"_That's right. She did."_

"_I think you should stay with her, at least for one more night. I think it'll make you both feel better."_

_AJ nodded. "Miranda's right. You should. That way we know that's she's being taken care of. If it's okay, we could stay here with Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach so you wouldn't have to worry about us."_

"_Could we stay, Aunt Kendall?"_

"_Miranda, of course you can stay. You don't even have to ask. I think you the three of you are just about the most thoughtful kids ever, and I agree with you. If your moms are together, it will make them both feel better. They do that for each other, don't they?"_

"_Yep, they do."_

_Bianca wiped a stray tear, amazed at just how thoughtful her children were. "Gabby, are you okay if I stay with Marissa tonight at the hospital?"_

_Gabby pondered the question for a moment before hopping off Bianca's lap and running into the other room. The others looked at each, and Bianca started to get up to follow her youngest when she reappeared._

"_Will you give this to Mommy? Minx always makes me feel better. If she has you and him with her, I know she'll get better."_

_Bianca scooped up Gabby, hugging and kissing her while wiping away tears. "Are you sure, Baby? I know how much Minx means to you."_

"_I'm sure, Mommy. She needs him more than I do right now."_

/

"Which reminds me." Bianca and Kendall cleared the food wrappers and containers away. Bianca retrieved her overnight bag and sat on Marissa's bed where she reached inside it. "Gabby thought he might make your hospital stay a little brighter and get you home quicker."

Marissa wasn't able to stop her tears as she took her youngest daughter's beloved stuffed monkey from Bianca. "She sent Minx?"

Bianca nodded as she wiped Marissa's tears away. "Yes. She said that he always makes her feel better, and you need him more than she does right now."

"She is incredible. They all are, but this is just … I don't know what to say. Are you sure she's only 4 years old?"

Bianca chuckled. "Yes, I'm sure, but she does make me wonder sometimes. They all are wise beyond their years. That is until they start with the 'he's looking at me' or 'she's touching me'. It's all out the window then."

Marissa laughed. "Ah yes, those are fun times."

Kendall checked the time. "Are you ready to talk to them? We told Zach we'd be calling about now."

"Yeah, I'm ready. Do I look okay, B? I don't want to scare them."

"You look beautiful." Bianca smiled and leaned in for a quick kiss. "But I know what you mean. The bruises aren't too bad so I think you'll be fine."

Kendall made the connection, and the three women were soon greeted by Zach.

"Hey, Red. It's good to see you. How are you feeling?"

"Hey, Zach. Like I told your wife, it's good to be seen. I'm doing okay. I really appreciate everything you and Kendall are doing for us."

"It's not a problem. We're here anytime you need us. I have three kids here chomping at the bit to talk with you so I'll let you get to them. We'll talk when you get home. Take care of yourself, Red."

"Thanks, Zach."

"Mom!"

"Rissa!"

"Mommy!"

"Hey, guys! It's so good to see you."

"Are you feeling okay, Rissa?"

"Do you hurt much, Mom?"

"I miss you, Mommy."

"We all miss you."

Marissa fought the tears wanting to form and smiled. "I miss the three of you too, so much. I'm a little sore, and I've got a little headache. I'm getting better though especially now that I've seen you and because of this little guy." The redhead pulled Gabby's stuffed monkey to her face and gave him a little kiss. "Thank you, Monkey. I can't tell you how much it means to me that you let me borrow him. I promise to take good care of him until I come home."

Gabby grinned, pleased with herself. She knew it was a good idea. "You're welcome, Mommy!"

"What happened, Mom?"

"I can't remember a lot because I hit my head, but another driver wasn't paying attention and hit my car. Luckily, I was wearing my seatbelt, like you're supposed to do. That's why Bianca and I always make sure the three of you wear your's." She didn't like lying to her kids about the cause of the accident, but it was necessary in this case.

"Are you going to be okay, Rissa? Mom says you are."

"You should listen to your Mom. She's right. The doctors say I'm going to be okay. They've been checking me out and running all kinds of tests to make sure."

"Mommy says you have to do what they tell you so we're going help with that."

"You are, huh? I guess I better then. I don't want the four of you ganging up on me."

The kids laughed.

"I just thought of something else you can help me with when my knee gets better."

"What's that, Mom?"

"I'm going to need to get a new car."

Bianca looked at her partner. "You're right, Marissa. I didn't even think about that. I guess your old car will need to be replaced."

"I'm afraid so. Do you think you guys are up for going car shopping?"

"Yeah! I'm more than ready, Mom! It'll be fun!"

Marissa laughed seeing the excitement in her son's eyes.

Miranda's nodded excitedly. "AJ's right. It'll be fun. Jessica's mom and dad just got a new car, and it's really cool."

"Who's getting a new car?"

"We are, Uncle Zach! Mommy's going to need a new car when she gets better."

"Well, that makes sense."

"Hi, Aunt Marissa!"

"Hi, Spike. Hi, Ian. How are you guys doing? Is that glitter in Ian's hair?"

The youngest Slater grinned while his brother shook his head. "Maybe, but we can't tell you anything, Aunt Marissa."

Kendall groaned. "Do I want to know what my dining room looks like?"

They could hear Zach laugh. "Probably not, but it's for a good cause."

"Uh huh, it's a good thing I like you so much, Red." Kendall smirked.

"Come on, guys. Let's work on cleaning up the dining room for your Mom."

"See you soon, Aunt Marissa!"

"Bye, guys! So, how was school?"

The kids rattled off the details of their school day and how they spent the previous night playing games and watching movies. Bianca noticed Marissa struggling to hold back a yawn and knew it was time to end the call. It wouldn't be a popular decision, but Marissa needed her rest. The brunette wanted her home and healed, and Bianca was going to make sure she didn't overdo and delay either of those things.

"Okay, gang. We need sign-off."

"Aww, Mom!"

"Mommy."

"Bianca."

"Sorry, guys, but if we want Marissa home in a couple of days, she needs her rest." That did the trick.

"Okay. Can we talk to you again later, Rissa?"

Marissa looked at her partner and smiled. She knew she was going to be tough and make sure she followed all the rules. Bianca did nod though. "Bianca's right. I am feeling a little tired, and I need to rest up a little before the doctor stops by and makes me work some on my knee. Yes, we'll talk later though. I promise. Be good for Zach and Kendall. I love you, guys."

"Love you, Mom!"

"Love you, Rissa!"

"Love you, Mommy!"

Bianca smiled. "I'll call you later to let you know how Marissa's doing. Be good. I love you."

"Love you!" She was answered in unison.

Kendall disconnected the session and closed the laptop. "I think that's my cue to leave. Get some rest, Red. We need you out there causing trouble." She leaned in and hugged the redhead.

"Thanks, Kendall, for everything."

Kendall gave her sister a hug. "Make sure you get some rest too. I'll call you later."

"Thanks. I will. I promise."

After Kendall left, Bianca started to take a seat back in her chair.

"What are you doing?"

"I was planning on sitting."

"Nope, I don't think so." Marissa carefully shifted over in her bed and held up her covers. "I think you need to lay down. I got plenty of room here."

"What about your ribs and knee? I don't want to hurt you." Bianca protested.

"You couldn't if you tried. Besides, you know I always sleep better with you next to me. We both do." Marissa grinned.

Bianca chuckled. "You're right. We do. If you need me to move, I will. I'm serious about not wanting to aggravate any of your injuries."

"I know. We'll just be really careful."

Bianca eased onto the bed and gently took Marissa in her arms. Both women sighed contently. Try as she might to stay awake, Marissa was soon fast asleep. As she watched her lover sleep, Bianca felt herself finally begin to relax and drifted to sleep.

/

"You must be Ms. Montgomery. I'm Kate Lawson, Marissa's orthopedist." The doctor extended a hand to Bianca who shook it.

"Hello, Dr. Lawson. How is she really doing?"

"I told you, Doctor." Marissa smirked.

The doctor chuckled. "Yes, you did." She looked at Bianca's questioning expression. "Marissa said you would want to confirm what I told her. It's not that you wouldn't believe her, but you would want to make sure she wasn't overstating what I told her. She's doing well. I was quite pleased with her progress when I saw her earlier. Alright, Marissa. Let's get you up and walking some more."

Bianca started to move to help but stopped when Marissa shook her head. The brunette watched as her partner slowly got out of bed and made her way around the room.

"How are you doing with the pain, Marissa?" The doctor questioned.

"It's mainly my ribs more than anything, Dr. Lawson."

"That's understandable and more reason to take it slow. Okay, have a seat and let me check your knee."

Bianca watched as the doctor examined Marissa's knee. The redhead caught her attention and winked causing the brunette to grin. "Behave."

Dr. Lawson glanced up at the couple and smiled. _It looks like the stories I'm hearing about the two of them are right._ "Her knee looks good, and there's not much swelling. You seem to have gotten the hang of using your crutches, Marissa. I want you to go for a little walk up and down the hallway later tonight and then take it easy. I'll be back to check on you tomorrow, and we'll do some more x-rays. I want to see you on Thursday for one final exam. If that looks like I expect to, we'll do your surgery on Friday. How does that sound?"

"It sounds good to me." Marissa sighed.

"It's not too soon?"

"No, it's not, Ms. Montgomery. The sooner, the better in my opinion. She'll need to wear a brace for a while to give her knee some support and some physical therapy afterwards, but I expect a full recovery. I need to check on a few more patients. If you have any more questions, let me know. I'll see you later."

"Thanks, Doctor."

"Thank you." Bianca turned to face a grinning Marissa. "Don't say anything."

"I wasn't going to say anything."

"Uh huh, sure you weren't. I'm just worried about you and want to make sure you're okay and not doing too much. I could've lost you, and I don't know what I'd do without you."

Marissa finally saw the crack in Bianca's brave façade. She'd been waiting for it. The redhead patted the spot on the bed next to her. When Bianca sat down, Marissa took her hand. "I know, and I'm so sorry for putting you through all of this. I'm okay though and not going anywhere. You're stuck with me. I promised you old and gray, and I intend on keeping that promise." Marissa leaned in for a loving kiss.

When they separated, Bianca gave Marissa the goofy grin she loved so much. "Good. I'm going to hold you to that promise. You didn't do anything wrong so you don't need to apologize to me. I don't intend on letting you out of my sight though until Robert Brennan is caught, and don't even think of fighting me on this. You'd do the same thing if our roles were reversed and don't tell me otherwise."

Marissa shook her head and sighed. "You're right. I would. I suppose I can think of worse things than having you next to me all day and night." The redhead smirked. "Oh wait, I meant I can't think of anything better."

"Neither can I." Bianca whispered before capturing Marissa's lips again.

A knock on the door forced the couple to separate reluctantly.

"Well, we know it's not my sister or Greenlee." Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed. "True. They don't knock. Come in."

Jesse ducked his head inside the room. "Ladies, is now a good time?"

"Hi, Jesse. It's as good of a time as any. My doctor just left with orders to rest."

"And she's going to do just that. Talking is allowed though."

As Bianca helped Marissa settle back into bed, the redhead whispered "I guess other activities will have to wait for a while, huh?"

Bianca grinned and whispered in return. "Unfortunately, yes. You've got some healing to do." The brunette sat beside her.

"Marissa, I can't tell you how happy I am to say that you look a thousand times better than the last time I saw you. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling okay, sore but okay. It could be a lot worse. I just have to remember to take it slow. Do you have some good news for us? Have you caught him?"

"I'm afraid we haven't, but we will. I promise you that I won't rest until he's back behind bars."

The three turned towards the door when they heard some raised voices outside.

"Let me see what's going on out there." Jesse opened the door and was promptly greeted by Assistant District Attorney Pete Taylor.

"Chief Hubbard, I need to see Ms. Tasker to get her statement, but your watchdog won't let me in to do my job." He took that opportunity to rush past him and into the room. "Ms. Tasker, it's good to see you again. You're not looking as bad as I thought you might. It's been a while since we tangled, but we're on the same side this time."

Bianca quickly stood in front of Marissa, preventing the man from getting any closer than he already was. In a voice that belied the torrent of emotions she was feeling upon seeing the A.D.A., she spoke quietly. "What are you doing here?"

Taylor tried to step around Bianca, but the brunette was too quick for him. "I'm here to get Ms. Tasker's statement. If you would please step aside and let me do my job. I would appreciate it." Bianca simply glared at the man, not budging one inch. "Otherwise, I'll have to ask Chief Hubbard to remove you, and you could be arrested for obstruction of justice, Ms.?"

"Montgomery, Bianca Montgomery. I'm Marissa's partner, and the only one going anywhere is you. You're not talking to her."

"I can't very well do my job if I can't talk with her. Now, I need you to move or …"

Marissa knew what he was saying was the wrong thing to say to Bianca. She knew her partner's distain for the man before Marissa was injured and now knew it had increased ten-fold since. Part of her knew she should probably rein her partner in, but the bigger part of her knew Bianca needed to release her anger over what had happened. It wasn't healthy for her to keep it inside. Like it or not, Pete Taylor was an available target, and Bianca was more than ready to unload on someone so why not this jackass. Marissa would step in before things got ugly, but for now, she would enjoy the show.

Jesse glanced at Marissa who shook her head indicating she didn't think he should interfere just yet, something of which Jesse was happy to oblige in this case. In his opinion, the A.D.A. deserved whatever he got.

Taylor sputtered to a stop seeing the look on Bianca's face. It did not match the kind spirit he had heard she was known for by a long shot. _Did she just say Marissa was her partner?_

Bianca took a deep breath and began to speak in a steely voice that would make her mother proud. "Do your job? No, I don't think so. You see if you had done your job to begin with, Marissa wouldn't be here right now. She'd be home with our children instead of in a hospital bed with broken ribs and a concussion and scheduling surgery for her knee followed by months of physical therapy. If you had done your job instead of being half-assed about it, none of us would be here, and Robert Brennan would be in jail."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? I don't know what I'm talking about? When Brennan had his bail hearing, word has it you showed up for it reeking of alcohol and unprepared. You didn't file paperwork that should've been filed. You didn't present key evidence that would've shown how violent he is. Where were the pictures and hospital reports detailing his wife's injuries? I can tell you where they weren't. They sure as hell weren't in court. Your incompetence tied the judge's hands, and he called you on it in court and on the record. He had to grant him bail, and because of that, because of you, he was out looking for a target. He couldn't find his wife so he went after Marissa. Here's something I'm wondering about. Given all of that, I have to wonder why you're handling her case."

"Well, I just happened to be there when the case came up and was assigned to it."

Bianca shook her head. "Yeah, I don't think so. You see a case like this could attract a lot of press, and it could help someone's career, maybe redeem it even. Of course, they would actually have to do some work, and I think we've established your work ethic or lack thereof. Knowing that, I really have to wonder why the District Attorney would assign you to this case, especially since Marissa and Mike are friends." When Bianca saw the expression on the attorney's face, she knew the answer to her question. "He didn't assign it to you, and I'd wager that he doesn't know that you're here. Did I miss anything or get anything wrong?"

"Uh, you, you can't talk to me like that. You don't know who I am, who my family is."

"Oh yes, I do, and I really don't care what connections you or more importantly your father may have. Marissa is neither a stepping stone for someone's career nor a way to redeem it. Take yourself and your father's political connections and leave. Don't even think about coming back. If you do, I'll have Chief Hubbard remove you and press charges." Bianca turned to look at Marissa who was grinning broadly. "Would that be harassment?"

The redhead was brimming with pride and nodded at her partner. "It would be."

Bianca smiled briefly in return, removing it before facing the A.D.A. again. "Leave before I change my mind and have him arrest you now. Oh, I'll be calling the District Attorney to let him know about your little visit and make sure someone who knows what they're doing handles her case."

Jesse somehow managed to keep a straight face and stepped forward. "I think it would be best if you left, Mr. Taylor. Let's go." The police chief escorted the speechless attorney from the room.

Marissa slowly leaned forward and took Bianca's hand causing the brunette to turn back to her. "Are you okay?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I am. What about you?"

Marissa grinned. "I'm good. That was amazing. I just watched the woman I love kick that jerk's ass. Have I told you lately how proud I am of you and just how much I love you?"

Bianca couldn't help but smile seeing the expression on Marissa's face. "I do know how much you love me. That is something I never doubt. You know how much I love you?"

"I do, and I never have to doubt that either."

"Good. As for being proud of that display with Taylor, I'll just take into account that you're medicated right now. Otherwise, you wouldn't be proud of how I lashed out at him."

"While I am medicated right now, it's not to the point where it hinders my judgment, especially where you're concerned." Marissa patted the spot on the bed bedside her. "Please sit with me."

Bianca settled next to her partner.

"I am always proud of you. Why wouldn't I be? What did you say that wasn't true? Pete bears responsibility for Brennan being out on bail due to his incompetence. While he wasn't behind the wheel, his actions or rather his inactions gave Brennan the opportunity to be out and trying to hurt someone. If it wasn't me, it would've been Colleen or someone else. No, Pete's a jackass and deserved every word you said to him and then some. The only things you're guilty of are speaking the truth and protecting me, taking care of me. I have never felt more loved or safer in my life. I can't find anything wrong with that at all."

Bianca rewarded Marissa yet again with the goofy grin she loved so much following it with a quick kiss. "You always know what to say to make me feel better."

"I only speak the truth. You know, I just thought of something else. I can't wait to tell your mom and sister what you did. They're going to love it that you went all 'Kane woman' on him." Marissa smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes. She could imagine their reactions.

"I have to agree with Marissa on that." Jesse agreed as he re-entered the room. "I know I enjoyed it. That man is an ass."

Marissa laughed. "It's unanimous. Hey, Jesse, could I borrow your phone?"

Bianca eyed her partner suspiciously. "Who are you calling? You're supposed to be taking it easy."

"I can't tell you just yet."

"Well, you can use mine. Why borrow Jesse's?"

"Your's won't have the number I need. Trust me, please."

"Always."

Jesse handed Marissa his cellphone. "You're sure I'll have the number you need?"

"I'm positive you will." Marissa scrolled through the contact list, found the number she wanted and pressed it to make the connection."

"Jesse, do you have an update for me on Marissa?"

"I can do better than that for you, Mike."

"Marissa? How are you? Do you need anything? Does Bianca need anything? I was going to stop by tomorrow and visit. I figured you needed the rest today."

The redhead grinned. She knew everyone meant well by asking, but she was getting a little tired of answering the same question on how she was. "I've been better, but give me a little time, and I'll be good as new. There is something you can do for both of us."

"Name it."

"Tell me that Pete Taylor isn't handling my case or going anywhere near it."

"Why the hell would I let him handle it? He's the reason Brennan is on the loose. Wait a minute. Don't tell he stopped by."

"I could tell you that, but it wouldn't be true. He just left. He said he was here to take my statement and that he was assigned to take it."

"That lying sack of … Marissa, I would never do something like that. Jesse is taking your statement, and I'm going to meet with him afterwards. I plan on handling your case myself. I'm going to make sure everything is done correctly and make sure that son of a bitch goes to jail for a very long time. You have my word on that."

"Thanks, Mike. I knew you didn't assign him."

"He didn't upset you or anything, did he?"

"Me? No, he didn't. Bianca made sure of that. She handed him his ass actually."

Mike laughed. "I'm sure she did. I would've liked to have seen that."

"It was pretty good. Could you tell Bianca what you just told me about the case?"

"Sure, I'd be happy to. Put her on."

"Hi, Mike."

"Hi, Bianca. Is Marissa really okay?"

The brunette smiled. "Yes, I'm happy to say she is."

"I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that. How are you doing?"

"Now that I know she's going to be okay and she's acting like her normal stubborn self, I'm okay. I'll be better when I get her home though."

"I'm sure you will. Now about Pete, I don't want you to worry about him. He's not handling Marissa's case. I am, and I'm going to make sure Brennan pays for everything. I'm also going to take care of Pete. This stunt of his is the final straw. I don't care who is father is or who he knows. He doesn't work in this office anymore. You have my word on that."

"Thank you, Mike. I needed to hear that."

"You're welcome. I planned on visiting Marissa tomorrow. Is that still good?"

"It's great. We'll both be happy to see you."

"I'll be there then. If you need anything, you just let me know. Tell Marissa I said goodbye, and I'll see you both tomorrow."

"We'll see you then." Bianca disconnected the call and handed the phone back to Jesse. She noticed Marissa was smiling. "Go ahead and say it."

"Say what?"

"I worry too much."

Marissa shook her head. "I think you worry just the right amount, probably less than I would. So, Jesse, what's going on with Brennan?"

Jesse pulled a chair out and sat down. "I can tell he was hurt in that crash. We found blood on the inside of his car. I can't tell you how badly though. Witnesses say they saw a man fitting his description heading away from the crash who looked to be hurt. We followed a blood trail for a couple of blocks with police dogs, but they lost the scent. This leads me to believe that he's holed up somewhere trying to heal."

"You know don't where."

"I hate to say it, but no, we don't. We know that he's not at his home or at his mother's. We've got both places under surveillance. We've also got a wiretap on his mother's home and cell numbers if he contacts her for help of any kind. We're checking all of the area hospitals and clinics. The banks and credit card companies have been notified and instructed to contact us the second he tries to access any of his accounts. We're canvasing the whole city and the surrounding area. We'll find him. In the meantime, I'm going to have officers outside your room and your home when you leave here. What I need from you, Marissa, is to tell me what you remember about last night."

"I only remember part of what happened. Dr. Torres says that's normal with head traumas."

"Okay, tell me what you do remember."

/

Bianca closed the door after Jesse left and turned to look at Marissa. The brunette could tell she was exhausted. "You should try and get some rest, Rissa. I don't want you wearing yourself out."

"I have to admit I'm a little tired. I know you are too. I tell you what. I'll get some rest if you will, and before you say anything, I sleep much better with you beside me." Marissa grinned as she patted her bed.

Bianca chuckled. She couldn't refuse Marissa anything when she looked at her the way she was now. It worked earlier, and it worked now. It always would. "Okay, but I want you to promise to rest."

Marissa grinned even wider. "I promise."

Bianca settled next to Marissa who sighed happily when she felt Bianca's arms envelop her.

/

Dark eyes opened and winced at the sunlight filtering through the crack in the curtains. The shaggy haired man took in his surroundings. Robert Brennan had been able to make it to Center City and crashed at the first place he could find. The Hideaway Inn was a dive and nothing at all like he was used to, but they didn't ask questions and took cash. He also fit in with their not so savory cliental now. He slowly sat up. His head and side were killing him. The crash took more out of him than he thought originally. He thought about going to an emergency room, but when he saw the police outside of Center City Memorial, he quickly changed his mind, thinking better of it. He grabbed the remote and flipped on the TV finding the local news. He turned up the volume when he saw an older picture of himself appear on the screen. It really didn't look like him now.

"Ms. Tasker's condition has been upgraded to good, and she is expected to make a full recovery. Police are on the lookout for Robert Brennan who is the estranged husband of one of Ms. Tasker's clients. Mr. Brennan's wife Colleen recently filed for divorce as well as assault charges for an attack Brennan committed on her earlier this year. He was out on bail at the time of the attack on Ms. Tasker, and police believe the two incidents are related. If you see Robert Brennan, do not approach him. He is considered violent. You're asked to contact either the Pine Valley Police Department or Crime Stoppers at the numbers on the screen. Ms. Tasker is the partner of business woman, philanthropist and founder of the Miranda Center, Bianca Montgomery. A statement was released by a spokeswoman for the couple's family. They thanked the public for their concern and well wishes for Ms. Tasker's speedy recovery and also ask for their support in locating Brennan. They are offering a reward for information leading to his arrest."

_That bitch is alive! She's taken everything from me, my wife, my son, my home. I'm on the run staying in this hellhole, and she's going to be just fine! Not if I can help it. _An evil smile crossed the man's face. _Her partner, huh? You took my wife away from me. I think it's only fair you know how I feel._

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I did it again. I was going to end this chapter with Bianca and Marissa, but one of my wonderful reviewers made a comment that nudged my evil side awake. She was just taking a little break this chapter but that went out the door. The evil side was inspired and took over with that last little burst about Brennan. I told you that you all inspired me! **


	61. Going Home

**A/N****: First and foremost, thank you for your wonderful reviews! I love them so please keep them coming! **

**There was a question on how old Bianca and Marissa were/are. According to what I found on Soap Central's website, Bianca's birthday is February 9, 1984 (it was changed from February 8, 1988), and Marissa's birthday is April 10, 1983. Based on my storyline which is currently in October of 2012, Bianca is 28 and Marissa is 29. Bonus information, Miranda and AJ are 8 (March 19, 2004). Gabby is 4 or maybe she will be turning 4 since the site has her birthday as October 21, 2008. Hmmm, I might have to do something with that little tidbit. Themes for her birthday? What to do with that? Sorry, the mind wandered off a little bit there.**

**Back to business, this update takes place shortly after the last chapter. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

Monday morning finally arrived. It was decision day. If all went as Marissa and Bianca hoped, the redhead would be heading home today after Dr. Torres examined her and gave her permission for Marissa to be released. It all depended on that exam and Marissa's latest test results. It was a five-way tie as to who was more excited by the prospect of her being home. The five members of the Tasker-Montgomery family were looking forward to all being together again and couldn't wait for that to happen.

Bianca had spent the previous evening at home with the kids. While she wanted nothing more than to stay with Marissa, they both knew it was important to get the kids back into their normal routine. That meant them going home and sleeping in their own beds. This did allow Bianca time to get things ready there for Marissa's expected return. While being escorted by a security guard as she promised her lover, Bianca ran to the grocery store and pharmacy to pick-up a couple of prescriptions for Marissa that her doctors had given Bianca in anticipation of her release. After getting home from running those errands along with several others, the brunette picked up around the house. In all honesty, she didn't need to do much in that respect. The Walkers had gone over earlier to clean for the couple. Kendall dropped the kids off, and they proceeded to hang up the welcome home banner they, along with their cousins, had made for Marissa the night before.

After that was done, they called Marissa and talked with her. The kids wanted to Skype with her again, but Bianca had brought her laptop home. She thought it would be too big of a temptation for Marissa to have it there, and she needed her rest. They hadn't told the kids of the possibility of Marissa coming home the next day. Neither wanted to get their hopes up and then have them be disappointed if something happened to delay her release. They also knew it would be hard for them to concentrate at school if they thought the redhead was going to be home. After Bianca put the kids to bed, she packed a few things for Marissa including a pair of sweats. The redhead would need something comfortable to wear that would accommodate the brace for her knee. Bianca then called Marissa again, and the couple talked for a few minutes before ending the call for the evening. Bianca could hear the exhaustion in Marissa's voice. The brunette finished a few last minute preparations before admitting that she was also in desperate need of sleep and succumbed herself.

The next morning after dropping the kids off at school and daycare, Bianca headed to the hospital. Marissa wasn't in her room when she arrived, and the nurses informed her that Dr. Torres was running one more test. Bianca decided to keep thinking positive that Marissa would indeed be going home with her today and began packing the belongings her partner had at the hospital.

Marissa smiled brightly as she was wheeled into her room and spotted Bianca. "Hey!"

"Hey yourself!" Bianca walked over and gave Marissa a quick kiss before addressing the nurse. "I'll take it from here, Emily. Thanks."

The nurse nodded. "You're welcome. Good luck, Marissa."

"Thanks, Emily."

Bianca locked the wheelchair and handed the redhead her crutches.

Marissa carefully stood and walked over to her bed. "How'd it go at home? Any problems with the kids?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, they were good. I'm glad we didn't tell them about you maybe coming home today. It would've been impossible to get them to go. How'd it go with Dr. Torres?"

"I think it went okay. She seemed pleased. She wanted to check one other thing before making her decision. Whatcha doing?"

"I'm thinking positive and packing your things. This way when Dr. Torres says you come home, we can get out of here right away."

"I like your thinking." Marissa scanned the room. "Oh, don't forget my cards please."

"Don't worry. I won't forget them."

"Did Kendall ever tell you how much damage the five of them did to her dining room making them?"

Bianca chuckled. "No, she didn't. I think Zach was able to take care of most of it before she got home. It did take her some time to get Ian cleaned up though. I'm still not sure about what happened with him and the glitter. Oh, I brought you some sweats to wear home. I think they'll work best with your brace."

"Thank you. I can't wait to wear something other than a hospital gown. Why don't you relax a few minutes? I know you probably went to bed late last night and have been running around since early this morning. You have to be exhausted. I'm not the only one who needs to take care of themselves you know."

Bianca made a face knowing Marissa had busted her. "Okay, but I haven't done as much as you think. The whole Walker family cleaned the house for us."

"They did? That was really sweet of them."

"Yes, it was. Carol said it was the very least they could do for us given everything you've done for their family."

"_We've_ done, and I'm glad everything's going well for them."

"Me too. Oh, Carol also brought over a huge plate of her chocolate chip cookies. Sam helped her make them. I was able to limit the kids to just two each so you'll be able to have some when you get home."

Marissa smiled. "She did? She makes the best cookies. I tried to get her recipe once, but she's not talking." The redhead checked the time. "Where is Dr. Torres?"

"She'll be here, Rissa. She's probably just running behind." Bianca was trying to remain calm, but she was just as anxious as Marissa. "We have to make sure we don't forget Minx."

"That's not even possible. Gabby would never forgive me if I didn't bring him home. I still can't get over her sending him here for me. She is so amazing and is growing up way too fast. All of them are."

"I know. I can't believe our baby is going to be starting kindergarten next year."

"Bianca, good morning. How are you?"

"Good morning, Dr. Torres. I'm okay. I'll be much better if you're here to us that Marissa can come home today."

The doctor chuckled. "Well, I won't keep you in suspense any longer. I'm very happy to say that Marissa is free to go home today. We just have to finish up some paperwork and then she's all your's."

_Damn straight she's all mine, but I always love hearing that._

_Yep! I definitely am all her's, and she's all mine._ Marissa grinned. "Thank you! Let's get this paperwork started."

"You sound anxious to leave us, Marissa."

The three women glanced over to the door and saw Angie Hubbard enter.

"Well as much as I like you, Angie, and Dr. Torres and everyone else here, I want to go home and see my kids. Please don't take it personally. Plus, I also know that Bianca will rest more if I'm home. She's running herself ragged."

"I'm fine. I told you not to worry about me. I have to agree with her on one point though, Angie. As wonderful as all of you have been, I want her home. The kids want her home too."

Angie sighed. "Don't worry. We get it from a majority of our patients and don't take it personally. Alright, let's not keep you here any longer. I've already given Bianca your prescriptions which I'm assuming you've gotten filled."

"Yes, I did. We won't have to make any stops. Thanks again for that."

"You're welcome. I figured it would be easier for you to pick them up in advance."

Dr. Torres spoke next as she handed Bianca a paper containing instructions. "We've gone over everything you need to be on the lookout for regarding symptoms of the concussion. The remaining ones should be cleared up in the next week. If you notice any reoccurrence, contact me right away. Do you have any questions for me?"

Bianca shook her head as she scanned the paper "I can't think of any right now."

"Call me if you think of anything. Oh, Marissa, thank Krystal for the breakfast spread."

The redhead cocked her head. "What are you talking about?"

"Krystal sent over enough food to feed an army as a thank you for taking care of you. She didn't need to, but it's really appreciated."

Marissa smiled. "I'll tell her."

"Take care, and I hope to see you both again soon under better circumstances and far away from here." Dr. Torres smiled and left.

Angie began speaking again. "Dr. Lawson tells me that she has gone over her instructions for you and is planning on performing surgery later this week."

"She said that my ribs shouldn't interfere with it."

"She's right. They won't. I'm very happy to say that they are just cracked and not broken as originally thought, and they're healing nicely. Bianca, I've shown you how to wrap Marissa's ribs to give them more support and the breathing exercises she needs to perform."

Bianca nodded. "We'll do them three times a day."

Angie turned to Marissa. "You know the limits on what you can lift and your activities. Don't push yourself or you'll just set back your progress. Plus, you need plenty of rest. Your body is still healing. Listen to it." The doctor smiled seeing the expression on the redhead's face. "I know it's frustrating, but in the end, it's the best for your recovery."

Marissa sighed. "I know you're right. I have a feeling Bianca will keep me in check. Anything else?"

"No, I just need your signatures and then you're free to go."

Bianca signed the paperwork after Marissa and handed it back to the doctor. "Thank you for everything, Angie."

"Thank you, Angie." Marissa added.

"You're more than welcome. I'll let the guard know you'll be ready to leave shortly. Brot is also on duty as well. Take care of yourselves."

Bianca helped Marissa change out of her hospital gown and into her sweats and began gathering her things. The guard knocked on the door and informed the couple the car was waiting for them. Bianca smiled and helped Marissa into the wheelchair. An orderly carried the crutches and bag for the couple while Bianca pushed the wheelchair. "It's time to get you home."

Marissa sighed happily. "Music to my ears."

/

Bianca set Marissa's bag near the door and held it open for her while her partner made her way into the house. The brunette set the alarm as soon as Marissa was safely inside.

Marissa spotted the banner immediately and laughed. "I think I know what happened with Ian and the glitter. It looks like an explosion of some sort happened."

Bianca began laughing as well. "I don't know how I missed that last night. I really have to wonder what damage they did to Kendall's dining room now."

Marissa sat down on the sofa and smiled softly at Bianca. "I know why you missed it. You are beyond exhausted. You've been running around taking care of me and the kids and everything else. Maybe now that I'm home, you'll be able to get some more rest. I'm worried about you."

Bianca shook her head in wonder at her lover. "You shouldn't be worrying about me. I'm not the one who was injured and in a hospital if you don't remember."

"Oh, I remember. I'm always going to worry about you. I can't help it. Come on. Sit down and relax, please, for me." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "How can I possibly say 'no' to you when you ask so nicely?"

"That's what I was counting on. We need to talk."

"I know we do."

"We need to think about what we're going to do regarding Robert Brennan. I'm worried, not for me but for you."

"Me?"

"Yes, you. I can't help but have this feeling that he's going to come after you."

"Why would you think that?"

"Think about it. The news reported on our relationship so he knows exactly who you are to me. He blames me for him not being with Colleen. He's wrong, but in his mind, it's my fault. He has yet to take any personal responsibility for anything that he's done. He doesn't see his behavior as abusive or that he did anything wrong. It's all on me. If you follow his line of thinking then, he'll need to strike back at me where it would hurt me the most. What better revenge could he think of than to take the person I love away from me?"

"I hate to admit it, but you're right. If someone wanted to hurt me, hurting you would be at the very top of the list of what to do. What about the kids? Do you think they're safe?"

"I do. We never leave them alone. Someone is always with them. After JR's stunt with taking AJ without permission from school, they've increased security for the whole school. They don't take the bus to school. There really isn't an opportunity to get to them. That being said, however, I made a call earlier to someone for their advice and expertise." She was interrupted by a knock on the door. "That would be him now."

Bianca gave her lover a puzzled look before heading to the door. She smiled after checking the viewer to see who was on the other side. "Hi, Zach. Come in. It seems Marissa's been expecting you."

Zach gave her a quick hug before heading over to Marissa and leaning down for a gentle hug, not wanting to cause her further injury. "Red, it's good seeing you."

"Hey, Zach. Thanks for coming over."

Zach took a seat in a chair across from the redhead. "I'm more than happy to. I made a couple of calls, and someone's watching the school."

"I should've known that not even a concussion would stop you from thinking of everything." Bianca smirked as she sat next to Marissa. "That was pretty quick, Zach."

"Marissa called me earlier and told me what was on her mind, and I have to agree with her. This Brennan character is capable of anything. He's proven that a few times, and this was way too close for me."

Bianca sighed. "You're telling me. I don't want anything like that happening again."

"And I want, no, I _need_ to make sure that Bianca is safe."

"That's exactly what we're going to do. I'm not going to let anything else happen to either of you. You're family, and I protect my family."

Marissa smiled seeing the glint in Zach's eyes. She knew he was a man of his word. "I know, and I'm counting on that. It's pretty obvious that I'm not going to be running around any time soon, and I don't want Bianca carrying the burden of doing everything and I certainly don't want her running around unprotected." Marissa turned to Bianca. "I know you think you'll be okay, but I can't take that chance. Brennan's too unstable. I want someone with you."

"Marissa, I don't need a bodyguard."

"No, Bianca, you're wrong. You do. You're so worried about me that you forget about yourself, and I'm not going to have that. Remember, you just told me you agreed with me that the best revenge would be to go after you. The best way to protect you is to have a bodyguard. Do this for me, please. I'd never forgive myself if something happened to you because of me."

Bianca saw the pleading look in Marissa's eyes. She knew if their roles were reversed, she'd be making the same request. "What do we tell the kids?"

"We tell them that we've hired someone to help out while I heal. The bodyguard?"

"Yes, I'll agree to it."

Marissa sighed in relief. "And you promise to not go out without them?"

Bianca smiled. The lawyer in her lover was closing any loopholes. "Yes, I promise. I'll be good." Her promise was rewarded with a quick kiss.

"Thank you. Okay, Zach, I want the best person watching her."

"That's exactly who I'll get. Kendall will be very happy to hear about this. She's been worried about you, both of you. I've also hired some investigators to look for Brennan. My gut is telling me he's in the area, either here or Center City."

"Center City?"

"It's easier for him to hide in some of the seedier areas there. He probably doesn't have a lot of cash, and many of the places he could hide there don't need a lot of it. My resources will be able to gain access to places that the police can't so readily. Many of the residents there may not be as forthcoming with the police either. They don't trust them having had their own dealings with them."

Marissa nodded. "That makes sense."

"Don't worry, Red. We'll turn him over to the police when we find him." _I can't say what condition he'll be in when that happens, but we'll turn him over to the police nonetheless. _Zach knew as an officer of the court that Marissa couldn't be party to anything that might be suspect, but he also knew he was going to make the man pay for the pain the couple was going through right now.

Both women saw the look in his eyes, and neither decided to press him. The less they knew the better all the way around.

"We'll need to let Susan know what's going on. She's offered to help with the kids even with everything that's happening." Bianca noted.

"I'll have someone make sure she's safe as well. I'm going to go and make a few calls, and I'll have someone over here as soon as possible. They'll be discreet but very good. Trust me." He gave Marissa a quick hug.

"We do. Thanks, Zach."

Bianca walked her brother-in-law to the door and hugged him. "Thank you, Zach."

"You're welcome. Don't worry. I'm on this."

Bianca walked back to join Marissa and saw her smiling.

"What?"

"Thank you for agreeing to a bodyguard. I know you didn't want to, but you did, for me."

"You should know by now that I would do anything for you."

"I do know that. The same goes for me where you're concerned. I just have one small regret."

"What's that?"

"I want to be the one _guarding_ your body." Marissa grinned and waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca laughed and leaned in for a loving kiss. "You do a very good job of _guarding_ my body. God, I'm so glad you're home."

"So am I." Marissa leaned back on the sofa.

"Tired?"

"Yeah, I just seem to get tired so easy."

"Angie said that's normal. It's going to take you a few days to get your strength back. Why don't you take a nap? We'll have lunch when we you get up. Then, we'll take things from there."

"That sounds good but only if you promise that you won't do too much."

"I promise. I'm just going to make a few calls. I need to check in with the Miranda Center and then give Mom and Krystal a call. They wanted to know when you got home. I'll make us some lunch after that. I have nothing else planned. Scouts honor." Bianca smiled. "You'll probably be more comfortable upstairs in bed."

Marissa grinned. "There you are, trying to get me in bed and have your way with me yet again. You really are insatiable."

Bianca chuckled. "Damn, you found me out. Are you good doing the stairs on your own or do you need some help?"

Marissa looked at the stairs. It would be the first time she tackled them. "I could use some help if it's not too much to ask."

"Of course it's not. It gives me an excuse to put my arm around you."

"People don't realize just how handsy you are, Montgomery, and now, you're taking advantage of my condition to feel me up."

Bianca grinned. "Girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do, Tasker. Besides, I can't keep my hands to myself around you. I don't really hear you complaining though."

"Nope. No complaints from me at all. I'll return the favor when I get my strength back."

"I can't wait!"

/

"I'm glad you came to your senses and are letting Zach get you a bodyguard, Sweetheart. I know you loathe to admit it's needed, but it is. Thank goodness Marissa was able to get through to you."

Bianca rolled her eyes, thankful she was on the phone with her mother and not face to face with her. She wouldn't have to hear her mother admonish her like she always did whenever she or Kendall rolled their eyes at her in exasperation. "Yes, Mom, Marissa told me how important this was to her so that's why I'm doing it."

Erica smiled. She was grateful for the influence Marissa had on Bianca, making her see how important she was and that she needed to think about her own safety. The redhead had a knack of getting through to her stubborn daughter when no one else could, and Erica would be eternally grateful for that. "How is she doing, really?"

"She's doing good. She's moving slow, but isn't in as much pain as she was earlier. The doctors are very happy with her progress. Other than a slight headache and some sensitivity to light, her symptoms from the concussion are gone."

"That's very good to hear. What about her knee? Surgery was mentioned, wasn't it?"

"Yes, she has an appointment on Thursday. If all goes well, they'll do surgery on Friday, but she won't have to stay overnight. She'll get to come home late Friday afternoon. She'll have to be on the crutches for a little while, but she won't be laid up in bed. I think she'd go nuts if that was the case."

"No, Marissa doesn't strike me as the type that would be able to lie around and not do something. I know that you'll make sure she doesn't overdo though. I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I need to go. I'll stop by tomorrow. If you need anything, let me know. Give Marissa my love, and tell her I'm very glad she's home. I love you, Sweetheart."

"I love you too, Mom, and I'll let Marissa know." Bianca disconnected the call. She couldn't help but smile at her mother's last comments. She never thought she'd see the day when her mom would send her love to someone that Bianca was involved with. Of course Marissa wasn't just anyone, and was in no way shape or form like the others. To have Erica's support, to know that her mother believed that Marissa had more than earned her place in their family as well as her love and respect, it was a dream come true for Bianca. A knock on the door brought the brunette from her musings.

"Krystal, it's good to see you. Come in."

"Hi, Bianca. I just wanted to see if Marissa made it home okay."

The brunette smiled. "I was just getting ready to give you a call. She did. She's actually resting right now. This morning took a lot out of her."

"Well, it's going to take her a little while to get back to normal. I won't stay then. I just wanted to drop this off." Krystal handed over a bag.

Bianca opened the bag, removed a dish inside and peeled back the foil. "You brought us over your lasagna?"

"I figured you could use the break and not have to cook tonight. You can all just enjoy Marissa being home."

"Thank you. That's very nice of you. You didn't need to do it, but I'm more than happy to not have to cook." Bianca pulled out another dish and smiled hopefully. "Is this what I think it is?"

Krystal laughed. "Yes, it is. I thought everyone could use a treat as well so I threw in a chocolate cake. I better get going."

"No, please stay. I was just to start on lunch for Rissa and myself, and I'd like for you to join us. I know she'd like to see you too."

"Are you sure? I wouldn't want to intrude."

"I'm positive."

"Okay but only if you let me help." Krystal smiled.

"You've got a deal. Come into the kitchen. I'll put this away and then we can start on lunch."

/

Marissa woke up and looked at the clock. She'd been asleep for about an hour. _I must have been more tired than I thought._ She stretched gingerly and then sat up. She carefully reached for her crutches and headed for the stairs in search of Bianca. Marissa slowly made her way down the stairs and heard voices coming from the kitchen.

"Hey. Something smells good in here."

Bianca smiled and pulled a chair out for Marissa before giving her a quick. "Hey, yourself. You made it down the stairs okay."

"Yep, I just took it slow and steady. Hi, Krystal. I hope you haven't been here too long. I didn't think I'd be asleep as long as I was."

"I haven't been here that long, and don't worry about it. You need your rest. Are you feeling okay?"

"I am. I can't tell you how good it is to be home."

"Well judging by the smiles on both of your faces, I can guess how happy you both are."

"Krystal brought us over dinner and dessert for tonight, lasagna and …"

"Chocolate cake?" Marissa's eyes lit up in anticipation.

Krystal laughed and shook her head. "Yes, it's chocolate cake. Bianca had pretty much the same reaction. I think you're worse than the kids sometimes."

Marissa grinned. "Bianca has excellent taste."

"Yes, I do. I'm with you, aren't I?" Bianca gave her a quick kiss. "Okay, I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

Krystal smiled as she watched the couple. Bianca was fussing over Marissa who was acting as if she didn't like it when it was plain as day that she did. It reminded Krystal of a similar situation last year when their roles were reversed and before they realized they were in love. Bianca was recovering from having her appendix removed, and Krystal stopped by Wildwind to drop off a care package for her and the girls. Marissa had practically moved in to take care of the brunette and fussed over Bianca making sure she didn't overdo and followed doctor's orders. Krystal could tell that Bianca liked having someone take care of her for a change and appreciated everything Marissa was doing for her. It was also the first time Krystal noticed a shift in their relationship, an indication that it was changing, evolving from friendship into something more, something deeper. Krystal dismissed the thought as soon as it crossed her mind thinking she was mistaken, but looking back now, she thought that seemed to be the turning point in their relationship to her. It was the moment they realized how much they cared about and needed each other even if the couple themselves hadn't admitted it consciously yet. Even with everything going on right now, the love and caring was between them was so evident, so strong. She had no doubt whatsoever that as long as they had each other, they would survive this and anything else life threw at them.

**/**

**A/N****: No, sightings of Brennan in this chapter. He's still out there though. I needed to lay a little groundwork in this one. See you next chapter!**


	62. Homecoming

**A/N****: Thank you as always for your reviews. They are greatly appreciated. This chapter picks up immediately after the last update. Hope you enjoy it! **

**/ **

"How's the expansion going, Krystal? Have you heard anything back on your offer yet?"

"Marissa …" Bianca warned.

"What? I'm just asking a question."

The brunette chuckled. "Fine, but I'm keeping my eye on you. Remember Dr. Torres said no work related issues for at least two weeks. That brilliant mind of your's needs a break."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "She didn't say I had a brilliant mind."

"It was implied. Besides, are you doubting my assessment of your brilliance?"

"You're not exactly unbiased, you know."

"True, but it doesn't make it any less of a fact. Help me out here, Krystal. She's brilliant, isn't she?"

Krystal laughed. "Well, I have to admit that I'm a little biased myself so I'm going to agree with Bianca."

Marissa snorted. "Whatever. I'm just making conversation. I'm allowed to do that, aren't I?"

"You're right. You are. I'm sorry. I'm just …"

"Worried about me. I know, and I get it. Maybe you weren't all that far off with some of my motives before." Marissa smiled sheepishly. "I promise I'm just curious now."

Krystal smiled at her daughter. "As long as you're just curious, I'll answer you. No, I haven't heard anything yet. I'm supposed to hear something by the end of the week though. I don't want you to worry about it and think you have to do anything. Your friend Brian called and is taking over for you. He's not as good as you, because who really is, but he's doing a good job. He's taking care of me. He told me that he knew you'd kick his butt if he didn't."

Marissa laughed. "He's right. I would, but I know he'll do a good job. I'm glad he's working on it for you. Other than Jack or Caleb, I can't think of anyone else at the firm I'd trust more working on this. I'll have to thank him. I know he has to be swamped."

"Hey, don't worry about that. Uncle Jack and Caleb are sorting through all of your cases and contacting your clients. Your cases are being divvied up among some of the other associates until you return. Other than the expansion of Krystal's, I know the two cases you're worried about the most. Caleb is handling Sam's case, and Uncle Jack said he was going to handle anything regarding Colleen's case."

"I do feel better knowing that. So, Krystal, what else is going on? How's Jenny?"

"She's good and growing like a weed. Oh, I almost forgot." The older woman reached into her purse. "She made this for you and can't wait to see you."

Marissa smiled as she looked at the get well card made by her little sister. "I love it. Tell her I said thank you. Maybe you can bring her over tomorrow afternoon for a visit."

"She'd love that." Krystal checked the time. "I better get back to the restaurant. You take care of yourself, and if you need anything, you let me know. That goes for both of you."

"We will, and thank you for dinner and dessert." Marissa smiled as Krystal gave her a hug.

Bianca walked Krystal to the door. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of her. I love her so much."

Krystal smiled. "I know you do, and my baby girl feels the exact same way about you. I meant what I said. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Bianca gave her a hug. "I won't." The brunette opened the door only to be greeted by her sister and cousin. "Kendall! Greenlee! Come in."

Krystal smiled. "Looks like it's time for the next round of visitors. I'll see you ladies later."

"Hi, Krystal. Bye, Krystal." Kendall looked at her sister. "She's not leaving because of us, is she?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, she was here for a while and needed to get back to restaurant." The friends followed her into the family room. Bianca took the seat she had just vacated next to Marissa while the other women sat down.

"How are you holding up, Red? You're not too tired for a visit, are you?"

"No, I'm good, Curly. I had a nap a little earlier so I think I can handle the two of you. It's good to see both of you."

"No offense, but I have to say that you both look a heck of a lot better than the last time I saw you."

Bianca laughed. "No offense taken, Greenlee. It's amazing what having Rissa home will do."

"Yeah, I know being home has done wonders for me. I want to thank you guys for everything you've done for us. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. If you ever need anything, just ask."

"It's not necessary, but we'll keep it in mind. We come bearing gifts. Kendall, if you wouldn't mind."

Kendall produced a bag. "We figured you'd be getting inundated with flowers. It turns out we were right. So, we opted for something more fun."

Marissa pulled out a bottle of wine and a card. "That's a very nice bottle of wine." She read the card and laughed. "An evening of babysitting."

"Yes, that includes an overnight for them, and it's to be used only when you're healed."

"Thank you both."

"Yes, thank you. A romantic evening with Rissa sounds amazing." Bianca smiled.

"We thought you'd like it. Do the kids know you're home?"

"Not yet. We didn't want to risk them being disappointed in case Marissa couldn't come home for some reason."

Greenlee nodded. "That makes sense. Plus, it probably would've been next to impossible to get them to go to school if they knew for sure."

Kendall snickered. "That's an understatement. I could tell how much they missed you. This way you get to rest up for them and give them a great surprise when they get home."

"That's pretty much what we thought. I can't even begin to tell you how much I've missed them. I know it's only been a couple of days since I've actually seen them, and I'm not talking about over a computer screen. I mean actually seen them face to face, but being so close to them and not being able to hug them, it's been so damn hard."

"I'm sure it has, but you're home now. You might want to consider getting some earplugs. I have a feeling there's going to be lots of squeals and screams when they get home."

Marissa grinned at Kendall. "I suppose you're right. The kids might even scream some too."

Kendall chuckled and then paused as she weighed what she wanted to discuss with the couple next. "So, Zach tells me he stopped by this morning."

Bianca nodded. "He did. Marissa called him for his advice about security."

"I need to make sure your sister and our kids are safe."

Kendall smiled seeing how protective Marissa was of Bianca and their family and just how well she knew her. If it was left up to her sister, she wouldn't give her own safety a second thought, but now, she had someone who put it at the top of the list. "I'm glad you called him. It saved us from calling you about it. We talked about this last night, and neither of us liked thinking about that jackass running around and all of you not being safe. If you gave me a hard time about it, I was going to play the big sister card and insist you let us do something to help. I was even prepared to call Mom if I needed to."

"Well, you don't need to call Mom. I spoke with her after Zach left."

"Good. I'm glad I didn't have to deal that. What did she say?"

"She was relieved that I agreed to the bodyguard. She'd been afraid that I would dig in my heels and be stubborn about needing one. Mom was glad I was listening to Marissa and being reasonable about everything. It seems she thinks Marissa is a very good influence on me, and she thinks I should listen to her more often."

Marissa grinned. "Your Mom is very wise sometimes."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You're only saying that because she agreed with you. It's a different story when she doesn't."

"Like I said, Erica's a very wise woman, _sometimes_." Marissa added with a wink.

"I have to say it's a little disturbing to see Erica get along so well with someone you're involved with. Nothing against you, Marissa, but I just never thought I'd live to see the day." Greenlee smirked.

"It would seem Mom has, to a lesser degree than my little sister here, fallen victim to the Tasker charm." Kendall laughed.

"How could she not?" Bianca smiled brightly.

Marissa gave a cheeky grin in return. "I promise to only use my powers for good."

Kendall chuckled before turning sober. There was a reason she brought up this topic, a promise she needed from her sister. "Seriously though, Binx, I'm glad you're doing this. It doesn't matter why, just that you are. This guy is unpredictable, and I don't want you to take any changes. Promise me you won't."

Bianca looked at her sister earnestly. "I promised Marissa, and I promise you. I'll be good and won't take any unnecessary risks. I'm too happy with my life, and I have way too much to lose not to do this. You have my word."

Kendall seemed placated by her sister's promise. "I'm going to hold you to that. The same goes for you too, Red. You guys are so good for each other, and there are too many people that love you both and count on you, particularly those three amazing kids of your's."

"We know, and we're going to keep each other in line. Right, Bianca?"

Bianca smiled and gave her partner a quick kiss. "You're right, Rissa. We will."

"I'm glad that's settled. I was thinking, Marissa."

"Well, that's something you should be afraid of." Kendall smirked.

Greenlee shot her friend a glare. "Did you mean what you said before about us asking if we need anything?"

"Of course I did. Is there something you need?"

"Well, I do have one thing I'd like."

"Name it, and it's your's, Greenlee."

"The next girls' night out, let me plan it. I don't know about you, but spending the night in the hospital drinking cold coffee instead of having margaritas at a nice bar is not my idea of a good time." Greenlee grinned.

Marissa laughed. "I can't say that I don't agree with you so deal! You're in charge next time. I happily relinquish my planning duties to you, Greenlee."

"I don't know if you want to give her complete control, Red. She could come up with something really scary. "Besides, you can't say it was a boring night. You two always manage to keep us on our toes."

Bianca laughed as she watched the three women. She knew she could count on her sister and Greenlee to relieve any tension and find the humor in any situation when it was needed the most. "I think that's kind of like the pot calling the kettle black."

"Truer words were never spoken. We've got nothing on the two of you when it comes to trouble."

"They've got a point, Kendall. You do attract trouble." Greenlee smirked.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Oh please. You're a trouble magnet! I think it's your middle name. You're the one always dragging me into things."

A knock on the door interrupted Greenlee's reply.

Bianca answered the door and returned with a beautiful bouquet of fall flowers. "Rissa, do you have a secret admirer you want to tell me about?"

"Those are for me?"

"That's what the card says. Besides, we've been getting flowers for you all day."

"You can start your own florist shop, Red."

Marissa read the card and smiled before handing it to Bianca.

"Who are they from?" Greenlee inquired.

"Adam."

Kendall started choking on her drink. "Adam? As in Adam Chandler? Your ex father-in-law? That Adam?"

"One in the same. He just wanted me, actually he wanted Bianca and me to know that if we need anything to let him know."

"Wow. I didn't see that coming, especially with everything Dipshit put you through."

"I think that's exactly why he's offering, Greenlee. He finally realized that AJ was the one being hurt by everything JR was doing so he's trying to rectify some of that, with Brooke's help of course. I'm not going to let myself be taken in by him by any means, but he did agree to my request to have Bianca be AJ's legal guardian if something happened to me."

It was Greenlee's turn to choke on her drink this time. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Bianca nodded. "He's been very supportive and reinstated the trust that had been set up for AJ, the one that JR was dipping into. Adam also named both of us as its executors."

"I don't know what to say, Binx. That's huge."

"Yes, it is and generous too."

"Has there been any word from Dipshit?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, there hasn't, Kendall. I have to admit I'm a little torn on that for AJ. He misses his Dad still, but he hasn't been around for so long. When I say that, I'm not just talking about him being in prison. I'm referring to who JR used to be before he let his hate and bitterness get the better of him. AJ doesn't need that in his life so the bigger part of me is glad JR's not around. Seeing what he'd become hurt AJ way too much, and I won't have that. JR won't get that chance ever again."

Bianca took Marissa's hand. "No, he won't. We'll make sure of that." The brunette smiled when there was another knock at the door. "Hmmm, anyone want to take bets that's the florist again for Marissa?" She came back carrying a small florist box and automatically handed the card to Marissa without even looking at it.

"That's not for me." The redhead grinned and handed the card back.

Bianca read the card. A goofy grin crossed her face when she pulled out a single red rose.

Kendall grabbed the card. She read it and then passed it on to Greenlee.

_B,  
>Everything<br>M_

The friends shook their heads. They weren't exactly sure what was going on with the rose and card and decided to leave it at that given the way the couple was gazing at each other. "I think it's time for us to go."

"I think you're right, Kendall. Besides, the kids will be getting out of school soon. Emma and I are meeting Ryan for a night out."

"Yeah, Zach and I are taking the boys out for pizza. We'll see you both later. Good to have you home, Red."

"Thanks, Kendall. You too, Greenlee."

Bianca walked her sister and cousin to the door. "Thanks for stopping by and for the gifts."

Kendall hugged her sister. "You're welcome. I'll check back later, and we'll work something out for Marissa's surgery on Friday."

Bianca closed the door behind them and set the alarm. She walked back over to the sofa and sat down next to a smiling Marissa. "When did you manage to arrange my rose?"

Marissa shrugged. "I had a few minutes alone earlier and made a call. Everyone is sending me flowers, and I figured you deserved to know just how special you are. You're my everything, B. I wanted to make sure you know that. I love you."

Bianca's breath hitched, and she struggled for words before saying the only three that mattered and always came to mind when she looked at Marissa. "I love you."

The two met halfway and then captured each other's lips. The kiss deepened, and as Marissa pulled Bianca closer, she released a small gasp. Bianca pulled back and saw Marissa wincing in obvious pain.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. That was all me. I'm okay. I was just a little over eager and forgot about the ribs. I tend to lose control around you." Marissa grinned.

"You're not the only one who has control issues. I forgot too." Bianca matched her lover's grin. "Seriously though, we both need to exercise some control until you're healed. I don't want to risk any setbacks with your recovery. I want you fully recovered when I have my way with you."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, I want to be recovered enough to enjoy myself when I have my way with you. It's going to be awfully hard though."

"Yes, it will, but we'll do what we need to do for you to get better. Until then, I'm just happy you're home."

The couple turned when they heard a car pull into the driveway. They looked at the clock on the mantel and then smiled.

"Are you ready?" Bianca asked as she helped Marissa sit up.

"Yep! Bring 'em on! I'm ready." Marissa smiled brightly at the prospect of being able to actually hold her kids.

Bianca gave her a quick kiss and headed for the door. She wanted to make sure the kids were careful when they greeted Marissa.

Miranda entered first. "Hi, Mom. Why are you home? How's …" The young girl stopped in her tracks. The biggest smile spread across her face when she saw Marissa. "Rissa!"

AJ followed Miranda inside and almost ran into her when she stopped suddenly. "Mimo, what are you doing?" He then glanced in the direction of where his sister was looking and beamed. "Mom!"

"Mommy, what's wrong with AJ and Miranda? Why'd they stop?" Bianca picked up her youngest so she could see over her brother and sister. Gabby lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw Marissa. "Mommy!"

The kids started to rush forward, but Bianca stepped in front. "I know you're excited to see her, but remember to be gentle. Okay?"

The three nodded in unison. She set Gabby down and moved out of the way. Marissa held out her arms, and the kids raced forward. After hugs and kisses were exchanged, the kids settled on the sofa. AJ and Miranda were on either side of Marissa, and Gabby had climbed up and was sitting on the redhead's lap. She'd been hesitant at first, but once she was reassured it would be okay, she happily took her usual spot.

Susan leaned over and gave Marissa a light hug. "It's good to see you home, Marissa. I know this crew is happy you're here if you couldn't tell."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, I could tell, but I'm just as happy to be here with them. Thank you for everything."

"You're welcome. I'm going to head out. I'll see you guys tomorrow."

Bianca walked Susan to the door. "Are you sure you're comfortable with helping out? If you're not, we understand."

"I'm happy to do it. You need the help, and I know I'm safe with the security that's been arranged. So, I'm good."

"Thank you. I'll see you tomorrow." Bianca headed back to the family room.

"I missed you, Mom.

"Me too, Rissa."

"Me three, Mommy."

"I missed you all too."

"Are you feeling better, Mommy?"

Marissa smiled and squeezed Gabby. "I sure am, Monkey. Why wouldn't I? I had your get well cards and Minx. Thank you again for him. I returned him safe and sound. He's on your bed waiting for you."

"He really helped?"

"Yes, he did, more than I can tell you."

Gabby beamed, very proud of what she'd just been told.

"Well, you were right, and thank you, AJ and Miranda. Bianca tells me that the two of you have been helping her out a lot. I really appreciate it."

AJ smiled proudly. "You're welcome, Mom."

"Do you hurt much, Rissa?"

"A little, but it's getting better. I just have to remember to take things slow and do what the doctors told me. Before you know it, I'll be good as new."

"We told Mom that we would help make sure that you that. She said she might need our help keeping an eye on you." Miranda grinned.

Marissa quirked an eyebrow clearly amused. "She did, huh?"

"I might've said something along those lines." Bianca knew she was busted. "Look at the time. I need to start dinner."

"Chicken. We're going to talk about it later. You know that, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. Okay, what is the deal with homework tonight?"

AJ and Miranda groaned. They wanted to spend more time with Marissa.

"I know you want to spend time with Rissa, but you still have to do your homework."

"I tell you what. Get your homework, and you can do it in here. I'll help you."

"I think that is an excellent idea. You start on that, and I'll start on dinner. Krystal brought us over lasagna and dessert."

Gabby had been snuggled comfortably against Marissa. At the mention of dessert, she perked up. "Chocolate cake?"

Marissa laughed seeing her youngest daughter's eyes light up expectantly. "You're just like your Mom. Yes, she brought us some chocolate cake."

"I'm not the only one she's like. I seem to recall you having pretty much the same exact reaction." Bianca smirked.

"You might have a point." Marissa chuckled. "Go get your books, and let's get started on your homework. Gabby and I will help. Won't we, Monkey?"

"Uh huh!"

AJ and Miranda rolled their eyes not convinced at all by their sister's 'help', but they did as they were told just happy to have Marissa home and to see Bianca smiling.

Miranda resumed her seat next to Marissa. "Mom really missed you, Rissa."

"She's really happy you're home, Mom."

"I know, and I really missed her too. I'm really happy I'm home."

/

When dinner was ready, Miranda grabbed Marissa's crutches for her while AJ held the kitchen door open for her. Once his mom was through the door, he quickly pulled out her chair for her as well. After dinner, the family gathered in the family room to spend some time together. Marissa and Bianca explained Marissa's surgery on her knee that was scheduled for that Friday to them. The mothers reassured their children that everything would be fine and that Marissa had the best doctors taking care of her. They told them that she would be home later that same day but would probably be tired and sore from it. The couple went on to explain that she would need some physical therapy to help her knee regain its strength, until Marissa was fully recovered. They would have someone helping them out by driving them around. The couple thought this was the easiest way to explain the presence of the bodyguard without telling them the real purpose for having someone else around. The kids asked several other questions, and the couple answered each of them.

"Does anyone have any more questions?" Bianca asked.

"Nope."

When there were no more questions coming from the kids, Marissa decided to pose one of her own. "Well, I have a question for AJ. What story do you want to hear tonight?"

AJ looked surprised. "Huh?"

"If I remember correctly, it's your turn to decide on a story, Buddy. So, what's it going to be?"

"You're not goo tired, Mom?"

"No, I'm not. I will always have time for our bedtime stories as long as you want to hear them. Okay?"

AJ nodded. "Okay."

The redhead looked at Miranda and Gabby. "The same goes for you two as well. So, what story will it be tonight?"

AJ thought for a minute and then a big grin spread across his face. "How about Shrek?"

"Why Shrek, Buddy?"

"Well, Princess Fiona is really tough and kinda kick butt like you, Mom." AJ grinned.

Miranda nodded as her grin matched her brother's. "She really is, Rissa."

"Mommy's tougher then Fiona." Gabby smiled brightly.

AJ and Miranda nodded. "Gabby's right. You are."

"I have to agree with them. I think you're much prettier than her to though, especially when she's an ogre." Bianca snorted.

The kids laughed.

"Gee, I'm glad to hear that." Marissa smirked. "What about first thing in the morning?"

"Oh, especially first thing in the morning." Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss and then turned to the kids. "Okay, time for you all to get ready for bed and then story time."

The kids raced upstairs. Marissa stood up, and Bianca took the crutches and slid her arm around her lover's waist.

"You don't have to help me upstairs, B. I can do it on my own. In fact, I have several times today."

"I know you can, Rissa. This isn't about you. I'm doing this for me. I like the way you feel in my arms."

Marissa sighed happily and gave the brunette a loving kiss. "And you always say I'm the charmer. That's pretty good, Montgomery."

Bianca grinned. "I try my best. Come on. The kids are waiting to hear how you kick butt. Oops, I mean how Princess Fiona kicks butt."

"Funny. Very funny."

/

"Thank you for helping me out tonight. I appreciate it. I appreciate even more how much you helped Bianca out while I wasn't here. I'm so very proud of you, Buddy."

AJ smiled. "You're welcome, Mom. I'm glad you're home. I missed you an awful lot. We all did. It's not the same without you here. Love you. Goodnight, Bianca. Love you too."

Bianca pulled the blanket up to cover her son and kissed him lightly. "Goodnight, Buddy. I love you too."

"Goodnight, Mom."

Marissa kissed her son. "Goodnight, AJ. I love you too."

The couple closed the bedroom door and made their way to the girls' room.

"Night, Mommy." Gabby smiled sleepily at Marissa as the redhead tucked her in.

"Goodnight, Monkey. Thank you again for loaning me Minx. He helped me feel a lot better. That was very, very sweet of you."

"I knew he'd help you. He always makes me feel better."

"Well, you were right." Marissa smiled softly as she brushed a stray lock of brown hair from her youngest daughter's face.

"Yes, you were, and I'm very proud of you. It's time to go sleep now. Goodnight, Baby. I love you." Bianca kissed her youngest softly.

"Night, Mommy. Love you too." Sleepy brown eyes found Marissa again. "Love you, Mommy."

Marissa kissed her goodnight. "I love you too, Monkey."

Gabby snuggled with Minx the monkey under her blanket and was soon fast asleep.

The couple made their way over to Miranda's bed where their oldest daughter was waiting patiently for them.

"I'm really happy you're home, Rissa. We missed you so much, especially Mom."

"Well, I'm really happy I'm home too."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Marissa smiled. She could sense Miranda was nervous about her upcoming surgery. "You are so much like your Mom it's scary sometimes. She's worries too much too. I'm sure I'm okay. I promise. Do you believe me?"

"Yes, I do."

"Good. Want to hear a secret? It's something I haven't even told your Mom yet."

"Really? What is it?"

"You know our song?"

Miranda nodded. "Yep, Forevermore."

"When I first woke up in the hospital, I hurt some and was scared. I wasn't really sure of where I was. I could sense that your Mom was right there next to me though, and you know what she did?"

"No. What?"

Marissa smiled first at Bianca and then her daughter. "She sang Forevermore to me, and it made me feel better and safe. I knew I was going to be okay. I had too many reasons not to. I have your Mom, AJ, Gabby and you, and I plan on being here with all of you for a very long time, until I'm old and gray."

Miranda smiled. "That's like what you did for her when she was sick last year."

"Yep, it sure is. So, I don't want you to worry about my surgery on Friday. I'll have your Mom with me so I know I'll be more than okay."

Miranda felt relieved, like a weight was lifted off of her. "I'll try."

"That's all I can ask. Okay, it's time for you to go to sleep. I'll see you in the morning. I love you." Marissa placed a kiss on Miranda's forehead.

"Love you too, Rissa." Miranda shifted under her blankets, and Bianca tucked her in. "Goodnight, Mom. Love you."

"I love you too, Mimo. Goodnight." Bianca kissed her daughter gently.

/

Bianca grinned as she closed their bedroom door behind her and Marissa. "Rissa, want to know a secret?"

"Sure. What?"

"Well, it's really not a secret, but I think you are amazing."

Marissa laughed as she sat down on the bed. "So you've told me over and over again. Why do you think I'm amazing this time?"

"It's Miranda. You were so good with her. You knew she was worried, and you were able to reassure her, make her feel better. Like I said, you're amazing."

"And you're biased. I just told her the truth."

"You heard me sing when you woke up?"

"Yeah, I did, and it did make feel safe. I knew you were there and that I was going to be okay. I had to be because I don't break my promises, especially the ones I make to you." Marissa held out her hand to Bianca. "Come on, B. I know you're exhausted."

Bianca eased into the bed next to Marissa and gently wrapped her arms her lover. "I love you, Rissa."

"I love you, B."

Both women sighed contently and drifted off to sleep.

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, it's a little on the fluffy side, but the kids needed their time to welcome Marissa home. There's more to come!**


	63. Getting Back To Normal

**A/N****: I have a couple of things to say real quick so please bear with me. To everyone affected by Hurricane Sandy particularly those on the East coast in the States, you're in my thoughts. Please stay safe and know that we're pulling for you.**

**Next, I'm not sure if I will have an update before November 6****th****. If I don't, remember that it's Election Day here in the States so don't forget to vote. There are many that don't have the right that we enjoy so please don't take it for granted. (I also won't miss the political commercials.) Okay, I'm stepping off my soapbox now.**

**As always, thanks for the wonderful reviews. I really appreciate them so please keep them coming. It's Halloween so I thought I'd post a little early for all of you. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca was waiting for Marissa at _their_ table at Krystal's. It was Marissa's first day back at work. She was only doing half days at the firm to ease her way back into work so she would be going home after they had lunch. The brunette checked the time, again. Something wasn't right. Marissa was late, and she hadn't called or texted with a reason for her delay. She always did that so Bianca wouldn't worry. The last time she was late with no word was when Robert Brennan tracked her down and slammed his car into Marissa's injuring her in the process. They'd been beyond lucky that she hadn't been injured more severely. Bianca had been hesitant about her lover going back to work since Brennan was still on the loose, but Marissa was going stir crazy at home. After speaking with her doctors, they agreed to allow her to return back to work on the condition she slowly eased her way back into the normal workday. Bianca was now regretting that decision more and more with each passing second that Marissa was late. Something was horribly wrong.

She checked the time again. No matter how hard she tried, Bianca just couldn't shake the ominous feeling and decided to call Marissa. It went straight to her voicemail.

"Rissa, it's me. I'm at Krystal's and wondering where you are. Is everything okay? Please call me. I need to hear that you're okay. I love you." Bianca disconnected the call and offered a silent prayer. _Please be okay, Rissa. Please let her be safe._

"Still no word from Marissa?" Krystal asked clearly growing as concerned as Bianca.

"No, not yet, and I'm really getting worried, Krystal. This isn't like her."

"I'm sure she's fine. Something probably came up, and she couldn't call." Krystal was doing her best to comfort her daughter's partner and to ease her concerns.

The brunette shook her head. "She _always_ calls unless something is wrong." Bianca heard the front door open and saw Jesse enter followed by her sister. She could tell Kendall had been crying. "No."

Kendall raced over to her sister. "Bianca."

"No! No! No! No! Don't say it, Kendall! Don't you dare say it!"

"Binx, I'm so sorry." Tears started to stream down Kendall's face. Her heart was breaking for her sister. "It's Marissa."

"NO!"

"I'm sorry. You don't know how sorry I am. There was an incident at the firm. Someone called in a bomb threat, and the building was evacuated. In all the confusion, Marissa was separated from her bodyguard, and …" Kendall choked on the words she had to say.

"You're wrong, Kendall. Marissa's fine. She has to be." Bianca's voice began to break and tears began to sting her eyes.

"I'm sorry, Bianca, but I'm not wrong. Brennan used that confusion and attacked her. He hurt her, and she's, she's, she's gone. Marissa's gone."

"NO! She's not! I'd know if she was! She can't be gone! Not again! I can't do this again!" Tears flowed down Bianca's distraught face. "It's not her!"

"It is, Bianca."

"How do you know, Kendall? They could be wrong! They are wrong!"

"They're not, Bianca. I saw myself. It's Marissa. She's gone." Kendall reached for her sister as started to sway.

Jesse darted forward when he saw Bianca start to collapse to try and catch her.

"NO!" The anguished sobs racking her body as reality set in. Her legs gave out, and everything went black.

/

"No, Rissa! No!"

"Bianca. Wake up, Bianca. Please, Bianca, wake up."

Brown eyes opened, and Bianca shot up in bed. She took a shaky breath. Reality began to enter her consciousness. Her eyes darted around the darkened room as her heart raced. Bianca felt soft, warm arms envelop her. _It didn't happen. It was a nightmare._

Marissa held Bianca tightly. "B, I'm here. I'm right here. You're safe."

Bianca's heart began to slow, and she tried to pull away. "I'm sorry. I'm fine now. It was just a bad dream. It was nothing."

Marissa shook her head and pulled her lover closer. "Bianca, that wasn't nothing. It was more than a bad dream. You're not fine. You're shaking." She pulled backed slightly and gently wiped the tears from her lover's face. "This is not fine, B. You've had these nightmares the last three nights. Something's wrong. Talk to me, please. I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on."

Bianca saw the concern in beautiful hazel eyes that could penetrate her very soul. Marissa was right. She couldn't continue like this. "I lost you. You were gone."

"What do you mean?"

"Brennan got to you, and …" Bianca's voice was thick with emotion and began to crack. "I lost you."

Marissa pulled Bianca to her again and softly kissed her temple. "You didn't lose me though. It wasn't real. I'm right here, and I'm not going anywhere. No one is going to take me away from you. I promised you a long life together, and I keep my word. Old and gray, remember?"

Bianca nodded as her head was nestled against Marissa. Both her breathing and heartbeat slowed significantly as Marissa's love and strength began to flow over her like a waterfall.

"Good. You've been so strong for so long. It's time to let someone help you. It's time to let me help you. I want you to tell me about the nightmare. I know you don't want to, but I believe you need to. You've been keeping things inside and that's not good. I think that's why you've been these nightmares."

Bianca gazed into Marissa's eyes and saw the truth behind what she was saying. She took a deep breath and began. The brunette talked for what seemed like hours relaying not only the details of her nightmares but all of her fears regarding what was happening now. She'd been holding back so much, trying to be strong, but once she started, she found she couldn't stop. Sharing her burden with Marissa lifted a huge weight off of her.

When Bianca finished, Marissa kissed her softly. "Do you feel better?"

Bianca nodded. "I do. I just, I was so scared. It seemed so real. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"I want you to listen to me and believe what I tell you. I'm right here, and nothing or no one is going to take me away from you. You couldn't get rid of me if you tried. You're stuck with me. I love you."

A small smile crossed Bianca's face. "I love being _stuck_ with you. I'm not letting you go, _ever_. I love you."

"That's exactly what I wanted to hear." Marissa kissed Bianca with all of the love that she had for her.

As the need for air became a necessity, they reluctantly separated breathless. Bianca saw the desire in Marissa's eyes but was afraid that she wasn't healed enough. "Rissa, remember your ribs. I don't want you to hurt them."

"B, I don't give a damn about my ribs. They're just fine. I want you. I need you. Please let me show you just how much."

Bianca smiled and was unable to deny Marissa. She couldn't deny herself. She needed Marissa more in that moment than she ever had before. She needed to feel her, to love her. Bianca kissed Marissa fervently as she drifted backwards onto the bed and pulled her lover with her.

/

Marissa slowly woke up and smiled as felt Bianca pressing against her, holding her tightly. Her lover's body molded perfectly into her's. The redhead peered at the bedside clock. It was almost time to get the kids up and ready for school. Marissa smiled again as an idea crossed her mind. Bianca needed to sleep. Since she'd gotten released from the hospital, her lover had been doing everything around the house, refusing to let Marissa help and insisting she needed to rest and heal. Well, the redhead was healed enough to get the kids ready for school, and Marissa was going to take advantage of the fact that Bianca wasn't awake yet to argue the point. She carefully eased out of Bianca's arms. She disabled the alarm before it could sound and bent over to retrieve her crutches from under the bed. She softly kissed Bianca before slowly making her way out of the bedroom and down to the kids' rooms.

/

Bianca woke up to find herself alone in bed and Marissa nowhere in sight. She glanced at the clock and saw it was almost time for the kids to head to school. The brunette grabbed her robe, and after checking their bedrooms and finding them empty, she headed downstairs. The sounds of laughter from the kitchen directed her course. She opened the door to find her children at the kitchen table all dressed and finishing up their breakfast and her lover at the oven with her back to the door. Bianca placed a finger to her lips in silent request to her children to remain quiet. It was met with grins and nods, and she approached her lover, wrapping her arms around her waist.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Marissa leaned back into her lover's embrace. "Good morning."

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm just doing my part and taking my turn. I got the kids ready for school and made them breakfast. Now, I'm making you breakfast. I thought you needed the rest and deserved a little surprise."

Bianca glanced over Marissa's shoulder and grinned. "You're making me chocolate chip pancakes!"

"Yes, I am. They're almost ready so if you would please sit down …" A knock on the door interrupted her.

"It's probably Susan. I'll be right back." Bianca kissed the redhead quickly and headed to answer the door.

Marissa walked over to the table. She gave each child a hug and kiss. "Have a good day, and I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too. Bye, Mom. "

"Bye, Rissa. Love you."

"Love you, Mommy. Bye"

The kids headed towards the family room where Susan was waiting. Bianca hugged and kissed each of her children, told them she loved them and wished them a good day. After they left, she set the alarm and headed back to the kitchen.

Marissa set a plate down on the table for each of them and joined Bianca. "I wanted to bring you breakfast in bed, but that wasn't really possible with the crutches. Plus, I knew you'd want to say goodbye to the kids."

"Thank you, but you didn't have to do this."

"Yes, I did. Like I said earlier, you deserve it. You've been doing so much for everyone. I wanted to do something for you. Let me do this for you."

"Okay, I give. Besides, you know I'm not going to turn down chocolate chip pancakes. How are you feeling this morning? Be honest."

Marissa grinned. "I'm good, a little sore, but good. Believe me when I tell you that any discomfort from my ribs was worth it. How are you?"

Bianca chuckled. "I'm glad it was worth it, and you're more than good. As for me, I'm much better thanks to you."

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear that. I know all of this has been rough on you, but I need you to promise me that you won't try and keep all of this inside and handle everything on your own. We're a team, a damn good one, and we can get through anything _together_. Will you do that?"

"I will. I promise. You're right. We are a damn good team. I should've talked to you earlier, told you how I was feeling, told you about the nightmares."

"Yes, you should have, but you told me about them last night. Are you sure you're okay?"

"I am. It all just felt so real."

"But it wasn't. I'm here and not going anywhere. Got it?"

Bianca smiled. "Got it."

"Good."

"So, what are the plans for today?"

"We've got my appointment with Dr. Lawson."

"Hopefully, she'll give the go ahead on the surgery tomorrow. The sooner it is, the sooner you can completely recover. What else?"

"Well, I was thinking and hoping we could come back here and have our ways with each other again." Marissa smiled wickedly.

"I do love you're thinking, Tasker." Bianca grinned as she captured Marissa's lips.

/

Robert Brennan rolled over in bed and winced. He stumbled out of bed knocking the empty whiskey bottles that littered the room out of his path to the bathroom. He splashed some water in his face in attempt to revive himself. He stared at his reflection in the grimy mirror confirming that he looked exactly like he felt, like hell. He raised his dirty t-shirt and examined the gash in his side that resulted from crashing his car into that lawyer. It didn't look good at all and hadn't gotten any better. It was red and swollen and hurt like hell. It was probably infected, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it right now. It was all that redheaded bitch's fault. Because of her, he couldn't get anywhere close to an ER. The police were staking them out, still on the lookout for him. Brennan rubbed his face. He needed food and time to think. He needed to come up with a way to get back to Pine Valley and even the score with her. He grabbed a jacket and headed out. He stopped short and ducked behind a pillar when he spotted two men speaking with the desk clerk. They were looking in the direction of his room. Brennan swore and darted away from the motel knowing he would have to find someplace new to hole up.

/

"Well, Marissa, the swelling has gone down, and I'm ready to fix it tomorrow if you are."

"I'm more than ready, Dr. Lawson."

"I'm glad to hear that. Okay, we'll be doing a cadaver graft. The recovery time is much faster since we're not having to introduce trauma to another part of your body for a graft. As I explained to you earlier, this approach has excellent results. I've had some patients off their crutches without their knee brace in around a week and starting physical therapy. We'll be performing arthroscopic surgery which is less painful and allows for a quicker recovery. This also means that you won't have to stay overnight."

"All pluses in my book." Marissa grinned.

"How long will the surgery take?" Bianca asked.

"It usually takes around two hours. Since Marissa's surgery is scheduled for 9:00 am, I'll need you here at 8:00 am. If all goes as I believe it will, you should be able to go home by lunch time. You'll need to take it easy, especially the first day. We'll set up a follow-up appointment for next week and take it from there. Any questions?"

"No, I can't think of anything. You've gone over everything I can think of. Bianca?"

"I can't think of anything either. Thank you, Dr. Lawson."

"Yes, thanks, Dr. Lawson."

"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow morning."

The couple left the hospital and headed home.

"So, what do you want to do today?" Bianca asked.

"I was thinking we could grab lunch and I can have my way with you, or I can have my way with you first and then we can have lunch. Which sounds better to you?" Marissa grinned wickedly.

Bianca chuckled. "Those are my only choices?"

"Well, I am having surgery tomorrow, and the doctor said I'll need to take it easy for a couple of days afterwards so …"

"Uh huh. Well, I can't very well deny your request, now can I? I do have a suggestion though."

"What's that?"

"You can have your way with me, we have lunch, and then _I'll _have my way with _you_." Bianca suggested with a mischievous grin.

"I do love your suggestions."

/

Zach, Kendall and their boys joined the Tasker-Montgomery family for dinner that night. Having their cousins over kept AJ, Miranda and Gabby occupied and not focused on Marissa's surgery as much. While the kids played in the family room, the adults remained in the dining room talking.

"Binx, I have to say you look a lot better, like you got some much needed rest."

"I did. I've been having nightmares about Brennan, about him getting to Marissa and …" Bianca's voice trailed off, unable to finish the ugly thought.

Marissa squeezed her lover's hand. "I finally got her to tell me what was going on."

"Yeah, she made me realize that I was being stubborn by not talking about it, keeping everything inside. I couldn't keep it inside anymore. Once I finally realized that and opened up to her, it was like a huge weight was lifted off of me. I'm still worried for her safety, but now, I know not to keep it from Rissa. Knowing it and accepting it, well, I was able to finally get a good night's sleep. It also helped that she took care of the kids this morning and let me sleep in a little."

Kendall grinned. "Will wonders never cease? Thank you, Red, for getting through to my hard-headed sister and making her see reason. You didn't have any problems getting the kids ready did you?"

"No, not at all. They were great, especially when I told them how much Bianca needed the extra sleep. I was afraid we were going to wake her up when they bumped into our bedroom door, but she was sound asleep."

"Well, I was kind of exhausted. It was a late night."

Kendall caught the look exchanged between the two and rolled her eyes. _I really don't need to know anything else. Thank god Greenlee's not here._ She cleared her throat pulling the couple's attention from each other.

Zach grinned at his wife's reaction and decided to change the subject for her. "What time do you need to be at the hospital tomorrow?"

"The surgery is scheduled for 9:00 so we have to be there at 8:00. Dr. Lawson thinks Bianca should be able to bring me home by lunch if all goes as she thinks it will."

"Do you need us to do anything for you?" Kendall asked.

"No, we should be good. We can drop the kids off at school on our way to the hospital, and Susan will pick them up after school's out. The doctor thinks that Rissa will probably just doze on and off during the day."

"And Bianca has promised to take it easy herself while I'm doing that."

"Another big concession from my little sister. You are a good influence on her, Red." Kendall laughed.

Bianca glared at her sister. "Yeah, yeah. If everyone keeps telling her that, her head's going to be too big for me to deal with."

"I have a feeling you'll keep me in check." Marissa grinned before turning serious and directing her attention towards Zach. "So, what's the latest, Zach? I can tell you know something."

"I do have an update from the investigators. They tracked down Brennan's last known location to a place called the Hideaway Inn in Center City. It looks like they just missed him by minutes."

Bianca sighed. They were so damn close. She just wanted him caught and for this whole thing to be over. "Why do they think that?"

"They found a bag with some clothes, toothbrush and things like that. They're going to stake it out, but since he hasn't shown back up, they doubt that he'll be back. They contacted the police for them to send some crime scene investigators over, but they did manage to take a look around beforehand. Brennan's hurt."

"How can they tell?" Marissa asked.

"They found bloody bandages and towels in the bathroom, a lot of them, and they looked like the blood was fresh. We know he hasn't gone to an ER or a clinic because the police have been all over them. The room was also a pig sty. If he has an open wound which it looks like, odds are good that it's infected."

"I can't say I'm sorry about that." Bianca stated grimly. "Did they find anything else? Any indication of where he might go?"

"You want my honest opinion?"

The couple nodded.

"I think he's going to try and make his way back here."

Marissa nodded. "I think you're right."

"Try not to worry. We've got security in place, and it's not going anywhere. I'm not going to let anything happen to anyone."

/

Marissa was lying in Bianca's arms. "Are you still awake?"

Bianca chuckled softly. "Yeah, I am. I can't sleep."

"Me either. I have to admit that I'm a little nervous about tomorrow. I know it'll be fine, but …"

"Yeah, me too. I know Dr. Lawson is a great doctor, but I can't help but be a little nervous."

"It's not just that though, is it?"

"No, it isn't. I just want the son of a bitch caught, Rissa. I'm tired of us living our lives constantly looking over our shoulders."

Marissa sighed. "I know. I'm tired of it too. Anything thoughts on what more we can do?"

"Not really. I tell you what. Let's take one thing at a time. We'll get through the surgery tomorrow and then we'll come up with a plan." Bianca pulled Marissa closer. "Deal?"

"Deal."

/

Bianca got Marissa settled on the sofa and watched as she began to doze off again. The surgery went very well according to Dr. Lawson, and Marissa was still dealing with the aftereffects of the anesthetic. She'd spent a couple of hours in bed when they got home, and now, she wanted to be somewhere else, needing a slight change of scenery. Bianca smiled as she gazed at her lover. She was so relieved, so grateful that everything had gone as expected.

"You're staring again." Marissa smirked drowsily.

"It's that bad habit of mine. I just can help it."

Marissa patted the spot on the sofa next to her.

Bianca happily took it and then pulled Marissa to her so the redhead was resting against her. With her lover soon fast asleep again, Bianca allowed herself to relax and drift off as well.

/

"Is Rissa really okay, Mom?" Miranda whispered.

"Yes, she is. The medicine they gave her is making her sleepy. That's all. I promise."

AJ smiled as he watched his Mom sleep. He believed Bianca and trusted her to tell him and his sisters the truth.

Gabby leaned in and kissed Marissa as softly as she possibly could. She placed Minx by the redhead's side. "Love you, Mommy."

/

The following week, the couple went for a checkup. Marissa went to an examination room while Bianca waited for her.

Dr. Lawson smiled. "Marissa, I couldn't be happier with the progress you've made. Everything is healing even better than I hoped. What do you think about retiring the brace and crutches?"

"You don't have to ask me twice!" Marissa grinned broadly.

"Okay. If your knee starts to bother you, put it back on and use the crutches. Otherwise, you can put it away. We'll start you off on some physical therapy next week. No running though. They'll most likely start you off on a bike, but I'll let the therapist map that all out with you. Here's his name and number. The sooner you set something up with him, the sooner you can get started. Make a follow-up appointment with my office manager on your way out for two weeks from now. I can check on your progress after you've started therapy. Any questions?"

"What about work? When can I go back?"

"Getting a little stir crazy?"

Marissa chuckled. "A little bit, yeah."

"I understand. I want you to take another week off to get used to the demands of physical therapy. After that, I'd like you to start off on half days for a couple of weeks. Then, I see no reason why you can't go fulltime. You'll need to watch what you wear in the way of heels for a while for obvious reasons."

"I understand."

"Anything else?"

"Nope, I'm good. Thanks so much, Doctor." Marissa shook the doctor's hand and smiled.

"You're more than welcome. I'll let you give Bianca the good news. I'll see you in two weeks."

/

"Seriously? You don't need the brace or crutches?"

"That's what the good doctor said. I only need it if it starts bothering me. I'll see her in two weeks, and I need to make an appointment with the physical therapist when we get home. She wants me to take one more week off and then do half days for two weeks before going back fulltime."

Bianca smiled brightly. "That is great news. How about we celebrate with lunch at Krystal's? After that, I'm sure we can think of some other ways to celebrate."

Marissa's smile matched that of her lover's. "That sounds perfect."

/

Bianca checked the time and headed into the Miranda Center. Since it was Saturday, the parking lot was empty except for her car. Her task for today was simple. She would pick up some files and spend some time that weekend catching up on paperwork if she could. Jan, Aya and the rest of her staff had done a stellar job of holding down the fort for her, but with Marissa starting back to work on a reduced work schedule on Monday, it was time for Bianca to get back to it as well. She smiled when she thought of the progress her lover had made in therapy this past week. Bianca had to remind Marissa not to push herself too hard a couple of times. Other than that, she had no problems.

The brunette glanced over her shoulder. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched but didn't see anyone around. She shrugged and headed inside.

/

Robert Brennan watched from the shadows as the brunette looked around. He thought for a minute that she might have seen him, but the shrug told him she hadn't. He'd been staking out the Center for a couple of days with the hope of seeing her. Today was finally his break, his chance to get even with that redheaded bitch, his chance for payback, his chance to make her feel the pain he did. He glanced around and didn't see anyone. He smirked as she walked inside. _They probably thought they were safe. It's good I waited. Now, their guard is down, and that bitch is gonna pay. Both of them will. This Montgomery bitch knows where my wife and son are, and she's gonna tell me, after I've had some fun of course._

Brennan patted his jacket pocket, feeling the gun inside. It had cost him what remaining money he had, but it was worth it. Inside his other pocket was a roll of duct tape he'd managed to pocket from a hardware store. The plan was simple. He'd ambush the brunette using the gun to subdue her, use the duct tape to restrain and get her to tell him where his wife and son were. He'd then get her to call the redheaded bitch. While they were waiting for her to show up, he had a few ideas of how to occupy his time. He stood and winced. _Damn side. It hurts like a son of a bitch. Something else that bitch is gonna pay for._ He crossed the street and entered the building. A smile of pure evil formed on his face as he saw the brunette in her office with her back to the door. This was going to be easy. From what he'd heard, the woman was a do-gooder, and he'd lay odds that she was just as much of a pushover as his wife. He slowly made his way towards her office, pulling his gun out as he went. _Take it slow. Don't make any noise. No sense in giving her any warning._

/

Minutes later a series of loud pops could be heard outside.

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I went there again with the cliffhanger. I'm going to blame it on the day for having my evil side come out to play. I'll let you decide if it's a trick or treat! Happy Halloween! **


	64. Gabby's Big Day

**A/N****: Thanks, as always for the great reviews! You all are the best! Sorry, but I warned you about my evil side. I had no control over her in that last chapter. What can I say? She loves those cliffhangers. While watching election results roll in last night, I was able to finish this chapter up. Hope you enjoy this latest update! **

**/ **

_**Eight days earlier**_

Bianca and Marissa quietly entered the girls' bedroom and walked to Gabby's bed with each sitting on either side of the sleeping girl, smiling as they watched their youngest child. Gabby stirred and opened her eyes.

"Good morning, Sweetie."

"Good morning, Monkey."

"Rissa, do you know what today is?"

"Hmmm, it's Saturday."

"Yes, it is, but I can't help but think there's something big happening today that I'm forgetting."

"I know what you mean, B. There's something going on today, something special but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"It's my birthday!" Gabby shouted excitedly, knowing full well that her mothers were teasing her.

Bianca snapped her fingers as she grinned. "That's it! It's Gabby's birthday, Rissa!"

Marissa gave an exaggerated sigh in relief. "That's right! It is! I remember now! She's four years old today!"

"Uh huh! I'm a big girl, Mommy!"

"Yes, you most certainly are. Happy birthday, Sweetie!"

"Happy birthday, Monkey!"

Gabby giggled as her mothers each kissed a cheek.

Bianca smiled brightly. "What would you like for breakfast today, birthday girl?"

"Chocolate chip pancakes!" Gabby said without hesitation.

"Just like her mom, a chocolate chip off the old pancake." Marissa chuckled.

"Funny. Very funny."

Miranda started giggling from across the room.

Bianca glared playfully at her oldest daughter. "You think that's funny, huh?"

"Yep, I do! Rissa's right too, Mom. Gabby's just like you." Miranda bounded out of bed and crossed the room. "Happy birthday, Gabby!"

"Thanks, Mimo!"

"We're just missing one other person." Marissa smiled at the knock on the door and seeing a blonde head pop inside the room.

"Happy birthday, Gabby!" AJ smiled.

Gabby grinned. "Thanks, AJ!"

"AJ and Miranda, would you keep the birthday girl entertained while Bianca and I start on breakfast?"

"Sure, Mom. Let me guess. We're having chocolate chip pancakes."

Bianca laughed. "You know your little sister pretty well, Buddy. Okay, Rissa and I will go start on the pancakes. After breakfast, we have a couple of surprises before we need to decorate for Gabby's party."

/

Bianca stood behind Marissa with her arms around her waist. The brunette peered over her lover's shoulder before resting her chin on it. "Where did you find a pancake mold in the form of a monkey?"

"I have my sources." Marissa smirked.

"You do, huh? I have ways of making you talk, you know." Bianca smiled slyly as she kissed the redhead's neck.

Marissa sighed happily. "I'm very aware that you do, but our kids will be down here any minute." Seeing Bianca's devilish grin, Marissa relented. "Fine, Carol found it when she was looking for the decorations for Gabby's cake. When she told me about it, I knew I had to get it."

Bianca chuckled. "Of course you did."

Marissa glared playfully at her lover. "Aren't you supposed to be helping me with breakfast?"

"I am helping you."

"No, you're distracting me, and you know it. You should get the bacon started. And where's my coffee, woman?"

Bianca gave an exaggerated sigh and reluctantly released the redhead after giving her a quick kiss. "Fine, I'll get to work, _woman_." The brunette playfully swatted Marissa as she set about her tasks. "It's really sweet of Carol to make Gabby's cake."

"It really is, but I'm not really surprised. You know how she feels about the kids. She absolutely adores them. They're like surrogate grandchildren for her, and Gabby has her wrapped around her little finger."

"True, very true. I'm glad they can make it today."

"Me too. They're part of our family. Carol said that Sam helped her make the cake."

"Yeah, Sam was really looking forward to it from what Aya told me. She kept talking about it at the Center. How did Krystal take it when you told her she didn't need to make the cake? I know she was looking forward to it. Was she upset?"

"I wouldn't say she was upset. She was a little disappointed at first though because she thought we were getting it from a bakery or worse yet that it would be bought from the grocery store."

Bianca gasped in mock distain. "The grocery store? Perish the thought. We couldn't have that now, could we?"

Marissa chuckled at Bianca's faux overreaction. In all honesty, neither of them cared too much where they got the cake as long as Gabby was happy. "No, we most certainly couldn't. Just think of what your Mom would say! When I told Krystal that Carol volunteered to make it, she was okay." Marissa cocked her head hearing the approaching noise. "Here comes the thundering herd now."

"It never fails to amaze me how much noise they can make for being as small as they are." Bianca finished placing glasses of milk on the table as the children appeared in the kitchen. After taking their seats, Bianca placed Gabby's plate in front of her.

"It's a monkey!" Gabby squealed in delight.

"Yep! Rissa was able find a mold just for you."

Gabby beamed at her redheaded mother. "Thanks, Mommy!"

Marissa gave her youngest a peck on her nose. "You're welcome, Monkey."

AJ and Miranda were quickly served with Marissa and Bianca soon joining them. A quick chorus of 'Happy Birthday' was sung to Gabby who joined in as well. The family chatted happily during breakfast. After the dishes were cleared, the family gave Gabby their birthday presents. They wanted to share a private moment with just the five of them before everyone else got there. After that, the family changed out of their pajamas and decorated the house in preparation of the guests that would soon be arriving.

/

The Walkers and Sam were the first to arrive. While Alex and Gail entered from the front of the house, Carol and Sam snuck around the back to bring in the cake. Bianca and Marissa wanted to keep it a surprise for Gabby.

Bianca snapped a picture of the cake and shook her head in wonderment. "Carol, this is amazing. Gabby is going to love it. Thank you!"

Marissa gave the older woman a hug. "Bianca's right. She will love it. Thanks so much!"

"You're both welcome. Sam and I had a great time making it."

"Yes, your assistant!" Marissa gave the teenager a hug. "Thank you too, Sam. This means a lot."

Bianca gave Sam a hug as well. "It really does. Thank you."

The girl blushed. She was just happy to be able to do something to show the couple her appreciation for everything they had done for her. To her it wasn't much, but it was something. Bianca and Marissa had faith in her, took a chance on her when no one else would. She was happier than she had been in a very long time and it was because of them. Sam was part of a warm and loving home, and she was finally feeling part of a family again. She didn't know if she would ever be able to repay them for everything they'd done for her. "You're welcome. I was glad I could help. Carol did most of the work though."

"Don't listen to her. Sam drew a detailed sketch of the zoo that laid out everything perfectly for me. I couldn't have done it without her help." Carol added proudly.

Marissa chuckled. "Sorry, Sam, but if Carol gives you credit then you just have to deal with it."

Sam smiled softly and then realized something. "You don't have your crutches or your brace."

Carol checked Marissa out as well. "She's right! You don't. When did this happen?"

Marissa laughed. "I was starting to think you would never notice. The doctor gave me a clean bill of health yesterday. I just need to use them if my knee starts to bother me."

Bianca nodded happily. "She starts therapy on Monday, and her doctor predicts a complete recovery."

"That is wonderful news, dear." The older woman gave Marissa a hug.

Sam smiled. "That's really great, Marissa!"

Kendall joined them in the kitchen. "What's wonderful news?" When she spotted the cake, she stopped. "Wow! That is an amazing replica of the Pine Valley Zoo. Where did you get that?"

Bianca greeted her sister. "The wonderful news is about Marissa not needing her crutches or brace. As for the cake, Carol and Sam get the credit for it."

"That really is great news about Red, isn't it?" Kendall continued to study the cake. "Hmmm, do you think you would be interested in doing birthday cakes for the boys?"

The older woman smiled and glanced at Sam who nodded. "I think my assistant and I might be interested. We'll talk later."

"I see the monkeys are prominent in your zoo display." Kendall smirked.

"You know how much Gabby likes monkeys." Marissa smiled.

"Yes, I do. Why exactly is she so fascinated with them?"

Bianca shrugged. "I'm not sure, but she loves them, so she gets monkeys."

Krystal entered the kitchen carrying a crockpot. "Good afternoon, Ladies. Where would you like this?"

Marissa pointed to where it should be placed. "Over on the counter is great, Krystal. Thanks."

"What are we having for lunch?" Kendall asked.

"Gabby asked if she could have sloppy joe's so Krystal was kind enough to make them for us."

"I was happy to do it. Oh my, look at that cake! Mrs. Walker, you did a wonderful job. That is so detailed. I could never do anything quite like that."

"Thank you, but I had help from Sam. And please, call me Carol."

"Bianca, Sweetheart, how are you?" Erica greeted her youngest daughter.

"Hi, Mom. I'm great."

Erica smiled and greeted Kendall as well before turning to Marissa and hugging the redhead. "I can't tell you how happy I was to hear that you no longer need your crutches or brace, Marissa. I'm so glad you're recovering so nicely, dear. Oh, that cake is precious. Gabby will love it. Carol, you did an absolutely wonderful job with it."

"Thank you, Erica. That means a lot. While I'm at it, Bianca and I want to thank all of you for all of the help you've given us. I honestly don't know how we can ever repay you."

"We didn't do that much, Red, and certainly nothing more than the two of you would do for any of us."

Bianca moved next to her lover and put her arm around her waist. "Marissa's right and so are you, Kendall, partially. We would do whatever we could to help any of you out. I hope all of you know that. But, Kendall, don't discount what you've all done." She glanced at Carol and Sam. "Whether it was cleaning our house." She then turned to Krystal. "Or dropping off countless meals so we didn't have to worry about cooking." She smiled at Erica next. "Or stepping in and taking meetings with donors so I could stay with Marissa and making sure she had the best doctors possible." She finally turned to her sister. "Or most importantly of all watching our children and keeping them safe. It's not nothing. It's everything so thank you."

The moment was broken by a call from the living room. "Mom, Bianca, Uncle Zach's not playing fair."

Marissa laughed and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "Coming, AJ."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "I better come with you, Red, and see what my biggest kid is up to and try and get him in line. I swear he's worse than the boys sometimes." Kendall stopped and gave her sister a quick squeeze. "You're welcome, Binx."

/

The weather was unseasonably warm. So much so that it was decided that some of the party games could be held outside. This allowed the kids to burn off some excess energy. Sam watched the kids running around and having a great time, especially Gabby. Sam grew distracted after a few minutes. Something had been gnawing on her mind for a while now. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something important she wanted, no needed, to tell Marissa and Bianca, but she just couldn't figure out what it was. She shook her head and decided to head inside to get something more to drink.

The teenager wandered into the kitchen and found the couple placing the candles on Gabby's cake.

Marissa glanced up and smiled. "Hey, Sam. Are you having a good time? The kids aren't getting on your nerves, are they?"

Sam shook her head and smiled. "Nah, I'm having a good time, and the kids are great. Gabby's cracking me up. She's having a really good time."

"Good, I'm glad. Did you need something?" Bianca asked noticing a questioning look on Sam's face.

"I just wanted to get another soft drink."

"Help yourself. Are you sure there's nothing else?"

"I have this feeling that there was something I wanted to tell you, but I can't remember what it was."

"Is it about school or the Center or that cute boy you've told me about?" Marissa grinned.

Sam blushed and shook her head. "No, it's none of those things. It's really bugging me."

"Hmmm, well, my only advice is not to think about it. That's usually when I remember something like that. When you remember, let us know." The redhead offered.

"Yeah, you're right. Need any help?"

"Actually, yes if you don't mind. Would you mind gathering everyone and telling them it's time for cake?" Bianca asked.

"Sure, I'll take these out too." Sam took her soft drink and grabbed plates, napkins and utensils before heading outside.

"Thanks, Sam."

Marissa grabbed the ice cream and turned to Bianca. "Are you ready?"

"Yep, let's go." Bianca carried the cake while Marissa led the way holding the door open for the brunette.

Gabby was seated at the table. When the cake was placed in front of her, she beamed in delight. "It's just like the real zoo!"

"Mrs. Walker and Sam made it for you." Bianca smiled seeing how happy her daughter was.

"Thank you, Mrs. Walker and Sam!"

The pair laughed. "You're welcome."

Bianca lit the candles and everyone sang 'Happy Birthday'. Gabby couldn't stop grinning while Marissa took several pictures. Gabby made her wish and blew out her candles while everyone cheered.

Sam offered to help pass out cake. As she was handing plates to Ryan and Zach, she overheard the younger man ask Kendall's husband if he had an update on Robert Brennan.

_Oh my god! That's who I saw. I need to tell Bianca and Marissa, but I don't want to ruin their day._ She started searching for Gail and Alex to get their advice. She located the couple and pulled them aside. "Hey, do you guys have a couple of minutes? I need to ask your advice."

"Sure, Sam. What's up?"

"Jan and I were delivering some donations to the homeless shelter yesterday. When we were there, I saw this guy who gave me the creeps. There was just something about him. He looked familiar, but I just couldn't remember who he was. I kept thinking that I should tell Bianca and Marissa about it for some reason though. I finally figured out who he was when I heard Zach and Ryan talking. The guy at the shelter was the guy that hurt Marissa."

"Are you sure, Sam?" Gail asked.

"I'm sure. I know I should tell them, but I don't want to ruin Gabby's birthday. What'd you think I should I do?"

Alex thought for a minute. "I have an idea. Wait here."

They watched as Alex made his way over to Zach and pulled him aside. The men spoke for a minute and then headed back to where Sam and Gail were waiting.

"Sam, Alex tells me you saw Robert Brennan, the man who hurt Marissa. Is that right?"

The teenager nodded. "Yes, it is, Mr. Slater."

"First, call me Zach. Second, tell me everything you remember. Where did you see him?"

"I saw him at the shelter on Court Street yesterday afternoon. He smelled really bad, kinda like he was sick. He kept one hand on his side, like he was protecting it too." She proceeded to tell Zach everything she remembered and was surprised that she remembered more than she thought she did under his expert questioning. "Should I tell them?"

"You let me worry about telling them. I'll take care of it from here. You did the right thing telling me, Sam. Thank you." Zach pulled out his cellphone as he walked away.

\

Marissa finished saying goodnight to Miranda while Bianca tucked Gabby into bed. The redhead soon joined them.

"Did you have a good birthday, Baby?" Bianca asked as she gently tucked a lock of hair behind her daughter's ear.

Gabby nodded sleepily and yawned. The excitement of the day's events were finally catching up with the little girl. "Uh huh, I had lots of fun."

"We're very happy to hear that, Monkey. You've been such a good girl. We're very proud of you and love you very much."

"Love you too. Are we still going to the movies tomorrow?"

"Yes, we are, but now, it's time for the birthday girl to go to sleep."

Gabby yawned again and clutched Minx tightly. "K, Mommy. Night."

"Goodnight, Baby." Bianca kissed Gabby's cheek.

"Goodnight, Monkey." Marissa gently kissed her daughter's other cheek.

The couple made their way back to their bedroom, quickly collapsing onto their bed and crawling under the covers.

"I'm exhausted."

"Me too. How's your knee?"

"Not bad, really. Gabby had a great time."

"Yeah, she did." Bianca smiled as she kissed Marissa softly. "Goodnight, Rissa. I love you."

Marissa settled into her lover's arms. "I love you too, B. Goodnight."

/

_**Six days earlier**_

Susan had just picked up the kids to take them to school when Zach and Kendall showed up. Bianca and Marissa shared a questioning look wondering exactly why the couple was there. The two couples settled in the kitchen.

"Okay, I give. What's up?" Bianca asked.

"To be honest, I'm not really sure, Binx. Zach wanted me to come with him. He said he had something to discuss with the two of you. I kind of have this feeling I'm running a little interference for him though."

"Is Kendall right, Zach?" Bianca inquired.

Zach decided it was best to let the question slide for the time being. "I do have an update. Brennan was spotted at the homeless shelter on Court Street."

Bianca grasped Marissa's hand. "He's here? In Pine Valley?" A chill ran down her spine when she immediately realized what Zach said. "He was spotted. That means he's still out there."

"I'm afraid so. By the time we got there, he wasn't anywhere around. The police have been contacted. They asked us to help them with scouring the shelters and every other place we can think of. Jesse and I both agree that my people have a better chance of getting information at the shelters than the police because the people there don't trust them."

"How sure are you? How do you know it's him?" Bianca asked.

"The information came from a very reliable source who was positive it was Brennan at the shelter. I believe them."

Marissa had been quiet throughout the entire conversation. She squeezed Bianca's hand when the brunette reached for it and offered her a reassuring smile. Other than that, she sat, listened and studied Zach. He wasn't telling them everything. He was holding something back. She knew he had, what he thought at least, was a very good reason for it, but Bianca and Marissa needed to know all of it, no sugarcoating it or holding anything back. It was their lives after all, and they deserved to know. Marissa's eyes narrowed on Zach. "Who's the source, Zach? More importantly, how long have you known about Brennan being back in town?"

Zach's eyes met those of the redhead sitting across from him and smiled. _I should've guessed Red would ask those questions. She's not going to like the answers. Neither is Bianca. They're really not going to like what else I'm going to say._

**/**

**A/N****: Damn evil side! I just couldn't control her again. I decided to fill in what happened in the days leading up to what happened in the previous chapter. Along with that, I made the decision to split the chapter up because it was getting pretty big. I've started the next chapter though and hope to have it up soon for everyone. Oh, it doesn't seem to matter whatever party or gathering I'm attending. We always manage to spend a chunk of time in the kitchen talking, so that's what happened here. See you soon! **

**/ **


	65. Justice

**A/N****: Okay, I'm back, and my evil side is in check. I promise. Thank you as always for your reviews! I really appreciate them so please keep them coming. I have to admit that RagnarWolf had me cracking up with the visual of Gabby kicking him in the shin. That was really good, and I loved it. Okay, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

_**Six days earlier**_

The shaggy haired man shuffled forward in the food line. He felt like hell and really didn't feel like eating that much anyway. His side was throbbing and probably infected which curbed his hunger. He knew he should eat something though even if he didn't feel like it. Robert Brennan was about to grab a tray when he saw a pair of men walk into the hall. They were dressed down, but something about one of them was familiar. He was struck by the sudden realization of where he had seen the man before, the Hideaway Inn in Center City. He'd been talking with the desk clerk, showing her a picture and passing on some cash to her. _Son of a bitch. How'd the hell they find me here? I gotta get out of here._ He turned his face in an attempt to hide it from the men and shuffled out of the shelter as fast as he could without drawing attention to himself. He was going to have to find another place to hide out. He still hadn't been able to find out where the lawyer and her _partner_ lived. He'd been asking around, but if they knew, no one was talking. First things first though. He needed to find a place to crash and plan.

/

Marissa's eyes narrowed on Zach. "Who's the source, Zach? More importantly, how long have you known about Brennan being back in town?"

Zach's eyes met those of the redhead sitting across from him and smiled. He respected and truly liked her. She was smart and not just book smart. Marissa had a good instinct about people. She'd been burned before, but she learned from those experiences and did her very damnedest not to let it happen again. She didn't let it change who she was at heart though. She was a great deal like his sister-in-law in that respect, and she would fight tooth and nail for her family, to protect them. While she might not cross the lines that he would, he had a feeling that she would get pretty damn close to it. _Damn, she's good and doesn't miss anything. I should've guessed Red would ask those questions. She's not going to like the answers. Neither is Bianca. They're really not going to like what else I'm going to say._ "Sam."

Bianca threw him a questioning glance. "Sam? Are you telling us that Sam is the reliable source?"

"Yes, she was helping to deliver some donations to the shelter for the Center and saw him there."

Things started clicking into place for Marissa. "That's what she wanted to tell us on Saturday at Gabby's party. She saw him at the shelter but didn't recognize him then. Something happened that let her put things together, and she told you when she did."

Zach nodded.

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that you've known about this since Saturday and didn't tell us?" Bianca's anger was starting to increase. "Why the hell didn't you tell us? We have the right to know since this affects _us_. Dammit! I wish people would stop thinking we can't handle anything."

"I should've told you, but I thought if I did that it would get in the way of Gabby's birthday. I didn't want that. You've been safe though. As soon as I found this out, I increased security and called Jesse."

Marissa shook her head and stated flatly. "Look, I appreciate everything you've done for us. We both do, but Bianca's right. You should've told us. We need to know these things. We're talking about _our_ lives. We need to be part of the decisions that are being made. Bianca and I have had it up to here with people keeping things from us in the name of doing it in our best interest. It's happened too many times to count. Not anymore."

"You're right, but …" Zach looked to his wife for an assist.

Kendall sighed as she looked between Bianca and Marissa and her husband. "Sorry, but I'm going to be Switzerland here. I see both sides. Zach, I know you meant well, but they're right. You should've told them earlier. We are talking about their lives, and they have the right to know what's going on. You have to keep them in the loop. No more keeping things from them. I've learned my lesson on that and promised my sister I would do a better job." She then looked at the couple. "As for the two of you, he was doing what he thought was best. If he had told you on Saturday, then it would've put a damper on Gabby's birthday because you would've been worried even more than you already are. All of you deserved a break from everything that's been going on with this situation for at least a day. He did everything that could've been done. He increased security and contacted the police. You know that he's doing everything to find that evil son of a bitch. Okay? Are we good? We know that we're all on the same side, right?"

The other three nodded slightly.

Kendall rolled her eyes and added smugly. "Say 'yes, Kendall, we know that, and you're right'."

Bianca, Marissa and Zach glanced at each other and then back to the older brunette before nodding. "Yes, Kendall, we know that, and you're right."

"I hate it when she's like this." Bianca smirked.

Zach chuckled. "You and me both."

Marissa sighed as the tension in the room eased. "But she is right." The redhead turned to Zach. "I'm sorry about before. So, what exactly did you learn from Sam?"

"So am I. As for Brennan, he's still injured, and it sounds like it has gotten worse. His appearance has changed, but Sam recognized him by his eyes. She gave us an updated description which we're distributing. Some of my men questioned several of the residents at the shelter. Brennan complained to them about his wife and how her lawyer was forcing her to lie about him. He pretty much went on a rant about that to any and everyone who would listen. He didn't mention any names though."

"Dammit! We get so close and then he slips away. How is that possible? And Marissa didn't force Colleen to do anything. All she did was get her to admit what was happening and get help for her and her son." It was clear Bianca's frustration was growing.

"I know that and so does anyone else who knows Red. Brennan's definitely had some things go his way. It's going to change though. Look, he's getting desperate and has nothing left to lose. He's taking chances that most people wouldn't, and it's given him a slight advantage. I'm starting to see him make mistakes though, getting a little sloppy. I think it's high time we change the game. We've been playing more defense than offense. I say we change it."

Marissa looked at Zach. "Do you have something in mind?"

"I do."

Kendall glanced at her husband. "I have a feeling we're not going to like it."

"You probably won't." Zach admitted.

"What is it?"

/

"No!"

"Marissa, I'm not that crazy about the idea either, but I think we should do it." Bianca was doing her best to calm her lover down.

"No, Bianca. It's out of the question. You'll be bait, directly in the line of fire, and I won't have it. It's too dangerous."

"I'm with Marissa on this, Binx. Too many things could go wrong."

"Look, I know the risks."

"Do you really?" Marissa asked.

"Yes, I do. This has to end. We can't continue to live like this, constantly looking over our shoulders waiting for something to happen. Zach's right. We need to go on offense. I trust him to keep me safe."

"Bianca, you could be hurt or worse. I couldn't live with myself if that happened, if anything happened to you."

"Nothing will happen to me."

"You can't be sure of that. We've seen what he's capable of. I don't want that happening to you. When you corner someone like him, he becomes unpredictable. I don't know that you can plan for everything someone like that will do."

"I trust that Zach's plan will cover everything. I have to do something, Rissa. The thought that he's out there controlling our lives in a way is too much. It's gotta stop, and I honestly think this is our best chance of getting Brennan. We've got time to plan. Brennan has nothing to lose, but we have _everything_ to fight for. That gives _us_ an advantage."

Marissa sighed. They'd been going round and round about this for the better part of an hour. She had to admit that Bianca was right. They couldn't keep living like they had been, living in constant fear. It was starting to put a strain on their relationship, and there was no way in hell she would let that son of bitch take that away from them. As for the kids, she could tell they knew something was going on. They didn't know what exactly, but they could sense something was up. They were too smart not to pick up on the underlying tension in the house no matter how hard the couple tried to keep it from them. "Fine, but I'm going to be there."

"No, Marissa. He's already hurt you twice. I can't let that happen again. I won't let that happen again."

"I trust Zach to keep me safe."

Bianca shook her head in irritation that Marissa was using her own words against her. She decided to try another tact. "What about the kids? I think you should be here with them."

"I think you should be here with them too, but …"

"Marissa. You're being stubborn."

"Bianca. Calling me stubborn is like the pot calling the kettle black. Look, either I go with you, or I let Jesse in on everything. You know I'll do it too. I have to be there. I have to know you're safe, and the only way I'll know that is if I'm there." Marissa plowed through cutting off Bianca's oncoming protest. "And don't use my injuries as an excuse. My ribs are healed. I've had no concussion symptoms for over two weeks. As for my knee, I don't need my brace or crutches. The doctor thinks it's healed enough to start therapy today. So, you can't use any of that as an excuse. Either I'm there with you, or you're not going. It's as simple as that. You know I'm going to get my way on this. I'm way more stubborn than you."

Kendall watched the standoff between the couple. They were both stubborn especially when it came to the other's safety. She'd have to give the edge in this battle to Marissa though. She blocked every argument that Bianca had come up with and was not above following through on her threat to call Jesse and bring in the police. She could tell her sister wasn't quite ready to give up just yet though.

"Who's going to watch the kids? I don't feel right leaving them with just anyone." Bianca asked.

"Kendall, would you watch the kids that day for us? There's no one else either of us trusts more than you."

"I should've seen that coming. I don't like the thought of either of you being there, but I can tell I'm not going to talk either of you out of this. Yes, I'll stay with the kids, but both of you better make it back here in one piece or you'll have to deal with me. Zach, I know I don't have to tell you this, but keep them safe and catch that bastard once and for all."

Zach nodded solemnly. "You know that I will."

Bianca sighed in resignation. She had no other arguments to pursue. She gazed into determined hazel eyes and finally relented. Bianca knew that if the roles were reversed that she would be making the same demand that Marissa was making right now. "You win. We'll both be there. We'll do this together."

Zach smiled, feeling this was actually the right decision and glad that his sister-in-law finally gave in on the point. "Now that Red is going to join us, let's adjust the plan." The four discussed the plan more, tweaking and re-tweaking it several times before the younger couple had to leave for Marissa's physical therapy appointment.

/

The drive to and from the session was quiet with both Marissa and Bianca lost in thought, replaying their earlier conversation. The redhead was a little sore from the therapy session. While she headed upstairs to change, Bianca went to the kitchen to get her an icepack for her knee. When she entered their bedroom, she found her lover sitting on their bed.

"Are you okay? Does your knee hurt a lot?"

Marissa took the icepack from Bianca and placed it on her knee. The redhead shook her head. "Thanks. No, it's fine, just a little sore." She patted the spot on the bed next to her in silent request to talk. "I'm sorry about all of this. If it wasn't for me, you'd be safe."

"No, don't say that. I'll tell you again what I've told you before. None of this is your fault. If it wasn't for you, I would be lonely. Yes, I'd have the girls and don't get me wrong, they make me happy. But I wouldn't have anything for me as a woman, as a person, as someone other than just Miranda and Gabby's mom. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have the happiness in my life that I do now. I wouldn't feel this completeness that I do having you in my life. If it wasn't for you, I would've given up on ever finding love again. If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't have love in my life. I wouldn't have the love of my life. I wouldn't have you."

And just like that, with Bianca's heartfelt declaration, any and all tension between the couple vanished.

Marissa gave her a crooked smile. "You're pretty damn smooth, Montgomery."

Bianca answered with the goofy grin that the redhead loved so well. "Well, I learned from the best. I also meant every word." She leaned in, capturing the redhead's lips for a loving kiss.

As they slowly separated, Marissa felt desire bubble up inside her. It always did whenever she felt Bianca's soft lips or gazed into her warm chocolate eyes. "How much time do we have before the kids get home?"

Bianca glanced at the clock and gave her lover a wicked grin. "More than enough."

Marissa tossed the icepack aside and pulled Bianca to her. "Good. I say we put it to good use then."

/

_**Present day**_

Marissa paced in the conference room waiting for Bianca to be safely inside, having been snuck into the building two hours earlier through the Center's back door. This was the part of the plan that was the hardest for her, the most maddening. Bianca was outside, exposed, out in the open where Robert Brennan could get to her. _God, I hate this, not knowing if Bianca is safe. It wouldn't take much for that the son of bitch to try something before she gets inside. No, she's not really alone. It only looks like that for Brennan's sake. Zach has people watching her, ready to take action in a heartbeat. Breathe. She'll be here any minute. This will work. It has to work._ Marissa took a deep breath to steady herself. She needed to stay calm and remain focused.

The redhead went over the plan again in her mind for what felt like the millionth time. Three days earlier, a security guard at the Miranda Center reported seeing a man fitting Brennan's revised description to Zach. He was spotted loitering in the thickly wooded area surrounding the Center. A search of the area led to the discovery that someone was indeed camping out in the woods. The evidence indicated that whoever had been there would be back. It had also been determined that the area in question left those pursuing the suspect at a distinct disadvantage. In short, it was too dangerous to confront him there, on his terms, his turf. This led to another meeting with the couple and revising their plan. It was decided the best place to set their trap for Brennan was the Miranda Center, on their terms and their turf. It was far enough away from the general populace to avoid putting any innocent bystanders in harm's way. By springing the trap on Saturday when the Center's administrative offices were closed, they could insure that none of the staff was in any danger as well. The security team would be hidden from view and would contact the police at a specified point in the plan. They didn't want to bring them in too soon, possibly scaring off Brennan. They believed this was their best chance to capture the elusive man.

To account for the absence of both of their mothers that day, the kids would be given the cover story that Marissa had an early therapy session and Bianca would pick her up later. Kendall would stop by with the boys for a visit/play date at which time Bianca would leave to get Marissa.

In reality, Marissa would leave their home early that morning, be driven to the Center and snuck into the building through the loading dock located in the back. Zach and a half a dozen security guards would be waiting inside. The redhead would be taken to a secured conference room turned command center to wait for Bianca to arrive. Bianca would leave their home and be taken to an undisclosed location to be fitted with a bulletproof vest. She would switch vehicles and drive to the Center. For all appearances, it would look like she was alone, but she wouldn't be. A guard would be hiding in the backseat. The trickiest and most dangerous part of the plan would occur once Bianca arrived at the Center. She would park and walk unescorted into the building. She would be out in the open only for the briefest period. No one liked this part, but it was necessary in order for Brennan to believe she was alone. Once inside, she would be spirited away into the conference room to join Marissa. The trap would be sprung once Brennan was inside the building.

The ringing of Zach's cellphone brought Marissa back to the present. "She's a block away." He gave the redhead a reassuring smile. "Bianca will be safe."

Marissa nodded and turned her eyes to the screens that were showing feeds from the various cameras surrounding the Center's parking lot and offices. She held her breath the instant she saw Bianca's car appear on one of the screens. Hazel eyes tracked every movement on the screens as she watched Bianca exit the car. The brunette glanced over her shoulder and scanned the parking lot. She shrugged, as rehearsed, and headed inside. As soon as she set foot inside the darkened building, Bianca was taken back to the conference room where she quickly fell into Marissa's embrace. The women simply held each other, gathering strength from the other.

/

Robert Brennan watched from the shadows as the brunette looked around. He thought for a minute that she might have seen him, but the shrug told him that she hadn't. He'd been staking out the Center for a couple of days with the hope of seeing and confronting her. Today was finally his break, his chance to get even with that redheaded bitch, his chance for payback, his chance to make her feel the pain he did. He glanced around and didn't see anyone. He smirked as she walked inside. _They probably thought they were safe. It's good I waited. Now, their guard is down, and that bitch is gonna pay. Both of them will. This Montgomery bitch knows where my wife and son are, and she's gonna tell me, after I've had some fun of course._

It had taken a few days after arriving back in Pine Valley to figure out where he might be able to find Bianca Montgomery. A flyer found at one of the area shelters provided the address for the Miranda Center. Everything else fell into place for him after that. He had spent the last few nights camped out in the woods surrounding the Center and making himself scarce during the day. He suspected she would eventually show up here and that it would be his best chance to confront the woman. She wouldn't be expecting him to show up here. He had been rewarded for his patience when he overheard two workers from the Center talking about Bianca returning to work the following week. In anticipation of that return, she would be stopping by the office that Saturday to pick up some paperwork to review before Monday.

Brennan patted his jacket pocket, feeling the gun inside. It had cost him what remaining money he had, but it was worth every last dime. Inside his other pocket was a roll of duct tape he'd managed to pocket from a hardware store. The plan was simple. He'd ambush the brunette using the gun to subdue her, use the duct tape to restrain her and then get her to tell him where his wife and son were. After that, he'd get her to call the redheaded bitch. While they were waiting for her to show up, he had a few ideas of how to occupy his time. He stood and winced. _Damn side. It hurts like a son of a bitch. Something else that bitch is gonna pay for._ He crossed the parking lot and entered the building. A smile of pure evil formed on his face as he saw the brunette in her office with her back to the door. This was going to be easy. From what he'd heard, the woman was a do-gooder, and he'd lay odds that she was just as much of a pushover as his wife. He slowly made his way towards her office, pulling his gun out as he went. _Take it slow. Don't make any noise. No sense in giving her any warning._

/

"He's making his way into the building." Zach whispered.

Bianca and Marissa separated slightly from their embrace, arms still around the other's waist. The couple turned to the monitors and watched in silence as they saw Brennan make his way into the building. Their grip on each other tightened when they saw him pull out a gun as he slowly walked towards Bianca's office. The evil smile they saw spread across his face as he spotted who he thought was Bianca gave them both cold chills. The figure in her office was a decoy, a female security guard dressed to look like the brunette.

As Brennan raised his gun, all hell broke loose. The heating system kicked on spooking the shaggy haired man and causing him to discharge the gun. Ben Gibson came out of the shadows to lay down a flying tackle into Brennan's injured side. The jarring force of the blow caused the gun to discharge once more before it flew out of Brennan's grasp discharging yet again. Ben crashed his fist straight into Brennan's nose splattering blood everywhere as bone and cartilage crunched under the fist. Brennan cried out in pain as another blow landed squarely on his jaw causing the other man to go limp.

Over the speakers in the conference room, the occupants heard a guard speak. "All clear. We've got him secured. I repeat. Brennan is secure."

Zach answered back. "Good job. Is anyone hurt?"

"No, sir."

"Good to hear. The police are on their way. I'll be right out." He motioned for the power to cameras to be cut before turning to the couple. "I'm going to go check on things and have a little chat with our visitor. It's probably better if you stay here until Jesse gets here."

Bianca noticed the glint in her brother-in-law's eyes. "Zach, you promised Kendall."

"I know I did, and I'll keep my promise to her. I just think it's better if you stay in here. What you don't know …"

"Won't hurt us, right?" Marissa smirked.

"Exactly. I don't want to put either of you in a situation where you might have to, let's say stretch the truth or maybe withhold anything from the police, especially Red. I'd like to keep my lawyer above reproach in this situation." Zach grinned.

Marissa chuckled. She appreciated what Zach was doing. As a lawyer, she was considered an officer of the court. If it was determined that she was withholding facts, she could face disciplinary action from the Pennsylvania BAR Association. "You're probably right. Your lawyer will be right here if needed."

Zach nodded and left the couple alone in the conference room. Bianca and Marissa both sighed in relief as they gazed at each other, once again falling into each other's embrace. Neither was able to speak any further as the realization that this ordeal was over began to sink in.

/

Brennan was yanked off the floor as Zach entered the space outside of Bianca's office. "Was anyone hit by any of the shots?"

"No, sir, everyone's fine."

"Good." He walked over to Ben. "Nice tackle. How's the shoulder?"

"It's never been better, Mr. Slater. Thank you for letting me be a part of this."

Zach nodded before giving Brennan a menacing smile. "Hello, Mr. Brennan. I think we should have a talk before the police get here and haul your sorry ass away."

"Who the hell are you?" Brennan spat out through gritted teeth. "Where the hell is that redheaded bitch of a lawyer and that bitch of her's?"

Zach shook his head. "I really don't like you talking about them like that."

"And why do I give a damn about anything you like? Nice and brave with your men holding me back. Not man enough to take me on by yourself?"

Zach laughed mirthlessly. "You would know all about being brave, wouldn't you? Let him go."

The security guards nodded and released the man.

"Big mistake." Brennan spat again as he lunged for Zach who easily ducked the feeble attempt before striking back, landing several blows to Brennan's side and a crushing blow to his jaw, shattering the bone. Brennan crumpled to the ground.

Zach jerked the man up by his shirt. "Those women are part of my family, and no one hurts my family or talks about them like that. If they do, it really makes me mad, and they have to deal with me. This was just a little taste of how _unpleasant_ that can be. You should count yourself lucky that I promised my wife I wouldn't lose my temper too much and that the police are on the way. Next time, and for your sake, there better not be a next, because if there is, I won't be nearly as nice." Zach couldn't resist just one more shot and landed one more crushing blow, letting the man drop to the floor unconscious. "Yeah, I'm pretty sure Kendall will be okay with that one."

/

"It's finally over. I can't believe it." Bianca shook her head in disbelief.

Marissa took Bianca's hand in her own. "I know what you mean. I'm just glad that no one was hurt, especially you. I don't think I was ever as scared in my life as I was watching you cross that parking lot by yourself, and I couldn't do anything except watch and pray that you got in here safely."

"It was so hard to walk and not run in here to you. I knew I had to do it though. It was the only way to catch him and get him out of our lives."

"You're pretty damn amazing, you know that?"

"Just where you're concerned. Besides, I have to be to keep up with you." Bianca grinned before kissing Marissa softly.

The sound of approaching sirens forced the women to part.

"You should call Kendall and let her know everyone's okay. I have a feeling we're going to be here a while giving statements to Jesse."

"You're right. I should call her. I know how worried she is."

"Oh wait, we should take that vest off of you before Jesse gets here. We don't want him asking why you're wearing one."

"No, we don't. That could be a little difficult to explain away."

/

"What exactly happened here?" Jesse asked as he surveyed the bloodied and unconscious man lying on the floor.

"He came in with a gun. The furnace kicked on and must have spooked him because he fired at one of the heating ducts. Ben tackled him and proceeded to subdue him after a struggle. The gun went off two more times before Ben got the upper hand. I was back in the conference room meeting with Marissa and Bianca. I came out here to check out what was happening. Brennan came after me, and I had to defend myself." Zach answered smoothly.

"I see. Of course you did. And all of these guards are here why?"

"We were discussing upgrading security so we had some of the guards here to get their opinions. Some of the others are here because they're guarding Bianca and Marissa."

Jesse wasn't really buying Zach's explanation, but he also didn't feel like calling him on it. He wanted Brennan caught and really didn't care how it was done or by who. Besides, he knew that the guards would back up Zach's story. "Speaking of Bianca and Marissa, where are they?"

"They're still back in the conference room. I thought it was safer for them to stay back there until you got here to secure everything."

_It also keeps them from having to lie about anything else that might have happened after you came out here._ "Good thinking. If he tried to attack you, I wouldn't put it past him to go after Marissa again or maybe even Bianca this time." When he saw Brennan start to stir, he called Brot over. "I guess you better call an ambulance for him. He's not looking too good."

Brennan winced as he regained consciousness and saw the Chief of Police looking down at him.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Brennan. It's nice of you to join us. You've been a busy boy since I last saw you and have quite the list of charges against you now. Officer Monroe has a few things to go over with you and is going to stay with you while you're in the hospital." The chief smirked before turning to Zach. "I need to talk with Bianca and Marissa." Jesse headed back to the conference room.

"Robert Brennan, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you can't afford one, one will be provided for you …"

As Zach and Jesse walked down the hall to the conference room, Zach turned to the police chief. "I almost forgot to tell you. The Center's cameras recorded most of what happened."

Jesse raised an eyebrow. "Most of what happened?"

"It seems they went offline right before you got here."

"Hmmm, I'm guessing they probably didn't miss that much. We'll obviously need whatever footage they did record."

"Of course. I'll make sure you get it." Zach knocked on the door.

/

Marissa looked at Bianca. "You ready?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I am. Let's get this over with. Come in."

Zach opened the door and allowed for Jesse to enter ahead of him.

"Good afternoon, Ladies. It seems there was a little excitement here today. I'm very glad to see that the two of you are okay."

"Hi, Jesse. Yeah, things did get a little too exciting here. Luckily, no one was hurt." Bianca answered.

"Are you up for me taking your statements?"

"Yes, we are. I thought you might want to do that. Oh, Zach, Bianca called Kendall to let her know what happened and to tell her we might be here a while wrapping things up."

Jesse sat down at the conference table and proceeded to question the couple about what had occurred. When he received the call that Brennan had been caught at the Miranda Center, the chief called the District Attorney on his way over. Mike Jensen had instructed Jesse on how their questioning should be handled. Both men had their suspicions on how Brennan's capture came about, that there might be some gray area in how it was accomplished. Both were inclined to look the other way on the particulars though, and the D.A. knew he had more than enough leverage against Brennan that it wouldn't be an issue.

"Okay, thank you. I'll have your statements typed up and ready for you to sign on Monday morning."

Marissa nodded. "Thanks, Jesse."

"We'll be over there first thing Monday morning." Bianca added.

A police officer knocked on the door. "Chief, the paramedics are here."

The four headed out of the room and overheard a paramedic speaking over the radio to someone at the hospital as they wheeled Brennan out with Brot close behind. "Yeah, it looks like he has a broken nose, broken jaw, and several broken ribs along with an infected wound on his side, nasty looking gash."

The couple eyed Zach but didn't say a word as they struggled to hide their knowing smirks.

"Why don't the two of you go home? I'll take care of things here. Tell Kendall I'll see her at home."

Bianca kissed her brother-in-law on the cheek. "Thank you, Zach, for everything."

"I know it's not enough, but thank you." Marissa hugged Zach.

"You're welcome."

Bianca took Marissa's hand, and the couple walked out to the parking lot.

"Did I tell you that you looked kind of hot wearing that vest?" Marissa grinned.

Bianca chuckled. "You're messed up."

**/**

**A/N****: Okay, how'd I do? I meant how did Zach do?**


	66. Handing Over The Keys

**A/N****: Thanks for the amazing reviews as always! Please keep them coming. They feed the creative beast. I'm glad you liked what Zach did to Brennan. That really was fun to write. For this chapter, we move forward in time about a week or two. It's just about time for them to move into their new home. **

**To all those celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving! I will have a chapter about that holiday, but it will have to wait until the chapter after next. I have to survive the holiday myself with my own family before I take on the Kane's celebrating it!**

**Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca entered the law offices of Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery and Cortlandt to pick up Marissa. She stopped at the front desk wanting to make sure her partner wasn't in a last minute meeting with a client before heading back to her office. She wasn't supposed to be, but something could've very easily come up to change that. Marissa was still without a car, which was a situation they hoped to remedy the following weekend when they planned to go car shopping, so Bianca dropped her off after they took the kids to school and daycare. The plan for today was for Marissa to only be in the office for two hours. This was enough time for her to attend a quick staff meeting after which she was going to grab some files and be ready and waiting for Bianca, who had taken the day off, to pick her up. As the brunette waited for the receptionist to wrap up the call she was on, she saw Brian approach.

"Hey, Bianca. Let me guess. You're here for a certain redhead?"

Bianca chuckled. "Hey, Brian. Good guess. Yes, I am. We're picking up the keys to the new house from the decorator today. After that, the house is finally all ours. We're moving in this weekend."

"Ah yes, that's why Marissa was smiling so much in the staff meeting. I remember her mentioning this was moving weekend. I think it's great news, and Stef and I couldn't be happier for both of you. I'm sure all of you are anxious to get moved in."

"Yeah, we really are. It was a little hard getting the kids off to school this morning since they knew we were picking up the keys. You wouldn't believe how excited they are to see their rooms. They haven't seen them in a few weeks so they don't know exactly what they look like. They have a general idea, but we have a couple of surprises for them. To be honest, we can't wait to see for them to see them and see their reactions."

"From what Marissa has told me, I think the kids will love them."

"We think so too. Do you know if she's got anyone in her office? I'm supposed to pick her up so we can get over there."

"No, I don't think so. Come on. I'll walk part of the way to her office with you." Brian offered.

/

The door to Marissa's office was open, and Bianca poked her head in. She saw the redhead glance her way with both women smiling the instant their eyes met.

"I don't even have to look to know who's at your door. Hi, Bianca." Mike Jensen chuckled as he turned around.

"Hi, Mike. I can come back if you're in the middle of something." The brunette wasn't exactly sure why the District Attorney was here but she had a pretty good idea.

"No, we finished up a little bit ago and were just chatting. Marissa was telling me about the house. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Bianca smiled.

The D.A. stood. "I better go. I don't want to hold you up since I know you have plans. Marissa, I'll let you fill her in on everything. Take care, and I'll see you soon. Oh, have a great Thanksgiving."

"Bye, Mike. Thank you for everything and for stopping by to give me this update. I know I'm not speaking for just myself when I say how much everything you've done is appreciated. Happy Thanksgiving." Marissa smiled as she hugged her friend.

"I second everything Marissa just said. Happy Thanksgiving, Mike." Bianca added with a warm hug of her own before he left.

Marissa greeted her lover with a quick kiss. "I know you want to know what that was all about, and I promise I'll tell you everything, just not here though. We have a few stops to make before meeting Trish, and if we don't leave now, we'll be late."

"You're right. We do, and we will be if we don't get going. What do you need me to do?" Bianca asked as she watched Marissa undock her laptop.

"Could you grab those files for me?" The redhead asked as she put her laptop in her bag and grabbed her purse. "Ready?"

"Yep! Let's go!"

/

Errands were completed and groceries were bought for the new place. On the drive over to their new home, Marissa explained the reason behind the D.A.'s impromptu visit. "Mike wanted my input before he spoke with Brennan's lawyer. It seems Brennan thinks he has some leverage and wants a deal."

"Really? What the hell kind of leverage could he possibly have that merits any sort of deal?" Bianca was then struck by a sudden realization. She glanced quickly over at Marissa. "Zach."

"Yes, he's claiming Zach assaulted and brutalized him, and he's threatening to file charges against him. At this point though, it's pretty much his word against Zach's. The security guards are backing up Zach's story. The cameras conveniently went offline right after Ben and the other guards had him restrained so there's no footage to back up the alleged assault. While we were there, we didn't see anything because we were in the conference room which, between you and me, was great thinking on Zach's part. So, there is no one or nothing to corroborate Brennan's story."

"So, what did Mike want if that's the case?"

"He admitted that it all looks somewhat suspect and wanted to be prepared just in case something comes up."

"Meaning that if Brennan insists that Zach be brought up on charges?"

"Exactly. After everything that Zach and Kendall have done for us, how much they've helped us during this whole mess, I'm not willing to have that happen no matter what Zach says. I couldn't live with myself if he went to jail over this."

"Neither could I, but I also don't want Brennan to get off the hook for almost killing you. So, what's the solution you've come up with, Counselor?"

"What makes you think I came up with something?"

"Because I know you and I know that look you get when you come up with something brilliant." Bianca grinned.

Marissa laughed. "I really think you're exaggerating my _brilliance_, B. Besides, Mike's pretty damn good."

"First of all, I don't think I'm exaggerating at all when it comes to you. Second, yes, I know Mike is pretty damn good, almost as good as you. So, what did you two legal eagles come up with?"

"Mike wanted my input because several of the charges filed against Brennan were ones he committed against me so Mike and I were throwing some ideas around. You see, Brennan has five felony assault charges in addition to the attempted assault on you against him along with a wide variety of other felony and misdemeanor charges. The assault charge against Colleen is off the table and will not be discussed in any deal along with the attempted assault on you. They are simply not up for discussion. That leaves three other felonies for assault. I'm not willing to let him off the hook for Lisa's assault. She's an innocent bystander here. I'm willing to drop the lesser assault charge, the one that happened at the office but not the one that put me in the hospital. He deserves the maximum sentence on that for what he put you through alone. We called Ben and talked to him. He's willing to let Mike reduce the charge for his assault to a misdemeanor. Ben's still feeling pretty good about his takedown of Brennan. More importantly, he feels he owes Zach so he's willing to do whatever. If that means reducing the charges, he's onboard. The other charges can be mixed and matched as well. Like I said, Brennan has a very long list of charges against him. None of that will happen though if Mike has his way. He's going for it all if he can get it or a minimal reduction which I'm all in favor of. He needed options, and I gave him some."

"Well, I agree with Mike. I want Brennan to get the maximum with no deals. What about the recordings from the Center? Doesn't that pretty much make Brennan's case non-existent?"

"Oh yeah, about the recordings, they don't know about them _yet_."

"Don't they have to know? Isn't Mike required to tell the other side about them?"

Marissa grinned. "You really are picking up on the legal biz. Yes, they would find out during the discovery phase, but they haven't entered that phase yet. Mike is using that as his ace in the hole. What's been recorded is pretty damning, even if it cuts out quickly. After all, computer outages happen all the time …"

"And knowing Zach, he'll have that covered with an expert ready to testify that there was a problem with the equipment."

"I'd be very surprised if he didn't."

"So would I. Why is Mike meeting with them then?"

"If possible, he'd like to avoid a trial. It would be resolved faster, and we wouldn't have to testify. Plus, he would be saving the state a lot of money by avoiding a trial which has its political benefits. I trust Mike. He wants Brennan to pay for everything he's done so I have no doubt that he'll be doing a lot of time in prison."

"If you trust him, then so do I. Will you let Zach know what's going on?"

"We actually gave him a heads up on things earlier when Mike and I were talking. He said he wasn't worried and didn't want me to think about it. I don't see that happening. I'll call Zach with an update after I hear back from Mike." Marissa was interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone. "Speak of the devil. Hey, Mike."

Bianca waited anxiously while Marissa spoke with the D.A. She chanced a glance at the redhead and released a sigh of relief when she saw Marissa begin to smile.

"I knew you wouldn't let us down. Thanks again for everything, Mike." The redhead disconnected the call.

"Well?"

"Okay, Brennan was facing 30 years for everything. Once he was shown the footage from the Center, he agreed to plead guilty in exchange for a slightly reduced sentence and will be spending the next 20 years in prison."

"What about parole?"

"No parole. He serves the full 20 years. He could've gotten parole, possibly serving a shorter sentence otherwise, possibly but unlikely."

Bianca sighed again. "Thank you, Mike! What about Zach?"

"No charges will be filed against Zach. Mike was able to convince him that it was in his best interest not to pursue those charges."

"That is great news, Rissa! I don't have to tell you how relieved I am to hear all of that."

Marissa smiled. "No, you don't because I'm just as relieved as you are. Okay, I need to let Zach know."

Bianca nodded while Marissa called Zach and relayed the details of what happened to him.

Marissa wrapped up the call just as they turned down the driveway leading to their new home. A huge grin spread across both of their faces when the house came into view. Instinctively, they reached for the other's hand. Bianca whispered. "We're home."

The redhead pressed her lips to her partner's hand. "Yes, we are."

/

The couple pulled up to the front of the house and got out, pausing briefly to take the moment in before smiling at each other. The decorator quickly came outside and greeted them.

"Bianca, Marissa, it's good to see you."

"Hi, Trish. It's good to see you too." Marissa offered in greeting.

"I have something I know the two of you are anxious for." The decorator smiled and handed each woman a set of keys.

The couple couldn't stop grinning.

"I'm happy to say that it's all yours. I've really enjoyed this assignment and working with both of you. I don't think I've ever had this much fun so thank you."

"You're welcome and thank you. You've done a wonderful job." Bianca said earnestly.

"If you have any questions or need anything, just let me know. Enjoy your new home. Bye."

The couple watched as the other woman drove away and then turned back to the house.

Bianca glanced at Marissa. "Are you ready?"

"More than ready." The redhead answered grinning.

They walked to the front door. Bianca inserted the key into the lock, and Marissa turned the doorknob opening the door. They crossed over the threshold together. The couple walked slowly through their home taking everything in, beyond happy with the finished results.

When they walked into the kitchen, Bianca remembered what was in the car. "We really should bring the groceries inside."

"I forgot all about them. Let's go."

Marissa handled the kitchen while Bianca stocked the bathrooms knowing they would be needed tomorrow with everyone helping with the move.

Bianca stopped at the kitchen door when she heard Marissa humming happily as she finished putting the last of the groceries away. The brunette grinned as she watched the woman who owned her heart. A feeling of utter happiness swept over her. Before she knew it, she was crossing the room and wrapping her arms around the redhead's waist.

"Do you know how beautiful you are, how happy you make me?" Bianca whispered.

Marissa leaned immediately in to her lover's touch. "You let me know every day, not just with words but also with a look or a touch. I feel exactly the same way about you."

"I was thinking that we should christen our new home properly." Bianca grinned mischievously and began slowly trailing kisses along Marissa's neckline soon finding her favorite spot, the one behind the redhead's ear, the one that made her powerless to resist Bianca, not that she ever would. Marissa moaned loudly and quickly turned to capture Bianca's lips for a searing kiss.

"I love how you think and couldn't agree more." Marissa husked before claiming her lover's lips again. Clothes were quickly discarded as Bianca pulled them to the floor.

/

Having finally made in from the kitchen via a more than pleasurable stop in the family room, the couple lay entwined on their bed, content and, for the moment, sated.

Marissa softly caressed the wondrously soft curves of Bianca knowing she would never get enough of her lover. She loved the velvety soft skin and the reaction Bianca's body had to her touch.

As for Bianca, she delighted in Marissa's touch which elicited so many feelings and sensations in her from warmth to arousal. She would never grow tired of those caresses. Bianca sighed happily.

Marissa raised her head and gave the brunette a dazzling smile. "Good afternoon, Beautiful!"

Bianca laughed. "I have to say I love your afternoon routine."

"I love the evening routine you created and your idea of how to christen our home."

"What can I say? You inspire me."

"What is it about you and kitchens?" Marissa chuckled.

"It's not the room. It's who's in it." Bianca grinned as she captured Marissa's lips, enjoying the taste of her love's intoxicating lips.

The sound of slamming car doors had them separate.

"Who could that be?" Bianca wondered.

"I'm not sure, but whoever it is knows we're here since your car's out front. I'll go check." Marissa got out of bed and threw some clothes on. "I'll get rid of them as fast as I can so don't go anywhere. I'm not done with you yet." The redhead grinned wickedly before kissing Bianca quickly and heading out.

Bianca sighed and laid back down, more than happy to wait for her lover's return. She quickly remembered something and hopped out of bed. "Rissa, I'm pretty sure it's Kendall and probably Greenlee."

"You've got to be kidding me. I love your family, but I swear they have the worst timing."

"I know, but this time is my fault. I forgot I told Kendall we were stopping by. She volunteered to bring over a few things for tomorrow. Sorry. I was distracted earlier. You have that effect on me."

Marissa chuckled. "It's okay, but uh, B, I think you should probably get dressed. I'm not complaining mind you, but your sister and cousin might be a different story."

"Crap! I'll get dressed. Stall them, please!"

Marissa laughed as she padded down the hallway towards the front door as she put her hair into a ponytail. She chanced a quick glance outside. Bianca was right. It was none other than the dynamic duo.

/

The redhead took a deep breath as she opened the door.

"Hi, Kendall, Greenlee. What a nice surprise."

"Hi, Red. I told Bianca I would drop a few things off for tomorrow for when your unpaid help needs sustenance for helping with the move." Kendall smiled as she held up several bags filled with chips, pretzels and a variety of other supplies.

"I tagged along for a sneak peek of 'Minx Manor'. Where's Bianca?" Greenlee smirked as she noted Marissa's flushed face.

"Come on in." Marissa stepped aside for the friends to enter. "Seriously, Greenlee? 'Minx Manor'?"

"What? I like it. So, where's Bianca?"

"She's in back putting a few things away. Let's put that stuff away, Kendall."

"Did Bianca forget to tell you that I was stopping by, Red?"

"Yeah, she did, Curly, but there's so much going on that I'm not surprised."

The friends followed Marissa to the kitchen. Kendall noticed a bottle of wine and looked at the label.

"Wow, that's a nice wine."

"It's a housewarming gift from Trish. Bianca and I plan are cracking it open tomorrow night. It's nice of you to drop this off."

"It's no problem. Besides, it lets me get a sneak peek of the place too. I also wanted to thank you. Zach told me about the deal Mike worked out and that no charges will be filed against my husband. I know you had something to do with that. I appreciate it."

"I honestly didn't have much to do with it, Kendall. I'm glad to give any help that I could though. I didn't want Zach to face charges for helping us."

"That makes two of us, and don't listen to her. She had more to do with it than she lets on." Bianca added as she joined the other three.

"So, let's have the tour of Minx Manor."

"What's 'Minx Manor'?"

Marissa grinned. "This place apparently, at least according to Greenlee."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Great. The kids will be all over that."

"I figured you needed a name for the place." Greenlee noticed that Bianca was flushed as well. "Did we interrupt something?"

Kendall laughed at the couple's shared expression. "Don't even bother asking. There's nothing I can do with her, and I don't want to know what was interrupted. Please don't tell me. We can leave if you want."

Bianca looked at Marissa who nodded. "No, it's fine. Please stay. If I recall, someone mentioned a tour. Let's go." The friends oohed and ahhed and praised each room from the décor to the layout. At the end of the tour, they settled in the family room.

"Wow. This place is great, and I love the kids' rooms. Ryan and I have been thinking of redecorating our place. Could I get the name of your decorator?"

"Sure. I think you'll like her. Trish is very easy to work with." Marissa answered smiling.

"I love the view from your bedroom. It's incredible." Kendall added.

"It's Rissa's favorite spot." Bianca smiled at the redhead.

"It reminds me a little of back home in Devon. There were these woods that we would go hiking in on the weekends whenever we could. Dad would want us to get outside. He hated being cooped up in an office during the week. Even when he traveled, he had that feeling and couldn't wait to get home and go exploring."

"I can relate to getting outside and can't wait to go exploring our woods more with the kids. They loved our adventure a few weeks ago." Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand.

"I know you'll all be very happy here. It's a lot bigger than your other place, but it has that same feel. It's a home and not just a house. It definitely reflects the two of you." Kendall observed.

"Thanks. Rissa and I feel the same way about it, but it's nice to know that someone else sees it the same way."

"I hate to end this, but school's almost out for the day. I told Emma that I'd pick her up and we'd go shopping. She wants a new outfit for Thanksgiving."

"You're really rubbing off on her, Greenlee. The jury's still out on whether or not that's a good thing." Marissa smirked.

Kendall snorted. "I told you I wasn't the only one who thought that."

Greenlee threw a mock glare at the two over the playful insult and huffed. "The girl has style, and I'm simply encouraging it. Who knows? Maybe she'll be replacing you over at Fusion sooner than you think."

"I wouldn't wish that on the girl. She's so young and so nice and innocent."

"Keep it up, Slater."

Kendall laughed. "We'll see you tomorrow morning."

Bianca turned to Marissa as the pair drove off. "We need to go too. The kids will be waiting, and we have so much to do still."

"Are you telling me you regret taking the time out to christen this place?" Marissa flashed a cheeky grin.

"Not on your life. It was the best thing we've done all day, and one I intend on us completing." Bianca grinned mischievously. "We still have a few places left to christen. There's the bathroom. I have ideas for the shower and jacuzzi tub. Then, there's the upstairs guestroom, the downstairs guestroom …"

Marissa laughed as the couple headed out. "You do have the best ideas!"

**/ **

**A/N****: The next chapter will cover moving day. I came up with how I wanted to do it earlier today, and I hope you like it. See you soon!**


	67. Minx Moving Day

**A/N****: As always, thank you for the amazing reviews! They are truly appreciated so please keep them coming! It's time for the Tasker-Montgomery family to move into their new home. I've got nothing else to say other than I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Marissa woke up early. She sighed contentedly, feeling Bianca's arms wrapped tightly around her. The redhead did love waking up with her lover holding her. She glanced at the clock. It wasn't quite time for it to go off yet. Marissa tried to go back to sleep, but she was too excited about today for that to happen. She smiled brightly as a wonderful idea came to her. She carefully got out of bed and padded downstairs, quickly finding what she was looking for.

The redhead turned the video camera on and turned it so it was recording her. She began to whisper, not wanting to wake anyone else up. "So, today is the big day. Our new home is finished and we're moving into it in just a few hours. Everyone else is still asleep. I probably should be too, but I just can't. There are too many things going on in my mind right now to sleep, too many feelings. I'm really going to miss this place. There are so many wonderful memories here. At the same time, I'm really excited about moving to the new place. It's a beautiful home, our dream home, and I know we'll be just as happy there as we've been here. Of course, I'd be happy anywhere as long as we're all together."

Marissa glanced outside. The sun was starting to come up. "Time to wake up my own personal sleeping beauty." Marissa padded back upstairs as she continued to whisper. "Yeah, I know. That really is kind of cheesy, kinda sappy too. The dynamic duo and others would have a field day with that comment if they hear it, but I don't care and can't help it. I know I'm whipped, and I couldn't be happier because I get to spend my life with Bianca and our three amazing children." The redhead quietly opened the bedroom door and focused the camera on Bianca. "See what I mean. Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful."

Bianca started to stir and slowly opened her eyes. "Rissa, what are you doing?"

"Recording our moving day. I thought it would be nice to have a record of it."

"I think it's a great idea. How long have you been awake though?"

"Not very long. I couldn't sleep."

"Tell me. How long have you been recording me sleeping as part of our move?" Bianca teased.

Marissa blushed knowing she'd been busted. "Not all that long. I just couldn't help it. You looked so beautiful sleeping, and that nasty habit of yours, you know the one where you watch me sleep, has rubbed off on me."

Bianca laughed softly and patted the bed. She was wide awake now. Both were up late packing and exhausted when they finally went to bed which made them unable to finish what they had started earlier at the new home. That wasn't the case now. "Well if you're not going to let me go back to sleep, the least you can do is give me a good morning kiss."

"I think I can do that." Marissa grinned as she leaned in to grant Bianca's request. The kiss soon deepened. The picture being recorded began to jump as the camera was jostled and soon faded to black when the recording stopped.

/

Sometime later, Marissa turned the camera back on. Both women were dressed and quietly walking down the hallway. They were getting a slightly later start than they had planned, but neither would be complaining as to the reason why. "Okay, it's time to wake up the kids. First stop is AJ. He's not really a morning person, not like Gabby, although he's gotten much better."

Bianca chuckled. "That's an understatement. He's loves his sleep. It's going to be fun when he's a teenager. Gabby wakes up and is pretty much ready to go. Miranda falls somewhere in the middle. You're right though. He has gotten better. How can you not with Gabby around?"

Marissa turned around to face Bianca and both shared a smile as they thought of watching their children grow up.

They opened AJ's bedroom door and went inside. Bianca gently nudged AJ. "Time to wake up, Buddy."

AJ grumbled and pulled his covers tighter around him.

Both women chuckled, and the camera shook.

Bianca tried again. "AJ, it's time to get up. I know you don't want to, but it's a big day today and we need to get started."

The blonde huffed and reluctantly opened his eyes. "Mom, what are you doin'?"

"I'm making a record of the day."

AJ rolled his eyes. He really wondered about his mom sometimes.

"He's officially been around your sister way too much. He's starting to act like her."

Bianca laughed and ruffled the boy's hair. "Trust me. You'll appreciate her doing this one day. Now, you can either stay in bed, or you can get up and get dressed. The sooner you do that, the sooner you can see your new room and the surprise that's waiting for you."

AJ's head snapped to attention. "I'll get up."

"I thought that might do it."

Marissa chuckled watching the two. "Get dressed, Buddy. We'll have some breakfast and finish packing up."

The boy nodded. "Okay. Mom?"

"What's up?"

"You really think I'm like Aunt Kendall?" AJ asked with an impish grin.

Marissa shook her head and sighed while Bianca snorted. "Yeah, sometimes you are."

/

"Miranda, time to get up, Sweetie."

"Morning, Mom. Morning, Rissa. Are you recording this?"

"Yep, I thought it'd be nice to have something to remember the move. What do you think?"

Miranda grinned after a moment. "I like it. Can I help?"

Marissa smiled. "Yes, you can. I'm glad someone else in this family likes my idea."

"If you recall, I told you it was a great idea earlier."

"Yes, you did, but it seemed like you were taking AJ's side after that. He thinks I'm being pretty lame." Marissa pouted slightly

"What's he know? Besides, he can be kinda grumpy in the morning sometimes. I like your idea." Miranda smiled.

"Thank you!"

Bianca laughed. "Okay. We need you to get dressed."

"Okay, Mom. Oh, Rissa, did you find the box my music box came in?"

"I did, and we'll pack it up after breakfast. I think it's best if we take both of our music boxes in the car with us, just in case."

Miranda nodded. "Could we? I don't want anything to happen to them."

"Neither do I. Are you excited about seeing your new room?"

"I am. I can't wait to see it!"

"Well, Rissa and I have a little surprise for you there."

Miranda's eyes widened. "Really? What is it?"

Marissa laughed. "It's not a surprise if we tell you, now is it?"

"I guess not. What if I guessed? You could tell me if I was close."

Bianca could see the wheels turning in her oldest daughter's head. "Don't even start with the questions. We're not giving you any hints. You have to wait." The older brunette glanced at the woman holding the camera. "This would be your influence."

Miranda grinned brightly and nodded.

Marissa laughed again and gave the girl a high-five.

Bianca shook her heck and chuckled. "Alright, time to break this up. Get dressed please."

Miranda hopped out of bed and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth before changing out of her pajamas.

/

Last but not least, the couple made their way to Gabby's bed. The little girl was snuggled under her blanket holding her stuffed monkey tightly.

"Gabby, time to get up, Baby."

The little girl woke up and smiled at Bianca. "Morning, Mommy!"

"Good morning, Gabby."

The youngest family member saw her other mother holding a video camera. "Morning, Mommy! Are we making a movie?" Gabby loved it when they recorded their family's adventures.

"Good morning, Monkey. Yep, we sure are. It's going to be all about our move."

"Mom!"

Marissa smiled. "I better go see what AJ needs. I'll be back." She handed the camera to Miranda who came back into the room and whispered. "You're in charge of filming until I get back."

Miranda grinned as she happily took the camera and began to focus on her mom and sister.

Bianca noticed that her youngest was quieter than she normally was. She could tell something was bothering her. "Gabby, is something wrong?"

The little girl shook her head. She could tell both of her mothers were in a good mood and excited about moving, and she didn't want to ruin their happiness.

Bianca wasn't buying it though. She knew something was up and putting a damper on her daughter's usually cheerful attitude. "Gabby, I know something's wrong. If you tell me, I might be able to make you feel better. What is it, Baby? Please tell me."

"I don't know that I wanna to move."

"Don't you want to see your new room? I thought you were excited about it."

"I don't know. I like it here, Mommy. What if we don't like the new place?"

Bianca suddenly knew what the problem was. In Gabby's four short years, their family had moved around a great deal, back and forth between Pine Valley and Paris, settling in at Wildwind for a small period of time before moving here, and now they were moving again from the one place that had given her a real sense of stability. "You think we might not like the new place and will have to move again. That we won't be as happy there as we have been here."

Gabby nodded.

Bianca pulled her daughter onto her lap. "I understand. You know, Marissa and I are a little nervous too about moving."

"You are?" Gabby looked up at her mom.

"Yeah, we are. We've been really happy here and have made a lot of great memories. We're going to miss it. A part of us is nervous that it won't be the same and that's normal because it's new. Here's the thing though. We know that we'll be happy because we'll all be together, and it doesn't matter where we live. And as many great memories as we have of this place, we're going to make so many more at our new home."

"You think so?"

"I know so. I also know that we're going to be very happy for a very long time. We built this house so we won't have to find another one, and we plan on living there for a very, very long time. That's why we had the three of you decide how you wanted to decorate your rooms and tell us some of the other things you wanted there. We wanted you to be happy and have a say about our new home."

"And we're not gonna move again?"

"We don't plan on it, and if we do, it won't be for a very long time."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I know it will be a little different, but it'll a good different. All of the happy memories we've made here? We'll just continue to build on them there. Do you feel better?"

Gabby pondered everything her told her and nodded.

"You think you might want to move there now and that you'll be happy there?"

Gabby thought some more before smiling brightly and nodding again. She trusted her mommy, both of them, more than anything in the world. If they felt that way, then she would too. Gabby felt herself begin to grow excited about the move once more now that her dark-haired mother addressed and assuaged her fears and concerns. "Uh huh! I'm ready, Mommy!" Gabby hopped up on her bed and hugged Bianca tightly.

"Did I miss anything, Miranda?" Marissa asked as she re-joined the group.

Miranda grinned. "Yep, but don't worry. I got it for you."

Marissa gave her oldest daughter a questioning look.

"Mommy! We're moving today!"

The redhead laughed as she walked over to Gabby's bed. The little girl jumped into her arms. "We sure are, Monkey."

"Mommy says we're going to make a lot more happy memories there."

"Well, your Mommy is a very smart woman. Alright, let's get you ready for the day ahead."

/

After everyone was dressed and breakfast was finished, Marissa set about cleaning up in the kitchen and packing the remaining dishes. The kids went to finish packing in their rooms while Bianca stopped in the family room to take care of things in there.

As Bianca was beginning to seal a box up, something in it caught her attention. _I just got the perfect idea for Marissa's Christmas present._ She'd been wondering what to get Marissa, but now the perfect gift idea just fell into her lap. Bianca smiled brightly as she sealed up the box and marked its contents and where it should go on the outside. She would definitely be finding this box again after the move.

Marissa walked into the family room. "The kitchen and dining room are all packed up. You need any help in here?"

"Nope, I've got it under control."

"Okay. I'm going to go check on the kids and help Miranda pack her music box as well as mine. When are Kendall and Zach going to be here?"

Bianca checked the time. "They should be here in about an hour, and the movers will be here a little after that. I'll be up as soon as I finish here."

Marissa nodded and headed upstairs.

/

Bianca surveyed the family room. Everything was packed and labeled. The furniture was ready for the movers as well. A noise directed her attention to the stairway. "Everything done up there?"

"Yep, the kids are in AJ's room. Miranda is filming their last moments here. She's become quite the filmmaker." Marissa set two small boxes on an end table next to her's and Bianca's purses. She walked over to sofa to join Bianca. She rested her head on the brunette's shoulder.

"It helps that she's filming two hams, especially Gabby. The girl does love to perform." Bianca glanced at Marissa. "How's your knee?" The redhead had been in therapy for several weeks and was making steady progress. They still needed to keep an eye on it though.

"It's good. It's not bothering me at all. I was just thinking."

"Care to share, Counselor?"

"I'm going to miss this place. It was my first real home since I moved to Pine Valley. The Chandler Mansion was nice, but I never felt all that comfortable there. It just never felt like home, not like here. This felt like home from the moment we looked at it."

Bianca pulled Marissa tighter. "I know how you feel. I've lived in a lot of places over the years, the last being Wildwind, and they were all very nice. None of them stack up to this place though. It's special."

"Yes, it is. Our new home will be just as special."

"You're right. It will. Like I told Gabby earlier, we'll continue to build there on all the memories we started here."

Marissa grinned. "I do believe you're right. We will."

/

"Can you tell what they're saying?" AJ whispered.

Miranda shook her head. "Not really. I can make out some of it but not all of it."

The three kids were quietly watching their mothers from the landing at the top of the stairs. Gabby was being as quiet as she possibly could having promised her brother and sister she would be. Miranda was filming the couple.

/

Marissa smiled and stood. She held out her hand to Bianca. "Dance with me."

"There's no music."

"I don't care. Dance with me. Please?"

Bianca took Marissa's hand giving her a goofy grin, unable to refuse her love anything when she looked at her the way she was now. "Of course."

Marissa began to hum as they moved slowly together, gazing into each other's eyes.

/

Miranda grinned and whispered. "It's like what Rissa told us her parents used to do."

AJ nodded. "Yeah, it is."

/

A knock on the door interrupted the magical moment, and the kids scurried out of sight. Bianca gave Marissa a tender kiss before she went to answer the door.

"Good morning, Kendall, Zach."

"Morning, Binx, Red. Are you ready?"

"Morning, Curly, Zach. Yep, we are. Thanks for coming over."

"It's not a problem. We're happy to help. I wanted to thank you again for your help with the D.A. You didn't need to do that."

"Yes, I did, Zach. It's the least I could do to repay you for everything you've done for us."

"It's what family does for each other." Zach smiled.

Bianca nodded. "Yes, it is."

"When will the movers be here, Binx?"

"They should be here in about twenty minutes, Kendall. Everything is labeled and ready to go." Bianca looked at Marissa. "We should get going."

"Yes, we really should. Kids, it's time to go."

The three kids bounded down the steps. "Hi, Aunt Kendall. Hi, Uncle Zach."

"Hey, guys. What's with the camera, Miranda?"

"We're recording our move. Here, Rissa, we're done filming for now."

Marissa noticed the grins on the faces of her three children. They had been up to something, but she would ask about it later. Now, they needed to get going. She grabbed her purse and the two small boxes and glanced around at the place that had been their home for over a year with a smile. "Time to head out. We'll see you at the house."

"We'll see you there after we pick up the boys from the sitter on the way over to the new place."

Bianca glanced around their home as well before giving her sister and brother-in-law a hug. "See you in a little while."

/

Marissa pulled out the video camera again on the drive over, recording the excited chatter of the kids. Bianca smiled and laughed as she drove her happy family to their new home. As they turned down the gravel driveway leading to the house, the kids grew quiet in anticipation.

"Here it is! Here is our new home!" Marissa continued her narration.

Bianca dropped everyone off in front of the house while she pulled around to the garage. They waited patiently for her to join them before they entered through the front door. Their mothers wanted the kids to experience the completed house from the front first.

The family entered the home, and the kids were amazed to see the furnished family room.

AJ took in the 70 inch flat screen TV. "Whoa! Look at this! It'll be awesome playing video games here!"

Bianca chuckled and ruffled the blonde's hair. "Sorry, Buddy, but video games will be played downstairs. The television from our old house will be down there."

"Where will we sit down there, Mom?"

"The furniture from our old family room will be down there also, Mimo."

Gabby tugged on Marissa's shirt.

"What is it, Monkey?"

"Can we see our rooms?"

"Yeah, can we, Mom?"

"Please, Rissa!"

Marissa grinned. "Yes, you can. How about we check out one room at a time?

The kids thought for a minute. They were almost as anxious to see each other's rooms as their own. They could tell their moms wanted to share the experience with each of them so they agreed.

Miranda's room was first, and Marissa went inside ahead of the others to record her reaction, taking her music box with her. The girl opened the door and stepped inside. Her reaction was one of wonder. "It's just like the library from 'Beauty and the Beast'!" One wall was painted like it was lined with books along with the ladder Belle used to reach them. Belle and the other characters and scenes from the movie decorated two other walls. Built-in bookshelves dominated the remaining wall. In the middle of it, there was a small cut-out spot where Miranda's music box was now placed. Miranda's eyes took in every detail of the room from her bigger bed to the desk to the dresser. "I love it! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" She flung her arms first around Bianca and then Marissa. After the kids checked out the room further for a few more minutes, Bianca interrupted them telling them it was time for AJ's turn.

They nodded and waited for Marissa to take her place with the video camera inside her son's room. AJ opened the door and started grinning before darting into the room. "This is awesome!" His suggestion for his room was for it to have something to do with building things and Legos. One wall had shelves with containers for his Legos and his markers, pens and pencils. A second wall had a huge white board and sketch pad for him to draw and design to his heart's content. The remaining two walls were painted with scenes with Lego building sets. His dresser and desk matched the room. There was only one empty spot, and it was where his bunk bed would be placed when it was delivered shortly. He was given the option of a new full size bed like the girls were getting or his current bed. He opted to keep his bunk bed for now so there were several new Lego sets for him. "Thanks, Mom! Thanks, Bianca! This is so cool!" Several minutes were spent in his room checking everything out.

The women knew Gabby was getting anxious to see her room. She had been very good and very patient. The couple shared a knowing glance. It was time for Gabby to be rewarded for her patience.

"Okay. Time for us to see Gabby's room." Bianca smiled as Marissa headed across the hall to get set up.

Gabby could hardly contain her excitement. She slowly opened the door as she tightly clutched Minx the monkey and poked her head inside. Her eyes widened with absolute delight when she saw her room. She began jumping up and down, clapping her hands. "It looks just like the zoo, Mommy!" The walls were painted with displays of all of her favorite animals. There were elephants, giraffes and a variety of bears with a panda bear thrown in for good measure along with a display of manatees which had become Gabby's second favorite animal. Last but not least were her favorites, the monkeys. They were scattered among the other animals. Gabby stood in the middle of the room taking it all in before letting out an ear piercing squeal that had everyone wincing slightly. "It's a giant monkey!" She flew across the room and jumped onto the giant stuffed monkey that had been delivered only days before tightly hugging him. "He looks just like Minx, Mommy!"

Marissa and Bianca fought back tears seeing their youngest so delighted. They were thrilled that their two oldest loved their rooms equally as well, but they had been waiting for Gabby's reaction the most.

"Do you like him, Baby?"

"I love him, Mommy! He's so cute, and he's really, really soft! I still love Minx, but I love him too!"

"Rissa found him when she was in New York earlier this year when she found Minx." Bianca slowly took the video camera from Marissa.

"You did, Mommy?"

Marissa nodded. "I did. I thought you might like him and that he would fit with your room."

Gabby raced across the room and jumped into Marissa's arms. "Thank you, Mommy!"

"You're welcome, Monkey. Do you like your room?"

Gabby nodded as she hugged Marissa tightly. "Uh huh! It's the bestest room ever! Thank you, Mommy! Ooh, we need a name for my new monkey! Will you help me name him, Mommy?"

Marissa laughed and returned the hug before kissing the little girl's forehead. "Of course I will."

Bianca smirked. "As long as Greenlee doesn't give us any suggestions this time around."

Marissa chuckled and then nodded towards Bianca. "Your Mom made sure they painted all of the animals you like."

Gabby grinned. "She did?"

"Yep, she sure did."

Gabby reached for Bianca. "Thank you, Mommy! I love my room!"

Bianca hugged her youngest daughter tightly and kissed the top of her head. "You're welcome, Baby." She set Gabby down. "Go enjoy your room."

Marissa turned to AJ and Miranda who were checking out the giant monkey. "Bianca and I are going to unpack the car. You guys have fun up here."

The women headed downstairs.

Bianca smiled. "I think the rooms were a hit."

"I think you're right." Marissa replied before giving the brunette a quick kiss. "The movers will be here soon followed by pretty much everyone else."

/

The movers delivered the last of the furniture from the old place and set it up in the designated rooms along with the boxes containing the rest of the family belongings. Family and friends soon arrived to help unpack. The kids that had accompanied their parents checked out AJ's, Miranda's and Gabby's rooms and busied themselves running from room to room.

When the unpacking was finished, everyone stayed for an impromptu housewarming. Krystal and Erica were both in attendance but gave the other a wide berth with neither being in the same room at the same time with the other for very long. Bianca and Marissa knew it wasn't ideal but at least their mothers weren't sniping at each other and hurling loosely veiled insults around. They were, in their own twisted way, trying to get along, at least that was their daughters' story and they were sticking to it.

Marissa was in the kitchen refilling an ice bucket and took a moment to flex her knee. It was doing much better, but she had been on it a great deal that day.

Erica walked into the kitchen and saw what the redhead was doing. "Marissa, dear, is everything alright with you knee? It isn't bothering you, is it?"

Marissa smiled warmly seeing the other woman's concern. "No, Erica, it's fine, maybe just a little tired but no pain."

Erica walked over and took the ice bucket from the redhead. "Let me help you, dear. You're still healing, and you need to take it easy. Please sit and I'll take care of this."

Marissa was a little caught off guard by the gesture but agreed. "Thank you." She took a seat and observed the older woman. "You know, I sometimes forget just how much Bianca is like you."

"Well, thank you but I'm not sure how true that is."

"She really is a great deal like you, Erica. I see some of those similarities every day. She's strong, independent and fierce in protecting her family. She's pretty much a badass when it comes to that last one." Marissa grinned.

Erica couldn't help but chuckle at the redhead's compliment. "There are some that would use another word to describe me that starts with a 'b' and it's definitely not badass."

"I have no doubt about that, but I don't listen to them. I like to make my own mind up, form my own opinions. My mom and dad taught me that lesson growing up."

Erica nodded. "That was very wise advice. From what my daughter has told me, they sound like wonderful people."

Marissa smiled. "They really were and thank you for saying that. That's why Bianca is a lot like you."

"I'm not sure what you mean, dear."

"Her kindness and caring, she gets some of that from you. You can try and deny it, but I've seen it many times from you. You may not let others see it but it's there especially when you're with your daughters and the kids. Thank you, by the way, for treating AJ the same as you do the girls."

"You're welcome, but why wouldn't I? He is a lovely little boy, very charming too, much like his mother. You have done a wonderful job with him and are a very good mother to both him and the girls." Erica smiled.

Marissa swallowed hard. "Thank you. That means a great deal to me."

"You're very welcome, but …"

"Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell anyone except Bianca about this softer side." Marissa smirked.

"Thank you, dear. I do have a reputation to protect and an image to maintain after all." Erica winked and flipped her hair in her patented style.

Marissa laughed.

"What's so funny in here?" Bianca asked as she joined the other two women.

"Nothing, Sweetheart. Marissa and I were merely chatting."

Bianca looked between the two and decided to let it drop. Her mother and her partner were getting along, laughing together, truly enjoying each other's company, and that's all she really needed to know. She noticed Marissa sitting and grew concerned. "Rissa, is your knee okay? You haven't been doing too much today, have you?"

Erica and Marissa both laughed again.

"I told you." Marissa grinned before assuring Bianca. "My knee is fine."

"So you did. I should take this into the other room. I'll leave you two to have a few minutes alone. I'm sure you haven't had that many today."

"Thanks, Mom." After Erica left the room, Bianca turned to Marissa. She was clearly confused. "Okay, I give up. What was that all about?"

"Your mom and I were just doing a little bonding."

"Okaaayyy. Do I need to be concerned about anything?"

"Nope." Before Bianca could ask any more questions, Marissa silenced her, kissing her tenderly. All further questions were quickly forgotten.

"Wow, you two really ought to get a room."

Marissa sighed. "Don't tell me you gave the camera to Greenlee."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "No, I didn't. I gave it to Kendall. She must have gotten it from her."

The couple turned to see Greenlee smirking while she continued to record them.

"There you are, Greenlee." Kendall stopped short when she saw the expressions are the faces of the other three women. "What did you do?"

"Nothing. I was just recording scenes around Minx Manor and happened upon these two. I think it's really cute that even after almost a year they still can't keep their hands off of each other. You know, it's probably a good thing I came in when I did. Given a little more time, who knows what someone could walk in on."

Bianca groaned and shot Greenlee a look that was pure Kane.

Kendall grabbed her friend and shoved her out the door before Bianca could say or do anything else. "Time to go. Jack's looking for you." The taller woman grabbed the camera. "I'll just take that."

Marissa chuckled as the friends left.

"It's not funny, Rissa."

"Actually, yeah, it kind of is. I don't know two other people with worse timing than them."

Bianca gave a small smile. "I suppose you're right. Maybe, we should give them bells to wear around their necks so we know when they're coming."

Marissa laughed. "There's my girl! Greenlee was probably right about one thing."

"What in the hell could that be?"

"Well, you do have this thing for kitchens." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "Hmmm, you do have a point there, Counselor. Maybe we should go join our guests before we prove Greenlee right about something else."

/

Several hours later, everyone had left, and the family was finally on their own. It was past the kids' bedtimes, but it was the weekend and their first night in their new home. The couple went upstairs to tuck the kids in for the night. Baths would wait until the morning.

The couple walked into Gabby's room and smiled at the sight in front of them. Gabby was sprawled on top of the giant stuffed monkey, sound asleep and clutching Minx the monkey. The scene was lovingly documented before Marissa gently lifted Gabby and laid her on her bed. Pajamas quickly replaced regular clothes, and she was tucked into bed, never once waking up.

It didn't take much to convince AJ and Miranda to agree to go to bed. Both were almost out on their feet. Miranda did catch a second wind, briefly.

"What about our story?"

"I'm afraid not tonight, Miranda. Gabby is sound asleep already, and AJ will be shortly if he isn't already." Bianca answered softly.

"They'll both be upset if we don't include them, especially Gabby." Marissa added.

"But you always tell us a story." Miranda pouted slightly.

"How about I make it up to you tomorrow by telling you two stories? You get to choose them."

Miranda grinned. "Any story, Rissa?"

"Any story, Mimo."

"Okay, but you can just tell us one."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh huh and I know exactly what story I want."

"You do, huh? What story is that?"

Miranda's grin widened even more. "I want a 'Marissa original'."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "A 'Marissa original'?"

"Yep, one that you make up that's not from a book. You said I could pick whatever story I want."

Bianca laughed softly. "She's right. You did say that."

Marissa shook her head and laughed knowing that Miranda had just played her and that Bianca was clearly enjoying it. "You're right. I did. You've been reading my law books again, haven't you?" Marissa teased.

Miranda giggled.

"A 'Marissa original' it is, but tomorrow night. Now, it's time for you to go to sleep."

Miranda yawned. "Okay. Goodnight, Rissa. Goodnight, Mom. Love you."

Bianca kissed her daughter. "I love you too, Mimo."

Marissa followed suit, kissing her daughter. "Goodnight, Mimo. I love you too."

/

While Marissa locked up, Bianca grabbed two wine glasses and headed back to their room. Marissa entered the bedroom to find Bianca had a fire blazing in the fireplace and was currently pouring the wine they had received from their decorator. They had stashed it in their bedroom earlier wanting to save it for tonight, their first official night in their new home.

Bianca held out her hand as Marissa crossed the room to join her. They settled on their bed sipping the wine and watching the fire. After a day spent in a house filled to overflowing with family and friends, they finally were alone and could fully relax, enjoying each other's company and simply be. No words were spoken. None were needed. Bianca held her lover in her arms softly caressing the curves that were indelibly mapped in her heart and soul. Marissa reveled in her lover's touch, her fingers leaving a trail of heat in their wake, arousing the redhead. A mischievous grin graced Bianca's face. She knew exactly the effect she was having on her lover.

Marissa tilted her head back and began trailing soft kisses along Bianca's neck finding the spot that always made her lover shiver in delight. The brunette moaned and grabbed both glasses, setting them aside. When she turned back, she found her lover facing her with a wicked grin. Bianca pulled Marissa to her, kissing her fervently. As Bianca drifted back onto the bed, she pulled Marissa with her. The couple became lost in each other as their bodies melded together.

/

It was Thanksgiving Day, and the Tasker-Montgomery family had so much to be thankful for this year. They were due at Kendall's in several hours. For now, they were gathered in the family room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television.

Bianca answered the ringing phone. "Happy Thanksgiving, Kendall!"

Kendall sighed and replied weakly. "Happy Thanksgiving. We've got a problem, Binx."

**/**

**A/N****: Hmmm, look at that, a cliffhanger! What do you think it could be?**


	68. Thanksgiving - Part I

**A/N****: Thanks to everyone who reviews, reads and follows this little story! I guess it's not so little anymore now is it? Okay, we are now to Thanksgiving for the Tasker-Montgomery family, their first together as a family. I decided to split this up into two chapters so there will be a second part. This chapter picks up where I left off with the last one. Now, I don't know about the holidays for you, dear readers, but they can be a little stressful. Don't get me wrong. They can be wonderful too. They just seem to bring out the best and worst in people sometimes. Besides, we are talking about the Kanes here so I'm thinking that description holds true for them most of all. That being said, I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

The Tasker-Montgomery family was settling into their new home quite nicely. The kids had the week following the big move off since school was closed. Given that there was no school along with the fact that it was a short work week for them, Bianca and Marissa decided to work from home that week. They worked just a couple of hours each day that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday with both having that Thursday and Friday off. The couple alternated working and keeping an eye on the kids as well as finishing up the last little bits of unpacking that needed to be done. While they would've liked to have taken the whole week off, the couple felt they really couldn't given all of the time they had taken off during Marissa's recovery. They also wanted to save those vacation days so they could take time off around Christmas to spend with the kids.

Bianca was letting Jan and Aya take the lead in the planning of what had become the Annual Fundraising Gala for the Miranda Center. She was still needed, however, for signoffs as well providing her keen insight and signature style. In short, Bianca was finally learning to delegate and not try to do everything by herself. The gala would be held at the Yacht Club once again and was expected to bigger and better than last year's, although Marissa and Bianca weren't sure if that was possible.

Marissa worked on a few outstanding cases. Her clients had been well taken care of during her absence by Jack, Caleb and Brian, but they were extremely happy to have her back. She was a calming and reassuring presence during one of the most stressful periods in their lives, one they were eternally grateful to have. She was also helping Bianca out with some of the gala planning that the brunette had to do. There was one other piece of business the women worked on and were very pleased with the outcome. They would be able to share it with Sam and the Walkers Thanksgiving Day afternoon.

As for the kids, they spent the time off exploring every inch of their new home, inside and out. A break in the weather allowed them to play on the jungle gym and explore a portion of the woods surrounding their home as well as visiting the small pond. They made sure to let their mothers know when they were going into the woods. The kids were only allowed to go so far and had to stay together. Marissa and Bianca wanted them to feel free to explore but also wanted them to be careful and get used to their surroundings before expanding their explorations.

Before anyone knew it, it was Thanksgiving Day, and the Tasker-Montgomery family had so much to be thankful for this year. Last year at this time, Bianca and Marissa were still fighting their feelings for each other, still denying that they saw the other as so much more than just a friend. This year, they were a family and happier than any of them had ever been or had ever thought was possible.

The family was due at Kendall's in a few hours. After that, they had plans to stop by Tad's for dessert with him, Krystal, Jenny, Kathy and Opal. A quick stop was also planned at the Walkers for a special delivery. For now, they were enjoying a bit of a lazy morning. The had eaten breakfast and were now gathered in the family room watching the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, anxiously awaiting Santa's appearance at the end of the parade.

Bianca answered the ringing phone. "Happy Thanksgiving, Kendall!"

Kendall sighed and replied weakly. "Happy Thanksgiving. We've got a problem, Binx."

Bianca stood up and started to walk out of the room, not wanting to disturb the good time the kids were having if she could. She saw the concerned expression on Marissa's face and shrugged in reply to the unasked question. "Okay, slow down and take a deep breath. Now, tell me what's wrong, Kendall."

"I got up early to start the turkey. It was cooking for about an hour when I started to smell something burning and before I knew it, the smoke detectors were going off. I walked into the kitchen, and the room was full of smoke."

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah, everyone's fine. The boys were enjoying the excitement a little too much if you ask me. Ian was actually hoping that we were going to call the fire department."

"Still holding out for a ride on a fire engine, huh?" Bianca chuckled.

"Yes, he is." Kendall sighed.

Marissa made her way into the kitchen and whispered to Bianca. "What happened? Is everyone alright?"

"Hang on a second, Kendall. Marissa wants to know what happened." Bianca gave a brief explanation to the redhead. "I'm going to put you on speaker, Kendall."

"Hey, Kendall. I'm sorry to hear about what happened. I'm really glad all of you are okay. What about the house? Any damage?"

"Hey, Red. Thanks. The house is okay. I can't say the same for the turkey. I'm sorry to say that it's ruined, burnt to a crisp on the outside and raw on the inside. Zach said it looks like the thermostat in the oven went haywire."

"The turkey sounds delicious. Do you think Martha Stewart or Rachel Ray will be calling for your recipe?" Marissa smirked.

Kendall laughed. "Hey, only the best for my family. If either one of them calls, I'm not sure if I'll share my recipe with them. So, this brings me to why I called. The place reeks of burnt turkey. With the house smelling like this, there's no way we can have Thanksgiving here. It's going to take a while for it to air out. Plus, there's no way we can use the oven now. Guess what I get to buy tomorrow?"

"Well, everything's on sale so you should get a good deal on one. I can understand about not having everyone over there. What do you need us to do?" Bianca asked.

"I was hoping we could have Thanksgiving for the family at your place. We can't have it at Mom and Jack's. It's just too small, and she has way too many breakable things out that are really tempting for the kids. Greenlee and Ryan's place is out too because of its size, and there's no place for all of the kids to play."

The couple looked at each other. Neither was surprised by the request. They had been expecting it since hearing what happened.

Bianca spoke first. "Two problems, Kendall. The first being, we don't have a turkey."

"I sent Zach out to get one, a fresh one. There's no way we would be able to thaw and cook a frozen turkey in time for us to have dinner today. What's the second problem?"

Marissa sighed. "We're supposed to stop by Tad's. Krystal invited us over for dessert. We also planned on stopping by the Walkers after that. It's not like we can have all of you over and then kick you out so we can go somewhere else."

"Trust me when I say that wouldn't be a problem. Bianca can tell you that our family has been kicked out of lots of places for any variety of reasons. The honoring of a previous engagement would definitely be one of the nicer ones."

"She's told me some of the stories. I just wouldn't feel right about it though. My Mom would never have dreamed of doing something like that, and she wouldn't be happy with me if she knew I was doing it."

Bianca knew Marissa was struggling with what she wanted to do. "Give us a minute, Kendall." Bianca put the phone on mute so her sister wouldn't hear their conversation. She took her lover's hand and asked softly. "What do you want to do, Rissa? I'm good with whatever you want."

Marissa sighed. "I know. I don't want you to miss Thanksgiving with your family. I don't want to miss Thanksgiving with your family, but …"

"But Krystal and Jenny are part of your family. There is a solution you know."

"I don't think either Erica or Krystal will like it."

"They probably won't, but if they want to spend Thanksgiving with us and their grandchildren, they'll just have to get over it." Bianca smiled.

Marissa chuckled. "Alright, I'm willing to do this if you are. What about the Walkers?"

"We'll see if they wouldn't mind stopping by here. I'm sure they'll understand."

"And if they do stop by, that will help with the Erica and Krystal situation. Okay, let's tell your sister and then we need to get a move on if we're having company."

Bianca took the phone off mute. "Okay, we're back."

"And?"

"We'll host Thanksgiving, but we have a few conditions." Marissa stated.

"You're a lawyer, of course you do, Red. What are they?" Kendall smirked.

Bianca snorted. She could just imagine her sister rolling her eyes. She collected herself and gave the first condition. "You're calling Mom and telling her about the change in venue as well as telling her that Krystal will be over for dessert."

"Oh come on, Binx! That's a lot to ask."

"Sorry, Kendall, but you're going to be breaking the news to her. You can soften the blow by telling her that Opal will most likely be joining us too."

"Fine! I'll tell her. What else?"

Marissa grinned at Bianca with pride which she followed with a quick kiss. "Nicely done! Next condition, you have to help us keep everyone in line. There will be no fighting around the kids, no snarky comments or threats of bodily harm."

Kendall laughed. "You know you're taking all of the fun out of the holiday for the Kanes, don't you?"

"I'm aware of that, and be that as it may, that's the way it's going to be. Consider it a new tradition Bianca and I are trying to start. Who knows? Maybe, the family will like it." Marissa added with a wry smile.

"Okay, I'll help referee. Anything else?"

"I'm sure we'll come up with something else when you get here. Speaking of that, when are you getting here?" Bianca asked.

"We'll be there as soon as Zach gets back home and we get the car loaded up."

"Why don't you tell him to drop the turkey off here first so we can get it started?" Marissa suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'll have him stop by the liquor store too and pick up some more wine. I think we're going to need it."

Bianca laughed. "Good idea and I think you're right. Okay, we'll call Krystal and the Walkers about the change in plans."

"I'll get the boys cleaned up and call Mom and Greenlee and let them know about the change in plans. Greenlee was going to get over here a little early to help get things set up. Thanks, you guys, for doing this. I'll see you soon."

"You're welcome, Curly. We'll see you soon."

Gabby dashed into the kitchen. Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "Mommy! Mommy! They said Santa's going to be on next! Come on! You don't wanna miss him!"

The women smiled as their youngest pulled them back into the family room. They could take a few more minutes before they started getting ready

/

Marissa called Krystal who agreed to come over to the Tasker-Montgomery home for dessert along with Tad, Opal and the girls. Krystal wasn't exactly thrilled to be spending part of the day with Erica, but she did want to spend time with her daughter and her family. She told herself that, for her daughter, she could be on her best behavior for a few hours with Erica, at least she hoped she could. She believed it was the very least she could do for Bianca and Marissa.

Bianca called the Walkers and explained what had happened at Kendall's. She asked if they wouldn't mind coming over. Mrs. Walker said they understood and would be more than happy to join them. It would be the Walkers first visit to the family's new home. They weren't able to help with the move due to family outing of their own that day, and they couldn't wait to see it. It was quickly decided that they would join everyone else for dessert as well with Mrs. Walker offering to bring another dessert over.

Zach was successful in his quest for a fresh turkey that was big enough to feed everyone and dropped it off along with several bottles of wine and a case of beer before heading home to pick up Kendall and the boys.

While Marissa started the turkey, Bianca herded the kids towards their rooms to get dressed and straighten their rooms up before jumping into the shower. By the time she was done, Marissa had the turkey in the oven and had picked up the family room. The redhead jumped into the shower next while Bianca hunted down the tablecloth for the dining room table along with placemats and napkins.

A short time later, Marissa joined Bianca in getting the dining room and kitchen in order. They decided they could set up the kids' table in the dining room along with the adults with a little creative rearranging of the dining room table and chairs. They would wait until Kendall and Zach got there to help with that. The couple then started on the side dishes they had been assigned to bring to Kendall's. As for the kids, they were excited their cousins were coming over so they could help them break in the playroom properly and even more so when they were told that Sam and the Walkers would be stopping by later. They had been disappointed that the Walkers couldn't make it the past weekend, but now, the kids would be able to show them their rooms, and they couldn't wait.

/

"Mom, Bianca, Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach are here."

"Thanks, AJ." Bianca smiled at her son before turning to Marissa. "I guess we better go help them bring everything in."

The couple headed to the front door to greet their company.

Spike and Ian said hello to their aunts before darting off with their cousins in the direction of the playroom.

"Happy Thanksgiving." Kendall announced looking slightly frazzled by the morning's events. "I can't thank you guys enough for taking this on at the last minute especially after just moving in."

"We're happy to help. How's the house?" Bianca asked as she led the adults into the kitchen.

"Well, I think it's smelling a little better but still not great. Burnt turkey doesn't really do a lot for the appetite." Zach answered.

"Will you guys be alright to stay there tonight? You're more than welcome to stay here if you want." Marissa offered.

"We have plenty of room." Bianca added. Having discussed it while getting ready, the couple decided to make the offer to the Slaters.

Kendall smiled at the couple. She expected no less from them. "We appreciate it, but I don't think we'll need to impose any more than we already are. I had it airing out all morning. We'll air it out more when we get home. If it's too bad, we'll take you up on your offer. I promise."

"Okay, what do you need me to do?" Zach asked.

"How about you help me set up the dining room? We need to do a little rearranging to fit in the table you brought over for the kids." Marissa suggested as the two headed off to dining room.

/

When Marissa and Zach left the room, Bianca turned to her sister. "Okay, spill it. How did Mom take it when you told her about the changes for today?"

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I had to leave it there. I couldn't help myself. It's not a big cliffhanger, just a little one this time. Yes, I'm giving our girls a bit of break on the high drama. I figured they deserved it after everything I've put them through. Thumbs up to **_**Miched8**_** for guessing what I had planned!**


	69. Thanksgiving - Part II

**A/N****: As always, a big thank you to all of you for reading, following and reviewing this story! It means a lot and really makes my day when I get notices from this site about this story. We are now in part two of the Tasker-Montgomery Family Thanksgiving, and it picks up right where the last chapter left off. As I was writing it, I noticed it was getting longer and longer, and by page 15, I realized that I wasn't quite finished with it but wanted to get something up rather than make you wait and give you an epically long chapter. I then made the decision to split it up into three parts. The good news is that the last part is almost done. I'm hoping to have it up in just a couple of days after tweaking it like I usually feel compelled to do. After that, the family will be heading into Christmas. Okay, enough from me for now. I need to finish up some Christmas shopping, get my cards out and wrap presents. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

When Marissa and Zach left the room, Bianca turned to her sister. "Okay, spill it. How did Mom take it when you told her about the changes for today?"

"You mean about her having to spend Thanksgiving with Krystal?" Kendall smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean, and you know it."

"She is … okay."

"She's _okay_? Come on, Kendall. You know as well as I do that Mom doesn't do _okay_. What'd she say?"

Kendall shifted slightly. She really didn't want to relay the conversation to her sister. "You don't want to know, Binx."

"I may not _want_ to know, but I _need_ to know. What'd she say?"

The older brunette finally relented and glanced around to make sure no one else was listening in. "You know how Mom is, and you know how she feels about Krystal and why."

"I do. Look, I'm fully aware of the fact that they will never be friends and of the reason why. I made the decision years ago to forgive her though. I didn't do it for her. I did it for me. I had to."

"I know. I don't necessarily understand it completely though. I'm not sure I could do it, but I'm not you. Your ability to forgive is indescribable. It's what makes you, you."

"But you try with Krystal. Let's face it, if it wasn't for the two of you working together and your not too subtle shove last year, along with the assist from Greenlee, Rissa and I may never have taken that final step towards each other. We wouldn't have the happiness we have now."

"For you, I do try. I also try for Marissa. You know that I would do anything for the two of you and your kids."

"I know and so does Marissa. That's why she suggested having you and Zach as AJ's guardians. It wasn't just because you're the girls. She trusts, respects and loves you."

"Well, we both love her too. As for you not taking that final step towards each other without help, I like to think that that's not true. It's clear to me that the two of you are meant to be together. You would've found a way. It might have taken you a bit longer, but you would've gotten there, _eventually_."

Bianca chuckled at her sister's teasing. She quickly regained her composure. "So, tell me exactly what Mom said."

"She said, and I quote, 'There is no way on earth I will allow _that_ woman to keep _my_ family away from me _ever again_'."

Bianca winced even though she had expected something like that.

"Don't worry. I made her promise to at least try not to cause a scene. It was the best I could do. She said she would try for both you _and_ Marissa." Kendall paused to look around again. "She doesn't consider her Krystal's or David's daughter. She considers her a Tasker. She said it was an _unfortunate happenstance_ that Marissa shared their DNA, but it was a circumstance that she had risen above."

"Well, that's definitely something Mom would say."

"Yep, it definitely is. The good news is that she really likes Marissa."

Bianca grinned. "Yeah, she does."

"Who really likes me?" Marissa asked as she joined the sisters.

"My Mom." Bianca grinned again.

"Well, that's good to know. I like her too." Marissa saw the look on Kendall's face. "What? I _do_ like Erica."

"That's a first. One of your partners actually likes Mom, Binx." Kendall chuckled. "It seems Mom and Red have a mutual admiration society going on, kind of like the one Mom has with Zach. She's definitely a keeper, if you didn't know that already. I have the feeling you do though."

"We're not dwelling on the issues of Bianca's _former_ partners. There's not enough time in the day for that because we all know they had too many issues to name."

Both Kane women snorted.

"You can say that again, Red!"

"I've never had a problem with Erica. Granted, the woman may be small in stature, but she can be intimidating as hell. My Mom and Dad taught me to never back down from a fight especially if it's for someone you want, someone worth it, and quite simply, that is Bianca." Marissa smiled softly at her lover. "You are worth any fight. I'll take on any and every one. It doesn't matter who they are. Bring 'em on."

Bianca couldn't help but give her lover the goofy grin she loved. "Even my Mom?"

"Even your Mom. I don't think I'll have to fight her though because we share the common goals of making sure you are happy and know that you are cherished and loved. How can I have a problem with anyone who wants that for you? Besides, your Mom has always been great to me especially with the whole …" Marissa lowered her voice so no little ears could overhear. "Dipshit thing. She also hasn't held Krystal and David and their dubious connection to your family against me either." A cheeky grin spread on the redhead's face. "Plus, you just said that she really likes me. Again, I can find any fault with the woman's taste."

Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss. "That she does, and who wouldn't?"

Marissa sighed happily. "Okay. How did it go when you told Erica that Krystal was stopping by later? I'm sure she wasn't thrilled."

"She handled it as only Erica Kane could." Kendall smirked.

Marissa laughed. "Enough said. I don't need to know anything else, except that we have enough wine."

It was Kendall's turn to laugh this time. "Don't tell me that you're worried about spending the holiday with them. Remember, you volunteered to have Christmas saying that you thought they could get along for a few hours."

"Yeah well, they've got time to work up to the idea of having to spend some of Christmas together. This was sprung on them at the last minute. They haven't had any warning, no time to wrap their minds it, to process it."

"It's going to be okay. I promise." Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa's waist and gave her another quick kiss.

"Geesh again with the kissing! What is it with the two of you?" Greenlee teased.

"I should've known you'd be showing up about now, Greenlee. You know if you weren't always bursting into rooms looking to find something going on, maybe you wouldn't." Bianca smirked at her cousin.

"What can I say? I'm good. Zach let us in. Ryan's helping him with the dining room set-up, and Emma is down with the kids. Last but not least, here is my contribution for today's feast. Hah! Look at that! I rhymed! Damn, I'm good!"

The other three women groaned as Kendall took the dish from her friend.

"Before I forget, I brought this too."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "Popcorn?"

"Yeah, popcorn is always good when watching TV, a movie or whatever may occur at a Kane family gathering." Greenlee smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "So not helping, Greenlee."

"I'd apologize, but you know I don't mean it." Greenlee laughed. "Oh, I have something else for you."

The couple groaned in unison.

"Do we really want to see it?" Bianca asked warily.

"It's a housewarming present."

Marissa laughed when she opened the box. "I love it! Okay, you're forgiven for the popcorn." She handed the contents of the box to Bianca who groaned.

"Let me see what she got you, Binx."

Bianca held up a large wooden plaque and turned it so her sister could read it.

"_Minx Manor_! Oh my god, Greenlee! That is great! You should put it right by the front door."

Bianca sighed. She knew she was fighting a losing battle over the unofficial name of their new home. The kids had even started referring to it by that name. "Thank you, Greenlee, I guess."

Greenlee laughed at Bianca's expression. "You're welcome."

Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss. "I'm going to see how this looks by the door and then I'm going to check on the kids."

/

Marissa set the plaque down on a table near the front door and was get ready to head downstairs to the playroom when the doorbell rang causing her to switch her course back to the door. "Happy Thanksgiving, Erica, Jack!"

"Happy Thanksgiving, Marissa, dear." Erica accepted the redhead's hug.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Marissa. It was very nice of you and Bianca to have everyone over here at the last minute." Jack hugged the younger woman as well.

"You're welcome. Bianca and I are happy to do it." Marissa took their coats and hung them up in the hall closet.

"Marissa, what exactly is that?" Erica pointed to the plaque.

"It's a housewarming present from Greenlee."

"_Minx Manor_?"

"It's the unofficial name she gave this place."

Jack laughed while Erica rolled her eyes. "Of course she did."

"Erica, I want to thank you for being so understanding about later today. I know this wasn't what was planned, and I know this is far from ideal or how you wanted to spend this holiday …"

Erica stopped the redhead from continuing. From their previous discussions, she knew Marissa was in an uncomfortable position in her own right, having her own very personal issues with Krystal to sort through in addition to those that involved Bianca and the wishes of Bianca to try and forgive Krystal for her own sake. "It's not necessary, dear. No one could have planned on this happening. As Jack said, it's very good of you and Bianca to rearrange your plans and have everyone over. Thank you.

Marissa smiled. "You're welcome. Your daughters are in the kitchen. Zach and Ryan are in the dining room rearranging things in there so the kids and adults can eat in the same room. Speaking of the kids, I'm going to go check on them if you'll excuse me for a few minutes."

"Of course, dear."

/

"So, when's Red getting a new car?" Kendall asked.

"We're going to check cars out this weekend. We wanted to wait until things calmed down a little before we looked."

"You should wait until Christmas." Greenlee suggested.

"Why?"

"You could buy her one for a Christmas present and put a big bow on it like they do in the commercials, and poof, perfect present!"

"That's not going to happen. I brought up the idea of maybe doing that, but Rissa said she didn't want me to. She was pretty adamant about it. She has the money the insurance company gave her when they totaled her car as well as money she had set aside for a new one."

/

Erica smiled as she stood outside the kitchen door listening to the conversation. Marissa never failed to surprise her. Bianca had generously offered to buy her a new car. It only made sense when you thought about it. Marissa needed one, and Bianca had more than enough money to buy it for her and wouldn't think anything about doing it. The redhead was having none of it though. It was just one more example of why she was perfect for her daughter and that she was in this relationship for love and for no other reason.

/

"So, do you have any idea of what to get her for Christmas then since a car's out?" Kendall asked.

"Actually, I have the perfect idea for her. It's something that I know she'll love." Bianca grinned. "It's … Marissa."

"What's this perfect gift then?" Greenlee's curiosity was killing her.

"Nope, I'm not telling."

"Oh come on, Binx. You can't say something like that and just leave us hanging."

"Sorry, Kendall, but I'm going to have to. This is something that Rissa will be the first one to know about."

"You heard Bianca. Stop pestering her about it." Erica glided the kitchen smiling brightly. As she greeted Bianca with a hug, Kendall stuck her tongue out at her little sister who merely smirked in reply. Erica caught the exchange as she went to hug her oldest daughter and rolled her eyes. "Honestly you two, I think your children are more mature than you are sometimes."

Bianca smiled at her mother. "Happy Thanksgiving, Mom."

"Happy Thanksgiving, Sweetheart."

"Hello, Erica. Happy Thanksgiving."

Erica smiled wryly at Greenlee. "Happy Thanksgiving. That was quite the unique housewarming gift you gave Bianca and Marissa. I wasn't aware that you had christened their home."

"The name just seemed to fit. Marissa and the kids like it, and I think it's growing on Bianca." Greenlee smirked.

Kendall snorted. "Yeah, I think Binx is outnumbered on that. When you think about it, it's kind of cute, just like them."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Keep telling yourselves that. I'm going to go say 'hi' to Uncle Jack and see if Marissa needs any help with the kids."

/

Kendall waited until her sister had left the room before questioning her mother. "So, how much did you hear?"

"Enough. Marissa just keeps proving that Bianca has finally found someone worthy of her. She is most definitely an impressive young woman."

Greenlee shook her head in disbelief. "I never thought I would hear those words come out of your mouth."

"Things change, dear. I've gotten to know Marissa, and I see how she is with Bianca and the girls, everything that she's done for them, everything she's done to protect them. I have no doubt that she will keep them safe and do everything in her power to make Bianca happy."

Kendall smiled. "You're right, Mom. She will. Bianca has finally found someone who deserves her."

/

The Thanksgiving feast was enjoyed by all. Everyone pitched in with the cleanup and leftovers were divvied up amongst the three younger families. Erica didn't do leftovers, but Bianca did make sure to set aside some turkey for Jack to take home so he could have his traditional post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich the next day. Everyone was settled in the family room happily chatting as they waited for the next round of guests to arrive for dessert.

The ringing of the doorbell announced the arrival of a set of expected visitors. Marissa went to open the door and smiled brightly as she greeted the Walkers. Bianca quickly joined her to take their jackets.

AJ, Miranda and Gabby raced forward to hug Mrs. Walker and then Sam.

"Hello, my dears, how are you?" Carol smiled as she greeted the children.

"We're good, Mrs. Walker." AJ grinned.

"Welcome to Minx Manor!" Miranda and Gabby chimed in.

The Walkers gave each other a confused look.

Marissa laughed. "It's a long story."

"It sounds like an interesting one." Gail chuckled.

"Oh, here is our contribution for today's feast." Alex handed over two pies to Bianca. "Mom made a pumpkin pie and her world famous pecan pie with Sam's assistance."

"They look delicious. We're just waiting for Krystal and Opal to get here along with Tad and the girls."

"You have a full house. I'm glad we brought these as well." Gail handed over a huge plate of assorted cookies to Marissa.

"Wow. You didn't need to go to all of this trouble. Krystal's bringing her double chocolate cake."

"We could take them back home then." Gail playfully reached for the plate.

Marissa quickly moved the plate back and laughed. "Not on your life! There is no way I'm refusing these cookies! These will be perfect for the kids and us later. Come on into the family room. You know everyone here. Bianca and I will put these in the kitchen and then will give you the grand tour of the place when we get back."

"That sounds lovely, dear." Carol smiled.

/

The couple set the pies and cookies on the kitchen counter. Bianca grinned at Marissa. "You've got it?"

"Yep! I can't wait to see Sam's expression."

"I can't either. Let's go."

/

"Before we get started on the tour, there's something Bianca and I would like to do." Marissa announced when they rejoined everyone in the family room.

Bianca cleared her throat and chose her words carefully since the kids were in the room. "As all of you know, there was some unpleasantness recently. Marissa was injured in that car crash, and we were trying to find the person responsible for it. It took some time, but thanks to a valuable tip by Sam, the police were able to find him and put him in jail. Sam, we will never be able to thank you enough for that."

Sam blushed. "I'm glad I could help. You guys have done so much for me. It was the least I could do, and all I did was tell Zach."

"You've done so much for us too. You helped Sam and us find each other." Gail smiled.

"Well, we were more than happy to help with that, but what you did, Sam, really was something."

"Marissa's right. Your tip led directly to him and his arrest. In case you weren't aware, there was a reward for information just like that. Rissa, if you would."

"It's my pleasure!" Marissa grinned as she handed an envelope to Sam.

"I don't need a reward for what I did."

"We insist."

Sam opened the envelope and took out the paper inside. The teen gaped when she read. "$25,000?"

"We set up a college fund for you as your reward." Bianca grinned.

"I can't. It's way too much. I just told Zach what I saw. I don't deserve this."

"Yes, you do, Sam. Bianca and I know you want to go to college, and this should give you a good start. The money's not just from us. Erica, Kendall and the Miranda Center chipped into the reward fund as well."

Alex managed to finally to recover from his shock. "Oh my, this is very generous of you. Are you sure about this?"

Bianca nodded. "We are. Without Sam, it's very likely that he'd still be out there. Like I said before, we insist."

"I set this up so you and Gail are in charge of the fund. Bianca's financial advisors found a very favorable interest rate for you and will help with whatever investments you may want to make with it so it grows."

Tears started to form in the teen's eyes. No one had ever done anything like this for her before, made this type of investment in her future before, and now thanks to the couple, she had a future. A few months ago, she didn't believe she had one, but now, she had a family again and was going to be able to go to college. It was overwhelming. Sam raced forward and hugged both women tightly. "Thank you! You won't regret this. I'll make you proud. I promise."

"We know." Bianca smiled.

Marissa squeezed the teen tightly again and whispered. "We already are proud."

Sam then thanked Erica and Kendall while Carol, Alex and Gail thanked the couple.

Carol smiled as she hugged Marissa. "Something told me renting to you was a wise decision. I just didn't know how right I was. Both of you are very special, and we're very lucky to have you in our lives."

"We're lucky too." Marissa grinned. "Now, how would you like a tour?"

Gail chuckled as she asked curiously. "Do you promise to tell us why this place is called Minx Manor?"

"I promise Bianca and I will reveal that great mystery along the tour." Marissa grinned as she and Bianca led the adults away.

Gabby took Sam's hand. "Come on, Sam. You gotta see our rooms."

Miranda and AJ nodded excitedly.

"Did you really help find the guy who hurt my Mom?" AJ asked.

"I guess I did a little." Sam acknowledged sheepishly.

AJ smiled. "Cool! Thank you!"

Miranda smiled broadly. "Thank you! I'm glad you helped find him. Mom was really worried about Rissa."

"You're welcome. Your moms have done a lot to help me, more than I'll ever be able to thank them for. They're really special." The kids grinned even more at the teen's sincere words. "Let's go see your rooms. I heard a little about them from your moms, and they sound really cool."

/

The doorbell announced the last set of expected guests. Erica opened the door to find Krystal on the other side.

**/**

**A/N****: Yep, I left it there! It was probably a little mean to do it, but did you really think I would put Krystal and Erica together here after I said I was adding a third part? It's that pesky evil side of me that makes me do stuff like this. I'll see what I can do about her. See you soon! **


	70. Thanksgiving - Part III

**A/N****: First things first, a great big thank you to all those who read, follow and review this story! I appreciate more than you know. I have to admit that I'm glad I cut the last chapter when I did because this update went a little longer than I thought it would. Here is part three of the Tasker-Montgomery family Thanksgiving. I'm glad I got it done before the world is supposed to end on Friday. If the Mayan apocalypse does not occur, as I suspect will be the case, the next updates will be focusing on Christmas. Any guesses on Bianca's gift for Marissa? Okay, enough about that for now. Hope you enjoy this update, and in case I don't update before, Merry Christmas! **

**/**

The Tasker-Montgomery's were giving the Walkers the grand tour of their new home. While that was taking place, the last of the expected guests arrived. Erica, being the closest to the door, answered it.

"Well, Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!" Opal announced loudly as she burst into the home. She quickly hugged her favorite gal pal.

Tad followed with Jenny and Kathy with Krystal trailing behind.

Erica and Krystal warily eyed each other and merely nodded to acknowledge the other's presence. Both were doing their best to keep their word to their daughters about maintaining a peaceful holiday but the ever present tension that existed between them was felt by all those witnessing their greeting. If truth be told, they were all surprised and not just a little bit that Erica didn't _accidentally_ let the door slip from her grasp slamming it in Krystal's face. The most likely reason that didn't happen was that Opal was the first one through.

Kendall popped up quickly and greeted Krystal. "Binx told me they had put in a request for your double chocolate cake."

Krystal chuckled. "Yes, Marissa said 'the kids' were asking for it."

Greenlee laughed as she joined the women. "Would that be the big ones or the little ones?"

"She didn't say, but I'm thinking it's probably both."

"I think you're probably right." Kendall smiled. "The moms love chocolate just as much as the kids."

"Where are they?" Krystal asked as she looked around the room.

"They are giving the Walkers a tour of the place."

"Did they give Sam the reward yet?"

"Yes, they did, and she was speechless. They wanted to wait until you got here, but they were too excited."

"We would've been here earlier, but someone wasn't quite ready yet." Krystal smirked in Opal's direction.

"Like I told Tad earlier, I'm not a natural beauty like Erica. All of this …" Opal waved her hands in front of herself. "Doesn't just happen. It takes some time and work and can't be rushed."

Several of the others choked on their drinks and struggled to collect themselves under the scrutiny of Erica's glare.

Kendall cleared her throat. "Why don't we put your cake in the kitchen and get you something to drink?"

Krystal nodded and began to follow her into the kitchen. "Do we have enough desserts?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Walker made a couple of pies and some cookies."

/

A short while later, the tour was concluded and everyone was gathered together again in the family room.

"You have a beautiful home." Gail told the couple.

"She's right. You do, and I absolutely adore the kids' rooms." Carol agreed.

"Marissa!" Jenny shouted and ran to her sister.

"Thanks." The redhead hugged her little sister. "Hey, Jenny! When did you all get here?"

"Not that long ago. Mom brought chocolate cake for you and Bianca."

The girl's statement was met with laughter from the others.

"It's not just for me and Marissa. It's for everybody." Bianca protested.

"Sure it is, Binx."

Bianca rolled her eyes at her sister and joined Marissa in greeting the rest of their latest guests.

/

After dessert, the kids wanted to feed the ducks so Marissa and Bianca took all of them on a small hike to the pond with Sam, Gail and Alex tagging along.

Krystal and Carol were in the kitchen putting away the remnants of the desserts.

"That pecan pie was absolutely delicious, Carol." Krystal found a full gravy boat on the counter that someone had forgotten to put away earlier. She picked it up to take care of it.

"You're welcome. It's an old family recipe." Carol peered through the kitchen window and watched the couple laughing as they held hands and walked with the kids towards the woods. "You must be so proud of Marissa. She's such a wonderful young woman and has done so much for my family. She and Bianca are such a lovely couple. I'm really going to miss having them as tenants. I know whoever the next ones are won't even compare to them."

"I am very proud of her."

Erica glided into the kitchen. "Carol, your pecan pie was simply divine."

"Thank you, Erica. I'm glad you liked it. I was just telling Krystal that she must be proud of Marissa just like I know you must be so proud of Bianca. They really are perfect for each other."

"I am very proud of my daughter, both of them. They've been through a great deal in their lives, particularly Bianca." Erica stared pointedly at Krystal. "I can't tell you how much it means to see them so happy in their lives. You are right about Marissa too. She is lovely. Marissa was very fortunate to have the parents she did. They did an amazing job with her. She's a very loving woman and would never do anything to hurt anyone particularly someone as special as Bianca. They compliment each other so well."

Krystal glared at Erica. "We do agree on something. Bianca is special, extremely sweet and kind. It makes one wonder where she got it."

Erica responded with a mirthless laugh. "Yes, I'm well aware of my reputation. Luckily though, I don't have to look far to determine why Bianca is like she is. I can at least say that it's genetic. She gets it from my mother. My daughter is kind to a fault. Some might say she forgives too easily, and I would be one of those people. As for Marissa, I would say she must get it from Roy and Lydia. It seems they were a very good influence on her. She was lucky to have them."

Carol Walker shifted uncomfortably between the women as they glared at each other and traded barbs. She wanted nothing more than to get out of there but escape was not a possibility given her current position. The older woman knew a little of the history between the two even though she refused to follow gossip magazines and websites. You'd have to have lived under a rock to not know what had occurred in Pine Valley years ago. To this day, it was something that she couldn't wrap her mind around, but Bianca was somehow able to forgive. If Bianca, the person wronged more than anyone else, could forgive, it wasn't her place to question it.

As for Marissa, Carol only knew that she had been adopted. Marissa had told her that much herself several months ago when they were talking one day, having a good old fashioned heart to heart. The redhead would only say that she was adopted by Roy and Lydia Tasker. She didn't know why Krystal didn't keep the young woman, but Marissa was obviously raised in a loving home and had turned into an amazing woman. She admitted that she still struggled with her relationship with her birth mother but was working on it for Bianca. If Carol knew anything about Marissa, it was that she would do absolutely anything for Bianca and vice versa. It was what made them perfect for each other.

Obviously, Erica and Krystal had a long way to go in their relationship, if you could call whatever they had that. Clearly, they loved their daughters and were happy they had found someone that made them happy and was perfect for them. It was equally clear that Erica approved of Marissa for her daughter just as Krystal approved of Bianca for her daughter. Carol could only hope that whatever ill feelings the mothers still held for each other would not affect their children and grandchildren.

"Isn't it about time for you and Jack to break up _again_? How many times are you going to break that man's heart?"

"Why? Are you under the misguided impression that you have any type of chance with him? Do you really think he would stoop that low? He's not going to switch to chopped liver when he's used to having caviar or move from the penthouse to the trailer park." Erica stated with a flip of her hair.

Krystal slammed down the gravy boat she had been holding.

/

A scream could be heard in the family room. Everyone in the room froze and looked at each other, not saying a word as they made a note of who was missing. Marissa, Bianca, the kids including Sam, Gail and Alex were down by the duck pond. Opal was checking out the grounds outside for landscaping ideas for Tad's home. That left Carol Walker, Erica and Krystal as the only ones who could be in the kitchen.

Kendall ran into the room having just left the bathroom. "What was that?"

"I'll give you three guesses even though you really just need one." Greenlee smirked.

Kendall groaned. "Great. I promised Bianca I would keep them in line." She started towards the kitchen before turning back to the assembled group. "Isn't anyone going to help me?"

"I'm not going in there. I value my life too much." Zach smirked.

"Me either." Ryan agreed.

"Jack? Tad?"

The men laughed.

Tad shook his head. "Not a chance in hell, Kendall. Sorry."

"I'm with Tad on this. I learned a long time ago not to get in the middle of them."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "And they say women are the weaker sex. My ass we are."

Greenlee chuckled. "Well, I'm coming. I wouldn't miss this for the world. Hey, where'd Marissa put the video camera and the popcorn?"

Kendall shook her head and headed back towards the kitchen muttering as Greenlee trailing behind her.

/

"Look at what you did! You've ruined my blouse!" Erica shrieked.

"I'm sure Krystal didn't mean it, Erica. It was an accident, wasn't it, Krystal?" Carol asked hopefully as she tried to help Erica clean up the mess now all over her. It was even in her hair a little. "I think if we get some club soda that might help."

Krystal stood there mutely. While she enjoyed seeing Erica covered in gravy, she knew this could cause problems for her daughter. She finally found her voice. "Relax, Erica. I'll buy you a new one. I didn't mean to do it. It really was an accident. I've got gravy on me too, but you don't see me losing it."

"Do you have any idea how much this cost? Oh wait, you wouldn't. You think a trip to the local strip mall is the same as a trip to finest boutiques in Paris. This was designed exclusively for me by Vera Wang. You cannot possibly replace something like this."

"What happened in here?" Kendall asked as she and Greenlee walked in to find Erica's blouse covered in gravy. Carol was trying to help clean up the mess on Erica. Krystal had some gravy on her as well and was cleaning up the mess on the counter. _Did I just see some gravy dripping from Mom's hair?_

Carol sighed in relief seeing Kendall. _Thank god!_ "Krystal was holding the gravy boat when it slipped out of her hands and spilled on your mother."

Kendall could tell the woman was frazzled and smiled. "I've got it, Carol. Why don't you go in the other room and take a break?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

The relief and gratitude were evident in the older woman's face as she made her long awaited escape.

Kendall waited until the other woman left before speaking again. "Okay, who wants to tell me what the hell happened in here?"

/

The group outside made their way back to the house. The kids raced ahead to the jungle gym.

"Well, you have a lovely home. I know you will be very happy here. Carol's really going to miss having you as tenants. She's happy for you, but the next ones have some awfully big shoes to fill." Gail smiled.

Marissa grinned. "Thank you, and you're right. We're going to very happy here."

Bianca glanced at the sliding glass door that led into the kitchen. Something happening in there caught the brunette's eye. From the looks of it, it was nothing but trouble, and Bianca discreetly excused herself to see what was going on and put a stop to it if she could.

/

Bianca stepped inside to see the women bickering loudly and having to be restrained by Kendall and Greenlee. She heard a few choice words being thrown around. She glanced outside to make sure Marissa and the kids weren't aware of whatever the hell was happening inside. Thankfully, they were otherwise engaged. Bianca turned back to the group inside. "What the hell's going on in here?"

The actions of the other four women abruptly came to a halt, and they turned to face Bianca. Erica and Krystal began talking over each other, casting blame on the other woman.

Bianca heard more than her fill from them. "That's enough!"

Krystal and Erica froze again at the hard tone in the younger woman's voice. The look on her face told them instantly that it was in their best interest not to continue their verbal assault of the other.

"You know, I changed my mind." Bianca continued coolly as she addressed both women. "I don't want to know. I don't care whose fault it is or who started it because there's really no excuse for it. You were asked one thing, try and get along with each other for just a few hours today. Marissa and I thought that just maybe you could do that for us and for your grandchildren. Obviously, we were wrong."

She held up her hand to stop the protests the older women were starting to form. "I said I didn't want to hear it. The two of you need to realize that you're going to be spending lots more holidays together, a lifetime of them whether you like it or not because Marissa and I want to spend the holidays with our families. That includes _both_ of you. I suggest you suck it up and deal with it because if you can't then you won't be spending Christmas with us."

"What do you mean?" Krystal asked.

"Marissa wants a nice, big family Christmas. You know, the kind where there's no fighting and everyone gets along _in the spirit of the holiday_. I intend on making sure that happens. If you can play nice with each other, you can join us. If you can't, I don't want you there to ruin the day for Marissa and our kids. We'll celebrate without you."

"Bianca, you can't be serious." Erica uttered in disbelief.

"I am, Mom. Do I want to do that? No, I don't, but I will do it. I have to do what's best for my family. While that's you, Kendall and the girls, it's also Marissa and AJ. Whether you like it or not, Krystal is part of her family, and she should and will be included. As for you Krystal, while I want you there for AJ and Marissa, you have to know that my Mom will always be in my life. Marissa cares for her too and wants her included in our lives as well. She's done a lot for us just like you have. The two of you need to accept all of that. If you can't, as much as I hate to say it, I don't want you there to ruin the day for _my_ family. It's time for you to start acting like adults. Do I make myself clear?"

Both women nodded numbly while Kendall and Greenlee looked on a little in awe of the younger brunette.

"Good. Kendall, would you please help Mom get cleaned up, and Greenlee, will you help Krystal?"

"No problem, Binx. We'll clean up in here after that."

"Thank you." Bianca addressed the older women again. "If you can behave yourselves, it would be nice if you would stay, but only if you behave yourselves. Oh, somebody's buying us a new gravy boat. I don't care who does it, but you're replacing the one you broke." With that, Bianca headed back outside.

It was a struggle for Kendall and Greenlee to not burst out laughing at the chastised looks on the older women's faces.

"Come on, Mom. We'll go back to master bathroom and get you cleaned up."

"We'll take the guest bathroom downstairs, Krystal."

/

Bianca stepped outside, still out of sight of the others, and took a deep breath. When she opened her eyes, her gaze immediately fell on sparkling hazel eyes.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Marissa grinned

"What?" Bianca couldn't hide the confused look on her face as she wondered what caused Marissa to be so amused.

"I have such a badass for a partner, and the Kane death glare is _hot as hell_." Marissa pulled Bianca to her for a heated kiss.

When they separated, a goofy grin spread across Bianca's face. "You … you heard that?"

Marissa laughed. "I did."

"How? I … I … I didn't want you to hear any of that."

"I figured as much. I could tell something was up by the way you hurried inside. I followed you to see what was going on. I didn't catch all of it, but I caught most. Thank you."

"You're … you're not mad at me?"

"Why on earth would I be mad at you? They're acting worse than the kids and needed to be set straight, which is exactly what you did. You're just looking out for me and the kids and trying to give us the best possible holiday. Like I said, badass and hot as hell."

Bianca laughed and captured Marissa's lips again. "You really are messed up. I keep telling you that look is supposed to instill fear in others and have them quaking in their shoes."

Marissa shrugged. "What can I say? I pretty much find everything you do and everything about you hot as hell. When you get all protective of me? I find you utterly irresistible." The redhead pulled Bianca closer for yet another kiss that left her lover breathless.

Bianca sighed happily and gazed into Marissa's eyes, losing herself in them. "I love you."

"I know. I love you too."

The couple reluctantly separated when they heard Gabby shouting excitedly. "I found them!"

They looked down at their youngest, her face shiny and expectant.

"Hi, Mommies!" Gabby giggled.

"Hi, Monkey. Were you looking for us?"

"Uh huh! We were wondering if we could some cookies." Gabby paused for a beat before remembering the magic word. "Please!"

Bianca grinned. She knew the others had put Gabby up to asking. "I suppose that would be alright since you asked so nicely. Go tell the others it's okay, and we'll head inside."

Gabby skipped off squealing happily. "Mommy said we can have cookies!"

The brunette smiled as she watched Gabby spread the good news. She heard Marissa chuckling at their daughter's excitement and turned to her. "Do you think the coast is clear inside?"

"If our mothers know what's good for them, it will be. Otherwise, they'll have to deal with 'Bianca the Badass'." Marissa responded with a cheeky grin.

Bianca snorted. "You are impossible sometimes."

"Yeah, I know. It's just one of the many reasons why you love me." Marissa gave her a dazzling smile.

Bianca sighed happily and gave her favorite redhead a quick kiss. "Yes, it is. And?"

Marissa grinned wickedly as she tugged Bianca away from the side of the house. She knew the question without the brunette needing to ask it just by seeing the glint in her lover's warm chocolate eyes. "Yes, we will definitely be finishing this later tonight."

/

The couple trailed the others inside. While the Walkers and the kids headed into the family room to join the other guests, Marissa and Bianca checked out the condition of the kitchen. It was spotless, not even a speck of gravy remained.

"Mom and Krystal cleaned it up with Opal's help before taking care of themselves." Kendall informed the couple as she joined them in the kitchen.

"They apologized to me as well." Mrs. Walker added.

"You? Why would they need to apologize to you, Carol? What did they do?" Marissa asked warily.

"I guess you could say I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Bianca groaned, completely mortified. "I am so sorry for that you had to witness them at their worst and get caught in the middle of it, Carol."

Carol smiled. She saw the remorse in the couple's eyes. "There's no need for you to apologize for something that they did. You're not responsible for them. Besides, like I said, they apologized. You have nothing to worry about. I can even laugh about it a little now that I'm not right in the middle of it anymore."

"You're being way too nice about this. I'm amazed you can laugh about it." Marissa replied.

"All families have their quirks." Carol could tell by the expressions of the women's faces they really weren't buying her description.

Kendall chuckled. "I've never heard it described quite that way before."

"What I'm trying to say is that your families are unique, colorful. They hold some very strong opinions, and the holidays can bring those out more. That's normal."

"If normal means it's literally a struggle for them not to come to blows and send someone to the hospital or have the police haul any of them away, then I guess you can say they're normal." Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed. "Kendall and Greenlee have said the family would keep me busy on the legal front."

"That they will, Red, that they will."

Greenlee entered the room. "There you guys are. Your mothers are all cleaned up and have rejoined everyone else in the family room. Before you ask, they're being good. They're not talking, but they're not going after each other either."

"I guess we can consider that progress, B." Marissa said hopefully to Bianca.

"Yeah, I guess you're right. We'll have to take what we can get." The younger brunette agreed.

"Hey, Marissa, you should've seen Bianca in action. It was pretty impressive the way she handled Erica and Krystal." Greenlee added with a chuckle.

Marissa grinned proudly. "I know. I caught a little of it. She's a badass."

Kendall couldn't help but laugh at the expression of pride on Marissa's face and the blush on her sister's. "We should probably get in there. The guys were absolutely no help when things started happening in here."

"Are you really surprised?" Greenlee asked.

"Not really."

Bianca sighed. "Okay, let's go keep an eye on them. They should be able to control themselves around the kids, but I …"

"Will feel better making sure." Marissa finished her partner's thought as they headed to the family room.

/

Erica and Krystal were on either side of the room. Their eyes met by accident, and the heat from the glare they shot each other would have disintegrated anyone caught in the middle. They quickly broke eye contact and thought no one else had caught the exchange, but Marissa and Bianca saw it. When the older women realized they had been caught by their daughters, they had the common sense to look contrite.

Gabby walked over to Erica and tugged on her shirt sleeve. Kendall had found something of Marissa's for her to wear. It was a little big on her, but it suited her purposes for the time being. In Erica's mind, there was no way in hell she would give Krystal the satisfaction of leaving early.

"Yes, Sweetheart?"

"Why are you wearing Mommy's shirt?"

Marissa and Bianca held their breath.

Erica smiled at her granddaughter and her innocent question. "I got something on my blouse and needed to change. Your Mommy was nice enough to lend me something to wear."

The couple released their breath in unison and relaxed. While they were a little apprehensive, they knew they really didn't need to worry about her. Erica wouldn't do anything that would purposefully hurt her grandchildren.

"Don't feel bad. It's okay. I get stuff on me sometimes too." The little girl said as she patted her grandmother's arm.

_She is just like her mother, so thoughtful and sweet. _Erica chuckled and scooped Gabby up. The little girl giggled as Erica tickled her. "Thank you, Gabby. I feel much better."

Gabby smiled happily at her accomplishment while her mothers beamed. The tension that had existed lessened considerably after that. It also helped that Gabby and Ian started entertaining everyone by telling them of their visit to the pond and hardly letting anyone else get a word in edgewise. It wasn't like anyone wanted to interrupt them though. The children had everyone laughing as they talked a mile a minute about their adventure and informing the others of the names they had given each of the ducks.

/

The youngest started winding down some time later, and Ian started yawning. Shortly after that, his head started to droop against Zach's chest.

Kendall whispered. "We should probably go and get this one in bed. It's kind of been a big day for him."

Tad saw his daughters had started to yawn. "We should probably get going too."

Krystal nodded in agreement. "You're right. These two look like they're about to drop."

The guests started to make their way to the closet to gather their coats.

Sam and the Walkers left first, and thanked the couple yet again for the reward. Marissa and Bianca assured them that it was well deserved.

They were followed by Krystal, Tad and the rest of their contingent. As Krystal hugged the couple, she spoke to them softly. "I really am sorry about earlier. I hope you'll be able to forgive me, and I promise I'll try harder."_ That woman knows how to push my buttons, and I swear one of these days …_

Bianca and Marissa shared a look between them before the redhead spoke. "Thank you. That's all we ask."

"Are you sure you don't want to take any cake home?" Bianca asked.

"I'm sure. _The kids_ can enjoy it later." Krystal smiled.

Marissa chuckled at the inference. "I'm sure _they _will. Thanks for changing plans and coming over here."

"It's no problem at all. I wouldn't miss the chance to spend the holiday with all of you for anything so thank you for including us."

/

The Lavery's followed next. As Ryan loaded Emma into the car, Greenlee paused to say goodbye to the couple.

As Bianca hugged Greenlee again, she noted the gleam in her cousin's eyes. "Thank you for all of your help earlier."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I could help. I had a good time. Say what you will, but this family is never dull and never boring." Greenlee smirked. "Marissa seems more than up to the challenge of handling us."

Marissa grinned. "Coming from you, I consider that a great compliment. Oh, thanks for the housewarming gift. I don't care what she says. Bianca likes it too."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I'm just accepting the fact that I'm out-numbered on this."

Marissa snorted, not believing her lover's protest at all.

Greenlee laughed at the couple. They really were perfect for each other. "I'll see you next week."

/

Jack gave the couple a warm hug and glanced over at Erica who was saying goodbye to AJ, Miranda and Gabby. "I'm not sure what you said to your mother and Krystal earlier, but it seemed to do the trick with the two of them."

"Bianca just laid down the law for them. Basically, she told them to shape up or ship out." Marissa stated proudly.

"Is that right? Well, good job. It sounded like it was something they both needed to hear." Jack shifted gears as Erica made her way over to the door after saying goodbye to Kendall, Zach and their boys. "Thank you for having us."

"Yes, thank you. It was very generous of both of you to have everyone over at the last minute. Thank you, Marissa for the use of your blouse. I'll have it back to you as soon as I can."

"Take your time, Erica. I'm just sorry you needed to borrow something."

"Don't think about it, dear. You had nothing at all to do with it. I apologize for any problems resulting from the incident earlier. It wasn't something that was planned. I promise that I will do what I can to make sure something like that doesn't occur again." _At least, I'll make sure it doesn't occur again in your home and that neither of you are around. I can't promise anything more than that no matter how I feel about the two of you and the children. That woman is insufferable and she is not keeping me away from my family again …_

"Thank you, Mom. That means so much to me, so much to both of us." Bianca smiled at her mother.

"Thank you for trying. I know it's an understatement to say that it's hard for you." Marissa added thoughtfully.

Erica nodded slightly at the couple. "Well, I will do anything for family. Thank you again for having us. Let's have lunch next week."

"That sounds great, Mom. We can discuss Christmas."

Erica smiled. "I'd like that very much." She hugged both women and headed out.

"Nicely done." Jack winked at the couple and followed Erica.

/

"I better get these guys in the car. I'll stop by tomorrow and pick up the table. Thanks again. It was interesting. Fun but interesting." Zach smirked. He was carrying a sound asleep Ian. A sleepy Spike stood next to him.

Bianca and Marissa kissed their nephews and gave Zach a light hug so not to disturb Ian before he walked to the car.

"Well, thank you both for bailing us out today. All things considered, it actually went better than I thought it would." Kendall grinned when she saw the looks on the other two women's faces. "There was no bloodshed, no runs to the emergency room and the police weren't called. I'd call that a successful holiday."

"As Kane family gatherings go, I guess you're right. It was fairly mild." Bianca laughed.

Marissa joined Bianca in laughing. "It was pretty tame by Chandler standards too."

"That's the spirit, Red!" Kendall joked as she hugged Marissa.

"Kendall, if the smell's too bad at home, we meant what we said earlier. We want you to all come back here. We have plenty of room for you here. Promise me you'll do it." Bianca said as she hugged her sister tightly.

"I promise. Thank you again for everything. If I don't see you later tonight, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Oh, do you need me to watch the kids while you go car shopping?"

"No, they want to go with us."

Marissa grinned. "AJ's been doing some research for us so we promised to take them all with us. He wants me to get something cool like in the movie 'Cars'. Miranda has been explaining to him that something like that really wouldn't work for us."

"Yeah, there's really nothing in there for a family of five or maybe more." Kendall gave a knowing smile. "Don't worry. I haven't told anyone, not even Zach, about your plans. I have to tell you though that I can't wait for a mini Red running around here. I bet you were something else when you were little." Kendall loved the look she saw in the couple's eyes as they thought of the prospect of a baby.

Marissa shrugged. "I had my moments. My Dad would've told you I was perfect. My Mom would've given you a different answer depending on what day it was."

"Sounds about par for the course."

Bianca just grinned. The thought of adding to their family, of having a baby with Marissa, made her happier than she ever thought was possible. "Thanks for not telling anyone. We want to keep it to ourselves for now."

"Well, I'm here for whatever help you may need. Are you looking at the clinic here?"

Marissa shook her head. "We haven't done a lot of research yet, but we have decided that we're going to use a clinic in New York. We thought it might be a good idea to expand the pool."

Kendall laughed. "I think that's a very wise decision." She turned when she heard Zach calling her. "Okay, I gotta go. If you change your mind about tomorrow, the offer still stands. I'll talk to you tomorrow if not before." She exchanged quick hugs with the couple again before joining her boys.

/

Bianca closed the door behind her sister and turned to eye the kids. She had caught Gabby nodding off and AJ and Miranda yawning. "Okay, time for bed."

There were grumbles of protest from the three, but Marissa was there to back her up. "Bianca's right. It's time for you guys to go to bed. We have a big day of shopping ahead of us tomorrow so you need to get a good night's sleep. I'm counting on you to help me pick out a new car tomorrow."

"I'm thinking they can start on their letters to Santa as well." Three young heads snapped to attention. Bianca smiled knowing the guy in the red suit up at the North Pole was an excellent motivational tool particularly this time of year. "You can get your baths tomorrow."

The kids headed for the stairs.

"Whose turn is it to pick out tonight's story?" Marissa asked even though she already knew the answer.

AJ grinned. "It's mine! Could you read us 'Cars', Mom?"

"Ah, I see you're getting ready for tomorrow." Marissa's grin matched her son's. "I think that is an excellent choice."

Bianca nodded. "I agree, Buddy. Everyone change into their pajamas and meet in Lightning McQueen's, I mean AJ's room."

The kids giggled as a second wind hit them and they raced up the stairs.

Marissa slid an arm around Bianca's waist. "After story time, we're meeting right back here with some wine and a fire."

Bianca sighed contently. "That sounds perfect."


	71. A Visit With Santa

**A/N****: Well, it looks like the Mayan Apocalypse didn't happen after all and the world didn't end! Go figure. With that being said, let me start by thanking all of you again for your continued support of this story! I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I really appreciate it! Keep those reviews coming, and I'll keep writing! We're definitely in a fluffy period in this continuing saga. I think it's due in large part to the season. The tree is decorated, presents wrapped and I'm enjoying some time off of work!**

**As I was writing this chapter, I started down one path but then changed course when I struck by what I thought was a fun idea for it. I hope you like what I came up with. I'll continue this Christmas thread for another chapter or two since I have a few ideas that I didn't get to here because of my slight detour. I have to tell you that I got on a bit of a roll with this update and had a lot of fun writing it. I was also inspired to try and get a new chapter up for all of you before Christmas. I hope you enjoy this update! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! **

**/**

Now that Thanksgiving was over, the residents of Pine Valley could turn their full attention to Christmas. The Tasker-Montgomery family was no exception. The day after Thanksgiving, the family headed out to several car dealerships in order for Marissa to purchase a much needed new car. As part of her preparation for this purchase, Marissa had been pre-approved for a loan prior to shopping so the financing part was already taken care of. The kids offered their opinions on what she should get. They had seen a tricked out minivan that one of their friend's parents had that they thought was cool and were pushing for one just like it. Marissa, however, steadfastly refused to even consider that as an option. While in college, she had endured a road trip from hell one spring break in one. The redhead claimed that she still suffered from flashbacks from it from time to time. She had Bianca in tears as she related the story. After that trip, she made herself a promise to never own one. It was a promise she had kept so far and one that she had every intention of keeping going forward.

The couple had a pretty good idea of what they were looking for having done research of their own online before going shopping. What they needed to do now was actually see the cars in person and take them for a test drive. Several test drives later, they decided on a nice sized SUV that would accommodate the five current members of their family plus a hoped for sixth addition in the near future. The kids had given it their enthusiastic approval. After some savvy negotiation, a deal was struck.

While Marissa was handling the paperwork with the car salesman, Bianca kept the kids occupied with starting on their Christmas lists. AJ and Miranda were working on theirs while Bianca helped Gabby.

When Marissa exited the salesman's office, she stopped and simply smiled as she watched her family. The kids' faces would scrunch up as they thought. AJ and Miranda would quickly write something down as an idea came to them. Gabby would think of something and tell Bianca who would dutifully write it down for her.

Bianca glanced up and saw Marissa watching them. "All done?"

Marissa nodded. "All done. We can go now."

AJ looked around confused. "Where's your new car, Mom?"

"It's not ready yet, Buddy."

"What about the one you drove earlier?" Miranda asked.

"That was just a floor model and it wasn't the color we wanted. Ours will be delivered next week."

Bianca saw the kids were a little disappointed but taking it in stride. "Why don't we go to Krystal's for lunch? We can do a little shopping after we've had something to eat."

"I think that's a good idea. I'll need to get a new booster seat for the Monkey here." Marissa said as she helped Gabby with her jacket.

"I'm a big girl, Mommy. I don't need a booster seat." Gabby pouted.

"I know you're a big girl, but we have to get you one. The law says we have to and we could get in trouble if we don't. You wouldn't want that, would you?"

The little girl shook her head. "No, I don't. Okay, I'll use it."

Marissa kissed Gabby's cheek. "Thank you, Monkey. Don't worry. I promise that we'll look for some fun stuff too."

Bianca chuckled as the kids scrambled to gather their things hearing Marissa's promise. "Come on. Let's go."

/

After lunch, the family headed out for a little shopping. They purchased a booster seat for Gabby that would go in Marissa's new car. The kids got some more ideas for their Christmas lists and jotted them down. They left the toy store behind and headed to some of the smaller shops for Christmas decorations. While they were packing for the move, the couple evaluated their combined existing decorations. As a result, they came to a conclusion. They would definitely need more for their new home. Marissa had a few from her life before Pine Valley. She had left most of the ones that had been purchased and accumulated during her marriage to JR at the Chandler mansion. The redhead had only taken those that were special to her and AJ which included the ones he had made for her in school. Bianca had left the majority of hers at Wildwind. Like Marissa, she had kept the ones that were special to both her and the girls and the ones the girls had made her along with a few special ones from her parents and her Grandmother Mona.

They also decided it was the perfect time to get a few items they could use for starting their own new traditions. Bianca found Christmas stockings that would be perfect for them and look great being hung by the fireplace. Marissa found several ornaments the family agreed they all loved. They discussed the merits of a real tree versus an artificial one. The five of them opted for a real Christmas tree with the verdict being unanimous. They didn't want to get the tree too early though because otherwise it wouldn't last until Christmas. The tree would be bought in two weeks which would give them plenty of time to decorate it and enjoy it before the big day arrived. The next decision was what to put on top of it when they actually brought the tree home. Should they get an angel or a star? Miranda found a star made of wire that had been coated in glitter and shimmered whenever even the smallest ray of light hit it. It wasn't fancy by any definition, but there was something about it that made them all feel like it was perfect for them.

With their purchases for the day made, the family headed home. Shortly after arriving home, Bianca snuck downstairs to the basement to retrieve the box she had marked during the move that contained the items she would need for Marissa's gift and quickly placed it in the trunk of her car. She would start work on it the following week. It was important that Bianca got it out of the house undetected so the surprise wouldn't be ruined. She would also have to work on it at her office. As for Marissa, she figured out what to get Bianca while they were out shopping that day. Her partner gave her the idea when they were in a store looking around. Marissa had to do some work on it as well, but she knew that Bianca was more than worth any effort that was needed.

Marissa was in the kitchen when Bianca came back in from the garage. The redhead noted the expression on her partner's face. She looked just like one of the kids did when they got caught trying to sneak a cookie from the cookie jar. Bianca was definitely up to something.

"Hey, what were you doing in the garage?"

Bianca quickly scrambled for an explanation. "Oh, I couldn't find a bag. I thought that maybe we left it in the car, but it wasn't there."

"Which bag?"

"The one with the star." It was lame, but it was the only thing Bianca could come up with at the moment.

Marissa smiled to herself. _Yep, she's definitely up to something. As much as I want to look or press her on it, I won't._ "I brought it in and set it on the mantel. I thought that was the best place for it for now."

"Oh, okay. Good. The kids would be disappointed if we lost it."

The redhead simply nodded in agreement and gave Bianca a quick kiss as she headed towards the family room. "Yes, they would. Come on. Let's get the rest of the decorations out."

/

_One week later._

It was time for Marissa to pick up her new car. They decided to plan a small surprise for the kids so they asked Susan to drop the kids off at school. Bianca had a meeting with her sister at Fusion that morning so Kendall swung by on her way into the office to pick up both her little sister and Marissa. She dropped the redhead off at her office while the sisters continued on to Fusion. Brian volunteered to drop Marissa off at the dealership when her car was ready while Kendall would drop off Bianca. The couple decided to take a half day off work since both had put in some extra hours at the office a few days that week, and by having the others drop them off, they wouldn't have to deal with an extra car and could get on with enjoying their afternoon off.

Marissa's car was ready at lunch so Brian decided to surprise Stef with a longer lunch after he dropped off Marissa. The friends chatted on the way to the dealership.

"I need to step up my game since Stef found out about the whole rose thing between you and Bianca and the fact that it's still going on. You're making me look bad, Marissa." Brian joked.

The redhead laughed at her friend. "Sorry, Brian, but I just can't help myself when it comes to Bianca. She brings out the romantic in me. Besides, Stef is the mother of your son and my godson so she deserves a reminder of how crazy you are about her."

"I can't argue with that. She does. I can't tell you how excited we are about _your godson's_ first Christmas. It's not like Jamie's really going to be into anything that we get him this year other than the paper and the boxes."

"That'll change soon enough. The kids are already bouncing off the walls and have gone through several rewrites of their Christmas lists."

"I can't wait for that." Brian smiled as his car came to a stop.

"Yeah, they are being particularly adorable right now. Thanks for the ride and tell Stef and my godson I said 'hi'."

"I will. I'll see you on Monday."

/

As Brian pulled away, Kendall and Bianca pulled up.

"Hey, Red. I have delivered my sister as promised." Kendall smirked.

Marissa opened the car door for Bianca and greeted her with a quick kiss. "Thanks, Curly."

"Thanks, Kendall. I appreciate the ride."

"No problem. Good luck with the shopping." Kendall waved as she drove off.

The couple walked to the receptionist's desk to locate the salesman to let him know that Marissa was there. While they waited for the receptionist to finish a call, the couple discussed their plans for their afternoon together and evening with the kids.

"I was thinking we could grab lunch at home and change before heading out to do a little shopping without the kids around. We'll never be able to get them anything with them around. We'll pick them up at school to surprise them with the plans for tonight." Bianca suggested.

"That sounds good to me. You're right. We need a couple of hours without them _helping_ us. What do you think about the gift they each have on their lists? Should we do it?" Marissa asked.

"I'm torn but leaning towards it. What do you think?"

Marissa smiled. "I'm thinking the same as you which sounds like we're going to get it."

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, it does. I know someone who can probably help us out with it so I can check it out."

"That sounds like a plan."

"I'll go call them now and get started on it." Bianca stepped away and took a seat in the waiting area while Marissa continued to wait for the receptionist to finish up her call. From her seat in the waiting area, Bianca watched as Marissa fidgeted a little. She could tell the redhead was excited about the new car, almost as excited as the kids. It was her first new car. Okay, it was but it wasn't. The car she had been driving prior to the crash had been purchased for her by JR in much happier times, and she had kept it as part of the divorce settlement because she needed something to drive. The car wasn't exactly what she had wanted though since it had been picked out for her without any consultation as to what she might like. Marissa had wanted to get something new after the divorce but had just gotten too busy with life in general to take the time to look. This time around though, she was the one who picked it out, getting all of the features she wanted. When Bianca offered to buy her a new car for Christmas, the brunette asked what she wanted, down to the color of the floor mats. While Marissa truly appreciated the generous offer, it was important for her to be the one to make this purchase. Bianca understood, and it was that understanding that made Marissa love Bianca even more, if that was even possible.

As she watched her partner, she noted that someone else was watching her too. While Marissa occupied herself browsing some of the promotional materials for other cars, Bianca noted that the receptionist was eyeing the redhead. Her eyes were grazing up and down Marissa's body. The other woman's thoughts were evident in her eyes, and a wave of possessiveness surged through Bianca. She wanted to pluck the other woman's eyes from her head. Her thoughts were interrupted when she was taken off hold and her call was put through to her friend.

"Bianca! It's been a while. How have you been? How are Marissa and the kids?"

"Hi, Simon. It has been a while. I'm doing great and so are Marissa and the kids. How are you and your family?"

"We're all doing good and gearing up for Christmas. It's a busy time for us."

"I'm sure it is, and that's partially why I'm calling. Marissa and I are thinking of a present for the kids that is right up your alley."

"Really? That's fantastic. Tell me what you're thinking of."

/

The blonde receptionist quickly averted her eyes when Marissa glanced back in her direction when she heard the woman finally end her call. "Good afternoon and welcome to Pine Valley Motors. I'm sorry to keep you waiting. My name is Shelly. How can I help you, Ms.?"

"Tasker, Marissa Tasker. I'm here to meet John and pick up my new car."

"Let me page him for you." The receptionist made the announcement for the salesman while Marissa turned her attention back to Bianca curious how her call was going.

The receptionist followed the redhead's gaze. She huffed slightly, not used to not being the focus of a customer's attention. Some would say she gained some sort of perverse pleasure in causing problems for the couple's that came in by turning one of the heads of one of the partners. Maybe that was partially true, but she also really liked the attention. The redhead, however, was not cooperating. It was time to turn up the heat. She adjusted herself to more prominently display her cleavage and ample breasts, a tactic that never failed in the past to garner the desired attention, and cleared her throat. "John will be right with you. Could I get you something to drink while you wait?"

"No thank you. I'm fine. I'll just wait for him over there." Marissa smiled and pointed to the waiting area before starting to walk away.

Shelly grabbed Marissa's arm and leaned forward. "So, what kind of car did you get?"

/

Bianca saw everything the receptionist was doing. She was practically shoving her breasts in Marissa's face. The brunette tightly gripped her cellphone as she tried to listen to her friend on the other end of the call and control her temper. The actions of the receptionist were over the top, and it was plain as day to Bianca that the woman was clearly interested in Marissa. For her part, Marissa appeared oblivious to the flirting and fawning of the other woman.

Marissa was a smart woman and usually on top of things, but when it came to recognizing when someone was flirting with her, she rarely, if ever, saw it. This was something that never failed to surprise Bianca. She didn't see how her partner could be so dense about this aspect of her life. When questioned about it, Marissa would simply respond that it didn't matter what the other person thought because she wasn't now nor would she ever be interested in anyone else. Why would she be when she had Bianca?

/

"Oh, I'm getting the SUV. I'm not really a minivan type. The kids wanted one, but it's not happening."

"Why is that?"

"I took a bad road trip in one once. It's a long, boring story."

The receptionist gave her a wide-eyed look as if she was fascinated to hear the story. "I'd love to hear it. I'm sure it's not boring at all."

Marissa was beginning to get uncomfortable by the woman's attention. _Where in the hell is John?_ "No, it really is, trust me. I'll just say that it soured me on them for good."

The receptionist laughed loudly and playfully slapped Marissa's arm. She leaned in even more. "Now, you have to tell me. You can't just leave a girl hanging like that."

/

Seeing the receptionist playfully slap Marissa's arm and lean in even more to speak to her as if conspiring with her had Bianca seeing red. That the receptionist had the gall to so blatantly hit on Marissa while Bianca was just a few feet away was the final straw for her. "Simon, I have to go."

"No problem. I'll do some checking, but I think I have exactly what you're looking for. I'll call you back later."

"Thanks." Bianca disconnected the call and began to walk back to the desk.

/

"Could you page John again for me? I really want to get going. We have plans." Marissa asked as she removed her arm from the blonde's grasp.

The blonde flashed her best come-hither smile. "You seem nervous. Don't you want to be alone with me?"

Marissa sighed. She had been trying to be nice, but enough was enough. "I'm not nervous. I'm just not interested. I'm taken by that stunning woman over there, and you know that."

The receptionist huffed, clearly not happy by the response and the fact that she'd been caught. "What does she have that I don't?"

Marissa smiled. "The kindest, gentlest and most loving heart and soul there's ever been. She also has me. Now, would you please page John again?"

"I'll be …" The receptionist's voice faltered and a look of what Marissa could only describe as fear crossed her face.

Marissa turned in the direction that the receptionist was looking. It took everything she had to stop a smirk from spreading across her face as she saw Bianca walking towards the desk with the Kane death glare turned on high and focused fully on the blonde behind the desk. _Damn! _The redhead threw a quick glance back at the receptionist and saw that all color had drained from the woman's face and that she was struggling to even swallow.

"Marissa, I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

"I was starting to think you forgot about us, John." Marissa smirked.

"Not possible. Hi, Bianca. It's good to see you again."

Bianca smiled and shook the man's hand. "It's good to see you again too, John."

The salesman glanced at the receptionist. "Are you okay, Shelly? You look a little pale."

"I … I … I'm f… fine." The blonde managed to stammer in reply.

"Okay." John shrugged. "Marissa, you want to come with me, and we'll get the keys?"

Marissa nodded and gave Bianca a quick kiss before whispering to her. "I'll be right back."

Bianca nodded and watched Marissa and the salesman walk away before turning her attention back to the receptionist. The blonde looked like a deer caught in the headlights and fumbled for the phone when it started ringing. The brunette kept her steely gaze focused on the receptionist as she stammered and stuttered her way through the call. The receptionist could feel herself beginning to sweat under the intense glare of the brunette.

A warm hand on the small of her back caused Bianca to break the one-sided staring contest.

Marissa smiled and held up the car keys. She handed a set to Bianca. "We're all set! Let's go home."

Bianca returned the smile. "I'll be right behind you. I left something in the waiting area."

Marissa nodded and headed towards the door.

Bianca hadn't left anything behind. She just wanted a second longer to make the blonde sweat some more. Bianca waited a beat before following her lover. While she wanted to slap the shit out of the woman, Bianca thought better of it. As she walked by the desk, she carefully reached over it and tipped the woman's coffee cup spilling its contents down the front of the blonde. The receptionist made no move to respond to the brunette's action. She had the distinct impression that it was in her best interest not to do so.

/

The ride from the dealership to their home was relatively quiet. Bianca was still fuming about the receptionist's actions as well as her own actions for losing her temper to a small degree. Truth be told, she was a little embarrassed that she knocked the woman's drink over on her. In her mind, it was a little immature, but the woman really pissed her off.

For her part, Marissa wore an amused look on her face. She had seen what Bianca did, and she had to admit that she liked it. She enjoyed witnessing that flash of jealousy from her lover.

As they turned down the driveway to their home, Bianca glanced over at Marissa and saw the amused expression on her face. "What's so funny?"

"Honest?"

"Yes." Bianca nodded.

"You back there at the dealership. I can't say that I feel sorry for the receptionist though. If you ask me, she deserved it and even more."

As the garage door shut behind them, Bianca blushed. "You … You … You saw that?"

Marissa got out of the car and walked to door that led into the house from inside the garage. She grinned as Bianca followed her. "Uh huh, I most certainly did."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yep. Like I said, she deserved it. She was out of line. She knew that we were together, but she kept hitting on me. It was making me really uncomfortable."

Bianca gave her an incredulous look. "Wait a minute. You knew what she was doing?"

Marissa scowled seeing her lover's look of disbelief. She had teased the redhead before about her gaydar or lack thereof. "Yes, I knew what she was doing, and yes, it took me a while but I finally figured it out."

It was Bianca's turn to be amused. "You did, huh? What clued you in?"

"It was when she started laughing at what I was saying. I know I'm pretty darn funny and can tell a story with the best of them, but her reaction was kind of over the top. Then, she kept touching my arm and not letting go." Marissa cringed.

"Hmmm, if I had known about the not letting go part, I would've slapped the hell out of her."

"I think I would've liked to have seen that. You know that you don't have anything to worry about."

Bianca smiled softly. "I know, and I trust you. I just didn't like her groping you."

"It wasn't exactly groping, but yeah, it really wasn't a highlight for me either. I finally had enough being polite to her, and right before you walked up, I basically told her to back off."

"You did, huh?" Bianca grinned.

"Yes, I did."

"And what did she say?"

"She wanted to know what you had that she didn't. I told her that you had the most loving heart of anyone that I've ever known and that you had me and always would. In case you need to be reminded, you're the only one that I see, the only one that I ever will. You're the only one that has my heart, and the only one that ever will have it." The truth behind those words shone through those hazel eyes she loved so much.

Bianca's breath hitched. Marissa could always take her breath away. "You're the only one that has my heart too. The only one I ever want to have it."

Marissa flashed her a brilliant smile. "I finally get it by the way."

"Get what?"

"The Kane death glare and its full effects on others. I thought she was going to lose it right there. I could see her shaking and starting to break out in a cold sweat."

Bianca grinned. "See, I told you that's the reaction people are supposed to have to it."

"That you did." Marissa grinned wickedly as she slowly advanced on her lover. She gently pushed her onto the bed. "And I told you that I find it _hot as hell_. Today, it was off the chart."

Bianca laughed as she looked up at her lover. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Oh, I have lots of ideas of what you can do with me, and we've got plenty of time to go over a few of them." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

/

Gabby was settled happily in her booster seat in the back of Marissa's new SUV as she waited with her moms for her brother and sister outside of their school. Big smiles crossed AJ's and Miranda's faces when they saw them waiting. The older kids raced to the car and handed their backpacks to Bianca who stored them in the back of the vehicle. The kids then climbed into the car.

"You picked it up today!" AJ was finding it hard to maintain his excitement.

"Yep, Bianca and I picked it up earlier and thought we'd surprise you."

Bianca fastened her seatbelt. "We also have a little adventure planned for today if you're up for it."

Miranda grinned. The couple always planned the best adventures. "We're up for it. Where are we going?"

"You'll find out soon enough. Put your seatbelts on and we'll get going." Marissa smiled.

/

"We're going to the Zoo!" Gabby exclaimed and clapped her hands as they pulled into the parking lot.

"We sure are, Monkey."

Bianca chuckled seeing the excitement play across the faces of all three children. "We thought it might be fun to see all the lights they put up for Christmas. They also have the train open, and we can see Santa."

"We can tell him what we want for Christmas!" Miranda grinned.

"Yes! I know exactly what I'm going to tell him I want!" AJ was practically bouncing up and down.

The family was greeted by a 35 foot tall Christmas tree adorned with thousands of lights, and Marissa snapped a picture of the kids in front of it with Bianca who then traded places with the redhead to take her picture with them. A passerby offered to take a picture of all of them together which they happily thanked them for and returned the favor for them.

Thousands upon thousands of lights blanketed the zoo and its various exhibits. They stopped to see the colder climate animals that were enjoying themselves since they were more in their natural element with the colder weather. The polar bears in particular were having a good time. A special trip was also made to see the reindeer.

Gabby tugged on Marissa's hand. "Why are the reindeer here, Mommy? They should be at the North Pole."

"Santa brought them with him while he visits here so they're on loan for a little bit. The Zoo will help make sure they're back at the North Pole in plenty of time for Santa on Christmas Eve."

That answer made perfect sense to Gabby so she nodded and skipped closer to the exhibit joining AJ and Miranda. The family took a small break to grab a light snack deciding they would stop for pizza later. After their break, they started off again to catch a light show. No trip would be complete without paying a visit to the monkeys. Gabby beamed and raced to their exhibit. She had been worried that she might not get to see them, but Bianca assured her that they were in a heated exhibit and available for visiting.

The only thing left for them to do was visit Santa. They found the village that had been constructed for him and joined the line. While they waited, Bianca noticed Gabby had gotten a little quiet. She knelt down next to her youngest daughter. "Sweetie, are you okay?"

Gabby shrugged. "I dunno."

Bianca smiled quickly figuring out what was wrong. "Are you nervous about seeing Santa?"

Gabby nodded. "A little."

"It's okay. It can be a little scary seeing him. I know I was a little scared to see him when I was about your age."

Gabby's eyes grew wide hearing her Mommy's confession. "You were, Mommy?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I was, but I knew I was going to be okay. I was with my Mom, and I knew more than anything else that she would make sure that nothing would happen to me."

"Just like you and Mommy."

"Exactly like me and Mommy. Now, you don't have to talk to him if you don't want to or sit on his lap. We'll do whatever you want. Okay?"

Gabby nodded. "Okay, Mommy." She watched as all of the other kids took their turns with Santa, all looking happy and excited to see him. Her brother and sister seemed really excited too and were talking really fast to her mommies. As the line slowly moved along, Gabby tightly clutched both of her mommies' hands still unsure of what she would do.

Marissa felt the added pressure and knelt down next to Gabby. "Are you okay, Gabby?"

"I wish I had Minx. He makes me feel better."

"I know he does, Monkey. I tell you what." Marissa reached into the bag of items purchased at the gift shop that she'd been carrying and pulled out a stuffed elephant. "I know she's not Minx, but maybe she'll make you feel better."

Gabby smiled sheepishly and took the elephant, holding it tightly. "She? It's a girl?"

"Yep and you know what her name is?"

Gabby shook her head. "What is it?"

"Her name's Ella."

The little brunette smiled brightly. "I like it!"

"She has a last name too."

"She does?"

"Uh huh, it's Phant. Her full name is Ella Phant. Get it? Ella Phant the Elephant." Marissa grinned.

Bianca snorted at the bad pun while Gabby started to giggle. Soon, the little girl was cracking up, and Marissa chuckled. She knew Gabby would love the cheesy joke, and it seemed to have its intended effect and eased her daughter's fears.

The line inched forward, and it was soon their turn. AJ hopped on Santa's lap and proceeded to tell him what he wanted after Santa checked that he had been a good boy this year.

Miranda quickly followed her birthday twin and took her turn on Santa's lap. Confirmation was received of her being a good girl this year as well, and she told Santa what she wanted.

Gabby watched AJ and Miranda as they spoke with Santa while tightly clutching both her new stuffed elephant and Bianca's hand. Her brother and sister seemed okay talking with Santa and her mommies would be right there, and now, she had Ella too. Plus, she really wanted to tell him what she wanted. She thought if she told Santa she wanted the same thing as AJ and Miranda that they would be sure to get it. She wondered if she would be brave enough.

"Do you want to talk to Santa?" Bianca asked.

Gabby decided she would be brave and nodded.

Marissa smiled. "We'll be right here."

"I know, Mommy." Gabby paused in front of the jolly old elf still clutching her elephant.

"Well, hello there young lady. What is your name?"

"Gabby."

"Hello, Gabby. Would you like to sit on my lap?" Sensing the little girl's hesitation and being very familiar with the reaction of the younger ones, he offered another suggestion. "If you want, you could just stand next to me so my elf can take your picture, and then you could tell me what you want."

Gabby considered her options and turned back to her mommies and brother and sister. "I'll sit on your lap."

One of the elves helped her onto Santa's lap. "Have you been a good girl this year, Gabby?"

The girl glanced at her mommies who nodded. "She's been a very good girl, Santa."

"Well, I'm very happy to hear that your mommies agree with what I've seen. That puts you right at the top of my nice list."

Gabby smiled brightly hearing this and relaxed.

"And who is this little fellow you have?" Santa asked as he pointed to the stuffed animal.

"It's a girl elephant, Santa."

"My apologies. Does she have a name?"

"Uh huh! Mommy Marissa named her. Her name's Ella. Guess what her last name is."

"Hmmm, I'm not sure. What is it?"

"It's Phant. Her full name is Ella Phant. Get it? Ella Phant the Elephant." Gabby started cracking up again.

Santa and the elves couldn't help but join in her infectious laughter as the little girl seemed to transform right before their very eyes. She was no longer scared or nervous. Now, she was animated and completely charming. She was by far their favorite visitor this season.

"I saw your reindeer earlier, Santa. Where's Rudolph?"

Santa laughed. It was a question he hadn't heard so far tonight. "I left him back at the North Pole with Mrs. Claus so he can rest up. Leading my sleigh is hard work so he needs lots of rest."

"Last year, I was scared that you'd get hurt when you came down the chimney."

"You were, were you? Well, you don't need to worry about that."

"I know. My Mommy Marissa, that's her with the red hair standing next to my Mommy." Gabby pointed to her mommies and waved to the beaming couple who waved back. "My Aunt Kendall calls her Red because of her red hair. Last year, Mommy told me that you have magical powers that lets you come down any chimney in the whole wide world and not get hurt."

"Well, your Mommy is very smart."

Gabby nodded in agreement. "Uh huh, she's really smart. My other Mommy says she's the smartest person she knows, but Mommy's pretty smart too."

Santa chuckled as he was completely enchanted by the little girl. "I'm sure she is. What would you like for Christmas, Gabby?"

"Mommy's helping me with my letter to you."

"I look forward to reading it. Since we're here, would you like to tell me a couple of things you want?"

Gabby nodded. "Okay, Santa."

Bianca and Marissa watched in wonder as Gabby happily chatted with Santa.

The brunette chuckled. "You'd never know that she was nervous about seeing him just a few minutes ago."

"He's Santa." It was the only answer Marissa could come up with in reply at their daughter's turnaround.

Gabby finished up her discussion with Santa and hopped off his lap. She quickly turned back to him. "Santa, don't forget we moved. So, you have to come to our new house."

Santa laughed heartily. "I won't, Gabby. Now, you keep being good for your mommies."

Gabby nodded solemnly. "I will, Santa. I promise. Bye, Santa!"

Marissa scooped Gabby up. "You did great, Monkey!"

Bianca kissed her daughter's cheek. "Yes, you did! We're very proud of you!"

"Just like we are of AJ and Miranda. How about we get your pictures and then go get dinner?"

The three children nodded happily as the family started to make their way to the photo kiosk. Bianca was stopped by Santa. "Excuse me, Miss?"

"It's Bianca, Santa."

The jolly old elf nodded. "You have three wonderful children, Bianca. You and Marissa must be very proud of them."

"Thank you, Santa. We are."

"And Gabby, well she is something else. I enjoyed her visit more than any other child I've seen this year."

Bianca grinned. "Yes, she definitely is something."

"You know what they all want for Christmas?"

"We do and are strongly considering it."

"Very good. I just wanted to be sure you knew. Sometimes, they just tell me when they see me and don't think to write it down so their parents don't know. Merry Christmas, Bianca."

"Merry Christmas, Santa." Bianca joined her family at the kiosk. After their photos were selected and paid for, the family made their way back to the car.

"Mom?"

"Yes, Mimo." Bianca answered.

"This was a really good adventure! I had lots of fun!"

Marissa smiled. "Good. We had fun too."

"Mom?"

"Yes, Buddy."

"Do you think Santa will bring us that one thing we all want?" AJ questioned.

The couple shared a knowing look. "He gets lots of requests for that particular gift so we'll have to wait and see. If you don't get it, it doesn't mean that you did anything wrong though. Okay?"

"Okay."

/

_A few days later._

Kendall was taking an extended lunch to get a little Christmas shopping done. As she walked down the street, she spotted her sister outside a jewelry store. _Hmmm, that's interesting. Something seems to have caught her eye. I wonder what it could be._ Kendall slowly crept up behind her sister. "Whatcha looking at, Binx?"

**/**

**A/N****: Now, don't worry. Marissa will get her turn at being jealous. I actually had something planned for her before I was inspired to write about Bianca's little display. Also, I hope I didn't offend anyone with Marissa's thoughts on minivans. I'm sorry if I did because I certainly didn't mean to. I just happen to share that opinion, and yes, it's because I did survive a road trip from hell one spring break when I was in college. Surprisingly, everyone made it back in one piece. See you soon! Oh, I hope to have an update before the end of the year, but on the off chance that I don't, Happy New Year! **


	72. Heartfelt Discussions

**A/N****: I'm back! One of the great things about being off during the holidays is I have the time to focus a little more on this story and do some writing. I hope the holidays are treating you well, and that Santa (if you're a fan of the big guy in the red suit) was good to you. As always, thanks for the great reviews and reading and following this story! I really do hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I am in writing it. **

**Part of this chapter came about as a result of one of your reviews (that should tell you how much I enjoy hearing your thoughts on this). One of you lovely reviewers, I can't say who it is exactly because their review was anonymous, wondered if AJ got jealous sometimes. That got me to thinking. Now, some of my friends will tell you that's a good thing while others will say it can be dangerous. I'll leave it up to you to decide. Anyway, that comment got me to thinking and the result of said thinking is in this chapter. So to the anonymous reviewer who asked that question, thanks for the idea! I hope you like what I did with it. Now, this chapter picks up exactly where the last one left off. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Kendall was taking an extended lunch to get a little Christmas shopping done. As she walked down the street, she spotted her sister outside a jewelry store. _Hmmm, that's interesting. Something seems to have caught her eye. I wonder what it could be._ Kendall slowly crept up behind her sister. "Whatcha looking at, Binx?"

Bianca jumped, completely startled by her sister's sudden appearance. "Kendall. You scared me."

The older brunette laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. So, what are you looking at?" She peered over Bianca's shoulder to see what was in the window display that had caught her sister's attention. "Are those engagement rings? Oh my god, Binx! Are you going to propose to Marissa?! Is an engagement ring going to be her Christmas present? That's the big present you were hinting at during Thanksgiving, isn't it? Which one are you thinking about?"

"Would you please be quiet, Kendall?" Bianca pleaded with her sister as she pulled her away from the front of the store. "People are going to hear you."

"Don't you mean Marissa's going to hear me? Sorry. Sorry. I'm guessing you want it to be a surprise."

"Kendall."

"When are you going to do it?"

"Kendall."

"Are you going to do it Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?"

"Kendall."

"How are you going to do it?"

"Kendall."

"Are you going to get down on one knee?"

"Kendall!"

"What?"

"Would you please shut up?" Bianca started to hurry away from her sister.

Kendall quickly caught up with her. "I'm sorry, Binx. I'm just excited for you." The older brunette saw a look of distress on her sister's face and directed her to a nearby bench. "Let's sit down, Bianca. What's wrong? Come on and talk to me. You are thinking about proposing to Marissa, aren't you?"

Bianca sighed as she sat down next to her sister. "I'm thinking about it."

"That's great, isn't it? I mean after whatshername I didn't think you'd ever even consider the possibility of marriage again."

"That makes two of us." Bianca muttered.

"Have you and Marissa discussed getting married?"

"We've talked about it some. To be honest, we're both a little gun-shy. Let's face it. Our first marriages left a lot to be desired." Bianca smirked.

"Yeah, neither of you we're very smart in the partners you picked the first time around. It's not like I have a lot of room to talk though."

"True, but something good did come out of both of them. We have AJ and Gabby."

Kendall smiled. "Yeah, you do, and they are great kids just like Miranda."

"Yes, they are. It's just that both of our experiences left a sour taste in our mouths."

"Do you think she would say 'no'? Because knowing her like I do, I don't think you have to worry about that. Marissa is absolutely head over heels in love with you. What you have is for keeps."

Bianca smiled. "I think she'd say 'yes'"

"Trust me, she'll say 'yes'."

"I know what we have is forever. You know, I can't imagine my life without her. I see us growing old together, raising our kids and spoiling our grandkids."

"That sounds perfect. What's the problem?"

The younger sister shook her head slightly in an attempt to deny something was bothering her. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bianca, you forget who you're talking to. I know you, and I can tell when something's bothering you, when something's weighing on your mind. What is it? You might as well tell me now because I'm just going to keep asking until you do."

Bianca sighed. Her sister was right. Kendall would keep on her until she finally cracked. Her sister was like a dog with a bone when she wanted to know something. "I don't know if it's the right time."

"I'm lost, Binx. You're going to have to help me out here. What do you mean that it might not be the right time?"

"When we picked up Marissa's new car …" Bianca paused. She wasn't looking forward to telling her sister about _the incident_. In her eyes, it really wasn't her finest moment. "When we picked up Marissa's new car, the receptionist was hitting on her."

Kendall tried to hide the smirk that was struggling to break out across her face. "Seriously? Are you sure?"

"Oh yeah, I'm sure. She was doing it basically right in front of me. She was shoving her chest in Marissa's face, and she kept grabbing her arm. She was giggling and fawning all over her, and I was right there! I mean, who does that?! What the hell kind of person does something like that?"

"Maybe she didn't know you were together?"

Bianca shot her a look that said she wasn't buying that. "She knew, trust me. She just didn't give a damn!"

"What did Marissa do? Did she even know what was going on? You said yourself that she doesn't usually pick up on stuff like that."

"Yeah, that's true. She normally doesn't, but she did this time though. That should tell you how blatant it was. What that …"

"Tramp, trollop, bimbo, hussy, harlot, strumpet, bitch, slut, whore? Any of those work for you? I can come up with some other names for you if you want." Kendall smirked.

Bianca muttered. "Those all work if you ask me."

It really was becoming impossible for Kendall to disguise her amusement at seeing her sister like this. She couldn't recall Bianca ever being this jealous before. "So, what did Marissa do?"

"She tried to be as nice as she could, but ended up telling her she wasn't interested since she was involved with me and that she knew that the receptionist knew it."

"Red called her out on what she was doing? Good for her. God, I do like that woman!"

Bianca smiled at the memory of what Marissa told her. "Yeah, she did."

Kendall could tell her sister was holding something back, something that she wasn't necessarily proud of. "There's more to the story though, isn't there? What did you do?"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Binx. You already said you saw what the bimbo was doing. What did you do?"

Bianca scowled. "I gave her what Marissa calls the 'Kane death glare' and knockedhercoffeeoveronher."

Her sister spoke so low and fast that Kendall couldn't quite make out what she had said. "What? I couldn't quite make out what you said after you giving her the Kane death glare."

Bianca sighed. "I knocked her coffee over on her on my way out. She's lucky that's all I did. I wanted to rip her head off and shove it up her ..." Bianca saw her sister grinning, clearly amused. "It's not funny, Kendall. I'm not proud of what I did."

"Actually, yeah it kind of is. You got jealous, Binx, and it sounds like you had every right. It also shows that you're human and wonderfully flawed just like the rest of us."

"I never said I wasn't. I never said I was perfect."

"I know you haven't. That's all on us. We can't help but put you up on some kind of pedestal sometimes because of your extraordinary goodness, kindness and capacity to forgive. Marissa is different though, isn't she? She's never done that with you."

Bianca shook her head. "No, she hasn't. She's always seen me, the whole me, and loved me flaws and all."

"Then I still don't see the problem."

"I don't want her to think I'm doing this because of that incident, that I'm doing this to mark her as mine, to lay claim to her. I want her to know that I'm doing it because it's what I want more than anything. I want it to be perfect. I want it to be the right time and the right place."

Kendall smiled ruefully. "I hate to break this to you, Binx, but she already is marked as yours and that's without the benefit of a ring of any kind." Kendall saw the confusion on her sister's face. "All you have to do is smile at her or merely glance her way or just brush up against her, and anyone with a half a brain can see she belongs with you and to you. I mean that in the best possible way. The same goes for you too. You belong to her. It's clear to anyone who can get out of their own way and can take a step back and just look at the two of you. As for wanting it to be perfect and the right time and place, it will be perfect for her whenever you do it. It will be the right time and the right place no matter when and where you do it. The when, where and how don't matter. What matters is the why, and that's because you love her with everything that you are and with everything that you have and want everyone to know it. Marissa will know that because she knows you and feels exactly the same way about you."

Bianca wiped away the tear that escaped. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. So, are you going to ask her at Christmas?"

Bianca thought for a minute before shaking her head. "No, I'm not."

"But …"

The younger brunette held up her hand to stop her sister's protest. "I'm not going to ask her at Christmas. I want this Christmas to be about the kids. They've had a rough year and deserve this day to be about them. When I propose, I want it to just be about us, just between the two of us and no one else."

Kendall smiled softly. "I suppose I can understand that. So, can I ask when that might be?"

"Soon, very soon. I have to get the ring first."

Kendall laughed. "While a ring is not vital for it, it is an important part of the proposal. Did you spot any prospects in that store?"

"No, I didn't, not in there. None of them struck me as being right for Marissa, but I have a very good idea now of what I want and where to get it."

"Well if you need any help at all, just let me know."

"Thanks, I will."

"Alright, how about we go to Krystal's for lunch? I'm sure a certain redhead will be there waiting for you." Kendall smirked.

"Marissa's working from home today. The kids weren't feeling well when they got up. They picked up that stomach bug that's been going around school."

"I'm sorry to hear that. The boys have managed to steer clear of it so far, knock wood. How about you let me buy you lunch then?"

"I think I'm going to have to pass, Kendall. I'm not very hungry."

A look of concern crossed the older sister's face. "Are you alright, Binx? You're starting to look a little green. Do you think you picked up what the kids have?"

Bianca sighed. "Now that you mention it, I'm not feeling all that great. I guess I was so focused on other things that I didn't think about it."

"Okay, you're going home, and I'm taking you."

"I've got my car, Kendall. Plus, I've got things I need to take care of back at the office."

Kendall shook her head. Her sister was stubborn. "Look, if you've got that bug, you're just going to spread it around the office and get everyone there sick. You need to take care of yourself. Besides, I'll call Marissa and tell her you're sick. You know that Red won't be happy with you when she finds out that you're not feeling well and going back to work."

Bianca scowled at her sister. "You would rat me out, wouldn't you?"

"In this case, I would. I just want you to take care of yourself or let Red take care of you."

"You know that you don't play nice sometimes, right? Fine, I'll call the office and tell them I'm going home for the day."

"Good. Now, I want you to call me when you get home so I know you got there safely."

"And that I actually went home." Bianca smirked.

"That too." Kendall grinned.

/

Marissa was reading through a deposition in the home office that she and Bianca shared. She had left the door open so she could hear if any of the kids needed her. It was almost time for her to check on them again. They seemed to have gotten through the worst of the stomach bug and had been resting quietly for a couple of hours. She hoped they would be willing to try and eat a little something and be able to keep a little of it down. Marissa glanced up hearing a light knock on the door frame.

"Hey, Buddy. Is everything alright? Do you need something?" Marissa took her glasses off and set them on the desk as she motioned her son inside.

"Hi, Mom. I don't want to bother you."

"AJ, you never bother me. Come here."

The boy slowly made his way over to his mother. Marissa pulled him onto her lap and felt for a fever. She sighed in relief not feeling one and noted that his color looked much better. She also realized that she wouldn't be able to do this much longer. He was growing so fast. "Well, you look a little better. How do you feel?"

"I feel a lot better. I just couldn't sleep anymore. I looked and Miranda and Gabby are still asleep."

"You checked on them?" Marissa smiled at her son's thoughtfulness.

The boy nodded. "Uh huh."

"Thank you, Buddy. That was very thoughtful of you. You're a great brother and an even better son. You know that, right?"

AJ shrugged. "I dunno."

"Is something wrong?"

"I don't feel like I am sometimes."

"Why's that?" Marissa saw that her son was holding back. Something was bothering him, weighing on him. "AJ, you know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

"I know, but I don't think you'll like me if I do this time."

"AJ, you know how much I love you, right?"

The boy nodded. "Inside out and upside down."

"That's right, and there is nothing you can tell me that will ever change how I feel about you. Talk to me, please. I might just be able to fix it if you tell me what's wrong."

"Sometimes, I get upset with Gabby. I love her and Miranda a lot, but sometimes, I get mad and think you like her more than me."

Marissa sat back and let his words sink in. She suddenly realized why he might feel that way. "Like when I spend maybe a little more time with her like I did at the zoo?"

AJ nodded.

"I'm sorry, AJ."

The boy looked confused. He wasn't expecting her to apologize. "Why are you sorry, Mom?"

"I'm sorry for not seeing why you might feel that way or think something like that. I don't want you to ever feel that way. I love you, and I love Miranda and Gabby too. I love you all the same, and there's nothing I wouldn't do for any of you. Sometimes, because Gabby is little, she needs a little extra attention, like she did at the zoo. She was a little scared of Santa."

"Why? It was Santa. He's the best."

"Yes, he is, but sometimes, little ones can find him a little scary. He's wearing a big red suit. He's got that big white beard and that deep voice. They're not used to that. Plus, Gabby's a little shy around people when she first meets them. It takes her a little time to warm up to them. Bianca and I didn't want her to be scared and do something she wasn't ready for. We were trying to make her feel better."

"She ended up talking to him an awful lot."

"Yes, she did. Do you want to know why?"

AJ nodded. "Uh huh."

"It was because of you and Miranda. She watched you and saw how brave you were talking to him, that you weren't scared of him. That's why she could talk to him. You set such a good example for her. She wanted to be like you and make you proud."

AJ's widened. "Really?"

"Really. That's what makes you such a great big brother."

"So, you don't like her better than me." It was more a statement than a question this time as he was slowly beginning to understand.

"No, I don't. Let me ask you something. Do you love Bianca?"

"Uh huh! She's great. She's really nice and funny and smart. She makes you happy and laugh a lot, and she always makes time for me like you do."

"Do you like spending time with her?"

"Yeah, I really do. Bianca always talks to me and listens to me, just like you do. She treats me just like Miranda and Gabby, and she loves me a lot. Bianca's just like you, Mom. I love her just as much as I love you." The meaning behind his last statement finally dawned on him, and he scrunched his face. He got what his mom was telling him. He could love Bianca and his mom equally just like his mom could love him and Miranda and Gabby equally. She was sneaky sometimes in getting him to understand things. "I get it."

"What do you get?"

"I shouldn't be jealous of the girls because you can and do love us all the same, just like I love you and Bianca the same."

Marissa smiled. "Good. I knew you could figure it out. I promise that I will do my best to make sure you don't feel that way again, but I need you to promise me that if you ever feel that way, you'll talk to me about it. You promise?"

"I promise."

"Do you feel better?"

AJ nodded. "Uh huh. You always make me feel better."

"Good. I'm glad I do. You always make me feel better too."

"I do?"

"Yep, you sure do. I am the luckiest Mom in the world to have such a great son."

AJ grinned and hugged his Mom. "I'm lucky too, Mom." The pair sat like that for several minutes with Marissa gently rocking AJ and humming to him. A short while later, the boy's stomach began to growl.

"Are you getting hungry, Buddy?"

"Yeah, a little."

"How about we try a little soup and see how you do with that?"

AJ nodded and scrambled off Marissa's lap. The two walked hand in hand to the kitchen and the boy settled himself at the kitchen counter. Mother and son continued to talk as Marissa warmed up the soup. AJ was not only feeling better from the virus but from having talked with his mom. Marissa ladled out some soup for him and went to check on the girls.

While she was upstairs, AJ heard the garage door open, and a couple of minutes later, he saw Bianca enter the house.

"Hey, Bianca." AJ greeted the brunette with a smile.

"Hey, Buddy." Bianca gave him a weak smile in return. "Are you feeling better?"

"Uh huh. Mom's been taking really good care of all of us." AJ noticed that her smile wasn't as bright as it usually was and that she looked like she wasn't feeling good. "Are you feeling okay, Bianca?"

"I'm very glad to hear that. I'm okay. I'm just a little tired. Where's your mom?"

"She's checking on Miranda and Gabby to see if they might wanna eat something. Don't worry. Mom told me to take my time with the soup."

"Your mom's right. You need to take it slow. I'm going to go change and see if your mom needs any help."

"Okay, Bianca. Hope you feel better."

"Thanks, AJ."

/

Bianca found a pair of sweats and a t-shirt to change into and was sitting on the bed trying to find the energy to get up when Marissa joined her in their bedroom.

"Hey, AJ said you were home." The instant Marissa saw Bianca, she knew her partner wasn't feeling well and that she had picked up the stomach virus from the kids. "You're sick."

"No, I'm not. I'm just tired. How are the girls? Do you need any help with them?"

"The girls are fine. They're having a little soup with AJ in the kitchen. Don't tell me you're not sick. You're home in the middle of day which is something you never do, you're white as a ghost, you look like you're about to fall over and you have a fever. AJ even said you didn't look like you felt good."

"I'm fine." Bianca started to get up.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going to say 'hi' to the girls and see how they're feeling."

"I'm sorry, but no, you're not. The only place you're going right now is to bed, and I don't want any arguments about it because it doesn't matter what you say. I'm not changing my mind. You can check on them _after_ you get some sleep. Now, I want you to get in bed and let me take care of you, please."

Bianca finally relented. She just didn't have the strength to put up a fight especially when it was one that she knew would lose eventually. She did like having Marissa there to fuss over her. As she crawled into bed, Marissa gathered her clothes. "You'll do anything to get me in bed and take advantage of me."

Marissa pulled the covers up around a now shivering Bianca. The redhead smiled softly. "Guilty as charged. I'm going to see if the kids need anything else right now. You get some sleep, and I'll be back to check on you. If you're good, I promise I'll take advantage of you when you're feeling better." Marissa kissed her forehead.

"I'm holding you to that." Bianca nodded and murmured. She was just about asleep when she remembered something. "I need my phone"

"Why?"

"I promised Kendall I would call her when I got home."

"I'll call her and let her know. Get some sleep now. I love you." Marissa kissed Bianca's cheek before turning off the light.

"I love you too." As Marissa closed the door, Bianca lay back down and sighed as she snuggled under the covers drifting off to sleep. Even though she was exhausted and felt awful, she couldn't help a small smile from forming as one thought drifted through her mind. _Oh yeah, I'm going to marry her someday._

**/**

**A/N****: I'm a horrible person sometimes, aren't I? I'm telling you that it's that evil side. She's really hard to keep under control sometimes. I try, but she just gets out and makes me do things like hold off on things like a proposal. Anyway, I hope you're not too disappointed by what I decided. There are just lots of Christmas proposals, and I wanted theirs to be a little different. To quote Bianca, it will happen "soon". I'm not going to say when though. There will be more Christmas fun in the next update! Until then, Happy New Year!**


	73. Santa Claus And The Wicked Witch

**A/N****: I hope everyone had a Happy New Year! I'm back at work and thankful for the short week to ease myself back into things. This means that I'll probably be back to my weekly updates now. Thank you as always for reading, following and reviewing! I really hope you're enjoying my take on our girls. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Later that evening, Marissa and the kids were in the family room. The kids were working on their letters to Santa with AJ helping Gabby with her's. Marissa smiled at her son as she watched him carefully write down Gabby's requests. He was taking his little sister's request for help seriously and doing the best job he possibly could. For her part, the little girl was beaming at her big brother.

Bianca woke up in a darkened bedroom, groggy but feeling slightly better as the nausea had passed. She slowly sat up to get her bearings before attempting to stand. She opened the bedroom door and heard faint sounds coming from the family room. Bianca padded her way down the hall to join her family. "Hey."

Marissa smiled, relieved when she saw that Bianca looked a great deal better. "Hey, yourself. You look like you're feeling better."

Bianca nodded as she sat next to the redhead on the sofa. "I do."

Marissa felt Bianca's forehead. "Your fever feels like it's gone down. Let me get you something to drink."

"Hi, Mommy!" Gabby scrambled onto Bianca's lap.

"Hi, Mom. Are you really feeling better?" Miranda asked. The concern evident in her eyes as she hugged Bianca.

"Yes, I'm really feeling better. It looks like the three of you are feeling better too. What are you working on?"

"We're writing our letters to Santa. AJ's helping me with mine."

"He is, huh? Well, that is very nice of him. Thank you, AJ."

"He's the bestest big brother!" Gabby beamed as she climbed off Bianca's lap and went back to join him.

AJ blushed. "I'm glad you're feeling better, Bianca."

"Thanks again, AJ. Yes, Gabby, I agree. AJ is the best big brother."

Marissa returned and handed Bianca a glass of Sprite. The brunette moaned appreciatively as she sipped the cold drink slowly. The sugar and carbonation helped a lot.

"How long was I asleep?"

"You were out a couple of hours. I'd say you needed it. You could also probably use some more."

Bianca shook her head. "I wanted to spend time with everyone."

"Alright but only if you take it easy."

"I'll be good. I promise."

"I called Kendall earlier and told her you made it home. She was extremely relieved that you did what you had promised and came straight home after seeing her."

"I told her that I would." Bianca scowled.

"Well, she just wanted to be sure. You know, you can be a little stubborn sometimes especially when you don't want to bother someone." Marissa teased lightly before changing the subject. "So, where did you run into her?"

"Oh, I was just doing a little window shopping when we saw each other." Bianca saw the legal pad Marissa had been writing on when she came into the room. "What's that?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Oh, it's the Regan's. Mrs. Regan called while you were asleep. They want me to meet with them in New York this Friday to review the latest settlement offer."

"Why do you have to go to New York to do that?"

"The family is staying at their place in the city to celebrate the holidays. Beth has bronchitis, and her doctors are strongly encouraging bed rest for her so they want me to go there. It would just be for the day. I could catch a red-eye and get up there early, meet with them and be back home for dinner if I can time the flights right."

Bianca contemplated what Marissa said. "I have a better idea. I have to check on the Miranda Center branch there before the end of the year. I could just do it Friday, and we could fly up together."

"I like the way you think."

"Wait, I'm not done." Bianca lowered her voice, not wanting the kids to hear what she had in mind. She really didn't need to worry about that happening though because they had taken a break from their letters and turned their attention to the television. They were now fully engrossed on the screen as the opening for _A Charlie Brown Christmas_ started. "Maybe, we could ask Kendall to watch the kids for the evening and spend the night there. We could do a little shopping and catch a play Friday night and fly back on Saturday."

Marissa grinned. "Okay, I take it back. I _love_ the way you think. Do you think Kendall and Zach will be up for it?"

Bianca nodded. "Yep, I do, especially if I let it slip that we're looking for her Christmas present."

"Ah, bribery. It's always pretty effective."

"I'll call her tomorrow and arrange things."

"Only if you're feeling better. I'm not going to have you push yourself and get sicker." Marissa scolded mildly.

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, only if I'm feeling better which shouldn't be a problem with you taking such excellent care of me. Plus, I have a couple of days to recuperate." Bianca rested her head on Marissa's shoulder as her lover pulled a blanket up around her. Bianca closed her eyes drifting back to sleep to the strains of _Christmas Time Is Here_ in the background.

/

Kendall was in her office the next day reviewing some storyboards for Fusion's next ad campaign. Greenlee was handling a meeting with some executives from Macy's who had flown in to discuss adding Fusion to their cosmetics department lineup. If the deal came through, it would be one hell of a coup for them. When her phone started ringing, she answered it without checking the caller id. "Kendall Slater."

"Good afternoon, Kendall."

The older brunette smiled upon hearing her sister's voice on the other end of line. "Good afternoon, Bianca. You sound much better than you did yesterday. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling so much better. I think it was just a 24 hour bug. You'll be happy to know that Rissa took excellent care of me last night, and she even convinced me to sleep in a little before coming into the office."

"I'm glad you're feeling better, and I had no doubt whatsoever that Red would take good care of you. She's just as stubborn as you are so I knew she could handle you." Kendall smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes hearing the smugness in her sister's voice. "Yeah, yeah, yeah, you were right. Happy?"

"Yes, I am, very much so." Kendall chuckled.

"I was wondering if I could ask a favor of you, oh wise one?"

"Hmmm, that almost sounds sarcastic, but I'm in such a good mood that I'm going to take it as a sign of awe and respect. Ask away."

"Why are you in such a good mood?"

"We're on the verge of a very big deal with Macy's. I mean a huge deal, Binx."

"The one you telling me about Thanksgiving? That is, wow. That is fantastic news, Kendall! I'm proud of you and really happy for you and Greenlee!"

"Thanks! It's not final yet, but it's looking really good."

"I'll keep my fingers crossed."

"You and me both! So, what's the favor?"

"Well, Rissa has to go to New York on Friday to meet with a client who's stuck there, and I need to check on the Center's branch there. I was thinking I could do it on Friday as well and fly up with her."

"And you were also thinking that maybe you could make a weekend of it if you could only find someone willing to watch those mischievous kids of yours?"

Bianca laughed. "You know me too well. It would only be for one night. We'd come back Saturday afternoon. It would give us the opportunity to do some Christmas shopping, and just maybe your gift."

"Well, Tiffany's _is_ there, and I do love that store." Kendall chuckled at the subtle bribe from her sister. It wasn't needed, and they both knew it. There really wasn't anything that the sisters wouldn't do for each other, and this favor wasn't a hardship at all. Kendall and Zach loved AJ, Miranda and Gabby, and they really were great kids. "I think we could watch the miscreants for one evening."

"Thanks, Kendall. I owe you. I need to call Rissa, let her know it's a go and make some reservations."

"You're welcome. Tell Red that I said 'hello' and that I want something big and sparkly as way of payment."

"You got it!"

/

_A couple of days later._

The kids were having breakfast while their mothers finished getting everything ready for their trip.

"Now remember, Aunt Kendall will pick you up after school. You'll stop back here to pick up your overnight bags and then head over to their place."

Miranda looked at her mother patiently, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "Got it, Mom. You know we've stayed with Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach before."

Marissa had to turn her face to hide her amusement at Miranda's tone and expression. She was definitely a Kane woman through and through.

Bianca narrowed her gaze on her oldest daughter. She reminded her more and more of Kendall every day. "I know you have, Miss Smarty Pants." The kids giggled at Bianca's playful tone. "It's just that this trip is last minute and we had plans to go ice skating tonight. I hope you're not disappointed."

AJ shook his head. "We're not. We can go skating tomorrow. Besides, I get the chance to beat Uncle Zach in _Mario Kart_ and _Cars 2_ again. That's always fun."

Marissa laughed at her son's confidence. "I'd watch it, Buddy. Word is that he's been practicing, and he said something about you going down this time."

AJ smirked and rolled his eyes not buying it for one minute. His Uncle Zach was going down. "Whatever."

"It's official. Your Aunt Kendall is definitely rubbing off on you. The smirk and eye roll move are classic Kendall." Bianca chuckled.

The boy grinned. He liked being compared to her.

"Okay, your bags are by the door, and yes, Gabby, Minx is there with them." Marissa smiled.

Gabby smiled brightly. "Thanks, Mommy!"

"You're welcome, Monkey! We'll call you tonight." Marissa checked the time. "It's time to head out, gang."

Bianca quickly loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up the mess from breakfast while Marissa loaded their bags in the trunk and helped the kids get settled in the car. After dropping off the kids at school and daycare, the couple headed to the airport to catch their flight.

/

The Regan's had a car waiting for them at JFK. Marissa's meeting with them was to take place as soon as she arrived. The car dropped Bianca off at the couple's hotel so she could check them in, and it then continued on to the Regan's penthouse. Marissa would meet up with Bianca at the branch office of the Miranda Center after her meeting was finished.

Bianca didn't have to be at the Center right away so she headed out to run an important errand. When her task was completed, she entered the Center's branch office. She had been there for maybe an hour when her cellphone rang.

"Hey, Kendall. Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Binx. There's nothing to worry about. I was actually looking for Marissa. I didn't call her directly because I know she had that meeting earlier. I wasn't sure when it would be over and didn't want to interrupt."

"Actually, she called not long ago. She expected the meeting to wrap up before noon and then she was going to head over here."

"Hmmm, that should work."

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Bianca asked. There was something in her sister's tone that had her a little concerned.

"Oh yeah, I'm just in need of her legal expertise. Something's come up with the negotiations with Macy's and our lead counsel is unavailable. Greenlee and I need to speak with someone that we trust on this, and Red is the first person that came to mind for both of us."

Bianca couldn't help but smile hearing the faith her sister had in Marissa. "Well, I know she'll be happy to help you and Greenlee with whatever you need. I'll have her call you as soon as I hear from her."

"Thanks, Binx. I appreciate it. I better get back with Greenlee. I'll talk to you soon."

After disconnecting the call with her sister, Bianca decided to send Marissa a text telling her about the conversation she just had with Kendall. She knew that her partner would have her phone off during the meeting but would turn it back on as soon as the meeting was over. Bianca had no doubt Marissa would respond immediately.

/

Marissa entered the Miranda Center and was impressed by what she saw. This was her first visit to the branch office, and Bianca had done her usual tremendous job in setting it up. Hazel eyes scanned the office space when she was greeted by the receptionist.

"Hello, I'm Hannah. Welcome to the Miranda Center. How can I help you?"

"Hi, Hannah. I'm Marissa Tasker, and I'm looking for Bianca Montgomery. I'm supposed to be meeting her here."

The young woman smiled recognizing the name immediately. "Oh, Ms. Tasker, it's a pleasure to meet you. Bianca is expecting you. She's meeting with the office manager right now and shouldn't be too much longer. She said to make sure we took good care of you until she's done. Is there anything you need?"

"Well, you can start by calling me Marissa. Is there someplace quiet I could use. I need to make a couple of calls and use your Wi-Fi, if I could?"

"Sure, that won't be a problem at all, Marissa. I've got just the thing for you. If you'll just follow me."

Marissa nodded and followed the younger woman to a small conference room.

"I think this should work for you."

"This is perfect. Thank you, Hannah." Marissa began to unpack her laptop.

"You're welcome. Is there anything else I can get you? Would you like something to drink?"

"I wouldn't mind some water if that's not too much trouble."

The receptionist smiled. "It's no trouble at all. I'll be right back, and I'll let Bianca know you're here."

"Thanks."

While Marissa waited for her laptop to boot up, she called Kendall and Greenlee.

"Kendall Slater."

"Hey, Kendall. It's Marissa. I made it to the Miranda Center and am just about online."

"Hey, Red. That's great. I'm emailing you the latest proposal right now. Thanks so much for this. Any input you could give us will be greatly appreciated."

"It's no problem. I'm online now. Let me take a look at it, and I'll call you right back."

/

The receptionist spotted Bianca and the office manager leaving her office. "Bianca."

"Hi, Hannah. What's up?"

"Marissa got here a little while ago. She needed a place to do some work so I set her up in conference room just down the hall."

"Thanks, Hannah. I appreciate you taking care of her for me." Bianca walked down the hallway to find Marissa. Having received a text from the redhead earlier, Bianca knew that Marissa had gotten in touch with Kendall and would need a space to review something for her sister and Greenlee. It was easy enough for Bianca to instruct the staff to arrange for whatever Marissa would need when she got there.

Bianca could hear Marissa's voice from outside a conference room and ducked her head inside

Marissa smiled seeing her partner and waved her inside while continuing her conversation. She had Kendall and Greenlee on speakerphone while she continued to make notes on her laptop. "Bianca just got here."

"Hey, Binx. Your girl is taking good care of us."

"I had no doubt that she would." Bianca's pride was just as evident in her voice as it was in her eyes.

"You really think it's possible, Marissa?" Greenlee asked.

"I do. From what you've sent me, your sales more than justify having your own counter. Granted, you're not as big Clinique or Lancôme, but you have name recognition and the sales figures to back you up. If they're as smart as I think they are, they'll go for this. You both win. This opens up a huge market for you and adds another highly profitable and popular brand to their line."

"How do you propose we go about this then, Marissa?" Kendall asked all business right now.

"Start off small but not too small. Obviously, you would want to open counters in the stores in Pennsylvania and a few of the surrounding states. I'd even see about having a counter here at the mother store on 34th Street."

"Could you hold on a second while Greenlee and I talk?"

"Sure. It'll give me a chance to catch up with Bianca."

Both lines were put on mute, and Bianca walked over to properly greet Marissa.

"How'd the meeting with the Regan's go?"

"It went pretty well. We significantly lowered the demand for child support in exchange for full custody, and he went for it. It's sad that it comes down to money sometimes, but the kids are so much better off with Beth than with him. She was more than willing to make that concession to keep them. Luckily, she has a good job and her family to help her." Marissa sighed. The negotiation had bothered her. She would never understand how a parent could take money over their children. Talking with Bianca always made her feel better and today was no exception. "Enough about that. This place is amazing. I'm very proud of you."

Bianca flashed her a goofy grin. They were simple words given so willingly to her but they meant so much. "Thank you. I can't take any of the credit though. We've got a good staff here."

"Yeah, you do. Who hired them though? Oh, that's right. You did! So, you get credit." Marissa leaned across the conference table and gave Bianca a quick kiss.

"Did you get something eat?"

"I grabbed a soft pretzel from a cart on my way over. What about you?"

"They ordered some sandwiches. I was just about to grab one. I'll get you something too. How's it going with Kendall and Greenlee?"

Marissa was about to answer when the duo in Pine Valley came back on the line.

"We have a big favor to ask you, Marissa. We know that you're supposed to be done with work for today, but we're hoping you would be willing to delay that for just a little while longer."

"What do you have in mind, Kendall?"

"Would you be willing to take part in a meeting we have with the Macy's executives in an hour? We'll give them our counter-proposal which is basically what we just talked about with you. Since our lawyer can't be there, we'd just feel better having someone there. We would owe you big time."

"Are you sure you want me there? You can't get someone else from the firm? This really isn't my specialty."

"We need someone there that we trust, and that's you, Marissa." Greenlee added.

"She's right, Red. We do. Look, we know you and Bianca have plans this evening. We should be done well before then."

"Give us a second." Bianca put the phone on mute. "Don't worry about me. You can do this."

"I don't mind doing this for them at all. I just don't want to screw this up for them. It's a huge deal."

"Yes, it is, but you heard them. They trust you, and they wouldn't have asked if they didn't. Believe me, you can do this. I have every faith in you." Bianca gave Marissa a tender kiss.

With new found confidence, Marissa took the phone off mute. "I'm in. Where do you need me?"

"Thank you, Marissa!" Kendall gave the redhead the necessary details while Bianca retrieved the documents that Marissa had printed off for the meeting.

"We'll talk to you soon, Marissa, and thanks again." Greenlee added gratefully before disconnecting the call.

"I'll have to take a rain check on that sandwich, B."

The couple walked outside and hailed a cab. Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss for luck before opening the door on the taxi for her. "Go get 'em. I love you."

"I love you too. I'll call as soon as I'm done. Oh, don't you forget to eat something."

/

A few hours later, Bianca found herself walking into the Macy's on 34th Street. She did love this store, especially at Christmas. She was usually lucky enough to get one trip in to the store every year. She loved the window displays and was always amazed by the creativity of the designers. Her favorite was from a few years ago when they used the movie _A Miracle on 34__th__ Street_ as its theme. As instructed by Marissa's text, she headed up to the 8th floor. Bianca found Marissa waiting for her with a huge grin on her face in front of Santaland.

After being greeted with a quick kiss, Bianca's curiosity got the best of her. "I have a couple of questions."

"Ask away!"

"How did the meeting go? By the way you're smiling, I would say it pretty good."

"You would be correct. It went great. This was the first time that I've actually seen the Dynamic Duo in action business-wise. They are impressive. It was a video conference, and they had everything laid out from charts to graphs to numbers. To make a long story short, you will be able to find Fusion cosmetics at Macy's starting next spring."

"Seriously? That is fantastic news! They have to be over the moon!"

"They were pretty darn happy when I talked with them after the meeting. They'll sign the contracts tomorrow when we pick up the kids which, by the way, will be a little later since they are sending the Fusion jet to pick us up tomorrow. I told them it wasn't necessary, but they insisted. They wanted to give us a couple of more hours here to make up for the lost time today."

"Well, you're right. They didn't need to do that, but I won't turn down the chance to get some shopping done. That makes the trip to FAO Schwartz even more exciting since we won't have to worry about getting things home."

Marissa laughed. "That's exactly what I was thinking! Next question?"

"Why are we outside Santaland?"

"Well, we're at Macy's. It's Christmas, and I've always wanted to visit Santaland."

Bianca laughed at the excitement in her lover's eyes. "You have, huh?"

"Yeah, I have. Ever since I saw _A Miracle on 34__th__ Street_, the original one in black and white with Natalie Wood and Edmund Gwenn, I've want to come here, see the display and visit Santa, so basically I've wanted to see it all my life."

Bianca held out her arm which Marissa happily took. "Let's go see Santa! I'll make sure to tell him that you've been very good this year."

/

"Okay, we absolutely have to bring the kids here next year. They'd love it."

"Yeah, they would so you can count me in. So, how are we going to explain these pictures to the kids? And before you even ask, yes, they will see them because your's is just too perfect and I love this one of the both of us with Santa." Bianca smiled.

"First of all, I agree with you on the pictures. You forgot, however, to mention yours as well. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever seen a bad picture of you."

Bianca snorted. "Oh trust me, there are some very bad ones out there, mostly school pictures."

"I seriously doubt that. Back to your original question, we could just tell them that we ran into him while we were here, and he asked for an update on them."

"Ooh, I like that. You think pretty quick on your feet there, Tasker."

Marissa grinned as they made their way through the crowds back to their hotel. "I have to, Montgomery. As a lawyer, you never know what's going to happen with a case so you have to be ready for whatever the opposing counsel may throw your way. That particular skill has come in quite handy with your family. I've lost track of the number of times your mom has shown up unannounced at my office. The woman loves her sneak attacks. She loves trying to throw someone off their game."

Bianca saw the amusement in those beautiful hazel eyes. "And you are more than up for the challenge. I know you love being able to frustrate her some in those efforts so don't deny it. I can see it in your eyes. It all started as an honest attempt by her to catch you off guard as a way to prove that your intentions were true. Once she was satisfied that they were, it seems like she's stepped it up, and now, it's almost like it's some sort of game between the two of you, one that you both love."

"I will neither agree nor disagree with your assessment. I will only say that if what you say about it being a game of some sort is true that I'm winning."

Bianca snorted again when she saw the smirk on Marissa's face. For so long, she had struggled to find someone her family would accept and love as much as she did. She finally found that person in Marissa. She was not only was the love of Bianca's life, but her family, her entire family, absolutely adored the redhead. "I know you're exhausted from all of the running around you've been doing today, and I know you've got to be starving as well. Why don't we skip the play and grab an early dinner?"

Marissa shook her head. "I'm fine. The snack we had while we were waiting in line for Santa was more than enough to take care of me for a few hours. I've got my second wind now too so I'm good to go. I know how much you want to see _Wicked_, and that you were disappointed when we missed it our last trip here and had to settle on seeing something else."

The couple walked through the lobby of their hotel to the elevators.

"Yeah, I want to see it, but it's not worth it if you're too tired to enjoy it as well." Bianca said as they stepped onto the elevator and moved towards the back of the car.

"Bianca, I promise you that I'm good. This city definitely has this energy about it, and you can't help but tap into it. That's what I've done. So, I'm not taking _no_ for an answer. We're going. You went to see Santa Claus with me, and now, I'm going to see the Wicked Witch of the West with you." Marissa finished with a quick kiss.

Bianca chuckled as the elevator doors closed. "If that's not the oddest argument you've ever used to make a point, I don't know what is."

/

"Basically then, _The Wizard of Oz_ had it all wrong."

Marissa grinned. "Yep, Elphaba wasn't really a wicked witch. She was just misunderstood. It was the whole green thing."

"I guess she just needed a kickass lawyer like you around to defend her. It would've saved her a whole lot of grief, huh?" Bianca grinned.

Marissa laughed. "You've got a point. Aren't you glad you we went?"

"Definitely! Now, I owe you dinner. Don't tell me you're fine because I can hear your stomach growling."

"I'm surprised you can hear it over your's." Marissa smirked as they got into a cab. "Where are we going?"

Bianca smiled brightly. "It's a surprise. I will only tell you that I booked us the best table in the city. We just need to stop back at the hotel first."

/

The couple walked down the hall to their room. Bianca inserted the keycard into the door to unlock it and opened the door for her lover.

Marissa was speechless as she entered the room. An intimate table for two had been set up in the room by the window and overlooking the city. Candles were lit around the room which was filled with roses while music played softly in the background. "Oh my god, Bianca! When did you arrange this?"

"I made a call to the concierge during intermission and asked him to set this up for us. Do you like it?"

Marissa slowly walked over to Bianca and gazed into warm chocolate eyes as she wrapped her arms around her lover's waist. "No, I don't like it. _I love it_, and _I love you_. This is by far one of the most romantic and thoughtful things anyone has ever done for me. You are amazing."

"_I love you too_. I just wanted to do something special for you. I'm also being a little selfish. I didn't want to share you with anyone else today."

"You can be selfish with me any time you want." Marissa placed a loving kiss on Bianca's soft lips.

The growling of their stomachs caused them to separate in a fit of giggles.

"Okay, dinner first." Bianca smiled as she gave Marissa a quick kiss and pulled a chair at the table out for her lover.

Marissa flashed a wicked grin as Bianca took the seat opposite her. There was no mistaking the meaning of her next words. _"And then dessert."_


	74. Breaking News

Howdy! No story update yet. This is just a quick post to share what is hopefully good news. Prospect Park is reviving both All My Children and One Life To Live! Go online and do a search on All My Children and you'll see the news. Agreements have been reached with SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists) and the DGA (Directors Guild of America). They have, more importantly, also come to a consulting agreement with "All My Children" and "One Life to Live" creator Agnes Nixon which guarantees her active involvement. Episodes are supposed to be 30 minutes long and run Monday – Thursday with a recap on Fridays and air on The Online Network. I haven't really heard who all has signed so I have no clue what that means for Bianca and Marissa and the wonderfulness that is Minx.

Either way, this story will continue for a while since I still have ideas spinning around in my head that need to be shared! I'll be back in a couple of days with my next update. Our girls are still in New York and having some fun without the kids! See ya soon!

luci


	75. Minx In The City

**A/N****: First things first, thank you all for reading, following and reviewing! I really appreciate it so keep the reviews coming! **

**Now, it's time for an AMC reboot update! Prospect Park signed a deal with the Writers Guild of America so they should (I hope) be getting some decent scripts. I'm going to try and remain cautiously optimistic and not get too far ahead of myself about this. We've all been down this path once before. As the saying goes: fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me.**

**In other news, **_**sarChris2012**_** mentioned in a review that SG was pregnant, and she was right. (I'm not sure where she got the scoop, but good job!) SG confirmed it on Twitter and is due in May, and it looks like she's going to have a girl! There's still no word on whether or not her and/or CBL have been contacted about the reboot to my knowledge. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they will be. Whatever happens with AMC 2.0, rest assured that Minx will be just fine here in **_**Things Change**_**. I'm a happy endings kind of girl. I may throw in some drama or angst from time to time, but the end result will always be a happy ending for our girls. You have my word on that!**

**Now, it's time to get back to my particular story and/or take on our favorite girls. One of my lovely reviewers, **_**MinxTheMonkeyFan,**_** mentioned in a review that they were missing the 'M' rated stuff. I have been a little lax on that. It takes me a little extra time to write those scenes, and I want to make sure they fit with the story. I also take to heart your comments and aim to please. Hopefully, this update lives up to the story rating. You've been given the obligatory warning. We're starting out this chapter the morning after Bianca and Marissa's night out in New York. That's enough out of me for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Marissa woke up slowly, enjoying the feeling of her body being entwined with Bianca's. Lying in her lover's arms, she never felt safer, more content, more cherished, more loved. These were the feelings she experienced every morning and every night, and she reveled in them. Once she had taken that final step and admitted her feelings, she wondered what the hell took her so long and why she fought it, denied it. This was because she discovered that loving Bianca was the easiest thing she had ever done. It was as easy as breathing. Marissa knew she would never grow tired of loving and making love to this captivating woman. The redhead lifted her head and gazed at Bianca as she slept peacefully with a serene smile playing across her lips. The gentle rise and fall of Bianca's chest beckoned to Marissa, and the redhead rested her head over her love's heart. The strong and steady beat comforted her in more ways than she could ever count. After a few moments, the beat started to increase telling her that Bianca was waking up, and Marissa smiled as her own soon began to race in perfect rhythm with Bianca's. Memories of last night and the pre-dawn hours of this morning began to flood her senses and her arousal began to rise when she heard Bianca's breath catch. Marissa raised her head and greeted her lover with a dazzling smile.

"Good morning, Beautiful!"

Bianca shook her head slightly and motioned for Marissa to come closer.

The redhead, after briefly becoming lost in those warm and ever darkening chocolate eyes, grinned wickedly. Ever so slowly, she began to kiss every inch of Bianca who hummed with delight feeling those soft lips making a slow torturous path upwards. Marissa softly caressed Bianca as her lips continued their ascent finding that spot on her lover's neck that made her melt. Bianca moaned and pulled Marissa to her. The need to feel those lips against her own was overwhelming. Their lips finally collided in a slow sensual kiss that had both women moaning. When the need for air became too much to ignore, they reluctantly separated, breathless.

Bianca sighed happily as she brushed a lock of silken copper hair from her love's face. "_Now_, it's a good morning. You are by far and away _the_ best alarm clock _ever_." Her voice husked and was thick with a mixture of sleep and desire.

Marissa laughed. "I'm _very_ glad to hear that!"

The two gazed at each other, losing track of time before Bianca, wide awake now, found herself being distracted in the most pleasant of ways.

"Rissa, what are you doing?"

"I'm not doing anything." Hazel eyes danced somewhere between feigned innocence and utter mischief as her hands roamed over Bianca's body.

"The hell you're not. You know exactly what you're doing."

"I really don't know what you're talking about." Marissa hands lovingly caressed velvety soft curves on a slow and maddening descent. Bianca was right. She knew exactly what she was doing and exactly what it was doing to Bianca. Soft moans escaped from the brunette as Marissa's lips began to roam along Bianca's jaw and again slowly making their way to her neck soon finding her pulse point causing a sharp intake of breath.

"Rissa." Bianca's breath was becoming ragged.

"Do you want me to stop?" Marissa smirked, her lips never leaving the sweet spot.

"Oh, dear god, no. Never." Bianca moaned.

Marissa's hands found their way to Bianca's breasts and thumbs began to slowly tease hardened nipples. The redhead's lips followed the trail her hands had blazed and her tongue soon replaced thumbs in the torturous teasing causing Bianca to loudly moan again. "_Oh dear god!_"

The throbbing ache between Bianca's legs intensified, and she pulled her lover closer. As Marissa continued to ravish Bianca's breasts, her hands slowly drifted lower, caressing each delicious curve of the brunette until one eased itself between her legs. As Marissa slid two fingers easily inside Bianca, the brunette moaned loudly as her hips bucked, and she pulled her lover up to her, capturing Marissa's lips for a searing kiss as a rhythm was soon set between them. Each thrust deeper than the next, hitting the spot that drove Bianca wild and carried her to a height of sheer rapture. "_Oh god, Rissa_." Marissa could feel Bianca tighten around her and applied more pressure. Bianca cried out as she was driven over the edge and completely unraveled as a wave of euphoria soon enveloped her.

Bianca's body went limp as her orgasm finally subsided. Her ragged breathing and racing heart slowly returned to their normal rhythms. Marissa gazed at her lover. She loved seeing the wild abandoned side of Bianca and loved the fact that she was the one who could reveal this side of her even more.

A soft chuckle escaped from Bianca as she opened her eyes and found Marissa gazing at her. The love shared between them clearly evident in their eyes. "I am never going to get tired of how you wake up in the mornings!"

Marissa grinned. "I aim to please!"

"And you more than succeed over and over again!" Bianca pulled Marissa closer and kissed her sweetly. The kiss soon deepened as their shared desire and passion escalated. A moan escaped from Marissa as Bianca shifted their positions and rolled on top of her, every inch of their bodies melding together perfectly. Bianca grinned mischievously. "My turn now. I mean it's only right that I return the favor." She crashed her lips to Marissa's. Her hands were everywhere, caressing every magnificent curve of her lover. Each one had been permanently etched onto her heart and soul, and Bianca would never tire of the response her touch elicited from Marissa. Every shiver, shudder, catch of her breath and moan drove the brunette onward, wanting to pleasure her lover and show her the love she felt for her.

Bianca's lips blazed a path down her lover's neck to her breasts. Marissa arched backwards as Bianca's tongue began to work its magic. Her fingers tangled in luscious brown locks, and the redhead clutched her lover tighter, pulling her closer and holding her in place, moaning. "_Bianca. Oh god, please._"

Waves of pure pleasure swept over Marissa as Bianca entered her and drove her higher and higher with each thrust. The redhead cried out as she tumbled over the edge and became completely undone, convulsing in exquisite ecstasy. Marissa's entire body went limp moments later. She hummed in utter bliss as Bianca kissed every inch of her body as she slowly made her way back up to Marissa's waiting lips. Bianca watched as her lover slowly recovered. She would never get enough of Marissa. It was just something that wasn't possible, something that didn't exist in the realm of possibilities. Marissa owned her heart just as much as Bianca owned the redhead's.

A radiant smile graced Marissa's face as she opened her eyes and was met by Bianca's. When her breathing finally returning to normal, she was able to speak. "I love you. I just have to say that you're pretty damn good with this morning routine too!"

"I love you too. You've made me really love mornings. I was never really a fan of them before you." Bianca grinned.

Marissa laughed. "I have to admit you're completely responsible for my outlook on them. You are so beautiful."

"And so are you."

Marissa stretched. "What time is it?"

Bianca turned her head and peered at the clock. "Wow. It's almost 10:00! I can't believe how late it is."

"I know. I guess the last time we were in bed this late was probably when we were here earlier this year."

"I think you're right. Having three kids doesn't really give us the opportunity to have many late mornings in bed." Bianca sighed.

Marissa smirked. "No, it sure doesn't. Speaking of our monsters, we should probably check on them."

"You're right. We should call Kendall's and see how they're doing. We also need to find out when we need to get to the airport. Depending on when that is, we could maybe spend a little more time in bed." Bianca suggested.

Marissa grinned and gave her a quick kiss. "Have I told you lately how much I love how you think? You call them, and I'll call room service and order us breakfast. We need to keep our strength up."

Each grabbed a robe, and while Marissa reached for the hotel phone, Bianca grabbed her cellphone.

/

"When are Mom and Rissa coming home today, Aunt Kendall?"

"Greenlee is arranging for our company jet to pick them up and fly them home this evening. Since Marissa helped us with something really big yesterday, we thought it was the least we could do so they could spend some extra time in the city. What do you think, Miranda?"

"I like it! Rissa helped you out a lot then?"

"Oh yeah, she really was a huge help. We couldn't have completed our deal without her. Your mom's right. Marissa is one heck of a good lawyer."

"What are we going to do today then, Aunt Kendall?" AJ asked.

"Well, I was thinking you could either beat Uncle Zach again in _Mario Kart_ …"

"Hey, he didn't beat me by that much." Zach protested.

Kendall laughed and kissed her husband. "Uh yeah, I hate to break it to you but he did. AJ is the _King of Mario Kart_."

AJ giggled, loving his new title. "I like being a king!"

"Or we could go Christmas shopping for your Moms."

"Maybe we should go shopping and give Uncle Zach a break, AJ. He could use the time to practice. He really needs it." Miranda cracked.

Kendall snorted as the birthday twins high-fived each other, and the other kids started laughing.

Zach raised an eyebrow. "Wow. My own niece is talking smack to me. I'll show you." Zach jumped up and began chasing Miranda who was squealing. Soon, the other four kids were joining the melee.

Kendall barely managed to hear the phone ringing above the noise. "Good morning, Binx! You're calling kind of late, aren't you?"

"Good morning, Kendall. Yeah, I am, but I don't think you want details. What is going on there?"

"You're right. I don't need details. That's Greenlee's things. We're just a typical morning at the Slater's!" Kendall quipped. "Actually, Zach is tormenting the kids right now. There might have been some trash talking by Miranda about how badly AJ beat him last night in the video game tourney."

"Talking trash, huh?"

"Yep, and before you say anything, Zach brought it all on himself. He started it last night."

"That doesn't really surprise me."

Marissa sat next to Bianca on the bed. "What's going on?"

"Zach and the kids are giving each other a hard time." Bianca put the phone on speaker so she could hear the craziness happening back at the Slater's.

"Morning, Kendall."

"Morning, Red. AJ wiped the floor with him last night, and Miranda suggested Zach needed more time to practice." Kendall smirked.

Marissa snickered. "So basically, you're watching six kids."

"You got it!"

"How did everything go last night?" Bianca asked.

"We took care of everyone's homework and had dinner. Then, the video game tournament began. Zach kept egging AJ on telling him how he was going down. It ended up with the two of them going one on one against each other. Spike and Ian were firmly on Team Zach. Gabby was all behind her big brother, and I threw my support behind my nephew. Miranda didn't want to choose between her brother and her uncle so she decided to play peacemaker and be impartial. Remind you of anyone?"

Marissa laughed. "Hmmm, I think one particular person comes to mind."

Bianca rolled her eyes and sighed.

Kendall couldn't help the laugh escaping from her as she pictured her sister's reaction. "So little Binx, I mean Miranda, was the judge and there really couldn't have been a better one. Zach, however, decided to question her impartiality. I'm pretty sure he was joking. Miranda though gave him a look that pretty much said 'you seriously have the gall to question me about being impartial'. She then rolled her eyes and patiently told him that she loved them both and that her mothers had told her the importance of being fair and neutral in cases like this. She then said, and I quote. 'If I'm going to be as good of a lawyer as Rissa someday, then I need to start practicing that now.' Zach didn't have a response because seriously how do you respond to something like that? My oldest niece is something else and wise beyond her years. To be completely honest, her rulings were quite fair."

Marissa was speechless. A lopsided grin spread across her face.

Bianca kissed her cheek softly. "You're going to have to start sharing your law books sooner than you thought." The brunette directed her attention back to the phone. "Anything else we need to know about?"

"Your youngest could possibly have a career in comedy if she wants it. We took a small break in the action, kind of a halftime if you will. Gabby performed a mini stand-up routine. It's something I'm sure you're well aware of."

Marissa had recovered and chuckled at the quip. "Yes, we are. She's quite the entertainer."

"Let me get them. I know they're anxious to talk to you." Kendall activated the speakerphone and called to the children. "Is there anyone interested into talking to Bianca and Marissa?"

A chorus of 'I do' rang out. Zach brought the children over to his wife. AJ was slung over his shoulder, Miranda was carried under his other arm and Gabby clung to one of his legs. Kendall chuckled at the sight and snapped a quick picture with her nearby cellphone. Zach set the giggling children down. Kendall handed the phone to Miranda while AJ and Gabby crowded around. They excitedly told their mothers about last night.

Marissa's cellphone buzzed indicating an incoming text. "I better get that." She read the text as Bianca continued to listen to the kids happily rattling on.

"When are you and Mommy coming home, Mommy?"

Marissa answered having finished reading the text. "Well, Monkey, I just heard from Greenlee. Our flight doesn't leave here until 7:30 tonight so we won't be home until late."

Bianca heard the grumbles on the other end of the line. "I know. We'll have to go ice skating tomorrow. You know what else we can do tomorrow though?"

"What?

"Look for our Christmas tree. I'm thinking it's time for that."

That lightened the mood considerably.

"Cool! Can it be a big one, Bianca?"

"It's going to have to be a pretty good sized one, Buddy."

"Mom, Aunt Kendall wants to talk to you."

"Okay, Mimo. We'll see you guys later tonight. We love you."

"Love you too."

Kendall came back on the line. "Hey, I just heard from Greenlee. We can't get the plane there until later."

"Yeah, we know. I got a text from her. Are you okay with keeping the kids a little longer?" Marissa asked. Even though she knew the answer, neither she nor Bianca wanted Kendall to feel they were taking her for granted.

"It actually kind of works out with our plans."

Marissa heard a knock on the door and went to answer it.

"Your plans, huh? Care to enlighten us?" Bianca asked.

"Nope, you're just going to have to wait on that."

Bianca watched as room service removed the dishes from their dinner and replaced them with ones filled with their breakfast. A thick envelope was handed to Marissa as well. The server noted that it had just been received via a messenger for her. The redhead thanked the server, signed for breakfast and retrieved a tip for the girl.

As Marissa turned the envelope to open it and removed the documents inside, Bianca saw a familiar logo on the front of it.

"It looks like your contract just got here."

"That's great."

"Maybe for you, but I see Rissa going into lawyer mode. If we're going to do any shopping at all today, like for your Christmas present, I need to do something about that."

"Gotcha. We can review things when you get back here. See you later and have fun. Don't forget, big and sparkly!"

Bianca disconnected the call and smiled. Marissa had retrieved her glasses from her briefcase and was perched on the bed reviewing the documents. There was something about Marissa wearing those glasses and being in lawyer mode that thoroughly aroused Bianca. She checked the time. Since they weren't leaving until that evening and had arranged for a late check-out, there was more than enough time to enjoy their alone time more. _I think it's time to get her attention._ The brunette crossed the room and settled on the bed behind Marissa.

"Is that the Fusion contract?"

"Uh huh. I just want to review it before we get to back to Pine Valley." Marissa answered as her eyes never left the paper.

Bianca grinned and decided on her course of action. She brushed soft copper locks to the side and pressed her lips to Marissa's neck as her hands slid around the front and began the task of loosening the robe.

Hazel eyes closed on contact and Marissa tilted her head to grant better access as soft lips began trailing kisses along her neck.

Bianca smirked as Marissa pressed back into her. Her lover really was very easy to distract sometimes.

Marissa lost all interest in the contract as her brain short circuited when Bianca found that one spot behind her ear that made her absolutely powerless and demolished any resolve she had.

"Do you really need to read it right now?" Bianca's voice husked and dropped an octave, her desire and intentions clearly evident.

Marissa shuddered. She knew Bianca was attempting and succeeding quite nicely to distract her and pull her from her lawyer mode, and in that moment, Marissa really didn't give a damn. She discarded the document and turned around to gaze into darkening chocolate eyes. "I'll read it on the damn plane."

Bianca savored her victory as Marissa captured her lips for a searing kiss and pushed her back onto the bed.

/

Kendall pulled into a spot in the parking lot of the Pine Valley Mall. AJ, Miranda and Gabby climbed out of car and the four crossed into the building. Spike and Ian stayed home with Zach while Kendall took her nieces and nephew shopping. They discussed presents for their mothers last night and again this morning. They finally settled on what they thought would be the perfect gifts. Kendall was able to make an appointment at her favorite photographer's studio.

Before coming to the mall, the kids had a formal portrait taken. The photo was formal only in the respect that the photographer was a professional. He was excellent with the kids and was able to capture a number of natural poses that Kendall was positive both women would love. She ordered a large print to be framed and matted, making it a perfect Christmas present for the couple. She knew they would insist on it being hung above their fireplace. The other shots would be included in the presents from the kids.

Gabby held her aunt's hand tightly while AJ and Miranda stayed close by as they looked in the various stores.

The four looked at several digital picture frames. One in particular caught Miranda's eye.

"I like this one, Aunt Kendall. I think Mom and Rissa will too."

Kendall picked up the frame's box and read the details. It held a lot of photographs and was simple but elegant, pretty much like Bianca and Marissa. "I think you're right, Miranda. These will look perfect on their desks at work. What do you think, AJ?"

The boy grinned. "I think they'll like it too."

"Gabby?"

The little girl nodded. "Yep!"

"Alright then, let's see if we can find another one."

They searched the displays and found a second one. After inspecting the frames for any defects and checking the prices, they headed to the counter to pay for them. The kids had raided their piggy banks having carefully saved their allowances for just this purpose. Kendall held the money for them while they shopped. She removed the envelope containing the funds and handed it to Miranda. She smiled as they carefully counted out the amount needed. The cashier smiled as she took the money and returned the change to the beaming children who in turn handed it back to Kendall to hold onto for them. The pride in the fact that they had paid for their gifts all by themselves was written all over their faces. Kendall had offered to pay for them, but all three wanted to buy the frames themselves. They were so much like their mothers.

AJ carried the bag with their prized purchases as the group checked out a few more stores. A quick stop back at the Tasker-Montgomery home was made to retrieve some photos they would scan at Kendall's and load to the frames along with some that Kendall had of her own and others obtained from Erica and Krystal as well.

When they arrived back at the Slater home, the group got to work.

"Do you think they'll really like them, Aunt K?"

Kendall hugged her niece. "Miranda, they are going to love them because they are from the three of you. Now, let's get started and figure out which pictures you want to use."

/

Bianca and Marissa crossed 5th Avenue and headed down the street to Tiffany's. Their shopping was starting later than they had planned, but judging by the smiles on their faces, neither would be complaining, ever.

"Okay, we need to be at the airport by 6:30. I figure that gives us 5 good solid hours of shopping."

Bianca laughed. "Piece of cake!"

"Yeah, I thought you would say that. This is definitely one of the perks of having Erica as your mom. I am completely in awe of your shopping prowess."

"If there is one thing my Mom knows, it's shopping. The woman has a black belt in it and is a professional. I'm simply an amateur compared to her."

"Well amateur or not, I'm still in awe, and I'm not just talking about shopping." Marissa winked.

"You're pretty awe-inspiring yourself, Counselor." Bianca gave her a quick kiss as she opened the door to the store.

"So, Kendall wants something big and sparkly?"

"Yep, this is definitely the place to find that."

The couple spent some time there finding gifts for Erica, Kendall and Krystal. They also picked up something special for Greenlee. They wanted to let both Kendall and Greenlee know how much they appreciated all of the support they had given them over the past year. Several more stops were made along the route for Zach and Jack among others. They also picked up something for Adam. He had given them his support during the custody fight and agreed to step aside in AJ's best interest and give his consent to have Bianca be AJ's guardian. Before they knew it, they had made their through the list of family and friends they were buying gifts for. With the adults squared away as well as a few gifts for some of the smaller ones, they headed over to their final destination of FAO Schwartz. In addition to their three kids, they picked up gifts for Spike, Ian, Emma, Jenny and Kathy as well as Marissa's godson Jamie. A majority of their time was spent at the toy store, and they had a blast letting their inner child out.

They reviewed their list and found only one gift remaining for AJ, Miranda and Gabby. It was the one Bianca's friend Simon was working on for them. He had located exactly what they were looking for and was handling the final details for them.

Marissa checked the time. "Wow! I can't believe we finished and with time to spare! You're like a ninja shopper."

Bianca snorted. "A ninja shopper, huh? I like it! I'm thinking we should head to the airport now. We can check in and grab something to eat before we leave. I'm also thinking it might be a good idea for you to get off that knee. We've been doing a lot of walking these last two days, and no matter what you say, it's still healing."

Marissa simply shook her head and smiled. It would be pointless to argue with Bianca especially when she would be doing the same thing if their roles were reversed. "That sounds like a good plan. We can beat traffic and not be rushed too."

They hailed a taxi and headed back to the hotel to retrieve their luggage that the hotel manager was holding for them. With that accomplished, the couple headed to the airport and made their way to the counter for private planes. An airport porter took care of their bags while they cleared security. After their bags were checked, the couple headed for a restaurant to wait for their flight to be called.

/

Kendall and Miranda turned down the driveway to Minx Manor to return the photographs they had borrowed earlier for Marissa and Bianca's Christmas presents. AJ and Gabby stayed back with Zach and the boys. This gave the aunt and niece a little bonding time.

"I really think your Mom and Marissa are going to love their presents."

"I do too. Thanks for helping, Aunt K."

"You're welcome, Miranda. I'm always happy to help." She pulled the car to a stop in front of the house. The pair got out and walked inside. "We haven't had a chance to talk in a while. How are you doing? Any more problems at school?"

Miranda shook her head. "School's good, well for school, it is. Amber apologized to me and AJ. I really think she meant it and felt bad about those things she said. I kinda feel a little bad for her. I see her alone a lot at recess. She looks sad. I was thinking about maybe talking to her."

"You were, huh?"

"I've been thinking of maybe seeing if she'd want to sit with me at lunch sometime."

"Really?" Kendall had to admit she was a little in awe of her niece and her capacity to forgive. This was a girl who had gone out of her way to hurt her, and Miranda was thinking of reaching out to her. _I guess I really shouldn't be surprised though. She is my sister's daughter._

"Uh huh, I talked with Mom and Rissa about it."

"What did they say?" _I have a pretty good idea knowing the two of them._

"They wanted to talk to the school counselor about Amber to see what she thought and how she was doing in that class she has to take. After they did that, we talked again. They must've been okay with what she told them. They said I should do what I thought was best. They trust me and said I was a good judge of character. If I thought Amber changed, then maybe she did, but if she does anything to hurt me again, I needed to tell them right away. They both made me promise that last part."

Kendall studied her niece. "You're something else, you know that, Miranda? You're a really special person. I'm proud of you, and I know your Mom and Marissa are too."

Miranda smiled. "They told me that too. Rissa said I was just like Mom."

"You are just like your Mom. Marissa's very smart."

The girl smiled even more. "Uh huh, she really is."

"You really like Red, don't you?"

Miranda nodded. "I love Rissa a lot. She makes Mom really happy. She makes me and Gabby happy too. She's funny and listens to me. She always makes time to talk whenever any of us need to. It doesn't matter what she's doing. She always says nothing is more important to her than her family. Best of all, I know Rissa loves Mom and us and won't hurt or leave Mom or me and Gabby. She's not like the others."

Kendall smiled softly at her niece. "No, she isn't. Marissa loves you all very much and would do anything for you. I can't tell you how happy I am that all of you found each other and are happy." Feeling the need to lighten the mood slightly, Kendall playfully bumped her niece. "You are a good judge character. Okay, let's put these pictures back before they get back home. We don't want them to know what we're up to, do we?"

Miranda giggled. "Nope, it's gotta be a surprise for my Moms." The girl began to put the photo albums back in their designated spots. "I'm glad we came up with this idea."

Kendall caught what her niece had said and couldn't help but smile knowing that Miranda saw Marissa as her other Mom. "Oh, Miranda, if Amber hurts you again and says anything bad to you, make sure you let me know. I'll help Binx and Red kick her butt."

"I know you will, Aunt K." Miranda grinned.

/

The couple settled in their seats on the jet as the flight crew stowed their bags and readied for take-off.

"I'm really glad the Dynamic Duo arranged for us to use the jet. There's no way we would've gotten all of those bags on a regular flight." Marissa pulled out her glasses and the Macy's contract.

"It definitely comes in handy." Seeing Marissa put on her glasses, Bianca shifted in her seat to inch closer to the redhead. There was just something about seeing her lover in those glasses.

"What are you doing?"

"Just getting closer to you."

"Don't give me that innocent look. I have to review this contract before we get back home so stay on your side, you evil temptress." Marissa smirked.

Bianca scowled. "Party pooper."

"Sex fiend, not that I'm complaining about that at all." Marissa removed her glasses and chuckled. "It's these things, isn't it? What is it with you and seeing me in these glasses? I thought most people didn't make passes at girls who wear glasses."

"I'm not sure what it is. It's like your reaction to the Kane death glare. It just goes to show that we're not most people. As to my being a sex fiend, you don't have any room to talk." Bianca quipped.

"You're right. I don't. It's only with you though."

A lingering kiss was exchanged between the couple. When they separated, Marissa cleared her throat and put her glasses back on. "As much as I would love to continue this, I really need to review this before I go over it with them. I'll make it up to you later tonight. I'm thinking after a long day of shopping, a good soak or maybe some other form of activity in the Jacuzzi would do the trick."

Bianca smiled. She knew that Marissa wanted to make sure everything was covered and wanted to do a good job regarding this deal. She didn't want to let Kendall and Greenlee down. Bianca also knew that wasn't possible. "You promise?"

Marissa grinned. "I promise, and you know I never break my promises to you."

The brunette nodded and sighed contently. "I know. Get to work, Counselor." Bianca rested her head on Marissa's shoulder and closed her eyes.

/

"Bianca, it's time to wake up. We're getting ready to land."

The brunette opened her eyes and stretched. "I can't believe I fell asleep. Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss. "Why would I? You looked so peaceful, so beautiful. I didn't have the heart to wake you up."

"Well, I'm definitely rested up for later." Bianca waggled her eyebrows.

"Sex fiend."

Bianca grinned. "It takes one to know one!"

Marissa snorted. "Guilty as charged."

"Besides, you love it, and you know it!"

"Hell yes, I do! Damn, I am one lucky woman!" Marissa grinned as she kissed Bianca.


	76. Home Again

**A/N****: Thanks again, as always, for reading, following and reviewing this tale! It is and always will be appreciated! For this update, I was going to go one way during it but got sidetracked like I do sometimes, and I ended up moving some of the plans for it to the next chapter. I got nothing else to talk about here so I'll let you all get to it. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

The couple pulled into their garage, grabbed some bags and headed inside.

"Where do you think we should stash the kids' gifts?" Marissa asked. She turned to Bianca and noticed the brunette had paused in the doorway. "B, is something wrong?"

Bianca shook her head and smiled. "No, nothing's wrong. Everything's great. I love New York. It's a great city, one of my favorites, and you know how fun I had being there with you. There's just something about being here though. I just love being home more than anything."

Marissa set her bags down and walked over to her lover. She wrapped her arms around Bianca's waist and kissed her tenderly. "I do too."

With a contented sigh, Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss and then answered her earlier question. "We should probably stash the kids' gifts in the closet in our office since it's got a lock on it."

"Good idea. Come on. Let's put this stuff away and go get the kids. The sooner we do that, the sooner I can make good on my promise."

Bianca grinned and grabbed her bags. "What are we waiting for?"

Marissa laughed as she followed Bianca.

/

"Looks like Greenlee's already here." Bianca noted as she unfastened her seatbelt when their car came to a stop in the driveway of Kendall and Zach's house.

"Good. We can take care of the contract right away then and not keep the kids out too late. Are you sure you're okay with us doing this tonight?" It was a question that Marissa had asked earlier while they were in the restaurant waiting for their flight to be called.

"I told you before that I'm sure. It's the best solution for everyone. This is a huge deal for them, and I know they're anxious to get everything signed. By taking care of it tonight, they'll be able to relax, take a breath and celebrate, and we'll be able to have tomorrow free with the kids. It's looking like it's going to be a busy day for us."

Marissa nodded as the couple walked, holding hands, to the front door of the Slater home. "We have to get a tree and start decorating it. And you know the kids are going to hold us to our promise of going ice skating. Miranda is really looking forward to it."

The door swung open just as Bianca was going to knock. An excited Gabby rushed forward and greeted them happily.

"Mommies!"

Marissa scooped up the little girl and gave her a big kiss. "Hey, Monkey! Did you miss us?"

"Uh huh! Did you miss me?"

"We missed you bunches and bunches!" Marissa gave Gabby another kiss and squeeze before handing their youngest to Bianca.

"Hi, Baby. Rissa's right. We missed you like crazy. Were you good for your Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach?"

"Yep! I sure was!"

Bianca chuckled. "I'm sure you were. Where are AJ and Miranda?"

"Playing video games with Uncle Zach."

"Are they beating him again?" Marissa asked as she bent down to pick her briefcase back up.

"Yep, they are! Aunt K says he's never gonna learn."

"That's right, Gabby. He's not. You're Uncle Zach can be pretty stubborn sometimes and a glutton for punishment." Kendall laughed as she greeted her sister and Marissa. "Greenlee's in the kitchen. I thought we'd have a little more privacy in there, Red. Go see your kids and meet us in there. I'd like it if you were there too, Binx."

Bianca set Gabby down, and Kendall took their coats and hung them up while the couple went to see AJ and Miranda.

/

"Way to go, Miranda!" AJ and his sister shared a high-five.

"That's it! I give up. I don't know if I want to play against the two of you again."

Miranda looked at her uncle. "Come on, Uncle Zach. Don't say that. We like playing with you. We're sorry."

"Yeah, we're sorry, Uncle Zach. If you want, I can help you." AJ offered.

"AJ's a really good teacher. He helped me a lot."

Bianca and Marissa observed the scene and saw that Zach was struggling to keep a straight face.

Zach finally cracked. "I'm just pulling your legs. My ego is a little bruised, but I'll live. I really do think I'm going to have to start practicing more."

"Maybe Marissa can help you." Bianca smirked.

The kids turned and saw their mothers in the doorway and rushed over to greet them. "Mom!"

Zach raised an eyebrow and looked at his sister-in-law. "You're kidding, right?"

"As a matter fact, I'm not. Where do you think the kids picked up all those tricks?" Bianca's pride was evident.

Marissa shrugged. "What can I say? I've got mad skills."

"She's really good, Uncle Zach. Maybe she can help you." AJ grinned.

"We'll have to see about that. Right now, Bianca and I have to go talk to your Aunt Kendall and Greenlee. It shouldn't take us very long so you guys should probably start getting your things together."

"Okay, Rissa."

"Maybe Uncle Zach will play one more game with you. That is if his ego can handle it." Bianca smirked and ducked as a pillow was thrown her way by her brother-in-law.

/

"Here she is, the woman of the hour!" Greenlee jumped up and hugged the redhead. "I can't tell you how much we appreciate your help with this deal. I'm not kidding when I say we couldn't have gotten it done without you. Thank you."

"I'm not sure about that, but you're welcome. I was happy to help. With everything that you and Kendall have done for us, it's the very least I can do."

"We're going to have to agree to disagree on that, Red. You went above and beyond for us. You gave up the better part of your weekend for us."

Marissa grinned and glanced at Bianca who matched the redhead's expression. "Oh, I wouldn't say it was the _better_ part of my weekend."

Greenlee caught the exchange between the couple and chuckled. "I take it the two of you took full advantage of having a later departure. See, Kendall, I told you sending the jet to pick them up was a good idea."

Kendall shook her head. "I'm not having this conversation."

"Sorry, Curly. Why don't we go over the contract?"

Bianca nodded. "Good idea. I'm curious to hear more of the details. Marissa only shared some of them with me."

Marissa reached into her briefcase and pulled out the contract along with three copies and her glasses. She started to put them on but stopped when she saw the grin on Bianca's face. The redhead slipped them back into their case and smirked at her lover. The pout on Bianca's face was priceless and caused Marissa to laugh and give her a quick kiss. Kendall and Greenlee found the exchange between the couple curious but didn't press for an explanation even though Greenlee was dying to know the exact reason behind it.

Kendall cleared her throat drawing Marissa's attention away from Bianca.

"Sorry about that. Let's get to work." Marissa said as she shifted into lawyer mode. The details were reviewed and questions asked and answered. Before too long, Kendall and Greenlee signed the contract with Bianca adding her signature as a witness.

"Congratulations! I'll file the contract with the court first thing Monday morning, and messenger a copy to Macy's. These are your copies. I'll keep one on file with the firm as well." Marissa placed the documents back in her briefcase.

"Thank you again, Marissa. Are you sure we can't convince you to take Fusion on as a fulltime client?" Kendall smiled as she hugged the redhead.

Greenlee followed suit in thanking the lawyer. "We can make it worth your while."

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm very happy with what I'm doing."

"Are you sure we can't change your mind? What do you think, Bianca?" Greenlee looked towards the younger brunette.

Bianca shook her head. "While I have no doubt Marissa will succeed in whatever she tries, this is her decision. I'll support her with whatever she decides, as long as she's happy."

Marissa smiled softly at her lover. "Thank you."

"Okay, Red, but if you ever change your mind and want to branch out into something different than family law, make sure you let us know."

"Keep it in mind. We'll definitely have a spot for you." Greenlee nodded.

"Thanks." Marissa smiled, grateful for the offer, before turning to Bianca. "We should probably get going. It's way past the kids' bedtimes."

"You're right. We should. With us out of here, you can get Spike and Ian to bed too."

"True. There's no way they were going to bed with their cousins here."

"I've got a great idea! We _really _need to celebrate this deal. You know, do it up right. So, I'm thinking that next Friday we get babysitters and we have a couple's night out, Ryan and me, Kendall and Zach, and the two of you. We'll get a limo and hit the town. You just need to find a babysitter for your kids. We'll take care of everything else. It's our treat."

The couple looked at each other and shared a smile. "It sounds like a great idea. I'll call Susan tomorrow and see if she's available. Alright, let's get the kids and head home."

/

For the second time that day, Marissa pulled into the garage. She glanced in the rear-view mirror and smiled softly. Gabby was slumped over in her booster seat clutching her stuffed monkey and sound asleep. "I'll take care of Gabby if you'll take AJ and Miranda.

Bianca glanced back at the youngest member in the family. How she was able to get in those positions while buckled securely in her seat and sleep soundly was beyond her. "Deal." She turned and whispered to the older two children. "Let's go, guys. You can get your baths tomorrow. Let's be as quiet as we can. We don't want to wake your sister."

Marissa gently removed Gabby from her seat and carried her inside and up to her room. She changed her into her pajamas and settled her back onto her bed, tucking her and Minx in. The redhead brushed a lock of hair from her face and softly kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Monkey. I love you."

Gabby mumbled a reply and grabbed Minx as she snuggled under her covers.

/

"Did you and Mom have a good time in New York, Bianca?"

"We sure did, Buddy, but we really missed the three of you."

"We missed you too. It's fun staying with Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach, but I like being home best of all."

"Me too!"

AJ yawned as he climbed onto his bed and under his covers.

"Get some sleep. We've got a big day tomorrow."

The boy nodded already half asleep. "Okay. Goodnight, Mom. I'm glad you guys are home. Love you."

Bianca paused briefly wondering if she had heard him right. A tear escaped and was quickly wiped away. "Goodnight, AJ. I love you too." Bianca turned off the light and headed over to Miranda's room.

/

"Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Sweetie. How's my girl? Did you have fun with Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach?"

Miranda nodded. "Yeah, I did. Aunt K and me talked."

"You did, huh? What about?"

"I told her I was thinking about talking to Amber."

"And what did she say?"

"She asked what you and Rissa thought so I told her what you told me. She said you were right and that I'm a good judge of character. She also told me to tell her if Amber did anything to me again. If she did, she'd help you and Rissa kick her butt."

Bianca laughed. "Hopefully, nothing like that will happen, but I'll keep it in mind. I'm glad you can talk to Kendall. She's always going to be there for you."

Miranda nodded. "I know. Just like you and Rissa will."

"Exactly. Time to go sleep now. We've got a big day planned tomorrow. We're going to get our tree, decorate it and then go skating."

Miranda grinned. "That's gonna be fun. Will Rissa's knee be okay?"

"My knee will be just fine." Marissa answered as she joined the two brunettes.

Bianca smiled. "Take my seat. I'll go say goodnight to Gabby." She bent down and kissed Miranda. "Goodnight, Mimo. I love you."

"Night, Mom. Love you too."

Bianca passed Marissa and whispered. "I'll see you downstairs."

The redhead grinned in reply. "See you downstairs." Marissa sat on Miranda's bed. "Why are you still awake? Your brother and sister are passed out."

Miranda shrugged. "Mom and me were talking. Are you sure your knee will be okay? We don't have to go skating if it's not."

"My knee is just fine. I'm not going to do anything that would hurt it, and you know your Mom won't let me do anything to hurt it."

Miranda giggled. "Yeah, you're right. She won't."

"And even if I couldn't skate, we can still go. I'll have fun watching you guys. I'm good with us just being together. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Good, but thank you for thinking about me. It means so much to me. Now, you need to go to sleep because tomorrow's going to be very busy."

"Night, Rissa. Love you."

"Goodnight, Miranda. I love you too." Marissa kissed Miranda and turned off the light before heading downstairs to make good on her promise to Bianca.

/

"Well if it isn't my favorite family!"

"Hey, Krystal." Marissa greeted her mother warmly as she and Bianca helped the kids remove their coats before they settled down at _their_ table.

"What have all of you been up to this fine day?" Krystal asked as she noted the rosy cheeks and beaming smiles of the Tasker-Montgomery clan.

"We were ice skating, Grandma, and it was so cool! You should've seen Miranda! She was jumping and spinning. She was the best one out there." AJ stated proudly.

"She was! When I'm bigger, she said she's gonna teach me!" Gabby added, her excitement written all over her face.

Miranda blushed at the praise she was receiving from her brother and sister.

"So, are we going to be watching you in the Olympics someday?"

"Nah, I'm not nearly as good as them, and AJ and Gabby are just being really nice. I just like doing it for fun."

"Don't listen to her, Krystal. She's being modest. She's every bit as good as AJ and Gabby say and then some." Bianca kissed her oldest daughter proudly.

"You won't get argument from me on that. She's a natural and was absolutely amazing. I'm tired from just watching her."

"Should you be ice skating, Marissa? Your knee is still healing." Krystal eyed her daughter.

"I'm fine. I wasn't doing any jumps or spins. I left that up to Miranda. I took my time and went around the rink slowly."

"She means her and Bianca skated together and held hands a lot." AJ laughed.

"I can't think of a better way to skate. You'll know what I'm talking about one day when you meet someone special. Do me a favor though and don't let that happen for a long time." Marissa winked at her son.

AJ rolled his eyes. "Grown-ups always say stuff like that."

Bianca laughed. "I heard that all the time too growing up, and it really never made any to me either until I met Marissa. One day, it'll make sense to you."

"Whatever."

Krystal chuckled. "So, no Olympics for Miranda even though it sounds like you skated circles around everyone else."

"Nope, I'm gonna be something else when I grow up. I'm gonna be a lawyer."

"She'll be great at that too. She's a natural at finding loopholes like nobody else. Trust me on that." Marissa smirked.

Miranda giggled.

"What can I get you?"

Marissa glanced around the table and asked. "How about five hot chocolates to start?"

"With whipped cream, Mommy?"

"Is there any other way to have it?"

Gabby shook her head. "Nope!"

The family gave Krystal the rest of their orders. "Five hot chocolates with whipped cream coming up. I'll get these orders put in."

"Thanks, Krystal."

Gabby tugged on Bianca's arm and whispered. "Mommy, I gotta go potty."

"Okay, let's go. We'll be right back."

Miranda, AJ and Marissa continued to talk about their skating adventure when Miranda heard her name. She glanced up and smiled seeing a friend. "It's my friend Mackenzie. Can I go say 'hi'?"

"So that's Mackenzie. Sure, Sweetie. You can go talk to her for a few minutes." Marissa watched as Miranda hurried over to her friend's table. Mackenzie's family had moved to Pine Valley just a few weeks ago, and Marissa hadn't had the chance yet to meet the girl. Bianca had met her, however, when she was picking up the kids from school and reported that the girl was very sweet. Miranda, for her part, liked the girl and took her under her wing. Something of which came as no surprise to either woman. It was just part of her nature.

Marissa kept an eye on Miranda while she and AJ continued to talk and her son began drawing a picture on the paper Krystal had given him. The redhead saw a woman whom she assumed was Mackenzie's mother approach the table.

"Hi, you must be Miranda's other mom. I'm Mackenzie's mom, Cindi Moore." The woman held out her hand.

Marissa smiled and shook the woman's hand. "That would be me! Hi, Cindi. I'm Marissa Tasker. It's funny how we don't really have our own names anymore, isn't it?"

Cindi laughed. "You're right. We really don't."

"You've met AJ before, haven't you?"

The boy looked up from his sketch and smiled. "Hi, Mrs. Moore."

"Hi, AJ. Yes, I have, briefly. No one was able to get in a word in edgewise with the girls jabbering away. Is Bianca around? Miranda said she was here."

"Yes, she is. Our youngest Gabby needed her help."

"Ah, say no more."

"Please have a seat. Am I safe in assuming that is Mackenzie's dad?"

Cindi sat down and nodded. "Yes, that is my husband, Jim."

The man glanced up and waved to his wife and Marissa.

"According to Miranda, you're a lawyer. Wait, to quote her, 'my Mom Marissa is the best lawyer in the whole world'. Those were her exact words."

Marissa mentally filed away the revelation that Miranda had referred to her as her mom, a first to her knowledge, to think about later and chuckled. "I think she's exaggerating about me being the best in whole world. So, what do you and your husband do?"

"I'm a teacher, middle school. Right now, I'm subbing until the next school year starts and then I'll be full time."

"Wow, you're really brave."

Cindi laughed. "That or a little crazy. Jim is in IT over at Cortlandt."

"How do you like Pine Valley? Are you settling in okay?"

"We are. I like it a lot. Everyone is really nice. I have to tell you that Miranda is an absolute doll. Not that you could tell from the way she is right now, but Mackenzie is shy. When I picked her up after her first day at school, she couldn't stop talking about Miranda. It was like she sensed Mackenzie was nervous, and Miranda stepped up and took her under her wing. She started talking to her during recess, had lunch with her and showed her around school. She made Mackenzie feel right at home. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that."

"I'm not really surprised that she did all of that, but it's nice to hear. What would you think of setting up a play date between the two of them?"

"I think that is a great idea."

While the women exchanged phone numbers, the girls made their way over to the table.

Marissa smiled and greeted Miranda's friend. "Hi, Mackenzie."

"Hi, Mrs. Montgomery. Hi, AJ."

Marissa couldn't help the grin that spread across her face. There was no denying she loved the sound of what the girl called her so she chose not to correct her. It really wasn't a big deal being called by the wrong name. Some of AJ's friends still called her Mrs. Chandler so it was a natural assumption on the girl's part that she would have the same last name as Miranda and nothing was meant by it. Still, Marissa had to admit it just sounded right.

"Your mom and I were just talking about the two of you have a play date." Marissa suggested.

Miranda grinned. "That would be awesome!"

Mackenzie nodded. "Really, Mom? I'd like that a lot."

Cindi smiled. "Really. Oh, hi Bianca. Hi, Gabby."

Marissa turned slightly to the side and saw Bianca and Gabby returning. The redhead noted a goofy grin on her lover's face. She really wasn't sure why it was there, but damn if she didn't love it.

Gabby climbed on Marissa's lap and buried her head in the redhead's neck, having gotten shy around the newcomers.

Bianca had heard Mackenzie address Marissa as _Mrs. Montgomery._ It did have a heck of a nice ring to it. Bianca, more importantly, had seen her lover's response to hearing it. That grin told the brunette so much. "Hi, Cindi, and hello, Mackenzie. Did I hear something about a play date?"

"You did, and the girls seem all for it." Marissa stroked Gabby's back.

Cindi saw the server coming their way. "Looks like your food is here, and we need to get back to our table." The Moore's headed back to their table after promises of checking schedules were given and received with the intention of setting up a time for the girls to get together.

The Tasker-Montgomery's finished their lunch and headed off in search of a Christmas tree.


	77. Prepping for Christmas

**A/N****: As always, thanks to those reading, following and reviewing! It is much appreciated! There is still no word on whether or not our favorite couple will be joining AMC 2.0. Only about six of the actors have signed on with PP. More have signed with OLTL which has me thinking they are focusing more on that show, again. Don't ask me why. Anyway, as a friend has said, no matter what happens, I'll continue to live in my Minx happy bubble. With that said, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Marissa parked the SUV in front of the house. The kids scrambled out of the vehicle and headed for the front door, waiting for one of their mothers to unlock it.

Bianca climbed out of the front seat. "I'll get something to cut the ropes and take the tree stand inside."

"Sounds good." Marissa studied the tree and contemplated the best way to get the massive Christmas tree from the top of the SUV and into the house.

It was bigger than they had planned on, but it was a beauty, the best one on the tree farm by far and away. They had stopped by a tree lot in town but were disappointed by the trees they had available. They were either bare and scrawny looking or the trunks were terribly bowed. None of them would do. It was then that Bianca remembered a tree farm located about thirty minutes away. Yes, it was a further drive than they had planned, but when you're in search of the perfect tree for your first official Christmas together as a family, you forget about the distance and just concentrate on the mission and end result. Yes technically, it was their second Christmas, having come clean with their feelings for each other last year and spending the day together. This year, however, they were together in every sense of the word, and everyone knew it. There was no hiding their feelings or relationship from anyone for any reason. At this point, it would be impossible to hide it anyway. Their feelings for each other were plain as day to any and every one. There was no denying the depth of their love and level of their commitment, and they wouldn't have it any other way. Another difference this year was that no one would need to leave early to go home because they were already home, and they had decorated this home together. They would wake up in this home together and share every moment of this special day together.

This was why they all felt it was important to have the perfect tree for this special day. One of the advantages of Marissa's new car was the state of the art navigation system. They looked up the name and address of the farm, received directions and headed out. It was a beautiful day for the drive to the country. The sun was shining, the sky a brilliant shade of blue with only a few sporadic white puffy clouds dotting the sky, and the temperature, while a little cold, wasn't unbearable and held just the perfect bite in the air. Along the way, the kids took in the different sites and entertained everyone with games and songs.

Before they knew it, they were pulling into the graveled lot for _Michaels Farm_ which was an actual working farm, owned and operated by the family. During the winter, it sold Christmas trees that were located on a portion of the land. A gift shop located on the grounds sold crafts, decorations and gifts of all sorts and was very popular with the family. During the other times of the year, various other portions of the farm were open to the public for a variety of activities. In the fall, a pumpkin patch was the main focus along with hayrides. Bianca pocketed a brochure with the couple making a mental note to visit during the other seasons.

A member of the Michaels family drove the family to where the trees were located and escorted them around the area. After several minutes, the family found a Christmas tree that not only could they all agree on but one they all thought was perfect. The tree was cut and bundled up for transport. The family was then driven back to the gift shop to pay for their purchases while the tree was secured to the top of the SUV. The drive home was equally as pleasant as the one to the farm, and they all couldn't wait to get home and start decorating.

Now, Marissa was pondering the best way to get the tree off the roof of the SUV and inside the house without scratching the new vehicle or damaging the tree.

Bianca came back outside with a utility knife. Once the ropes were cut, the couple worked together and was able to get the tree off the car, inside the house and into the tree stand. Marissa then went back outside to move the car into the garage and brought the rest of the packages inside.

"I think that is the perfect spot." Marissa noted from the doorway as she set the bags down and looked at the tree which was situated in front the large bay window in the family room. "It will look even better when we unbind it."

Bianca rolled her eyes as she caught the smirk on her lover's face. "You think?"

"Yep, it's a little on the skinny side right now, and there's not much room to the string the lights and hang the ornaments on either."

"Smart aleck."

The kids started giggling as Bianca threw a pillow at Marissa who skillfully sidestepped it and flashed her lover a cheeky grin.

The redhead continued to grin as she picked up the pillow and dropped it on the sofa while on her way to help Bianca with the tree. The bindings were carefully cut and the branches carefully unfolded and fluffed. The couple stepped back to take a look and were satisfied with the tree's location.

"Marissa and I will string the lights, and then we'll be ready for you guys to help with the ornaments. Sound good?"

The kids nodded excitedly.

"We're missing something though." Marissa snapped her fingers. "I know. We need some Christmas music. Miranda, would you get my iPod for me and plug it into the sound system? You remember how to do it, don't you?"

"Yep." Miranda hopped off the couch to retrieve the item in question. When she returned, the girl plugged the iPod in just like Marissa had shown her before and queued up the playlist containing Christmas songs.

Music soon filled the air, and the kids started singing along with their mothers to Christmas favorites. Before they knew it, the lights were strung, and it was time for the ornaments.

"Okay, it's time for you guys to earn your keep. Let's get this tree decorated!" Marissa grinned.

The kids hopped off the sofa and began to sort through the boxes. It was a unique collection of ornaments with each family member offering their own contributions. It included ones that had been made in daycare, school and breakfasts with Santa. There were others that had been in their families for years including ones from Marissa's parents and Bianca's much beloved grandmother Mona along with ones collected along the way prior to their lives together. And now, it contained ones that were recently purchased. All told, it was a collection that gave a glimpse into the family, its past, present and future.

The kids set about hanging ornaments on the lower and middle branches while their mothers were responsible for the upper ones. When the music started for the next song, a huge grin spread across Marissa's face and she started dancing and singing. Before too long, Bianca and the kids were joining their favorite redhead.

AJ was facing the front window when he caught sight of Kendall and Greenlee pulling up in front of the house and raced to open the door while the others continued singing along with John Mellencamp and his version of 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'.

_I Saw Momma kissin' ol' Santa Claus  
>underneath the mistletoe last night.<br>She did not hear me creep  
>down the stairs to have a peek.<br>She thought that I was tucked up  
>in my bedroom fast asleep<em>

Kendall and Greenlee smirked and took in the show as Marissa and Bianca spun the kids around. Gabby had long since given up on singing and was giggling wildly. Miranda and AJ were hopping up and down and shaking their bodies in time with their mothers and the music.

_Let me tell you that__  
><em>_I saw momma tickle ol' Santa Claus  
>underneath his beard so snowy white<br>and what a laugh it would have been  
>if my daddy would have walked right in<em>_  
><em>_and saw momma kissin' Santa Claus last night_

When the song ended Kendall and Greenlee started clapping and whistling. Marissa glanced at the couple and gestured for the rest of the family to take a bow.

"Wow, you guys are great! Who knew there was this much talent in our family?"

"Thank you! The kids get most of the credit though, Kendall." Bianca grinned.

Greenlee chuckled. "So, are you all for hire? Maybe you can go on the road with this show?"

"Who knows? It's something to keep in mind. What brings you out today?"

"We were out doing some Christmas shopping and wanted to drop off a little something as way of 'thank you for your help'." Greenlee held out a bag.

Marissa smiled. "It's not necessary. I told you that I was glad to help."

"We know, but we wanted to do this. Don't leave us hanging, Red."

"Alright." Marissa laughed and took the bag. She pulled out a very nice and expensive bottle of wine. "Thank you! This is great. I know that Bianca and I will enjoy this very much."

"You're welcome." Kendall turned her attention to the Christmas tree. "Wow, this is a pretty nice tree. Where did you get it?"

Bianca smiled. "Thanks, we think it's pretty good. We went to Michaels' Farm. They have a lot of great trees out there. I noticed last night that you didn't have yours yet. I don't think you'll be disappointed if you check them out."

"I'll keep that in mind. Come on, Greenlee. We need to go. Zach will be sending out a search party soon."

The friends left and the Tasker-Montgomery's finished hanging the last remaining ornaments. When it came time to put the star on top, Miranda was given the honor since she was the one who had found it. Bianca lifted her up, and the girl carefully put the star on top. The family stood back while Marissa plugged in the lights.

"It's the bestest tree ever, Mommy!"

"Gabby's right!"

"Yep, it is!"

"I have to agree with the kids, Rissa."

"That makes it unanimous, B."

"Okay, what do you say I get dinner started and you start picking up in here?"

Marissa nodded. "Deal. Come on, guys. Let's start cleaning up in here."

/

Later that night after the kids had been bathed, read a story and tucked into bed, the couple was enjoying a few quiet minutes together in the family room. They were snuggled together on the sofa sipping the wine Kendall and Greenlee had given Marissa earlier that day. The only lights in the room were from the roaring fire and the lights on the Christmas tree.

Bianca sighed happily. The warmth from both the fire and from having Marissa in her arms making her smile. "This is a very good wine they gave you."

"Yes, it is. I have to say it again. That really is a great tree. I would even say it's perfect, kind of like today. I'm glad you remembered that farm."

"Me too. Today was pretty close to perfect. I really liked the part where we were skating." Bianca grinned.

Marissa kissed Bianca softly. "So did I. Miranda really is impressive."

"Yeah, she is. I was thinking we could set up her play date with Mackenzie while they're off for Christmas."

"That makes sense. That reminds me. When I was talking with Cindi, she told me something Miranda said."

Bianca quirked an eyebrow as Marissa turned to face her. Hazel eyes glistening and a lopsided smile graced her faced.

"When Miranda was talking to her, she referred to me as her 'Mom Marissa'."

Tears immediately began to form in warm chocolate eyes. Bianca had missed that part of their conversation, and she knew just how much that meant to Marissa as well as Miranda. Bianca gave her lover a tender kiss. "Oh baby, that is wonderful. I know what that means to you, to her. I'm not really surprised. She adores you. I have some news of my own."

"What is it?"

"Last night, when I was tucking AJ in and he was saying goodnight, he called me 'Mom'. He was half asleep when he did it but …"

Marissa shook her head and stopped Bianca. "But nothing. He called you 'Mom', and I think that is absolutely wonderful too. That he sees you like that is just about the best thing."

Bianca paused a moment. There was another subject she wanted to bring up and was trying to figure out the best way to broach it. It had been a while since they had discussed it, and she really wanted to get Marissa's feelings on the subject. "I heard something else today at Krystal's, and I wanted to talk to you about it, see what you thought about it."

Marissa noticed Bianca was somewhat nervous. About what, she wasn't sure, but she would do whatever she could to ease her lover's mind. "Bianca, you know you can talk to me about anything. Is everything alright?"

The brunette took a deep breath. "I'm good. It's just what I heard got me to thinking about something we haven't talked about in a while. I heard Mackenzie call you 'Mrs. Montgomery', and I was wondering what you thought about that." Bianca bit her lip and waited for a response.

Marissa couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face. "You heard that?"

"I did, and I was just wondering what you thought about it."

The redhead thought for a brief second, trying to form her answer. "I have to tell you that I really loved how that sounded."

"You did?" Bianca asked wanting to be sure she heard Marissa correctly.

"I did. How did it sound to you?" The nervousness was evident in hazel eyes.

The question was answered with the goofy grin that always made her heart melt.

"I really loved it too. I know it's been a while since we've talked about it, marriage."

"Yeah, it has been. You know, I heard that the legislature is considering a bill to make same sex marriage legal in Pennsylvania, and the governor has said he would sign it."

Bianca smiled. "I heard that too. So, you wouldn't be against the idea of us getting married someday if it becomes law? I know when talked about it before you were pretty adamant about not wanting or needing a piece of paper to define our relationship. I felt pretty much the same way."

"I still feel that way."

The brunette felt deflated. She had thought for sure that Marissa had begun to feel differently. Now, she wasn't so sure.

Marissa saw Bianca slump ever so slightly. She needed to fix this immediately and explain herself fully to her lover. She couldn't stand to see the disheartened look in those beautiful brown eyes. "I don't need a piece of paper telling me how committed we are to each other. I don't need anything or anyone telling me that. I know that we are going to spend the rest of our lives together. When it comes to the idea of marriage though …"

Bianca's head snapped up sensing there was more to be said. She gazed in those hazel eyes so sure and confident in the belief they would be spending their lives together. The brunette felt this way too but marriage, well it was different for some unfathomable reason. "When it comes to the idea of marriage what?"

"I've been rethinking my position. Let's be honest. Our first marriages left a lot to be desired. There a number of reasons why they failed, but it really comes down to the simple fact that they were with the wrong people. I was never as happy with JR on our best days as I am with you on our worst ones. Does that make any sense?"

Bianca smiled softly. "Yes, it makes perfect sense to me, and I feel exactly the same way."

"Good. It's easy to see why those experiences left a bad taste in our mouths when it comes to marriage." Marissa took a deep breath. She'd come this far and knew it was too late to turn back now. "I started thinking though, and I remembered my Mom and Dad. They had the kind of marriage I always wanted, always dreamed of having. It's something I believe I can have with the right person. Something I believe I can have with you."

The women held each other's gaze for a long minute before Marissa broke the silence. "What about you?"

"I've been rethinking my position too. I don't have quite the example of marriage that you do. My Mom's been married too many times to count. So while she's obviously an advocate for marriage, she really can't be considered the poster child for it. I have learned something very valuable from her though. I've learned to believe that anything is possible. After the divorce, I lost that, but loving you has given me that belief again. So, yeah, I can definitely see us having the kind of marriage you're talking about, someday."

Marissa grinned. "That's good to know."

Bianca sighed happily. She took her lover's wine glass and set it on the coffee table. Chocolate eyes darkened as she grinned wickedly before capturing Marissa's soft lips. "Yes, it is. It's very good to know."

/

Bianca opened the door a little surprised to see her sister standing on the other side. "Hey, Kendall. Come on in. To what do we owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"I have important business with my nieces and nephew, and before you ask, no, I can't tell you it is. You only need to know that it's nothing to be worried about." Kendall answered with a grin.

"Okay, I guess I have to trust you on that. The kids are downstairs." Bianca noticed the bag her sister was carrying. "Do you want me to hold anything for you?"

Kendall slipped out of coat. "You can take my coat but not the bag."

Marissa observed the scene and smirked. "I'm thinking whatever is in the bag is part of 'Operation Christmas'."

"Ah, say no more. I'll refrain from any questions."

Kendall laughed. "Did you say 'Operation Christmas'?"

"Yeah, the kids were talking 'in code' the other day. Judging by your appearance here today and what was said between them, you would be Elf 1. Gabby is Elf 4 with AJ and Miranda as Elves 2 and 3, not sure which one's which." Marissa chuckled.

"Alrighty then, Elf 1 will be back in a few minutes." Kendall grinned and headed downstairs to the kids' playroom.

/

"Hi, Aunt K." Miranda glanced up the stairs and lowered her voice even though the door was closed. "Is that you know what?"

Kendall nodded and handed over the bag containing the kids' Christmas presents to their moms to her oldest niece. "It is, and don't worry. They don't suspect a thing."

AJ grinned, happy that their surprise was going as planned. "We better wrap these now so they don't see them."

"We can't let them see it, Aunt K. Can you help us?" Gabby looked at her aunt. The seriousness reflected in big brown eyes.

"I tell you what. I'll distract them, munchkin, while you guys sneak upstairs. I've got the wrapping paper and bows you wanted in the bag too. You just need tape and scissors."

"I've got them in my room." Miranda added.

"Okay, I'll go talk to them now and then you sneak up in a couple of minutes."

The kids giggled and waited a few minutes before stealthily passing by their moms on their way to Miranda's room.

/

Somehow, the three women were able to keep straight faces and continue their conversation despite catching a glimpse of the kids 'sneaking' by them and failing to hold their giggles in completely. The women waited until hearing Miranda's bedroom door close before laughing softly.

"Come on, Kendall. Let's go into the kitchen and give our ninja elves a little more privacy." Marissa chuckled.

"Ninja elves, huh? I kind of like the sound of that." Bianca laughed softly.

"So instead of wearing all black like ninja, do ninja elves wear a combo of red and green with candy canes instead of throwing stars?" Kendall cracked as the others laughed as they went into the kitchen.

/

"So have you heard from anyone recently?"

It took the couple a second before realizing who Kendall was referring to.

Bianca looked at her sister. "You mean have we heard from either JR or Reese. There's been no word from her since she went back to Paris."

"How are the girls doing with that, Binx?"

"They're doing okay. Any contact they had with her from the time we left Paris until she showed up here this summer was few and far between. That visit left a lot to be desired. Gabby didn't know her anymore and really didn't want anything to do with her. I sure as hell wasn't going to force her. As for Miranda, she kind of had an idea of what Reese was up to and was very protective of Marissa and her place in our family. That was something that was pretty obvious when we went to the movies. The way she blocked Reese …"

"That's my girl!"

Bianca laughed at Marissa's proud grin.

"That day at the zoo was a good indicator too of where her loyalties lie." Kendall added, smiling at the memory. "What about your ex, Red?"

"No, there hasn't been a peep out of him since he left town after being released. He's still trying to 'find' himself again and believes travelling the world is the way to do it. I know AJ misses him some. I also know he still has some bad memories of JR, his anger and everything he tried to do. AJ doesn't want to see him, and I won't push him. I can tell you that it's really helped having Zach be there for him. I couldn't ask for a better male role model. It's good for AJ to see a man who loves his family and isn't afraid to show it and who also doesn't judge others because of who they love and not be threatened by them. I can't tell you how much I appreciate Zach spending time with him and showing him those things. He's a really good guy."

Kendall sighed. "Yes, he is, and I know how lucky I am. Zach is crazy about AJ and would do anything for him. You know that."

"I do. It means a lot to me and to AJ. He really loves his Uncle Zach."

"New subject, are you ready for Christmas?"

Bianca nodded. "Almost. We just have one final present to get for the kids."

"That would be _the_ present, wouldn't it?"

Marissa smiled. "Yes, it would. Simon will be dropping it off Christmas Eve after the kids are in bed."

"Yeah, we really can't have it here before then. There's no way we could keep it from them if we did."

Kendall chuckled. "That's true. The kids are going to freak. My kids are going to freak when they see it Christmas. Speaking of, are you ready to handle everyone over here for Christmas? Mom and Krystal were only together for a couple of hours on Thanksgiving, and we all know that could've gone smoother."

Marissa laughed. "You think? We did get two new gravy boats out of it."

"I forgot about Bianca's order on replacing them. They both replaced it, huh? I guess they knew better than to cross Binx anymore that day. You should've seen her in action, Red."

"Oh, I did. I didn't see the whole thing, but I saw enough. My girl is kick-ass!" Marissa grinned proudly. "I can see where Miranda and Gabby get their ninja skills. She's rubbing off on AJ too."

Kendall laughed while Bianca rolled her eyes at her lover. "You are _so_ not right sometimes."

"And you wouldn't have me any other way!"

/

Miranda spread everything out on the bedroom floor and retrieved the tape and scissors from her desk.

The three carefully wrapped the presents with Gabby in charge of tape and bows. When that task was done, they started working on their cards. Miranda laid down some extra paper since Gabby was in charge of glitter, and her little sister loved glitter.

Something had been on Miranda's mind for a little while, and she figured this was the best time to ask since they were alone and their Aunt Kendall was distracting their parents.

"AJ, can I ask you something?"

"Sure. What's up?"

"You know how Gabby calls both Mom and Rissa 'mommy'?"

"Uh huh."

"Does it bother you that she calls Rissa 'mommy'?"

AJ stopped to think about the question. "Not really. I was kinda surprised at first, but then I saw how happy it made my Mom. Bianca was happy about it too. When I saw that, I didn't think about it anymore. I mean you and Gabby are my sisters, at least that's how I see you so I guess it's okay for Gabby to call Mom 'mommy'. Hey, Gabby, why did you start calling Mom 'mommy'?"

The little girl shrugged. "Cause she is. She loves me like Mommy, listens to me like Mommy, talks to me like Mommy, makes me laugh like Mommy, and takes care of me like Mommy. When I skinned my knee, she kissed it and made it all better like Mommy. She's my Mommy. Why wouldn't I call her that?" Gabby looked at her brother and sister like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

AJ and Miranda looked at Gabby and then at each other. When they thought about it, everything Gabby said made perfect sense. Both really were their Moms.

"Would it be okay with you, AJ, if I started calling Rissa 'Mom'?"

AJ nodded. "I think she'd really like it. Could I call Bianca 'Mom'?"

Miranda smiled. "Yep, she'd really like that too."

AJ thought for a second. "It could be kinda confusing if we called them both 'Mom'."

"You're right. Which one should we call 'Mom' and what should we call the other one?"

"Hmmm, I don't wanna call either one of them Mommy or Mama. That's for little kids, and I'm too big for that. Sorry, Gabby."

Gabby simply shrugged. "It's okay. I'm still calling them both Mommy."

"Don't you think they could get confused if you keep doing that?"

Gabby shook her head. "Nope. They know who I'm talking too. I like calling them Mommy."

Miranda looked at AJ and shook her head. She knew her sister and saw that stubborn look in her eyes. There was no changing her mind once it was truly set on something. "Gabby's good. How about we call one of them 'Ma'?"

AJ nodded. "I like it. So which one's which?" They thought about this for a minute before AJ broke the silence. "We could call my Mom 'Ma'. It's part of her name."

Miranda pondered this suggestion. It made sense. "Do you think she'd be okay with us calling her that?"

"I think so. What do you think, Gabby?'

The little girl had been listening to the other two discuss this topic. She thought they were being silly. She really didn't know why they couldn't call both Mommies the same name like she did, but they were going to do what they wanted like she was. She thought about it though and thought it would be okay for them. "It's okay." She turned back to her glitter and mumbled. "I'm still calling her Mommy."

Miranda grinned at her sister. "Okay. We could put Ma and Mom on their cards with their presents."

"I like it. Are you okay with that, Gabby? You can still call them both Mommy. This is just letting them know for sure which present belongs to who since some of the pictures on them are different."

"Okay."

"Great! We won't say anything about it now and can surprise them on Christmas!"

"Good idea, AJ! That'll be a great surprise."

**/**

**A/N****: I do not own 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus'. According to Wikipedia, it belongs to Tommie Connor. I also don't own the version by John Mellencamp. That belongs to him. I just really like that particular version. I have one more note and it regards Gabby. Like her, I am the youngest of three. My siblings always thought they knew what was best for me (they still do), and thought they could tell me what to do (again, they still do). Like Gabby, I would listen to them, consider their opinions and then do whatever I wanted to do (I still do). They meant well, but it bugged me (still does but I've adapted over the years). In my mind, I can totally see Gabby adopting this attitude. It's nothing against AJ and Miranda. It's just a sibling thing. It's also something I see happening especially since Gabby had accepted the fact that she had two Mommies in every sense of the word long before her older brother and sister. Why should she change what she was doing then just because they finally realized it? I think that's what her four year old mind would think anyway. Enough from me on that. I have to work on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yes, we're finally getting to it in the next chapter. See you soon! **


	78. Christmas Cookies

**A/N****: Thanks, as always, for reading, following and reviewing this story! I really do appreciate it! This chapter finds the Tasker-Montgomery family at Christmas Eve. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

It was Christmas Eve, and the Tasker-Montgomery household was buzzing with excitement. Today, the family was going to make Christmas cookies for tomorrow's festivities and more importantly, for Santa's visit later that evening. While Bianca, AJ and Miranda ran to the grocery store to pick up a few last minute items for tomorrow's dinner, Marissa and Gabby stayed behind to begin prep work for baking the cookies. This gave the pair plenty of time to talk, and Gabby had an important question that needed answering.

"Mommy, are you sure Santa will find us?" Gabby was concerned that the jolly old elf wouldn't be able to find them this year since they had moved.

"I'm very sure, Monkey. In fact, I'm positive that he knows exactly where we live."

"How do you know?" The little girl didn't really doubt her mother, but this was important so she wanted, no she needed to be sure.

"Do you remember when your Mommy and I went to New York a couple of weeks ago?"

Gabby nodded. "Uh huh."

"And do you remember that picture we showed you of us with Santa?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, we had a nice long conversation with him. We gave him your letter along with AJ's and Miranda's and made sure he had our new address. It turns out that he already had it. I'm not really surprised by that since Santa always has been on top of things."

"He does?"

"Yep, he knows where we're living now. He also said that he knew how good you and your brother and sister have been this year. He told us that you had been especially good, not that your Mommy and me were surprised by that."

Gabby began giggling as Marissa tickled her.

"Uncle, Mommy, uncle!"

Marissa stopped her tickle assault and settled her daughter on the kitchen counter. "Okay, Monkey. Are you feeling better now?"

"Uh huh! I feel lots better."

"Good. What do you say we finish getting things ready so we can start making cookies as soon as the others get back home?"

"'K, Mommy."

/

Bianca, AJ and Miranda returned home to find the other two members of their family in the kitchen. Gabby was sitting on the counter and chatting happily with Marissa while Christmas music played in the background.

"Hey, you two look like you're having fun." Bianca set her grocery bags on the counter opposite Gabby.

"We are. Gabby was a big help. How was the store?" Marissa took the bags that AJ and Miranda had carried in and started to unload them.

"It was nuts, but I had the best two helpers around. I'm glad we went early because I'm sure it will only get worse the later it gets. We now have everything we need though for tomorrow and can spend the rest of the day having fun."

"That sounds good to me." Marissa turned to the kids. "Why don't the three of you go wash up while Bianca and I put this stuff away? We'll start on the cookies when you get back. Oh, do any of you remember where we put Santa's special cup and plate?"

"I remember, Mom." AJ piped up.

"Could you bring that back with you please?"

"Yep."

Bianca lifted Gabby off the counter and gave her a quick kiss before setting her on the floor. "Could one of you help Gabby wash up too?"

"I got it, Mom." Miranda smiled. "Come on, Gabby."

"Thank you."

The couple unloaded the grocery bags and began putting the contents away. Marissa was closing the pantry door when the chords of the next Christmas song began. She immediately knew which song it was, and when her eyes fell on Bianca across the room, the redhead knew every word applied to her.

Marissa crossed the room slowly as she began to sing with the track now playing.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas  
>There is just one thing I need<br>I don't care about the presents  
>Underneath the Christmas tree<em>

Bianca turned, a goofy grin spreading across her face as her lover approached her slowly.  
><em><br>I just want you for my own  
>More than you could ever know<br>Make my wish come true  
>All I want for Christmas is …<br>You _

Marissa took Bianca's hand and spun her around quickly before pulling her lover back into her arms to dance.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas_  
><em>There is just one thing I need<em>  
><em>I don't care about the presents<em>  
><em>Underneath the Christmas tree<em>  
><em>I don't need to hang my stocking<em>  
><em>There upon the fireplace<em>  
><em>Santa Claus won't make me happy<em>  
><em>With a toy on Christmas day<em>  
><em>I just want you for my own<em>  
><em>More than you could ever know<em>  
><em>Make my wish come true<br>__All I want for Christmas is you_

_You baby_

_I won't ask for much this Christmas_  
><em>I won't even wish for snow<em>  
><em>I'm just gonna keep on waiting<em>  
><em>Underneath the mistletoe<em>  
><em>I won't make a list and send it<em>  
><em>To the North Pole for Saint Nick<em>  
><em>I won't even stay awake to<em>  
><em>Hear those magic reindeers click<em>  
><em>'Cause I just want you here tonight<em>  
><em>Holding on to me so tight<em>  
><em>What more can I do<em>  
><em>Baby all I want for Christmas is you<em>

_Ooh baby_

AJ, Miranda and Gabby poked their heads into the kitchen and witnessed the scene before them. It was one they were familiar with and one that they loved to see. Marissa was singing to Bianca who was beaming. They watched their mothers swing and sway in perfect time to the music, and it was easy to see how much their moms loved each other, how happy they were together. A single unspoken thought was shared by the children. _This was gonna be the best Christmas ever._

_All the lights are shining  
>So brightly everywhere<br>And the sound of children's  
>Laughter fills the air<br>And everyone is singing  
>I hear those sleigh bells ringing<br>Santa won't you bring me the one I really need  
>Won't you please bring my baby to me...<em>

_Oh I don't want a lot for Christmas_  
><em>This is all I'm asking for<em>  
><em>I just want to see my baby<em>

_Standing right outside my door  
>Oh I just want you for my own<br>More than you could ever know  
>Make my wish come true<br>Baby all I want for Christmas is...  
>You<em>

_All I want for Christmas is you... baby_

When the song stopped, Bianca pulled Marissa closer for a loving kiss. Before it had a chance to deepen, they were interrupted by the sound of their children giggling from the doorway.

"It seems we have an audience." Bianca nodded in the direction of the door.

Marissa grinned mischievously and quickly spun Bianca and pulled her back, dipping her lover when she was close enough. A quick kiss was given to a surprised and delighted Bianca before she slowly helped her back to her feet.

The kids started clapping as they rushed into the room.

"That was really cool, Mom." AJ gushed.

"I'll teach you how to do that when you're a little older." Marissa winked at her son.

Miranda giggled as she watched her mom. She had that goofy grin on her face that only Marissa could give her. "Did Rissa surprise you, Mom?"

"Yes, she most certainly did. She managed to take my breath away, but she always does."

Marissa grinned and whispered to Bianca. "Just wait until later tonight."

"I'm holding you to that, Counselor."

Marissa laughed. "Come on, my little elves. It's time to make some cookies."

/

The family made all varieties of cookies from sugar cookies to chocolate chip to snicker doodles to gingerbread. They were in all shapes and sizes, some with icing and others without. It was decided that those being left for Santa would be ones in the shape of a snowman, a Christmas tree and Santa himself, all with icing. Everyone had a good time with only one slight incident involving the icing. It had happened when the kids were first learning how to apply the icing to the cookies after they had cooled. Somehow, they ended up having more on them than on the cookies, but it was nothing a quick clean-up couldn't take care of.

After dinner, the family decided to watch 'A Christmas Story' which was being run continuously on a cable station. When it was over, the kids changed into their pajamas and were still buzzing with excitement. They were tracking Santa's progress on the NORAD website. The closer he got to Pine Valley, the more excited they got. In an effort to settle them down somewhat, Bianca suggested reading a story. Both she and Marissa knew it was a long shot, but it was one worth taking. They needed to get the kids to bed soon in order to pull out their presents and possibly get a few hours of sleep themselves tonight. The couple knew they weren't alone. Parents around the world were going through the exact same thing they were.

One story actually became three. Marissa first shared with them a Christmas story her parents had told her when she was around the same age as AJ and Miranda. The story had become a Christmas tradition for them. Her mother had written it down, and it was one of the things Marissa cherished most. Even though she knew it by heart, Marissa pulled it out to read to her children tonight. She had shared it with AJ before, and now, it was time to share it with the Bianca and the girls. It was the tale of a redheaded girl who had been magically transported to the North Pole to help Santa save Christmas. Marissa had happened upon it while packing for the move and set it aside to work on a sequel to it that would have two brown-haired girls and a blonde-headed boy picking up the mantle and helping Santa with his latest adventure. She hoped to have it finished by next Christmas as a surprise for the kids. Marissa had a feeling her parents would be more than happy with the new story and including her children, their grandchildren.

That story was followed by _How the Grinch Stole Christmas_. The kids enjoyed their moms doing the voices. They were surprised when Marissa tackled the Grinch so well, and were surprised even more when Bianca did a perfect Cindy Lou Who. The couple could tell the kids were beginning to lose their battle with sleep and figured one more shorter story would do it. The night was finished up with _Twas the Night Before Christmas_.

By the time it was over, Gabby, who had been nestled on Marissa's lap since the stories started, was nodding off. Miranda and AJ were on either side of Bianca, leaning against her with drooping eyelids of their own.

"It's time for bed." Bianca said quietly.

Miranda shook her head. "We can't go to bed yet, Mom. We have to put out Santa's cookies and milk."

"Okay, you can do that, but then, it's bedtime. Santa won't come if you're still up, and according to the website, he should be here soon."

Gabby mumbled something which caused Marissa to smile.

Bianca gave the pair a questioning look.

"She said not to forget the carrots for the reindeer."

"Got it."

Marissa stood holding a half asleep Gabby while Bianca helped AJ and Miranda set up Santa's snack of cookies and milk as well as adding a bundle of carrots for his reindeer. Everyone headed upstairs where the kids were tucked into their beds and soon drifted off to sleep.

/

The couple went back downstairs to the family room and settled on the sofa together enjoying the fire along with the peace and quiet. They knew that would change early the next morning.

"Do you think we waited long enough?"

Bianca cocked her head to listen for any sounds from upstairs. Hearing nothing, she nodded. "Yeah, I do. They couldn't be this quiet for this long, especially tonight. It's time."

Marissa grinned. "Let's get started. When are you calling Simon?"

"I'll call him now. It won't take him long to get here."

The presents were soon surrounding the tree and stockings filled.

There was something Marissa needed to take care of for her present for Bianca. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?"

"There's something I need to take care of, and you'll find out soon enough."

Bianca quirked an eyebrow. "I will, huh?"

"Yep but only if you're good." Marissa winked before grabbing her coat and heading out the back door.

Bianca was tempted to follow her but thought better of it. She had her own present for Marissa to get ready. She dashed to the garage to retrieve the carefully wrapped present from the trunk of her car. Once that was in hand, she headed back to their bedroom and stashed it under the bed on her side. Bianca's phone buzzed letting her know her friend Simon was outside.

The couple met back in the family room and took the special package from the brunette's friend. After thanking him repeatedly, they wished him a Merry Christmas and hid the bundle safely in their office where everything was all set up.

Marissa then pulled Bianca back down the hallway. "You know how we decided to exchange our presents tonight in private?"

"Yes."

"Well, I can't wait any longer to give you your's. So, I need you to come with me now. You'll need your coat."

"For a kiss, I'll go anywhere with you." Bianca grinned mischievously.

"That's a pretty steep price for your cooperation, _but_ for you, it's one I'll gladly pay." Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss which Bianca began to deepen as she pulled her closer. The redhead reluctantly pulled away. She would love nothing better than to stay in that moment, kissing Bianca. _God, this woman can kiss. No, I have to give Bianca her present. Then, we'll definitely be getting back to this._ "Back you temptress! I want to give you your present. You can _thank_ me after."

Bianca gave her lover a playful pout. "It better be some present to stop this."

"Come on." Marissa tugged the brunette to the back door which she slid open. She stopped Bianca just outside the door before flipping a switch. The backyard was bathed in soft light. White Christmas lights adorned the trees and shrubbery as well as the covered outside furniture and the kids' jungle gym.

"Rissa, this is beautiful. You didn't do this all by yourself with your knee, did you? You don't need to be climbing on stuff."

Marissa chuckled. "No, I didn't. I promised you I wouldn't do anything reckless. Brian and Lisa came over during lunch the other day to help."

"We've had these lights up for that long and I didn't notice them?"

"Well, they weren't turned on, and we've been pretty busy the last couple of days so it would be easy to miss them."

"I can't believe you did this. It's beautiful."

"This isn't your present. It's down this way." Marissa held out her hand which Bianca happily took and led her down a path not far from the house. "You'll be able to see better in the daylight, obviously, and it will look much better in the spring. This is kind of a placeholder for you.

"See what better? What are you talking about?"

"I know how much you like to garden and that it's your favorite way to relieve stress after a particularly rough day."

Bianca shook her head and grinned. "It's my second favorite way to relieve stress. You're my favorite."

Marissa laughed. "That's very good to know. You're my favorite too." The couple came to a stop. "Well, this is _your_ spot. I spoke with the landscaper, and this is the best spot for you to set up your garden. It has the right amount of sun and shade so you'll be able to grow whatever you want."

In all of her planning for the new house, Bianca neglected to allow for the garden she had always wanted. Marissa, however, remembered her lover telling her how much she wanted one, how much it grounded her, how much it helped her deal with the ugliness she saw through her work with the Miranda Center. So, the redhead decided not to mention anything in order to surprise her. _She doesn't forget anything. I wonder if she'll ever stop surprising me._ Bianca looked at the area Marissa was indicating that had been blocked off with paver stones. The space was not too big but not too small and was close to the house but not too close. It was the perfect place to give her a little getaway when she needed it. Bianca saw a large basket in the middle of area with a big bow on it. Thanks to the Christmas lights, there was enough light in the area for her to see its contents. It contained everything she would need to start and care for her garden. When Bianca turned to Marissa, she noticed one other surprise, a beautiful, hand-carved wooden bench which was the perfect size for two. She walked closer and could see some writing on the top of the back. She read the engraving, her fingers tracing the words inscribed on the wood,

_Marissa + Bianca  
>Forevermore<em>

Bianca sat on the bench, a goofy grin on her face. She held her hand out for Marissa who took it and joined her lover on the bench. "It's perfect. I love it. Thank you." She cupped Marissa's face and kissed her tenderly. The couple sat back with Bianca resting her head on Marissa's shoulder. "I know exactly how I want to lay everything out."

"You do, huh?"

"Yep, I do. I can't believe you remembered me talking about wanting this."

"B, I remember everything you've told me."

Bianca's breath hitched. "I love you."

"I love you too."

The couple sat there, enjoying the quiet and the warmth from each other. Bianca smiled and gave Marissa a quick kiss before standing up. "Come on. It's your turn. I hope you like it."

"It's from you. I know I'll love it."

/

Coats were hung back up in the closet, the house locked up and all lights turned off before heading back to their bedroom. After changing into their pajamas, Bianca had Marissa settle on their bed while she retrieved her present. "Merry Christmas."

Marissa unwrapped the package and found several DVDs inside. She gave Bianca a questioning look.

"The artwork was delayed for the cases, but it will be in next week so I'll have everything put together the way it should be. When we were moving, I found a box of video tapes that you had."

It suddenly hit Marissa what she was holding, her voice almost a whisper. "These are my home movies?"

Bianca nodded. "That's what the labels said they were. I didn't watch them. I didn't want to do that without your permission because I know those are private. It's your life before Pine Valley. I'm guessing your Mom and Dad are on them, and going by what you've you told me about your parents, I'm sure there are plenty of scenes with you too. In fact, you're probably the star of them. Video tapes only last for so long and there aren't many VCRs around anymore. I had the tapes transferred for you because I didn't want you lose what was on them. If the labeling was correct on the tapes, they should be in order on the DVDs."

"Mom labeled them so the order will be correct. She puts my organizational skills to shame." Hazel eyes glistened due in equal parts to remembering what the tapes held and because of the thoughtfulness of Bianca. "I haven't watched these in a few years. It was hard to see my parents, hear them after the accident. I know when some people have home movies of their loved ones they can't stop watching them, but I was the opposite. It felt like I was barely keeping myself together. I thought if I watched them at that point that I would completely lose it and not be able to get myself back together again." She saw the concern in Bianca's eyes, knowing instinctively that her lover thought she had stirred up painful memories for her. Marissa took a deep breath. "That was then. I'm ready now. It's time. Would you watch them with me?"

"Are you sure? I more than understand if you want to watch them by yourself first. You said it's been a few years, and the last thing I want to do ..."

Marissa shook her head. "I want you here, please."

Bianca smiled softly and took the first DVD from Marissa. She turned the TV on and placed the DVD in the player before grabbing the remote. Marissa situated herself under the covers and held them up for Bianca to join her. Marissa then settled back in Bianca's waiting arms. The brunette kissed her tenderly before starting the movie.

**/**

**A/N****: I do not own 'All I Want For Christmas Is You'. Mariah Carey does. I just like the song, and the idea of Marissa singing it to Bianca popped into my head a while ago. So, what do you think of Bianca's present to Marissa? Now, I'm not just leaving Marissa's home movies there. I have every intention of writing them into the next chapter. They could appear in later ones too. I'm still playing around with what I want them to show. If there's a particular scene/memory you would like to read about, please feel free to let me know either via PM or review, and I'll see what I can do. See you soon! **


	79. A Glimpse Of The Past

**A/N****: Well, I can never say it enough. Thanks for reading, following and reviewing this story! It is much appreciated! This chapter picks up right where the last one left off so we're still in a fluffy phase. We'll get to Christmas Day next chapter. Scenes from the videos are in _italics_. With that said, I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca smiled softly and took the first DVD from Marissa. She turned the TV on and placed the DVD in the player before grabbing the remote. Marissa situated herself under the covers and held them up for Bianca to join her. Marissa then settled back in Bianca's waiting arms. The brunette kissed her tenderly before starting the movie.

/

_There was a jostling of the camera before a handsome man with dark wavy hair and soft brown eyes appeared on screen._

"_Hi, I'm Roy Tasker."_

_A woman's voice could be heard off camera. "Roy, what on earth are you doing?"_

"_I'm introducing myself, Lydia."_

"_To who exactly? Who do expect to be watching this? I really don't see a high rental demand for Tasker family home movies." Lydia chuckled._

_/_

Marissa's breath caught hearing her parents' voices again and seeing her Dad. She knew what would be coming next. She would be seeing her Mom, and she couldn't wait to see the woman who had raised her again.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I am." A smile playing on Marissa's face once again hearing her parents playfully fuss with each other.

_/_

_The camera dipped down and began filming the floor. "Well, you never know who might see these. Our little girl might be watching these with her family years from now so I thought it would be nice to introduce ourselves."_

"_Wouldn't our daughter be doing that if she's watching these with her family?" Lydia chuckled seeing the crestfallen expression on her husband's face. "Alright, you win. I'm sorry I interrupted. Please continue."_

_Roy brought the camera back up again. "Thank you. As I was saying, I'm Roy, and I just got this new camera today. I never thought I would get one of these things because I just didn't have the need for one. That's all changed though because of our newest addition. Now that I'm a Dad …" a grin spread across Roy's face at the word 'dad'. It was something he had wanted to be for so long. It was a dream that had finally come true. "I need to have one of these things so I can record every fascinating thing my little …"_

_Lydia cleared her throat._

_Roy smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I mean, I can record every fascinating thing 'our' little girl does."_

"_That's much better."_

"_Enough of me. I'm not the star of this show. It's time you meet who is." _

_The camera angle changed and Roy disappeared. A woman with red hair and brilliant green eyes appeared on screen. The brightest of smiles graced her face as she shifted her gaze to loving look down upon the bundle resting comfortably in her arms. The only thing visible at first was a tuft of red hair poking out from underneath the baby blanket wrapped tightly around her. Lydia's smile said it all. Ever since she was a little girl, she wanted to be a Mom. When she met and fell in love with Roy, the two couldn't wait to start a family. It hadn't been in the cards for them to have a child of their own however. They were just beginning the process of pursuing adoption when their friend Krystal stepped back into their lives. Their shared dream was now fulfilled, and you wouldn't find two happier people on the planet._

_/_

Marissa took a deep breath as her Mom appeared on screen.

_/_

"_This beautiful woman is my lovely wife Lydia, the love of my life. She took pity on me and agreed to marry me, making me the luckiest man on earth. I know what you're thinking. She's out of my league. You're right. She is. You probably have a couple of questions. How did someone like me convince someone like her to marry them? To be honest, I don't really know. I think somebody up there must like me an awful lot though."_

_Lydia chuckled, a blush spreading across her face. "In case you forgot, I'm not the star of this show either."_

"_You'll always be a star to me."_

_The camera angle shifted and a redheaded baby girl came into focus. "This is our daughter, Marissa Lynn Tasker. She's absolutely perfect, isn't she? I know that people will say we're biased, and maybe we are. I still defy anyone to tell me differently though. Right, Lyd?"_

"_I'm not going to argue with you. She is perfect."_

/

"Oh my gosh, Rissa, look at you! They're right. You are absolutely perfect!"

Marissa snorted as they paused the movie. "Like you're not biased either."

Bianca grinned. "I may be, but it doesn't make me _or them_ wrong. I've seen pictures of your folks before, but I never really noticed the color of your Mom's hair that much. I guess that's because most of the pictures were in black & white."

"Dad liked taking pictures in black & white. He liked the contrast, and he thought it gave them a more artistic look. I never thought I looked like either one of them all that much, but with Mom having red hair, I stopped thinking about it. I just figured I got that from her. The hazel eyes were the result of their brown and green eyes. Everything else was just a blend of the two of them. That's what I thought at least so it never entered my mind that I was adopted. I was simply their daughter."

"You never really had a reason to question it. It's clear how much they loved and adored you. You were their world. Are you mad at them that they never told you that you were adopted?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, I'm not. Hurt and disappointed that they kept that from me yeah, but not mad. Do I wish they would've told me? Yeah, I do, but knowing everything that I know now, I understand why they didn't. My mother sold me and kept my sister. How do you explain something like that to a child? I'm still dealing with that. So no, I'm not mad at them. They were protecting me and gave me a home and the best childhood you could ask for. While we didn't have a lot of money, we were okay. I never wanted for anything, and I never doubted for one second whether they loved and wanted me or not."

Bianca smiled. "Well, that's obvious just by looking at their faces. It's written all over them. They adored you."

"The feeling is definitely mutual." Marissa took the movie off pause.

/

"_Look at her eyes. It's like she's taking everything in and not missing one single thing. You can just see how brilliant she is already." Roy's hand came into the picture, and Marissa grabbed it and smiled. "She's smiling at me, Lydia! She knows who her Daddy is!"_

_Lydia sighed. "And she has you wrapped around her little finger already. I can see it's going to be two against one."_

_Marissa glanced at her Mom and smiled again. Lydia chuckled. "Okay, I get it. If we play it just right, we can get your Dad to do what we both want."_

/

Bianca snorted. "You were a charmer even then. I never stood a chance, did I?"

Marissa laughed. "Nope and neither did I."

_/_

_The video showed scenes of Marissa splashing around during bath times, her first attempt at feeding herself and of her crawling. There were also scenes from Halloween where Marissa was dressed as a lady bug and of her first Christmas. Each milestone was lovingly documented by her parents._

"_That's it, Rissa! You can do it!" Roy could be heard from behind the camera. "Walk to Mama!"_

_Lydia held her arms out to her daughter. "You can do it! I know you can! You're my big girl! Come to me, baby!"_

_Marissa grinned and took a wobbly step towards her Mom. "Mama!"_

"_Oh my gosh! She's doing it! She's doing it, Roy! Look at her! You're getting this, right?"_

"_Of course I am, and of course she is! Our daughter is exceptional!"_

_The camera continued to capture the shaky steps until she reached her Mom and was immediately scooped up and peppered with kisses and praise. Marissa clapped her hands and grinned._

_Lydia set her daughter back on floor. "Walk to Daddy."_

"_Dada!" Marissa grinned and began to wobble over to her Dad. _

_The camera jostled as Roy handed it off to Lydia. He held his arms open wide as his daughter happily made her way over to him. "That's my girl! I'm telling you, Lydia, she is exceptional!" Marissa giggled as she was lifted and spun around._

/

"You're so cute and really proud of yourself! How old were you?" Bianca asked.

"I was about 10 months old. They told me that's when I started taking my first steps. They were always doing that."

"Doing what?"

"Being there for me, telling me how good I was, that I could do anything. They were my biggest cheerleaders. That is before you came into my life." Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss.

"It's no more than you do for me."

_/_

_Marissa now appeared on screen sitting in a highchair. A bright smile graced her face as she clapped while being serenaded with a chorus of 'Happy Birthday'. A small cake with chocolate frosting and a big '1' candle was set in front of her and lit. When the song ended, Lydia helped her daughter blow out the candle. It was removed, and Marissa's hands reached for the cake. A tiny hand plunged into the cake as the little girl laughed loudly. It immediately went into her waiting mouth. Hazel eyes grew wide as another hand grabbed more cake._

"_I think she likes chocolate cake almost as much as you do, Lyd."_

_Lydia grinned. "Well, she has very good taste, don't you Rissa?"_

_Marissa laughed again and reached for more cake. Before too long, chocolate cake was all over her face and in her hair._

"_It looks like someone's going to need a bath after this."_

/

Bianca snorted. "Wow, you were really into chocolate cake all the way back then. It's good to see that you've gotten the hang of using a fork now though. I'm not sure on the self-restraint around it however."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Funny. From the pictures I've seen, you don't really have much room to talk. I seem to recall one of you covered in chocolate from head to toe about that same age."

"Point taken, Counselor. Is it wrong that I really want some chocolate cake now?"

"Nope but we're going to have to wait until tomorrow since we don't have any right now."

_/_

_The scene changed. It was late at night and the camera bounced as it was carried down the darkened hallway. An image of Roy holding Marissa while she yawned appeared on screen. He spoke quietly to his daughter who listened to him with wide eyes as if she understood everything he was saying._

"_Today was a big day. I can't believe you're one already. I honestly don't know where the year went. Your Mama and I are so proud of you. It doesn't matter what you do, just know that we always will be."_

_Marissa smiled sleepily._

"_Look at that smile. You are going to be a heartbreaker. Speaking of which, let's talk about something for a minute. I hate to break this to you, but no dating. You're not allowed. I'm sorry, but that's the way it's got to be. I just don't think I can trust anyone with you. I also don't think there is or ever will be anyone good enough for you. So it wouldn't matter who you might bring home, I don't see me liking them because you're my little girl and no one is good enough for you."_

_A soft chuckle escaped from behind the camera as Roy lifted Marissa to shift her slightly. The man glanced up and smiled seeing his wife. _

"_She was awake when I passed by the room so I thought I would have a little chat with her."_

"_So I gathered."_

_He rose and gently laid a now sleeping Marissa back in her baby bed._

"_No dating, huh? Do you really think that's going to happen?"_

"_Well yeah, she'll listen to me."_

_Lydia could be heard chuckling softly behind the camera. "If you say so, sweetheart. Let's go back to bed."_

/

"I like how your Mom humored your Dad. Am I safe in assuming she intervened on your behalf?"

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, she told me she had to humor him from time to time, and yeah, she did intervene for me, thankfully. I was mortified when it was time for my first date. I was 14, and it was just a Valentine's Day dance at school. My date's name was Jimmy, and I felt so bad for him. My Dad gave him the third degree. The only thing he didn't do was pull out a gun to clean it in front of him. The only reason he didn't do that was because we didn't have a gun."

Bianca laughed. "I think that was cute of your Dad. He was just being a little protective of his little girl."

"Well, it didn't feel so cute back then. I wanted to crawl under a rock. Needless to say, that was my first and last date with Jimmy. I can laugh at it now, but back then, I thought the world was going to end. I was not very happy with my Dad. Thankfully, Mom stepped in and brokered an acceptable peace treaty between us. She was the one who first taught me the value of negotiating."

"She sounds pretty amazing, like someone else I know. I can definitely see where you got your mad skills from."

/

_A five year old Marissa appeared on screen. She was running down the sidewalk, racing a girl from the neighborhood. As the young redhead started to pull ahead, the other girl bumped her, knocking her down. Marissa started to cry as she tried to sit up. The image on screen jostled as the camera was dropped onto grass. The angle was now skewed slightly sideways. _

_Roy ran to his daughter and scooped her up. "Rissa baby, it's gonna be alright. Daddy's here. Daddy's here. Lydia! I need your help!"_

_Lydia's voice could be heard. "Roy? What's wrong? Oh my gosh! What happened?"_

"_I need you to get the first aid kit. She skinned her knees. You know I can't handle …"_

"_Okay. Rissa, stay with your Daddy, and Mommy will be right back. You'll feel better real soon. I promise." Lydia could be seen giving a sobbing Marissa a quick kiss._

_Moments later, Lydia was back with the first aid kit in hand. While she cleaned her daughter's knees and applied band aids, Roy did his best to comfort the little redhead. He first wiped her tears and then rocked her gently before beginning to sing softly to her. _

"_All through the night,  
>near and far,<br>we will be together.  
>So hush, don't you cry.<br>You will be in my arms, forevermore."_

_Marissa calmed down hearing her Daddy sing. An occasional sniffle could be heard, but the sobbing had stopped by the time the song was over. _

"_Better?" _

_The little girl nodded. "Will you sing me my song again, Daddy?"_

"_Of course I will, Rissa."_

_When the song was finished the second time, Marissa reached for her Mommy. Lydia fixed her daughter's pigtails and continued to rock her. "What happened?"_

"_Shelly and me were racing, and I was winning. She didn't like it so she pushed me. She's a big meanie."_

"_She what?" Lydia glanced at her husband who nodded._

"_She did. Don't worry, Lydia. I'm going to take care of it, trust me on that. Nobody does something like that to my little girl."_

"_Don't be upset, Daddy. It'll be okay." Marissa patted her Daddy's knee. "When my knees are better, I'll race her again and beat her really bad. That'll show her."_

_Roy and Lydia couldn't help but smile at their daughter's confidence. _

"_I have every faith that you will, Rissa."_

/

"I can't believe that bully! She was twice your size! I hope your parents told her's what she did and that she was punished."

Marissa laughed seeing how worked up Bianca was.

"What? Why are you laughing? It's not funny. She hurt you, and it could've been a lot worse." Bianca was completely confused by her lover's response.

Laughter stopped and Marissa kissed Bianca sweetly. "Babe, that was almost 25 years ago. If you haven't figured it out, I'm fine."

"But she was a bully!"

"Yes, she was. I never liked her. She was mean to me and all of the other little kids on our street. Like all bullies, she picked on the smaller kids to make herself feel better. Mom and Dad talked to her parents who grounded her and made her apologize to me. She didn't mean it though. I could tell. It didn't matter too much to me because everyone saw what did. Plus, I got even with her."

Bianca grinned. "You raced her again when your knees healed."

"Yep, and she ate my dust! Dad recorded it."

"Of course he did. Your Dad looked really pale when he saw your knees."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, Dad couldn't handle blood. It made him queasy. Any cuts or scrapes were handled by Mom."

"Your Dad had a wonderful voice."

Marissa smiled wistfully. "Yeah, he did."

"I always knew how much that song meant to you, but now I can see exactly why. I could see the change immediately. It was like magic for you. It's like magic for all of us. I know I've said it before, but thank you for sharing it with us." Bianca kissed Marissa softly.

"You know my Dad was wrong about a couple of things."

"Like what?"

Marissa paused the video and turned back to face Bianca. "He said that no one was good enough for me and that he wouldn't like anyone I brought home. He was wrong. _You_ are perfect for me. That's something he would've known as soon as he met you. Also, he would have loved you and so would my Mom. I have no doubt about that. How could they not? Thank you so much for this."

"Well, my Dad would've seen that you're perfect for me too, and you sure have won over my Mom. I never thought anyone would've been able to do that. I always thought that was impossible, but you somehow manage to do the impossible over and over again. What I did wasn't that special. I just had your movies transferred."

"No, you're wrong. It is special, just like you. Without me saying one word, you knew what these meant to me, that I wouldn't want to lose them, and you saved them for me. The thought of looking at them without me never entered your mind although I wouldn't have cared if you did. I'm constantly amazed by you even though I shouldn't be. You are without a doubt the most incredible and thoughtful person I have ever or will ever know, and this is the perfect gift. I know that Dynamic Duo and your Mom were telling you to get me a fancy car. That's not what I wanted though. You knew that, respected that and gave me something from the heart, like you did with my music box. I don't need anything else."

Bianca smiled sheepishly. "I did get you something else." The brunette reached back under the bed and brought up another package. "It goes with the DVDs."

Marissa grinned and took the present. "You didn't have to do this. You know that, right?"

"I do, but I really wanted to get you something else. Go ahead and open it."

Marissa did as instructed and started laughing as she saw her gift. "You got me a new video camera! I love it!"

"I know how much you enjoy recording all of the stuff our family does together. It's easy to see where you got that from. I know the other camera has been giving you problems recently by cutting out on you. So, I thought it was the perfect time to get a new one, and this one has some really cool features."

The redhead started reading the package. "Wow, you're right. This is great." Marissa got out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm charging it up for tomorrow. Christmas morning has to be recorded."

After plugging in the camera to charge, Marissa jumped back onto the bed making Bianca laugh. The redhead grabbed the remote and turned off the DVD player, knowing the couple would be watching more of the movies in the upcoming days. She also wanted to share them with the kids, give them a glimpse of her childhood and her parents. It was something she thought they would like. Setting the remote on her night stand, Marissa turned and crawled over slowly to her lover with a wicked grin. "It's getting late, and the kids will be up in just a few hours. I'm torn though. While I know we should be getting some sleep so we'll be ready for the kids, I have this overwhelming need to thank you properly for my presents. If I do that, it would mean that we won't be getting that much sleep."

Bianca's grin matched Marissa's. "You do, huh? What a coincidence. I have the same overwhelming need because that was quite the present you gave me. It would seem that is quite the quandary that we have here. I would be okay going without a little sleep in order to thank you properly, if you would be willing to do the same." Bianca lips brushed softly along her lover's neck.

Marissa hummed with bliss as her hands tangled in silken locks pulling her lover closer. She was becoming lost in the glorious feeling of Bianca's lips traveling over her body. "I would be more than willing to do that."

A dazzling smile crossed Bianca's face as she pushed Marissa back on their bed. "I can't tell you how happy that makes me. I have a great idea. Why don't I show you?"

"Have I ever told you how much I love how you think?" Marissa grinned as she pulled Bianca down to her.


	80. Christmas With Minx

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing! It means a lot and is much appreciated! Christmas Day has finally arrived in this little tale. Sorry it's taken me a bit to get here, but the mind wandered. That's enough from me for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The couple groaned hearing a knock on their bedroom door. Although it was still dark outside, a quick glance at the clock confirmed it was, in fact, morning. Even though it was way too early to be up, especially after their late night, both women knew going back to sleep today of all days was not an option. Christmas morning had arrived early at Minx Manor, and judging by the excited whispers on the other side of their bedroom door, their three children were more than ready to start the day. The kids were actually showing remarkable restraint because they had to pass by the family room where their Christmas presents were to get to their Moms' room.

Marissa reluctantly removed herself from Bianca's arms so both women could sit up and brace themselves for the onslaught of excited children. A quick kiss was exchanged along with a knowing smile that it was time to greet their awaiting children.

Bianca cleared her throat to lessen the usual morning croak. "Come in."

The door was flung open, and AJ and Miranda burst into the room with Gabby trailing behind.

"Santa was here!"

"You should see all the presents!"

Gabby, while somewhat excited, was still a little sleepy. She hadn't quite gotten the memo on waking up at the crack of dawn like her brother and sister. She climbed onto the bed, settled into her usual spot between her mothers and yawned.

AJ and Miranda scrambled onto the bed as well, literally bouncing with excitement.

"I thought I heard something on the roof last night when we were going to bed. I guess it was Santa." Marissa said with a grin.

"He left a bunch of presents, huh? I suppose you want to check them out and open them." Bianca's tease was met with AJ and Miranda rolling their eyes as if to say 'Duh, ya think?'

Marissa chuckled. "Well, I guess we should probably open them since Santa went to all of that trouble."

Bianca nodded. "I think you're right, Rissa."

The kids cheered, even Gabby who was more awake now after hearing the phrase 'open them'. Before they could dash back into the family room, they were stopped by Bianca.

"Wait a second. Before any presents are opened, we all need to brush our teeth first. I have a feeling some people might forget in all of the excitement and then what will Grandma Erica say when you greet her with stinky breath?"

The response from the kids was a combination of a grumble for having to wait longer and a giggle picturing Erica's reaction to being greeted with stinky breath.

"I'll brush mine real quick and then I'll help you guys. Rissa can get the camera ready after she's done. We want to make sure we record everything." Bianca headed to the master bathroom while Marissa retrieved her new video camera.

"Is that new?" AJ asked.

"Yep, it sure is. Bianca got me a new one since my old one wasn't working all that great. Do you guys want to see it?"

The question was answered with heads bobbing up and down. Marissa showed them her new camera while she got it ready. It was enough of a distraction to give Bianca time to finish up in the bathroom.

The brunette entered the bedroom again and scooped Gabby up and headed upstairs with AJ and Miranda following closely behind. Marissa dashed into the bathroom and then made one quick pit stop before making her way into the family room. The timing was perfect as all five gathered there at the same time.

/

After the couple settled on the sofa, the kids were given the all clear to start opening presents.

Soon, the floor was covered in wrapping paper, and the kids were happily showing off their new toys to their smiling mothers.

Miranda got the attention of her brother and sister. The three shared a smile and gathered the presents for their moms. Gabby went to hand the package she had to Bianca, but Miranda stopped her.

"Wait, we have to make sure that's the right one for Mom." She checked the tag and shook her head. "The one AJ has is for Mom."

Gabby smiled and handed the gift she held to Marissa.

"Thank you!" The redhead froze when she looked at the tag reading,

_To: Ma  
>Love, AJ, Miranda and Gabby<em>

Hazel eyes started to glisten as she looked at her three children.

"Rissa, is everything okay?"

Marissa's voice was thick with emotion. "Oh yeah, it's more than okay. I think that maybe you should look at yours."

Bianca looked down at the gift that AJ had handed her. Her tag read,

_To: Mom  
>Love, AJ, Miranda and Gabby<em>

The brunette took a shaky breath and struggled to keep her tears at bay.

Miranda, being the children's designated spokesperson, cleared her throat. "The three of us were talking, and we were hoping, if it's okay with you, that we could call you Mom and Ma." She felt Gabby tug on the sleeve of her pajamas. "Well, AJ and me wanna call you that. Gabby still wants to call you both Mommy."

AJ spoke up to help his sister. "Is it okay if we do that?"

Marissa was able to speak first. "Yes, it sure is. I can't think of anything that I would love more."

Bianca finally found her voice. "I can't either. You're sure you want to do this?"

"Uh huh! We already think of you both as our Moms so why not call you that?" AJ reasoned.

"Yep, we do! I mean, Gabby's already been calling you both Mommy for a while now. When we got to thinking about it, it just sounds right."

"All of you come here!"

The kids scrambled onto the sofa and were smothered with hugs and kisses from their two very happy mothers. When the giggles died down, Gabby spoke up. "You gonna open your presents?"

"I forgot all about it. Do you want us to open them at the same time, Monkey?"

"Uh huh!"

The women unwrapped their presents and revealed digital picture frames.

"Aunt Kendall helped us load all kinds of pictures on them when you were in New York." Miranda told her mothers excitedly.

"She did, huh? You all are really sneaky." Bianca smiled.

The frames were turned on and pictures flashed across the screens.

"These are great and mine will look perfect on my desk at work. I know it will great on your Ma's desk too."

"Your Mom is right. We love them. Thank you all so very, very much."

Something was on Miranda's mind. "I know Mom got you the video camera, Ma. What did you get her?" The young girl smiled hearing herself call Marissa 'Ma'. It felt natural, and she was glad she was finally able to call Marissa that because Miranda really did see the redhead as her other mother. She also liked the way her Ma's eyes lit up when she called her that.

Marissa beamed hearing her new title from Miranda. To know that the girl thought of her that way after everything she had been through meant the world to her. The redhead cleared her throat in an attempt to stave off the emotions she was feeling, not wanting them to overwhelm her. "My gift to her is outside."

"Outside?"

"Yeah, it really wouldn't fit in here, and I think it's pretty awesome. You all can check it out after we've had breakfast and everyone's changed. It's cold outside."

"Speaking of awesome presents, the camera isn't the only thing your Mom got me. When we were moving, she found my old home movies and had them transferred to DVD so I wouldn't lose them."

"She did? Can we watch them?" Miranda was excited hearing this. She had always been curious about what Marissa was like as a little girl, and now, she just might get that chance.

"Of course you can."

Bianca snorted. "You should see what she did to her first chocolate cake. I have an idea. I'll pick up in here while the three of you help your Ma with breakfast. After we're done, we'll change, check out my present from Marissa and then watch some of her movies."

AJ grinned as his stomach started to growl. Breakfast sounded really good to him. "Okay, Mom. You sure you don't need any help in here?" He really liked the smile on Bianca's face when he called her that. It felt really good to see her so happy hearing it.

Bianca blinked and then smiled brightly when she heard AJ call her 'Mom'. She loved how that sounded and the fact that he thought of her as a second mother. "Thank you, Buddy, but I'm sure."

AJ nodded and followed the others into the kitchen.

"Can we have pancakes, Mommy? The ones with chocolate chips?"

"Are there any other kind, Monkey?"

Bianca hurried up and gathered the spent wrapping paper off the floor and headed back to their home office to get the kids' last present. She and Marissa had planned this part. Her lover would keep the kids occupied by slowly preparing breakfast while she retrieved their present. She gently placed it in the large box they had gotten and went back to the family room.

The brunette carefully set the box down and tilted the lid so it was barely on. She then called into the kitchen. "Kids, I think you forgot a present."

The kids looked at each other. They were sure they had opened everything, but if their Mom said they missed something, they must have.

Marissa glanced down at her children. "Well, I guess we better see what you missed." She set the batter aside and helped Gabby off the counter where she was sitting and helping Marissa while AJ and Miranda stopped setting the table. The four then headed back into the family room.

/

The kids immediately spotted the box near the Christmas tree. Bianca and Marissa stood next to each other while the redhead recorded the moment. The children approached the mystery box curiously. They were inches from it when a black nose appeared out of the top of the box causing the kids to jump back and their mothers to chuckle. The nose disappeared briefly before being replaced by a golden furry head.

"It's a puppy!" Miranda exclaimed.

AJ was just as excited as his sister. "We got a puppy!"

Gabby just grinned and rushed over to the box. "He's the bestest puppy ever!"

Bianca came over and carefully lifted the puppy from the box. It was set down on the floor and began sniffing around. His tail began wagging wildly seeing the kids.

"Remember to be gentle with him. He's really still a baby. He also belongs to all three of you so you're all responsible for him." Bianca reminded them gently.

The kids nodded and sat down on the floor as the pup checked them out. Soon, he was licking the giggling children.

"What's his name?"

Marissa smiled. "Check out the tag on his collar, Miranda."

The girl read the tag and grinned. "His name is Max!"

Gabby looked up, recognizing the name instantly. "That's what we told Santa we'd call him! We told him that we'd name him after the Grinch's dog."

"I know. Funny how that worked out, huh?"

"What kind of dog is he? How old is he?" AJ asked as he patted the pup.

"He's a golden retriever. They're very good dogs. He's four months old." Bianca smiled.

Miranda grinned. "You got him for us, didn't you?" Seeing the smiles on her mothers' faces was all the answer she needed. She rushed over to them, hugging them tightly. "Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Ma."

"You're welcome."

AJ and Gabby realized the puppy was indeed from their mothers and quickly followed Miranda's example in thanking their mothers repeatedly.

"Where'd you keep him?" Miranda was curious how they missed a puppy being in their house.

Bianca chuckled. "Max spent the night in our office. We've got a bed for him along with a few toys and his own bowls for food and water. Check inside the box for a couple of the toys."

Gabby looked in the box and pulled out a ball. The little girl rolled it towards Max. The puppy bounded after it. The balled rolled from his grasp and the kids giggled while AJ retrieved the ball.

"I'll go get his bed if you want to keep recording."

Marissa nodded. "Sounds good. We'll start on breakfast when you get back.

/

"I think Max is a hit. You'll have to let Simon know that he did an amazing job for us."

Bianca pulled her head back from the door. She'd been checking on the kids in the family room, making sure everything was still going well. "Yes, he did. Hey, where did you put Max's food? We need to feed him soon."

"Top self in the pantry. I knew the kids wouldn't find it up there."

The bag of puppy food was retrieved and a bowl filled and placed on the floor next to one containing water. Bianca then washed her hands and helped Marissa finish preparing breakfast.

The kids were called into the kitchen with Max trailing behind. He found his bowls and started to eat while the family had their breakfast. When everyone was finished, they changed clothes and headed outside with Max following to see Marissa's present to Bianca.

"Mommy, why's Max gotta be on a leash?"

"Well, Monkey, we need to keep him on one until he becomes familiar with his new home. We don't want him to get lost in the woods, do we?"

Gabby shook her head. "Nope." The little girl giggled as she swung the joined hands of her and her redheaded mother as they walked down the path to Bianca's garden.

The kids really liked the planned garden and the bench, especially Miranda. She could see how much it meant to her Mom as she traced the words carved on the bench.

Bianca was able to finally see the garden area in the light of day and knew instantly Marissa had indeed picked the perfect spot for her. The family decided it was time to head back inside and get ready for their guests expected in a few hours. AJ took the leash from his Ma, and the couple lagged behind while the kids walked on ahead.

Marissa grinned when Bianca pulled her in for a loving kiss. "What was that for?"

"I just wanted to thank you for my gift."

"I seem to recall us _thanking_ each other last night."

"It doesn't mean we can't thank each other again."

"And again and again and …"

"Rissa, less talking and more _thanking_." Bianca smirked before capturing her lover's lips again."

/

The home phone rang and Miranda jumped up to answer it. She smiled when she read the caller id. "Merry Christmas, Aunt Kendall!"

"Merry Christmas, Miranda! How's your Christmas going so far?"

"It's going really good. We got a lot of the stuff we wanted. Best of all, we got a puppy!"

"You did? That is great. I can't wait to meet him. Is your Mom or Marissa around? I just wanted to check with them about later today."

"Mom and Ma are outside. We were checking out what Ma got Mom. It's really cool. She made it so Mom can have the garden she's always wanted, and she got her a bench with their names on it. It made Mom really happy."

_Ma? Did I hear that right? Is she calling Marissa 'Ma' now?_ "That sounds great. I know your Mom has wanted something like that for a long time."

"Tell her what Mom got Ma!"

_Wait! Did AJ just call Bianca 'Mom' and Marissa 'Ma'? _Kendall was exactly sure what was going on over there, but if it was what she thought, she knew there would be two of the happiest women around today.

"Oh yeah, Mom got Ma a new video camera, but the best part was she had Ma's old home movies made into DVDs! We're going to watch them soon!"

"That's what your Mom was getting her! I knew it was something special, but didn't know that it was that. I know that meant a lot to Red."

"Yep, it sure did! I'll go get them for you. Gabby, you want to talk to Aunt K?"

The little girl nodded excitedly and took the phone from her sister.

/

Miranda looked outside but didn't see her Moms anymore. She had an idea of where they would be so she grabbed her coat and headed back outside in the direction of her Mom's future garden. The girl smiled when she found the couple sitting on their bench.

"Mom. Ma. Aunt K's on the phone and wants to talk to one of you."

Marissa groaned as she lifted her head from Bianca's shoulder. The two had been sitting and quietly enjoying the other's company and warmth. "I love your sister, but her timing leaves a lot to be desired."

Bianca chuckled. "Tell me about it. We should probably go in and see what she wants though. Besides, everyone will be coming over in a few hours." She stood up and held out her hand which Marissa happily took. The couple walked back holding hands.

"What did you do with the phone, Mimo?"

Miranda grinned. "I gave it to Gabby."

Marissa laughed. "Kendall doesn't stand a chance!"

/

The trio entered the house to hear Gabby talking a mile a minute to her aunt.

"He's the bestest puppy in the whole world, Aunt K. He's a gold triever."

Kendall paused for a moment to figure out what her niece was telling her. "Oh, you mean he's a golden retriever."

"Uh huh, that's what I said. His name's Max. That's what we told Santa we wanted to name him. Do you know why we wanna call him Max?"

"I'm not …"

"It's the Grinch's dog's name, and he was a really good dog. He helped the Grinch be good again. We thought it was good name for a dog. AJ thought of it."

"He did? Well, he's pretty smart, isn't …"

"AJ's really smart. You think Greenlee will like the name? She's really good at thinkin' up names."

"I'm sure she will, and you're right …"

"Max is home broke already. Mommy's gotta friend that works with animals."

"Home broke? Oh, Max is house broken. That's really good to hear. I'm sure …"

"When we take him outside, we gotta put him on his leash. That's just so he doesn't get lost since he's new here. We're not allowed to feed him people food. Mommy said we gotta feed him puppy food since that's what's best for him. If he eats people food, he could get sick. Oh, we can't feed him chocolate either. Did you know that's really bad for dogs?"

"I might have heard that be ..."

"When you come over later, make sure nobody feeds him any chocolate, 'specially Spike and Ian. They might not know about that."

It took a lot for Bianca and Marissa to not laugh. Gabby wore a serious expression as she went over all of the rules with Kendall that they had gone over with them earlier. Judging by the side of conversation they were hearing, Kendall was struggling to get a word in edgewise.

"I'll be sure to tell …"

"He's got lots of toys and his own bed. I'm not sure where we're gonna put it 'cause we have to share. He belongs to all three of us, and we're all 'sponsible for him. You should get Spike and Ian a dog. They'd really like it."

Marissa had to turn away to hide the tears resulting from holding in her laughter.

Bianca decided it was time to save her sister. "Are you talking to your Aunt Kendall, sweetie?"

"Uh huh! I'm telling her all about Max!"

"Well, she'll be able to see him for herself in a few hours. Could I talk to her for a few minutes? You could go back and join your brother and sister and play with him."

"Okay, Mommy! Aunt K, I'm gonna go play with Max! See ya soon!"

As soon as Gabby left the room, Marissa burst out laughing.

Bianca was laughing too when she greeted her sister. "Merry Christmas, Kendall!"

"Merry Christmas! Oh my god! What was that? I'm not sure that she even took a breath! I think she's a little excited about the dog."

"Yeah, just a little bit. All three of them are. I'm glad Gabby was giving you instructions about Max. At least, Rissa and I know that they were paying attention."

"Ask her when she's getting the boys a dog." Marissa cracked.

Bianca burst out laughing at her lover's comment.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "You two think you're really funny, don't you?"

"Sorry, Kendall." Bianca was nearly in tears from laughing so hard.

"Don't give me that. I know better. Neither one of you is sorry. Tell Red that she's a horrible influence on you."

Bianca turned to her lover and smirked. "Kendall says that you are a horrible influence on me."

Marissa grinned and kissed Bianca before speaking into the phone. "That's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me! Thanks, Curly!"

Bianca snorted and rewarded her lover with another kiss. "I guess that's just one more thing I have to thank you for."

Kendall sighed. "The two of you are just not right sometimes. You know that, right?"

"Yep! So, what time are you coming over?"

"We'll be over in two hours and help you get things ready. Oh, you should have Simon's number ready for me. I have a feeling Zach and I will probably need it."

"I'll see then, and I'll have the number for you guys."

"See you soon." Kendall disconnected the call to her sister's and Marissa's laughter. She sighed and chuckled at the couple. They were quite the pair and truly deserved each other and the life they were building.

/

_The camera zoomed in on a five year old Marissa. She was in flannel Christmas pajamas and sitting by the fireplace. Every few seconds, she would stand up and walk over to the fireplace and glance up the chimney. She would then go sit down with a puzzled look on her face._

_Her mother's voice could be heard off screen. "Roy, what on earth is she doing?"_

"_I'm honestly not sure, Lydia. She's been doing that ever since she came downstairs after her bath. You can tell she's got something on her mind though."_

"_Oh wait a minute. I think I know what's going on." Lydia suddenly appeared on screen and sat on the floor next to Marissa. "Is something bothering you, Rissa?"_

"_A little, Mommy. How's Santa gonna get down our chimney? It's kinda small, and …"_

"_Santa's got that belly, huh?" Marissa nodded while Lydia pulled her daughter onto her lap. "Well, Munchkin, that's true, but you're forgetting something really important."_

"_What's that?"_

"_Santa's magic. He has magical powers that let him fit down chimneys all over the world. It doesn't matter what size or shape they're in. To Santa, one size fits all so he can make his way down any of them."_

_Marissa seemed to take this in. "So, he won't get stuck or hurt?"_

"_Nope, he'll be just fine."_

"_What about the places that don't have chimneys? How's he gonna get in? Becca doesn't have one."_

"_Santa has a special key he can use so you don't have to worry about Becca. Santa will be able to visit her."_

_Marissa smiled brightly, her relief evident having been assured by her Mom._

"_Do you feel better now?"_

"_Yep, thanks, Mommy!" Marissa hugged her mother tightly._

"_Good. How would you like to help me get Santa's milk and cookies ready for him?"_

"_K! Don't forget carrots for his reindeer. They need a treat too."_

/

Gabby, who was sitting on Marissa's lap while they watched some of her home movies, turned to grin at her redhead Mommy. "That's what you told me, Mommy!"

"Yes, it is, Monkey. My Mom was pretty smart, wasn't she?"

"Uh huh."

"Who was Becca, Ma?" Miranda asked from her spot on the floor next to AJ and Max. She was curious to know why her Ma was worried about someone else.

"Becca was my best friend growing up. Her family had moved to town earlier that particular year, and they were living in an apartment until their new house was ready."

Miranda smiled. That was definitely like her Ma to worry about someone else and not wanting them to miss out.

The family heard a knock on the door, and Bianca got up. "I'll get it. It's probably Kendall and her clan."

The brunette opened the door to her sister and her family. "Merry Christmas!"

"Ho, ho, ho! Merry Christmas to one and all!" Zach answered his sister in law in greeting.

"Merry Christmas, Binx! Merry Christmas, Red!"

Marissa smiled as she greeted Kendall, Zach and the boys to help Bianca with their coats. "Merry Christmas! Hey guys, was Santa good to you?"

The boys nodded happily. Spike spotted the puppy right away. "Is that a puppy?"

Ian's eyes widened in surprise.

Kendall and Zach sighed and looked at each other. They knew it wouldn't take long, but this was faster than they both had thought it would be.

Bianca chuckled. "Yes, it is. You can go see him if you want."

The boys rushed over to see their cousins and the new puppy.

"Don't worry. I have Simon's number for you."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Gee thanks, Binx. I owe you one. Seriously, I _owe_ you one." The movie playing on the television caught her eye. "Oh my god! Is that you, Red? You are so adorable! How old were you?"

Zach smiled. "She's right. You are pretty darn cute."

Marissa sighed. "Yes, it's me. I was almost six."

"Is that some sort of play? Are you a tree? You're very convincing." Kendall grinned as she moved closer to the television to get a better look.

The redhead eyed Kendall knowing full well the other woman was enjoying teasing her. "It was a kindergarten play, and don't be dissing the tree. My Mom worked really hard on that costume. It was the best one there. Now, don't we have to get ready for everyone?"

Bianca smiled at the blush on her lover's face making her even more beautiful. "You're right. We do." The brunette looked at the kids. "Why don't you guys go downstairs and play down there for a little while. Take Max with you." Bianca then stopped the video and turned off the television.

"Hey, I was watching that. I like seeing Red when she was little. I bet you were hell on wheels." Kendall smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "I had my moments. Fine. You can watch them later, alright? Let's get to work. Everybody's going to be here soon." Marissa headed into the kitchen with Zach and Kendall right behind her.

Bianca had a sudden thought. "I'll be right there." After the others left the room, she quickly ejected the DVD, put it back in its case and placed it in a spot where it would not readily be found by just anyone. It had occurred to her that Krystal might find it hard to see Marissa's missing years and her daughter actually calling someone else 'Mom'.

Marissa came back into the family room to find Bianca hiding the video. "Hey, have I told you today just how amazing you are?"

The brunette turned to see her lover smiling at her. "As a matter of fact, you have. I have to ask why you feel the need to tell me that this time."

"You're hiding the video so Krystal doesn't see it and won't be uncomfortable. You're thinking of her. There are a lot of people that wouldn't do that, especially given everything you've been through. That's what makes you amazing."

Bianca smiled knowingly. "I'm guessing you had the same idea since you're back in here. From where I'm standing, that's pretty amazing, especially given everything _you've_ been through."

"I didn't want things to be awkward today. Let me rephrase that. I didn't want things to be any more awkward today than they will be when Erica and Krystal get here. Besides, it doesn't compare to what you've been through."

"Rissa."

"I'm not going to say anything more about it." Marissa held out her hand for her lover who smiled as she took it before heading back to the kitchen.

/

"Merry Christmas, Mom! Merry Christmas, Uncle Jack!" Bianca hugged Erica and Jack as they entered.

Erica smiled at her daughter. "Merry Christmas, Sweetheart. Where are Marissa and the children?"

"Rissa's in the kitchen with Kendall and Zach getting things ready. The kids are downstairs with Max."

"Merry Christmas, Princess." Jack pointed to the bags he and Erica had set down when they entered. "Would you like me to put these under the tree?"

"That would be great, Uncle Jack. Thanks."

"Sweetheart, who is Max?" Erica asked as she sat down.

Bianca smiled. She hadn't told her mother that she and Marissa were getting the kids a dog. Just at that very moment, all five kids bounded upstairs from the playroom with Max trailing behind. "He's the kids' dog."

Erica raised an eyebrow as the puppy happily trotted over to her and dropped a ball at her feet. Max sat and looked up hopefully at the older woman with his tail wagging.

"Exactly what does he expect me to do?"

Miranda smiled at her grandmother. "He wants you to play fetch with him. You just throw the ball and he'll go get it. He's really good at it. We were playing that with him downstairs."

"I'm not touching that ball. It's filthy."

Gabby sat next to her grandmother. "Please. He's the bestest puppy."

Max whimpered slightly and nudged the ball closer to Erica.

The older woman huffed and gently kicked the ball away from her. It was the closest she would come to playing with the hairy little beast. Erica did not do dogs. Max scampered after it happily.

Bianca managed to stifle a laugh watching her mother interact with the adorable puppy. She turned to help Jack unload the presents before heading to the kitchen to get the couple something to drink.

/

Shortly after Krystal, Tad, Opal and the girls had arrived, Bianca pulled Krystal aside and asked to speak with her privately. She wanted to go over the ground rules of the day with both her and Erica. The three women discreetly headed back to Bianca and Marissa's home office.

"Would both of you please have a seat?"

The women eyed each other before reluctantly doing as requested.

"Thank you. I just want to take a few minutes to talk with both of you privately."

"Sweetheart, is something wrong?"

"I suppose that's up to you and Krystal, Mom." Bianca cleared her throat. "I need the two of you to get along today. I don't care what you have to do to make it happen, but it will happen. This day is to be drama free, no fights, no little digs at the other, no snarky comments. In short, there will not be a repeat of what happened on Thanksgiving. Today is all about getting along and making this as special of a day as humanly possible for the kids and Marissa. They deserve no less. Marissa has put a lot into this day. It means so much to her to have her family and friends here to celebrate. So if this is too much for you to do, then as much as I hate to do it, I'll have to ask you to leave. I'm not going to have anyone ruin this day for my family. Do you think you can do this?"

The older women glanced over at the other. Spending the holiday with their children and grandchildren meant a great deal to each of them, and both could tell that Bianca was very serious about what she was saying. As much as they disliked each other, they loved their children and grandchildren more and knew they would have to find some way to at least tolerate being in the other's company.

Krystal nodded. "I will do whatever you need me to."

"Thank you, Krystal." Bianca turned to Erica. "Mom?"

"Of course, Sweetheart. For you and your family, anything."

Bianca smiled gratefully. "Thank you, Mom. Now that that's settled, we should get back out there. I know the kids are getting anxious about their other presents."

Erica and Krystal nodded at each other and left the room.

Bianca turned off the light and took a relieved breath. _That went better than I thought it would._ Suddenly, she felt arms embrace her from behind and soft lips on her neck. The brunette turned with a goofy grin on her face to meet hazel eyes full of love. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. Thank you."

"You … you heard that?"

"I did. There aren't many people who would do what you just did. I know how much you love your Mom and want to spend the day with her."

"You're right. I do, but I meant every word. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you and the kids. I know how much this day means to you, how much effort you put into planning this and were looking forward to it. I'm going to do whatever needs to be done to make sure those two behave themselves. We have more than enough kids present without those two being added to the mix."

Marissa sighed happily. "You take such good care of me." The redhead leaned forward and captured her lover's lips.

"Seriously? We have a room full of kids waiting to open presents, and you two are back here making out. I thought you were coming to get Bianca to bring her back to the family room, Marissa, not corner her and have your way with her." Greenlee smirked.

The redhead rolled her eyes and pointed above them to where a sprig of mistletoe was hanging. "I'm merely following long the established Christmas rule about mistletoe. When you meet someone under it, you are obliged to kiss them. Actually, I think it's more like a law, and as an officer of the court, I am required to follow the law."

Bianca giggled at her lover's quick response. It sounded good even though she knew Marissa was making it all up.

"Riiiggght. I hope you're not too offended if I don't buy any of it. About the mistletoe, I noticed you have an awful lot of it around. Was it on sale?"

Marissa grinned. "I'll try and not take it too personally. Bianca and I are just getting in the spirit. You and Ryan are free to find a doorway and your own mistletoe."

"I might just have to take you up on that."

"Is there a reason why you were looking for us?"

"Kendall sent me. The natives are getting restless seeing all of those presents under the tree and not being allowed to open them."

"I suppose we should get back out there. They've been very patient." Bianca smiled and pulled Marissa with her down the hallway.

"Oh before I forget." Greenlee playfully smacked the couple.

"What was that for?"

"Emma wants a dog."

The couple snickered as they followed their friend.

/

Presents were exchanged and opened among the family members gathered with everyone loving their gifts. Soon after, the house was crowded with friends joining them and laughter and warmth filled the air. Everyone agreed it was one of their best Christmases, and discreet comments were made about how well Erica and Krystal were getting along. The reason was obvious to those in attendance. Their daughters were responsible for what Greenlee quipped was a Christmas miracle.

Marissa was standing in a doorway watching her family and friends having a good time when Bianca embraced her from behind.

The brunette rested her chin on her lover's shoulder. "So, have you had a good Christmas? Has it been what you were hoping it would be?"

Marissa turned around and faced Bianca. "It's perfect. It's all that I was hoping for and then some. Thank you."

"I'm glad that it is and that you're happy."

"I am. Just when I think I couldn't be any happier, you do something that proves me wrong. Have I told you today exactly how much I love you?"

Bianca's face was again alight with her goofy grin. "As a matter fact, you have. It's just as much as I love you, but please feel free to tell me as often as you want."

Marissa chuckled. "It will be pleasure."


	81. This Table Is Reserved For

**A/N****: As always, thank you to everyone reading, following and reviewing! It is greatly appreciated! Let's get this sad bit of news out of the way. CBL tweeted that she has not been contacted by PP and still no word on whether SG has been either, and with filming scheduled to begin on February 25th, I'm afraid it's not looking good for a Minx return to the AMC reboot. Thank goodness I've got my Minx bubble. You're all more than welcome to join me inside. There's an open bar! **

**Time to think about happier things. This chapter picks up a few weeks after Christmas, and there are a few breadcrumbs in it that will give an indication of things to come. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Okay, I've got you a new lunch box, and have packed your favorite sandwich, some fresh vegetables and an apple along with a bottle of water for later. I want you to make sure you take some time and eat all of it because I don't want you to get sick. Now, if any of the other kids give you a hard time, I want you to promise me that you'll let me know, and I'll kick their butts." Marissa smiled as she zipped up the lunch box.

Bianca shook her head and grinned at her lover. "You do know that this isn't necessary, right? I'm perfectly capable of getting myself dinner later. I mean I can just grab something real quick or eat when I get home."

"It will be way too late by the time you get home. Now, you can take your time and relax and eat something after work and before school. You need to take care of yourself. Besides, what kind of example are you setting for our children if you don't, and you let yourself get run down?" Marissa smirked knowing that playing the _kids'card _would get Bianca to do it.

The brunette chuckled. "You don't fight fair. Okay, I give. Thank you for packing me dinner. I'll put this in the refrigerator when I get to work. This really will save me time. I hate to admit it, but I'm a little nervous about tonight."

Marissa wrapped her arms around her lover. Tonight was Bianca's first class at Pine Valley University, and the redhead knew her lover was anxious. "Look, it's perfectly normal for you to be a little nervous. It's been a while since you've been in school so nerves are to be expected. I'm here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about though because you're going to do great. I expect to hear all about it tonight when you get home."

"Even if the other kids don't play nice?" Bianca smirked.

"Especially then! I've taken on bullies of all shapes and sizes, and I'm more than ready, willing and able to come after anyone who gives you a hard time. Let them just try something."

Bianca laughed. She had no doubt that Marissa meant every single word she said. It was something she'd proven it time and time again. "They won't even know what hit them. Kids, time to go."

The kids grabbed their backpacks and lunch boxes and headed towards their Mom's car for her to drop them off at school and daycare before she headed to work.

Marissa said goodbye to the kids as she helped them get settled in Bianca's car. She gave her lover a quick kiss. "Good luck, and don't worry so much. You are going to do great."

Bianca grinned. "Thank you. Good luck in court today. I want to hear all about how you kicked butt. Love you."

"Love you too."

/

_Three and a half weeks later_

"If it isn't one half of my favorite couple! How are you doing, Bianca?" Krystal greeted her daughter's partner with a smile as the brunette walked into the restaurant.

"Hi, Krystal. I'm doing really good. Rissa should be here any minute."

"Did I hear my name?" Marissa grinned and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "Hey, Krystal. How's everything?"

The trio walked to Bianca and Marissa's table. "I can't complain. Oh, I have a little something for the both of you." The older woman removed a covering from the wall just behind the table.

The couple laughed when a small plaque reading '_This table is reserved for Bianca Montgomery and Marissa Tasker'_ was revealed.

"I hope you're okay with it."

"I, for one, love it. Thanks, Krystal." Marissa smiled and hugged her mother.

"That makes two of us. Thank you, Krystal, and thank you for not using the name Greenlee gave us." Bianca added gratefully.

"I have to admit that I was a little tempted to use Minx, but I thought better of it." Krystal laughed.

"Well, I'm very glad you did."

Marissa nudged her lover. "Come on, B. What's having a table with that name on it when we already have Gabby's stuffed monkey and our home named after us."

Bianca shook her head. "You've been hanging around the Dynamic Duo way too much."

Krystal laughed. "Speaking of them, are they joining you today?"

"Yes, they are, and they should be here in a few minutes."

"Well, while you're waiting, how about I get you something to drink?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca who nodded to the unasked question before turning back to Krystal. "We'll have two iced teas, please. Thanks."

Krystal nodded and went to retrieve their drinks.

Bianca turned to Marissa. "I'll be right back. I need to run to the ladies room."

Kendall walked into the restaurant just as Krystal was delivering the couple's drinks. After ordering an iced tea for herself, Kendall joined Marissa.

"Where's Binx?"

"She had to run to the ladies' room."

"That's new." Kendall spotted the nearby plaque. "Oh, that's perfect! Krystal finally permanently reserved this table for you guys. I love it. She really should've put Minx on it though."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, she did. It means a lot that she did that. Your sister's relieved that she didn't put Minx on it though."

"She's no fun sometimes. So, how does our girl like school? How's she doing?"

"She loves it. You should see the way her eyes light up when she talks about it, and she's just soaking it all up. She was really nervous her first day of class. She wasn't sure what some of the students would think if they realized who she was. If anyone recognized her, they didn't say anything. It couldn't have gone better for her. I'm so proud of her for doing this and following her dream."

Kendall noted the smile on Marissa's face. She knew this was a bit of a transition for the couple with Bianca being in class one night a week plus needing time to study, but the redhead didn't mention any of that. She only spoke about how much Bianca was relishing this opportunity and how proud she was of her. "That's really great to hear. I'm glad she's doing well, not that I doubted her for a minute. And you're doing okay? You don't need any help?"

"Things are under control right now. Susan picked up the kids and watched them when I had court and Bianca had class the other week. I haven't needed any additional help since."

"You know that I'm here if you need me, right?"

"I do, and I really appreciate it. It means a lot knowing that I've got you to help out if needed. Thanks."

"You're welcome."

They were interrupted by Marissa's cellphone. She had been expecting this call. "It's work. I need to take this real quick. Tell Bianca I'll be right back."

The redhead walked to a quieter spot in restaurant, one outside of the establishment's 'phone zone', for a little more privacy.

/

Marissa looked around to make sure no one was around. She couldn't take the chance that anyone would overhear this particular conversation.

"Hello, Erica. Thank you for returning my call. How is Los Angeles?"

"Hello, Marissa. It is not a problem. L.A. is simply wonderful. Thank you for asking. I do have to ask why you are calling though, dear. Is everyone fine at home?"

"Everyone is great. I'm sorry to make you worry." The redhead took a deep breath. "Are you still coming home later this week?"

"Yes, I am. Is there something I should know or could do for you?"

"I was just wondering if the two of us could have lunch when you get home and have had a chance to get your bearings again. I was hoping we could get a chance to catch up and talk."

"That would be lovely, dear."

"Great! I was also wondering if we could keep this between us. There's nothing bad, no reason to worry. I would just like to speak with you privately." Marissa bit her lip waiting for the woman's reply.

"Of course, dear. As long as everything is fine, I don't see a problem with that. Let me check my calendar. Is next Friday early enough for you?"

"Next Friday is perfect. I don't have court or any lunch meetings. I'll make a reservation and get back to you with the details. Thank you, Erica. I'll let you go. I know you're busy. Have a safe trip home."

"You're welcome. I'll talk to you next week." Erica disconnected the call. _Well, that is extremely interesting. I wonder what she wants to discuss. Could it be … I'll wait. There is no point in speculating at this point._

Marissa breathed a sigh of relief. _I'm glad that part's done. No turning back now, Tasker. Not that I'd want to._

/

While Marissa was taking her call, Bianca returned.

Kendall answered her sister's question before she had a chance to ask it. "Marissa got a call from work and will be right back." The older woman nodded to the plaque. "I like it."

Bianca grinned. "I do too. It was really sweet of Krystal."

"How's school going, Binx?"

"Well, I've only had three classes so far but I think it's going really well. I love it, and I'm learning so much. I can't tell you how glad I am that Rissa convinced me to follow through on it. She's been amazing. She packs me dinner when I have class and makes sure I have plenty of time to study and do homework. She's helped me study for a quiz, which I aced! Whatever I need, she makes sure I get it. She's been so supportive and has made this so easy for me to do."

"I have to say that I'm really happy to hear that, Binx. I'm glad that you're doing something for yourself for a change and that you've got Marissa's full support. If she needs any help, make sure she lets me know. I'm here for both of you."

"I will, and thanks, Kendall."

Marissa returned to the table and took her spot next to Bianca. The three women were soon joined by Greenlee.

"Krystal, I love the plaque! The only thing that would make it perfect is if you had 'Minx' on it." Greenlee added with a grin.

"It was tempting, but I'll leave the spreading of their ship name to you." The older woman chuckled.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I think you've done enough spreading that around, Greenlee. One plaque at our home is more than enough. Marissa and kids won't let me take it down."

The redhead grinned. "What can I say? Minx Manor is catchy, and I like it."

"So not right." Bianca mumbled as she took a bite of her sandwich.

/

_Later that night …_

"You're sure about that, Sage? That's their angle?" Greenlee listened to someone on the other end of the line, not liking what she was hearing at all. "Yeah, I can tell you right now that she's not going to like it. Is there anything she can do?" She continued after a brief pause. "Well, thanks for the heads up. I'll talk to you later." Greenlee disconnected and placed another call.

"Hey, it's me. Something's come up, and I'm on my way over. I'll explain everything when I see you."

/

Marissa opened the door to find Kendall and Greenlee waiting on the other side. "Hey, guys, come on in. What's up?"

"Is Bianca here?" Greenlee asked as she handed her coat to the redhead.

"She's in the kitchen."

"Not anymore." Bianca smiled as she entered the room. "What's up?"

All four women took a seat before Greenlee began. "I have some interesting news. You know how 'Pine Valley Now' has their annual edition featuring 'Pine Valley's Most Fascinating People'?"

The others nodded.

"I have a friend that is an assistant editor over there and word has it that someone we all know is going to be named one on that list. Any guesses?"

Several names were tossed around by the women, most notably Erica who had appeared on the list multiple times.

"Nope, I don't think you're ever going to guess."

"I give up. Who is it?" Bianca asked.

"You."

"Excuse me?"

"The rumor is, it is one Bianca Montgomery, and you're actually going to be number one on the list. You are Pine Valley's Most Fascinating Person."

Bianca snorted. "Seriously? I think they need to look up the definition because I am hardly fascinating."

Marissa grinned. "Well, it seems to me that they've finally gotten it right. You're the most fascinating person I know."

"I think you're a little biased, honey." Bianca grinned back at her partner.

"I'm completely biased, and I'm good with that." A quick kiss was exchanged between the couple.

Bianca sighed. "Honestly, I'd rather not be on this list."

"I know you're not comfortable being in the spotlight. That's your Mom's thing, but maybe this could be a good thing for the Miranda Center. You could use this article to talk about it and maybe get new donors." Marissa suggested.

Her lover considered this. "I suppose I could do that."

Kendall looked at Greenlee. She could tell her friend had more to tell them. By itself, Bianca being listed on a 'most fascinating list' wasn't a big deal. Greenlee's demeanor starting back to her initial call to the drive over here suggested something more. "These are puff pieces so they are usually harmless by their nature. There's something else though, isn't there?"

Greenlee nodded. "I'm afraid so. According to my friend, you were picked because you're intelligent, beautiful, accomplished, wealthy, a working single mother, do a lot of charitable activities …"

Bianca's head snapped up immediately at the phase _working single mother. _"Yeah, there's one huge problem with all of that. I'm not a single mother." Bianca stated firmly.

"Technically, according to their criteria, you are since you're not married. The whole angle of this year's list is to feature _fascinating singles_."

"That doesn't matter one damn bit to me. I'm involved in a committed relationship. I'm not looking for anyone else nor do I want anyone else. I found the person I want to spend the rest of my life with, who I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with. Marissa and I are raising our children together, and we've built our dream home. I don't need some damn piece of paper to define our relationship or tell me whether or not I'm _eligible _or _available_. Just because the state legislature can't get their heads out of their asses and get a bill allowing same sex marriage out of committee doesn't lessen _my_ commitment or relationship."

Greenlee held her hands up defensively. "I know. I know. Don't kill the messenger. I told her that you were involved and definitely off the market. I also told her that you wouldn't like being on the list, but they didn't seem to care."

"Binx, calm down."

"Why should I calm down, Kendall? What if you and Zach weren't married but living together and committed to each other and they picked him for the article? How would you feel?"

Kendall nodded. "You made your point. I'd be beyond pissed off if I were in your shoes."

"I would be too." Greenlee agreed.

"This is ridiculous and makes me really mad. They think they can just add me on to some list when they _know_ I'm involved, publish an out and out lie. How's that supposed to make me feel? How's that supposed to make Marissa feel?"

The three women looked at the redhead. Marissa had been quiet ever since Greenlee told them about the article's angle. Now, all wondered what was going on in her mind, especially Bianca.

Marissa had been listening quietly the entire time. Her mind was trying to take everything in and sort it out. The rational and emotional sides were warring with each other. It did feel like her relationship with Bianca was being diminished by this article, and as much as she wanted to scream and shout about this right now, she knew that now was precisely the time that she couldn't do that, not with Bianca being so obviously upset. It wasn't just about their relationship being discounted by this list either, although that was the main reason. To a lesser extent, it was because her lover loathed the spotlight. She'd grown up in its glare and avoided it whenever possible. She wasn't Erica and didn't crave the attention from the public.

Marissa took her lover's hand in her own to calm Bianca down, to assure her. "It'll be okay, Bianca."

Bianca took a deep breath and lowered her voice. "It's not right, Rissa. They publish something like that and it makes people think we're not together any longer. If the kids hear something like that, how's that going to make them feel? How does that make you feel?"

"Let's table that question for later." Marissa squeezed Bianca's hand before turning to the shorter brunette. "Greenlee, your friend said they were adding Bianca to the list despite her being in a committed relationship, right?"

"Yes, she did. I told her all about the two of you and your family, but she said the reporter assigned for the feature didn't care and had the backing of the editor."

"Who's the reporter?" Bianca asked.

"Her name is Carmen Diaz."

"Why is that name familiar?"

Greenlee turned to answer her friend. "She's been developing a bit of a reputation of being aggressive and has been known to …"

Kendall scowled. "I remember her now. She's been writing more intimate articles and has been linked to several of her subjects, romantically. Her puff pieces have been turned into more in-depth exposés, so in-depth where some are wondering if she has something on them, leverage of some kind. It doesn't matter if the subject is a man or a woman, single or attached. The kicker is that none of her subjects are talking. Those are just rumors mind you."

"Bianca shouldn't have to worry about that though. She's got nothing to hide." Marissa stated simply.

Greenlee nodded. "True, her life is pretty much an open book. This issue is their biggest seller. As much as I know you hate to hear this, Bianca, you're a big name, and they think you being on the list will increase the sales even more. They think anyone appearing on the list should be flattered. My friend is saying that you're going to be featured in the issue no matter what."

"Well, I'm not anyone, and I don't want to be on their list." She turned to her lover. "Is there anything we can do about this?"

Kendall and Greenlee exchanged a look.

"We're going to go and let you two talk. Let us know if we can help, Red, and Binx, it will be okay."

"I'm sorry about all of this."

Marissa walked the friends to the door. "It's not your fault, Greenlee. Thanks for letting us know. Trust me, if we need anything, you'll be the first ones to know." After closing the door, she rejoined Bianca on the sofa.

"Maybe I'm making too much of this. I know it's probably just a puff piece, but I have to be honest. There are things that really bother me about this whole article."

Marissa smiled and said nothing. Her silence encouraged Bianca to continue.

Bianca sighed. "I don't like being in spotlight."

"I know."

"But that's nothing compared to what really bothers me. What really bothers me about this whole article is that it's basically a lie. I may not be married to you, but I don't consider myself single. My commitment to you is just as strong as if I was. By not acknowledging our relationship, it's as if they're implying that I'm embarrassed by it, and I'm most definitely not, not by a long shot. Please, you have to know that will never be the case. I will never be embarrassed about my feelings for you."

A soft smile graced Marissa's face. "I know. I have no doubts about our relationship and about how much you love me. It's almost as much as I love you."

Bianca chuckled. Leave it to her lover to say the one thing that would ease the tension she was feeling. "I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you on that, Counselor. Okay, so what are we going to do about this?"

"First, we do this." Marissa kissed Bianca tenderly. "Much better. I have to be honest with you. I don't know this reporter, never met her or heard of her, but I can tell you that, based on what Kendall and Greenlee told us, I'm pretty sure I don't like her and don't want her around you. The fact that there are rumors of her having a track record of becoming involved with her subjects bothers the hell out of me. You're mine, and I don't like the idea of anyone else thinking otherwise."

"Really now?" Bianca was amused by her partner's statement.

Marissa scowled slightly. "Yes, really now and you know it. It's not that I don't trust you because I do, with all of my heart. I don't trust her. The rumors could be just that, rumors, but I don't like even the hint that someone could have ulterior motives where you're concerned and that those motives could hurt you or our family in some way."

"You're right. I do know who I belong to and with, and you're mine too. I gotta say that I really like possessive Marissa, and everything you said goes double for me. So, is there anything we can do about this article?"

"It's time to put on my lawyer cap. Well, I know you don't want to hear it, but you are a public figure. As such, they have the right to write the article. You have the right to not cooperate however. There is a risk with that. We won't know what she's writing until the article is published, but that's something we may not know even if you do cooperate. Usually, people being profiled are contacted for some sort of comment."

"If that happens, I'll make sure she's clear on me not being single. I don't care what definition they are using. I'm not." Bianca stated as a matter of fact.

Marissa smiled. "Me either."

"And if they insist on stating otherwise?"

"I don't know that it's something we can take them to court over, but we can sure as hell make a big fuss. If the article is in any way libelous and defames you or your character, we'll fight it with everything at our disposal."

Bianca felt she could finally breathe easily about this whole article. The determined expression on Marissa's face assured her in a way that nothing or no one ever else could. "Everything's going to be okay, right?"

"Everything is going to be more than okay. There's nothing to worry about."

A sly grin began to spread across Bianca's face.

"What?" Marissa was confused.

"I _really_ like it when you go into lawyer mode on me."

"And you say I'm not right."

"Well, it's your fault. You are a bad influence on me."

"I try my best." Marissa grinned wickedly.

Bianca pulled her lover closer to taste those intoxicating lips.

"Mommy!"

The couple sighed and settled for a quick kiss.

"Duty calls. I'll go see what Gabby needs." Marissa headed towards the stairs but paused when Bianca called out to her.

"I fully expect you to try and exert your bad influence on me later tonight, Rissa." Bianca winked.

Marissa laughed and gave her partner a half bow. "As you wish."


	82. Lunch At Krystal's

**A/N****: First things first, I want to thank everyone that reads and reviews! I really can't say enough how much I appreciate it! Sorry about the delay in posting, but I got sidetracked by my twisted mind and had to write 'Night of the Living Minx'. **

**Now, I heard about Eden coming back as Bianca right after I posted the last chapter. To me, CBL made the role her's, and I think the pairing with SG was perfect. I am an avowed Minxaholic. To that end, I'm going to stay in my Minx bubble. Please join me if you'd like. The bar is open.**

**Now for this chapter, we've moved forward about a week. I could tell you more here, but I'll just let you read it for yourself. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Bianca, there is a Carmen Diaz from 'Pine Valley Now' on the line for you."

The brunette sighed as she braced herself. She'd been expecting this call since Greenlee had stopped over last week to tell Bianca about her being selected as Pine Valley's Most Fascinating Person. "Please put her through, Aya."

"This is Bianca Montgomery."

"Ms. Montgomery! Hello! My name is Carmen Diaz with Pine Valley Now. I would just like to say what an honor it is to finally speak with you. It's something I've looked forward to for a long time."

"Thank you, Ms. Diaz. What can I do for you?" If Bianca had learned anything over the years from her mother's dealings with the press, it was how to spot a phony. A tell-tale sign of one was how much they flattered you. Erica loved the attention but was always able to use it to her advantage. Bianca didn't care for it at all but took it in stride. She was tempted to stop the reporter from going any further, telling her she knew about the article, but knew if she did, Greenlee's friend could lose her job for letting the story leak.

"Please, call me Carmen. As I'm sure you're aware, Pine Valley Now publishes an annual 'most fascinating list'."

"I've heard of it."

"Yes, your mother has appeared on it several times in the past. This year, we at Pine Valley Now have selected you as our most fascinating person!"

"Thank you." Bianca said quietly.

The reporter paused expecting a more effusive response. When none came, she continued. "All those chosen are featured in articles for that issue with our most fascinating obviously being featured in a more in-depth article. Normally, we just go with the list itself, but this year, we've decided to follow a theme."

Bianca braced herself for what she knew was coming.

"This year, we are highlighting single working mothers. We feel this makes you a perfect fit as our most fascinating person given the wide array of things that you do and the fact that you are raising two children …"

"I'm sorry, Ms. Diaz, but I need to stop you right there. You have several facts wrong."

"Please call me Carmen. We do? What are they? I'll make sure they are corrected right away."

"First of all, you have my relationship status wrong."

"Well, you're not married, are you? That would make you single."

"I don't consider myself single. I'm in a long-term committed relationship with a wonderful woman by the name of Marissa Tasker. Second, Marissa and I are raising our _three_ children together."

"Our research indicates that you only have two daughters, Miranda and Gabrielle, and that the boy is Ms. Tasker's adopted son."

Bianca took a deep breath in her best attempt to control her temper and gripped the phone tightly. "_The boy_ has a name, _Ms. Diaz_. His name is AJ, and he is Marissa's son. Adopted or not, it doesn't make any difference and doesn't lessen their relationship one bit. I see AJ as my son as well and love him just as much as I love my daughters, just as Marissa loves Miranda and Gabby. We are a family. Anyone suggesting otherwise is sorely mistaken."

The reporter was taken aback by both Bianca's response and the vehement tone in her voice. If she didn't know otherwise, she would've sworn she was speaking with Erica Kane instead of her mild mannered daughter. "I apologize. We would still love to interview you for the cover."

"Are you still focusing on my relationship status? Do you still plan on classifying me as single?"

"Well yes, we are. Since you're not married, that makes you single in our book."

"Then, I'm sorry Ms. Diaz. Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to have to decline. I don't wish to participate."

"I have to be honest. I don't understand. It's kind of a big honor."

"I'm flattered, but honor or not, I'm going to decline. I've explained my status and the fact that _I_ don't see myself as single. I feel that by participating in a story that declares that I am sends the wrong message and belittles my relationship with Marissa and that is something I will simply not permit."

"You realize that we can do the article without your cooperation? It's just easier for all those concerned if you do."

"I understand, but that is my decision."

"I don't get this. No one has ever refused to take part in this. Again, I have to be honest with you that we're still going to do this article, with or without your cooperation. In fact, your lack of cooperation doesn't put you in a very good light."

"I'm sorry, Ms. Diaz, but I believe I've made myself more than clear. Now if you'll excuse me, I really need to go. Goodbye." Bianca disconnected the call. She couldn't believe the nerve of that reporter. She shouldn't have let her to get to her, but she couldn't help it. Now, Bianca was left to wonder if she had screwed up. There was only one person who could reassure her and make her feel better at this point. She checked the time and picked up her phone.

/

Carmen Diaz stared at her phone in disbelief. No one had ever turned down the opportunity to be on the magazine's list. In fact, there had been cases where individuals had actually tried to bribe their way onto it. The reporter didn't get to where she was by taking 'no' for an answer. Given the fact that Bianca Montgomery was known to be as private as her mother wasn't, an interview with the woman would be quite the feather in Carmen's cap and help launch her career further. She wanted more than Pine Valley and the small market magazine she worked for. No, she had bigger plans and Bianca Montgomery was going to help her achieve them whether she wanted to or not. _Time to do a little scouting on Ms. Montgomery._

/

Marissa picked up her cellphone and grinned seeing the name and the picture programmed for it flash on the screen. "Hey, I was just thinking about you."

"You were, huh? Good thoughts, I hope."

"I never have any other kind where you're concerned."

Bianca sighed happily, already feeling better. "Talk like that, Counselor, will get you anywhere."

Marissa laughed. "I'm counting on that."

"I didn't interrupt anything, did I?"

"Nothing important and certainly nothing that can't wait. What's up?"

"I was hoping you were free for lunch, my treat."

Marissa paused momentarily. She did have other lunch plans, but something about how Bianca sounded told her that she needed Marissa now and not later and that trumped everything else. "What's wrong?"

Bianca chuckled in spite of herself. "I can't hide anything from you, can I?"

"Nope, I'm afraid not. Stop avoiding the question and answer me please."

"Carmen Diaz called a few minutes ago, and it didn't go well. I just really need to talk."

"How does Krystal's in 30 minutes sound?"

"It sounds perfect as long as you're sure I'm not interrupting anything."

"I'm positive you're not. Bianca, there is nothing more important to me than you and the kids. Got it?"

Bianca grinned. "Got it."

"Good. I'll see you at Krystal's. Love you."

"Love you too."

/

She looked at the cellphone in her hands. She knew she needed to make the call but needed a minute to collect herself. Marissa really hadn't lied to Bianca. While the lawyer did have plans for lunch that afternoon that were fairly important to her, they were quickly discarded as soon as she heard Bianca's voice. She knew something was wrong, that her partner needed her. Anything else had to be put on hold. Bianca came first, especially when she asked to talk. Whatever had occurred between the reporter and Bianca bothered her enough that she needed to vent now and not tonight.

_I can't put it off any longer. Suck it up, Tasker. _Marissa found Erica's number in her contact list and made the connection. She had planned to meet with Bianca's mother today to discuss something important with her, but that conversation would have to wait for now.

"Hello."

"Erica, hi, it's Marissa."

"Marissa, dear, I was just about to leave for the Yacht Club."

"I'm glad I caught you before you did. I really hate to do this, but I'm going to need to cancel. Could we reschedule? Something's come up that I need to take care of."

"I have to say I was looking forward to our time alone today. You have me intrigued over what you wanted to discuss. I have to ask this. Is everything alright? There's nothing wrong with the children?"

"No, the kids are great."

"It's Bianca then, isn't it?"

Marissa shook her head. Erica seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to her daughters. The redhead didn't want to worry her unnecessarily, but she now knew she had to give the woman more of an explanation. "Bianca just called and wants to meet for lunch. There's something she wants to discuss."

"Is everything alright between the two of you? You're not having problems, are you?" Erica was immediately on alert.

"Bianca and I are good, trust me on that. You know about the article Pine Valley Now wants to do on her?"

"Yes, Kendall told me. She also told me that Bianca wasn't very happy about it either. I really can't say I'm surprised by that."

"You know how she is, Erica."

"Yes, I do."

"Well, the reporter called her today. I don't know what was said between the two of them. I only know that when Bianca called me that something was bothering her. She told me that it didn't go well and needed to talk. Obviously, I told her 'yes' which means …"

"You need to cancel our lunch plans. I understand. You need to be with her. Do you need me to do anything?"

"At this point, I'd like to talk with Bianca before anybody does anything."

"Meaning you'd like me to stay out of this and handle this yourself."

Marissa grinned, thankful Erica couldn't see her. "If you wouldn't mind."

"Of course, dear, for now."

"Thank you. Could we reschedule?"

"Yes, but only if you call me later and let me know how Bianca is doing."

"I will be more than happy to do that. We can set something up at that time. I really need to go meet her now."

"Of course. I'll talk with you later."

Marissa disconnected the call and sighed in relief before heading off to meet Bianca.

/

Bianca was chatting with Krystal when Marissa entered the restaurant. The brunette had to admit she immediately felt better after talking with her partner earlier. Bianca had been somewhat hesitant about calling her. She didn't want to bother her or worry her, but what the reporter had said disturbed her more than she cared to admit. The brunette was concerned what the ramifications would be as a result of how she handled the call. Bianca knew it was something she would dwell on which would allow it to fester and result in being her absolutely useless at work if she didn't talk with someone about it. No, that last part was wrong. She didn't need to talk to just anyone. Bianca needed to talk to Marissa. The couple had always been able to talk about anything, and had, more importantly, always been able to calm each other down, help each other see reason when they thought none was present or even possible. Now, the mere sight of Marissa made her smile and feel those butterflies she always got just catching a glimpse of her lover, and it erased everything else. Her partner always had that effect on her, and Bianca knew, without a doubt, she always would.

Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss and joined her at their table. "Hey."

"Hey yourself."

"Hi, Krystal."

"Hi, Marissa." Krystal observed the couple and could tell something was going on and decided to make a hasty retreat and give them some privacy. "I'll get you both something to drink."

"Thanks." Marissa turned to Bianca and took the brunette's hands in her own. "How are you doing?"

"I'm better just seeing you."

The redhead laughed. "And you say I'm the charmer."

Bianca grinned. "You must be rubbing off on me."

"How are you, seriously?"

"I can honestly tell you that I'm much better now than I was earlier."

Marissa studied Bianca closely and could tell her lover was, in fact, telling her the truth and not holding anything back. "I'm glad to hear it. Now, tell me what happened. I want to know everything."

Bianca sighed. "She started the conversation by sucking up to me a little, and you know how much I love that."

The redhead chuckled. "I'm well aware of how you feel about that. So, she started off with one strike against her. What else?"

"She told me about the single working mother angle and said because I was a single working mother of two, they thought I would be a perfect fit for the article. I stopped her right away and told her that she had several things wrong with that statement. First, I didn't see myself as single. I'm in a long term committed relationship with a wonderful woman." Bianca smiled and gave Marissa a quick kiss before continuing. "I then told her that we were raising _three_ children together. She stated that their research showed I only had two daughters. I know you're not going to like this, but I owe it to you to tell you. To quote her, 'the boy is Ms. Tasker's adopted son'. Before you say anything, I set her straight about AJ, trust me."

"I do. I have no doubt that you did. I'm also sure you set her straight about Miranda and Gabby too."

"You know me too well. I made it known in no uncertain terms that we are a family, no matter what anyone else says or thinks. When I asked her if they were still going to focus on my relationship status for the article, she said that they were so I told her I would have to decline. She didn't understand and proceeded to tell me that they were still going to do the article no matter what but that it would be easier for everyone if I did cooperate. If I didn't, it could reflect poorly on me."

"That sounds like a threat to me." Marissa's calm demeanor belied the growing anger bubbling inside.

Bianca, however, saw the brief flash of anger behind the hazel eyes of her lover. She had known Marissa would react this way, but Bianca had to tell her everything that had happened. They had promised each other they wouldn't have any secrets between them, and Marissa would've easily seen through Bianca if she had only told her part of what the reporter had said. "Well, she can threaten all she wants, but I'm not changing my mind. If they really want me to cooperate, then they're just going to have to change the focus of their article. _We_ are a package deal. I waited a lifetime to find you. No one, and I mean _no one,_ is going to make me deny what we have."

Marissa made a face. "I thought I was supposed to be the one making you feel better."

"Trust me, you did. I feel so much better than I did earlier, and that's all because of you." Bianca leaned in for another kiss.

"It's good to hear. Now, I don't give a damn what this reporter says. If you don't want to participate in this article, you don't have to, and I'll back you up all the way. I'll be watching her, and if she does _anything_ to cross the line, she's going to be dealing with me."

"And she has no idea what she'll be up against. That's enough talk about her. Let's talk about what we're going to do this weekend."

Marissa grinned. "That sounds good to me."

While the couple finished lunch, they discussed their plans for the weekend. The lunch hour flew by and both women needed to get back to work. Marissa decided to make a quick trip to the ladies room while Bianca waited for her at the table.

/

The couple was so focused on each other that they didn't realize someone was watching them, intensely. When Marissa left the table, the woman made her move and walked over to their table. She smiled to herself and couldn't believe her luck at finding Bianca here. She, of course, knew what the brunette looked like. Bianca had been in the public eye for years. Not only was she well-known in her own right but she was also the daughter of Erica Kane. All of the photos she had seen did not do Bianca justice. The woman was beautiful which made this assignment even more enjoyable for her.

"Bianca Montgomery? Hi, it's Carmen Diaz from Pine Valley Now. We spoke earlier. I can't believe my luck in running into you here. Do you mind if I have a seat?" Not waiting for a reply, the reporter sat down in Marissa's spot.

"Actually, I do mind. That seat is taken so I would really appreciate it if you left." Bianca gritted her teeth.

"I'll only be just a minute. I think we got off on the wrong foot earlier, that you misunderstood me and my intent. Wow, can I just say that you are beautiful. I've seen many pictures of you, but none of them compare to meeting you in person. I really do want the opportunity to interview you. I think it would great, and I have to admit that I'm a fan of you and your work. Just think of all of the publicity for the Miranda Center if we did the interview."

Bianca cleared her throat. She resented the reporter bringing up the Miranda Center and refused to be coerced into an interview as a result of it. Most of all, she deeply resented her intrusion just when she had put their earlier discussion behind her. "Do you still intend on saying that I'm single?"

"Yes, I do because you are. If you're not married, then you're single which is quite frankly the icing on the cake for someone as beautiful, intelligent, accomplished and wealthy as you are. It makes you the complete package, and you'll have people lining up to ask you out. I wouldn't mind a shot at that myself." The reporter finished with a flirtatious smile as she reached across to touch Bianca's arm.

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I know. My evil side came out again and made me do another cliffhanger. See you soon!**


	83. Pieces of the Puzzle

**A/N****: As always, thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing! Based on the reviews for the last chapter, I got the distinct impression that you all don't like Carmen. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am. :-) This update picks up where the last one left off. There's no way I would forward past Marissa meeting the reporter! Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Krystal had been keeping an eye on the blonde talking with Bianca. It wasn't because she didn't trust her daughter's partner because she did. Krystal knew without a single doubt that Bianca would never hurt Marissa and that she loved her with all of her heart. No, Krystal was watching them for other reasons. The blonde had caught her eye from the moment she had walked in. It was evident the woman had spotted the couple immediately. While they were oblivious to her presence, she'd been staring at them, almost studying them, and it had Krystal concerned. That feeling only intensified when the woman got up and walked over to the couple's table the instant Marissa had left to head to the ladies room. Krystal watched as the blonde took her daughter's seat and made a mental note. _Remember to get that cleaned._ Krystal couldn't tell what was being said between the two, but she could tell that Bianca was not pleased at all and was somewhat uncomfortable or maybe distressed was the better word to describe the brunette.

It seemed to Krystal that this other woman had some sort of hidden agenda because she was clearly flirting with Bianca even though she had to have known Marissa and Bianca were a couple. It was as plain as day with how the couple held hands and exchanged a quick kiss every now and then. Krystal remembered her daughter's reaction to that woman Sienna almost two years ago when she was only just starting to realize her feelings for Bianca. Now that the two were together in every way and a true couple, she could only wonder how Marissa would react to this other woman's blatant flirting. Out of the corner of her eye, Krystal caught sight of her daughter just as the other woman reached across the table to grab Bianca's arm. A red blur flashed by entirely too quickly to be stopped.

/

Marissa exited the ladies room and was heading back to the table when she spotted a woman sitting in her seat talking animatedly with Bianca. That, by itself, would've been fine, _but_ the redhead could tell immediately that Bianca wasn't pleased about whatever the other woman was saying. Marissa knew that Bianca was more than able to handle whatever the situation was so she saw no immediate threat or need to increase her pace back to the table. That was until she sensed something else at play. She had the distinct impression that the woman was flirting with Bianca. Again, she knew her partner could handle that, and she trusted her implicitly. It just didn't sit well with Marissa. The other woman would simply need to go after Marissa made abundantly clear that Bianca was off the market. If the woman didn't understand that, the redhead was more than happy to make that fact crystal clear to her.

The redhead took a deep breath and began to make her way back to the table. All reason flew out the door, however, when she saw the other woman laugh and grab Bianca's arm. Marissa only saw red as Bianca tried to remove the woman's hand. _No one and I mean no one touches her. If you don't move that hand, I'm going to remove it for you, and it's not going to be pretty. I will slap you so hard that you'll be feeling it until next year. No, I'll slap you so hard that your mother will feel it! You're going down, and I'm going to be the one to put you there!_

/

Bianca ripped her arm from the reporter's grip and was about to respond, telling the woman there was not a snowball's chance in hell she would ever consider her offer, when Marissa suddenly appeared. Hazel eyes flashed and shot daggers at the other woman before focusing on Bianca and softening her gaze. The redhead wrapped one arm around her partner while she took the hand of the arm that had been freed and kissed it gently as she gazed at Bianca.

"Hey, sorry it took me so long. Is everything alright?"

A wave of relief swept over Bianca as she smiled at Marissa. "It is now. She was just leaving."

The reporter plastered on a fake smile as she eyed the redhead thinking she wasn't anything special and saw no reason why someone would choose the redhead over her. _No competition. _"Hello, I'm Carmen Diaz with Pine Valley Now, and you are?"

_Did you seriously ask me that? I'm the woman whose seat you're in. I'm the woman who's going to kick your sorry ass if you ever lay one finger on Bianca again._ "I'm Marissa Tasker."

_You know damn well who she is. _"Marissa is my partner, the one I've told you about _repeatedly_."

"Oh, Ms. Tasker. Of course. You're CJ's adopted mother."

_She's baiting you, Tasker. Don't fall for it._ Marissa felt Bianca slip an arm around her waist, reassuring her and calming her at the same time. "I'm _AJ's_ mother."

"You're also a wonderful mother to Miranda and Gabby." Bianca added proudly.

"Just like you are with AJ." Marissa smiled at Bianca knowing the message both were sending to the reporter. "If you'll excuse me, Ms. Diaz …"

"Please call me Carmen."

"If you'll excuse me, Ms. Diaz, you're in my seat."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I had no idea."

Bianca rolled her eyes at the woman's obvious lack of sincerity. "I'm going to have to stop you on that one because you did know. I told you when you first came over here that the seat was taken and asked you to leave."

"I'm sorry. I must have misunderstood you. Well, I suppose I should go. I look forward to interviewing you, Bianca." The reporter smiled as she got up.

"It's Ms. Montgomery, and I didn't agree to an interview. As to your other question, that's _never_ going to happen. Hell will freeze over first, and it wouldn't happen even then."

Marissa had heard what Bianca had said. She wasn't sure what the reporter had asked but knew that her partner would tell her later. For now, there was a more pressing concern. Marissa had moved to the other side of the table prepared to reclaim her seat. She found herself eye to eye with the reporter who was wearing her fake smile as she waited for the redhead to move. Marissa didn't budge an inch as she glared at the other woman, daring her to contradict Bianca before speaking quietly to her. "I'm not sure what you're game is, but if you know what's good for you, you'll leave Bianca alone."

Carmen flinched slightly before recovering quickly. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh, I'm sure you do."

"I do believe I detected a threat, Ms. Tasker."

Marissa smiled coldly. "There was no threat, _Ms. Diaz_. It was a promise."

The reporter cleared her throat and stepped around the redhead before making her way out of the restaurant.

Bianca reached across and took Marissa's hand as soon as the redhead was seated again. "Are you okay?"

Marissa released a deep sigh. "Yeah, I am. You?"

"I am too. Thank you."

Marissa was confused. "For what?"

"Being there when I needed you, defending my honor, believing me, trusting me, not losing it and kicking that woman's ass like I know you wanted to." Bianca smirked.

A hearty laugh escaped from Marissa. "The first ones were easy to do. It was that last one that was a real bitch."

"Kind of like 'please call me Carmen'." Bianca added dryly which caused the couple to bust out laughing.

Krystal had walked up to check on things and had no idea what the couple was laughing about. "Is everything alright?"

Marissa had managed to collect herself somewhat before losing it again when Bianca snorted. After a few more seconds, the redhead was finally able to speak as she wiped tears from her eyes. "Everything's fine."

Bianca nodded. "Rissa's right. We're good. I hate to say it, but we should get going. Work is calling. We'll see you later, Krystal."

Marissa held out her hand which the brunette happily took, and they slowly walked outside.

Krystal could hear Bianca laughing again as they made their way to the door.

"You know, my Mom would be very impressed with that _bitch, please_ look you gave 'please call me Carmen'. I have to admit that I _really_ liked it myself."

"You did, huh? Well, I aim to please!"

Bianca flashed a salacious grin. "Oh trust me, that is something you definitely do, over and over and over again. To be completely honest with you, I found it _really_ hot."

Marissa laughed. "And you say I'm not right! Think you might be up for some _pleasing_ tonight?"

"Oh yeah, I definitely will be."

/

_The following week_

Carmen was stumped. She'd tried everything could think of to get Bianca Montgomery to agree to an interview, but the woman had steadfastly refused every request. No matter how hard the reporter tried, Bianca wouldn't budge on her position concerning her relationship status and therefore wouldn't cooperate regarding the article. Carmen just couldn't understand what the big deal was. The woman wasn't married to the redhead so why the fuss?

It was that woman. What was her name? Oh right, Marissa Tasker. That name was familiar for some reason, but Carmen couldn't place it. After their encounter at Krystal's, it had taken the reporter awhile to gather herself again. The redhead had managed to get under her skin. Carmen had thought if she could get the redhead jealous or upset enough that she could somehow manipulate the situation and get Bianca to agree to the interview by having the redhead become unreasonable and ordering her not to participate. That didn't happen though because Marissa refused to take the bait. While the woman didn't know exactly what Carmen was up to, she knew the reporter was up to something and had called her on it. She would never admit this to anyone, but the reporter was definitely unnerved by Marissa's promise.

As much as what the redhead had said concerned her, there was another issue that was more pressing. It had been Carmen's idea to pursue the 'singles' theme this year along with tapping Bianca as the most fascinating. Her editor had been somewhat reluctant but had finally agreed. Now that the deadline was fast approaching, her editor was pressuring her to either get Bianca to cooperate or choose someone else. To Carmen, that would mean failure and that was something she refused to accept. _Well, if the mountain won't come to me, I'll go to the mountain._

/

Marissa was working on a brief when a knock on her office door interrupted her. She glanced up to see a former client standing in the doorway. "Paul, it's good to see you again. Come on in and have a seat. How have you been?"

The man smiled and shook the lawyer's hand before taking a seat. "Marissa, it's good to see you too. I've been doing good. How about you? Are you and Bianca still going strong?"

Marissa smiled. "I've never been better, and yes, we are. She's the best. I'm a very lucky woman."

"Well, you're not so bad yourself."

"Thank you. What brings you by here? You and Sherry aren't having problems again, are you?"

Paul shook his head. "No, we're fine, thanks to you."

"I didn't do anything."

"No, you're wrong. You really did so much for us. There are a lot of lawyers who wouldn't have done what you did. They would've just taken the money and pushed through the divorce. You took the time to listen and help. Without you, Sherry and I wouldn't have made it. We'd be divorced and miserable. Our family would've been broken instead of thriving like it is now."

"It was easy to see that you both still loved each other. There had just been a breakdown in communication, and you needed to learn to talk with each other and trust each other again. You needed a different kind of counselor, not the kind that practices law."

"I still can't believe we let things get that bad. Of course, that reporter didn't help. She's actually why I'm here."

Marissa remembered the incident Paul was talking about. He had agreed to be interviewed by the Pine Valley Examiner for what was supposed to be a puff piece on his new position at Cortlandt Electronics. The reporter assigned to the story, however, had other ideas. She had wanted something more in-depth. When Paul tried to back out, the reporter produced incriminating photos of the two of them and threatened to send them to his wife. Paul didn't think she would follow through on her threat and continued to refuse her demands for greater access. The reporter was true to her word though and sent them to his wife. He tried to explain what was going on to Sherry and that nothing had happened between him and the reporter, but she had been too hurt at the time and filed for divorce. Paul had been given Marissa's name by a co-worker. The two met, and she agreed to represent him. Something about him told her that he hadn't cheated on his wife and wanted to save his marriage. To prove this, Marissa put one of the firm's investigators on the case. During meetings with Sherry and her lawyer, the redhead realized the woman was still in love with her husband. When the investigator found evidence that the incriminating photos had in fact been doctored, Paul and Sherry agreed to put the divorce on hold and give marriage counseling a try. As for the reporter, another attorney at the firm was handling that case.

Marissa could see several pieces of the puzzle suddenly falling into place. "What about her? What was her name again?"

"Her name was Carmen Navarro. I've heard through the grapevine that she's going by a different name now as well as working for a magazine."

"Carmen Diaz." _How the hell did I miss that?_

"That would be her. I hear that she wants to interview Bianca but hasn't had any luck with that."

"No, she hasn't. Bianca disagrees with the angle she's chosen."

Paul shook his head. "I'm sorry to hear that. Look, I know that you and Bianca are in a much better place in your relationship than Sherry and I were when Ms. Navarro walked into our lives, but I owe you. I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything that you've done for us. I just felt that I needed to warn you about her. If it's possible for you to somehow avoid what we went through, I'll do whatever I can to help you and Bianca."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you, Paul. I appreciate you coming to me on this. There was something that had been bothering me about her and now, I know why. I think you can help me."

/

Carmen breezed into the Miranda Center. She didn't have an appointment but had no doubt that she could bluff her way past any assistant to get to Bianca. It was something she had done many times before for numerous interviews. The reporter easily located Bianca's office and headed straight for it.

"Excuse me. Is there something I can help you with?"

The reporter flashed a winning smile. "Good afternoon, Ms.?"

"I'm Pam, and I work here. And you are?"

"My name is Carmen Diaz with Pine Valley Now. I'm doing a feature story on Ms. Montgomery. She had asked me to meet her here."

"Oh, let me get her assistant, and I'm sure she'll be able to help you. Please have a seat." Pam directed the reporter to the waiting area before she wandered off in search of Jan.

Carmen sat still for all of 30 seconds before looking around. Seeing that the coast was clear, she snuck into Bianca's office. The reporter walked to the desk and checked it out. It was neat and organized, nothing really surprising there. There was a small and tasteful crystal vase holding a single red rose. Several picture frames were on the desk as well. One was a digital frame that displayed a variety of shots of the family at various stages in their lives. Another frame contained a picture of all five of them at what looked to be a fair of some sort. Carmen picked up the last picture frame. Constructed of popsicle sticks and clearly homemade, it held a picture of Bianca and Marissa that had been taken outside. The couple was gazing at each other lovingly and smiling. The reporter rolled her eyes and set it down.

She opened a desk drawer and found nothing of interest inside. Her eyes fell upon Bianca's planner. _That looks promising._ The reporter started to open it when a girl's voice stopped her.

"Excuse me, but what are doing in here?" Sam was eyeing the woman suspiciously. The girl had been passing by the office when she noticed someone inside. Only a limited number of people were allowed in Bianca's office when she wasn't there, and this woman definitely wasn't one of them. She certainly had no right to be standing behind Bianca's desk.

"Oh, Pam said I could wait in here for Bianca. My name's Carmen, and I'm with Pine Valley Now. I'm doing an article on her."

Something was telling Sam that the woman was lying, but she had no proof. "I'm going to have to ask you to wait outside. No one is allowed inside her office without Bianca being present."

"I don't see what the issue is."

"It's a matter of privacy for the Center's clients. The waiting area is pretty comfortable, and you can get something to drink while you wait for her."

Carmen could tell the girl wasn't going to leave her alone. "Fine, please lead the way." As soon as Sam's back was turned, the reporter quickly tucked the planner into her bag.

Sam guided the woman to the waiting area while the girl took a seat behind Jan's desk.

After a few minutes, the reporter made a show of checking the time. "I'm going to be late for a meeting. I'll have to catch up with Bianca later." Before the girl could say anything, Carmen hurried out of the building.

Bianca's assistant showed up less than a minute later. "Hey, Sam. I heard there was someone here looking for Bianca."

"Yeah, she's a reporter. I found her alone in Bianca's office. She said Pam told her to wait in there. I didn't buy it though, Jan, and took her to the waiting area. She just left. She said something about catching up with Bianca later."

"Well, there's no way that Pam would've done that. What was her name?"

"She said it was Carmen."

Jan's head snapped up hearing the name. "Bianca's mentioned her and doesn't want anything to do with her. I'm glad you got her out of the office."

"Something just seemed off with her. I'll put these papers on Bianca's desk and get back to helping Aya." Sam went into the office. That's when she noticed something missing. _Son of a …_ She poked her head out the door and called to the assistant. "Jan, she took Bianca's planner."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Bianca left it on her desk like she always does when she's going to meet a client. It's not there now, and I know I saw it when that woman was in here."

"That's not good at all. I need to let Bianca know right away."

"Let me know what?" Bianca asked as she joined the two.

**/**

**A/N****: I'm not done with reporter just yet, don't worry. Marissa and Bianca will have the opportunity to take their shots at her. See you soon!**


	84. The Plot Thickens

**A/N****: I never can really say it enough, but thank you to everyone for reading and reviewing! It means a lot and keeps me inspired. It seems there are some strong opinions of Carmen out there. LOL! Well, all I'm going to say is that I don't think anyone's view of her is going to improve in this chapter. This one picks up right where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Sam went back into Bianca's office to drop some papers off. When she did, she noticed something was missing. _Son of a …_ She poked her head out the door and called to the assistant. "Jan, she took Bianca's planner."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Bianca left it on her desk like she always does when she's going to meet a client. It's not there now, and I know I saw it when that woman was in here."

"That's not good at all. I need to let Bianca know right away."

"Let me know what?" Bianca asked as she joined the two.

"We should probably talk in your office."

"Alright." Bianca nodded and walked into her office with her assistant and Sam following her inside. She set her purse down on her desk and immediately noticed that something was off. The picture frame that AJ had made containing the photo of her and Marissa from the zoo was face down on her desk. She picked it up and smiled at the memory it evoked like she did every time she looked at it before placing it right-side up. "Who was in here?"

Jan looked at her boss, not at all surprised that she had gotten straight to the point. "It seems that Carmen Diaz stopped by when I was away from my desk. She told Pam that you had asked her to meet you here so Pam went to find me after telling her to wait in the waiting area."

Sam picked up the story from there. "I was dropping off some papers for you and found her in here behind your desk. She said that Pam told her to wait in here for you, but I knew that was wrong. I told her that she couldn't stay in here but that she could wait outside in the waiting area. After a few minutes, she said she was going to be late for another meeting and would catch up with you later." The girl shook her head disappointed in herself. "She must have done it when I turned my back to lead her out of here."

"She must have done what?"

"Took your planner. I'm sorry."

Bianca realized that it was missing. "Are you sure it was her?"

"I'm positive. It was there when I came in and found her here. I came back in after she left, and it was gone."

Bianca took a deep breath. The woman had been pushing and pushing for the last week, but now, she'd gone too far. "It's alright, Sam. You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you did everything right. Thank you. Jan, I need you to get me the editor in chief of Pine Valley Now as well as Jesse Hubbard. And could you also get me Bill in Security?"

"You've got it. Come on, Sam. You can help me those calls." Jan and the girl headed back to the assistant's desk.

/

"Why are we calling Chief Hubbard? I can understand why we're calling Bill since he's the head of security here. I'm guessing Bianca's going to put her on the list of those barred from entering."

"Yes, I'm pretty sure she's going to do that." Jan picked up the phone and began dialing the Pine Valley Police Department. "My guess is that she's going to file a police report. Not only did the reporter trespass by entering her office without permission but she stole at least one thing that we know of from the office. Granted, it's most likely a misdemeanor, but it needs to be reported." Jan held up a finger to indicate to Sam that she needed to put their conversation on pause momentarily. "Yes, my name is Jan Carlyle with the Miranda Center. I'm calling on behalf of Bianca Montgomery, and she'd like to speak with Chief Hubbard please. Of course I'll hold."

The assistant turned back to Sam. "Bianca's going to do this for a couple of reasons. First, what the woman did was completely wrong. Not only does she need to know that, she also needs to realize there are consequences for her actions. Plus, whatever she's got planned isn't going to work. Bianca does not bow down to pressure. Another reason, and probably the most important one if I'm being honest, is Marissa. When she finds out what happened, I honestly don't what she'll do. Nobody messes with Bianca. That is something Marissa will simply not allow. Bianca knows that and will do whatever she can to make sure that Marissa doesn't do anything she'll regret. By pressing charges, she'll be able to do that a little bit. If you haven't noticed, everything they do is with the other in mind."

"Yeah, I caught that. They're really perfect for each other. I want to find somebody that will be that way with me and that I can be that way with."

"So do I, Sam. So does everybody. Do me a favor and call Bill. Tell him that Bianca needs to see him right away."

Sam nodded and placed her to Security call while Jan put Jesse through to Bianca.

/

Jan could see that Bianca was off the phone with Jesse and ducked her head into her boss's office. "Bill's here."

"Good. Send him in please." Bianca welcomed the head of security and asked him to sit. "I'm sure Jan informed you of what happened today."

"Yes, she did. Bianca, if I had any idea of what that woman was up to, I would've stopped her and held her for the police."

"I know. I guess I underestimated her and the lengths she's willing to go to for an interview. I'm done playing games with her though. I've spoken with Chief Hubbard, and he's going to send someone over to take statements and file a report. I need you to pull the security footage from today. Find anything that she's on and turn it over to the police when they get here. Sam knows what Ms. Diaz looks like so she will be able to identify her for you. I also want you to add her to the list of those individuals barred from the premises."

"You've got it. Anything else?"

"I went through everything here, and the only thing missing is my planner. My laptop was locked and still in the docking station. Could you have Nick check it out just in case for me?"

Bill nodded. "Of course. I'll take it to him right now if you want."

"That would be great. Thank you." Bianca unlocked the docking station, removed the laptop and handed it to her head of security.

He took the laptop and stood. "I'll have it back to you as soon as possible. After I get this to Nick, I'll go through the security footage with Sam."

Bianca smiled. "Thanks, I appreciate it."

Jan ducked her head back into the office when Bill left. "I've got the editor in chief of Pine Valley Now on the line for you. Her name is Marilyn Lowe."

"Thanks, Jan."

Bianca took a deep breath and picked up the phone. "Ms. Lowe, hello. This is Bianca Montgomery. Thank you for taking my call."

"It's my pleasure, Ms. Montgomery. How can I help you?"

/

Marissa was finishing up a call when Kendall knocked on her office door. The redhead waved her in and gestured for her to sit down.

"Thanks, Sara. I appreciate anything you can get for me. I'll be waiting for your call."

Kendall smiled when Marissa hung up the phone. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

"Not at the moment. I have to wait for one of our investigators to get back with me on something. Until they do, I'll just be twiddling my thumbs since I won't be able to concentrate. You will be able to keep me from that. What brings you by here?"

"I come bearing information for you."

"Information for?"

"That clinic in New York that I'd mention to you and Bianca."

"Oh, that clinic!"

Kendall laughed. "Yeah, that clinic. So, you and Bianca are really going to do this, huh? You're going to have a baby."

Marissa grinned. "Yep, we are! Or at least we're going to try our best. Hopefully, everything checks out, and I'll be able to get pregnant."

"Something tells me that you will. I just know it, and that baby is going to be the luckiest kid on earth to have you and my sister as parents along with AJ, Miranda and Gabby as their brother and sisters."

"Thanks, Kendall. That really means a lot to me. If you ask me, I think this baby will have the world's best aunt too."

Kendall grinned. "Well, I didn't want to say anything, but I'm not going to argue with you on that."

Marissa laughed. "Of course not! Why would you?"

"Exactly! Seriously, whatever you need, I'm here for you. I also want to assure you that I've kept my promise to you and Bianca, and I haven't told anyone else about your plans. That includes Zach, my Mom and Greenlee."

"Thank you." Marissa's eyes glistened as she continued. "You know, I see you as more than Bianca's sister and much more than just a friend to me. I've come to see you as kind of like the sister I never had. I know that technically I had a sister, but I never knew her. I always wanted one though, and you're what I always imagined she'd be like."

Kendall wiped tears from her eyes. "Damn you, Red. Do you have any tissues?"

Marissa nodded and retrieved a box of tissues. She took one before handing it to Kendall. "I'm sorry."

The curly-haired woman took a few tissues and patted her eyes. "Don't be sorry. I feel the same way about you, Marissa. You're more than a friend and my sister's partner. You're family whether it's official or not. Although, I'm hoping one day it's official. I'd really like to have you as my sister-in-law. I'd be proud to call you that."

"Well, damn you, Curly. Give me those tissues back."

The women laughed and tried to collect themselves.

"I'd be proud to be a member of your crazy family and have you as my sister-in-law."

"Hey, you have don't have any room to talk!"

Marissa chuckled. "Trust me, I know! And I can't tell you how glad I am that you're not holding them against me."

"Well, you don't hold ours against us, and it's clear to see that you're not them." Kendall was suddenly struck by what Marissa had said. "Wait a minute! Are you thinking of proposing to Bianca?"

The smile on the redhead's face more than answered that question. "It's definitely crossed my mind."

"Okay, I need details! Spill it, Tasker! I promise I won't tell anyone. You're secret is safe with me."

Marissa was interrupted by the ringing of her office phone. "I need to get this."

Kendall nodded and smiled. She already knew Bianca had plans of some sort to propose to Marissa. Now that she knew the redhead had plans of her own, Kendall couldn't have been happier for both women. It was yet another example of the couple being on the same page. Marissa mentioning a particular name pulled Kendall from her thoughts.

"And you're positive Carmen Diaz is in fact Carmen Navarro?" Marissa listened while she continued to jot down some notes. "And this is being sent to Chief Hubbard?" The redhead smiled. "Oh, I think he's going to find this very interesting. I think there are some at the magazine that might be interested in this information as well. Is there anything else I should know? Okay. Thanks, Sara. I appreciate this more than you know."

Kendall looked at Marissa anxiously. "Come on. Don't hold out on me, Red. What was that all about? We're family, remember?"

Marissa chuckled. "I remember. Grab your purse. I'll tell you everything on the way."

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to go see your sister. I have a few things to tell her about _Ms. Diaz_."

/

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me, Ms. Lowe."

"No, thank you, Ms. Montgomery. Please believe me when I tell you that I had no idea about what Carmen was doing. It crosses so many ethical and journalistic lines. On behalf of the magazine and myself personally, I apologize for any pain or inconvenience that you and Ms. Tasker have suffered as a result of her actions."

"Thank you. Apology accepted. I had an idea that was the case. I'm well aware of the magazine's reputation. So, you'll meet me there, and you're good with the plan?"

"I'm more than happy to meet you and help out. I'll see you in a little while."

Bianca disconnected the call, gathered her purse and phone and left her office. She stopped by her assistant's desk on her way out. "Jan, I need to go out for a little while. I'll be meeting with Ms. Lowe. We're going to deal with the Ms. Diaz situation once and for all. If anyone calls, tell them I'll get back with them as soon as I can."

"What about if Marissa calls?"

The brunette paused. "Tell her not to worry and that I have everything under control. I'll fill her in on everything tonight."

"Good luck and give that woman hell."

"That's exactly what I intend to do."

Jan smiled as she watched her boss head out. She could tell by both Bianca's posture and the tone of her voice that the reporter was about to meet the inner Kane within Bianca and was going to regret ever crossing her. _It couldn't happen to a nicer person._

/

"So you're telling me this bitch has used blackmail to get a story?" To say Kendall was fighting mad would be an understatement.

"I'm afraid so, and she almost destroyed someone's marriage in the process. The Examiner fired her as a result." Marissa shook her head as she drove to the Miranda Center. "I wish I would've put this all together sooner. I never met her though, and she was using a different name."

"Her real name is Navarro then?"

"Yes, it is. From what our investigator was able to find out, she changed her name to Diaz to get the position at Pine Valley Now. She knew she wouldn't get a job anywhere else under her real name given the circumstances for her departure from the paper, at least not at any of the reputable publications. I can't really say the same for any of the tabloids although she'd be a definite liability for them as well."

"She had to have lied on her application and in her interview then along with falsifying her records for the magazine to have hired her."

"Yep, it seems Carmen has been a very bad girl. Now that everything is hitting the fan, she's in for a world of hurt. When my client heard what she was starting to pull again, he and his wife decided it was time to step forward and press charges. They were willing to let it slide when they were the only ones involved, but when Bianca became a target, they knew they needed to do something."

"I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that."

"That makes two of us." Marissa parked the car and the pair headed inside.

/

Jan looked up from Bianca's desk when she heard a rap on the frame of the office door. She was leaving the latest budget report for her boss to check. "Hi, Marissa, Kendall."

"Hi, Jan. Is Bianca here?" The redhead glanced around.

"No, she stepped out for a meeting with Marilyn Lowe."

Kendall arched an eyebrow. "I know that name. She's the editor in chief at Pine Valley Now. What's my sister up to?"

"Bianca said they were going to deal with Ms. Diaz once and for all." Jan looked at Marissa and directed her next comments to her. "She also wanted me to tell you if you called not to worry and that she had everything under control. She also said she would fill you in on everything tonight."

Marissa shook her head. She knew why Bianca was handling this on her own. It was to protect her. "How did she sound?"

"Honestly? She sounded really ticked off but completely under control. She had that look she gets sometimes when she's not going to take crap from anybody."

"She had that Kane look, huh?" Marissa smirked

Jan laughed. "Yeah, she did."

"Do you know what pushed her over the edge? Something had to have. Binx doesn't tap her inner Kane woman for no reason." Kendall added knowingly.

"Yeah, I do. Carmen was here at the Center this morning while Bianca was out. She snuck in here, went through some of her things, had the picture of the two of you face down and took Bianca's planner."

Kendall shook her head. Bianca would take that as an assault against her family. "Well, that would definitely do it."

Marissa took a deep breath to try and collect herself. Hearing what the reporter had done set her immediately on edge, and she knew Bianca would feel exactly the same way. "Do you know where she went?"

"She has a note here about the Pine Valley Inn."

Kendall saw the glint in Marissa's eyes. "We're going to the Inn." There was no question involved. It was merely a statement of fact.

"Yep, we sure are. I'm done with that woman."

"Want me to hold Carmen for you?" Kendall smirked.

Marissa smiled. "We'll see how it goes, but I'm pretty sure I can handle her all on my own." The redhead saw the look in Kendall's eyes. "Go ahead and call Greenlee. I know you want to."

"Red, you know me too well! Oh, I have no doubt at all that you can handle her."

Marissa rolled her eyes. She knew Kendall was trying to calm her down some so she wouldn't do anything she would regret. "Thanks, Jan. See ya later."

Jan watched as the pair left. The reporter would now be dealing with not only Bianca but Marissa and Kendall. The woman really didn't stand a chance.

/

The reporter opened her hotel room door to find Bianca Montgomery on the other side. "Bianca, what a pleasant surprise! Please come in. I have to admit I'm extremely flattered you took the time and effort to find me. I haven't had the chance to move into my new place yet what with relocating. The magazine has graciously agreed to set me up here until it's ready and I can get settled permanently. Please have a seat."

Bianca merely continued to stare at the woman. "No thank you. I won't be here that long. You really shouldn't be surprised to see me."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I believe you have something that belongs to me."

"I still don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please, save it, Ms. Diaz, because I'm not buying it. I have neither the time nor the inclination to deal with you or your games. You were in my office today uninvited and took by planner."

"Seriously? You're accusing me of being a petty thief. Why would I do something like that?"

"Honestly, I don't know, and I don't care so just save it. I know you have it, and I'd like it back _now_."

The reporter was smart enough to know she needed to back down on this particular point. She still had one more card to play anyway. She feigned surprise when she checked her bag. "Oh, it looks like I do have it after all. I must have picked it up by mistake. Sorry about that."

Bianca glared at Carmen and took the planner back.

"Now that I've got you here, how about we do that interview?"

"I've already told you a number of times that I'm not going to do an interview with you."

Carmen was beyond frustrated with the brunette. "I don't know why."

"You don't know why? I've told you repeatedly that I disagree with the angle of the article and you've repeatedly disregarded my feelings on the subject and keep pushing me on it. You've invaded my privacy, and most importantly of all, you've insulted my partner and our family. Why in the hell would I ever agree to help you?"

"You're a public figure. You don't have any privacy."

"That's where you're wrong. I _did not_ forfeit my privacy, and you don't have the right to take my personal property."

"You shouldn't have left your planner lying around for anyone to see."

In that moment, Bianca was extremely grateful to Marissa. Her legal expertise really did rub off on her. "I didn't leave it lying around. It was on my desk in my office. This was the office you were told explicitly not to go into not once but twice so you were trespassing. Given all of that, I have an expectation of privacy, no matter what you may think."

"It doesn't really matter what you say. You're going to do the interview." Carmen smirked.

"Excuse me? Why in the hell would you think that?"

The reporter withdrew a large manila envelope from her desk drawer. "Because you don't want your pretty little redhead to get a look at these."

Bianca opened the envelope and found a handful of incriminating photos of the reporter and herself. While she knew they were photo-shopped, she had to admit they were pretty good forgeries. "These aren't real, and you know it because this never happened. More importantly, Marissa will know it."

"Are you sure you want to take that chance? I mean, her ex-husband did cheat on her. She could very well believe that it could happen again to her. All you have to do is give me my interview, and you can guarantee that she'll never see these."

"I don't get it. Why do you want to interview me so badly that you'll resort to blackmail?"

"Getting an interview with you is a coup. Everyone knows that you don't give them. So by landing one with you, it will be the break I need and get me the hell out of Pine Valley."

"So you'll lie, create these fake pictures and threaten me with destroying my relationship to get it?"

The reporter shrugged. "A girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do."

"I'm not going to be blackmailed especially over something I didn't do."

Carmen smiled sweetly. "Oh, I wouldn't call it blackmail."

"And what would you call it?"

"I call it creative thinking or thinking outside the box. Besides, I think you'll go along with it. You don't want something like this to go public. Think of the damage to your image and reputation."

"You're bluffing."

"I don't bluff. I've done it before, and as long as I get what I want, I'll do it again if I need to. I tell you what. I'll give you some time to think about it. You stay here. I've got a call to make." The reporter strode out of the room confident that she had Bianca on the ropes, leaving the door ajar as she left.

/

While Marissa stayed in the lobby to wait for the desk clerk to free up in hopes of convincing her to give her Carmen's room number, Kendall wandered around hoping she would happen upon either her sister or the reporter. She wound her way past the Inn's conference rooms and fitness area. When she came to the indoor pool, she did a double take. She saw the reporter exit a room and walk over to a table by the pool. Kendall, careful not to draw attention to herself, slipped past the reporter. As she neared the room the woman had just left, she heard her sister talking with someone.

"Did you get all of that? Good! I'll see you in a few minutes. The sooner I'm done with her, the better."

"The sooner you're done with who, Binx?"

Bianca was startled to see her sister. "I've got to go. See you in a few." With the call disconnected, her attention was directed to her sister. "Kendall, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. We came looking for you. We've got some information about _Ms. Diaz_."

"We? Who is _we_?" Bianca had a sinking suspicion of who was with her sister.

"Marissa and me. I stopped by her office earlier, and she'd found something out about that woman. We headed over to your office to tell you but found out you were here instead."

"Where's Marissa now?"

"She was in the lobby trying to find out which room this woman was in. I just sent her a text to let her know which one."

"Carmen's outside and is going to be back any second."

"Yeah, I know. I saw her outside and slipped by her."

The sisters turned towards the door when they heard angry words being exchanged outside followed by a loud splash. They exchanged a quick glance before rushing out of the room.

**/**

**A/N****: Oh, that darn evil side of me got out again and made me end this chapter where I did. Does it help any if I tell you I started on the next one? See you soon!**


	85. Splashdown!

**A/N****: You all are simply the best! Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! I love reading your comments! I'm back a little earlier than my normal weekly update. I told you I had part of this written already. There are a couple of things I should say up front about this chapter. The language is a little saltier than normal. There's also maybe a little violence, but you all knew that was coming based on the last chapter. Actually, I think some of you were looking forward to it. I know I was! This is also kind of a longer chapter. I could've broken it up, but I wasn't sure where to do it. I also knew I couldn't leave you hanging again so I was able to restrain my evil side long enough to get everything in one chapter. This chapter picks up pretty much where the last one left off. I did add a little more to Bianca and Kendall's scene because I felt that it needed it. This jumps back and forth between two scenes that are happening at the same time so I hope it's not confusing for you to read. In my mind, I just picture these beginning scenes happening simultaneously so I thought I'd give you a heads up here. I think that's everything for now. So, strap yourselves in! Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Kendall spotted the reporter as she exited a room and sat down at a table by the Inn's indoor pool. The curly haired woman slipped by the other woman undetected and made her way to the room the reporter had just left. Kendall was surprised to hear her sister talking to someone.

"Did you get all of that? Good. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I'll be when this is all over. No, I have no idea who she was talking about when she referred to blackmailing someone else. It would be good to know though. We could have the police contact them and it would strengthen our case. The sooner I'm done with her, the better."

"The sooner you're done with who, Binx?"

Bianca was startled to see her sister enter the room. "I've got to go, Marilyn. I'll see you in a few minutes." With the call disconnected, Bianca directed her attention to her sister. "What are you doing here, Kendall?"

"I could ask you the same thing. We came looking for you. We've got some information on _Ms. Diaz_."

/

Marissa was finally able to convince the desk clerk to give her Carmen's room number without technically giving it to her. All the clerk had to do was pull the information up on the computer and look away from the screen for a minute. With the information in hand, Marissa glanced around in search of Kendall but couldn't find her. The redhead moved out of the lobby in search of a better cellphone signal in order to text Kendall with the room information and to find the room in question. Marissa followed the room number signs and soon found herself by the indoor pool. She spotted the reporter talking on her cellphone and laughing while seated at a poolside table.

/

"We? Who's we?" Bianca had a sinking suspicion who her sister was referring to but was hoping she was wrong. She really wanted to spare Marissa because she knew how upset her partner would be when she found out what was going on.

"Me and Marissa. I stopped by her office earlier today with that information on the clinic I had promised the two of you. While I was there, she got some pretty interesting information on this so-called reporter from one of the firm's investigators."

"What kind of information?"

"Well, Red wouldn't go into too many specifics because of attorney/client privilege, but one of her clients had a run in with _Ms. Diaz_. She tried to blackmail him with some faked photos. When he refused to play ball with her, she sent the pictures to his wife. They almost got divorced over all of this. Before you ask, Red didn't recognize _Ms. Diaz_ because she was going by a different name. Her real name is Carmen Navarro, and Marissa's client, actually I guess he's her former client now, is going to file extortion charges against her."

Things started to click for Bianca hearing this news. She recalled Marissa telling her about a client that had been blackmailed. No names were given, just high level information. Marissa had been relieved when the divorce had been called off and the couple had gone into marriage counseling. This had to have been who Carmen was referring to before. If she was going by a different name and had faked her credentials, there would've been no way that Pine Valley Now would've known who she really was and the lengths she was willing to go to for a story. There was also one vital piece of information that Bianca garnered from her sister. Marissa knew that Carmen had done something like this before. If the faked photos of Bianca and Carmen came to light, Marissa would know not to believe the source of them. Bianca knew that Marissa trusted her and wouldn't necessarily believe that she would cheat on her, but she didn't want her partner to have even the slightest doubt about her faithfulness. "Wait. How did you know where to find me?"

"We stopped by the Miranda Center after you'd left to let you know what we found about her. Jan told us what happened there, and she found a note mentioning the Inn. That was enough to lead us here."

/

Marissa's blood was boiling as she overheard the reporter gloat about landing an interview with 'the one and only Bianca Montgomery'.

"Hey, what can I say? I have my ways. It didn't take too much persuasion on my part to get her to agree. I am pretty hard to say 'no' to once I turn on the charm. Before I knew it, she was eating out of my hands. An additional perk is that she's very easy on the eyes. I don't think it will be too long before we start having _fun_ if you know what I mean. What? Oh please, that redhead has nothing on me and doesn't stand a chance. I can already tell Bianca's interested in changing partners."

Marissa had heard more than enough.

/

"Why exactly are you here, Binx?"

"When I found out what Carmen did at my office, I contacted the editor in chief of the magazine after contacting the police. Marilyn Lowe is the editor and had no idea what Carmen was up to. We decided to come up with a plan that would expose Carmen and get her out of both of our hair. That's who I was talking to when you came in. It seems Carmen is up to her old tricks. She faked these photos of the two of us and threatened to send them to Marissa if I didn't cooperate. I had my phone on the whole time, and Marilyn was listening in and recording it. We've got more than enough on her now."

"Well, you have to know that Marissa would never believe you would cheat on her and hurt her like that."

"I would hope so, but she's been cheated on before."

Kendall smiled. "You're not JR, and she knows that. Trust me, she wouldn't believe it no matter how damning the proof, not of you. She knows your heart. I need to ask you something though. Why didn't you tell Marissa what you were up to?"

"I didn't want her involved in this until I absolutely had to bring her in. I knew how she'd react, and she's had more than enough to deal with regarding this woman because of me."

/

The reporter glanced up when she heard someone approaching. Her smile faltered and fear flashed in her eyes briefly when she met Marissa's angry glare. She scrambled to her feet. "I've got to go. I'll call you later." Carmen collected herself enough to smirk at Marissa. "Well, fancy meeting you here, Ms. Tasker. Looking for anybody in particular? Oh, I know. You're looking for Bianca. She's in my room, _recovering_. They always tell you it's the quiet ones you need to watch out for. It turns out that they're right. She wore me out."

Marissa couldn't hide her disgust at what the reporter was implying even though she knew the woman was lying. Marissa knew Bianca and trusted her. She also knew that Bianca was with Kendall at the moment having received a text stating that fact not a moment ago. "Ms. Diaz, or should I say Ms. Navarro? Paul Westfeldt sends his regards."

The shock of hearing her real name was evident on her face. "I don't know who you're talking about. I don't know anyone by either of those names."

Marissa laughed. "Really? That's how you're going to play it? Fine. Paul Westfeldt is the man you were blackmailing about six months ago. You wanted him to cooperate with an article for the Examiner, and when he refused, you sent his wife some fake photos of the two of you."

"I … I never worked for the Examiner. I just moved here a month ago."

"Well, Carmen _Diaz_ never worked for the Examiner but Carmen _Navarro_ did, and the funny thing is they're one and the same. You can deny it all you want, but you know it's true and so do I. More importantly, there's proof to back it up. Paul was very pretty ticked off about what you did, still is. Let's face it, he has every right to be. You almost destroyed his marriage, _almost_."

"What do you mean _almost_?"

"I thought you didn't know him." Marissa smirked. "He and his wife have reconciled. Guess your plan didn't work."

"She's an idiot. Wait. How do you know all of this?"

"I was Paul's lawyer. After the divorce was called off, our firm kept him on as a client. You'll be hearing from a colleague of mine regarding your actions."

It finally dawned on the reporter now how she knew Marissa's name. It made twisting the knife in the redhead more enjoyable. She saw the second envelope she had with her extra copies of the photos she had given Bianca. "Oh, I don't think so. I don't think you're going to let that happen."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "And why is that?"

"Because your _partner_ has been a very naughty girl, and I've got the pictures to prove it."

Marissa eyed the envelope. "I suppose those are the photos you're talking about?

"They're quite explicit. Care to take a look? Maybe you'll learn something and your woman won't have to go somewhere else to have her needs met."

"I'll pass. Do you really expect me to believe you and your so-called evidence after everything I know about you now? I know Bianca. I know the type of person she is. She's not capable of any of the things you're saying. She's not capable of causing that type of pain. I trust her."

The reporter shrugged. "It's no skin off my nose if you don't believe me. I figure neither of you wants these photos to get out and will do whatever it takes to make sure that doesn't happen."

"You think we'll go along with whatever you want because of the photos. No one's going to believe you, you know. Bianca has a spotless reputation. You? Not so much."

"Well, her's is about to get a whole lot dirtier. As to anyone believing whether she could do something like this? Well, it's my word against her's, and I've got the pictures to back me up. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I guess we'll find out if that's true. The way I see it, I own Bianca Montgomery now, and I'm going to ride that gravy train for a very long time. And there's not a damn thing you can do about it."

/

Kendall shook her head. "You know that Marissa would do anything for you and doesn't blame you for any of this."

Bianca felt a shiver of panic run through her. _Marissa! Oh god, she's out there with Carmen. She could show her those pictures, and even if she knows they're fake, I don't want her to feel the pain I know she will if she sees them. _"Where's Marissa?"

"She was in the lobby trying to convince the front desk clerk to let her know which room Carmen was in. I just sent her a text to let her know which one."

"Carmen's out there and is going to be back any second."

"Yeah, I know. I saw her outside and slipped by her."

"What do you think Marissa's going to do if she runs into Carmen?"

"Oh damn, Binx. When I saw Carmen out there, I knew you were probably around here somewhere and wanted to find you. Red's reaction to seeing her kind of slipped my mind."

The sisters turned towards the door when they heard angry words being exchanged outside followed by a loud splash. They exchanged a quick glance before rushing out of the room.

/

The smug look on the reporter's face coupled with her detestable words pushed Marissa over the edge. No one _owned_ Bianca and the redhead was going to make this vile woman eat her words quite literally. The rage boiled over and her hand clenched into a fist. Before either knew what was happening, Marissa's fist smashed into the reporter's face and sent her flying into the pool. The slight crunching sound the redhead heard when her fist met Carmen's nose gave her a brief moment of satisfaction before her hand began to sting and she saw Bianca rush out from a nearby room.

Bianca raced over to Marissa. "Rissa, are you alright?"

"I think so. You?"

"Yeah, I think so too."

"I guess Kendall found you, huh?"

"Yeah, she did, and she filled me in on everything."

"Well, I'm glad the two of you are okay. Too bad it's not going to last much longer. You broke my fucking nose, you bitch! You're both going to pay for this!" Carmen sputtered as blood streamed from her nose.

Kendall couldn't hold back her delight at the sight of the reporter struggling to get out of the pool while holding her nose. "You really should watch your footing around swimming pools. There is a reason lifeguards always tell people not to run around them. It gets pretty slippery, but I guess you found that out the hard way."

"What in the hell are you talking about? I didn't slip or fall. That redheaded bitch hit me and broke my damn nose! She's going to pay! I'm going to have her arrested for assault and then I'm going to have her license! You'll never practice law again! Plus, I'm going to sue your ass!"

Bianca stood slightly in front of Marissa and spoke to the reporter quietly. A steely calm settled over the brunette. "You are not going to do anything to her."

"Right. You want to tell me exactly why you think that?" Carmen spat as she finally climbed out of the pool and stalked closer to the couple. The reporter stopped in her tracks seeing the fire in the redhead's eyes and thought better of getting any closer.

Marissa readied herself to go on the offensive again as the reporter got closer. Bianca reached back sensing this and steadied her partner.

"It's simple really. Do you have any witnesses as to what happened?" Hearing no response from the reporter, Bianca continued. "I thought so. That would mean it's your word against her's. Now, who do you supposed people are going to believe, a lawyer with a sterling reputation and a pillar of the community or a conniving and blackmailing piece of shit like you? My money's on her, and I'll have to tell you that it's a considerable sum of money. You _don't_ want to take me on, trust me on that."

"And why is that?"

"_Because you will lose._ Before you say anything else, I want you to consider a few things. We already know you blackmailed someone else before, and they're going to be pressing charges against you. Isn't that right, Rissa?"

Marissa shook herself from her haze and nodded. "Yes, it is. The Westfeldts are contacting the police to press charges, and they have a lot of evidence on their side."

"There's also the matter of you trying to blackmail me, but we'll put that aside for now. You've got other bigger issues to deal with."

"Like what?"

Bianca smiled coldly. "Like fraud. I had an interesting conversation with your employer earlier."

"Make that _former_ employer, Bianca."

"Hello, Marilyn. I guess I should introduce you to everyone. This is my partner Marissa Tasker, and the woman with the curly hair is my sister Kendall Slater."

The editor nodded. "Ladies, it's a pleasure to meet you both."

The pair nodded in greeting and remained silent. Bianca was running the show, and they were content to let her do so. They would be there if she needed them, but she had things well in hand. Kendall beamed with pride as her sister leveled the patented Kane death glare at the reporter. While part of her was kicking herself for losing her temper, Marissa stood in awe of the woman she loved. Bianca was in complete control of the situation, and the redhead felt a shiver run up her spine at the sight.

"I suppose I should make one more introduction. Marilyn, this is Carmen _Navarro_."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, it seems that Carmen has been lying and perpetrating a fraud on you and your magazine." Bianca glanced at Marissa to make sure she had the legal terminology correct. A proud nod from her partner told her to continue. "Her real name is Navarro, and she worked for the Examiner until she was fired for extortion. She blackmailed a man with some faked photos to get him to cooperate with her on a story. When he refused, she sent them to his wife. Sound familiar?"

Marilyn nodded. "Why yes it does. That's exactly what she was doing to you. So, if she worked for the Examiner, that means she lived here already and any money she received from us for 'relocating' here was the result of fraud on her part."

"That's right. I'm thinking there could be some identity theft involved too since we know she misrepresented herself at least once with you. Who knows how many more times she done that?"

"That's a very good point. I'll have our lawyers sort all of that out. You should find yourself a good one, Carmen. You're going to need it because we will be pressing charges."

"I … I …"

"Now for my favorite part, blackmailing me."

"I didn't do anything like that. It's your word against mine."

Bianca grinned. "Actually, it's your word against your word. You see, Marilyn and I recorded the whole conversation we had in your room."

The color drained from the reporter's face.

"That's right. We've got every single word you said to me, and I'm going to make sure they're used."

"You're bluffing."

Bianca's steely gaze fell onto the other woman and everyone could see her visibly shrink under the glare. "Let's recap, shall we? You're facing multiple charges of extortion, fraud and a whole host of other charges I can't even begin to list. You have no witness to your alleged assault by Marissa. Who do you think people are going to believe again? When it comes to my family and protecting them, I _never_ bluff. I don't give a damn about my reputation. I care about my family. You went after them. It's time for you to pay the consequences of doing that. I'll do anything I need to in order to protect them. Anyone who thinks otherwise is in for one hell of a rude awakening. You come near them again or even think about it, this is going to feel like a walk in the park compared to what I'll do to you then. I will burn you to the ground."

"Is everything okay here? Is she okay?"

Kendall turned and saw Brot approaching the group and eyeing Carmen. "Officer Monroe, she slipped and fell into the pool." The older woman turned to the reporter. "I know you said you didn't want any help from us, but you really should dry yourself off and do something about that nose." Kendall picked up a towel and threw it at a still shaken Carmen hitting her squarely in the face.

The reporter screamed in pain. "Son of a bitch! You did that on purpose!"

Kendall simply shrugged innocently. "I got you a towel. It's not my fault you weren't paying attention enough to catch it."

The others bit back a laugh.

"Is that what happened, Ms.?"

Carmen glanced around the group of women. When her eyes locked with Bianca's blazing glare, she swallowed thickly and nodded. The reporter was truly frightened of what the younger brunette would do, and the look in her eyes chilled her to the bone. "Yes, officer. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going and slipped."

"I'm sorry. I didn't get your name."

"Carmen Diaz."

Brot cocked his head is surprise upon hearing the name. "Well, Ms. Diaz, I've been looking for you. I have a warrant for your arrest."

The reporter's head snapped up and she winced in pain at the sudden movement. "For what?"

"Extortion. Paul and Sherry Westfeldt have filed a complaint against you."

Marilyn Lowe stepped forward. "I'd like to add some charges of my own, Officer Monroe."

"And you are?"

"Marilyn Lowe, editor in chief of Pine Valley Now, Ms. Diaz or should I say Ms. Navarro's former employer. It turns out that's her real name. I'd like to charge her with fraud and theft by deception. There are a few more other charges to follow, but those are the first to come to mind right now."

Brot turned to Bianca. "Exactly why are you here?"

Bianca weighed her words carefully. If possible, she wanted to avoid having her pictures exposed to spare Marissa and their children any pain they may cause. She also knew she could use the threat of pressing charges to insure that Carmen kept her mouth shut about Marissa hitting her. Bianca knew that she did and she also knew Marissa had done so with good reason. "Carmen was at my office earlier."

"Oh, that's right. The chief had me go over and talk to your staff. A planner of yours was missing."

"Yes, that's correct. I called Ms. Lowe to complain about her employee. Carmen has been harassing me in order to get me to submit to an interview. Ms. Lowe agreed to meet with me here. While I was waiting for her, Carmen and I talked. She mentioned she had some photos of me that I probably wouldn't want to come to light."

"This conversation took place in her hotel room?"

"Yes, it did."

Brot took out a pair of handcuffs and placed one cuff around Carmen's wrist while the other end was attached to a chair. "Everyone stay here while I go check out the room."

Kendall checked her phone and then nodded to Bianca.

The younger brunette turned to the reporter. "What's it going to be, Carmen?"

The reporter glanced at the sisters. The smug look on the older one's face and the hard glint in younger one's eyes told her everything she needed to know. The officer wouldn't find any pictures of Bianca in the room. In fact, they would only be found if the reporter tried to pursue assault charges against Marissa. That would be the only concession she would be receiving from the group assembled here and she knew it. The reporter nodded knowing she was backed into a corner especially since she already told the police officer she slipped and fell.

Marissa pulled Bianca aside. "Bianca, I can't let you do this. She's going to walk on what she did to you because I couldn't hold my temper. It's not right."

"Hey, you didn't do anything wrong. She got exactly what she deserved. I have no doubt that she pushed you way too far by saying some pretty ugly things and maybe showing you something that you _have_ to believe is fake."

"She tried to show me something, but I didn't look. I didn't need to because I knew they were fake. She also implied some things about the two of you and the nature of your relationship. You never have to doubt that I trust and believe in you. I know exactly what you are and aren't capable of."

"Where did the photos go?"

"I saw Kendall grab the envelope."

"Good. Look, it doesn't matter to me whether or not she faces charges for what she did. Let me do this for you. It's the right thing. You don't deserve to have your name dragged through the mud which is what she'll try and do or whatever lawyer she hires will try. You've also worked too damn hard to get where you are. I'm not about to let anyone take that away from you. Besides, she's facing more than enough charges and time behind bars without anything from me. Got it?"

Marissa sighed knowing full well that it was futile arguing with Bianca when she had her mind made up. "I got it, but if anything happens with the other charges, we're moving forward with pressing charges on what she did to you. Charges against me be damned. Deal?"

Bianca chuckled. Marissa could be just as stubborn as her so Bianca knew she wouldn't budge from her stance on justice being served. "You drive a hard bargain, Counselor, but deal." The brunette leaned in for a quick kiss. "How's your hand?"

"Nothing a little ice won't help."

Brot joined the group again. "I couldn't find any photos inside and there wasn't anything on her computer. There really isn't any evidence to charge her with either extortion or attempted extortion. I did find your planner. She could be charged with a misdemeanor for taking it."

Bianca shook her head. "No, that's okay. She has enough more pressing matters facing her."

The police officer knew there was a lot more to this story than he was being told. He also knew that the reporter's broken nose was not the result of a slip around the pool. It was more likely the result of a roundhouse left by a certain redheaded lawyer, but he wasn't going to press it. If his suspicions were correct, he knew the reporter received exactly what she deserved. Plus, there weren't any witnesses and the woman wasn't pressing any charges so there was really nothing he could do about it. As Brot released the cuff from the chair, he began to read Carmen her rights. Once her hands were cuffed securely behind her back, Brot began to lead the reporter away. "Ms. Lowe, if you still want to press charges, you can meet us at the station. I'm going to stop by Pine Valley Hospital first to have them look at her nose."

Marilyn nodded. "I'll meet you there, officer. I just want to contact my lawyers." When Brot was out of sight, she turned to Bianca and handed her a digital recorder. "I'll let you have this in case you need it later."

"Thanks for your help."

"I'm glad that I could do it. I'm sorry things got this far. Trust me though, we're not done with her by a long shot. I only wish I could've seen her 'fall' into the pool. I'll see you around." The woman pulled out her phone as she walked away.

"Why do I feel I'm missing something, B?" Marissa asked.

"My conversation with Carmen might've been recorded by Marilyn." Bianca grinned.

"You wore a wire?!"

"Kinda. I left my cellphone on while it was connected to Marilyn and she recorded everything."

Marissa shook her head in wonder. "You're amazing."

"I'm a Kane. We have our ways."

"Kendall, where's Greenlee? Shouldn't she be here by now?" Marissa glanced around the area.

"You called Greenlee?"

"Of course she did."

The couple looked at each other with matching amused looks.

"Uh, Kendall, did that shrubbery just talk?" Bianca smirked.

Greenlee emerged from the tropical area the Inn had set up around the pool area. "She knew she better call me or she'd never hear the end of it."

"I'm thinking you missed your calling, Greenlee. You're really good at camouflage. How long have you been back there?" Marissa was curious how much of her confrontation the other woman had witnessed.

"I do have kind of a knack for it, don't I? Oh before I forget, here's her flash drive." Greenlee handed the device to Bianca.

"How did you get this?"

"I snuck into her while you were all otherwise engaged with Carmen and before Brot got here. I did a quick glance on her laptop and then the drive. Everything about you was only on the drive. And don't worry, I only looked at the directory and not the contents. As to your question, Marissa, I've been back there for a while." Greenlee grinned mischievously.

"Tell me you got what happened between Red and that bitch!" Kendall couldn't contain her excitement.

Greenlee pulled out her phone and waved it around a little. "I got it! I got all of it! Remind me to never piss you off, Marissa!"

The redhead groaned.

"I've got to see this!"

Bianca rolled her eyes at her sister, but she had to admit that she was a little curious herself. "How about we go somewhere else and watch it? How about Krystal's? We can get some ice for Rissa's hand."

Everyone agreed and headed off to their cars with Kendall going with her sister.

/

The sisters arrived at the restaurant first and were greeted by the owner.

"Howdy, ladies. This is a nice surprise."

"Hey, Krystal. Could we get four iced teas, a cloth and a bag of ice?" Bianca asked as she sat down.

"What? Cloth and a bag of ice? Who are the other two teas for?"

"Red and Greenlee are on their way. Red needs the ice."

"Is Marissa alright?"

Bianca shot a quick glare at her sister. "She's fine. Her hand is a little sore."

"From what? Was she in an accident?"

"No, it wasn't an accident. It was a fight. She broke someone's nose." Kendall smirked.

"She what?! Whose nose? What happened?"

"Would you stop it, Kendall? We'll tell you everything as soon as she gets here. I promise she's okay."

"Okay, let me go get everything." Krystal hurried off.

"Would you behave? You had her really worried."

Kendall shrugged. "I didn't mean to do that, but maybe if you had let me drive over with Greenlee, I'd be better because I would've seen the video by now."

"Seriously? You're pouting?" Bianca rolled her eyes.

"Hey."

Bianca smiled brightly as Marissa joined the sisters. "Hey." The couple exchanged a kiss as Marissa settled in next to her. Bianca picked up the redhead's hand and stroked it tenderly. "How does it feel?"

Marissa sighed feeling her lover's gentle touch. "Better, now."

"Here's the ice and dishcloth. Marissa, are you alright and will you please tell me what happened now?" Krystal asked as she handed the items to Bianca before distributing the drinks and joining the three.

Bianca tended to Marissa's hand as she spoke. "While we're waiting for Greenlee, I suppose we could fill you in on everything that happened earlier."

Krystal listened in rapt attention while the others related everything that happened. "That bitch. I can't believe she did that to both of you."

Greenlee joined the others. "I take it you told her about what happened."

"Yes, we did. What took you so long?" Kendall asked impatiently.

"I transferred the video to my tablet so we can see it a little better since it has a bigger screen than my cellphone." Greenlee took a sip of her iced tea and settled in. "Do you know how tempting it is to put this on YouTube and let it go viral? Don't worry. I know I can't do that. I just said I was tempted. I have to admit that this is some of my best work. Is everyone ready?"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Yes! Would you play it already?!"

/

The women gathered in around Greenlee as she brought the video up on her tablet. Hearing the reporter's venomous words, Bianca gripped Marissa's good hand. Marissa was taking several deep breaths knowing exactly what would happen next while Kendall ground her teeth and quietly seethed hearing what the reporter was saying. On the video, Greenlee could be heard muttering. At times, she was encouraging Marissa to hold it together and not lose her temper. By the end of the reporter's rant however, you could hear Greenlee saying 'knock her head off, Marissa'.

Suddenly, all hell broke loose as Marissa's fist firmly connected with the reporter's nose sending her flying backwards into pool. The cheer that erupted from the table caused the other patrons to look in their direction. The women merely smiled and continued to watch as blood gushed from the woman's nose while she sputtered and floundered around in the pool. Greenlee could be heard cheering in the background while Bianca and Kendall could be seen rushing into view.

Kendall, Greenlee and Krystal were grinning from ear to ear. Bianca and Marissa had a mixture of emotions play across their faces. Marissa, while upset that she had lost her temper, couldn't bring herself to be sorry for decking the other woman and for how satisfying it felt to do so. Bianca, for her part, hated that Marissa had to hear the ugliness the reporter was spewing, but she had to admit that seeing Marissa take out the other woman made her proud and quite frankly a little turned on, though she would only ever admit that second part to Marissa.

There was a slight break in the action from when Greenlee went into the hotel room to retrieve the flash drive. The scene with Bianca tapping into her inner Kane was a hit with the group as well.

"I'm so proud of you, Binx. Mom will be too and don't say she doesn't need to know because she does. Even though I loved where you ripped Carmen a new one, I have to say that my favorite part was Rocky over here. You took her out with one punch! Where did you learn to fight, Red?"

Marissa grinned. "My Dad taught me. He wanted me to be able to protect myself but to only use force when all other options had failed. Mom wasn't too thrilled about it though but let him do it anyway."

Krystal nodded. "That sounds like Roy and Lydia. They were always in favor of trying to use reason first with someone but to always stand your ground. I'm proud of you, and I know they would be proud of you too. That woman got exactly what she deserved."

"Play in again, Greenlee. I want to see Rocky here in action again." Kendall smirked.

"Yeah, I want to see it again too." Bianca grinned proudly. "Nobody messes with my girl!"

Marissa chuckled and flexed her hand. "It did feel really good to knock that look off of her face."

"As much as I want to see it again, I better get back to work. Good job you two." Krystal smiled at the couple before heading back to the kitchen.

Greenlee couldn't contain her excitement. "Oh, I've got this really cool app that can put this in super slo-mo. Watch this!"

The four women watched the clip a few more times with each viewing bringing cheers and laughs.

"I have to tell you that I was about to rip her head off myself if you hadn't decked her when you did. That woman was seriously getting on my last nerve. I don't know that I could've taken her out in one punch though, Rocky." Greenlee added still grinning.

"That's some serious power you got there, Rocky. Remind me to never piss you off."

"I don't think you have to worry, Curly, since the only things that would get me that mad are things that hurt or attack my family, and I know you would never do anything like that so you're safe." Marissa checked the time and looked at Bianca. "It's almost time to pick up the kids."

"Do you have to get back to the office?"

"I do but just to wrap up a couple of things."

Bianca smiled. "I'll pick them up then."

"I'll walk out with you." Marissa turned to the friends. "Thanks for the backup today."

"Anytime. And thank you for the entertainment! Both of you! I'll send you both the clip. I'm keeping you in mind, Rocky, should I ever need a little muscle." Greenlee smirked.

"I'll catch a ride with Greenlee. I want to watch this again. You know you have to send me this too along with that app. I can't wait to show this to Zach. He might offer you a position, Red." Kendall laughed.

"Great, I'm now the family enforcer."

"Well, Mom is kinda like 'The Godfather' of our family." Bianca smirked as the couple waved to the pair as they prepared for yet another viewing.

/

Bianca pulled Marissa aside when they reached their cars. "You know it was pretty damn hot the way you defended me. Seeing you decking Carmen like that? You were sexy as hell."

Marissa chuckled. "I'm definitely a bad influence on you. You know how much I love it when you flash the Kane death glare."

"I do. I think your actions today deserve a reward."

"Did you have anything in particular in mind?"

Bianca grinned wickedly and pulled the redhead in for a searing kiss.

Marissa's eyes were still closed and her brain starting to short-circuit when they separated.

"Don't be late getting home. Maybe, we can get the kids to bed early."

"I suppose that now is too early, huh?"

Bianca laughed before leaning in for a quick kiss that was full of the promise of things to come later that evening. "Good things come to those who wait, Sweetheart."

"Babe, you are so much more than good and definitely worth whatever wait there may be."


	86. An Overdue Discussion

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it and it feeds the creative beast. I'm glad everyone seemed pleased with what happened to a certain reporter. We're going to move forward in time just a little bit. It's time for a long awaited conversation between a couple of people. Enough from me for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

A happy sigh quietly escaped from Marissa as she woke up feeling the soft, warm body of the love of her life pressed into her own as Bianca was snuggled into her arms. Every inch of said warm body was etched into her memory, her heart and soul, and her very being. Marissa laid there in the dark relishing these quiet moments before their alarm would go off forcing them out of their cocoon and into the day that lie ahead. Getting the kids up, ready and off to school and daycare and work days filled with endless meetings were on the schedule for them. Yes, both women loved these quiet moments together.

Marissa was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize Bianca had turned and was now facing her until she felt soft lips trailing kisses along her neck. She hummed with delight.

Bianca smiled and whispered. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning." Marissa instinctively began to softly caress the wondrous curves of Bianca, loving both the feel of her velvety soft skin and the reaction her lover's body had to her touch as she felt a shiver run through her. The redhead smiled when she heard a happy sigh escape from Bianca.

"Do we have to go into work today? Can't we just stay in our nice warm bed all day?"

Marissa chuckled. "You don't know how tempting that is, but what about the kids? They have school."

"They could stay home. I know they wouldn't mind sleeping in and playing with Max later."

"We've got work."

"I think we deserve a day off."

Marissa's resolve began to weaken as Bianca's lips began their assault on her neck again. Her eyes snapped open when she remembered her plans for today. She had already put her lunch meeting off once. She didn't dare put it off a second time. "This lax work ethic wouldn't have anything to do with your budget meeting would it?"

Of course Marissa would know what her schedule was for the day. Bianca scowled. "I really don't like them."

"I know you don't, but …"

Bianca sighed and rolled her eyes. "They're a necessary evil. Fine, I'll go to work. Just so you know, that's not the main reason I wanted to stay in bed today."

As much as she would love to spend the day in bed with her partner, Marissa was silently relieved that Bianca had relented. "You're killing me. The weekend's almost here, and we can sleep late then. I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that."

"Promise?" Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "I promise."

The couple lay in bed for a few more minutes before their alarm went off. Both groaned before getting out of bed to start their days.

/

"What are you doing for lunch today? I was thinking we could meet up." Bianca asked as put the family's breakfast dishes in the dishwasher.

Marissa paused momentarily as she let Max back into house. She hated lying to Bianca, but it was necessary in this case. "I'd love to, but I've got a lunch meeting. It's already been moved once so I don't think they would take very kindly to moving it again. Sorry."

"That's okay. I understand. You've got to keep the clients happy."

The redhead breathed a sigh of relief and didn't correct Bianca's assumption. "Speaking of clients, Paul and Sherry Westfeldt are stopping by today."

"Maybe they'll give you a play by play of Carmen's arraignment."

Marissa grinned. "That's what I'm hoping. Brian took over representing them since they no longer need my particular area of expertise. Since her arraignment was late yesterday, I didn't get the chance to catch up with him. Before you ask, you know darn well that I'll fill you in on everything."

Bianca chuckled. "Thank you, and you're right I do know. Did you see the paper this morning?"

"Not yet. Why?"

The brunette slid the paper over to Marissa. On the front page was a color photo of Carmen being led into court. Her nose was bandaged and both eyes were blackened. The redhead couldn't hide the smile of satisfaction that crossed her face seeing the woman looking like she did. "She looks kind of like a raccoon."

Bianca snorted. "I think you're right. She does. Is it wrong that I really like seeing her look like that?"

"Not at all." Marissa grinned and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "I've got to go. I'll give you a call later. Love you."

"Love you too."

/

Marissa stood outside the doors to the Yacht Club and took a deep breath. She had arrived early wanting to give herself a few minutes to calm her nerves and go over her carefully prepared arguments before Erica arrived. In her wildest dreams, Marissa could never have imagined her doing anything like she was about to do. Meeting Bianca and falling in love with her changed everything for her, turned her world upside down. Marissa closed her eyes and smiled as Bianca came to mind. She saw her warm chocolate eyes that reflected the beauty of her soul and her smile that managed to always brighten the darkest of days. No, Bianca didn't turn her life upside down. She turned it right-side up. With that single thought in mind, Marissa smiled and walked inside.

The redhead gave her name to the maître d', who recognized it immediately, and was led to a table in a private corner. When Marissa called to make her reservation a few days earlier, she personally spoke with the maître d' and informed him of who would be joining her and requested as private a table as possible. Marissa wanted as much privacy as she could get for this conversation. Hearing who her guest would be, the man was more than happy to accommodate her. Erica was the town's most famous citizen after all.

She settled into the seat offered to her and ordered something to drink. While she could use something stronger than iced tea to steel her nerves, Marissa needed to keep her wits about her. The redhead heard her cellphone notifying her of an incoming text message. She smiled brightly when she saw who was texting her.

"_Hey. How's your day going? Meeting with client hasn't started yet, has it?"_

"_Hey, yourself. Waiting for them. Day is much better now hearing from you."_

"_Charmer."_

"_Just being honest. How's the budget meeting?"_

"_Boring and long, but we're actually making progress. We decided to do a working lunch and just plow through it all. We're on a break now. I needed a quick Rissa fix to get me through the rest of it."_

"_A 'Rissa fix', huh?"_

"_Yep! Best quick pick-me-up there is! They're calling for me. Gotta go. See you tonight. Love you!"_

"_Love you too!"_

Marissa chuckled as she read over the texts.

"Good afternoon, Marissa."

The redhead's head snapped up hearing Erica's voice. She had been so engrossed with texting Bianca that she hadn't heard the other woman approach. "Erica, good afternoon."

Erica took her seat and smiled at the maître d' as he fawned over her personally taking her drink order. After the man scurried away, she turned her attention to Marissa. "I take it by the smile on your face when I got here that you were texting with my daughter."

"I was. She was on a break from a budget meeting."

"I know how much she dreads them."

"Yes, she does, but she is the only one who ever manages to get all sides to see reason and compromise."

"She does have a talent for that, doesn't she?"

"There's no one better."

"How have you been? I heard there was a bit of excitement a few days ago involving that detestable reporter."

Marissa cleared her throat seeing Erica's somewhat amused expression. Neither she nor Bianca were exactly sure how Erica would react to everything that had occurred. Erica had only arrived back in town late yesterday so they hadn't been able to speak with her directly about everything that had happened. Erica, however, seemed to know without them speaking with her, not that Marissa was really surprised. The woman seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere. "Yes, there was."

"I hear that you have quite the left hook."

The redhead sighed. _Kendall, of course._ "Is it safe to assume that your oldest daughter told you everything?"

Erica chuckled. "Yes, that would be a safe assumption. While I abhor violence in general, I have found that there are times when it is necessary. This was most definitely one of those times, and quite frankly, the woman got exactly what she deserved. After hearing her vile words, I would have done exactly the same thing as you did. I'm very proud of you, and I really liked the picture in today's paper." Erica laughed seeing Marissa's expression. "You look surprised, dear."

"I have to admit I am a little bit. I'm not 100% proud of what I did. I let her get to me and lost my temper. It's something Bianca and I have been teaching the kids not to do."

"You really are a great deal like my daughter. If your roles were reversed, I have no doubt that she would be feeling the same way as you do. No matter what you may think though, you did the right thing. What happened to the photographs and flash drive?"

"They've all been destroyed. And no, I never did see them."

Erica raised an eyebrow. She was curious about something. "May I ask why? You weren't tempted to see what the woman was trying to hold over Bianca's head?"

"No, I wasn't. I didn't want to see them and saw no need to because I know that whatever she came up with were lies. Seeing those photos would only cause pain for me and more importantly for Bianca. I'm not willing to do that."

The older woman nodded. "Again, that is something my daughter would do. She will do whatever she needs to do to spare others' feelings."

"I have to agree with you on that. She would and she has. Of course she might not admit that it did feel good hitting that woman."

The women were interrupted by a waiter returning with their orders. After he left, they picked up their conversation again.

"If you saw what I did, then you saw what Bianca did. She was very impressive."

"Yes, she was. She handled that extremely well. I'm very proud of her. I always am."

"That makes two of us."

"Am I to assume we've come to the reason for this meeting?"

"There has to be a reason for us to have lunch together other than us getting to know each other better?" Marissa grinned.

Erica laughed. "As much as I like you, dear, you and I both know there's more to this meeting than just getting to know each other better."

"You're right. There is." Marissa set her fork down and took a drink. "Erica, I love Bianca with all of my heart. I never thought it was possible to love someone as much as I love her, and I just fall more and more in love with her every day. She is the strongest person I know. She's also the most loving, caring and giving." Marissa couldn't stop the soft smile from spreading across her face as she thought and spoke about Bianca. "She's smart and funny too. Her smile lights up a room, and her eyes show you the beauty of her soul. She really is just as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. Bianca is … Bianca is everything. I thank God and whatever other powers that are out there in the universe for the day that she walked into my life. I think back on my life before her and then after she came into it. It's like 'The Wizard of Oz'. When Dorothy was in Kansas, it was sepia tone. You know, it had that brown tint to it. Then, the tornado came and took her to Oz. Everything was bright and bold, full of life and color. That's the best analogy I have for you. Once I met Bianca and fell in love with her, it was like Oz. Falling in love with her opened up a whole other beautiful world for me. She showed me what love really was. I thought I knew what it was, but I was wrong. And I have to tell you that I've never been happier to be proven wrong."

Erica had never heard anyone speak so lovingly about her daughter. She could see the love in Marissa's eyes as she spoke about Bianca. The redhead seemed to glow as she thought about her. This was exactly what she had always wanted for Bianca, to have someone love her completely and effortlessly. Her daughter deserved no less. Of course, Erica was Erica and had a reputation to maintain. She couldn't let Marissa off easy. "You didn't feel this way about …"

Marissa shook her head. "No, I didn't. I did love him at one point, but at its very best, it was nothing like what I feel for Bianca. It pales in comparison. She makes it so easy to love her, and I want nothing more than to spend my life with her, making her happy, feeling loved, wanted, cherished and to protect her. I want us to raise our children and spoil our grandchildren. I want to grow old with her and love her every single day."

"You seem to have a good start on that now."

"You asked me a while ago what my intentions were for Bianca, and I told you. Now, I want more. I know I don't need a piece of paper to validate our relationship, but I guess I'm a little old fashioned after all." Marissa took a deep breath and plowed forward. "I want to marry Bianca. I want her to be my wife and I want to be her's."

"What do you want from me?"

"I'd like your blessing."

"You haven't proposed to her yet?"

"Not yet. I wanted to speak with you first."

To say Erica was surprised would be an understatement. She never imagined someone asking her for her blessing to marry Bianca. "What if I refuse to give it?"

"I'll be honest with you. I would really like your blessing. It would mean a great deal to me and to Bianca. I know how much she loves you and how much you love her. You have a special relationship so I would like nothing better than to have your blessing. If you refuse though, I'll still propose to her whether I have it or not. I love Bianca, our family and the life we've built together, and _we will_ spend the rest of our lives together with or without your blessing. I can understand your reluctance given her past and my biological family. I'm not any of those people. I could never or would never hurt her that way. I could never or would never do what they did. There is nothing or no one more important to me than Bianca and our children, no amount of money or fame. They will always come first, _always_."

Erica studied the young woman for several moments. Marissa had literally laid her soul bare for Erica. She saw a steadiness and fierceness that none of the others that had been in Bianca's life before had ever shown. Erica could see Marissa was nervous about asking her, but she also saw the young woman's resolve and admired it.

For Marissa, time seemed to stand still as she held her breath waiting for Erica's response. She meant every word she had said. Marissa's cellphone rang just as Erica was about to reply. The redhead glanced at the caller id. "I'm sorry but I really need to take this."

Erica simply raised an eyebrow wondering what could be so important that Marissa would possibly jeopardize this moment.

"Marissa Tasker. Yes, I am. How is she? I understand. No, I'll contact her. I'll be right there. Thank you." Marissa disconnected the call. "I'm sorry, Erica, but I have to go."

"Was that a client?"

"No, it was the kids' school. Miranda's not feeling well, and Bianca's in meetings all day. So, I have to go pick her up." Marissa signaled to the waiter for the check.

"Is she alright?" Erica was on immediate alert.

"I'm sure Miranda will be fine. They said that her throat was sore and she couldn't eat lunch. Her teacher sent her to the school nurse and Miranda had a slight fever. I'll pick her up and take her home and see how she's doing. I'll make a doctor's appointment if she feels too bad." Marissa took out her wallet and paid the bill. "I promise I'll call you when I know something more."

"Thank you." Erica knew that Miranda was in good hands.

"You're welcome." Marissa nodded and got up to leave.

"And Marissa dear, you have my blessing. I cannot think of anyone I trust more with my daughter and granddaughters' happiness than you. It will be a pleasure to have you as a member of our family, officially. If you need anything, please let me know. Give my love to our girls and our boy."

Marissa smiled brightly. "Thank you, Erica! That means so much! Thank you! I'll let you know about Miranda."

/

Erica chuckled softly watching as Marissa hurried away. The older woman had no doubt that Marissa would propose to Bianca with or without her blessing, but the redhead's smile indicated just how much having it meant to her. She replayed their conversation and had to admit that Marissa never ceased to surprise and impress her.

"Mom?"

"Kendall dear, what a lovely surprise. What are you doing here?"

"I was meeting with a potential client. Did I just see Marissa leave?" Kendall saw Erica hesitate before answering and knew something was up. "I suppose I could always ask Bianca why the two of you were having lunch."

Erica shook her head. "No, please don't do that. Yes, Marissa and I were having lunch. She wished to discuss something with me and would prefer that your sister not know about it for now."

Kendall took a seat and moved the plate containing Marissa's half eaten lunch out of the way. "What did she want to talk about?"

"I'm not at liberty to say."

"Let me get this straight. Marissa wanted to talk with you alone and doesn't want Bianca to know about it. Judging by her plate, she didn't eat that much which meant she did a lot of talking which is usually an indication that she's talking about Bianca. She had a really big smile on her face when she left and you were smiling when I came over. And when I asked you what it was you talked about, you won't tell me because you're 'not at liberty to say'. Okay, give me a minute here." Kendall's eyes widened and a big smile broke out across her face. "Oh my god! Marissa asked you for Bianca's hand in marriage!" She knew she had guessed correctly seeing the astonished look on Erica's face. "She did! Ha! I knew it!"

"How on earth did you know?!"

"Red mentioned she's been thinking about popping the question, and given her biological family's past with us, her asking you for your blessing is something I can see her doing. She would want to make sure you were okay with it."

"You've gotten very close with her. I'm glad. Knowing her like you do, I don't think you'll be surprised when I tell you that she said she would still propose whether or not she had my blessing."

Kendall laughed. "That sounds like her! Judging by her smile though and the bounce in her step, her mission was a success and you gave it to her."

"Of course I did. You should have heard her talk about Bianca. She was gushing over her. Before Marissa, I'd never heard anyone do that over her, and it's about time that someone did. Marissa loves Bianca and would do anything for her. Taking all of that into account, I really couldn't refuse her especially when I know how happy she makes your sister and how perfect I believe she is for her."

"Well, you're right. She is perfect for Bianca." Kendall turned serious. "Given her family, you're really okay with this? I mean, they're going to be around you more, at least Krystal will. Who knows about David? We all know how Thanksgiving went."

"Marissa is not like _them_. I realized that quite some time ago, and it's something she's proven repeatedly. While I will never forgive Krystal, David and Babe for what they did, I know that Marissa had nothing to do with it. I honestly believe she's incapable of doing something like that. And it's obvious that she is completely devoted to Bianca and the girls. I have no doubt that she would walk through fire for them. As for David and Krystal, we both know that I'm more than capable of handling them." Erica added with her signature hair flip.

"Yes, we do. Bianca will really appreciate you doing this. It will mean a lot to her." Kendall shook her head and chuckled when she was struck by a thought.

Erica eyed her oldest daughter. "You know something I don't, Kendall, don't you?"

"I might, but I'm not at liberty to say." Kendall grinned.

"Bianca is thinking about proposing." It wasn't a question from Erica, merely a statement of fact given the phrasing of Kendall's answer.

"I can neither confirm nor deny that. Red didn't give you any idea when she's going to do it, did she?"

"No, she had to leave. The school called. Miranda's not feeling well. I don't suppose your sister gave you any idea of what she has in mind."

Kendall shook her head. "No, I only know that she's planning on doing it."

Erica chuckled. "Well, it would seem there is going to be a wedding in our future."


	87. Mom Duty

**A/N****: First, sorry for the slight delay in updating. Work was kicking my butt this week. I think things have settled down there finally though (fingers crossed, knock wood, whatever else I can do). Second, thanks for reading and reviewing! It means a lot! **

**I have what I hope you'll think is good news. A couple of more ideas popped into my head. They will result in at least two more chapters in addition to what I already had planned. I'm not saying what they are though. You'll just have to continue reading to see what I have in store for Minx.**

**Okay, this chapter picks up right where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

After leaving Erica behind at the Yacht Club, Marissa headed over to the school to pick up Miranda. On her way, she called her office and asked Lisa, her paralegal, to gather her work laptop and files for specific cases she was currently working on together for her and drop them off at her home later for the redhead to work on from there. When that call was finished, she called Bianca's cellphone and left a voicemail for her lover about Miranda. Whenever Bianca was in certain meetings, like ones discussing the Center's budget, she would leave her cellphone in her office to avoid interruptions. She only did this however when she knew Marissa was available should something come up involving the kids, like today. Marissa did the same thing. It was something they worked out when they moved in together. They always made sure one of them was available. When Bianca heard Marissa had a lunch meeting today and assumed it was with a client, she had insisted on being the primary contact. She only relented after Marissa had repeatedly assured her that, should the need arise, she could leave her meeting without any consequences.

"Hey, it's me. The school just called. Miranda's not feeling well. I'm on my way over there now to pick her up. I'm going to finish up the day at home. You'll need you to pick up our other two monsters if you can. I think I might go ahead and schedule a doctor's appointment for Mimo since she's had a few sore throats lately. You know, scratch that. The more that I think about it now, I am just going to call the doctor and see if she can squeeze us in. I know you'll call as soon as you get this so I'll talk to you soon. Love you."

Marissa disconnected the call and dialed the kids' pediatrician. She was relieved that the doctor had a last minute cancellation and could see Miranda in half an hour. After finishing that call, she finally permitted herself to think about what had just transpired at the restaurant.

Erica had actually given her blessing for Marissa's intentions to propose to Bianca. Marissa grinned and shook her head trying to wrap her head around everything. It actually went better than she thought it would. It wasn't that she doubted Erica would refuse her request. It was more that she thought she might get more of the third degree from the woman. _I guess it does help being a lawyer when talking with Erica sometimes. I just plow through my points and counter any arguments that she might have. _Now that Erica was taken care of, Marissa needed to decide exactly when and where she planned on popping the big question. She had a couple of ideas. She just needed to figure out which one was right because she wanted this moment to be perfect for Bianca.

/

Marissa walked into the nurse's office and saw Miranda lying down, resting. The redhead spoke quietly with the school nurse for a few minutes before kneeling next to her oldest daughter. Miranda looked flushed from a fever. She gently brushed a lock of her daughter's hair from her forehead and rested her hand there. She felt warm, too warm for Marissa's liking. The redhead was glad she followed her instincts and made a doctor's appointment on the way over. The children's pediatrician, Dr. Parrish, was very good, and the kids loved her. Marissa was thankful Miranda wouldn't have to wait too long for some hoped for relief.

Miranda stirred. "Ma?"

"I'm right here, Sweetie. How do you feel?"

Tears started to form in Miranda's eyes. "My throat really hurts when I swallow, Ma."

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie. We're going to go see Dr. Parrish. She's going to make you feel better. Okay?"

"Okay." Miranda nodded weakly.

Marissa helped her daughter with her coat and gathered her backpack before leading her to the car. Once they were buckled in, they headed straight to the doctor's office. Marissa decided to call Bianca after they got there. The couple tried to limit the use of cellphones while driving if possible, particularly if the kids were in the car.

/

An odd thought struck Kendall causing her to laugh.

Erica looked at her daughter curiously. "What's so funny?"

"I was about to ask what you thought would happen if one of them said 'no' to the other's proposal, but I couldn't even get that out let alone say it with a straight face."

Erica chuckled. "I think you're right. The probability of either refusing the other is highly unlikely even if we didn't already know that both were thinking of proposing."

"You're right. Those two are so far gone over each other. It's good to see both of them so happy. They deserve it. So, Red asked you for Bianca's hand in marriage."

"Yes, she did. She said that while she didn't need a piece of paper to define or validate their relationship, she was somewhat old fashioned and wanted to marry Bianca. She also wanted my blessing. I have to admit that I was impressed by that."

"And that's something that doesn't happen very easily."

"No, it doesn't. I also have to admit that I was slightly concerned when she had to take a call just as she was stating how their family always comes first with her. I couldn't help but wonder if she was being completely honest. I thought it highly suspect on the timing and had me questioning her sincerity when she said she had to leave. Then, she told me that Miranda wasn't feeling well, and with Bianca unavailable due to meetings, she would need to pick her up. While she may have wanted my blessing, Miranda came first. She has her priorities correct."

"That doesn't surprise me in the slightest. No matter how formidable the situation was with her asking for your blessing, it pales when it comes to Bianca and the kids. Nothing or no one is more important to either Marissa or Bianca than family. I know Miranda is in good hands and will be just fine."

"I believe you're right. Marissa proved to me yet again today that nothing comes before Bianca and the children."

Kendall grinned at her next thought. "Did you see the paper today?"

"You mean did I see that horrid reporter's picture? Yes, I did. I enjoyed seeing it a great deal. Although, I do believe I enjoyed the video more. I'm not sure that I ever thanked you for sending that to me." Erica grinned.

"You're welcome. We're not alone when it comes to enjoying the video. Did you question Marissa about it?"

"I did. She admitted that this woman got under her skin and wasn't proud of losing her temper. You know that she and Bianca try to teach the children otherwise. Marissa was also a little concerned about what I may think of her as a result of her actions."

"And?"

"I assured her that I was more than fine with what she had done. The woman deserved no less than what she received."

"You won't get any argument from me on that. I actually think Red showed great restraint handling her."

Erica paused. "Enough about that woman and all of that unpleasantness, let's talk about something happier."

Kendall eyed her mother. "I take it you have something particular in mind."

"I do. I was thinking about weddings. I wonder when they'll get married. We really should start planning. They could have a destination wedding. Somewhere tropical would be very nice. They always could have a more formal wedding though and have it at the church they attend. I'm sure Marissa would appreciate that. We should get started on a guest list as well. It's never too early to get that together."

"Shouldn't we wait until they're at least engaged and get their input on the planning and the guest list?" Kendall asked but knew it was a ridiculous and futile question. Once her mother had something in mind, there was really nothing that could divert her from her self-appointed goal.

Erica looked at her daughter like she had two heads. It really was a silly question. "It always pays to be prepared, dear. They'll thank me for this."

Kendall sighed and shook her heard. When the time came, she would have to warn the couple that Erica was in full 'mother of the bride' mode. _Red must really love Bianca to take Mom on as her mother-in-law. _

/

Marissa and Miranda arrived at the doctor's office and checked in with the office clerk. After taking a seat, the redhead pulled out her cellphone. She still hadn't heard from Bianca which could only mean that she hadn't checked her messages yet and didn't know what was going on regarding their oldest daughter. If she did, Bianca would have called. On the drive over, Marissa had contemplated whether or not to call Bianca again to let her know that she had in fact decided to take Miranda to the doctor or wait until after they saw the doctor. She finally decided to go ahead and call now and let Miranda and Bianca talk beforehand. It would ease both Montgomery women. With that decision made, Marissa bypassed calling Bianca's cellphone and called her assistant.

"Miranda Center, Aya speaking. How can I help you?"

"Aya, hi, it's Marissa."

"Oh Marissa, hi. Sorry, I didn't look at the number before I answered. I just sat down to cover for Jan while she's at lunch. What can I do for you?"

"I know Bianca is in a meeting, but I need to talk with her."

Aya's demeanor changed immediately. Marissa rarely requested them to interrupt one of Bianca's meetings. When she did, it was for good reason and usually meant something was up with one of the kids. "I'll get her right away. Are you okay with being on hold?"

"I am. Thanks."

"Okay, I'll be right back."

Marissa continued to soothe Miranda and rub her back as the girl leaned against her. She could tell her daughter didn't feel well but didn't want to complain too much, just like Bianca.

/

Aya headed down the hall to the conference room. She entered the room as discretely as possible and stepped over to Bianca who was listening to someone trying to make a point about a budget item. Bianca turned her head while Aya leaned down to whisper to her boss.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but Marissa is on hold. She asked to speak with you."

Bianca nodded and tried to contain the worry that immediately came to mind. "Tell her I'll be right there." The brunette cleared her throat and addressed the others in the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, Tom, but I need to take a call. Why don't we take a short break?" Before the others could object, Bianca was out of the room and headed towards her office.

/

When Aya saw Bianca approaching her office, she spoke. "She's on line 1."

"Thank you." Bianca walked into her office and took the seat behind her desk. "Hey, is everything alright?"

"Hey, yourself. First, don't worry. Everything's fine. I just thought you'd want me to call now rather than later. I got a call from the school. Miranda wasn't feeling well. Her throat was bothering her again. I went over and picked her up. Since she's had a few of them lately and has a fever, I decided to go ahead and make an appointment. Dr. Parrish was able to fit us in, and we're just waiting for her now."

Bianca released the breath it felt like she'd been holding ever since Aya had told her Marissa was on hold for her. She knew Miranda was in the best possible hands and that she shouldn't worry so much. It was something she couldn't do though. She would always worry about her kids and Marissa. The brunette looked at the cellphone sitting on her desk. "I guess the voicemail I have on my cellphone is from you."

"Yes, I called you when I was on my way over to the school. I'll need you to pick up AJ and Gabby."

"Of course."

"Would you like to talk to Miranda?"

"Yes, please."

"Miranda, you want to talk to your Mom?"

The girl nodded and took the cellphone from her redheaded mother. "Hi, Mom."

"Hi, Sweetie. Rissa tells me you're not feeling well. Your throat is sore again."

"Uh huh, it really hurts when I swallow."

"Dr. Parrish will take a look and will get you feeling better really soon, Sweetie."

"Okay, Mom. Ma wants to talk to you. Love you."

"I love you, Mimo." Bianca felt absolutely helpless. She knew there wasn't anything she could do that Marissa wasn't doing right now though.

"Hey, they're ready for us. I'll call you as soon as I know something. I love you."

"I love you too."

/

When they got home, Marissa suggested that Miranda change into her pajamas knowing that her daughter would be much more comfortable and could hopefully take a nap. While Miranda was changing, Marissa started to warm up some chicken noodle soup for her. Miranda needed to eat a little something so that she could take her medicine. While the soup was cooking, Marissa let Max outside. The puppy was a little confused to see some of the family home so early but still very happy to see them.

Marissa had Miranda get in bed after she changed and brought her soup up to her. The redhead settled the tray in front of her daughter.

"I know it hurts to swallow, Sweetie, but I really need you to eat something so you can take your medicine. Okay?"

"Okay, Ma. I'll try."

"That's my girl. You did really well at the doctor's."

"I like Dr. Parrish. She's really nice."

Marissa smiled. "Yes, she is."

After Miranda had several spoonfuls of soup, Marissa gave her some medicine.

"I'm going to go let Max back in. You eat some more soup for me. Okay?"

Miranda nodded and continued to eat as the redhead headed downstairs.

/

Marissa was just closing the back door after letting Max back inside when she heard someone at the front one. The redhead went to answer it with the puppy tagging happily after her. Marissa smiled when she saw her paralegal on the other side.

"Hey, Lisa. Come on in."

"Hey, Marissa." The younger woman followed her boss inside and set the files and laptop down on the coffee table. The puppy barked to get her attention. Lisa leaned down and scratched behind his ears while he wagged his tail. "Hey, Max. You're getting big and you're such a good boy." As she continued to pet the puppy, she spoke to Marissa. "How's Miranda?"

"She's doing okay. I got her to eat a little something. I'm hoping that after she gets some rest and the medicine starts to kick that she'll feel better."

"Okay, I won't stay long. I've got all of the files you asked for. Your calendar is clear for the rest of the afternoon, and I'm working on the Davidson and Meyer briefs. I'll have them ready for you in the morning. Are you going to be in the office or working from here tomorrow? I was just wondering if I need to move any appointments for you."

"I'll be in the office. Bianca's going to stay home with Miranda. When I talked with her earlier, she insisted. She said it would it would be easier for her to work from here, and she didn't want me to have to rearrange any more meetings."

Lisa nodded and stood. "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. Tell Miranda I hope she feels better."

"I will, and thanks for all of your hard work today. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome. I'll see you tomorrow."

Marissa closed the door and looked down at the puppy. "Come on, Max. Let's go check on Mimo." The puppy's tail thumped happily against the floor before trotting after the redhead. She found Miranda had finished some more of her soup. More importantly, her color was looking much better.

"Hi, Sweetie. Are you feeling any better?"

Miranda nodded. "A little."

"Are you done with your soup?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, I'll take this away. You want to try and get some sleep?"

"Would you read to me first?"

Marissa nodded. Work could wait. Her daughter wanted her right now and that's what she would get. "Of course I will. I'll take this tray downstairs while you decide what you want me to read."

Miranda smiled softly. She had known that Marissa would stay with her. She only needed to ask her. It was something both of her moms would do that without a second thought. "Could Max stay with me?"

Marissa laughed. "I don't see why not. Max can keep an eye on you for me." The redhead bent down and scooped up the puppy and placed him on Miranda's bed. He scampered next to the girl and snuggled next to her. Max may only have been a puppy, but he was smart. He always knew when the kids were either not feeling well or a little sad and always tried his best to comfort them, usually succeeding. Marissa felt Miranda's forehead and was relieved to note that she didn't feel as much of a fever as she did earlier. _The medicine must be kicking in._ "I'll be right back, Mimo."

/

Before heading back upstairs, Marissa sent Bianca a quick text. She hadn't had a chance to call her lover before now. Her first priority was getting their daughter settled. She knew that while Bianca would be anxious to hear from her, she would understand the delay since she was taking care of Miranda. The text would be enough for now. A more involved conversation would be needed when Bianca got home.

"_Miranda's feeling better. I got her to eat something. She wants me to read to her before she takes a nap. Don't worry. I'll fill you in on everything when you get home. Love you."_


	88. Miranda

**A/N****: Thanks for reading and reviewing, as always! I appreciate it. It's been a busy week between work and turning a year older, but I did manage to get this chapter cranked out. The action picks up right where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca looked at the clock on her desk. Somehow, she had managed to get through the rest of her workday without losing her focus. While she was worried about Miranda and anxious to hear what the doctor had to say, she knew without question that Marissa was taking excellent care of her. She just wished that she was there too. Bianca grabbed her purse, laptop and some files to work on from home tomorrow should Miranda still not feel well enough to go to school.

"Aya, I'm heading out now. The finalized budget should be ready tomorrow for me to review. I'm not sure if I'll be in the office. If Miranda is still sick, I'll be working from home."

"No problem. If you're at home, either Jan or me will bring it over to you. Don't worry about this place. We've got you covered. I hope Miranda's feeling better."

"Marissa sent me a text a little while ago saying she was. Okay, I'm going to go pick up our other two. I'll talk with you tomorrow, and thanks for all of your help today."

/

Bianca's first stop was Gabby's daycare to pick up her youngest before heading over to the elementary school for AJ. She spoke with Miranda's teacher and picked up her homework assignments for the next day just in case they decided to keep her home. AJ and Gabby waited patiently for her to finish before they headed home.

"Mom?"

"Yes, AJ."

"Is Miranda okay?" The boy had been worried about his sister ever since she had gone to see the school nurse. His teacher told him that one of his Moms picked her up and took her home. Other than that, he hadn't heard anything.

Bianca glanced in the rearview mirror and smiled at her son. "Yeah, Buddy, she is."

"Is something wrong with Mimo, Mommy?"

"She wasn't feeling well so Rissa picked her up and took her to the doctor's. I had a text from her before I left work. Mimo is feeling a little better already. She needs some rest though so I'll need both of you to be quiet when we get home, okay?"

Both children nodded. "Okay."

"Thank you. How was school?"

The trio continued on their way home while the kids filled Bianca in on their days.

/

As Bianca pulled into the garage, AJ brought the subject back to Miranda. "Can we see Miranda?"

"Let me check on her first to see if she's awake and how she's feeling, okay?"

AJ nodded and grabbed his backpack to head inside to start on his homework. He didn't have much tonight and knew he would be able to play with Max as soon as it was done.

Bianca helped Gabby out of her booster seat before grabbing her things and following AJ inside.

Gabby went to her room to play with Minx and Bernie. After some debate on her side, she had finally settled on the name of Bernie for her giant monkey. When questioned why, she simply shrugged and said he looked like a Bernie. They realized there was no way to beat the logic of the four year old so they just went with it.

Bianca dropped her things on the coffee table in the family room and immediately headed up to Miranda's bedroom, anxious to check on her. She paused in the doorway and smiled at the scene before her. Miranda was sleeping peacefully, snuggled next to Marissa who was reading what looked to be some work files. The redhead had one arm around their daughter, gently rubbing her back. Max was curled up on Miranda's other side.

Marissa glanced up and met Bianca's gaze and smiled. She took off her glasses and whispered. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Bianca walked over to the bed and gave Marissa a quick kiss before brushing a lock of hair away from Miranda's cheek. "How's our girl doing?"

"Much better. Her fever is down, and her throat doesn't hurt as much. She's been asleep for a little over an hour."

Bianca looked at the nightstand and saw one of Marissa's law books but no story books. She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you were going to read to her."

Marissa followed her lover's eyes and shrugged. "I did, but she didn't want to hear any of the fairy tales. She wanted me to read to her about the law and some of my cases."

Bianca chuckled. She wasn't really surprised. Ever since Marissa became part of their lives and assured that Bianca maintained custody of the girls, Miranda developed a fascination with the law. Some in the family jokingly suggested that Miranda would be a lawyer one day. Bianca, however, didn't see it as a joke. She saw it as a distinct possibility and could easily see the two practicing law side by side one day. "She just wants to learn from the best."

Marissa suppressed a laugh. "I think she just likes to hear my voice."

"Well, I know that I do."

"Mom?"

Bianca placed a gentle kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Hi, Sweetie. Are you feeling better? Has Marissa been taking good care of you?"

Miranda nodded and rubbed her eyes. "Uh huh, I do feel better. Ma read to me and Max is keeping me company."

The puppy stretched and yawned as his tail thumped on Miranda's bed hearing his name.

"I see that. Do you think you might be up for a visit from AJ and Gabby?" Bianca asked, already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, I am."

Marissa kissed the top of Miranda's head. "I'll go get them then. Would you like something more to drink, Mimo?"

"Yes, please."

"Okay, I'll be back in a few minutes."

Bianca took Marissa's previous spot and pulled her daughter closer. "Are you sure you're feeling better?"

"Yes, Mom, I am. My throat's a little sore but lots better than it was."

"Good. So, you got Marissa to read something out of one of her law books."

Miranda grinned. "Yeah, is it weird that I like learning some of that?"

"Not at all. Your Ma likes it. She says you ask really good questions."

The girl's grin widened. "I wanna be a lawyer like her one day. I can help people like you and her do."

Bianca smiled at her daughter. She was so proud of her. "If that's what you want to do, you know that we'll support you all the way, but if you change your mind, that's okay too. We just want you, the three of you, to be happy."

"I know. I really like helping people, and I like being able to do it the right way. Ma says there's all kinds of law to study, but I kinda like what she does, helping families."

"You're so good at helping people already. I have no doubt that you'll be a great lawyer, and you couldn't have anyone better to teach you than Marissa."

"Mimo!" Gabby rushed into the room to see her sister and climbed onto Miranda's bed.

Marissa laughed. "So much for the little talk about taking it easy on your sister."

"Are you feeling better?" AJ asked as he approached Miranda.

"Yep, I do."

Marissa set Miranda's glass on her nightstand and picked up her files and book. "I think I'll see what looks good for dinner."

Bianca caught the look from her lover telling her they needed to talk. "I'll help you. We'll be downstairs if you need anything."

The couple left with AJ filling Miranda in on what happened at school after she left.

/

Bianca waited until they were in the kitchen before beginning. "Alright, what exactly did the doctor say?"

Marissa smiled and gave her partner a quick kiss. "Let's sit down, and I'll tell you everything." After they were settled, the redhead started. "Dr. Parrish said it was tonsillitis, again. Because Miranda has had several infections this past year, she recommended that they be removed."

"Surgery?" Bianca didn't want to hear that her daughter needed surgery. She started to worry about everything involved.

Marissa sensed this and was prepared for it. "B, I know you don't like the idea of it. I don't either. I hate it, but Dr. Parrish wouldn't recommend it if she didn't think it would help. You know that something needs to be done though, right? Mimo can't keep on like this."

"I know. I just …"

"Hate seeing her hurting and can't stand the idea of her needing surgery. I know. Dr. Parrish is the best and will take excellent care of our little girl. I have a few things to tell you. In addition to what I got at the doctor's office, I managed to do a little research while Miranda was taking her nap."

Bianca chuckled. She wasn't surprised by this at all. When Marissa was worried, she went into research mode in search of answers. She did it as much for Bianca as she did for herself. "Of course you did. What did you find out?"

"It's one of the most common surgical procedures for children. There are some risks, but that's true for everything. What risks there are, are minor. Dr. Parrish said that barring any complications, Miranda will be home the same day, and she should be fully healed in about a week. I was thinking that maybe we could have it done during spring break. I know it's not ideal because who wants to spend their vacation recovering from surgery, but we didn't have any plans to go away."

"And the sooner we have it done, the sooner she'll start to feel better. Okay. Do you have …"

"The information from the doctor and what I found online? Yes, I do. I'll let you read it while I get started on dinner. We'll talk to Miranda and explain everything to her after we eat." Marissa saw Bianca bite her lip. It was her 'tell'. She could deny she wasn't worried or nervous all she wanted, but when she started biting her lip, Marissa knew better. "Hey, it's going to be fine."

Bianca took deep breath. She was so lucky to have Marissa here for her, being strong for her. "Thank you. You're right. It will be. I can't help but think she's going to be scared though."

"Okay, I've told you all of the clinical information, and you're right. She will be scared, but I might be able to help out with that. You see, I also have some personal experience to share with her."

"You do?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I had mine removed when I was six. I remember a fair chunk of what happened so I can tell her what to expect, and she ..."

"Has a perfect example that it will be okay."

"I think the important thing is to be as honest as we can with her. My parents were with me, and I remember that really helping. Well, that and having them there with me."

"I agree, and I know having us both there will help Miranda. I just need to remember to not let on how worried or nervous I am about it."

"You'll be fine. I tell you what. I'll remind you if you remind me."

Bianca smiled and gave a quick kiss to Marissa. "Deal. Let's get dinner started, and you can tell me everything you know about what's going to happen."

/

After dinner, AJ and Gabby went downstairs to the playroom for a game of Chutes and Ladders. AJ was very patient with his little sister as she learned the game. While they were doing that, Bianca and Marissa spoke with Miranda in the family room. The couple wanted to talk with her first before letting their other children know what was going to happen. Miranda sat on the sofa with Bianca and Marissa on either side of her.

"So, Dr. Parrish is gonna take my tonsils out?"

"Yes, she is. It will help you feel better and not have as many sore throats."

"Your Mom's right. It will. It helped me."

"You had your's out, Ma?"

"I did when I was six."

"Were you scared?"

"I was, and it's okay if you are too. There's nothing wrong with that. We just want you to know that it's going to be okay. You're going to be okay."

"Will it hurt?"

"Well, you'll be asleep and won't feel anything. Your throat will hurt some afterwards, but they'll give you something so it doesn't hurt too much. Before you know it, you'll feel better."

"Do you remember when Rissa had her knee operated on and I had my appendix out?"

Miranda nodded.

"It's like that. A few days after my surgery, I was feeling so much better. Rissa was the same way with her knee. Look at her now. You'd never know that she was hurt. I know you're scared, Sweetie, but it really will be alright, and we will be right there with you."

Miranda thought about everything her mothers had told her. She trusted them, and they had never lied to her. If they said it was going to be okay, then she knew that it would be. The girl nodded and settled back in between Bianca and Marissa. They continued to answer any questions she had.

After Miranda had asked everything she could think of for the time being, the couple spoke with AJ and Gabby and explained what was going to happen. The kids were scared for their sister, but trusted their mothers when they told them everything would be okay.

/

A week later, Miranda's infection was cleared up. The kids started spring break the next day and were off the following week. Miranda's surgery was scheduled for early tomorrow morning. Not wanting to add to everyone's nerves, especially Miranda's, about what was happening the next day, the couple was trying to keep things as close to normal as possible. They did, however, decide it would be fun to treat the whole family by going out to dinner. It would be an early night though since they had to be at the hospital early the next morning.

Krystal greeted the family when they came into the restaurant. "Well, if it isn't my favorite family! How is everyone doing?"

Marissa smiled as she pulled another chair up to the table. "We're doing pretty good. How are you?"

"I can't complain." Krystal wanted to ask Miranda how she was doing but bit her tongue. Marissa had spoken with her earlier in the week when the couple stopped in for lunch and told her what was going on. If possible, they wanted to keep the inquiries to a minimum knowing that it would bother her to keep bringing it up. "Let me get you all something to drink and grab some puzzle books, paper and crayons for the younger members of your party while you decide what you want. Is anyone else joining you?"

"My Mom's going to stop by a little later, but that's it."

Krystal nodded and headed to the bar.

/

A short while later, Erica arrived. She was a little subdued but smiling nonetheless and trying to hide her concern for her oldest granddaughter. She loved all of her grandchildren, but she had to admit that Miranda was special because of everything both she and Bianca had been through in Miranda's short life. Erica knew from her conversations with both Bianca and Marissa that while both were slightly worried about the girl's surgery they were maintaining their trademark optimistic attitude, especially around Miranda. Erica couldn't help but admire the couple. They were leaning on each other, and for the first time in their adult lives, each had a partner that was there for them in every way, sharing the load.

"Well, hello to all of you! Jack is very sorry he couldn't make it."

Bianca smiled and hugged her mother. "Hi, Mom. That's okay. We understand, and he called earlier. We're glad you could join us."

"Of course, Sweetheart. I wouldn't miss dinner with all of you for the world. Hello, Marissa."

"Hello, Erica." Marissa stood to hug her hopefully soon to be mother-in-law.

The redhead discreetly moved over to the empty chair she had placed at the table earlier and nodded for Erica to take her former seat which was next to Miranda. The older woman smiled gratefully and took the seat after greeting all three children.

Erica noticed AJ and Gabby were hard at work on something. "And what are the two of you working on over there?"

"We're making Mimo get well cards for tomorrow." AJ stated proudly.

"But she can't see them until she gets home." Gabby lowered her voice to a whisper, or more accurately attempted to lower her voice. "Mine's got monkeys on it."

The adults managed to hold in their laughter and smiled at the little girl.

"Billy Simmons' brother had his tonsils out and was allowed to have all the ice cream he wanted. Billy says he didn't want any though. I don't know why." AJ really didn't understand why anyone wouldn't want ice cream especially when they could have all they wanted. "Can Miranda have all the ice cream she wants?"

Her brother's question got Miranda's attention. "Can I?"

Bianca smiled and corrected her daughter. "May I."

Miranda rolled her eyes only slightly. "May I?"

Marissa bit back a chuckle. Miranda may be scared about tomorrow but she couldn't stop her response to her Mom trying to improve her grammar. "If you feel like it, you may have some ice cream. Remember though, your throat might be a little too sore to have too much tomorrow. You might feel more like it on Saturday."

Miranda nodded and turned to her grandmother. "Did you know that Ma got her tonsils out when she was little?"

Erica was still getting used to the change in titles for the couple. At first, a very small part of her wanted to object but that thought was quickly dismissed when she saw how happy it made all five family members. Several months later, she was now used to it and would even refer to Marissa as 'Ma' when speaking about her with the children from time to time. "No, I didn't. I'd say she's a good sign that everything will go just fine tomorrow then, wouldn't you?"

"Uh huh. Mom says it's like when she got her appendix out and when Ma had her knee fixed, and that I'll be better in no time." Miranda gave a small smile.

"Well, your mothers are right and very smart. They're also very brave, just like you. I know you'll do wonderful tomorrow, sweetheart."

/

The family had a good time chatting over dinner. Erica fussed over each of the children but over Miranda just a bit more and the girl enjoyed the attention especially since Erica was not your ordinary grandmother.

Bianca checked the time while the kids were finishing their ice cream sundaes and knew they should be leaving shortly. "If you'll excuse me a minute, I need to run to the ladies' room, and then, we should probably think about going soon."

Marissa nodded. "I think you're right."

When Bianca was finished and on her way back to her family, she stopped at the bar and watched them. Gabby was entertaining everyone with either a story or several jokes. It was hard to tell from her vantage point. Miranda was smiling and had moved next to Marissa while AJ was now seated next to Erica. The women were laughing and truly enjoying each other's company. She never thought she'd see the day.

Bianca sighed happily. "I am _so_ going to marry her someday."

Krystal had begun to approach the brunette but stopped in her tracks when she heard what Bianca had said to no one else but herself. The older woman knew her daughter and Bianca were committed to each other without question. She just didn't realize they were to the point of taking that final big step. When she thought about it, Krystal shouldn't be that surprised. The last legal barrier to them being married had been removed when same sex marriage became legal. The only thing standing in their way after that was their pasts, and judging by what Krystal had just overheard, Bianca, at least, was ready to leave her past behind her. With the discovery of this new development, Krystal couldn't be happier.

"Is everything alright, Bianca?"

The brunette was startled from her reverie and she tried to hide the faint blush now forming. "Everything's fine, Krystal. We had a great time tonight, but we really need to get the kids home. Rissa and I have to have Miranda at the hospital early tomorrow morning."

"Is Kendall still watching AJ and Gabby?"

"Yes, she is, and she'll be over our place even earlier. It's easier all the way around for her to come over there. AJ and Gabby can sleep in, and Rissa and I don't have to make an extra stop before going to the hospital."

"You know if you need anything, you just have to ask."

"I know and so does Marissa. One of us will give you a call when Miranda's surgery is over."

"Thank you. And I know you won't be able to stop yourself because it's your little girl, but try not to worry too much about tomorrow. Miranda will be just fine."

"I'm trying, but you're right. It's kind of hard not to worry. Lucky for me, I have your daughter right next to me. I don't think I have to tell you that she's been amazing."

"You're right, you don't have to tell me that, but both of us are pretty biased when it comes to her. It's no secret that she thinks you're amazing too."

Bianca smiled as the women walked back to the table. "Well, she's a little biased herself."

"Who's biased?" Marissa asked.

"You are when it comes to this one." Krystal stated.

Marissa grinned. "Guilty as charged, but in my defense, I'm completely justified. She is simply amazing."

Bianca chuckled. "Okay, we really need to go and get some kids ready for bed."

Krystal told everyone goodnight before the family and Erica left.

Once outside, Erica said goodnight to the children, giving Miranda an extra tight hug. While Bianca helped the older kids with their seatbelts and Gabby get settled in her booster seat, Erica whispered to Marissa. "Is Bianca really doing okay?"

"She's doing as well as she can. She's worried, but Bianca's a worrier by nature. She's going to be fine though. They both will be."

"I'm sure you're right. Take care of them for me."

"You know that I will." Marissa said earnestly.

Erica smiled. "I do. Goodnight, dear."

"Goodnight, Erica." Marissa hugged the older woman before getting into the car.

Bianca came around to her mother. "Thanks for coming tonight, Mom. It meant a lot to me and to Miranda."

"I'm glad I could be here, Sweetheart."

"We'll call as soon as everything's over."

"I'll be waiting. Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Mom."

Mother and daughter exchanged a hug and kiss before heading off to their respective homes.

/

The family arrived home, and after watching a movie, the kids hurried to get their baths. Soon everyone was in their pajamas and settled in Miranda's room for story time. It was her turn to pick a story that evening and she had chosen her favorite of 'Beauty and the Beast'. She loved it when Marissa did the various voices and Bianca joined in doing a few of them herself as well. The couple took AJ and Gabby to their rooms and tucked them in. When they were done, they went back to Miranda's room.

Miranda was waiting patiently for her mothers to return. She had been able to forget about her surgery for a couple of hours thanks to everyone's efforts that evening including a phone call from her Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach.

The couple sat down on either side of her. They could tell Miranda was fighting sleep and that her nerves were starting to get the better of her. Marissa smiled and pulled out her music box, the one Bianca had given her for Christmas the year they fell in love.

"Rissa and I know you're nervous about tomorrow, but we also know that everything will be just fine tomorrow. We're going to be right there with you."

"Now, you need to get some sleep. Would you like us to stay with until you fall asleep?"

Miranda nodded. "Yes please. Are you going to sing your song for me?"

"I think by now that it's our family's song. If it's okay with you, Bianca and I thought we would sing it together for you."

"I'd like that a lot."

The couple smiled and began to sing softly in perfect harmony.

"_All through the night,  
>near and far,<br>we will be together.  
>So hush, don't you cry.<br>You will be in my arms,  
>forevermore."<em>

By the time the song was finished, Miranda was asleep. The couple stayed with their daughter a while longer before finally heading to their own bedroom to try and get some sleep of their own.

/

Early the next morning, the couple was up and dressed. They decided to forgo breakfast of their own because Miranda wasn't allowed to have anything before her surgery. Bianca went to wake their daughter and get her ready. Marissa returned from taking Max outside when she saw headlights approaching the house. She headed to the front door in time to greet Kendall.

"Morning, Marissa. How's everyone doing? How did it go last night?"

"Morning, Kendall. Come on into the kitchen, and I'll get you some coffee." Marissa led the curly haired woman through the house to the kitchen. When Kendall was seated at the table, Marissa brought her a cup of coffee and took a seat. "It went pretty well last night. We had a great dinner with Erica over at Krystal's. Your Mom did a great job keeping Miranda occupied at dinner, and we were there for a while. We got home, watched a movie and had story time. Miranda was up a little later than the other two, but that's to be expected. Today, everyone's doing as well as we can be. Bianca's helping Miranda get ready, and AJ and Gabby are still asleep. We talked with them and decided that was the best thing for everyone. I can't tell you how much we appreciate you coming over here and watching AJ and Gabby for us."

"Hey, I'm glad I could be here. It's what family does for each other. I know you and Bianca would do the same for me. So, is your cellphone charged for later?"

Marissa laughed. "Yes, both of our's are. We've got a long list of people to call with you being first on the list followed closely by Erica and Jack."

"Well, it's good to know you have the list in the right order. I should be first." Kendall looked around to make sure no one was listening in. "Have you made any decisions or moves on a couple of things we've talked about recently?"

"Such as?"

"Don't give me that innocent look like you don't have the first clue as to what I'm talking about. I'm talking about another niece or nephew for me and making an honest woman out of my little sister."

"Oh, those subjects." Marissa grinned. "With Miranda being sick, we haven't been able to pick a donor for your future niece or nephew yet. The only decision we have made is to go to a clinic outside of Pine Valley. Let's face it. We need to expand the gene pool and have the family tree branch a little more than it currently does."

Kendall laughed. "I couldn't agree with you more. If you got a donor from here, god only knows who you might end up with. You could get a Chandler, Martin or even David."

Marissa made a face at just the idea of that. "Please, don't even go there! Although to be completely honest with you, that thought did cross our mind. God only knows what he's working on in his secret lab."

"He's a got a lab going again? I thought he didn't get his license back."

"He didn't, but do you seriously think that's going to stop him?"

"You've got a very good point, Red. David's not going to let a little fact like not having a medical license get in his way."

"Exactly! And I don't want to know anything about it, and I don't want Bianca to know anything about it."

"Again, that's good thinking on your part. So, have you narrowed down your search?"

"I'm pretty sure we're going to go to that clinic in New York that you found for us. I managed to do a little research on them, and they sound very reputable. The plan is for us to decide on a clinic to visit and come up with a list of what we're looking for while we wait at the hospital. Thanks for not telling anyone else."

Kendall shook her head slightly. "You're welcome. I understand why you want to keep this between just the two of you for now. I feel for you just thinking about the dueling grandmothers."

"Oh god, don't remind me. I know we're going to have to deal with them, but we want to put that off for as long as we can."

"Don't blame you or envy you. What about the other thing, making an honest woman out of my sister?"

Marissa grinned. "I've given it some thought and have started some planning."

_Like asking Mom for her blessing._ "Well, you know if you need any help, I'll be here."

"I know, and I appreciate that too."

"Morning, Kendall."

Kendall turned and saw her sister and niece enter. "Morning, Binx. Morning, Miranda."

"Morning, Aunt K." The girl rubbed sleep from her eyes and yawned as she leaned on Bianca.

Marissa checked the time. "We need to get going."

Bianca nodded and hugged her sister. "Thanks for coming over today, Kendall. We'll call as soon as everything's over."

"I'll be waiting." Kendall kneeled next to her niece and gave her a big hug and kiss. "I'll see you when you get home, Mimo."

Miranda smiled softly and nodded. "Okay."

With that, the mothers and daughter we're on their way.

/

After Miranda was checked into the hospital, Marissa helped her change into a hospital gown while Bianca finished up the paperwork needed for insurance. Soon, Dr. Parrish greeted the trio.

"Good morning, Miranda. How are you doing?"

Miranda shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"It's okay to be a little nervous. We're going to fix you up though so you don't have so many of those sore throats. Sound good to you?"

"Yeah, it does."

The doctor smiled. "Good! Moms, how are you doing?"

"We're doing okay."

"It's going to be fine. Okay, an orderly will be back in a couple of minutes to get you, Miranda. Moms, you can wait here."

After the doctor left, the couple focused on Miranda.

Bianca brushed her daughter's bangs from her forehead. "Rissa and I will be right here waiting for you."

"Okay."

"You're just going to go to sleep, and before you know it, you'll be back here. I love you." Marissa kissed her daughter's cheek.

"Love you too, Ma."

Bianca kissed Miranda's other cheek and saw the orderly enter the room. "I love you, Mimo."

"Love you too, Mom."

Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca as Miranda was wheeled away.

/

The couple was seated next to each other reviewing the list attributes they wanted the donor to have.

"You're set on a redhead, huh?" Marissa asked, clearly amused by her lover's insistence.

"Yep, it will increase the chances of you having a redheaded baby, and I can't think of anything I want more than to have our child look like you." Bianca grinned. Both women were thankful that talk of clinics and donors was keeping their minds occupied so they weren't driving themselves nuts worrying about their oldest daughter.

Marissa chuckled. "Okay, we'll add it to the list."

"Oh no, it goes on the top of the list."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

Bianca was out of her seat in an instant. "Dr. Parrish, how did everything go?"

Marissa was right next to her. "Is Miranda okay?"

The doctor smiled. "Miranda is just fine. Everything went great, and she'll be back here in just a few minutes. We'll let her rest for a little while, and then I'll be back to check on her to determine when she can go home."

"Thank you, Doctor!"

"You're welcome. I'll see you in a bit."

"I'll call Kendall and the kids, and you call your mom. If I know Erica, she's pretty anxious."

Bianca nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "You're right. She's probably driving Uncle Jack crazy but doing it in true Erica Kane style."

As the phone calls were finishing up, a sleeping Miranda was wheeled back into the room, and a few minutes later, she slowly opened her eyes.

The relief of both mothers at seeing their daughter awake was clear.

"Hi, Sweetie. Dr. Parrish says you did great." Bianca smiled.

"It's okay. You don't have to talk right now, just get some rest." Marissa added.

The girl soon nodded off again.

/

After a couple of more hours, Miranda was able to go home. Marissa pulled into the garage and put the car in park. Bianca helped Miranda inside while the redhead followed carrying their belongings. They were greeted by AJ, Gabby and Kendall in the kitchen.

Bianca looked down at Miranda. "Do you want to go to your room or the family room?"

Miranda whispered hoarsely. "The family room."

When they entered the room, they were met with a roomful of balloons, flowers and a few stuffed animals.

"Wow! Where did all of this come from, Kendall? I'm guessing it's all for Miranda."

"Yes, it is, Red. It started arriving not too long ago. Most of it is from Mom and Jack. Krystal sent some balloons and homemade chocolate ice cream. Greenlee and Ryan sent over a stuffed bear. The Walkers sent something over and so did everyone at the Miranda Center and the law firm. There's too many people to tell you so I made a list of who else sent what. You have a lot of people that love you, Mimo."

Miranda smiled and sat on the sofa. Max hopped up next to her and rested his head in her lap. AJ and Gabby gave her the get well cards they had made for her.

"Are you feeling better, Mimo?" Gabby asked as she settled next to her sister.

"My throat's a little sore, but it's not too bad. Thanks for the card, Gabby."

"You're welcome."

"Can I get you anything, Mimo?" AJ didn't like seeing Miranda sick and wanted to do something to help her. The boy had lots of questions he wanted to ask her, but their mothers didn't want them to flood Miranda with questions right away.

Miranda looked at her mothers. "Could I have something to eat? I'm getting a little hungry."

Marissa nodded. The doctor had told them that Miranda could have something when she got home if she felt like it but that it was best to start off slowly. "Yes, you can. Come on, Buddy. You can help me get her something."

AJ hopped off the sofa and began to follow his redheaded mother into the kitchen.

Miranda called after them softly. "AJ, thanks for my card."

The boy smiled. "You're welcome. I drew some pictures of the clubhouse we were talking about making while you were at the hospital if you want to see them later." The kids had talking about building a clubhouse when the weather was nicer. AJ had taken on the task of designing it and Miranda was in charge of organizing everything. Gabby would pitch in where needed.

"You did? I'd like that."

While Miranda was being entertained by her little sister, Kendall nudged her own little sister. "It's good to see that smile of your's, Binx. I told you everything would be okay."

"It's good to be able to really smile. I'm just so relieved that everything went okay. And yes, you did tell me that."

"You should listen to me more often, you know." Kendall added with her patented smirk.

Bianca laughed. "You're right, I should. I'll do better next time."

"Good. I'm glad you're finally learning. I'm going to go home now so you all can relax. Call me if you need anything."

"We will. Thanks again, Kendall."

"No problem." The curly haired woman walked over to the sofa and knelt in front of her niece. "You take it easy and do what your Moms tell you. When you're feeling better, we'll have a girls' day. Sound good?"

Miranda smiled and nodded. "Yep! Thanks, Aunt K."

Kendall hugged both nieces and was gathering her things when AJ and Marissa came back into the room.

"I'll see you later, Buddy."

"Bye, Aunt K."

"Red, keep taking care of our girls and boy."

"You know that I will, Curly. Thanks for today, and I'm sure Bianca's already told you this, but yes, we'll call you if we need anything." Marissa grinned.

Kendall laughed and hugged the redhead, whispering to her. "I'm going to like having you as a sister-in-law."

When the women separated, Bianca walked her sister to the door. She hadn't heard what her sister had said to Marissa, but whatever it was had made her lover blush. "What'd you say to Rissa?"

Kendall shook her head and gave her sister a knowing smile before hugging her. "Nope, I'm not going to tell. That's between me and Red. I'll call you later and check on things."

Bianca scowled. She never liked it when her sister kept things from her. This, however, didn't seem like anything bad. Maybe, if she played her cards right, she might get Marissa to tell her later when they were alone. Bianca did have a way of getting her lover to tell her things.


	89. A Break at Tiffany's

**A/N****: I have to tell you that it's been a tough week here in the States with the events that have happened in Boston, Massachusetts and West, Texas. My thoughts are with everyone affected. You're not alone. We'll get through this, together.**

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! I feel like I should apologize here for the angst I might have caused by the story I posted last night. If you haven't read it, it's called "I'll See You in My Dreams". It was brought on by the previews I've been seeing for AMC 2.0. Not only is there a scene with Bianca visiting a grave, but I also saw one where she's screaming at someone that she hates them while she's being restrained. I have to tell you that I'm not feeling warm and fuzzy over those. They played with my mind and made me write that other story. I've gotten that out of my system though and am back in my Minx happy bubble. I promised you there that this chapter would be happy and fluffy. I hope I've done it. Enough of that for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"I really hate this."

Marissa smiled at her partner. "I know you do."

"It really sucks being the boss sometimes." Bianca pouted slightly as she continued to pack.

"Yes, it does."

Bianca stopped and looked at her partner. "You don't seem too upset about it. I think you'd be complaining more. It's like you're happy I'm going."

Marissa did her best not to smile. She took Bianca's hands in her own and pulled her close. "I'm agreeing with you that it sucks that you have to go out of town. You know I don't want you to go even if it is for just one night, but I know that you have to. You also know that I'm going to miss you like crazy. I never sleep well when you're not here next to me stealing the blankets."

"I'm sorry. I know. I just really don't want to go, but I have to. The New York branch is hosting a walkthrough with Mayor Bloomberg, and they want me there for some reason."

"They want you there because _you are_ the Miranda Center. It wouldn't exist without you, and thousands of women and children wouldn't have the second chance that they currently have if it wasn't for you. There is no one else better suited than handling the mayor of New York City than you. He doesn't stand a chance against you. You are going to charm him to no end, and he'll have no other choice but to have the city allocate some funds to the Center."

Bianca smirked. "I think you're overestimating me."

"Nope. I'm speaking from experience. I am one of a countless number of people that have fallen victim to your charms."

Bianca laughed so hard she snorted which caused Marissa to grin. "See, if that's not a perfect example of said charms, I don't know what is!"

"You are …"

"Impossible. I know! You wouldn't have me any other way!" Marissa leaned in for a loving kiss.

"No, I wouldn't. And I don't steal the blankets!"

"Whatever you say, babe." Marissa grinned as she left their bedroom to check on dinner.

/

Bianca quickly silenced the alarm the instant it sounded. It had been set to go off earlier than it normally did because the brunette was taking the red eye from Pine Valley to New York City today. Bianca would be meeting with New York's mayor that afternoon to give him a tour of the Miranda Center's branch there. There would also be a dinner that evening with him along with a few of the city's other power players. It would be at the Center instead of at one of New York's finer restaurants. Bianca wanted them to get a firsthand look at what the Center was really about, and there was no better way than to sit down with those being helped directly by the Center.

The brunette would have a small break in between the mayor's tour and the dinner, and she had very big plans for that time. She was stopping by Tiffany's to pick up Marissa's engagement ring. When the couple was in the city around Christmas, Bianca spotted a ring that she thought would be perfect for Marissa but didn't get to buy it at the time because her lover was with her. The brunette had looked at rings at several other jewelers since then, but none of them even came close to that first ring. When this trip came up, Bianca called Tiffany's inquiring about it. She had her fingers crossed that it was still there. It turns out that luck was with her. The ring was there in Marissa's size, and they agreed to set it aside for her. Nothing was going to stop her from getting it this time. Even if it meant taking New York's mayor with her, she was going to get that ring. Tomorrow's plans were equally important to her. She would be checking out the fertility clinic that Kendall had found for them. Marissa had checked out a clinic in Philadelphia on a previous visit to the city for work. The two would compare what they had found and make the final decision on which clinic to use when Bianca got back home.

Bianca carefully moved the arm Marissa had draped over her. She didn't want to wake up her lover just yet. The brunette knew that Marissa would be awake before she left so they could say goodbye but she wanted to delay that from happening for a little while longer if at all possible. After having successfully gotten out of bed without disturbing Marissa, Bianca headed to their bathroom to get ready.

Once she was dressed and ready to go, Bianca went upstairs to give their sleeping children a kiss goodbye. She walked into the kitchen and smiled. Marissa had set the coffee maker for her before going to bed last night. On the counter next to it was a travel mug so Bianca could have a much needed cup on her way to the airport. A small white bag was next to the mug with a note attached to it. _Don't forget your breakfast. _The brunette opened the bag and found a chocolate chip muffin from Krystal's inside. Bianca shook her head. She didn't know how Marissa had managed to sneak it past her, but she had somehow. It was the thoughtful little things like this that had Bianca fall more and more in love with Marissa every day. The brunette filled the mug and got her coffee ready. All she needed to do was grab her purse, keys and breakfast before she left since she had put her carry-on bag in her car last night.

Bianca checked the time. She needed to get going but not before saying goodbye to her sleeping lover. She headed back to their bedroom and sat next to Marissa. Bianca gently brushed a stray lock of copper hair from her lover's face causing Marissa to stir.

"Hey, you're all ready to go."

"Yeah, I am. Thank you for my breakfast."

"You're welcome, but it's kind of selfish on my part. I have to make sure you're taken care of. Old and gray, remember?" Marissa smiled sleepily.

"I remember. Have I told you that I like it when you're selfish when it comes to you taking care of me?"

"You might have mentioned it."

Bianca chuckled. "Good. Have I told you how much I love you?"

"Not yet today." Marissa grinned.

"I guess I need to fix that. I love you with all of my heart and all of my soul." Bianca leaned in for a lingering kiss.

Marissa hummed. "I love you just as much. I'm going to miss you."

"I'm going to miss you too. I'll call you when I get there."

Marissa nodded. "You better."

"I need to go." Bianca gave her lover one more loving kiss. "Get some more sleep. The alarm's already reset for you to go off in an hour. Have a good day."

"Thank you. You have a good day too, and good luck. Go show all of those people in New York who Bianca Montgomery is. They don't stand a chance."

"I'll do my best. I love you."

"I love you too."

Bianca smiled and pulled the blanket up around Marissa before giving her a quick kiss and heading out.

Marissa turned onto her side and pulled Bianca's pillow to her tightly, inhaling her lover's scent before drifting back to sleep with a smile on her face.

/

It was just before noon when Marissa entered Krystal's. She found Kendall and Greenlee sitting at her and Bianca's table. The redhead chuckled when she remembered Opal calling to confirm that she was in fact joining them and to get her permission to allow the friends to be seated there.

"Hey, Red."

"Hey, Curly, Greenlee. How are you both doing?"

"Hi, Rocky. We're doing good. The real question is how are you doing without Bianca around? She seems okay so far. I'm seeing any signs of withdrawal just yet." Greenlee smirked.

"No, I don't see any yet either, but it's only been a couple of hours. The real test will be tonight."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "You two are funny, but I wouldn't give up your day jobs. You'd go broke if you did. Besides, it's just one night."

"But for the two of you, it will be one really long night." Kendall laughed seeing Marissa's scowl. "Did you hear from Binx yet? Did she get in safe?"

"Yes, I did, and she got there safely. Right now, I'd say she's meeting Mayor Bloomberg and dazzling him in true Kane fashion."

"Wow, and you say you're not whipped." Greenlee smirked.

"I don't recall ever saying such a thing. In fact, I fully and happily admit to it."

"Yeah, Binx is the same way when it comes to Red here. Did you have any problems with the kids?"

"Nope, but they did miss seeing Bianca this morning. I told them that she would call this evening, and that seemed to help."

"She's having dinner with the mayor and some other bigwigs this evening, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she's hosting a dinner for them at the Center to show them more about what they really do there. Some of those that the Center has helped or is currently helping will be attending so it'll be a private affair in order to protect them."

"That's a really good idea." Greenlee stated, clearly impressed.

"It was Bianca's." Marissa beamed proudly.

"So, since it will be a late night, that's why she's coming back tomorrow. Will she back in the morning then?"

Marissa had to scramble to answer Greenlee's question. Bianca's activities for tomorrow were only known by her and Kendall. No one else was privy to that information yet. "No, she'll be back early tomorrow evening. She's going to take care of a few other things at the Center while she's there."

"That makes sense." Greenlee's cellphone rang. "I need to take this. I'll be back."

When Kendall and Marissa were alone, the redhead leaned in. She had a question for the other woman and was really hoping to receive an affirmative answer. "Kendall, I've got a huge favor to ask you."

"Okay, what is it?"

"I was hoping you would be willing to watch the kids tomorrow, and that since it's Friday, they could sleep over."

"It sounds like you have special plans for tomorrow night." Kendall's eyes widened when she saw Marissa's sheepish expression. She had to restrain herself from shouting. "Oh my god! You're going to ask her tomorrow, aren't you?"

"I … I … Yes, I am, but please, please, please, please, please, don't tell anyone. That includes Bianca."

Kendall could barely contain her excitement. "You know that your secret is safe with me. I won't say anything to anyone, especially Bianca. Of course we'll watch them. What are your plans? How are you going to do it? You're not nervous, are you? Because you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm a little nervous. You really don't think I need to be?" Marissa bit her lip.

Kendall shook her head. "I'm positive. My little sister is head over heels in love with you."

"And I am with her. That doesn't mean she'll say yes."

"Red. Marissa, trust in yourself and how much you love each other, and you'll have nothing to worry about."

Marissa sighed and nodded. "I will. Thanks."

"I expect details first thing Saturday morning. Got it?"

"Got it. In the meantime, in case she asks about the kids, could you make something up? Maybe say it was your idea?"

Kendall laughed. "No problem. I got you covered. She's checking out the clinic tomorrow, huh?"

"Yeah, she's got a meeting with the head of the clinic. When she gets back, we'll compare that one to the one I visited in Philadelphia, and then we'll make our decision. We've been working on a list of attributes we want the donor to have."

"Let me guess. Bianca wants him to be a redhead."

Marissa laughed. "Yes, she does. In fact, she's pretty adamant about it."

"I'm not surprised. It turns out that she's pretty partial to redheads. I'm also going to guess that you agreed." Kendall smirked.

"You would be right again. It's hard to tell her 'no' sometimes."

"I'm shocked that you have a hard time telling Bianca 'no'." Greenlee feigned disbelief. "What's it about this time?"

Kendall jumped in to bail out the redhead. "Does it really matter?"

Greenlee shrugged. She suspected there was something going on that she didn't know about, but she was sure she'd find out what it was. "I suppose not."

/

"I have to say, Ms. Montgomery, I'm very impressed with everything you've done here at the Center."

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor, but I can't take most of the credit. That goes to my staff here. They are pretty remarkable. I'd be lost without them."

"They are impressive. They also think the world of you." One of the mayor's assistants came over and whispered to him. "I'm sorry, but I have to go or I'll be late for my next appointment. I'm looking forward to tonight. Will I have the pleasure of meeting your partner Ms. Tasker?"

"I'm afraid not this time. She's back home in Pine Valley with our children. In addition to taking care of them, she's preparing for a trial that starts next week."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Perhaps the next time you're both here, we can meet. I hear she is an excellent attorney."

Bianca smiled proudly. "You hear correctly. She is amazing and brilliant, if I do say so myself. I know she would be honored to meet you."

"As will I with her. Well, I will see you in a few hours."

Bianca nodded and waited for Mayor Bloomberg to leave before heading back to the office she was using. She grabbed her purse and stopped by the Center's receptionist on the way out. "Hannah, I need to step out for about an hour. If anyone needs me, have them call my cell."

"You've got it. See you in a bit. Oh, I'll have a sandwich here for you when you get back."

"Thanks!"

Bianca couldn't hide the excited smile forming on her face as she left to hail a taxi to take her to Tiffany's.

/

Bianca walked up to a counter at Tiffany's and was promptly greeted by a saleswoman.

"Good afternoon and welcome to Tiffany's. My name is Laura. How may I help you?"

"Good afternoon. I'm looking for Ms. Carter."

"That would be me. Would you happen to be Bianca Montgomery?"

"Yes, that's me. It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. If you'll just follow me, I have everything set up for you in a more private area."

Bianca nodded and followed the saleswoman. "I can't tell you how much I appreciate this. I was here in December and saw this ring. I thought it was perfect, but I really couldn't look at it any closer let alone do anything else about it for that matter because Marissa was with me."

"Who is Marissa?"

Bianca smiled. "She's the one the ring is for."

The saleswoman saw how the brunette's eyes lit up just saying the other woman's name and smiled. "Ah, I see. So, you're going to propose. Does she suspect anything?"

"I suppose maybe to a degree she might. We've discussed getting married so I don't believe it will be a complete surprise." As Bianca was getting situated, her cellphone rang. Marissa's smiling face appeared on the caller id. "I'm sorry, but I need to take this. I promise to be quick."

"Take your time." Laura nodded and set about her tasks. She happened to catch a glance at the picture that had appeared on Bianca's phone. The redhead looked familiar to the saleswoman, but she couldn't place her.

"Hey, to what do I owe this extremely pleasant surprise?"

Marissa could hear Bianca's smile on the other end of the line. "Hey, I won't keep you long because I know you have a lot going on today. I just wanted to call and see how things went with the tour and to tell you that I love you, most definitely not in that order."

Bianca laughed. "I love you too, and I'm very glad it wasn't in that order. The tour went great. He said he was very impressed with everything."

"Well, I'm not surprised. It is you we're talking about after all."

"Wow, you just can't help yourself, can you?"

"When it comes to you? Never!" Marissa grinned.

Bianca snorted. "Ditto! Oh, Mayor Bloomberg asked about you. He was looking forward to meeting you and was disappointed that you weren't going to here tonight."

"Seriously?"

"Yep, he heard you were an excellent attorney, brilliant in fact."

This time it was Marissa's turn to snort. "Brilliant? He honestly said that?"

"Okay, you got me. I added the brilliant part, but he did say he heard you were excellent. Your reputation is preceding you, Counselor."

"Well, I'm glad it went great earlier. Are you taking care of yourself? You're not skipping lunch, right?"

"I'm heading to a quick meeting right now, but Hannah is getting me a sandwich to have after I'm done."

"Okay, good. I'll let you go."

"I'll call you tonight before the dinner."

"Sounds good. Love you."

"Love you too." Bianca disconnected the call. "I'm sorry about that."

The saleswoman shook her head smiling. She had finally made the connection and remembered how she knew the redhead whose picture showed up on the phone. Marissa had been a customer that past December. She stopped by in between meetings and had a very specific purpose in mind. She was looking for an engagement ring. Laura remembered the redhead practically gushing over the woman she was planning on asking to marry her. The saleswoman couldn't help but smile at how much in love the woman was, and it didn't take long for Marissa to find the perfect ring. The redhead left smiling so brightly that Laura still remembered it. She had never seen any customer as happy as Marissa was then, until today. _It looks like she hasn't proposed yet, but she wasn't sure when she was going to do it. It looks like things are going to change though. Good for them._

"It's no problem. I'm going to guess that was the hopefully soon to be fiancée."

Bianca smiled brightly. "Yes, that was Marissa. She's amazing. I'm sure you hear that from a lot of people when they're buying engagement rings."

"I do, but I can honestly tell you that I've only ever seen one other person smile like you are now."

"Do you know if it worked out for them?"

"I don't know for sure, but I have very good feeling that it did. Now, let's look at this ring. I've got the size you requested."

Bianca nodded happily. She carefully examined the ring when the saleswoman handed it to her. "It's perfect. It's definitely Rissa. I'll take it!"

Laura smiled. "Very good. Do you want to take it with you now or come back later for it?"

"I'll take it now, please."

"I'll get it ready for you." The two continued to chat as the saleswoman polished the ring, packaged it and rang up the sale. "When do you plan on asking her?"

"Tomorrow night when I get home. That reminds me. I need to call and ask my sister if she'll watch our kids. I'll do that on my way back to work."

"Do you have big plans for it?"

"Not really. Between us, we have three kids, and she'll be taking care of them by herself for two days while I'm here. So, I'm going to surprise her and take her out to dinner, give her a bit of a break. I've made reservations for us at our favorite restaurant, one that doesn't have coloring books and crayons. I've had them set aside their best table in a nice quiet corner for us. Before all of that though, I'm going to stop on my way home from the airport and pick up our favorite dessert from her mom's place. Her mom owns a restaurant, but we go there all the time. I thought it would be a nice change of pace to go to someplace really nice and …"

"More geared for grown-ups?" The saleswoman smiled.

Bianca chuckled. "Exactly. Now, I'm not going to propose there at the restaurant. I don't want anyone else around. I want it to just be the two of us. So, I think I'll ask her then when get home, over dessert. Marissa doesn't need the grand gestures. Don't get me wrong. Those are great, and we've had our share of them. For some reason though, I think just having it be the two of us and it being simple is the way to go."

"Well in my experience, it truly is the thought that counts. Just tell her what's in your heart, and everything else will fall into place. From everything you've told me about her and seeing that smile of yours, I think everything is going to work out just perfect for the two of you." She handed Bianca her credit card back after the brunette signed the receipt. She then handed her the telltale blue bag with the box containing the ring inside. "Thank you for letting us be a part of your special moment. If you need anything, here's my card. Good luck, Ms. Montgomery!"

"Thank you!" Bianca practically skipped out of the store and quickly found a cab to take her back to the Miranda Center. She would lock her precious purchase and purse in a safe located in one of the offices that contained petty cash that was sometimes needed at the Center. On her way, she pulled out her cellphone and called her sister.

"Hey, Binx. How's it going?"

"It's going great, Kendall. I'm on my way back to the office. I need to ask a big favor."

Kendall could hear the excitement in her sister's voice. Something was going on. "Uh, sure. What's up?"

"I was wondering if you could watch the kids tomorrow night and maybe keep them overnight?"

Kendall smiled and shook her head. While she couldn't be positive, she had a hunch her sister had the same plans that Marissa did for tomorrow. _Same page again! _"I'd be happy to."

"Could you not let Marissa know that I asked and make it seem like it was your idea?"

"I can do that. It sounds like you have big plans. Anything you care to share? Maybe popping a certain question?"

"Not yet. I don't want to jinx anything. Tell you Saturday if everything goes okay?"

"Alright, I'm going to hold you to that."

"Thanks, Kendall."

The older sister could hear Bianca's happiness and could picture the mega-watt smile that was most likely gracing her face at that very moment. "You're welcome. Let me go set things up. Hey, I have a feeling that it's going to go more than okay. Good luck!"

/

Marissa was still smiling as she turned out the light and settled under the covers in the bed she shared with Bianca. The redhead was replaying the conversation she had just finished with her lover. Bianca would be home tomorrow, and with any luck, they would be celebrating their engagement this time tomorrow night. Marissa drifted off to sleep as she went over her plans for the next evening.

/

_A noise caused Marissa to sit up in bed and look around. She got up and padded down the hallway in the direction of the mysterious noise thinking maybe Max had gotten into something since the alarm hadn't gone off. The redhead opened the kitchen door. Hazel eyes widened in surprise at who she found on the other side._

"_Hi, Marissa."_

/

**A/N****: Damn if I couldn't help myself at the end here. The last paragraph is in **_**italics**_** for a reason. Any guesses as to why? See you soon! **


	90. A Special Visit

**A/N****: Thanks for reading and reviewing! I appreciate all of you so much. First, I want to give a shout out to those that read and reviewed "I'll See You in My Dreams". Thank you! Again, I'm sorry for any angst or tears that it caused. Trust me, I had tears of my own while I was writing parts of it. **

**Now for this story and happier thoughts, I knew you all would know what the section in **_**italics**_** was about. This chapter picks up where the last one left off so you'll find out right away who was behind the door. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

_Marissa heard a noise that caused her to sit up in bed. The redhead immediately glanced over to Bianca's side of the bed to ask if she heard something too. Marissa only found her lover's pillow bunched up from when she was snuggled into it inhaling Bianca's scent that still lingered on it. That was when she remembered that Bianca wasn't home. She was still in New York. Marissa heard the noise again and decided that she needed to check it out before it woke up the kids. She got up and padded down the hallway in the direction of the mysterious noise thinking maybe Max had gotten into something since the alarm hadn't gone off. She paused on one side of the kitchen door and could've sworn she heard voices. The redhead slowly opened the door. Hazel eyes widened in surprise at who she found on the other side._

"_Hi, Marissa."_

"_Hi, Rissa. It's been a while."_

"_Mom? Dad?" Marissa blinked, confusion and surprise showing in equal parts across her face._

"_Ah, she does remember us!" _

"_Stop teasing her, Roy. You knew darn well she would."_

"_You're right as always, Lyd. Well, aren't you going to come in and join us?"_

_Marissa nodded and stepped into the kitchen. Roy and Lydia Tasker were seated at the kitchen table with a box of donuts and three small bottles of orange soda. The familiar scene before her made her smile._

"_Why are you here? I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm really happy to see you, but I don't understand."_

_Lydia gave her an understanding smile. "Well, you're the one who called us here, so to speak. So, I would say that means you really know the answer to that question."_

"_I tell you what. Why don't we come back to that question?" Roy suggested helpfully._

_Marissa nodded, still confused._

_Roy smiled. "Okay then. So, Rissa, tell us about your family."_

_Marissa smiled brightly. "Well, I have a feeling you know all about them."_

"_We do, and we know everything that's been going on. Your Mom and I will always be around to keep an eye out on you. We just want to hear about them from you."_

"_Okay. Who do you want to know about first?"_

"_How about you start with our grandkids?" Lydia smiled._

_Marissa chuckled, not at all surprised that her mother's first question was on the kids. "They are amazing! They are all so smart, sweet, kindhearted, thoughtful and funny. First, there's Miranda. She is Bianca in miniature form. Gabby is like her too, but Miranda even more so. She is just so giving and loving. I see her and I see what Bianca was like when she was that age. She is so protective of her family, particularly Bianca. There is just this special bond between them, and Miranda is wise beyond her years." Marissa paused before continuing with even more pride in her voice if that was possible. "Miranda has also expressed an interest in becoming a lawyer."_

"_I can tell you like that."_

"_I really do, Dad, but I'll be okay with it if she changes her mind. I just want her to be happy. Now, AJ is very much the protective brother. He always thinks about his sisters and wants to make sure they're safe. I think he wants to be an architect. He's got a great eye, and he loves to draw and build things. He's very creative."_

"_What about the little one?" Lydia asked._

"_Gabby, she is something. She is curious as all get out and doesn't miss anything. She's so funny and loves entertaining us. The jokes are a little on the cheesy side so you'd get along with her really well, Dad. I can see the two of you coming up with some sort of comedy routine."_

_Lydia rolled her eyes. "Lord help us."_

"_Hey, my jokes are not cheesy!" Roy protested._

_Mother and daughter glanced at each other before busting out laughing._

"_Yeah, they really are. Gabby is just so cute when she tells them though so she gets away with it, kind of like you. She's loves animals and is obsessed with monkeys for some unknown reason. I can easily see her working with animals when she gets older, maybe becoming a vet."_

"_They sound like great kids." Lydia smiled._

"_They are. They're the best."_

"_What about your friends?" Roy was curious about who his daughter confided in._

"_Well, there's Scott. We're really good friends. He's JR's cousin, but he's nothing like him. They are like day and night, just like their fathers. He's sweet and there when I need him. He's finally getting some happiness of his own with Madison. Then, there's Brian. I work with him. The joke around the office is that we're each other's work spouse. His wife Stef is great and is a pretty good friend as well. They have a little boy named Jamie, and they made me his godmother! He's the sweetest little boy."_

"_Anyone else?" Lydia knew her daughter always had a lot of friends back in Devon. There was just something about Marissa that attracted people to her, made them like her._

"_There's the Dynamic Duo of Kendall and Greenlee. Greenlee is Bianca's cousin and Kendall's best friend. She's got a wicked sense of humor. Some people might not take her seriously, but there's more to her than meets the eye. She's smart. She cares and is loyal. She's willing to do whatever needs to be done to help out. Kendall is Bianca's big sister so she's very protective of her. If anyone ever crosses or hurts her little sister, they'll face the wrath of Kendall. I've seen what happens to those that do, and it's not pretty. The two of us just kind of hit it off. It's probably because we both knew the other was looking out for Bianca. We've gotten really close, and now, she's more than just a friend. She's family, like the sister I didn't have."_

"_I'm glad to hear that. How is everything with Krystal?" Lydia watched their relationship from afar but needed to hear from her daughter how things actually were between them. While she herself could never imagine selling her child, Lydia would be forever grateful to Krystal for Marissa. She was everything to Roy and Lydia, a true gift._

"_Complicated but getting a little better each day, I suppose. It's hard to put what she did to me behind us, but it helps when I remember that she gave me to the two of you. I realize how lucky I was, and I couldn't have asked for better parents. The hardest thing for me to forgive is what she did to Bianca. I'm trying, in large part because Bianca asked me to. If she can forgive her, then surely I can try. Bianca's mom, however, will never forgive her."_

_Roy smiled. "Ah yes, the legendary Erica Kane. What's she like?" _

"_Erica is Erica. She is formidable, dramatic, a little on the self-centered side, fierce, a little intimidating and definitely protective of her family. You do not want to cross her. I have to be honest though. I like her, and we get along pretty well. It took some time to convince her, but she knows how much Bianca and the girls mean to me. She knows that I wouldn't do anything to hurt them, and that we share the common goal of keeping them safe and happy. She was really there for me during the whole JR debacle."_

_Roy shifted in his seat, his easy smile gone in an instant at the mention of man who hurt his little girl. "What's going on with him?"_

"_Don't worry, Dad. He's sober, at last word, and travelling around Europe trying to find himself after his stint in prison. He emails AJ every now and then. Bianca and I are monitoring that to make sure he stays in line and doesn't say or do anything to hurt AJ. So far, so good. He seems to be trying to change which would be good for AJ. Don't worry though. We're not letting our guard down. There's always more behind JR's actions than he says. We've both learned that lesson the hard way."_

"_I'm very glad to hear that. Now, tell us about Bianca." Lydia smiled when she saw her daughter's face light up at the mere mention of the other woman's name._

"_I don't even know where to start. Bianca is the most incredible person I've ever known. She's intelligent and funny. Gabby gets her sense of humor from her so you'd like that, Dad."_

_Lydia chuckled at Roy's playful scowl._

"_She's generous to a fault and really cares about people. I can't even begin to tell you about all of the people she's helped through the Miranda Center. It's such an incredible place. For her to have found something positive out of what happened to her is simply amazing. Most people wouldn't be able to do anything like that, but then again, she's definitely not most people. Her ability to forgive is indescribable. For her to be able to forgive Krystal, David and Babe for what they did, is … There are no words for that. She's encouraged me to forgive Krystal and try and build a relationship with her. Bianca's beautiful, inside and out. And the way she took care of me after I was hurt? I can't even begin to tell you about that. After the mess that was my marriage to JR, I never thought I would find someone to love again, that I could love again, that I would want to share my life with. I was wrong, and I've never been so happy to be wrong in my life. She's turned it all around. Everything's better with her there beside me. She's a true partner in every sense of the word. I mean just knowing that she's there and part of my life is the most precious gift." Marissa stopped and saw the amused expressions on her parents' faces. "What? I'm talking too much, huh?"_

_Lydia smiled and took her daughter's hand. Marissa always talked a blue streak when she was excited. No, it was when she was passionate about something, and Lydia had never seen her this passionate about someone. "No, not at all. I just can't tell you how happy it makes me, makes us to see you this happy and content with your life, this at peace with yourself, this in love." _

_Roy nodded, his smile matching his wife's. "I know I said that there wouldn't be anyone ever good enough for you, but …"_

"_But you were wrong." Marissa grinned, beating her father to the punch._

_Roy laughed. "But I was wrong. Bianca is a remarkable woman."_

"_Yes, she is! It doesn't bother you that I'm in love with a woman?"_

_Lydia smiled gently. "Oh honey, that doesn't matter one bit to us. How could it? I mean, it's obvious that she makes you happy, loves you and takes good care of you. Who can ask for more for their child? I know that's all your Dad and I have ever wanted for you."_

"_Your Mom, as always, is right. That smile of yours tells us everything we need know. I can't think of anyone better for you, anyone else who would deserve you. The two of you are planning on adding to your family?"_

_Marissa nodded happily as she wiped a tear from her face. Having her parents' blessing of her relationship with Bianca meant everything to her. She never really thought they would have a problem with it because of the type of people they were and how they raised her. It was just good to hear it. "Yeah, we are. If all goes as we hope, I'll have our baby."_

"_That's wonderful, Rissa. You are a natural as a mom. I'm glad you're going to experience that miracle. Any other plans that we should know of?" Lydia smiled knowing full well what her daughter had on her mind. _

"_As a matter of fact, yes." It was then, in that moment, that Marissa realized why her parents were there. "I want to marry Bianca, and I plan on asking her when she gets home from New York."_

_Roy grinned. "And you're a little nervous?"_

_Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I am. I don't want to mess it up. I just want everything to be perfect."_

"_I understand that. I was shaking like a leaf when I asked your Mom. It wasn't that I was afraid that she would say 'no' because let's face it, she was crazy about me."_

_Lydia rolled her eyes. "All these years and you're still that cocky and full of yourself. Amazing."_

"_But you were crazy about me." Roy smirked._

"_Yes, I was, and I still am."_

"_Don't worry. I'm crazier about you. Anyway, I was nervous because it's a big step, and you can't help but want it to be perfect. I just need to ask you one thing. Are you sure?"_

"_I've never been more sure of anything in my life."_

"_I believe you so I'll tell you this. It will be perfect because it's right, because of how much you love each other, and nothing would make us prouder then to call Bianca our daughter-in-law."_

"_What if I can't find the right words?"_

"_My daughter not find the right words?! Perish the thought! You are incapable of not finding the words to express your feelings. Seriously, just speak from your heart and you can't go wrong."_

_Lydia laughed and nodded. "He's right. You'll find the right ones. It's something you got from your Dad. Would you like a little suggestion though?"_

"_Yes, please. That would be great."_

"_Do you remember my favorite poet?"_

"_I do."_

"_I think she'll be able to help you come up with something. She had a way with words that was even better than your Dad's."_

"_Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad. I love you both."_

_Roy hugged his daughter tightly and kissed her cheek. "I love you too. I'm so proud of you and the woman you've become."_

_Lydia wiped the tears from Marissa's eyes and kissed her other cheek before hugging her tightly. "I love you too, Rissa. I'm so happy for you. I'm so happy you have the family and life that you've always wanted and more than deserve. You make us so proud. Don't worry. Everything will be just fine."_

Marissa sighed as a smile crossed her face as her parents' words echoed in her dream state, and she pulled Bianca's pillow closer to her. The 'visit' from her parents was just what she needed. Now, she was ready for tomorrow.

/

Bianca sat in the waiting room of the fertility clinic waiting for her name to be called. She'd arrived for her appointment early. As soon as she was done here, she would swing back by the hotel, pick up her belongings and head to the airport. Bianca had called the airline and had them put her name on a standby list in hopes of catching an earlier flight home. If everything went well, she would be back in Pine Valley early enough to swing by Krystal's to pick up dessert for later that evening, run home, change and then be waiting when Marissa got home from work to surprise her and take her out for a romantic dinner. Bianca planned on popping the question when they got back home.

She couldn't help herself from smiling when she thought of her plans for tonight. She just hoped that everything went as planned. Bianca chuckled slightly to herself when she thought of Marissa. The redhead provided her with her wake-up call this morning. Bianca had placed a request for a call with the front desk last night, but Marissa beat them to the punch. When the brunette answered her cellphone, she was greeted with her lover serenading her with Stevie Wonder's 'I Just Called to Say I Love you'. Given the fact that they were separated by many miles at the moment and Marissa wasn't able to perform her 'morning routine', it was the perfect way to wake up. After talking for a few minutes, Marissa had to get ready before waking up the kids.

Bianca was jolted from her thoughts when she heard her name.

The nurse at the clinic read off the next name on the sign-in sheet. "Bianca Montgomery?"

"Yes, that's me."

"The doctor will see you now. Please follow me."

Bianca followed the nurse down the hallway to the doctor's office. The brunette stepped inside and was greeted by the clinic's director who was also still practicing and highly respected in her field.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Montgomery. Please have a seat."

"Thank you, Dr. Roeth. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you taking the time to meet with me."

"It's my pleasure. I thought we would talk a little and then go on a tour of our facility, if that's okay with you?"

"That sounds just fine to me."

"Very good."

The two chatted with the doctor asking Bianca about her and Marissa, their lives together, their children and professions. Dr. Roeth wanted to get a feel of the women. She understood Marissa couldn't be there for this first meeting due to staying home and caring for the children as well as preparing for a trial. They discussed Marissa's health when Bianca informed the doctor that her partner would be the one carrying their child. The brunette provided the doctor with Marissa's charting of her cycle and basal temperature for the last four months.

Then, it was Bianca's turn to question the doctor. When she and Marissa began their discussions about adding to their family, they sat down and created a list of questions. Having undergone artificial insemination before with Gabby, Bianca was familiar with the procedure, giving them a great starting point. They had since added to the list in the months that followed. Bianca now asked about the facility, the staff, the various types of treatments, the donors and the cost of the procedure. These were the same questions that Marissa had asked the facility in Philadelphia.

With the questions asked and answered, the two went on a tour of the facility. Once that was concluded, Dr. Roeth walked the brunette out after a few last questions. Bianca was very impressed with all of it and couldn't wait to get home and tell Marissa about it.

/

Throughout the day, Kendall had checked in on both Bianca and Marissa to see how they were holding up. The couple was doing surprisingly well. It probably helped that they were both keeping themselves too busy to think about tonight, Marissa with work and Bianca with her visit to the fertility clinic. Kendall had invited Marissa to lunch when she spoke with her in hopes of giving her moral support, but the redhead declined. She was working through lunch in hopes of leaving early to get things set up for later. When Kendall called her sister to check on her, she found Bianca was at the airport hoping to catch an earlier flight home.

Kendall had picked up her children along with the couple's and dropped them off at home before heading to Krystal's to pick up some carryout for dinner. It was there that she ran into Marissa. The redhead appeared calm, but Kendall could sense some excitement with a hint of anxiety.

"Hey, Red, fancy seeing you here."

"Hey, Kendall. I'm guessing Zach drew the short straw and is watching all five kids while you're 'cooking' dinner."

Kendall laughed. "Yes, he did. There were calls for Krystal's chili cheese fries, and there's no way I'm going to attempt to recreate them."

"Hi, Marissa. I missed seeing you here at lunch today."

"Hi, Krystal. I worked through lunch. I've got a trial that starts on Monday that I'm prepping for. Don't worry. I grabbed something for lunch."

"Okay, as long as you're taking care of yourself. Is everything alright?" Krystal sensed her something was off with her daughter.

"Everything's fine. Why do you ask?" Marissa had been doing pretty well all day with keeping her nerves in check. She'd gotten a lot of work taken care of, even managing to leave early, and had everything set up at home. She just needed to pick up dessert and wait for Bianca to get back. The closer it got to the time when she was planning on proposing, the more her nerves threatened to make an appearance. It seemed like Krystal was picking up on that now, and Marissa was really hoping to avoid a lot of questions.

"You just seem a little antsy, maybe a little anxious or pre-occupied. I just want to make sure everything is alright."

Kendall sensed the redhead's anxiety at being pressed. She knew Marissa had a lot on her mind and really didn't need any extra questions about what was going on. Kendall decided to step in and help her out. "Oh, you heard her, Krystal. She's good. If anything, I think she's just missing Bianca."

Krystal seemed to accept that answer. "I understand. When will she be home? How did the trip go? She was up there for the Miranda Center, right?"

Marissa felt a little better, having received help from Kendall. "She should be home in a little while. The trip went great. She was able to get commitments from the mayor and several others in the way of financial assistance for it."

"That's really good to hear. Do you have big plans for tonight? I know Kendall is watching the kids so I could treat you both to dinner if you want. You wouldn't have to cook." Krystal suggested with a smile.

Marissa thought of the best way to politely decline without raising suspicions. "That's very nice of you, but we're just going to have a quiet dinner at home. I know Bianca did a lot of running when she was in New York so I know she's going to be a little tired when she gets back. I think a relaxing evening at home is on tap for her. To help with that, I want to pick us up a treat for which she gets here. Maybe we could take you up on that another time?"

"Of course. I more than understand. So, what can I get you today? I have a pretty good idea though."

"I would like two slices of your chocolate cake."

Krystal chuckled. "I figured as much. Let me get that for you while Kendall is still deciding what else to order."

When the coast was clear, Kendall was finally able to check with the redhead. "How are you doing, Marissa?"

"I'm doing okay. When I see Bianca though, I'll be a lot better. Thanks for helping with Krystal."

"No problem, anytime. There really is nothing to worry about. It's all going to work out."

Marissa smiled. "Thanks, Kendall. I appreciate it."

Krystal reappeared and handed a carryout bag to her daughter. "Here you go and enjoy."

"Thank you. We will. I better get going. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Kendall. Tell the kids we'll call when Bianca is home."

"See you tomorrow. I'll let them know." Kendall's back was to Krystal so she mouthed 'good luck' to Marissa who nodded slightly in acknowledgment before heading out.

Krystal suspected something was up with her daughter and was about to quiz Kendall on what she knew when she was called back into the kitchen. "I'll be back to get your order in a few minutes."

/

Bianca walked into Krystal's and headed immediately to the counter, surprised to see her sister. "Hey, Kendall."

"Hey, Binx. I'm surprised to see you here. I thought you'd be home by now."

Bianca sighed. What had begun as a great day with Marissa serenading her and followed by a very successful visit to the fertility clinic went downhill after she had gotten to the airport. A seat was available on an earlier flight, but mechanical problems delayed that flight. Then, a small weather front came through New York and delayed that flight even more. By the time the weather had cleared, the plane's crew wasn't permitted to fly because of FAA requirements regarding the amount of time they had already been on duty. Bianca was back on her original flight with a slight delay because of the weather delay. The only thing in her favor was that she didn't have any checked bags to worry about.

"That was the plan but there were mechanical and weather issues. Because I got in late, I lost our reservation at Primavista and can't surprise Rissa with that. The only thing I can do now is surprise her with dessert. I thought about taking dinner home, but I don't want to wait that long. I just want to see her and …"

"Bianca, I'm surprised to see you. I thought you'd be home."

"I'm on my way. I just wanted to surprise Marissa and pick up a treat. It would be great if you could box up two pieces of chocolate cake for me."

Krystal was confused. "Marissa was …"

"Missing you a lot even though you've only been gone a day." Kendall shot Krystal a look that silently pleaded with her to not say anymore.

Krystal took the hint. "Right. My baby girl really missed you. I will go get that cake for you. Kendall, your order is almost ready."

Bianca's cellphone rang, and she sighed when she saw who it was.

Kendall saw her sister's expression. "Who is it?"

"It's Mom. I just can't deal with her right now. She'll want to talk about her trip to Europe, and I won't be able to get her off the phone which means I'll have to delay my plans. I don't want to do that, Kendall. I can't. I've waited too long."

"Alright. Alright. Calm down. I've got this." Kendall grabbed her sister's phone and swiped the key to ignore the call. She then turned it off. "All taken care of. Now, why do you think she was calling about her trip?"

"Thanks. I suppose I could've done that myself." Bianca scowled seeing her sister's amused look. "Fine, you're right. I have a hard time ignoring Mom. She called earlier when I was on my way to the clinic and wanted to talk then. I managed to put her off. There's no way I could do it twice."

Kendall smiled. She knew better than anyone that their mother was hard to avoid. It was then that Kendall's cellphone rang. She smirked seeing Erica's name pop up. "I'll take care of her, but you owe me. There's nothing to worry about. It's all going to work out. Now, go get your girl."

Bianca hugged her sister and went to pay Krystal as she heard Kendall greet Erica.

"Hi, Mom. What's up? Binx? Really? There was no answer, huh? It's probably because they're landing, and you know that electronic devices have to be turned off. I know you're anxious to talk to her, but why don't you call her tomorrow? I mean, she's just getting home, and I'm sure her and Marissa want to spend some time together. Good. Oh, my order's ready. I need to get home myself. I'll call after dinner, and we can talk more then. Bye, Mom."

Krystal looked at Kendall. "Okay, spill it what's going on? Marissa was in here not half an hour ago getting the same dessert that Bianca was, but you didn't want your sister to know that for some reason. Then, you just lied to your mother about Bianca. Is something going on with her and Marissa?"

"I'm just helping them so they can spend a night alone together. They deserve it."

"I can tell you're not going to say anything else so I'll let it go, and I won't interrupt them tonight."

"Thank you. I better go. I have a house full of hungry kids. See ya later."

/

Bianca walked into the kitchen and called out. "Rissa, I'm home. Sorry I'm late." The brunette placed the bag from Krystal's on the counter. She headed into the family room, still not seeing Marissa. She knew the redhead was home because her car was in the garage. She padded down to their bedroom, dropping her bag by the closet. _Where is she? Maybe she took Max out._

To say Bianca was surprised when she opened the back door would be an understatement. All of the hassles she had endured that afternoon trying to get home melted away when she was greeted by Marissa's dazzling smile. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself."


	91. Questions Asked and Answered

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! It is much appreciated!**

**So, AMC 2.0 started this week. I don't know if you're all watching it or not, but in the 4****th**** episode, they finally revealed what happened at the mansion. I'm not going to go into any detail in this story about it though. I just want to keep "Things Change" separate. If you haven't watched and want to know what happened, send me a PM, and I'll give you a description of the first week. I'll post a comment on the site for this chapter about what happened for those anonymous readers as it pertains to Minx. **

**Back to the Minx happy bubble! Okay, last chapter lacked any Minx interaction. I didn't really plan it that way at the beginning. It just worked out that way kinda like the cliffhanger, and by now, you all know me and cliffhangers! This one is all Minx, and I think it makes up for the lack of them in the last update. I'll let you be the judges of that though. The beginning of this chapter takes just a small step backwards to give you a glimpse of a little of what Marissa was up to while Bianca was away in New York and what her plans were. Don't worry. It's just a small step back and I don't skip over anything. It leads right into Bianca getting home and then … Yeah, I'm not going to tell you that when you can read it! That's enough from me for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

When Marissa returned home from Krystal's, she placed the chocolate cake in the refrigerator to chill. Not only was it their favorite dessert, it was also the way they both loved it served. It was just one of many things they had in common. The redhead checked the time. Bianca should be home soon. Marissa knew her flight had been delayed when she checked the flight's arrival time with the airline. According to the airline's website, Bianca's plane had finally taken off after a thirty minute delay which meant Marissa had a little more time to get things as perfect as possible. She walked outside to the patio and got straight to work on the last minute touches.

As she was finishing up, she recalled her day. Marissa had raced home from work. She had a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it. She had managed to take the covers off the patio furniture and clean the table and chairs along with hooking up a tank of propane to the grill the night before while the kids were doing their homework. Today, she started marinating the chicken before heading outside again to string up the white Christmas lights she had pulled out of the attic. Marissa thought they would be a nice touch, provide a little extra ambiance. She took a moment to admire her work and enjoy the beautiful spring day. Luck was definitely on her side with the weather, and it looked to be a perfect night for the first cookout of the year. Since they had moved into the house in November, it was actually going to be the first cookout they had there, and Marissa couldn't think of a better way to christen the area. She checked the time and went back inside to finish prep work on the meal.

After things were finished in the kitchen, Marissa headed back to their bedroom to clean up and change into some clean jeans and a t-shirt. She was keeping it low-key and knew Bianca would want to change into some comfortable clothes after meeting with the director of the fertility clinic and travelling right after. Before heading back outside to set the table, she grabbed some candles and the flowers she had picked up earlier and took them with her. The entire time she was doing all of this, she kept going over what she had planned to say. Marissa took the advice her Mom had given her in her dream to heart, and when she got to work that morning, she did a quick search on Elizabeth Barrett Browning, her mom's favorite poet and one of Marissa's as well. The redhead remembered something of Browning's that she had read in college that had been running through her mind since she had woken up that morning. She couldn't remember all of it though so she needed to look it up. Having found and read it, Marissa thought it was perfect and wrote it down. Throughout the day, the redhead went over the words until they were committed to memory.

Marissa fired up the grill and turned the flame on low before placing the chicken on it. She then set up her iPod with the playlist that she made for tonight. After that, she made one final trip inside to grab the ring and a bottle of wine. She opened the wine and placed it on the table and before she tucked the ring away in a spot that she had discovered yesterday and thought was the perfect hiding place. It would be within easy reach for her while still remaining hidden from Bianca. Marissa took a deep breath and couldn't hold back her smile to save her life when she heard the garage door.

/

Bianca left Krystal's determined to salvage some small bit of her plan tonight. The day had started out great but had slowly started to go downhill after getting to the airport. The brunette shook her head. She simply refused to let any of that get to her. Instead of dwelling on what _had_ happened, she was going to focus on what she _wanted_ to happen. She turned her thoughts to what she going to say to Marissa. Bianca recalled happening upon a book that Hannah had been reading in the Center's New York office yesterday. It was a romance novel which wasn't really Bianca's cup of tea, but the receptionist read a line from the book that really stuck with her. The more she mulled over the line, the more she realized it reminded her of Marissa and how she felt about her. She jotted it down and now knew the words by heart.

The brunette turned down the driveway and could feel the tension leave her body as soon as their home came into view. To know that Marissa was there waiting for her meant everything to Bianca and made her heart swell. She still couldn't believe how lucky was to have found Marissa and to be sharing a life with her. _Yeah, none of the other stuff that happened today matters, not when I'm coming home to her._

Bianca hit the remote for garage door and pulled in. She grabbed her purse, carry-on bag and the chocolate cake and went inside. Bianca walked into the kitchen and called out. "Rissa, I'm home. Sorry I'm late." The brunette placed the bag from Krystal's on the counter. She headed into the family room, still not seeing Marissa. She knew the redhead was home because her car was in the garage. She padded down to their bedroom, dropping her bag by the closet. _Where the heck is she? Oh, maybe she took Max out._

/

To say Bianca was surprised when she opened the back door would be an understatement. All of the hassles she had endured that afternoon trying to get home melted away in an instant when she was greeted by Marissa's dazzling smile. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

The two moved as one as the distance between them was quickly erased. Lips were captured and arms wound tightly around each other, striving to pull the other closer as the kiss deepened. Minutes later, they slowly pulled away, each left dazed and breathless as they rested their foreheads together.

"Welcome home."

Bianca sighed happily. "It's good to be home." The brunette pulled back slightly to look around the patio. "This is so beautiful. It's perfect. I can't believe you did all of this."

Marissa beamed. "I'm glad you like it. It wasn't all that much work. Besides, that smile makes it all worth it."

The couple shared a loving kiss before slowly separating when Bianca's stomach growled.

"When was the last time you ate something?"

"Breakfast?"

"Bianca." Marissa scolded mildly.

"In my defense, it was a late breakfast and was on the big side."

"Uh huh. Well, you're home now, and I'm going to take care of you."

Bianca grinned. "I like it when you take care of me. Are you grilling chicken a' la Tasker?"

"Yes, I am. I thought you might be tired from the trip and wanted to surprise you."

"Funny, but after that kiss, I'm not tired in the least little bit. In fact, I find that I have all kinds of energy now and lots of ideas of how to use said energy."

Marissa laughed. "Sex fiend."

"Only with you."

"Lucky me! It's lucky for you that I have lots of ideas of my own too, but you're definitely going to need more energy. So, let's get you some dinner. You can work it off later." Marissa flashed a wicked grin.

Bianca's grin matched the redhead's. "You've got yourself a deal. Oh, I stopped by Krystal's on the way home and picked up a surprise for you. I just need to let it chill." The sound of Marissa's laughter stopped Bianca mid-step. "What's so funny?"

"Check the second shelf in the fridge." Marissa added with a wink.

Once inside the kitchen, Bianca opened the refrigerator and immediately spotted the tell-tale carryout container from Krystal's that held the same exact thing the container she was placing inside did. The brunette chuckled and then padded back down the hallway to quickly wash off some of the travel grime and change into some comfortable jeans and a t-shirt like Marissa was wearing. Bianca pulled the jewelry box from Tiffany's out of her bag along with the file from the fertility clinic. She would distract Marissa with the file while she hid the ring temporarily. Bianca took a deep breath to try and contain her excitement before heading back outside.

/

Marissa had a salad and glass of wine for each of them placed on the table by the time Bianca joined her again. The redhead spotted the file. "Is that from the clinic?"

Bianca nodded as she took her seat and handed the file to her. "It is. I had a really great conversation with Dr. Roeth."

"Oh, before we get into that, we have to call the kids. I told Kendall we would call when you got home. Let me go get the phone."

Once Marissa was inside, Bianca quickly hid the ring. By the time the redhead had returned, Bianca had started on her salad. She hadn't realized just how hungry she was until after that first bite. "Sorry, I couldn't wait."

Marissa smirked. "I knew you were hungry."

Bianca rolled her eyes playfully. "You're right, again. It's a good thing I have you to take care of me."

"Yes, it is, and it's a good thing I have you to take care of me too." Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss before dialing Kendall's number.

The couple chatted with their children for several minutes before ending the call so the kids could start the video game tournament Zach was setting up for them.

Once the salads were finished, Bianca cleared the table of those plates while Marissa dished up their main course. Bianca groaned over the first taste of the chicken and grilled vegetables. "This is so good and so much better then I what had planned."

"And what did you have planned?"

"I actually had reservations at Primavista, but because of the weather delay, I lost them. Good thing you had this planned. Don't worry. I still have every intention of taking you there."

"I look forward to it, but I'm glad we're not there. Tonight, I just want to be alone with you."

"That sounds perfect to me. So, do you want to hear about the clinic?"

Marissa nodded. "Yes, I do."

The redhead listened as Bianca told her all about her visit and what she'd found out.

"I have to say that I agree with you. Out of the two, that one sounds like the best."

"I hope you don't mind, but I went ahead and set up an appointment for next Saturday to meet with Dr. Roeth. I figured we could always cancel it if we decided to use the other place, but this way we'd have something set up in case we did decide to use them. Dr. Roeth will be in the office then and agreed to meet with us. Is that okay?"

"That's more than okay. I don't mind at all. What are we going to do with the kids? I know Kendall is always more than willing to watch them, but I don't want to impose."

"Neither do I. We could ask Susan. If we leave early, we can meet with the doctor and be home later that evening before they go to bed."

Marissa smiled. "Sounds like you have a great plan. I'll give Susan a call tomorrow morning." The redhead glanced over at Bianca's plate and saw that she had eaten everything. "Do you want anything more to eat?"

Bianca chuckled. "I'm pleasantly full right now. That was absolutely delicious though. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome, but there's no need to thank me. It's my pleasure. We'll wait on dessert. I'll take these inside if you'll pour us some more wine. I thought we could sit out here for a while and enjoy the evening."

"Deal."

As soon as the redhead was inside, Bianca retrieved the velvet box with its precious cargo. When Marissa returned, the brunette took a sip of wine and began.

/

"Rissa, there's something that's been on my mind for a while, something I've wanted to do for a while. I was waiting for the perfect moment, but then, today taught me otherwise. I had these big plans for tonight, but a weather front threw it all off. And …" Bianca realized she was rambling.

"Bianca, is everything okay?"

"Everything's great. Sorry. I got a little sidetracked. I'm better now."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. There's something I need to say. So, please don't say anything until I'm done, okay?"

Marissa nodded. "Okay."

Bianca cleared her throat and began again. "We both know that I'm not the wordsmith that you are. I have to admit that I struggled for a little bit to come up with the right ones for this. When I was in New York though, I think I found them. I can't take credit for them though. I guess that kind of goes to Hannah, the Center's receptionist there. She was reading one of those romance novels which you know I'm not a big fan of, but she was going on and on about this one and read this line from it. I have to say it made me think of you. Here goes nothing.

'_I want you any way I can get you. Not because you're beautiful or clever or kind or adorable, although devil knows you're all those things. I want you because there's no one else like you, and I don't ever want to start a day without seeing you.'_

To me, that describes my feelings for you perfectly. I don't want to _start_ a day without seeing you. I don't want to _end_ a day without seeing you. There is no one else in the world like you, and I know there never will be. You're everything to me, and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you how much you mean to me, how much I love you. I want to grow old and gray with you and spoil our grandkids."

Bianca knelt in front of Marissa and opened the velvet box. "I want to call you my wife. There is nothing on the face of this earth that would make me happier than being able to do that. I love you so much. Marissa Lynn Tasker, will you please do me the extreme honor of marrying me and making me even happier than I am today?"

Hazel eyes began to fill with joyous tears as Bianca spoke. Marissa's breath hitched when Bianca knelt in front of her and opened the box. The ring was as perfect as the words spoken to her and the feelings behind them. This was a dream come true for her.

"Rissa?"

Marissa shook herself out of stupor, not realizing she had left Bianca waiting for her answer. The redhead nodded happily. "Yes! Yes! Yes! Of course I'll marry you!"

Bianca beamed as she placed the ring on Marissa's finger. She leaned in to kiss her now fiancée but was stopped by the sound of laughter from the other woman.

"B, there is nothing more I want to do right now then kiss you, but if I do, I know there is not a chance in hell that I'll be able to stop. And there's something that I have to do. Okay, I have to admit that it's something I want to do a little more than kiss you, but it's really close second."

"I don't understand."

"I'm rambling now. I need you to take a seat for me, and I promise it will all make sense in a few minutes. Do you trust me?"

"With my life." Bianca did as Marissa asked and took her seat.

Marissa walked over to the hiding place she found earlier. "You know how everyone teases us about how eerie it is that we're on the same page so much?"

"Yeah, they love doing that. I personally don't think it's eerie at all. I think it's more like great minds thinking alike."

"Me too. This is definitely one of those times." Marissa cleared her throat. "Wow. You say you don't have a way with words, but you are wrong on all counts. That was perfect, and you just set the bar awfully high. I'm going to try my best to match it. You see, there's something I've wanted to do, to ask you for a while now, and I've been waiting for the perfect moment. I realized that there is no one set perfect time or place or moment. What makes the perfect moment is who you're sharing it with. For me, the perfect moment is whenever I'm with you. Once I figure that out, everything else fell into place for me. I knew what I wanted to do. Of course, me knowing what truly makes the perfect moment didn't stop me from trying to make it a little more perfect. So, I worked on setting the right atmosphere with the lighting, candles, flowers, wine, music and menu as well as having Kendall watch the kids. Judging by your smile, you asked Kendall to watch them too."

The brunette laughed. "I did. Great minds." Bianca's breath hitched as Marissa knelt in front of her. At first, she wasn't sure what the redhead was up to, but the more she spoke, the more obvious it became. Bianca could hardly believe her eyes and ears. The moment she had dreamed of was finally happening and her heart was racing.

"Thanks to some excellent advice, I'll tell you about that later, I went a little old school for some help with what I wanted to say. There is a verse from Elizabeth Barrett Browning that I think sums everything up for me

'_I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me. I love you for the part of me that you bring out.'_

Bianca, you are truly the most incredible person I have ever known or ever will know. Being with you has made me stronger, braver, love harder than I ever thought possible. Being with you has made me better, has made me … more. You bring that out in me. I love you so very much. I want the same things that you do. I want to grow old and gray with you and sit out here on our rockers watching our grandkids run around and us spoil them rotten. I want to be able to shout from the highest mountain that I'm married to the most amazing woman there is. Bianca Christine Montgomery, will you do me the enormous honor of becoming my wife?"

Tears flowed freely from warm chocolate eyes that shone bright with love. "Yes! I will marry you! I love you so much! There's nothing that would make me happier!"

Marissa's smile was dazzling as she slipped the ring on Bianca's finger.

The two could no longer deny themselves and captured the other's lips in an earth-shattering kiss. It deepened in intensity and passion as they both became utterly lost in each other, pouring every ounce of love they had into one kiss. The couple slowly separated, each left dazed and breathless and never happier.

Bianca chuckled. "Wow!"

Marissa grinned. "You can say that again. I have this overwhelming need to kiss my fiancée again."

"Who am I to deny my fiancée anything?" Bianca smiled as the two came together again. "I think we should continue this inside."

"I love how you think and couldn't agree more." Marissa stood and held out her hand which Bianca happily took. Candle flames were extinguished and the remaining wine and wineglasses were picked up along with the iPod. Once inside, they were placed on the counter, the back door locked and home alarm set. The two made their way down the hallway to their bedroom.

/

The couple slowly and lovingly undressed each other. Each was savoring the moment, the feel of the other's touch and the love and happiness they shared. A soft smile was exchanged as the couple moved together and captured willing lips again. What had started out slowly soon deepened as their shared passion and desire escalated. Access was granted willingly and tongues danced. Bodies pressed tighter and were soon melded together. The couple tumbled onto their bed.

Bianca quickly positioned herself on top. Her lips slowly trailed down to Marissa's breasts, and her tongue began to torturously tease hardened nipples while her hands began to caress the wondrous soft curves of Marissa causing the redhead to moan. Marissa knew without a doubt that her fiancée was truly gifted with how she used that tongue.

The throbbing ache between Marissa's legs intensified, and she pulled Bianca closer. As Bianca continued to ravish Marissa's breasts, her hands slowly drifted lower, caressing each delicious curve of the redhead until one eased itself between her legs. As Bianca slid two fingers easily inside Marissa, the redhead moaned loudly as her hips bucked, and she pulled her fiancée up to her, capturing Bianca's lips for a searing kiss as a rhythm was soon set between them. Each thrust deeper than the next, hitting the spot that drove Marissa wild and carried her to a height of sheer ecstasy. Bianca could feel Marissa tighten around her and applied more pressure. Marissa moaned, "_Oh dear god, Bianca_!" as she was driven over the edge and completely unraveled as a wave of euphoria swept over her.

Marissa's body went limp as her orgasm finally subsided. Her ragged breathing and racing heart slowly returned to their normal rhythms. Bianca gazed at her fiancée. She reveled in the sight of Marissa as she as came down from the heights of pleasure that only Bianca could drive her to, loving the fact that she was one who could do this for her.

Marissa sighed happily as she recovered, a brilliant smile gracing her face. "I don't even have to open my eyes to know that you're staring. That's some habit you have."

Bianca chuckled when hazel eyes finally met her warm chocolate ones. "I'm not even going to apologize for it either. You are so beautiful. In fact, I believe I have the world's most beautiful fiancée."

Marissa shook her head. "I'm going to have to agree to disagree with you on that because I think that I have the world's most beautiful fiancée." The redhead smiled even brighter. "My fiancée, I love how that sounds."

"I do too. It sounds so right, so perfect. I can't wait until the day when we change that and I can call you my wife."

"You're right. That does sound a little better."

Marissa leaned up and found Bianca's lips for a tender kiss that soon deepened as their shared desire and passion again soared. A moan escaped from Bianca as Marissa shifted their positions and rolled on top of her, every inch of their bodies fused together perfectly. Marissa's lips began to roam, soon finding Bianca's pulse point causing a sharp intake of breath. Marissa continued down to Bianca's breasts causing the brunette to moan as her tongue began working its magic. Another moan escaped from Bianca as she grasped copper locks and pulled her fiancée closer. As Marissa paid attention to ravish Bianca's breasts, her hands slowly drifted lower, caressing each magnificent curve of Bianca until one tenderly eased between her legs. A swell of pure pleasure engulfed Bianca as Marissa entered her and drove her higher and higher with each thrust. The brunette cried out _"Oh my god, Rissa!" _as she tumbled over the edge and became completely undone, convulsing in exquisite ecstasy. Bianca's entire body went limp moments later. She hummed in utter bliss as Marissa kissed every inch of her body as she slowly made her way back up to Bianca's waiting lips. Marissa watched as her fiancée slowly recovered. She knew she would never be able to get enough of Bianca just as she knew she would never see anyone more beautiful than her love.

A radiant smile graced Bianca's face as she opened her eyes and was met by Marissa's. When her breathing finally returned to normal, she was able to speak again. "I love you so much."

"No more then I love you. I have to tell you something, B."

"What's that?"

"This has been the best day ever so far." Marissa's happiness was as evident in her voice as it was on her face.

A happy sigh escaped from Bianca as she pulled Marissa tighter. "Definitely. You know what would be really good right now?"

"Chocolate cake?"

"You know me so well!"

Marissa gave Bianca a quick kiss. "I'll be back before you know it."

Before the brunette could protest and volunteer to retrieve the dessert herself, Marissa was out of her arms. Bianca's eyes raked her fiancée's body as Marissa got out of bed and headed to the kitchen without bothering to put anything on. Bianca was still smiling when Marissa returned with the cake and wine.

Marissa raised an eyebrow seeing the grin on Bianca's face. "Is that look for the cake or the wine?"

"Neither. It's all for you. You are so beautiful."

"From where I'm standing, you're the one that's beautiful."

"Agree to disagree with you, Counselor."

Marissa chuckled and joined her fiancée in bed. The two groaned in unison as they eat took a bite of cake causing both to burst out laughing.

Bianca gazed at her ring and smiled. She thought it was perfect in every way.

Marissa bit her lip anxious about what she was about to ask. "Do you like the ring?"

"No, I don't. I love it! It's perfect and beautiful." Bianca gave her a tender kiss.

"Not nearly as beautiful as the woman wearing it."

Bianca shook her head and grinned at Marissa's response. "You're good. So, you got it at Tiffany's?"

"Yep, I picked it up when we were there around Christmas."

"You've had it since before Christmas? When did you find time to get it? Where did you hide it all this time?"

Marissa grinned. "I had that little break in between my meeting with the Regans and handling the Macy's deal for the Dynamic Duo so I stopped by the store. When I saw that ring, I knew it would be perfect for you. The saleswoman was really helpful. I'll have to email her and let her know I finally popped the question. As to where I hid it, I'm not saying. It's obvious I found a good hiding spot so I'm not giving it up. I think it's going to come in handy in the future."

Bianca scowled playfully. "Hey, who was your saleswoman?"

"Uh, Laura Carter."

"Are you serious? She's the one who helped me. I spotted your ring when we were shopping, but I couldn't do anything about it at the time since you were right there. I looked around here, but nothing was as perfect for you as that one. I knew I had to stop there yesterday and get it. I think she remembered you. She remembered a customer that was there around Christmas who had this smile that stuck with her. We're definitely going to have to tell her how it all turned out. As to your secret hiding place, I have my ways of getting that information from you."

"You do, huh?"

"I do." Bianca grinned wickedly as she moved the empty containers off the bed and took Marissa's glass from her and placed it on the nightstand.

Marissa's grin matched her fiancée's. "Double dog dare you to try your best."

"Oh, it is so on." Bianca pulled Marissa to her for a fervent kiss.

/

Bianca did in fact try her absolute very best, but Marissa somehow managed to keep her secret hiding place just that, secret. Both definitely enjoyed each and every single attempt though, and Marissa happily 'rewarded' Bianca for her attempts.

Both sated and exhausted in the best possible of ways, a tender kiss was shared as the two lay happily entwined, and the couple drifted off to a blissful slumber.

**/**

**A/N****: First things first, I have to give proper credit to where it is due. The quote Bianca used is something a friend posted that stuck with me, and I filed it away for this chapter. It is by ****Lisa Kleypas and from "Tempt Me at Twilight". I haven't read the book so I can't tell you anything about it other than it's a romance novel of some sort. I just liked the quote and thought it would work here. The quote from Marissa is in fact by Elizabeth Barrett Browning and also stuck with me as something to be used in this story so it was filed away as well. I was torn on who would use which one so I flipped a coin. Hopefully, they both worked for you all, and I did the proposals justice. I was also torn over who would propose first. Given the problems Bianca experienced getting home, I decided to let her do it first. I really don't think Marissa minded too much. Writing this chapter gave me another idea for the next one. I'll give you a little hint since you've all been so great and have stuck with the story for quite some time. A momentous event such as our girls getting engaged needs to be celebrated, don't you think? See you soon!**


	92. Party Prep

**A/N****: First order of business as always, thank you for reading and reviewing! I don't know if you all know how much it really means to me so thanks! I'm glad you all liked the last chapter. I wanted it to be special for our girls. To those that asked for an update on AMC 2.0, I hope I was able to help you out. **

**To **_**Maggie C**_** in Mexico, I couldn't send you a PM because you didn't have a FanFiction account or at least it didn't show on your review. If you check out the reviews for this story, I have a quick summary of the first week that I hope will fill you in. If you have an account on this site and want a little more detail, please send me a PM, and I'll send you something.**

**Now for this chapter, it is the morning after, and Minx is pretty happy as I'm sure you can all guess they would be. I think that's enough from me for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa awoke slowly to her favorite feelings, Bianca's soft, warm body pressed into her's while her arms were wrapped around the redhead coupled with a soft puff of air on her neck as her fiancée slept peacefully made this the perfect way to wake up. Marissa smiled as she reveled in the feelings her fiancée evoked within her. _Bianca is my fiancée! I really love the sound of that! What did I ever do to deserve her? I am so damn lucky._ Marissa was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't realize that said fiancée had begun to wake up.

A sleepy but brilliant smile graced Bianca's face as she woke up. Feeling Marissa in her arms always brought about that reaction. Even after all this time, it never failed to amaze her at just how perfectly they fit together. Bianca's smile grew even more when she remembered last night. _Marissa is my fiancée! That sounds so right and so perfect. I really am the luckiest woman alive! _Bianca couldn't resist any longer and gently pressed her lips to Marissa's shoulder.

Marissa hummed with pleasure feeling Bianca's soft lips as they trailed from her shoulder to her neck and snuggled even closer until Bianca found that one spot always sure to get a rise out of the redhead. Marissa twisted around quickly to meet Bianca's amused expression. The brunette knew exactly what she was doing, what it did to Marissa and the repercussions of her actions. The redhead captured Bianca's lips for a fervent kiss that proved that she too had her own power over the brunette when Bianca moaned and pulled Marissa even closer.

When they finally separated, Marissa flashed a radiant smile. "Good morning, my beautiful fiancée!"

Bianca's smile matched Marissa's in brilliance as she sighed happily. "Good morning to you, _my_ beautiful fiancée! God, I love how that sounds!"

"You're not the only one! Yeah, I definitely need another kiss from you."

"Ask and you shall receive!"

The happy couple separated a few minutes later when air became a necessity.

"So, what do you want to do today, B?"

A wicked grin from Bianca was all the answer she needed to give Marissa to let her know exactly what she wanted to do.

Marissa laughed. "Besides that, sex fiend."

"Takes one to know one. We have to tell the kids. What time are they coming home?"

"Kendall is dropping them off just before lunch so we have _plenty_ of time for the first thing you want to do since we're up so early."

"That is _so_ good to hear." Bianca leaned in to capture those waiting lips again but stopped short. "Max!"

"Huh? What about him?"

"We need to let him outside. He hasn't been out since before we went to bed."

Marissa chuckled. "You're right. I'll go …"

"No, I'll do it. You stay right here." Bianca gave her a quick kiss and got out of bed.

Marissa's eyes raked Bianca's body as the brunette headed out of the bedroom bypassing her robe and pajamas. An extra sway of her hips as she left the room elicited an appreciative groan of approval from Marissa having Bianca smirk as she padded down the hall.

/

Bianca opened the back door and watched as Max darted outside. She filled his bowls with food and water and measured some coffee and water for the coffee pot before turning it on to brew. The sun was just starting to come up and a ray of early morning light reflected off of the diamonds in her engagement ring. The bubble of happiness that Bianca felt escaped, and she giggled as she watched how the light was refracted by her ring. She glanced up when she heard Max scratch at the backdoor waiting to be let back in. Bianca opened the door and scratched behind his ear. The puppy scampered over to his food while she padded back down to the bedroom to finish what was started several minutes ago.

When she entered the bedroom, Marissa was nowhere to be seen. It was then that she heard the water being turned on in the bathroom. Bianca found Marissa inside brushing her teeth.

"I thought I told you to stay where you were." Bianca smirked.

Marissa rinsed her mouth out and laughed. "Sorry, but nature called. I thought it would be a good idea to brush my teeth since I was up."

"Hmmm, I suppose that would be a good idea for me too. Give me two minutes and I'll be right out."

"Two minutes then I want you out there and back in our bed." Marissa grinned.

True to her word, Bianca exited the bathroom two minutes later to find Marissa waiting for her. As Bianca walked to her side of the bed, she was pulled down to it by Marissa causing the brunette to yelp in surprise.

"I've waited long enough so I thought I'd give you a shortcut back here. Don't worry. It's the only shortcut that will be taken this morning."

Bianca chuckled. "That's _really _good to hear."

"I do aim to please." Marissa grinned mischievously. "Now, where were we?"

/

"What's so funny?" Bianca eyed Marissa as the redhead started laughing for no apparent reason.

Marissa swallowed her sip of coffee before answering. "I was just wondering what the kids would say if they caught us eating chocolate cake for breakfast."

The couple having been slightly worn out from their early morning activities and neither feeling like cooking chose to eat the remaining chocolate cake for breakfast. Both had gone to the kitchen to retrieve the cake and mugs of coffee before returning to bed with the items.

"I won't tell them if you won't."

"Deal! We do have to tell them about our engagement though."

"Yes, we do. I can't wait to see their reactions. I think they're going to be so excited."

"I think so too. You know who else is going to be excited?"

Bianca thought for just a beat before answering with a knowing grin. "Kendall. She knew you were going to propose, didn't she?"

"Yeah, we talked, and I have to tell you that she's been really great and very supportive. I didn't tell her exactly what I was going to do though. I wanted this to be just between the two of us for now. We can share with her later. I'm guessing you confided in her too."

"I did. Like you, I didn't give her any particulars either for the same reason as you. I want to let her know what happened. Heck, I want to let everyone know. I'm going to have to tell Mom before we tell anyone else though but after Kendall."

"About Erica."

"What about her?"

Marissa scrunched her face. "She kind of already knows."

"What do you mean? How is that possible?"

"I had lunch with her a couple of weeks ago. I told her I wanted to marry you and asked for her blessing."

Bianca's eyes widened in surprise. "You asked my mom for her blessing to marry me?"

Marissa shrugged. "I did. I know how important your mom is to you, and I know how contentious her relationships with those that shall remain nameless from your past were."

Bianca snorted. "Contentious? If that's not an understatement, I don't know what is. You're being really generous."

"I'm feeling generous because I find that I'm in an exceptionally good mood today." Marissa grinned.

"You're not the only one. So, you asked my mom for her blessing. How did that go?"

"It went really well. She listened and asked me what I would do if she refused."

"And?" Bianca questioned already knowing the answer.

"I told her that while it would be wonderful to have it, I would still ask you if she didn't give it to me. This is our relationship after all. I know how much she means to you and how much it would mean to you to know that she is on board with us getting married, but I'm not going to let her or anyone else stop us from being together and being happy."

"That makes two of us. What happened next?"

"She gave me her blessing and told me that she trusted me with the happiness of both you and the girls and said it would be a pleasure to have me as an official member of the family."

Bianca grinned and leaned in for a quick kiss. "You're incredible. I don't know that there was anyone else that I was ever involved with that took my relationship with my family into account as much as you. I wish I could've done the same and asked your parents. Do you think they would've given me their blessing?"

Marissa smiled softly at Bianca's thoughtfulness knowing that she was referring to Roy and Lydia. "There's no thinking about it. I know they would. They kind of did."

"Huh?"

"At least in my mind they did. I had this dream the other night. I heard something in the kitchen and went to check it out, and there they were just waiting for me. We talked about you and the kids. They wanted to hear all about all of you. They said they were proud of me and happy for me. I told them I was going to ask you to marry me, which you beat me to punch on by the way."

Bianca smiled. "Sorry I stole your thunder and popped the question before you."

Marissa simply smiled in return and shook her head. "Like I told you last night, I am more than okay with that. I've never been happier to have someone beat me to a question."

"Tell me more about this dream. What did they say when you told them you wanted to marry me? I remember your dad telling you in your home movies that no one would ever be good enough for you."

"He admitted that he was wrong and couldn't think of anyone more perfect for me than you, which is exactly what I think."

"I seem to recall you telling me that before. I happen to think that you're perfect for me too."

"There's more. I was having a hard time trying to come up with the right words to propose. My mom suggested that her favorite poet might be able to help me. The next morning, I hunted down that verse. As soon as I read it, I knew she was right."

"It was a _really_ good verse."

"So was your's. I loved it. I know it was a dream and just my subconscious telling me what I already knew. It's just that it was so real, and it felt good to talk to them again. It was a really good dream and helped me not miss you so much."

"I'm glad you had the dream then." Bianca kissed Marissa tenderly. "I still can't believe you asked my mom for her blessing. I have no doubt that you scored big points with her. I mean she already loved you anyway, but to go out and do that, you're going to have a fan for life. Okay, we're pretty sure Kendall knows what we were going to do last night, and she's probably dying to know exactly what happened. Mom's probably anxious wanting to know when you're going to actually ask so you know we have to tell her right away."

"We have to tell a lot of people. Krystal will want to know. If Erica knows and she doesn't, she's going to be hurt. No matter how complicated our relationship is I can't hurt her especially not like that. She has been very supportive of us."

Bianca smiled. "Hey, you don't have to convince me. I understand. She's your mom. If we tell them and Greenlee finds out that she didn't know, she'll be fit to be tied. I've got an idea. Why don't we have everybody over? We can have an impromptu cookout and tell them then. Of course, we'll tell the kids first."

"Yeah, we're going to have to tell them as soon as we get them alone. Won't Erica want some extravagant party for that announcement?"

"Probably, but this isn't about her. This is about us, and I think this is more us."

Marissa grinned. "You're right. It is. I like it. I really like it. We can tell everyone that we love and care about all at the same time. If we're going to pull this together for this evening, we need to get to work."

After both were showered and dressed, the couple got to work on a list of who they wanted to invite and what they would have for dinner. Once that was complete, they headed over to Kendall and Zach's to pick up the kids.

/

The couple pulled up into the driveway of the Slater home. They shared a quick kiss before getting out of the car and heading to the front door.

Kendall answered and smiled brightly at the couple as they followed her inside. "Good morning! You two are out and about early this morning. I wasn't expecting you for a while." Kendall noted the smiles on the faces of the couple. They seemed to be glowing. "So, how did last night go? Anything I should know?" Kendall was not so discreetly attempting to check out the couple's hands hoping to catch a glimpse of engagement rings. Neither woman was cooperating however. Marissa had her left hand in her pocket while her right one was holding Bianca's left hand obstructing her view. She had no doubt that they were doing it on purpose.

Bianca smiled knowing full well what her sister was attempting to do. "It was great. Rissa had dinner waiting for me when I got home, and it was such a nice night that we ate outside. After …"

"Mommy!"

Bianca barely had enough time to brace herself before Gabby practically jumped into her arms. "Hi, baby. Did you miss me?"

"Uh huh! We had fun here, but I missed you and story time with you and Mommy." Gabby kissed Bianca before reaching for Marissa.

"Good morning, Monkey."

AJ and Miranda soon followed their little sister in greeting Bianca.

"Kendall, could the five of us have a couple of minutes? We promise to talk with you when we're done." Marissa knew the last part would appease the older brunette's curiosity.

"Sure. I'll get their stuff together."

"What's up, Mom?" Miranda could tell her moms were excited about something, what it was she didn't know.

The couple exchanged a smile before Bianca started.

"We have what we hope you'll think is good news. Last night, I asked Marissa to marry me, and she said 'yes'."

"You're gonna get married! That's the best news ever!" AJ exclaimed as he hugged Marissa first and then Bianca.

As he was hugging Bianca, AJ whispered. "Thanks for making Ma so happy. Love you, Mom."

"I love you too, AJ." Bianca whispered as she wiped away a tear.

"Really?! That's awesome! I'm so happy, Mom, Ma! Can we be in the wedding?" Miranda asked excitedly as she hugged Bianca tightly before moving on to Marissa.

"Ma, thanks for loving Mom and making her so happy and taking care of her and us. You're not like any of the others and I know you won't hurt her or leave her. Love you, Ma."

Marissa looked Miranda in the eyes knowing what the girl hadn't said. "Thank you. I won't ever leave her or you, Gabby and AJ. The four of you are my life, my world and I'm not ever going to give any of you up. I love you, Miranda." The two hugged tightly.

"I knew it was gonna happen." Gabby declared proudly.

"Oh you did, did you? And just how did you know that, Monkey?" Marissa asked.

Gabby rolled her eyes and answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "In the fairy tales when people meet and fall in love, they get married. It's part of their happy ending!"

Marissa laughed as she scooped up her youngest and tickled her. "Well, I can't argue with that logic!"

Bianca chuckled and kissed Gabby. "Neither can I. And, Mimo, it wouldn't be a wedding without the three of you in it. You guys are an important part of it."

Miranda grinned. "Are you happy?"

"Very! Something else happened last night." Bianca smiled.

"What?"

Marissa answered this time. "Well, I didn't know your Mom was going to ask me so I had plans of my own. Right after she asked me and I said 'yes', I asked her to marry me. She said 'yes' too."

The kids laughed and couldn't remember a time when they saw their moms as happy as they were right now or a time when they themselves were happier.

"Does anyone else know?" AJ asked.

Marissa shook her head. "Nope, you guys are the first ones to know. We've got something really important to ask you."

"Rissa and I thought it would be fun to surprise everyone else and tell all of them at the same time. So, we're going to see if everyone can come over to the house this evening for a cookout."

"That's gonna be so fun!"

"We're glad you think so, Buddy. What we need the three of you to do is keep this secret until then. Do you think you can do that?"

The kids looked at each other and nodded happily. This was the kind of secret they liked to keep.

"Don't worry, Mom. AJ and me will help Gabby keep it."

The couple laughed at Gabby's confused expression. After a moment, the little girl shrugged and continued to play with Marissa's engagement ring.

"Okay, we need to go. We have a lot to do before tonight. Let's get your stuff and head out." Marissa smiled as they headed to collect the kids' overnight bags.

/

Kendall overheard the cheers from her nieces and nephew and knew instantly her suspicions were correct. She was smiling when she saw the family again.

"Hey, we need to get going, but we wanted to find out what all of you were doing tonight." Bianca asked her sister.

"We're free. You have something in mind?"

"Well, we were thinking that since it's such a nice day and everyone hasn't gotten together in a while why not have a cookout?" Marissa smiled.

"Sounds perfect. Do you need any help?"

"We're going shopping now and start making phone calls. If you want to help with the calls, that would be great." Bianca suggested.

"You've got it. I'll think of something to bring too."

She walked the family to the door where the couple exchanged a look.

Marissa addressed the children. "Would the three of you go get in the car and we'll be right there?"

Once the kids were busy getting settled in the car, Kendall finally asked. "Okay, spill it! I know something good happened last night. It's written all over your faces. What happened?"

Bianca smiled brightly. "I think you know what happened."

Kendall leapt forward and hugged both women and squealed with excitement. "Yes! I knew it! I'm so happy for the two of you! This is the best news! Congratulations! Red, I hope you know what you're getting into having Erica Kane as a mother-in-law."

The couple laughed.

"Thanks, Kendall! Yeah, having Erica as an in-law will be an adventure, but I'm pretty sure I'm up to the challenge. I'll be sure to get some pointers from Zach though."

"You are definitely up for the challenge. I don't have any doubt that you can handle Mom." Bianca smiled and gave the grinning redhead a quick kiss. "Thanks, Kendall, for everything."

"You're both more than welcome. Am I safe in assuming that this impromptu get-together is to announce the happy news?"

"Yes, that is a safe assumption." Bianca nodded.

"Okay, I won't say anything to anyone about this. I expect details about the proposals."

"You got it, Curly. Show up early, and we'll tell you everything."

"Deal! We'll be over in plenty of time to help you set things up and for you to fill me in."

Marissa headed over to car while Bianca hung back so the sisters could have a private moment.

Kendall pulled her sister into her arms for another hug. "Congratulations, Binx! I really am so happy for you. I don't know that I've ever seen you happier than you are right now. That smile on your face is blinding."

"I've never been happier, Kendall. Last night was so perfect. I'm still pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming."

"You're not dreaming. This is real and you deserve this and so much more. That woman over there loves you and will move heaven and earth for you to make sure you stay that way. And before you even say it, I know you'll do the same for her. Now, get out of here. There's a lot to do before tonight." Kendall called out to her sister as she started to walk away. "And keep that smile on your face. It belongs there and looks perfect."


	93. The Engagement Party

**A/N****: Thanks for reading and reviewing as always! It is much appreciated! A little bit of business to take care of. The site seemed to have problems with the email notifications last Saturday. I did post a chapter during that time. If you didn't read the chapter entitled "Party Prep", you may want to give it a read before you continue this one because this chapter takes place right after it. **

**Okay, I've got nothing else to say. I'm going out with some friends today to a new casino in the area. Here's hoping Lady Luck is smiling on me. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Bianca walked into Krystal's and immediately found the owner herself behind the counter.

"Well, good morning, Bianca. You're out early. What can I do for you this fine morning?"

"Actually, I'm here to extend an invitation."

"An invitation to what?"

"A cookout. What are you, the girls and everyone else in your house doing tonight?"

"Nothing right now."

"Well, now you are. Marissa and I decided it was the perfect day to christen our patio and have everyone over for a cookout. We know it's last minute, but we thought it would be nice to get everyone together."

"It sounds good to me. What time?"

"We're thinking 5:30. Could you let Tad and Opal know?"

"I'd be happy to. Would you like me to bring anything?

"You don't have to. Marissa's at the store right now shopping for it. The kids are helping her."

Krystal chuckled. "I was wondering where they were. I didn't think she'd let you out of her sight so easily after you being away for a couple of days."

"We decided to divide and conquer. The kids wanted to go with her, and I'm going to make some calls. She's going to pick me up when she's done."

"The kids didn't want to sit around while you do that."

Bianca smiled. "Nope, it's a little on the boring side for them. Your daughter has a way of making a trip to the grocery store an adventure."

"She's something else. I know you don't need me to bring something but I want to. I could bring some dessert, say like my chocolate cake?" Krystal chuckled.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yeah, who knew that we were both thinking the same thing? I'm glad you didn't ruin her surprise."

"I almost did accidentally, but Kendall stopped me. I'm glad she did. What are you doing for dessert?"

"Carol Walker is bringing over cupcakes. Luckily for us, she happened to be experimenting with some new flavors this weekend. I also placed an order for some other treats over at Mrs. Jackson's bakery. She needed some time to put it together."

"Good choices on both accounts. I love it when Carol 'experiments'. It's always a good thing. Now I understand why you're hanging out here."

"I also wanted to invite you."

"Well, thank you. How about I bring my homemade mac and cheese?"

"That sounds perfect. All of us love it. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Why don't you go have a seat at your table and start making your calls? I'll bring you over some coffee."

"Thanks, Krystal. I appreciate it."

/

"Okay, Kendall says that everyone she called can make it." Bianca announced as she hung up with her sister. "Zach, her and the kids will be over in about half an hour, and she wanted to remind us both that we owe her the full story about last night."

Marissa laughed. "I'm not surprised by that last part at all. I think it's safe to assume she'll want an edited version. I don't think she wants to know _everything_ that happened."

Bianca grinned in reply. "Yeah, I'd say that's a very safe assumption. It looks like we're going to have a full house. Thankfully, everybody is going to bring something. Do you think we have enough hamburgers and hotdogs?" Bianca stopped and turned when there was no response from Marissa. She smiled as she caught her fiancée with a dreamy look on her face as she was admiring her ring. Bianca walked up behind Marissa and wrapped her arms around the redhead and whispered in her ear while she rested her chin on her fiancée's shoulder. "Earth to Marissa."

Marissa sighed happily. "Sorry. What can I say? I love my ring. But as much as I love it, it doesn't even come close to how much I love you."

"Charmer."

"It's easy with you." Marissa turned and captured Bianca's lips.

When they separated, the couple rested their foreheads against together.

Bianca sighed. "As much as I want to continue this, we have work to do."

"I know. We _will_ be continuing this later."

"You're not going to get any arguments from me on that."

/

Marissa opened the door and welcomed the Slater family inside. She bent down to Spike and Ian and smiled. "Your cousins are outside with Max and the jungle gym is open for business."

"Thanks, Aunt Marissa!" With that said, the boys dashed outside.

"Where's Binx?"

"She's in the kitchen. Come on, we'll take this stuff outside." Marissa grabbed some of the folding chairs that Zach had deposited before heading back to the car to grab some folding tables. "Thanks for coming over early."

"No problem. This gives me a chance to get the inside scoop before everyone else." Kendall grinned.

Marissa shook her head. "We told you we would tell you, and we will. Should we wait for Zach? I'm guessing you told him we're engaged."

"Hey, Binx. Yeah, I did. I had to. He kept asking why I really wanted to come over so early."

"Told you she would." Marissa smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yeah, you did. Hey, Kendall."

Zach entered the kitchen. "Ladies, I hear congratulations are in order." Zach smiled as he hugged Bianca before turning to Marissa. "I'd say welcome to the family but you already are part of it. Instead, I'll say welcome to the ranks of having Erica as a mother-in-law."

A chuckle escaped from the redhead. "Thanks, Zach."

"It should be interesting to see Erica's reaction. Although, it shouldn't be too bad since I hear you asked for her blessing."

"I wanted to be upfront with her. Given Bianca's history …"

"I understand. It's good that you did that. I can tell you that it means a lot to both of them. It's going to be nice having a fellow in-law to help in handling the Kane women. If you didn't know it already, they are quite the handful."

Kendall and Bianca simply stared at Zach with raised eyebrows in a modified version of the Kane glare.

Marissa grinned and shook her head as she pulled Bianca into her arms. "You won't hear me complain about _my_ Kane woman, and I am more than happy with my handful. Besides, I got the best one out of the three of them. No offense, Kendall."

"Don't let my Mom hear you say that." Bianca grinned.

"Let her. I'm only being honest, and she'll know I'm right." Marissa kissed her fiancée tenderly.

Kendall looked at her husband and smirked. "You might want to consider taking some tips from her."

Zach chuckled and kissed his wife. "I think I'm doing pretty good."

"Yeah, I guess you are." Kendall turned to the couple and saw that the tender kiss had deepened and that she and Zach were long forgotten. She cleared her throat loudly. "Alright, that's enough. You've got a lot of people that will be here soon. We've got to get tables and chairs set up, and you still have to tell me about last night."

Bianca looked at her fiancée. "She's right."

"I know. Come on. We'll tell you while we work. Zach, will you help me pull the picnic tables out of the shed?"

"You got it, Marissa."

/

Kendall, Zach, Bianca and Marissa had finished setting things up and were sitting at one of the picnic tables while their children played on the jungle gym. The four adults earned the small break before the guests arrived. Marissa and Bianca had filled them in on the proposals. Kendall was still smiling over her small role in things. More than anything else however, she was thrilled for the couple. They were truly blissfully happy and deserved every bit of it.

"So you knew we were both planning on proposing last night and somehow managed to keep it quiet? That had to be really hard for you, Kendall." Marissa chuckled.

"You have no idea, Red. It was even harder when you both stopped by Krystal's. I had her wondering why I didn't want her to tell Binx you were just in there getting the same thing she was. Then, our Mom called and my little sister here was ducking her call so she could get home to you. The only thing I didn't know was which one of you would actually ask the big question first. I'm kind of glad it was Bianca. Oh, and I'm not forgetting that you owe me for dealing with Mom." Kendall gave her sister a playful glare.

"You ignored Erica's call? Does she know?"

"No, she doesn't. I'm guilty as charged, but in my defense, Counselor, I had a hell of a time getting out of New York. By the time she called, I just really wanted to get home to you, and I knew I would never get off the phone with her if I didn't ignore it. Plus, there was the matter of a certain question I wanted to ask you."

"Well as your attorney …"

"My kickass attorney."

Marissa grinned at Bianca's correction. "As your kickass attorney, I'd say those are strong mitigating factors, especially that last one, which let you off the hook. With that being said however, I would still strongly advise not telling her you ignored her call. It's better to be safe than sorry."

"Good call and wise advice." Zach chuckled.

Bianca grinned. "Duly noted, Counselor. I will definitely be taking your advice."

Kendall checked the time. "People should be arriving soon. Before they get here, I have one small piece of advice for you. If you want to tell everyone at the same time, you might want to hide those rings."

The couple looked at their hands and then at each other. As much as they hated it, they knew Kendall was right. Neither had even thought about having their engagement ring on. It felt like it had always belonged there.

Bianca sighed. "She's right. These are a dead giveaway. We're going to have to take them off."

"Yeah, I know. It's just for a little bit though, and it's the last time we'll be taking them off."

"I couldn't agree more."

They removed the rings with each putting theirs in the pocket of their jeans, both with the intent of putting them back on the second their announcement was made. It wasn't a moment too soon either as the first guests started to arrive.

/

Marissa smiled as she greeted Brian and Stef before turning her attention to Jamie. The toddler beamed when he saw the redhead and immediately started to reach for her.

"Hi, Jamie. How is my godson doing?" Marissa gently spun around with the delighted little boy held tightly in her arms.

Bianca smiled seeing her fiancée interact with Jamie who was clapping his hands wanting to spin more.

Kendall whispered in her sister's ear. "She is a natural, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is."

"Hopefully soon, you'll have a new addition of your own."

"Let's hope." Bianca walked over to greet the family and see if they wanted something to drink.

/

Kendall turned around in time to see Greenlee, Ryan and Emma arrive. After getting permission, Emma raced off to join the other kids.

Greenlee started to make a beeline for Kendall, but saw her friend was being summoned by Erica who had just arrived. It was then that Greenlee saw Krystal and thought she would see if she knew anything about today's gathering.

"So, what do you think the real reason for this get together is, Krystal?" Greenlee asked. She was suspicious about the reason that had been given for this last minute event by Kendall. She had a feeling there was more to it and she was determined to find out what was going on. She was hoping maybe Marissa's mother might have some inside information.

"Hey, Greenlee. I only know what Bianca told me. She said it was a nice day, and they thought it would be fun to have everyone over. I can only go with that."

"You don't think there's something else going on like maybe an engagement?"

Krystal shrugged. "If there is, I don't know. Neither is wearing a ring, and I don't see them acting any differently. The kids haven't said anything, and surely they couldn't keep something that big a secret."

"I suppose, but I just don't buy what they're saying."

/

"Kendall, dear, how are you?" Erica asked as she kissed her oldest daughter.

"I'm good, Mom. Hi, Jack. How are both of you?"

"Hello, Kendall. We're doing pretty well. I hope we're not too late."

"No, you're fine. They're still a couple of people not here yet."

Erica glanced around. "Where are our hostesses?"

"Do you remember Joanna Gallagher?"

Jack nodded after placing the name. "Her sister is Colleen Brennan."

Erica recognized the sister's name. "Oh yes, she was married to that horrid excuse for a man."

"Yes, she was. They invited Joanna and she wanted to speak with privately."

"Is everything okay?"

"As far as I know, yes. I think she wanted to give them an update."

Erica breathed a little easier. "So then, Kendall, what can you tell me about what is going on today?"

"What do you mean, Mom?"

"Dear, you don't expect me to believe they just decided to have everyone over on a whim, do you? If you couple this last minute gathering with your behavior last night, it can only lead me to believe that something is going on."

"Oh look, the Walkers are here! Bianca wanted me to be on the lookout for them and help Carol. She happened to be baking this weekend when Bianca called to invite her. I'll talk to you later." Kendall walked off, grateful to have an excuse to escape her mother's questioning.

Erica huffed as she watched her daughter head off without answering her.

/

"How's Colleen doing, Joanna? I haven't had a chance to catch up with her since her divorce became final."

"Honestly, Marissa? She's doing really well, thanks in large part to the Miranda Center's follow-up services. Both she and Will are still seeing a counselor and will be for some time, but they've both made great strides since last year. They've moved into a new house and are happy. I can never thank the two of you enough for everything you've done not just for Colleen but for our entire family. We owe you so much and won't ever be able to repay either of you. I …"

"Joanna, it's okay. Bianca and I are fine. My knee is almost back to 100%. Look, Colleen has apologized repeatedly, and I'll tell you exactly what I've told her. It's not her fault. It's not your fault. The only one responsible is Robert. He's in jail and is going to be there for a very long time. Colleen's healing, and she and Will are safe."

"Aya tells me that Colleen has asked about volunteering at the Center."

"She really wants to, Bianca. She sees it as way to give back for all of the help she's received."

"Well, we can always use the help, and Colleen is an excellent example to others. She's proven that it is possible to take your life back. You should be proud of her."

"I am, very much so. So, tell me how things are going with the two of you. It's been a while since we've had a chance to talk."

Marissa smiled brightly. "Things are going great, never better."

Joanna chuckled. She loved seeing these two together. It was clear to anyone with half a brain that they were crazy about each other and perfect together. "I can tell how happy the two of you are. You're practically glowing."

"That's because I've never been happier." Bianca smiled.

"_We've_ never been happier." Marissa corrected her fiancée.

"Well, I'm very glad to hear it. And thank you for inviting us today."

"We're glad that you, Steve and Craig could join us. It means a lot to have you here." Marissa smiled.

/

"Carol, let me help you with that."

"That's okay, Kendall. I've got it."

"Sorry, Bianca's orders. My sister told me to help you, and if she finds out I didn't, I'm going to be in trouble. You know how she is." Kendall added with a knowing grin.

Carol Walker chuckled. "Alright. I can't have you get in trouble with her now, can I?" She raised the hand still holding a container. "Where are they going?"

"Bianca said to take them inside and to make sure they are out of sight of the kids for now."

Gail smiled. "Your sister is a wise woman. It's not just the little kids we have to worry about though. We had to keep an eye on Alex to make sure he didn't eat them all."

Alex eyed his wife. "Hey, I wasn't that bad. Besides, I was only trying to help by making sure they were up to Mom's standards."

Sam rolled her eyes. "Seriously? You have to come up with a better excuse than that. Everyone one knows that Gran can do no wrong when it comes to baking, or pretty much anything else."

"I couldn't agree more, Sam." Marissa smiled as she joined the group. "Bianca and I are glad you all could make it on such short notice."

"We're glad you invited us. It's a perfect day and also the perfect chance for me to use everyone as guinea pigs for my newest creations." Carol grinned.

"You're going to have lots of willing guinea pigs. Let's get these inside, Kendall. The rest of you, please help yourself to something to drink."

/

Marissa walked down the path to Bianca's garden where the brunette was waiting for her.

"Hey, everyone's here. Are you ready?"

"More than ready." Bianca smiled and took her ring out of her pocket. She handed it to Marissa. "Would you put it back on for me?"

"It would be my pleasure. Would you do the same for me?"

"It's my pleasure as well."

The rings were placed back where they belonged. The couple shared a tender kiss.

"Time to get this show on the road." Marissa grinned.

"Definitely!" Bianca held out her left hand which Marissa happily took.

/

Marissa and Bianca glanced around the backyard and saw all of their friends and family gathered. The couple shared a meaningful look. This was perfect.

Bianca cleared her throat and started to speak but failed to garner anyone's attention over the chattering.

A piercing whistle sounded and cut through the noise.

Marissa laughed. "Thanks, Greenlee!"

"Yeah, thanks, Greenlee. Marissa, the kids and I would like to thank all of you for being able to join us today on such short notice. It means a great deal to us so thank you. We'll be firing up the grill in just a few minutes. Scott and Jake have graciously volunteered to be our guest grillers for tonight. Don't worry. Jesse is on standby with the fire extinguisher, and Angie and Frankie have the first aid kits at the ready should they be needed."

"Hey! It wasn't our fault! The grill got too hot." Jake protested.

Scott chimed in. "We're never going to hear the end of it, are we? It happened one time at your old place, and the grill wasn't the best. This grill though is a beast. Madison, we're getting one of these."

"Good plan in being prepared though, ladies. You never know what's going to happen with these two." Tad joked.

The crowd laughed at the men who were practically drooling over the new grill.

"As Bianca was saying, thank you all for coming and for pitching in with all of the wonderful side dishes. Never fear, there is dessert provided by Carol. We do have an ulterior motive for inviting you."

Marissa and Bianca grinned at each other as the brunette continued.

"Last night, this wonderful woman agreed to become to my wife!"

"And after that, _this_ incredible woman agreed to become _my_ wife!"

The crowd cheered and rushed forward to congratulate the beaming couple.

"Congratulations! It all makes sense to me now. That's why you were working me to the bone yesterday. I knew you were up to something, Marissa." Lisa smirked.

Marissa simply shook her head at her paralegal's teasing. "You know if you think I'm working you too hard, I could always loan you out to one of the other lawyers."

"No, I'm good."

Aya and her girlfriend Kate hugged the couple. "Congratulations! We couldn't be happier for both of you. We wish you all of the happiness in the world."

Jan and her boyfriend Chris were next to wish the women well. "Hannah said you disappeared for a little while when you were in New York. Now, I know where you went. That ring is gorgeous. They both are."

Caleb smiled as he approached the couple. He had a soft spot for both of them and was glad they found the happiness they both deserved. "Congratulations, ladies. You've definitely got it right this time."

"Thanks, Caleb. I couldn't agree more." Marissa grinned and hugged the lawyer.

Bianca followed suit. "That makes two of us. Thank you, Caleb."

/

Kendall and Greenlee watched as the couple was engulfed by well-wishers, waiting their turn to congratulate the happy couple.

Greenlee turned and glared at Kendall. "You knew about this before now, didn't you?"

Kendall's sheepish grin was all the answer that was needed. "Ow! What was that for?" Kendall asked as she rubbed her arm where Greenlee had punched her.

"That was for not telling me!"

"I wanted to tell you, but I couldn't. They made me promise not to tell anyone. I didn't even tell Zach, well not until this morning at least."

Greenlee scowled at her friend, not wanting to let her off the hook.

"Look, in all the time that they've been together, there's been one overriding theme with them. You don't cross them. Need I remind you what they did to that reporter, especially what Red did to her?" Kendall smirked.

Her best friend finally relented and laughed. "Alright, I'll let you off the hook _this_ time, and of course I remember that. I recorded it. Ooh, remember what they did to whatshername? I wish we could've seen your sister in action or that Krystal could've recorded it. That would've been so great. We could've put it together with the recording featuring the reporter, and made them a Minx greatest hits video."

"Oh wow. I so wish we had recorded the PTA smack-down with Tammy the shrew. The Minx greatest hits video would be epic." Kendall cracked.

"In other words, it sounds like we're always going to need to be at the ready to record them. I can do that." Greenlee added with a wink. "Let's go see them. I need to see what kind of rocks they got each other."

"You're going to be impressed. Uh oh, Mom and Krystal look to have them cornered. Bianca's got that look like she's in need of a rescue."

/

Erica kissed and hugged first her daughter and then her future daughter-in-law. "Congratulations, my darlings! I was beginning to wonder when it would happen." Erica threw a sly glance towards Marissa who smiled in silent reply.

Krystal congratulated the women after Erica. "I'm so happy for the two of you. I don't know that I've ever seen smiles that big and bright in my life. Now, I understand why you were hiding your left hand when you stopped by this morning."

Bianca smiled sheepishly. "I forgot that I had the ring on until I was inside the restaurant. I couldn't let you see it because it would give it away and ruin our surprise. The only ones that knew were Kendall and the kids."

"Kendall knew?" Erica huffed just slightly before something else Bianca said registered. "The children knew and didn't say anything? I'm definitely surprised by that, especially by Gabby."

Marissa chuckled. "We asked them to keep it a secret for us, Erica. They said that because it was a happy secret and they wouldn't have to keep it very long, they could do it. As for Kendall, don't be mad at her. She figured it out. It seems Bianca and I were using her separately as a sounding board and for pep talks. She was great at both by the way. As a result, she was able to piece things together."

"Yeah, we put her out of her misery this morning when we picked up the kids. We hope you're not mad, but we figured we owed it to her after everything she's done for us." Bianca added hoping that Erica wasn't too offended.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I understand. Your sister has been there for both of you. I'm glad that you have each other to confide in." Erica smiled seeing the relief in the couple's eyes. "So, do you have thoughts as to a date? You need to decide that right away."

"Erica's right. You also need to figure out where you want to have it." Krystal supplied.

"She's right. Do you want a church service or somewhere else?"

"What about the reception?"

"We could easily reserve the Yacht Club. I know the perfect caterer."

"Mrs. Jackson could do the cake. She does excellent work."

"Does she own the bakery across from you? She's very good. I'm sure Kendall can give you the names of several photographers."

"I know a really great florist. She actually handles all of the arrangements at the Yacht Club."

"I'm impressed, Krystal."

"Thank you, Erica. What about the announcement."

"That is a must. I know the editor of the society page. I'll give her a call first thing tomorrow. This will be quite the coup for her."

"There's the matter of the wedding dresses. I have to admit, Erica, that that is your area of expertise."

Erica nodded pleased by the compliment. "I could place a call to Vera."

"Vera? You mean Vera Wang?!"

"Of course I do. She's a good friend, and I know she'll do it for me. Vera will love designing something for both of them."

Bianca and Marissa watched their mothers in silent awe. They were actually getting along and planning. It was that thought that began to overwhelm them. Erica and Krystal were already planning their wedding, and the couple had only been engaged less than 24 hours. It also was sounding like they were intending it to be the social event of the year with no thought as to what their daughters wanted. A feeling of panic started to set in.

"Alright, I need to check out the rings, and I think we could all use something to drink too." Greenlee suddenly appeared out of nowhere with Kendall right behind her.

The couple was relieved to see the pair and jumped at the escape they were offering.

"Well, we can definitely help with both." Bianca smiled.

Marissa nodded. "Yes, we can. Why don't we go inside and do both? We need to get the hamburgers and hotdogs out for our guest chefs."

"That's a great idea, Red."

Bianca and Marissa led the way towards the house with Kendall and Greenlee following leaving Erica and Krystal to continue discussing wedding plans.

/

Marissa returned to the kitchen joining Bianca, Kendall and Greenlee again after taking the platter containing the hamburgers and hotdogs out to Jake and Scott to be grilled.

Greenlee had just finished checking out Bianca's ring. "Very nice, Marissa. You did a great job. It's beautiful. Now, let me see your's."

The redhead shook her head clearly amused. She sat down and presented her hand to the smaller brunette.

"Wow, you did a great job too, Bianca. So, tell me what happened. Who proposed first?"

"Bianca did. I had this great plan all in place, but then at the last moment, she beat me to the punch."

"Funny how you don't seem all that upset about it, Marissa."

"Well, Greenlee, I'm not. How could I be when I have Bianca as my fiancée?" Marissa beamed.

Bianca responded with the goofy grin that Marissa always evoked. "You should've seen it. Rissa had the area lit up with the white Christmas lights along with music and flowers. She fixed my favorite meal. It was perfect. I had to ask her then. I couldn't wait any longer. After I proposed, my fiancée turned around and proposed to me."

Greenlee and Kendall watched silently as the couple got lost in the other's eyes.

After a minute, Kendall broke the silence. "And now Mom and Krystal …"

"Yeah, am I the only one scared that they're actually getting along right now?" Greenlee joked.

"No, I'm afraid not. Of course they're already planning the wedding. Erica's handling the dress, the reception hall, the caterer, the announcement for the society page …"

"And Krystal's got the florist, the cake and a line on the invitations. Oh, Kendall, you're in charge of the photographer."

"I'll handle the bachelorette party!" Greenlee volunteered happily.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh god, I don't know if we could handle that."

The friends looked at the couple and laughed.

"Mom going into 'hyper mother of the bride mode' is better than the alternative."

"You're right. It is a whole lot better. I just wish they'd let us enjoy being engaged for a little while. It hasn't even been a full day yet."

Marissa took Bianca's hand in her own and squeezed. She was about to reply when Erica entered the house.

"There you two are. We need to talk about the wedding. There is so much to do. You need to pick a date, a venue …"

"Erica …"

"We need a formal photo of you for the society page …"

"Erica …"

"We need to decide on a menu for the reception …"

"Erica!"

The diva blinked at Marissa's raised voice.

"Thank you for everything. I mean that. Bianca and I both do. We will be more than happy to listen to your suggestions for the wedding, but later not today. Please don't take this the wrong way. It's just that Bianca and I want to enjoy being engaged for a few days before we start planning. I hope you can understand."

Bianca smiled in awe of her fiancée. Marissa was stepping up yet again and looking after her. She couldn't let her take the full brunt of the blame from Erica on this though. "Please, Mom. Give us at least a week. We can have you over for dinner, and we'll listen to all of your plans. I promise."

Erica nodded after a moment. "Of course, Sweetheart. I have to admit I got a little carried away. I'm just so thrilled for both of you. Let's enjoy this night and celebrate this happy event before we move on to the next one."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Thank you, Erica."

"You're welcome. You really should get back outside and speak with your guests. I just have a small request."

Marissa and Bianca shared a grin.

"Yes, Mom, you can arrange for a formal engagement photo and call the editor of the society page."

Erica smiled brightly before nodding and heading outside.

Kendall chuckled. "Nicely done."

"Thanks. Erica's right. We should get back outside." Marissa stood and held her hand out for Bianca.

"God, I do love them as a couple. Put them together and I think Erica might've met her match." Greenlee grinned.

/

Krystal sat back and watched as Marissa ran around chasing the kids. She had to admit that she was slightly concerned her daughter might be overdoing it given the fact that the injury to her knee was still healing. Her concern must have been reflected on her face.

"She's okay you know. Her knee is almost completely healed. The doctor removed all of her restrictions. Plus, you have to know that I would be stopping her if I thought it was going to damage it any."

Krystal smiled and scooted over so Bianca could join her at the picnic table. "You're right. I know you would. You take excellent care of my daughter." Krystal laughed when Marissa caught Jenny and swung her giggling little sister around. While her relationship with Krystal remained and would always remain complicated, there were no such complications between sisters. They adored each other. "She's such a great big sister. Jenny idolizes her."

"And I know that Marissa would do anything for Jenny."

Krystal nodded knowing the same thing. Marissa next moved on to Miranda and Gabby. She had Miranda hoisted up into the air with Gabby clutching her uninjured leg tightly. Both girls were cracking up. "If it's possible, I think she's an even better mother."

"You won't get any arguments from me on that. Rissa is a natural. She's incredible."

Krystal pondered Bianca's words as she watched Marissa lifted first Gabby and then Ian up onto the jungle gym so they could use the slide. Krystal knew what Bianca had said was true, but she also knew there was more to it. Lydia set a good example for her as well. Her friend was special and she loved Marissa as if she were her own child. So did Roy. Krystal knew they would take better care of her daughter than she could and she was right. She also knew there was absolutely no justification for what she had done, and a day hadn't gone by that didn't regret it. She was also far from proud of what she had done. The same could be said for many other things in her life that she'd done. When she looked at Marissa, Krystal knew exactly who was responsible for her being the woman, the person that she was, and it definitely wasn't her. Somehow though, she had been given a second chance to be in Marissa's life, and for that, she would be forever grateful to the woman seated beside her.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Bianca asked confused about what the older woman was thanking her for.

"For making Marissa so happy, for taking care of her, for loving her and for giving her the family that she deserves. AJ too. You said that Marissa is incredible, and she definitely is. She's not the only one though. You're pretty damn incredible yourself. So, thank you."

Bianca took a deep breath, clearly touched by Krystal's words. "You're welcome. I promise to take care of her, of both of them."

Krystal smiled. "I have no doubt about that at all."

"Hey."

Bianca grinned when Marissa suddenly appeared in front of her. "Hey."

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No, not really. It looks like you have your hands full out there." Krystal smiled.

"Yes, I do. That's why I'm here. The children have requested your presence for a game of tag, Bianca."

"Oh, they have, have they? Are you sure they're the only ones requesting it?"

"Nope. I won't lie. I need it too. They're wearing me out. Plus, I like having you out there with me."

Bianca laughed. "Well, how can I refuse then?"

"That's exactly what I was hoping. Oh, did you ask her?"

"I forgot. We got distracted watching you and the kids."

"Ask me what?"

"Bianca and I told Erica we needed a few days to enjoy just being engaged before we started planning the wedding and listening to her suggestions. We told her we'd set up a dinner to discuss things. Would you like to join us for that?"

"I would … Yes, I'd like that very much. Thank you."

Marissa smiled. "Great, we'll set something up."

Calls of 'Mom' and 'Ma' could be heard from the kids.

"You better go. It looks like they're getting restless out there."

"You're right. We'll be back."

The couple headed towards the group of children anxiously waiting for them.

/

Bianca turned off the light in the hallway and joined Marissa in their bedroom.

"If you ask me, I would say that tonight's party was a rousing success."

"Judging by the kids passed out in their beds and the equally worn out puppy, I would say you're right." Marissa grinned.

"Everyone seemed to have a good time, and they all were happy for us."

"Yeah, they did. You know we're going to have a hard time keeping Erica and Krystal in check regarding the wedding plans."

Bianca sighed not looking forward to the outlandish plans her mother was sure to come up with. "I know. Don't remind me. I need you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"No more talk of wedding plans for tonight."

"That's easy."

"That's not all. Now, I would like to make love with my beautiful and incredible fiancée." Bianca grinned.

Marissa sighed happily. "Who am I to refuse my gorgeous and amazing fiancée her request? Yeah, I'm not going to get tired of being called that or calling you that."

"That makes two of us."

The couple's lips met for a searing kiss as all further discussion ceased.

**/**

**A/N****: Sorry, this chapter seemed to get away from me, and I couldn't figure out a good place to break it. I hope that this story, along with the others on this site, are helping take the sting out of what the reboot did to Minx. Rest assured that Minx will live on here. See you soon!**


	94. A Quick Trip

**A/N****: Another Saturday, another update! Thanks for continuing on this Minx adventure/journey with me! I really appreciate it. This is a little bit of a shorter chapter than usual. Work was kicking my ass this week so writing time was limited by time and exhaustion when I got home. It's a long holiday weekend here so hopefully that will help recharge my batteries. This chapter picks up a week later from the previous one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca checked the time. Their flight for New York was scheduled to leave shortly so they needed to leave for the airport soon. Susan had arrived a few minutes ago and was going over a few details with Marissa. Bianca knew her fiancée was a little nervous about their visit to the fertility clinic today. She couldn't really blame her and felt it was only normal. Truth be told, Bianca was a little nervous herself. She wanted this, for them to have a child together. More than anything though, she wanted this for Marissa because she knew how much this meant to her fiancée and how much she wanted it.

Marissa glanced up catching Bianca's gaze. The redhead flashed her fiancée a smile before turning to their children.

"Okay, monsters. Your Mom and I will be back later today."

"Will you be back for story time, Mommy?"

"Yes, we will, Monkey. As I seem to recall, it's your turn to pick tonight's story so make it a good one, okay?"

"'K, Mommy! Are we still going to the zoo tomorrow?"

Marissa grinned at Gabby's obvious excitement for visiting her favorite place. "Of course we are. So, you all know the drill. Be good and listen to Susan."

Three small heads bobbed up and down.

"And don't forget to feed Max and make sure you take him outside." Bianca added.

"We will." Miranda assured her mothers.

"Okay then. It's time for us to go. Do you have everything you need, Rissa?"

"Yes, I do."

Hugs and kisses were exchanged before the couple headed out.

/

"Rissa, relax. It's going to be fine." Bianca gave her fiancée a reassuring smile and squeeze of her hand. The couple was in the waiting room of the Franklin Clinic. They had arrived early for their appointment with Dr. Roeth. Neither woman liked to be late in general, but for a meeting as important as this, it was even more vital for them to be on time.

Marissa exhaled slowly. "You're right. It will be. I'm just anxious."

"It's okay. You're allowed to be. I am too, but it's going to be fine. We'll get through this together."

A smile formed on Marissa's face. "Yes, we will, just like we do with everything else. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being you and knowing exactly what to say and do to make me feel better."

Bianca chuckled. "You're welcome, but it's nothing that you don't do for me."

A nurse entered the waiting area and called their names. "Marissa Tasker and Bianca Montgomery."

The couple glanced at each other briefly before standing. With hands joined, they followed the nurse down the hallway towards the doctor's office.

/

Dr. Roeth smiled and stood up from behind her desk to greet the couple. "Ms. Montgomery, it's nice to see you again. And you must be Ms. Tasker. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too, Dr. Roeth. Thank you for seeing us."

"Dr. Roeth, good to see you."

"Please have a seat. So, Ms. Tasker, tell me about yourself. How long have you and Ms. Montgomery have been together?"

Marissa couldn't stop the grin on her face. "Bianca and I have been together officially a little over 16 months."

"Officially?"

The couple shared a glance that could be best described as somewhere between amused and embarrassed. "Well, Bianca and I were friends for a long time before we finally realized things had changed between us. It took us a while to acknowledge that there was more to our relationship than just friendship. Now, I honestly can't recall a time when I wasn't in love with Bianca, and I couldn't even begin to tell you what took me so long to realize it."

"That makes two of us."

Dr. Roeth smiled as she observed the loving gaze shared by the women. That was when she noticed something different from the last time the brunette was in her office. "That's new."

Bianca followed the doctor's eyes to her hand and smile brightly. "Marissa and I are engaged. We proposed to each other when I got home from my trip here."

"That is wonderful news. Congratulations!"

"Thank you!" The couple happily replied in unison.

"Now, Ms. Tasker, Ms. Montgomery tells me that between the two of you there are three children."

"Yes, Bianca gave birth to Miranda and Gabby. I adopted AJ. His biological mother was my sister. I couldn't love any of them more if I had given birth to them. I know Bianca feels the same way about AJ."

"So, you've never given birth or been pregnant."

"That's correct. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to experiencing all of it."

"It is a wonderful experience. You're a lawyer?"

"Yes, I specialize in family law. I love what I do. It can be challenging, but it also makes appreciate what I have, what Bianca and I have built together, so much."

It was easy for the doctor to see the sincerity behind those words. "I reviewed the medical records Ms. Montgomery brought the last time she was here. Did you bring the more detailed records?"

Marissa nodded as she handed over the file. "Yes, I did."

"Have there been any changes to your health recently?"

"No, there haven't been any changes."

Dr. Roeth reviewed the file while the couple waited anxiously. "It says here you were injured in an automobile accident last fall."

Bianca tensed at the memory of almost losing Marissa. It was still a painful memory for her and always would be.

The redhead squeezed her fiancée's hand. They had decided earlier to be honest with the doctor about everything. "It wasn't really an accident. A client's estranged husband wasn't happy with the fact that she left him and took their son with her. He couldn't locate her because we were able to place them in one of the Miranda Center's safe houses."

Dr. Roeth nodded in understanding. "It was an abusive relationship."

"Yes, it was. After the last incident, she summoned enough courage to leave and file for divorce. Since he couldn't find her, he decided to take his anger out on a target he could find which happened to be me. He plowed into my car which resulted in the injuries listed there. Will they impact my chances of getting pregnant and carrying to term?"

"I don't believe so. According to your doctors, everything has healed nicely. So, I don't foresee any problems. How is your knee? Any pain?"

"There's no pain. At my last checkup a few weeks ago, it was at about 95% so the doctor lifted that last of the restrictions I had."

"That's good to hear. I'd like to do an exam now if that's alright with you. I know your gynecologist did one not too long ago, but I'd like to exam you myself."

"I'm fine with that."

/

The couple was directed to an examination room where Marissa changed into a hospital gown. Dr. Roeth and a nurse joined them a few minutes later. Bianca stood near Marissa's head while the doctor performed the exam. When it was finished and Marissa had dressed, they joined the doctor back in her office.

"Well, Ms. Tasker, everything looked great. I don't see any reason why we can't help you make a baby."

The relief was evident on both women's faces as matching smiles broke across them. The doctor went over the various procedures and outlined the one she recommended and why. Having done some research of their own and using Bianca's past experience as a guideline, the couple agreed with her approach. Dr. Roeth noted that because twins ran in Marissa's family, she recommended not using fertility drugs at this time. She didn't want to increase the chance of multiple births even more. The couple agreed with this as well.

"So what's next?" Marissa asked.

"Let's set up an appointment for the procedure. Using your cycle as our guide, how does two weeks sound?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca who smiled and nodded.

"That works for us."

"I have an opening at 10:00. Is that too early?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, we'll come up the evening before so that won't be a problem."

"I would suggest you stay overnight in the city. The change in pressure from flying affects some patients. No strenuous activity immediately after the procedure and limited activity for at least a day."

"I'll rent us a car and driver for the day if we go anywhere. My sister and her husband will watch the kids, and we'll stay over both nights. I'll make sure she is properly pampered, doctor." Bianca smiled brightly.

Marissa grinned. If Bianca was like this now, the redhead could only imagine what she would be like when she was pregnant. "I leave myself completely in your more than capable hands." She turned back to the doctor. "What about the donor?"

Dr. Roeth nodded and handed them a packet. "You have some homework. The cd contains a list of donors along with their physical traits, personality, medical history, psychological profile, education, likes and dislikes and so forth. I would like you to compile a list of your top five choices. List them in order from your most to least favorite and have that back to me by the end of next week. My email address is attached. This will give us time to make sure we can hopefully accommodate your top choice by reserving it and making sure we have here for a standard number of treatments. Now, do you have any more questions for me?"

The couple looked at each other. Bianca shook her head and let Marissa answer for them. "Not at this time."

"If you come up with anything, please don't hesitate to contact me."

With that, the couple left the clinic anxious to get home and started on their 'homework' of selecting a donor.

Dr. Roeth watched the couple as they walked out holding hands. She really hoped she would be able to help them realize their dream.

/

As promised, Marissa and Bianca were home before bedtime. After hearing about the kids' day with Susan and reading the story Gabby had selected, they tucked the children into their beds before heading back to their bedroom.

Marissa pulled out her laptop and loaded the cd the doctor had given them. The couple reviewed the profiles and began eliminating donors that didn't meet some of their basic criteria.

Bianca saw Marissa attempt to hide a yawn. The brunette closed the laptop and removed it from their bed.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

"We can go through the rest of the donors over the next couple of days. It's been a long day, and we can both use some rest, especially you. You're going to need it. My job is to take care of you, and I take it very seriously."

Marissa grinned. "You win. We don't have to do it all tonight. And by the way you take excellent care of me."

"Good. I aim to please." Bianca settled under the covers and pulled Marissa into her arms after kissing her tenderly. "I love you."

"I love you too." Marissa snuggled into the loving embrace and soon drifted off to sleep.

/

By Wednesday, the couple had their top five choices and just needed to put them in order. They were sitting in Krystal's reviewing the lists they had made and discussing them quietly.

"I like this one best." Bianca indicated the donor that was her favorite.

Marissa read his profile again and smiled brightly. "Hmm, BD #3."

Bianca shook her head and chuckled. "I knew we shouldn't have mentioned this to Kendall. I'm starting to think she's a bad influence on you."

Marissa grinned. "I think we can call it a draw on the bad influence."

When the couple checked with Kendall on whether she and Zach could keep the kids when they went back to the clinic for Marissa's first treatment, they also explained the doctor's homework of picking out their top choices for a donor. Kendall quickly nicknamed the donors as Baby Daddy with numbers 1 thru 5 randomly assigned. Marissa cracked up and adopted the phrase immediately while Bianca tried to resist but soon caved. Baby Daddy was soon shortened to BD just in case the kids overheard. The couple really didn't want to explain the phrase to them.

"BD #3 is my favorite too."

With their top choice made, the others fell quickly into place. They were just closing up the file when Kendall and Greenlee joined them.

Greenlee spotted the manila folder that Bianca tucked away. Kendall shook her head, silently telling her curious friend to not question them about it. As much as Greenlee wanted to know what was going on, she followed her friend's wishes and nodded, effectively letting the subject drop before it even came up.

When lunch was over, the couple walked out together.

Marissa took the file back from Bianca. "I'll email Dr. Roeth with our choices as soon as I get back to the office."

"Okay. I'll see you tonight. Love you."

"Love you too."

/

_Two days later_

It was recess and Miranda was on the swings with her best friend Jessica Mendes. The girls were happily chatting away when someone caught Miranda's eye. She froze temporarily.

"What's wrong, Miranda?"

Quickly scanning the playground, Miranda located AJ. He was engaged in a game of dodge ball. She remembered what her mothers had instructed them to do if such a situation arose. She immediately looked for a teacher to ask for help and found her own teacher. "I'll be back. I need to tell Mrs. Simpson something. Could you keep an eye on AJ for me?"

Jessica nodded and watched her friend hurry off.

"Mrs. Simpson."

The teacher turned and looked at Miranda Montgomery. She was surprised to see the girl this soon since there was still time remaining for recess. She quickly saw distress in the girl's eyes. "Is everything alright, Miranda?"

Miranda shook her head. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay, what is it?"

"Do you see that man over there?"

The teacher turned and saw a man across the street. He was staring intently at the children playing. Correction, he was staring intently at one particular child. His gaze seemed to follow AJ Chandler's every move. She was instantly on high alert. "Do you know who he is?"

Miranda nodded. "Uh huh, he's AJ's dad. He's not allowed to see him without either of our Moms around. He tried to take AJ before."

The teacher nodded and immediately motioned for another teacher as she kept her eyes peeled on the boy, not letting him out of her sight.

"Mr. Spencer, we have a possible situation. Will you keep an eye on my area? I need to take AJ Chandler and Miranda Montgomery to the principal's office."

Bob Spencer didn't know exactly what was going on, but he had a good idea. "Sure. I've got it covered just get them inside."

Mrs. Simpson walked over to the part of the playground where AJ was playing with Miranda following her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt your game, but AJ, I need to see you."

AJ was confused as to what was happening but could tell something was up just by looking at Miranda. He dropped the ball and followed his sister. AJ wanted to ask what was wrong but something was telling him that he should probably wait until they were inside.

Mrs. Simpson followed behind AJ and Miranda keeping them in her sight the entire way to the doors leading back inside the school. Only once the children each had a foot inside the building did she glance over her shoulder. Seeing that the man was no longer there, she exhaled a relieved breath, grateful that the immediate threat had passed. The teacher then turned her attention back to the kids as the group headed down to the principal's office where Mrs. Evans would contact AJ and Miranda's parents and take precautions to ensure AJ's safety.

"What's wrong, Miranda?" AJ whispered to his sister.

Miranda glanced at her brother and whispered back. "I saw your dad watching you from across the street. Our Moms always said that if we see him and they're not around that we should ask a grown-up for help."

AJ slowly nodded. He knew why they had told them that. He remembered all too well when his dad had lied to him and tried to take him away from his Mom. AJ looked down and saw Miranda had grabbed his hand.

"It's gonna be okay. I know our Moms are gonna take care of it."

**/**

**A/N****: Sorry, my evil side took over towards the end of this chapter and made me take this detour in the story and leave the cliffhanger. I try and reason with her, but you all know how she gets. She likes these kinds of things and tells me that we need a few bumps in the road for Minx from time to time just to keep everyone on their toes. See you soon!**


	95. A Very Upleasant Interruption

**A/N****: Howdy! Thanks again for reading, reviewing and sticking with me on this Minx adventure! It's much appreciated. I forgot to post this with the last update. Sarah (SG) and her husband welcomed a baby daughter named Wendy Carolina to the world in May! Congrats to them! Also, I've been doing spot checks on Soapnet and the airing of the repeat episodes of the classic AMC. SG is now showing on them! It's after New Year's on the repeats so no Minx pairing yet. Marissa and JR's divorce is about to become final and huge cracks are showing in Bianca and Reese's marriage so Minx should start getting screen time soon. If you're in the States and can get Soapnet, the show airs 1:00am – 4:00am Eastern Time, Tuesday – Saturday. Okay, back to this story. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca glanced up when she heard Jan call her.

"Sorry to interrupt, Bianca, but the school is calling. The principal is on the line and wants to talk with you."

"Thanks, Jan. Put her through please." Bianca cleared her throat and connected to the principal's call. "Hello, Ms. Evans."

"Ms. Montgomery, good afternoon. I'm sorry to interrupt, but there's been an incident here today."

Bianca was instantly on her feet and reaching for her purse ready to rush over to the school. "An incident? What kind of incident? Are AJ and Miranda okay?"

"They're safe and are fine. I would prefer to discuss this in person. Would either you or Ms. Tasker …"

"I'll come. Marissa's in court this afternoon. I'm on my way now." With that, Bianca disconnected the call and was out the door only stopping for a moment to tell Jan she was leaving.

/

Bianca parked the car and immediately headed to the principal's office. She'd been wracking her brain the entire drive over as to what could've happened. The brunette kept reminding herself that the principal had assured her that the kids were safe and were okay. No matter how many times she told herself that though, she was still nervous and knew she wouldn't feel better until she saw them for herself and knew exactly what happened.

She was greeted by Grace Benson, the school secretary. "Ms. Montgomery, hello. Ms. Evans is expecting you."

"Hello, Mrs. Benson." Bianca quickly glanced around the office for her oldest children. "Where are AJ and Miranda?"

"They're back in class. It's better if Ms. Evans explains everything." Grace escorted Bianca to the principal's office and closed the door as she left.

"Ms. Montgomery, please have a seat. I wish we were meeting under different circumstances."

Bianca nodded. "That makes two of us. Mrs. Benson said the kids are back in class?"

"Yes, they are. I spoke with them briefly. For all intents and purposes, they were fine. They asked if they could go back to class. It seems Mrs. Simpson is doing a science experiment they really wanted to see with Diet Coke and Mentos. We've alerted school security though, and they are keeping an eye on everything."

Bianca remembered the kids going on and on about the experiment at dinner last night and again this morning over breakfast. If they wanted to go back to class and school security was on alert, then she wouldn't disagree with that decision. "What happened exactly?"

"During recess, Miranda saw a man across the street watching AJ. She immediately went to Mrs. Simpson and told her about the man. She also told her that she recognized him as AJ's father. We have on file that there is a protection order against Mr. Chandler."

Bianca took a deep breath. A part of her just had this feeling that JR would make an appearance soon. Things had been going too smoothly for them lately. "Yes, there is. Marissa has full custody of AJ. Without going into some of the more sordid details, Marissa had temporary custody when JR attempted to take AJ out of the country without her knowledge or permission. Luckily, he was stopped. After a fairly ugly custody hearing, Marissa was granted full custody. A protection order was put into place after the decision. JR is not permitted unsupervised visitation. We've instructed the children that if they see him and neither of us are around that they need to go to the nearest adult for help."

"It appears that's exactly what Miranda did today. While AJ is here, we'll make sure that no one who is not authorized will either see him or remove him from school property. We will alert the police should we see Mr. Chandler near the school again. As for today …"

"Marissa and I will contact the appropriate parties." Bianca knew that since JR didn't actually make contact with AJ that he didn't technically violate the order. As a result, the police wouldn't be able to do anything about today's incident. She could however and would.

"Given everything that's happened today and the fact that school is almost over for the day, is it safe to assume that you would like to pick AJ and Miranda up?"

"Yes, I would very much so."

"I will go and inform Mrs. Simpson to have them come to the office when they are dismissed. You can wait here if you'd like."

"I'd like that, thank you."

Ms. Evans nodded and left the office leaving Bianca alone with her thoughts. The brunette knew she would need to let Marissa know everything that was going on but knew the best way to do it was face to face and not by some voicemail or text. After a day in court, Marissa had a habit of heading back to the office to go through emails that she missed while being gone for the day. Bianca knew that JR's return needed to be dealt with sooner than later and that Marissa would agree with her. Bianca also knew that her fiancée's cellphone would be off while she was in court so she decided to send a text asking her to bypass the office and come home straight from court. As soon as Marissa turned her phone on, she would see it.

_Hope the case went well today. I have no doubt that it did given how amazing of an attorney you are. Could you skip going back to the office when you're done and come straight home? Something's come up that we need to talk about. Drive safe and I'll see you soon. I love you._

Susan had been scheduled to pick up the kids that day so Bianca called her to inform her that she was picking up AJ and Miranda but would still need her to pick up Gabby. The bell sounded indicating that school was over for the day. Bianca left the principal's office and was soon greeted by Miranda and AJ.

Bianca smiled as soon as she saw them. "Hey, guys."

Miranda quickly greeted her mother. "Hi, Mom."

AJ hung back slightly. He knew why his brunette mother was here. "Hi, Mom."

Bianca sensed AJ's unease and decided to hold off on the needed conversation until they were home. For now, she asked about a topic that she knew would ease any tension as they walked to the car. "We'll talk about other things when we get home. For now, tell me about the science experiment. Was it interesting? Did you like it?"

AJ grinned as he settled into the car and fastened his seatbelt, happy for the brief reprieve. "Uh huh! It was awesome. When Mrs. Simpson put the Mentos in, the Diet Coke shot straight up into the air."

Miranda nodded and joined her brother in describing what happened. "It was like what happened on that TV show we saw about that geyser Old Faithful. Mrs. Simpson said it was a …" Miranda paused to remember what their teacher had said. "A chemical reaction. She tried it with a couple of other soft drinks, but the Diet Coke had the biggest explosion. It was really cool."

"Mrs. Simpson said it was because there was something different in the Diet Coke that caused it to be bigger. We wore goggles, and she made us stand back so we wouldn't get wet and sticky from the soft drinks."

"I'm glad about that. I wouldn't want to deal with two sticky kids." Bianca grinned. She pulled out of the parking lot keeping an eye out for JR while her oldest children chattered on about what their day had been like.

/

Marissa headed home immediately after reading Bianca's text. She knew her fiancée wouldn't ask her to come straight home unless it was important so the redhead did as requested. The entire drive home Marissa tried to figure out what was up but nothing was coming to mind. She sighed as she pulled into the garage and grabbed her things before heading inside. She spotted Bianca and the kids outside so she dropped her things and went to join them.

"Hey, babe."

Bianca smiled as the couple exchanged a quick kiss. "Hey, I'm glad you're home."

"Hey, guys."

The kids waved. While AJ and Miranda continued to play on the jungle gym, Gabby was engaged in a game of fetch with Max.

"You want to tell me what's going on?"

"Why don't you change into some more comfortable clothes? We'll talk when you come back out."

Marissa wanted to ask why she didn't want to talk with her privately inside but sensed there was a specific reason for Bianca's suggestion. Again, Marissa agreed to her fiancée's request. "Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes."

/

After changing and putting her briefcase away, Marissa grabbed a glass and the pitcher of iced tea. Stepping outside, she refilled Bianca's glass before filling her own.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, tell me what's up."

Bianca took a deep breath and began. She lowered her voice so little ears wouldn't overhear. "I got a call from the school earlier. During recess, Miranda saw JR across the street. As soon as she did, she did like we told her and went to her teacher to tell her what was going on. Mrs. Simpson took the kids to Ms. Evans' office. JR was gone when they looked again."

Marissa exhaled slowly, shaking her head as she did. She hated hearing that her ex was back in town and knew it most likely meant he would try and cause trouble for them. The redhead observed AJ and Miranda. "They seem okay."

"Yeah, they do, and I really think they are for the most part. They wanted to go back to class after talking to Ms. Evans."

Marissa was a little surprised by that before remembering something. "The science experiment, right?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, they really wanted to see it."

"Have you talked to them about what happened yet?"

"No, I thought they deserved a brief reprieve. Plus, I thought it was best if we talked to them together."

"You're right. I knew things were going too smoothly on that front. Why in the hell is he back now? What was he thinking when he went to the school? Is he going to try and take AJ again or revisit custody?"

Bianca took Marissa's hand. "I don't know, baby. What I do know is that he's not getting AJ. We're going to keep him safe, and he's going to stay with us. We'll do whatever it takes for that to happen. It's as simple as that."

A small smile formed on Marissa's face. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For always knowing exactly what to say to make me feel better and giving me the boost I need. For reminding me just how perfect you are for me. I love you."

"And I love you, more than anything. You're kinda perfect for me too, just so you know."

Marissa chuckled briefly. "Good to hear. I guess we should talk to the kids and then make a call about security. A call to the police isn't a bad idea either. From what you've told me, JR didn't violate the order, this time. Who knows about next time? If he does, you can be damn sure that the order's getting enforced."

Bianca's resolve matched that of her fiancée. "Yes, it is. Let's talk to the kids and then we'll start dinner."

/

"Am I in trouble?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, AJ. Why would you think you would be in trouble?"

The boy shrugged, his eyes downcast and refusing to make contact with his either of his mothers. "It's my fault dad was so mean and tried to hurt you." AJ remembered how scary and mean his dad was when he was around before.

Marissa pulled her son to her. "Look at me. AJ, please look at me." When her son's gaze met her's, she continued. "None of this is your fault. You haven't done anything wrong. Bianca and I don't want you to think for one second that you did. Okay?"

"Okay. Why's he back here? Is he gonna try and take me away from you again?"

"We're not sure why he's back, Buddy, but Marissa and I are sure of one thing. You're not going anywhere. This is your home, and you're stuck with us." Bianca smiled.

AJ returned the smile and nodded. "I like being stuck with you."

Marissa hugged her son. "Good. As for Miranda, good job today. You did exactly what we told you to do. We're proud of you."

Miranda nodded but didn't really want to admit that she was scared. She learned from her run in with Amber from last year though to be honest with her parents especially when things were too big for her to handle by herself. "I was afraid he was gonna try and take AJ. I didn't want that to happen."

The couple exchanged a glance. They weren't going to wait and see what JR had up his sleeve, and they weren't going to allow him to take over their lives or the lives of their family. If he wanted a fight, that's exactly what he was going to get.

"It's not going to happen, Mimo. Do you trust your Mom and me?"

The girl nodded. "I do."

"Then trust us when we tell you that we won't let that happen."

Miranda did trust them more than anything. They had kept her and Gabby here and stopped AJ from being taken before. She knew they would do it again. "Okay."

"Good. Now if something like this happens again, we want you to do exactly what you did today. Your Ma and I are going to get some help to keep an eye on you when we're not around. You'll meet them tomorrow so you know who they are. This will just be temporary until we know what's going on and we feel everything is okay." Bianca explained.

After answering the kids' questions, assuring them and easing their fears, especially those of AJ, as best they could, the family enjoyed an evening together.

/

Marissa paced back and forth in their bedroom. "I hate this. I hate having to hire security guards, and I hate JR for doing this again. I think we might have to postpone the trip to New York next weekend. I just don't feel right leaving them with JR wandering around town."

Bianca reached out and pulled Marissa down onto her lap. "I hate this too, but the guards will keep AJ safe. Kendall and Zach know what's going on and will keep an eye out for JR if we do decide to go away, but we can reschedule the trip if that's what you think is best. We'll do whatever you want. The important thing is that you don't let the stress get to you."

Marissa sighed and rested her head on Bianca's shoulder. She knew Bianca was right. With her trying to get pregnant, stress was not good for her right now. She hated that JR could get under her skin so easily and was in effect still trying to control her life. Kendall and Zach would keep AJ safe. She knew that without question. The kids were also looking forward to spending next weekend with their cousins. "No, let's keep the appointment. I'm tired of giving him control over our lives. This is something that we want. I'm not going to let him stop us."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"Okay, we'll keep the appointment. If anything changes though, we'll reschedule. I want you to do something for me."

"Anything."

"I want you to let me handle the bulk of this situation with JR." Bianca held up her hand to stop Marissa's protest. "I'm serious about this. I know JR and his tricks better than anyone else. I won't let him hurt you, AJ or our family. You're going to be having our baby. I don't want you stressed out about him. I want you focusing on our hopefully soon to be new addition. You've taken such good care of me and the kids and have fought hard for our family. Now, it's my turn. If it gets to be too much, I'll let you know, but I really want to do this. Your job is to have our baby. My job is to take care of you and to do everything in my power to make sure you can do your job."

Marissa gazed into the eyes of the woman she loved and trusted so much. The woman who she knew would lay her life down for her and their family just as the redhead would do for them without a second's thought. She could tell how much this meant to Bianca and she knew that her fiancée could more than handle JR. "Okay but only if you promise not to keep anything from me. We do this together like everything else. I'm willing to let you handle any face to face interaction with him like I did for the most part with whatshername, but don't sugarcoat anything for me, don't hide anything. Don't forget Jack and Caleb are ready to go to battle for us again if it goes that far."

Bianca gave her a quick kiss. "You have a deal."

Marissa noticed the glint in her fiancée's eyes. "Oh, I know that look. I love that look. You're looking forward to releasing your inner Kane woman on him, aren't you?"

Bianca grinned. "Maybe. I didn't get much of a chance to during the custody hearing, and we were still kind of new as a couple. We'd only been together a couple of months and weren't even living together yet. Now …"

"Now, we're engaged and have made a home, literally and figuratively. We belong together."

"Exactly, and I'm not giving any of it up. I've waited too long for this, for you. No one is taking away what is …" Bianca stopped not wanting to claim ownership like JR used to when it came to the redhead.

Marissa smiled knowing what Bianca was about to say and why she stopped herself. "What's yours. We are you know. I'm yours just like you're mine. We belong to each other, and I couldn't be happier saying that. I love you."

A happy sigh escaped the brunette. "That makes two of us."

"You do know how much I love it when you release the inner Kane woman. It's so damn hot and does all kinds of wonderful things to me. It also makes me want to do all kinds of wonderful things to you." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca laughed. "You are so not right, but you're mine. And I love you." Bianca quickly flipped positions and was resting on top of Marissa. "I suppose, if you want and feel up to it, I could release some inner Kane woman for you now."

Marissa grinned. "Hot damn! There is nothing I want more. I do believe that makes me the luckiest woman there is. Release the Kane!"

/

"So, Dipshit is back in town? Wonderful. I suppose it really was too much to hope for that he actually drop off the face of the earth." Kendall deadpanned.

Bianca sighed. "What I don't get is why now? Why show up at the school and come within a hair of violating the order?"

"Binx, you're trying to think rationally, and you can't do that. We're talking about JR after all. There's not a rational bone in his body. He's not capable of thinking that way. How's AJ doing?"

"He's okay. He knows that Rissa and I will do whatever we need to do to keep him safe. Luckily, they only have a few more days of school left. The day camp has excellent security, and they've also agreed to let us have a security guard of our own actually on the grounds to help keep an eye on things."

"I hate that you have to do that. I can only imagine the cost of that."

Bianca shook her head. "I've got more than enough money for this. Besides, cost doesn't matter to me, not when we're talking about the safety of my family. I've waited too long and fought too hard for what I have with Marissa, the girls and AJ. I'm not giving any of it up. Not now, not ever."

Kendall smiled seeing the determined look in her sister's eyes. "Well, whatever you need, Binx, you know that Zach and I will do whatever we can to help. We're talking about my family too."

"Thanks, Kendall."

/

JR was taking a walk through the park trying to figure out his next move when he happened upon Bianca and Kendall sitting on a bench. Seeing their backs were to him, he crept closer to eavesdrop on their conversation. Maybe, he would overhear something he could use. Maybe, things weren't so happy for Marissa and Bianca. Maybe, Marissa came to her senses.

/

"So, what about next weekend? Are you still going to New York? Do you still need us to watch the kids?"

"Yeah, we do. We thought about rescheduling but decided against it. Rearranging our lives for a certain someone's unexpected appearance gives him too much control and we're not doing that. That ship has sailed."

"Good! How's Marissa doing with all of this? It's a big step."

"She's a little nervous but even more excited."

Seeing the smile on her sister's face, Kendall didn't have to guess what she was thinking about. "You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"Thinking about what Marissa will look like with a little baby bump." Kendall smiled.

/

_What the hell?! Marissa is going to have a baby with her?! She wouldn't even consider having one with me, but she will with her __**girlfriend**__? She's lost her damn mind! I think I'm going to be sick._

/

Bianca smiled even more. "Yeah, I am. How did you know?"

"You always get this goofy grin when you're thinking about her. It's gotten even bigger and goofier since you've started planning to have a baby together."

"I can't help it. She's beautiful as it is, but I know she'll be even more so when she's carrying our baby. I can just picture how happy she'll be. I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me that she wants to do this with me, share this with me and I can't wait to spoil her, pamper her and give her everything she wants and needs."

A sharp bark of laughter sounded behind them and the sisters turned around quickly.

JR sneered at them. "Well, well, well, it looks like you can't give her quite everything now, can you, Bianca?"

"What are you talking about, JR?" Bianca asked through gritted teeth.

"Well from what you were telling dear old sis here, Marissa wants a baby. That's not something you can really do for her, at least not without the help of a turkey baster, now is it? Nothing says love and romance like that." JR smirked.

**/**

**A/N****: I know. I know. I did another cliffhanger. I just can't stop the evil side of me sometimes. Oh, I wanted to mention the science experiment for the kids. I wanted to give them something that would help get their minds off of the drama with Dipshit. There are actually videos around detailing it. For some reason, the ingredients in Diet Coke do in fact produce the bigger explosion. See you soon!**


	96. A Hard Decision

**A/N****: I'm back! Thanks for reading and reviewing! It's amazing to me that I'm still getting notices of new followers and favorites. It's truly humbling and means a lot. Again, thanks!**

**I have a question to ask and could really use your feedback. I've had Marissa call Bianca 'babe' a few times. I'm struggling to find a similar term of endearment for Bianca to call her. I just can't use 'babe' for her because that's the name of Marissa's sister, and it just feels a little awkward to have Bianca call her that. Would 'baby' work or is there a better name? I appreciate your thoughts on this.**

**Now, back to the story. We're picking this chapter up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"I can't help it. God knows that she's beautiful as it is, but I know she'll be even more so when she's carrying our baby. I know she's going to be beyond happy. I can just see it now."

"What about you?" Again, Kendall knew the answer to her own question.

"Me? I can't even begin to tell you how much it means to me that she wants to do this with me, share this with me. I'm going to make sure that she's taken care of and doesn't want for anything. I'm going to pamper her. Anything she wants or needs, she's going to get."

A sharp bark of laughter sounded behind them and the sisters turned around quickly.

JR sneered at them. "Well, well, well, Binky wants to play daddy. Too bad you can't really play that role. You were so sure you could do everything for her, but it looks like you can't give Marissa quite everything after all now, can you, Bianca?"

"What are you talking about, JR?" Bianca asked through gritted teeth.

"Well from what you were telling dear old sis here, Marissa wants a baby. That's not something you can really do for her. You don't have the right equipment. It seems you need some outside help. Nothing says love and romance like a turkey baster, now does it?" JR smirked. "Hey, I know. If you want, I'd be more than happy to donate my services. Of course, I prefer to do it the more traditional way. It would save you time and trouble. Marissa probably could use a change of pace by now too. Show her what she's missing."

Bianca rolled her eyes and tried her best to ignore the man's crude comments and the leer on his face. She knew he was trying to bait her and that was something she wasn't going to allow. "That's not going to happen. What are doing here, JR?"

"I'm just going for a stroll in the park, enjoying this lovely weather."

"What are you doing in Pine Valley?"

"I'm back to see my son."

"After being away for a year, you finally decide to come back?"

Kendall crossed her arms and smirked. "If you asked me, I think the only thing you've found out about yourself while you were 'trying to find yourself' is that you are still a disgusting pig."

JR glared at the older brunette. "I don't recall asking you, Kendall, and I really don't give a damn what you think. I'll have you know that I'm a changed man."

"That's highly debatable. If you were, you wouldn't have shown up at school without telling anyone." Bianca scoffed.

"I just wanted to see my son. I have that right, and there isn't anything you can do about it."

"There's an order in place, JR, and you know it. You're not allowed to have unsupervised visits. If you want to see AJ, you have to ask Marissa and me. We haven't forgotten that you tried to take AJ out of the country without her permission. That's why the order's still in place. You violate it, you're going to jail. Don't even think that we won't enforce it."

JR stepped forward trying to intimidate Bianca. "You really think you can stop me?"

Bianca didn't back down one inch. Her steely gaze was unwavering. "There's no thinking about it. I know I can stop you."

JR saw the look in his former friend's eyes, and it made him back down. He decided to try another tact. "Look, you and Marissa are going to have another baby. You're going to have your hands full. I could help you with that by …"

"Don't even finish that thought. You can't honestly think for one minute that we would give AJ up, that we would think it's possible to replace him." Bianca shook her head in disbelief and disgust. "AJ is part of our family, and we love him. We're not giving him up or replacing him."

"Fine. I was just thinking of you." JR tried smoothly. Inside, he was kicking himself. He probably should've known better. It wouldn't be that easy or simple with them. It never was.

"Like hell you were. You were thinking about yourself just like you always do. I can't even believe you."

JR thought of another angle to try. "Look, I'm sorry. I'm desperate. I just want to see my son."

"If that's all you want, then you need to run it by us first. We'll talk to AJ, and see what he wants to do."

"You'll talk to AJ? What in the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means we'll ask AJ whether or not he feels comfortable seeing you."

"Comfortable seeing me?! He's my son! Why wouldn't he feel comfortable seeing me? What have you been saying to him? Have you been filling his head with lies about me?" JR could feel his anger starting to build.

"You know that's not something Marissa or I would do. The last time AJ saw you, you scared him. He was afraid of what you would do. It's your anger and the way you yell and scream. You couple that with you trying to take him away from his home and family, it gave him nightmares for a while. He doesn't feel like he can trust you."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about, and I don't know any such thing. You could easily twist his thinking to whatever way you want just like you did Marissa's. Everything was just fine with my family until you decided to stick your nose into it and corrupt them. You just couldn't stand to see us happy and had to ruin everything. You're not his mother. You don't have any rights where he's concerned."

Bianca steeled herself and gritted her teeth. She would be damned if she let him make her lose her temper and be drug down to his level. "I didn't do any such thing, JR. If you remember, you were the one who asked me to help you try and win Marissa back. I wouldn't do it because I would never manipulate Marissa like that. She's more than capable of thinking for herself and making up her own mind as to what she wants. That's a concept you could just never grasp about her. I've never told her what to think, and the same goes with AJ. I wouldn't do that to them. I love them too much. The only things I've done are fall in love with Marissa and make a home with her, AJ and the girls. I've done nothing to you or taken anything away from. You've done all of that yourself."

"We'll see what the courts have to say. I have rights. You don't." JR spat.

"You lost those rights when you tried to bribe the social worker and the judge. Marissa has full custody. As for going to the courts to revisit that, you can try. The only thing you'll succeed in doing though is hurting AJ. You know, it's sad that you seem to think that Marissa will roll over and back down from a fight with you. She won't. She's not the pushover you think she is. She's strong and will do everything in her power to protect her family. So will I. You'd be wise to remember that. You won't win."

JR glared at Bianca but was forced to back down by the glint her eyes. He turned and saw his ex-wife. Her expression was unreadable to him. He remembered that she hated when others spoke for her before. Maybe, he could use that to his advantage.

"So, you're going to let her speak for you now?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca and threw her a smile before shrugging at JR's question. She had heard most of their encounter and had been tempted to step in, but she had promised Bianca that she would let her handle things. She also knew that her fiancée could more than handle herself. "It would seem so."

"You said you hated when I did that."

"I did."

"But you don't with her? What's so different now?"

"Bianca knows what I want. She listens to me and respects my thoughts, feelings and opinions. When she speaks for me, it's because she knows what I want and because she asks me before doing it. Everything she's said? It's exactly what I would say. In fact, I couldn't have said it better myself."

"You've changed and not for the better."

"I suppose I have changed some, but I beg to differ that it's not for the better. I'm more confident in myself and who I am. A large part of that is because of Bianca. It's amazing how it feels to have someone who really listens to you and is there no matter what. To have someone that loves you and doesn't treat you as a possession or a prize, that's something that I never experienced with you. Bianca hasn't corrupted me in the least little bit. She's simply loved me and treated me as an equal. That's the difference."

As Marissa talked, Bianca joined her by her side and taking her hand.

It was then that something caught JR's eye, the ring on Marissa's hand.

"What the hell's that?!"

Bianca looked at the ring and then at her fiancée. "It's an engagement ring. I asked Marissa to marry me."

"And I said 'yes'."

JR stood there looking at the couple stunned by what he'd heard. "You've got to be kidding me. You're joking, right?"

Marissa met his gaze. "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

The blonde shook his head and spat at Bianca. "You're stealing my life, and you're not going to get away with it."

"I'm not doing anything of the kind, JR. You and Marissa are divorced, and we fell in love."

"You twisted her thinking, and it's just wrong."

"Wow, you still think that little of me. You still believe that I can't think for myself. Tell me. What's so wrong about Bianca and me being together? I remember when you tried to set Bianca up with someone from the office."

JR shook his head, unable to offer any type of argument or defense. "It just is. I want to see my son."

"Bianca told you that we'll talk with AJ and see how he feels."

"What the hell! She doesn't get to say in when I see my son!"

Seeing his anger on the rise again, Bianca positioned herself slightly in front of Marissa. She didn't think JR would physically assault the redhead, but she wasn't going to take that chance. If JR wanted to get to Marissa, he would have to go through her.

Marissa, for her part, placed her hand on Bianca's arm, reassuring and calming her at the same time. "Yes, she does because she's looking out for him and has his best interests in mind. Bianca knows exactly what AJ went through when you tried to take him and then again during the custody hearing. Now, where are you staying? Are you staying with Adam and Brooke?"

"Yes." JR replied tersely.

There had been some reluctance on the part of Adam and Brooke to let him stay with them when he showed up on their doorstep the day before because of his previous exploits. Brooke, however, convinced Adam they could keep an eye on JR if he stayed with them and make sure he kept himself in check and limit the amount of trouble he might try and cause. They knew AJ was flourishing with the couple and didn't want JR to get in the way of that.

For her part, Marissa knew the answer to that question before she even asked it. They had contacted Adam and Brooke as soon as they heard JR was back in town. Bianca had spoken with Brooke, and the older woman had assured her that the couple still had their support. During the custody fight, Adam had a change of heart when he realized JR was headed down the same road he had traveled when it came to his son. That road ended with JR being the damaged soul he was today. Adam did not want that cycle to continue in the next generation and wanted to spare his grandson that pain. It was that realization that had him throw his support behind Marissa. He knew without a doubt that she and Bianca would provide the boy a loving and stable home. Having witnessed this change in Adam, the couple readily allowed him to see his grandson. They felt it would be good for both grandfather and grandson, and time had proven them right.

"Okay. One of us will call you there after we talk with AJ. Is there anything else?"

JR shook his head and stalked off seething inside. To him, it felt like he was being replaced by Bianca, that she had stolen his life. He needed to get out of there and away from them. He needed to think.

Bianca glanced at her fiancée. "Are you okay?"

Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'm good. My fiancée saw to it that I was. What about you? You took the brunt of it from him."

"Oh, I'm good. I can handle him just fine. There's only a problem when he starts going after my family. He needs to understand that he's not married to you and hasn't been for a long time. He was the one who screwed up, and his loss is definitely my gain. And I for one am smart enough to know what I have and not let it go, _ever_."

Marissa grinned. "That's _very_ good to hear, and just so you know, everything you said goes double for me."

Kendall watched the couple and shook her head as she smiled. Nothing gave her greater joy than to see her sister fight for what was truly her's and the long overdue happiness that she had found since being with Marissa. "Nicely done, ladies. I'm not sure if any of that got through to Dipshit or not though and whether or not he'll back off."

Bianca sighed knowing that her sister was more than likely right. "I have a sneaking suspicion you're right. We'll be ready for him though."

/

When the couple returned home, they pulled AJ aside to speak with him in private.

"So, AJ, your dad is back in town."

"He is?" He knew Miranda had seen him outside school, but to have his mothers confirm his presence made it all too real.

"Yes, his is. Bianca and I saw him earlier today."

"What happened?"

The couple had already decided that they would never reveal to AJ everything his father had said.

"We talked. He told us that he wants to see you. Marissa and I told him that we would talk with you about it."

"Do I have to see him?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, you don't, not if you don't want to."

AJ fidgeted in his chair. "What if I want to?"

"If you do, that's okay too. We'll make that happen. Bianca and I won't be upset with you at all if you do."

"One of us will be there with you if you do see him." Bianca added seeing a worried look on her son's face.

AJ breathed easier knowing he wouldn't be alone with his dad if he did see him. The boy was torn about what he wanted to do. Part of him wanted to see his dad just as much as a part of him didn't want to see him. He still loved his dad, but he didn't necessarily like him especially when he yelled and said mean things about his Moms. "Do I have to tell you now?"

"No, you don't. You take as much time as you want and need. Whatever you decide will be just fine with us, and we'll be there for you no matter what. We don't want you to worry about us. Okay?"

AJ nodded. The relief that he didn't have to make a decision then and there was clearly evident. "Okay."

"If you want to talk about any of this, all you have to do is let us know."

"Thanks, Ma. Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome, Buddy. I love you."

"I love you too, AJ."

"Love you both."

/

_A few days later_

Marissa sat on a table in the exam room of the Franklin Clinic waiting for Dr. Roeth to come in and begin the insemination procedure. Bianca was right by her side holding her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"Breathe, Rissa."

"Sorry. I guess I'm more nervous than I thought I would be."

"It's alright and perfectly normal to be nervous."

"Ms. Montgomery's right. Everyone is nervous when we do this. In fact, I'd be worried if you weren't." Dr. Roeth smiled as she did her best to reassure the redhead. "Are you alright to get started?"

Marissa took a deep breath and exhaled. "Yes, I am."

"Good. I need you to lie back and try to relax."

The redhead did as instructed. Bianca placed a gentle and loving kiss on Marissa's forehead. Their hands remained linked throughout the entire procedure.

/

"We're done." Dr. Roeth informed the couple a short while later. "I just want you to relax here for a little bit and then you can go. Remember what I told you, no strenuous activity today and limited activity tomorrow. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call. I'm here when you need me. I'll have a nurse come back and let you know when you can get up. Good luck."

"Thank you, Dr. Roeth. I'll make sure she follows doctor's orders." Bianca smiled while the doctor chuckled at her reply having no doubt the brunette would do just that.

"How are you doing, Rissa? Any discomfort?"

Marissa exhaled. "I'm doing okay and no discomfort so far. I'm glad it's over and really hoping it worked."

"Me too. If it doesn't though, I don't want you to worry. We'll try again."

"Thank you. So, what do you have planned for me today since I can't really do anything? You were pretty sneaky about your plans."

Bianca smiled. "I suppose I can tell you now. We'll go back to the hotel, have a nice late lunch in our suite and then we'll go to the spa for a little pampering of a manicure and pedicure."

Marissa's face lit up. "Oh, I love you! I can't remember the last time I had a mani/pedi. There just hasn't been time what with our jobs and shuttling the kids to all of their activities."

"I know. There really hasn't been, but I intend to see that we change that. This isn't just because of us trying to have a baby either. We need to make time for us, something that focuses on us being Marissa and Bianca the couple and not just the kids' moms. To that end, I was thinking of a regular date night. It could be as simple as us going out to dinner and maybe a movie, but something that's just for us."

"You won't get any argument from me on that. I'm completely onboard with the idea of a regular date night for us. I love spending time alone with you."

Bianca leaned in for a loving kiss. "I was hoping you would be onboard with my idea. I'll plan the first one when we get back home."

"You're really too good to me."

"That's simply not possible and never will be."

/

"Hey, Binx. How are things going in New York?"

"It's going okay."

"And Red?"

Bianca smiled. It meant so much to her that Kendall truly cared about Marissa and had been so supportive of them from the start. "She's doing good. We just finished lunch. She's going to rest a little before we go to the spa. How are things there?"

Kendall understood what her sister was saying without her actually saying it. "So far, so good. _Everyone_ is behaving themselves for the moment."

"That's good to hear." Bianca breathed a little easier hearing that things were still relatively calm. JR had steered clear of AJ for the past week even though he had started to call Marissa's cellphone on a regular basis several times a day to try and weaken her resolve. That was something that wasn't going to happen. Marissa was resolute on protecting AJ and not pressuring him. This resulted in more pressure on her however and that was something Bianca was trying to diffuse for her fiancée. To that end, she and Marissa decided to have JR's number blocked on the redhead's cellphone. This left him with the only option of calling Bianca's cellphone because their home phone was unlisted and there wasn't a soul in Pine Valley that was going to give him that number. JR was loathed to call Bianca and was doing his best to avoid her.

The sisters talked for a few more minutes before ending the call.

"I know you have to be as exhausted as Red. Why don't you go take a nap with her? You can call us later. I know the kids will be chomping at the bit to talk to you both then."

"Thanks, Kendall. You're right. Neither of us slept all that well last night. We were both anxious about today so it was a late night and an early morning. I'll call you later."

Bianca disconnected the call and walked into the bedroom. She couldn't help but smile seeing Marissa asleep on the bed. She was so beautiful, and it never failed to take her breath away. The brunette joined her fiancée in bed as carefully as possible so as not to wake her.

"Hey." Marissa smiled sleepily, taking Bianca's arm and pulling her closer.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You can wake me up anytime you want. How are things at home?"

"Honestly, they're good."

Marissa nodded. "I'm glad you decided to join me. I know how tired you are, and don't even think of telling me otherwise."

Bianca chuckled. Marissa knew her all too well. "I wouldn't dream of it. Go back to sleep. We've got plenty of time for a nap." Bianca kissed Marissa softly as she spooned her.

/

_Two days later_

Bianca and Marissa were back home after their trip to New York and from having picked up the kids from Kendall and Zach's.

"Mom, Ma, can I talk to you?"

Marissa stopped setting the table and glanced over at her son. "Of course you can, Buddy."

Bianca turned down the heat on the stove and joined Marissa and AJ at the table. "What's up?"

"I was thinking that I do want to see my dad. I miss him. I don't want to, but I do. Is that okay?" AJ looked nervously between his Moms.

Marissa smiled softly at her son. "Yes, AJ, it's okay."

"You're not mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart, we're not mad. We understand."

"Your Ma is right. We do. I'll call your dad and set something up."

"Will you be there with me?"

"Yes, one if not both of us will be right there with you. We don't want you to worry about anything, okay?

AJ nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Why don't you help me finish setting the table while Bianca calls your dad?"

/

Bianca grabbed her cellphone and headed into the family room for privacy.

"Chandler."

"JR, it's Bianca."

"It's about damn time you called me. Have fun in New York?" JR didn't even try and hide the snarkiness in his voice. He had tried to find out exactly where they were going in hopes of causing some trouble for the couple, but he didn't have any luck.

Bianca ignored the question. "AJ would like to see you."

"Ha! I knew he would! This must really be bothering you and Marissa. I know the two of tried your hardest to fill my son's head with lies about me, but it didn't do any good, now did it? He still loves me and wants me in his life, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it." JR gloated. "I want you to bring him over to the mansion tomorrow morning, and I'll drop him off at your place tomorrow night. I just need you to tell me where you live."

"Are you done?" Bianca waited a beat before continuing. "Good. Now, _I'm_ going to tell _you_ how this is _really_ going to go because you seem to have forgotten a few facts. Namely, Marissa has full custody, and there is a court order in place that prohibits you from seeing him unsupervised. You also seem to forget that you're not in charge, and you don't get to make the decisions and tell us what to do. So, you can see him tomorrow, but I'm not bringing him to the mansion and you're not coming to our home. We'll meet you at Krystal's tomorrow afternoon. You're not going to see him alone. I'll be there the whole time making sure he's safe and that you don't try anything. AJ may want to see you, but he doesn't want to be alone with you. Take it or leave it."

JR gritted his teeth. "Fine! We'll play it your way, for now." _We'll see what my new lawyer has to say about all of this. Enjoy this while you can, Binky._

"Bye, JR." Bianca disconnected the call. The couple knew that JR was up to something and had already contacted Caleb and Jack. Gone were the days where they would wait for him to make a move before they scrambled for a counter plan of attack. If JR thought he was going to walk all over them, he was definitely in for a rude awakening.


	97. Hard Truths

**A/N****: Thanks, as always, for reading, reviewing and sticking with me on this adventure through the wonderful world of Minx! Thank you also for your feedback on my question regarding Bianca's term of endearment for Marissa! I really appreciated them, and they did help. You will find out what I decided on further in this chapter. Speaking of this chapter, a certain character is featured quite a bit in it. I hadn't really planned on that happening. I knew what I wanted to do, but I didn't know they would be such a large part of it. I started writing and just followed where my thoughts led me. I hope you're okay with what I did. I think a couple of you picked up on what I had in mind. This chapter picks up the following day from the previous one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Krystal smiled when she saw the newest customers who entered her restaurant. "If it isn't two of my favorite people! How are both of you doing today?"

"Hi, Grandma."

"Hi, Krystal. We're doing okay. How are you?"

"I can't complain. Your table is ready and waiting for you, as always."

"Do you mind if we sit somewhere else?"

Krystal was confused by Bianca's request but agreed nevertheless. "Of course not. You can sit wherever you want. Is the rest of the family joining you?"

Bianca glanced down at AJ. "Why don't you have a seat over there? I want to talk to your grandma for a minute."

AJ nodded and headed over to the table Bianca had indicated. As soon as he was settled, he pulled out the sketch pad and colored pencils he had brought along with him. He and Bianca had arrived early for his meeting on purpose. The brunette wanted them to be settled in and ready for when JR showed up. AJ loved drawing so Bianca had the boy bring the pad and pencils so he had something to both occupy and relax him while he waited.

"No, Marissa and the girls aren't coming, but we are meeting them in the park later for a picnic. We're actually meeting JR here in a few minutes. AJ wants to see him. He misses his dad. I thought it was best if we met in a public area."

Krystal shook her head and silently cursed the man who had brought pain to both of her daughters as well as her grandson. "I understand. AJ is such a sweet little boy. He's trying to see the good in his dad. I'm guessing you're hoping JR will behave himself if he's in public."

"That's what I'm hoping."

"I get why you don't want this meeting to take place at your table. How's Marissa doing with all of this?"

"She's doing okay. I mean, she's not thrilled that he's back in town, and he said some pretty nasty things when we saw him."

"I'm not surprised by that at all."

"But AJ wants to see him so that's what we're going to do. She's letting me handle this meeting."

"I'm glad to hear that. The less she has to do with him the better."

"I agree. I just don't trust him around her. Besides, she's talking to Caleb and Jack about this latest situation."

"What about it? Oh wait, you think JR's going to try for custody or increased visitation?"

"Yes, we do. Marissa has a friend at the courthouse. They've told her that JR's new lawyer has been sniffing around trying to get a feel of the judges and their stances on certain hot button issues."

"Such as same sex relationships."

"You got it."

"But surely with everything JR pulled with attempted kidnapping and bribing a judge, no judge in their right mind could seriously consider him being a better parent and change that order."

Bianca sighed. "I wish I could tell you that you're right and that would never happen, but …"

"But you can't. I hate this for the two of you and especially for my grandson. Is there anything I can do?"

"Be there for AJ and Marissa."

"You know that I will. Anything else? Maybe hold JR down while you kick the crap out of him?"

Bianca chuckled. "I'll keep that in mind for another time."

"Please do. In the meantime, how about I get you an iced tea and AJ a chocolate milk?"

"That sounds perfect. Thanks."

/

Bianca joined her son at the table and looked at what he was drawing. "That's really good, AJ. Is that the tree house you and Miranda have been talking about wanting to build?"

"We're thinking of making it a clubhouse now. It'll be easier for us to build and Max could come inside too since it won't be up high."

"That's really good thinking, Buddy. You have a really good eye and are really talented."

AJ beamed hearing the words of praise from his Mom.

"What do we have here?" Krystal asked as she delivered their drinks.

"It's a clubhouse, Grandma. Me and Miranda." AJ paused and gave his brunette Mom a smile. "I mean, Miranda and I are going to build it." He took a large drink of this chocolate milk. "Thanks, Grandma."

"You're welcome, sweetie. That's a very good drawing. Bianca's right. You're good. I'll leave you two alone. Opal and I are right over there if you need us."

Bianca nodded and glanced over at her mother's best friend. Opal smiled, but Bianca could see the determined look in the other woman's eyes. She was more than ready to jump into the fray if the need arose. "Thanks."

Mother and son chatted over the details of his sketch for a few more minutes before AJ grew quiet.

"How are you doing, Buddy?" Bianca could tell AJ was nervous, and she hated that he was going through all of this. He shouldn't have to. No child should have to.

AJ shrugged. "I guess I'm okay. I'm really glad you're here, Mom."

"Me too." Bianca gave the boy a hug.

/

"AJ! I can't tell you how good it is to see you, son." JR moved to hug the boy, but AJ got up and moved closer to Bianca. "Come on, AJ. Give me a hug. It's been a while since I've seen you. Come on."

AJ shook his head and moved even closer to Bianca. "I don't want to."

"Why don't we hold off on that, JR?"

"Why because you said so?"

"No, because it's clear that AJ's not comfortable doing that. Why don't you have a seat? We'll talk."

It was clear that JR wasn't happy about all of this but went ahead and took a seat. The way his son was looking at him bothered him. There was something about it that was vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place it.

"So, AJ, how have you been? How's school?"

AJ relaxed now that there was some distance between him and his father but still remained next to Bianca. "School's good. We're done till August. I did really good this year. Mom and Ma always make sure to help us if we get stuck with our homework."

"Which isn't very often because AJ is very smart." Bianca smiled and ruffled the boy's hair.

AJ beamed at the brunette.

The brief exchange between the two caused a pang of jealousy in JR. "Oh, I got you something." JR handed over the gift bag.

AJ glanced at Bianca for her approval to take it. After seeing her nod, he inched forward for the bag. "Thank you." He reached inside and pulled out a video game. It was one that he had gotten from Marissa's friends Brian and Stef for Christmas.

"You already have that one, don't you?"

AJ didn't want to disappoint or upset his dad so he did his best to spare his feelings. "Yeah, but the one I have is starting to skip some so we can use this one. Thanks, dad."

JR could tell by the look on the boy's face that he was making up the story to spare his feelings. _There's no way I can say that he got that from me or my side of the family. We wouldn't have cared._ He glanced up and his gaze met his former friend's. He knew exactly the two people responsible for that. He looked back at his son. "You're welcome." JR struggled to get his bearings back. "Hey, AJ, are you still playing baseball? Maybe we can play catch and I could teach you a few things. I'm sure it'll be nice to have someone to catch with."

"That's okay. Ma plays catch with me. She's really good too. Her Dad taught her when she was little, and when she was older, she played softball. She played in a game for firm's company picnic and had a couple hits. When she gets home from work and my homework is done, we play. She's taught Miranda too. Mimo's not as good as me though, but she's better than me at soccer. Mom's trying to teach me that."

"I'm trying. You know it's fine that you're better at different sports. It just shows that you each have your specialties." Bianca offered.

"You're still following the Phillies, right?"

AJ shook his head. "No, I like the Cincinnati Reds."

"Why do you like them?"

"Ma's Dad grew up in Ohio and liked the Reds. She grew up following them and knows lots about them. They're really good this year. My favorite player is Brandon Phillips. He plays second base which is what I play. We went and saw them when they played the Phillies. He signed a ball for me!"

"That's, that's great, AJ. What about pitching? You wanted to do that."

"My coach wanted me to try playing second base one time, and I like it better. I get to start every game. Oh, we got a dog! His name's Max like the Grinch's dog. We take turns taking care of him, and he takes turn sleeping with us."

JR listened to his son and realized that he didn't know him as much as he thought he had. He wanted to blame Marissa and Bianca but something was telling him that maybe that wasn't the case. "That's great about the dog. You're calling Bianca 'Mom' and Marissa 'Ma' now, huh?"

AJ nodded slightly. "Yeah, we all do. The three of us asked them if we could, and they said it was okay if that's what we really wanted."

"I see." An awkward pause followed while JR contemplated this information. "I hear they want to have a baby."

"JR, don't." Bianca warned. She had an idea where JR was going with this and wanted to stop him before he started.

AJ piped up. "Yeah, they do. I think it's a great idea. They're the best Moms ever so the baby will be really lucky to have them, and I'm going to be the best big brother there is."

"You already are, Buddy. You already are. Gabby thinks you're great, and you're doing a good job teaching her how to play basketball." Bianca smiled.

For a moment, JR thought to push the issue of a baby thinking he could leverage that but common sense caused him to refrain seeing how happy AJ actually was about the idea.

"Can I ask you something, Dad?"

JR snapped out of his haze. "Of course you can, AJ. You can ask me anything."

"Are you mad that I call Bianca 'Mom'?"

This took the man off balance. "Why do you think that?"

"Because you got that look you get when you're gonna yell. I don't want you to be mad at them."

"AJ, you don't need to worry about this." Bianca tried to soothe the boy.

"But it's not your fault. I don't want him to be mad at you and Ma and start yelling at you guys again. It was our idea to call you that. It's not fair for him to blame you."

JR was left speechless at he listened to his son.

"I don't want you to yell at them. I don't like it when you yell. It scares me, and Mom and Ma aren't telling me to say that."

"I don't yell that much, AJ."

"Yes, you do, and I don't like you very much when you do. You're not nice like you used to be. I like where I'm at, and I don't want you to try and take me away again. I'm happy, dad. Don't you want me to be happy?"

JR sat there stunned by his son's words.

Bianca was surprised where AJ had taken the conversation but recovered quickly. She thought it was in everyone's best interest to end this meeting. The brunette didn't really think that JR would start yelling at AJ, but she didn't really want to take that chance. "I think we should go. We need to go meet your Ma and the girls for our picnic. Okay, Buddy?"

AJ nodded and grasped Bianca's hand when she stood.

"I'll talk to you in a day or two, JR. I think it's better if we take some time before we consider trying this again."

JR glanced up at the brunette and nodded. "You're probably right. AJ, I'm sorry that I make you feel that way. I love you."

/

JR continued to sit in the restaurant after Bianca and AJ left. He had no idea his son felt that way, that AJ doubted that he wanted him to be happy. Of course he did. Nothing mattered more to him that his son's happiness. That's what he had fought so hard for.

"Out of the mouths of babes, wouldn't you say, JR?"

The blonde glanced up to see Opal standing there. "AJ thinks I don't want him to be happy."

"Well, can you really blame him? You tried to take him away from Marissa and the family the two of them had built with Bianca and the girls. He's also seen you yelling at them and saying some pretty nasty things. You disappear for a while and then pop up out of nowhere and expect him to act like nothing's happened. To top it all off, you kept throwing hateful looks at a woman he loves and views as another mother. What else would he think?"

"I really do want him to be happy. He's my son."

"He's Marissa's too, and she never tried to keep him away from you, at least not out of spite like you did. The way I see it, the only thing Marissa did was fall in love with someone else, and the two of you weren't even together any more when that happened. Marissa wasn't trying to hurt you and neither was Bianca. You should know better than anyone else that you can't help who you fall in love with. You know, I remember when you and Bianca were friends. If anybody got the bum end of the deal out of that relationship, it was Bianca. That girl has been through a lot. They both have. They deserve to be happy and have love. They found that with each other. I think it's high time you asked yourself if you really want Marissa back because you love her or because you can't have her. She's moved on. Don't you think you should too?"

/

JR needed to get out the restaurant. He needed some fresh air and needed to think. AJ's words were ringing in his ears as he walked. He finally came to the realization of how much his words and actions affected his son. He loved AJ. He was his life. He was the one thing in his life that he had ever done right, the one bright spot in it. JR had found it so easy to blame Marissa and Bianca for, well for everything, but that was far from the truth. He managed to screw that up all on his own.

Opal, as much as he hated to admit it, was right. Marissa had never tried to keep AJ away from him just to get back at him, not like her sister. No, she'd done it to keep AJ safe from him. That hard truth pained him to admit. He knew it was true though because he remembered where he'd seen that look in his son's eyes. It was a look he'd seen in his own eyes when he was younger and dealing with everything Adam had done. JR hadn't wanted to be like his father but now realized he had repeated many of the same mistakes. His son was scared of him and with good reason. There was a difference between JR and his son though. AJ had Marissa.

Marissa was a fighter. She didn't back down from a challenge, and she was stronger and more sure of herself than he had thought. She'd literally help save his life, and how did he repay her? He lied and cheated on her. He almost got her killed, and he tried to hurt her in the worst possible way by taking AJ away from her. Looking back, he wasn't very proud of himself at all for what he'd done.

Then, there was Bianca. When they were younger, they had been really good friends. How did he repay her? The sins he had committed against her were countless. The most damning was his actions when he pushed her over the balcony when she was just trying to get her daughter back. Bianca had grown up privileged like he had, but they were as different as night and day. What she had gone through? There was no way he could have survived it. If somehow he had managed to, he knew without a doubt he would not have maintained the positive attitude that Bianca had. He couldn't see himself turning a horrific incident into the positive that she had with creating the Miranda Center.

/

Bianca carried a blanket in one hand while holding AJ's hand with her other as they entered the park.

"Are you feeling better, Buddy?"

AJ looked up and smiled. "Yeah. I had to tell him that stuff, Mom. I didn't get a chance to before. I just don't want him being mad anymore. He's not the dad that I used to have, and I had to tell him he was wrong."

"You're very brave to do that. I'm very proud of you, and I know your Ma will be too. Thank you for defending for us."

AJ smiled brightly. "You're welcome. Maybe he'll be better now."

"If anyone can change your dad's mind, it's you." Bianca heard someone call her name and glanced up. Her smile widened when she saw Marissa, the girls and Max heading their way. Marissa was carrying a picnic basket and holding Gabby's hand while Miranda held Max's leash. "Let's go help them. I'll race you."

AJ grinned. "Okay!" The boy took off and Bianca followed after a few steps.

/

"And the winner is AJ!" Marissa had set down the picnic basket and gave her son a high five while the girls cheered with Max happily barking.

Bianca, who had been running at no more than half speed, joined her family. "Good job, Buddy!" The brunette glanced at Marissa and smiled softly before leaning in for a quick kiss. "Let me take that."

Marissa simply smiled and let her fiancée pick up the picnic basket before taking the blanket from Bianca in return. "Why don't the three of you go swing while we get things set up?" She unhooked Max's leash from his collar and took it from Miranda.

The three younger family members didn't have to hear the suggestion twice before taking off with Max following closely behind. The couple found a nearby spot where they could keep an eye on the kids while they set up their picnic.

Marissa spread the blanket down on the grass and Bianca quickly unpacked the basket.

"How did go?"

"It was surprising. There was one point where I thought I was going to have to end the meeting early. JR started to broach the topic of us trying to have a baby. There was something in his tone that made me think he was going to try and use that to maybe tell AJ we wouldn't love him as much with a new baby, but it didn't happen. I honestly think seeing how excited AJ was about it made JR back off."

"I'm glad JR didn't cross that line. The only thing a lie like that would do is hurt AJ."

"You and me both. AJ called me 'Mom' a couple of times in front of him. I don't even think about it anymore, but JR noticed."

"How did that go over?"

"I don't think it went over very well, and AJ could tell because he asked if he was mad about it. When JR asked why he asked, AJ told him he had a look on his face that he always gets when he's going to yell. Then, AJ asked JR point blank whether or not he wanted him to be happy. He told him he didn't like him when he yelled and it scared him. He also made sure JR knew that we didn't tell him to say any of that."

Marissa's jaw dropped. She knew how AJ felt about everything but didn't know that he would confront his father head on like he had. "Wow, I can't believe he did that. I'm proud of him that he did that but sad that he feels that way and has to deal with all of this."

"Me too."

"How did JR take that?"

"To be honest, I think it took him by surprise, and he just sat there. I wasn't quite sure how he was going to react when everything sunk in so I took the opportunity to leave. JR didn't seem to have a problem with that because he didn't raise a fuss about it. I told him that I'd call him in a day or two."

"Huh. Did AJ say anything to you when you left?"

"He said he had to tell JR that because he didn't get a chance to before. He also hopes that JR will be better now. I think he's hoping he got through to his dad. I told him if anyone did that it would be him."

Marissa smiled. "We have an amazing boy there."

"Yes, we sure do." Bianca's smile matched her fiancée's. "How did it go with Caleb and Uncle Jack?"

"We haven't heard anything new. We have affidavits from the social worker and judge from our custody hearing which is very good to have in case we need it as well as the police report from when he tried to take AJ. So, they are as prepared as they can be."

Bianca could see a hint of worry in those beautiful hazel eyes. "Hey, it's going to be okay. Uncle Jack and Caleb have a common cause and are working together which is something that doesn't happen every day. With those two working together, whatever JR's shark has up his sleeve doesn't stand a chance of succeeding."

"You're right. He doesn't. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For knowing exactly the right thing to say, for dealing with JR, for being here and most importantly, for loving me."

Bianca grinned. "All of that is easy to do, especially that last one. Honey, loving you is the easiest thing on earth."

Marissa smiled brightly. "Ditto. It's also one of the best things I've ever or will ever do."

The couple shared a quick kiss before they finished setting up dinner.

"Kids, time to eat."

/

JR glanced up when he heard voices he recognized. Without realizing where he was walking, he had wandered into the park and found Marissa, Bianca and the kids there. He hung back out of sight and watched. AJ and the girls were laughing and running as a dog JR assumed was Max chased them. He saw Bianca and Marissa as they alternated between turning towards the kids and each other. He saw the smiles on their faces, the way they lit up when they looked at each other, the love that shone in their eyes. Opal's words echoed in his mind.

"_The only thing Marissa did was fall in love with someone else. Marissa wasn't trying to hurt you and neither was Bianca. You should know better than anyone else that you can't help who you fall in love with. They deserve to be happy and have love. They found that with each other. I think it's high time you asked yourself if you really want Marissa back because you love her or because you can't have her. She's moved on. Don't you think you should too?"_

"They look happy, don't they?"

JR's head snapped around and saw Tad standing behind him with his gaze towards the family. "Yeah, they do. All of them do."

"It's good to see you, JR, although I have to ask why you came back. Do you plan on trying to cause any trouble for them? If you do, the only one who'll really be hurt will be AJ."

JR sighed and shook his head. His step-father knew him. "I wanted to see AJ. I missed him. Yeah, I thought about trying to cause them some problems. I hired a new lawyer to look into getting custody back."

Tad shook his head, his disappointment clearly evident. "JR …"

"Don't tell me. I know. You're disappointed. It's written all over your face."

"Have you changed your mind?"

JR didn't answer the question. "They let me see AJ earlier. Bianca was with him. Did you know that he calls her 'Mom' now?"

"Yes, I did. He started calling her that at Christmas. They all call her that now and call Marissa 'Ma'. Well, except for Gabby. She calls them both 'Mommy'. She's a little on the stubborn side. She probably gets that from her Grandma Erica."

"AJ said he was scared of me when I yelled and didn't like me when I did. He asked whether or not I wanted him to be happy. My son is scared of me and doesn't think I want him to be happy. I really am pathetic. I've been trying to blame them when I don't have anyone else to blame but myself." JR observed the couple. "They really do love each other."

"They do, and they're good together. I know you don't want to hear this, but I've never seen Marissa happier."

"You're right. I don't want to hear it, but I guess I need to. She never smiled like that when she was with me. I'm never going to get her back. I don't deserve to." There was no question involved, just a statement of fact.

"I don't know what you want me to say to that. She's moved on and is happy. You need to move on too. I want you to be happy, JR, but that happiness shouldn't come at the expense of someone else. That's something I learned the hard way."

"Yeah. That's something I think I'm finally learning the hard way too. Marissa's a good mother, isn't she?"

Tad nodded. "Yes, she is. They both are, but you already know that."

"Yeah, I do." JR continued to watch the family. They had finished dinner, and now, Bianca and Marissa were chasing the kids. Gabby had been 'caught' by Marissa who had lifted the giggling little girl and spun her around. Gabby squealed for help when the redhead began to tickle her. Bianca was tracking down Miranda which left AJ free. He dashed forward to 'rescue' Gabby by tickling Marissa.

JR could easily see they were happy, that they were a family. He swallowed the lump of bitterness in his throat. They had what he wanted, and he couldn't help but feel bitter and jealous. As much as he wanted to in that minute, he couldn't blame them. It was all on him. "You know they both almost died because of me, because I couldn't accept the truth." JR finally turned to face his step-father. "I've really screwed up my life, Tad."

"You kind of have, but it's not too late to try and fix it if you want to."

"Where do I start?"

Tad placed his hand on JR's shoulder. "You start by fixing yourself, letting go of that hatred, bitterness and anger. It's toxic. It's not good for you, and you know it's not good for AJ. Look, if you won't do it for you, then do it for him. Become the man I know you're capable of being. Become the kind of man that your son can be proud of."

"How do I do that?"

"There are people that specialize in that kind of thing. Places you can go to get the help you need. I'll help you any way that I can if you're serious about this."

JR considered Tad's words as he watched AJ for a few minutes. Maybe it wasn't too late. "I want to be better for AJ. I really do. I want to be in his life. I'll do whatever it takes to be the dad he deserves. I'd appreciate any help me you're willing to give."

Tad smiled. "That's good to hear. I'm proud of you. You want to get started?"

"Yeah, I do." JR spared one final glance over his shoulder at his son before leaving with Tad.

/

Bianca stopped mid-stride. She saw Tad and JR some distance away now leaving the park. A pair of soft arms reaching around her from behind broke her gaze and caused some of the tension brought about at the sight of the blonde man to leave her body.

"Everything okay?"

"I'm not sure."

Marissa's eyes tracked what Bianca had been watching. She saw spotted Tad and her ex-husband walking away, the older man's hand on JR's slumped shoulder. "He was here? He didn't try and talk with AJ."

"No, he didn't. I wonder why."

"Mommy! Can we have ice cream?" Gabby asked excitedly as she pointed at the ice cream vendor.

Bianca turned and caught a glimpse of AJ and Miranda quickly moving away from their little sister and chuckled. She knew they had put her up to asking for it, although she was sure it didn't take much prompting. "May we have ice cream."

"May we have ice cream, Mommy?"

"Yeah, may we have ice cream?" Marissa grinned as she batted her eyes. She knew ice cream would be a good diversion to keep the kids from seeing JR as well as a welcomed treat for everyone.

"That is so not fair ganging up on me like that! Okay, let's get some ice cream."

A cheer rang out from the family. The kids and Max raced ahead with their mothers trailing behind.

"Do you want to call Tad or do you want me to?" Marissa asked, clearly reading her fiancée's mind.

Bianca smiled. "Let me call him. For now, let's enjoy our evening."

/

Marissa heard her cellphone ring but currently had her hands full emptying the picnic basket.

"I'll get it, Honey." Bianca smiled as she entered the kitchen having returned from getting AJ and Miranda started on their baths. Gabby's bath would be tackled when one of the other two was done and a bathroom was freed up. "It's Tad."

Both women were immediately suspicious as to whether or not it really was him.

"Go ahead and answer."

"Hello."

There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line and then a clearing of the throat. "Hi, Bianca."

"JR, I thought we agreed that I'd call you in a take or two."

"We did, but I wanted to talk to Marissa and you if I could."

Marissa wiped her hands and the couple stepped outside for some privacy.

"I'll put you on speaker."

"JR, what's up?" Marissa asked.

"I'm sure Bianca's told you about this afternoon and what AJ said."

"Yes, she did."

"It … It got me to thinking. Something, I hate to say, that's been long overdue. I honestly didn't realize what I was doing to AJ, and for that, I can never say how sorry I am about that. I … I'm going to go away again for a little while. I need some help dealing with this anger that I have. It's not all related to the two of you, but you've been getting all of the blame and fallout. I don't want my, our son to look at me that way again. I don't want to lose him, and I realized this afternoon that I'm close to having that happen. There's no one else to blame but me for that. So, I'm going away to get some help, some real help. Tad made some calls tonight and found a place I can go to."

The couple exchanged a surprised look.

Marissa spoke first. "When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow evening. I'd like to say goodbye to AJ before I leave if I could. I'll be happy to meet wherever you want. I just want to see him before I leave, tell him I'm sorry and that I'm going to try and be a better person for him."

Marissa nodded to Bianca who spoke for them. "How does Krystal's at 2:00 tomorrow sound?"

"I'll be there. Thank you."

"We'll see you tomorrow." The redhead answered.

Marissa spoke up immediately after the call was disconnected and before Bianca could object. "Before you even say anything, I'm going with you and AJ. I have to. I need to see this for myself. I also need to show JR that I'm not afraid to stand up to him. I know you want to keep my stress level to a minimum right now and god knows that JR can add to that in a heartbeat. I love you for it. I'm not totally defenseless though and don't need you to fight all of my battles. I prefer you fight them with me and not for me."

Bianca sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm doing the overprotective thing again like I did when you were hurt, huh? I know you're not defenseless, far from it. You are one of the strongest people I know. I just want to make sure he doesn't hurt you anymore. He's done enough of that to last two lifetimes. I know I'm being overly cautious, and I'll try my best not to go overboard on it because I would feel the same way you are right now. Promise me if I get too over-protective that you'll let me know."

Marissa cupped Bianca's cheek and leaned in for a loving kiss. "That, I can do, Babe. And you're right. You're just doing what I've done where you're concerned."

Bianca paused and then nodded. "If he starts anything though …"

"I'll get AJ out of there and let you take over in all your Kane badassness." Marissa smirked.

"Badassness? I somehow don't think that's a real word."

"I just said it so of course it is! It's not like I can just go inventing words, is it now?" Marissa responded with a cheeky grin.

Bianca laughed. "And what does it mean?"

"It's more of a state being meant to make others quake and cower when faced with it. If you were to look it up, it would say 'see Kane death glare'."

"With you being the exception of course for the quaking and cowering." Bianca smirked.

"Of course. I'm always the exception when it comes to you." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

"Yes, you definitely are. You are the best of exceptions." A chuckle escaped from the brunette.

"Thank you! Seriously, I'll get AJ out of there and let you deal with JR if he starts anything. Trust me, you have my word on that. I promised you that I would let you have your say with JR, and I have every intention of keeping that."

"You know that I trust you. Thank you for doing this."

"I've told you before that I understand. We'd be having this same conversation if the roles were reversed."

"Very true." Bianca gave her a quick kiss. "Come on. AJ and Miranda should be done with their baths, and Gabby still needs her's."

"I'm taking care of her tonight. Don't forget. You're reading tonight's bedtime story."

"Would you mind reading it?"

"Why?"

"Well, you do such a great job, and I know the kids really love it when you do them."

"They love it when you read too."

"Not as much when you do though."

"Spill it, Montgomery." Marissa arched an eyebrow.

"Fine, I love watching you when you read to them. You really do make the stories come alive. It's better than a movie. Please?" Bianca grinned.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "That's not fair. You know how hard it is for me to resist you when you give me that look."

Bianca batted her eyes again. "Pretty please? I promise to make it worth your while later."

Marissa gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine, if it really means that much to you, I'll read. I look forward to your _payment_ after the kids are asleep."


	98. Saying Goodbye

**A/N****: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following this not so little tale! It's hard to believe that I am fast approaching 100 chapters and 500,000 words and have received over 600 reviews. It boggles the mind. Thank you all. I still have ideas for future chapters so I don't see an end in sight yet so I hope you continue to stick with me. I'm glad you understood about the large presence of a certain character in the previous chapter. It was needed for story purposes. He'll be in this one as well but not as much. This chapter picks up the following day from the previous chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"JR actually said that? He's really going somewhere to get help with his anger issues? Wow. I never thought I'd live to see the day." Kendall had come over to watch Miranda and Gabby for the couple while they took AJ to say goodbye to JR. She had brought Spike and Ian with her and all five children were currently playing in the backyard while the three women discussed yesterday's events. Kendall, for her part, was still trying to wrap her head around what she had been told.

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, that's what he said. He told us that he didn't realize what he was doing to AJ, what he was putting him through. I mean, AJ pretty much called him out on a lot of stuff yesterday, and I think he got through to JR. I think he realized some things. His anger was starting to get out of hand again, and if he doesn't do anything about it, there's a very real possibility AJ won't want to be around him anymore. He saw how AJ looked at him and realized he's really close to losing him and doesn't want that to happen. He also acknowledged there's other stuff behind this anger and not just the two of us being together. We've just been getting all of the blame since we were easy targets for him."

"He realized that he was responsible for the things that have been going on in his life. So, he said he was going to get some real help and that Tad helped him a find place to go to. He wants to say goodbye to AJ before he leaves." Marissa finished.

"I hope he means it, but I'm sorry. I'm finding this change of heart a little hard to believe. Do you really trust him?"

The couple exchanged a look and sighed.

"We're not sure. Part of us wants to, but the part that's been burned by JR too many times to count is leery to say the very least. We're taking this meeting very cautiously. Bianca and I are both going to be there in case he does try to pull something. We're not taking any chances."

"That's very smart. How's AJ doing with this?"

Bianca smiled as she watched the blonde laughing as he played. "He's hopeful. He misses the dad JR used to be, and he's hoping this is the start of getting him back. We just hope JR doesn't screw this up and end up hurting AJ. Thank you for coming over and watching the girls."

"There is no need to thank me. I'm happy to do it. The boys were excited about coming over and going swimming later."

"We shouldn't be too long. JR's flight is at 4:30 so there won't be a lot of time for them to go into too much at Krystal's. If they want to go swimming before we get back, go ahead and let them. With that said, we need to go. I'll get AJ." Marissa stood and walked over to retrieve AJ.

Kendall looked at her sister. "Good luck."

"Thanks. Opal and Krystal told us they both plan on being there again, _just in case_."

"It's always good to have back up, and if JR does screw up, he doesn't stand a chance of getting out of there alive with those two watching him like hawks. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask for it."

"We won't. Will Greenlee be over soon?"

"Yes, she and Emma will be here in about 20 minutes or so. She said that Emma was excited about the impromptu pool party."

"I'm glad to hear that." Bianca smiled as Marissa and AJ approached. "Let's go."

/

For this visit, JR had arrived at Krystal's early. He and Tad found a table and waited.

"Tad, _JR_." Opal eyed the younger man warily. She and Krystal had been there when JR arrived home with her son. They listened as the two men explained what JR was going to do and hope to accomplish. The women hoped he was being honest because they did not want to see anyone hurt by JR's actions again, particularly AJ.

"Mama, we're good. We don't need anything to drink _or anything else_." Tad didn't need his mother or Krystal to do anything to jeopardize the situation. He knew they meant well and were only looking out for AJ as well as Bianca and Marissa, but he really didn't want to chance them doing anything to mess this up.

"Alright, I was just checking. Krystal and I will be over there keeping an eye on things if anything should come up."

Tad rolled his eyes and motioned for his mother to move away. "Got it. I'll keep it in mind. Thanks."

"They don't trust me. I can't say I blame them. I haven't done anything to earn it." JR admitted.

"True, you haven't, but you are now. You're trying, just don't …"

"I know. Don't do anything to screw it up. I really mean it this time, Tad. I don't think I'll ever forget the way AJ looked at me. I just hope I can change that."

"Well, here's your chance to start." Tad nodded towards the door as Bianca, Marissa and AJ entered.

/

JR stood but didn't make any further movements. "How are you doing, AJ?"

"I'm okay. Hi, Tad."

"Hi, AJ. Bianca, Marissa, why don't the three of you have a seat."

"Tad, JR."

All eyes were on JR as they waited for him to begin. "Thank you for coming today. You didn't have to. I know that so thanks. AJ, I want to tell you that I'm sorry. You're right. I haven't been very nice lately and have yelled a lot. I've been mad about things not going the way that I've wanted them to so I've been blaming other people, taking it out on them, and it's not right. It's nobody else's fault but mine. You don't deserve that and neither does B, your Mom and Ma. I realize that I've been wrong, and I'm going to try and do better. I need to work some things out, and it's going to take work on my part. I'm going to do it though. I want to be better. I want to be the kind of dad you deserve to have. I can't do it by myself though so I'm going away to a place that can help me."

"Where are you going?" AJ asked.

"Tad helped me find a place in California where I can work on the things that I need to."

"Will you write me?"

JR looked at Marissa and Bianca. Seeing a nod from them, he answered. "If you want me to, I'd like nothing better. I'll email you, and when the folks at the treatment center let me, I'll give you a call. It may not be for a little while. They have rules that I need to follow before I can do that. I really am sorry, AJ. Thank you for helping me see how wrong I was. I needed that."

AJ smiled shyly. "You're welcome. I'm glad you're going to try and be better."

"That's good to hear, AJ." JR looked at Bianca and Marissa. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done or said to both of you. I've called my lawyer and told him to back off. I'm going to respect the court's ruling, and I'm not going to try and take him away. I know AJ is better off with you. I can see it now. I just wish I could've seen earlier. It could've saved us all a lot of pain."

Marissa nodded. "Thank you for telling us that."

JR shook his head. "Neither of you owe me any thanks. You're great parents. I can see how happy he is and how great he's doing with you and the girls. I want him to be happy, and he really is."

Tad hated to break up the moment but needed to. "JR, it's time for us to go if we're going to make our flight."

JR nodded. "You're right. AJ, I know I don't have to tell you, but be good for your mothers."

AJ hugged JR. "I will. I'll miss you."

"Not as much as I'll miss you. I love you." JR released his son and looked at the couple.

"Good luck, JR."

JR nodded to his ex-wife. "Thank you. To you too. I mean that. I know I'll never be able to make up for everything that I've done to both of you, but I really am glad that you've found each other and are happy. You both deserve it. Take care of each other."

Bianca put her arm around Marissa who rested her hands on AJ's shoulders. "We will. Take care of yourself, JR."

JR smiled knowing his former friend meant what she'd said. He knew they would never be the friends they once were, but hopefully by his getting help, they would be able to forge a peaceful coexistence.

Once Tad and JR left, Marissa looked down at her son. "You okay, AJ?"

"I think so. I'm glad he's gonna try and be better."

Bianca smiled at her son. "So are we, Buddy. What do you say we go home and join everyone in the pool?"

AJ nodded happily. "That sounds good." He knew the three of them would talk more later, but right now, he just break from it. He was glad his Moms saw that and didn't press him any further today.

/

Marissa pulled into the garage. "Go change into your swim trunks, AJ. Don't get into the pool though without your Mom, Aunt Kendall, Greenlee or me there, okay?"

"Okay, Ma." AJ jumped out of the car and headed inside.

Bianca turned to her fiancée after they had gotten out of the car. "Do you think JR means what he said?"

Marissa thought for a moment as they walked inside. "I think so. There was something in his eyes that I hadn't seen before. That's not to say that I think we should let our guard down. I don't know that I'll ever be able to really trust him."

"I agree with all of that. I just really hope he doesn't mess this up. It would crush AJ."

They were interrupted by Marissa's cellphone ringing. "I need to get this. It's one of the investigators who're working on a case for me. I promise it will only take a few minutes. I'll meet you outside."

Bianca nodded as she headed to their bedroom to change into her swimsuit while Marissa ducked into their home office to take some notes.

/

"Hey, Bianca. Where's Marissa?" Greenlee swam to the side of the pool and greeted the brunette.

"Hey, Greenlee. She had to take a call. She'll be out in a minute. I'm glad you and Emma could come over today." Bianca laid beach towels for Marissa, AJ and herself on lounge chairs by the pool before sitting on the edge and dangling her legs in the cool water. She smiled as she watched the kids splash around.

"Thanks for inviting us."

"How did it go, Binx? AJ seems okay." Kendall joined her sister and friend.

"Yeah, he is, but we'll talk some more later. Rissa and I could tell he needed a break. The last two days have been a little rough for him so a pool party seemed in order."

"Seems like you and Red could use the break too and have some fun. Speaking of fun, your nephew Spike didn't believe me when I said you knew how to do a cannonball." Kendall spoke loud enough to get the attention of the children.

"Oh really? Spike, is that true?"

The boy blushed and nodded shyly. "I never saw you do one, Aunt Bianca."

"Mom does the best ones. Show him, Mom!" Miranda shouted encouragement to her brunette mother.

"Yeah, show him, Mom!" AJ joined in.

Gabby paddled over to the side of the pool in her swimmies. "You can do it, Mommy."

Bianca smiled at her youngest daughter. "Well, I guess that settles that!"

Greenlee pulled herself out of the pool and went to get her cellphone. "I gotta record this!"

"Gabby, you stay next to your Aunt Kendall. The rest of you, stay where you are in the shallow end and be prepared to be amazed!"

Marissa walked outside to see Bianca on the other side of the pool wearing a red bikini that she had picked up on a recent trip to New York that she hadn't had a chance to wear yet. The swimsuit fit her perfectly and had the redhead stopping in her tracks at the sight. Bianca ran to the edge of the pool and jumped at the last second before executing a perfect cannonball in the middle of the pool with water splashing the kids and her sister. When Bianca emerged from the water, Marissa caught her breath. Her fiancée was beaming and carefree and was absolutely beautiful.

"If you don't want to swallow any bugs, you should probably close your mouth, Marissa." Greenlee smirked.

Marissa snapped out of her daze. "Hey, Greenlee. It's good to see you."

"Obviously, it's not as good to see someone else in a bikini. You know, you could give a girl a complex the way you're ogling her. It's like no one else is around and you literally only have eyes for her." Greenlee teased.

"Huh? Oh yeah, you look nice too." Marissa said clearly distracted by Bianca with her eyes never once leaving her fiancée and travelling to the smaller brunette standing right next to her.

Greenlee laughed. "Gee, that really sounded sincere."

Marissa chuckled. "Sorry. I just can't help it. She's beautiful and takes my breath away every day."

"You've been together a year and a half. Shouldn't you be out of the honeymoon phase by now? A lot of couples are by this point."

"I don't know about other couples, but we're nowhere near the end of it. I don't see it ending anytime in the near future, if ever."

"You are so whipped."

"Yup and I couldn't be happier about it!" Marissa grinned.

/

Bianca heard Marissa laughing and glanced over to see her fiancée talking with Greenlee. The brunette's breath hitched when she saw Marissa in the teal bikini she had picked up in New York. Bianca hadn't seen her in it yet and her eyes freely raked over the redhead, drinking in the sight in front of her.

"You're drooling, Binx."

"What?" Bianca snapped to attention and swiftly moved her hand to her chin before catching her sister's amused expression. "Funny, very funny."

Kendall cracked up. "Sorry. I couldn't help myself, but you did look like you were about to start drooling. You'd think after all this time you'd be used to seeing Red dressed like that."

Bianca grinned and shook her head. "Nope, no way. I'm never going to get used to it, and I'm never going to stop appreciating it."

"You know when she's pregnant she's not going to look the same in that bikini."

"I know. She'll look even more beautiful."

"Any word on that front?"

"It's only been a few days so it's still way too early."

The conversation was interrupted when the sisters were splashed from the side. They glanced over their shoulders to see giggling kids swimming away as fast as they could. Kendall and Bianca looked at each other before looking at the kids.

"It's on."

"Oh yeah, it definitely is."

Kendall and Bianca quickly caught up with the kids and started splashing back.

"Ma, help us!"

Marissa and Greenlee laughed and headed over to the pool. Both dove in and joined the water battle. Sides were switched repeatedly with no clear winner. Everyone did, however, have an extremely fun day. Bianca and Marissa shared a smile knowing this was exactly what AJ needed.

/

_A few weeks later_

Marissa woke up anxious for some unknown reason. She chalked it up to the meeting she and Bianca were going to have with Erica and Krystal later that day to discuss wedding plans. The couple had managed to hold off the older women for a little while. This wasn't because they didn't want to plan the wedding. It was because they really weren't sure what would happen when Erica and Krystal started spending time together and giving their thoughts on the wedding. There was a very real possibility that it could turn into a battle royale, and the couple really wasn't looking forward to it. The trick was to find the right balance, and they really weren't sure how to accomplish that yet. Given who they were talking about, it was most definitely no small feat.

Bianca entered the kitchen and saw Marissa dressed and getting breakfast ready. The brunette gave her a quick kiss. "Good morning. You're up early."

"Good morning. Yeah, I couldn't sleep."

"Everything okay?"

"I think so. Maybe I'm just anxious about lunch today with your Mom and Krystal."

"That would do it. Are you sure there's nothing else?"

"Nothing I can think of."

"Okay, as long as you're sure. I'll go get the kids up and moving."

Marissa nodded and finished getting the kids' plates ready. A few minutes later, they wandered into the kitchen and took their respective seats after greeting their redheaded mother. While they started eating, Marissa fixed a plate for Bianca.

The brunette came back into the kitchen and took her seat just as Marissa sat a plate down for her. "Thank you! Aren't you eating?"

Marissa shook her head. "I'm not really hungry. My stomach's feeling a little unsettled. I'm good with just coffee for now. I'll grab something a little later. Oh, I better let Max back in." The redhead opened the back door and Max scampered inside heading directly for his food and water bowls. "I'll be back."

Bianca nodded as she watched her fiancée head towards their bedroom.

A few minutes later, Marissa returned with her purse, briefcase and car keys in hand.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah, I forgot I have an early meeting. Are you still okay dropping the kids off at camp?"

"Of course I am." Bianca watched as Marissa kissed their children goodbye. The couple exchanged a quick kiss with Bianca stopping the redhead before she made her exit. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I am. I just hate that I forgot about this meeting. I'll see you later."

Bianca couldn't shake the feeling that there was something definitely up with Marissa. She just didn't know what.

/

Erica entered Krystal's and immediately found her daughter sitting at her regular table. "Bianca, sweetheart, how are you?"

"Hi, Mom. I'm good. How are you?"

"I'm very well. Where's Marissa?"

"That's what I'm wondering. Marissa isn't one to be late." Krystal noted as she joined the other two women.

"I know. Let me try and get a hold of her." Bianca grabbed her cellphone and stepped away from the table. She found Marissa's name in her contact list and hit the number to call her.

"_Hi, this is Marissa Tasker. I'm sorry I can't take your call right now. If you leave your name and number, I'll get back to you as soon as I can."_

"Rissa, it's me. I was just wondering where you were. I'm with Mom and Krystal at the restaurant. Hopefully, you're on your way. Call me, please. I love you." Bianca disconnected and dialed Marissa's paralegal, Lisa.

"Oh hey, Bianca. I hope Marissa's feeling better."

_She thinks Marissa's sick? _"Hi, Lisa. So, you talked to Marissa earlier?"

"Yeah, she said she wasn't feeling well and asked me to finish a couple of briefs for her. She was hoping to come in later if she felt up to it. Is anything wrong?"

"No, I just wanted to make sure she wasn't overdoing it. Thanks for keeping her in line for me."

"It's not a problem. Don't tell her, but I really like working for her. She's also a hell of a lawyer. I'm really learning a lot from her."

"I hate to tell you, but it's pretty obvious that you like working for her. You're also right. She is definitely a kickass lawyer. I'll talk to you later." Bianca disconnected the call. Something was definitely wrong. Marissa didn't skip out on work. _Dammit, I knew something was wrong this morning. I should have pressed you more. Where the hell are you, Rissa, and what's going on?_

/

Greenlee decided to take the scenic route to Krystal's that afternoon to pick up lunch. It was a beautiful summer day, and she could use the fresh air after being in meetings all morning. She stopped and closed her eyes breathing in the sweet smelling air. The sound of someone softly crying had her opening her eyes and look around to find the source. She was shocked at who she found.

**/**

**A/N****: Sorry, my evil side snuck out again. FYI, I'll be going on vacation in a week so I'll have one more update before I head out for a week. See you soon!**


	99. Understanding

**A/N****: First things first, thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I really do appreciate it. Next, I'm getting ready to go away on vacation. I'm really looking forward to it. I need the break from work. It's been crazy. This, however, means there won't be an update next week. I'm sorry about that. While the laptop is staying home, I do plan on taking a notebook with me to do some writing old school when I get the chance. I'll just have to type up whatever I come up with when I get home. Hopefully, this means just one week without an update. **

**Okay, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Erica and Krystal exchanged a look. The two older women, surprisingly enough, had actually been getting along as they chatted about the wedding. Each threw out ideas and tried their very best to show Bianca that they could be in each other's company without any verbal or physical threats or assaults. It was clear, however, to both women that Bianca wasn't really paying attention to them. It was evident that she was distracted and had been so ever since she had returned from trying to reach Marissa which had been 30 minutes ago. There was definitely something going on and Bianca was trying to cover it up. Neither of the other women had completely bought the excuse Bianca had provided about Marissa being hung up in depositions. There was just something about the way she told them coupled with how distracted she was now that made them believe something was off. Bianca was worried about Marissa, and she was trying and failing to hide that worry.

"Sweetheart, are you sure everything is okay?"

"You and Marissa aren't having any problems, are you?"

Bianca's head snapped up from her cellphone. She'd been keeping a constant eye on the device ever since she had spoken with Marissa's paralegal Lisa, silently willing it to ring and have Marissa be on the other end of the line, safe and sound. "I'm sorry. What were you saying?"

Erica shook her head. "Bianca, it's obvious that something isn't right. You're clearly distracted. What is going on?"

/

Greenlee had been in meetings all morning long and needed a break. She eagerly volunteered to pick up lunch from Krystal's. At this point, she would've gladly done just about anything to get out of the office. She decided to take the scenic route to Krystal's and enjoy the beautiful summer day. Greenlee stopped and closed her eyes breathing in the sweet smelling air. The sound of a soft cry had her opening her eyes and look around to find the source. She was shocked at who she found.

"Marissa?"

The redhead glanced up and saw the small brunette nearby, concern etched on her face. Marissa hurriedly wiped her face to rid it of the tears she had shed.

Greenlee was taken aback at seeing the usually smiling lawyer. Her hazel eyes were rimmed with red. It was clear she had been crying for some time. Greenlee moved to the bench and sat down. "Marissa, what's wrong?"

"I'm … I'm … Nothing … It's noth …"

"No, don't tell me that. I know something is wrong. You've been crying. Is it Bianca, the kids, work?"

Marissa closed her eyes and silently cursed her luck. She had thought she had found the perfect hiding spot to allow her time to think, and she desperately needed to think. When she abruptly left home that morning, she found it impossible to go into the office and concentrate, but she knew she couldn't go back home because Bianca and the kids were still there. Knowing that Opal and Krystal would start questioning her appearance at the restaurant, Krystal's was out of the question. That's when it hit her. She could go to the park. She could go to the spot she and Bianca had staked out as theirs early on in their relationship. It was secluded and the odds of anyone she knew finding her there in the middle of the day were pretty low. Greenlee finding her there proved how wrong she was on that count, and it was obvious that the small brunette wouldn't stop with the questions until she had answers. It was something she had in common with Kendall and probably one of the reasons why they were best friends. Marissa shook her head trying to clear her thoughts. She needed a good story to placate Greenlee but none was forthcoming. The only thought that came to mind was that she had failed. She had let Bianca down and Marissa couldn't stop thinking of how disappointed her fiancée would be as a shared dream slipped through their fingers.

"I'm not …"

"Marissa, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on. Does Bianca know what's wrong? I could call her for you."

"No! Don't call her! I don't know how to tell her. She'll be upset and disappointed. I don't know what to do."

"Believe it or not, I'm a pretty good listener. Maybe I can help you figure something out. I promise I won't say anything."

"I thought for sure I was until this morning."

"You're losing me. I need you to start at the beginning."

Marissa took a deep breath. Maybe Greenlee would be able to help her. She had in the past. Before she could stop herself, she began pouring her heart out. "Bianca and I decided that we want to add to the family."

"You mean as in have a baby, not adopt?" The redhead's nod cleared up a few things for her. Greenlee smiled at the thought.

"Yes."

"That explains the trips to New York and the conversations that stopped suddenly. You're going to a clinic there."

"Yeah, we wanted to go somewhere outside of Pine Valley."

"Expand the current gene pool. I can understand that. It's a good idea. So?"

"I'm the one undergoing treatment. I've never been pregnant and would like to experience it so we decided that I would be the one."

"Bianca's had the girls so that makes sense. I can completely understand why you would want to since you really haven't had that chance before."

"No, I haven't. JR and I hadn't really talked about it that much because he was sick and then Annie happened. I don't have to tell you about any of that."

"No, you don't. She's not a pleasant topic of conversation for either of us."

"Well, I was starting to think that maybe I was pregnant. I was a few days late which I never am. I've always been right on schedule."

"But?" Greenlee knew the answer. She also knew that that Marissa needed to get this off of her chest, to talk about it.

"This morning I realized that I'm not. I started my period." Hazel eyes began well with tears again.

"I'm really sorry. It's pretty obvious how much you're looking forward to it."

"I am. I want this so much and so does Bianca."

Greenlee realized the reason for Marissa's distressed state. "You haven't told her yet, have you?"

"No, I haven't. I don't know how to. I just know she's going to be disappointed. She knows what it means to me, and she wants so much to give me everything. She'd move heaven and earth for me if need be. Given that, I know how much she wants for this to happen for me, and I just can't help but feel like I'm letting her down."

While Marissa's head was turned away, Greenlee tapped out a quick text sending it an instant before the redhead turned back. She wasn't breaking her promise not to call Bianca because she wasn't. Texting someone really wasn't the same as calling them at least in her mind. Besides, she honestly believed that Marissa would be okay with it once she talked with Bianca. "I want you to listen to me, Marissa. I've known Bianca for a long time. We haven't always had the easiest of relationships. I'll be honest that I'm the reason for that. I've come to respect and care about her a lot. I've learned a good deal about her over the years, and I can tell you without a single doubt in my mind that you could never disappoint Bianca or let her down. She loves you, Marissa. I've never seen her happier. I'm not just saying that either. I really mean it. If for some reason you don't get pregnant, it wouldn't change any of that. You have to know that, don't you?"

Marissa nodded. "I do. I know she loves me, and I love her. I want to be able to do this, to give this to her, and I really thought I was. I just feel like a …"

/

Bianca had no idea how to answer her mother or Krystal for that matter. How could she when she didn't know herself? As she struggled for an answer, her cellphone alerted her that she had a text. She quickly looked and saw the message was not from Marissa like she had hoped but from Greenlee.

"_I'm in the park with Marissa. She needs you. We're at your bench."_

"I'm sorry. I have to go. I'll call you both later to reschedule." With that, Bianca was gone, not giving either woman a chance to question her further.

Erica called after her daughter. "Bianca, what is going on?"

/

"I know. You feel like a failure."

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Having children of my own is out of the question for me."

"I'm so sorry, Greenlee. I didn't mean to bring up something painful for you."

"Don't. It's okay. I know you didn't. It's something I've come to terms with over time. Not being able to have a child though doesn't make me a failure. That being said, it doesn't mean that I didn't feel that way. Why can't I do that? Why can't I experience that miracle? Here's the thing. It doesn't change how Ryan feels about me. I know that he loves me and that won't change because I can't give him a child. I've seen how Bianca looks at you, how she lights up when you walk into a room or when she talks about you or someone just says your name. That's not going to change. There's something else I know about Bianca. She is the most understanding person I know. Talk to her. Tell her what you're feeling. She'll understand and help you through this."

/

Bianca raced across the park as fast as she could. She didn't know what was wrong. She only knew that Marissa needed her and getting to her was the only thing that mattered. They would figure out whatever was going on. She was positive of that. Marissa and Greenlee came into view, and Bianca came to a stop when she overheard part of their conversation. Everything started to click into place for her. She kicked herself for not figuring it out earlier. Greenlee was the first to see her, and it was her reaction that caused Marissa to turn. Bianca felt her heart break slightly seeing the tears in her fiancée's eyes. It killed her to see the pain on the face of the woman who owned her heart.

"Hey." Bianca smiled softly as she moved to the bench.

Marissa attempted to quickly wipe away her tears. "Hey."

Greenlee looked back and forth at the couple and nodded to herself. She had definitely done the right thing by texting Bianca. "I think I'm going to go now. I need to pick up lunch for everyone back at Fusion. I'll see you both later." She glanced down at the redhead. "If you ever need to talk, you know where I am."

"Thank you."

As Bianca and Greenlee passed each other, the taller brunette whispered. "Thank you."

"Anytime. Good luck."

Bianca took a seat next to Marissa. "Will you please tell me what is wrong? I know something is. I could tell something was off this morning when you practically ran out of the house."

Marissa took a deep breath and saw the concern and love in warm chocolate eyes. She knew that Bianca loved her, and she knew that she needed to tell her what was going on. Hiding never solved anything. It only made things worse, and she didn't want that to happen with Bianca. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do."

"About what? Rissa, please tell me."

The redhead took a breath and spilled everything. "The procedure didn't work. I'm not pregnant. I started this morning. I really thought I might be because I was late, but I'm not. I felt off this morning when I woke up. I guess part of me knew that I was going to start. I realized what was going on or not going on after you and the kids started having breakfast. I didn't know how to tell you. I knew you would be disappointed, and I didn't want to do that to you because you've had a bad week at work fighting with donors. I didn't want to add to everything, at least not yet."

"Shhh, Rissa. It's alright." Bianca pulled the tearful redhead into her arms, holding her tightly while starting to gently rock her.

Marissa shook her head and mumbled into the crook of Bianca's neck. "No, it isn't. I let you down. What makes it worse is that I panicked and ran and hid from you which ended up making you worry even more. I'm so sorry, B. Will you forgive me?"

Bianca pulled back slightly, dropping a kiss on Marissa's forehead. "No, I won't because there is nothing to forgive. Look at me, Rissa." Bianca waited until Marissa raised her eyes to meet the brunette's. "First, I love you."

"I love you too."

"Good. I'm glad we're on the same page with that. Second, you could never disappoint me. You could never let me down. While I am disappointed that you're not pregnant, I am definitely not disappointed in you. It didn't happen this time. Okay. We'll try again. We'll keep trying for as long as it takes or until you don't want to try anymore. Do I want a child with you? Of course I do, but we already have three of the greatest kids ever. Adding another child will simply be the cherry on top. If for some reason we can't, I'm okay with that. My life is already better than I ever thought possible, and _you_ are a very large reason why that is. Got it?"

Marissa gave her a watery smile and nodded. "Got it."

"Good! Now if you remember, both Dr. Roeth and Dr. Abbott said they saw no reason why you couldn't get pregnant. You're young and healthy with no history of issues with pregnancies in your family. They did say that stress could affect how well this procedure works. I think JR coming back and you're thinking that you could disappoint me threw things off. JR is gone now and getting help. You don't have to worry about him or losing AJ. So, that's all taken care of. Now, do you believe me about you never disappointing me and that there is absolutely nothing that will ever change how I feel about you?"

Seeing only love, understanding and honesty reflecting in warm chocolate eyes, Marissa nodded. "I do."

Bianca smiled. "I gotta tell you that I really love hearing you say those two little words. This will happen. I know it. What else can we do about the stress?"

Marissa shook her head. She really should've known better. Talking with Bianca had made her feel better, about everything. It was just what she did. _God, I love her._ "I'm sorry. I should've told you everything earlier. We don't keep things from each other. I was an idiot."

"You kind of were, but you're my idiot." Bianca teased.

Marissa laughed for the first time all day, and it felt really good to do so. "Yes, I am. I deserved that."

Bianca leaned in and captured her fiancée's lips for a loving kiss. "I have a great idea!"

"You do, huh?"

"Yep! Funny how kissing you always gives me ideas."

Marissa grinned. "Kissing you always gives me ideas too. So, what is this great idea?"

"We need a vacation, a family vacation to be exact. Think about it. We really haven't had a chance to take one with everything that's been going on for over a year. I think getting away from everything for a week is just what the doctor ordered for all of us."

"You're right. It is a great idea. Any thoughts as to where?"

"We could go anywhere. If I'm being honest though, I would love to go somewhere with a beach. I'd love to see you in that bikini as much as possible." Bianca grinned.

Marissa's laugh was even louder this time. She was amazed at just how quickly Bianca made her feel better. "Well, I could definitely go for a beach and the chance to see you in your bikini. We might have to plan something more exciting for the kids. They could get bored. How about Florida, Orlando to be exact?"

Bianca smiled and nodded. "I like it. We could drive and do the whole family road trip thing. We could go to some of the parks down there a few days, and it wouldn't be that far of a drive to a beach. We could stop at one on the way down or spend a day and go over to one. I think the kids will love that."

"I think you're right. The kids will love it, and it is what we need. You're also right about one other thing. I want to keep trying. If I don't get pregnant this next time, we'll try again. It's going to happen."

"That's my girl! So, you're feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks to you. I'm not sure how I got so lucky to share my life with you. I want to promise you that I won't do this again."

"Thank you. I'm here and not going anywhere. We're in this together. So?"

Marissa knew the question without it being asked. "I'd like to try again before we go away on vacation."

Bianca nodded. "That's what we'll do then. We'll have time to talk to the kids about the trip and do some planning."

The redhead suddenly remembered. "Planning?! Oh no! We were supposed to meet with Erica and Krystal about planning the wedding."

"Yeah, we were. That's where I was before I came here." Bianca made a face thinking about the planning session and her actions during it. "I wasn't really paying that much attention though because I just kept thinking about you. I just couldn't concentrate on everything they were saying. When I got Greenlee's text, I just left. I'm sure they're wondering what the heck is going on."

"So Greenlee texted you. I had a feeling. She said she wouldn't you, and technically, she didn't. Way to split hairs. Remind me to thank her for that. She really helped me, and I'm glad she got you here. As for your Mom and Krystal, we need to tell them something about my no-show and your abrupt departure."

"You're right we do. I mentioned something about you getting hung up with some depositions. I don't know how much they believed me though because of how I ran out of there."

"That could work for us though. We can always say that I had a stomach bug and needed you to pick me up."

"And since I wasn't exactly sure how sick you were, I wanted to get to you as soon as I could to see and then get you home. They might buy that. I'm guessing you're not going back into work."

"No, I'm not. The day's half over with so I don't really see the point. What about you?"

Bianca leaned in for another loving kiss.

Marissa sighed happily when they separated. "Not that I'm complaining about you kissing me because that will _never_ happen, but what was that for?"

"Inspiration. I get my best ideas when I kiss you, remember?" Bianca grinned. "I think it worked because I'm thinking we should play hooky the rest of the afternoon."

"I really do love how you think, and I'm happy to be able to provide inspiration to you."

"What do you say we go home, change and just relax? Actually, I'm going to fix you something to eat while you change because I have the sneaking suspicion that you haven't eaten anything all day because you were upset. Am I right?"

Marissa scrunched her face. "Yes, you are."

"I thought so. Okay, home, lunch and relax. We don't have to worry about getting the kids either since Susan is dropping them off later. We'll have plenty of time to talk some more if you want and plan our vacation."

"That sounds perfect, kind of like you. I'd like to call Dr. Roeth and set up another appointment if that's okay with you."

"As long as that is what you want, then it is more than okay with me." Bianca stood and held out her hand. "I'll walk you to your car."

Marissa smiled and took the offered hand, and the couple left the park to head home.

/

"Well, it looks like they're okay." Krystal watched as her daughter and Bianca left holding hands. She and Erica had left the restaurant several minutes after Bianca. The women were positive something was going on with their daughters and were concerned about them. They had decided to try and track them down starting with Marissa's office. As they were passing the park on their way to it, they spotted both of the couple's cars. It was then they decided to take a chance at finding them in the park. After wandering around, they finally found the couple engaged in what looked like a serious conversation. The mothers resisted the urge to approach their daughters, deciding instead to stand back and let things unfold.

Erica nodded. "Yes, it does. I guess they've resolved whatever was wrong. There is something going on with them."

"You don't think they're having problems, do you?"

"Judging by their interaction with each other, I honestly don't think so. There's something else though. I think they are keeping something from us. I'm not sure what it is or why, but I'm going to find out." Erica knew the couple had recently made several trips to New York. She didn't know exactly what they were doing there, but did know that neither was the type to make frivolous trips out of town instead of spending time with their children. Family mattered to them above all else. Erica knew without a doubt that the couple wasn't going to New York for shopping or to catch a play. No, there was something definitely going on, and the diva was determined to find out what it was. "Perhaps my other daughter will be able to shed some light on what is going on with them."

"That's a possibility. I know the three of them have been thick as thieves lately."

"Yes, I've noticed that. The thing with Kendall is that she is very tough to crack and very protective of Bianca. She's also equally protective of Marissa now. I'm not sure that we'll be able to get anything out of her, but it's worth a try."

/

AJ, Miranda and Gabby burst through the front door and headed towards the kitchen for the promised snack from their babysitter. They saw their mothers sitting next to each other at a table outside by the pool with a laptop open and looked back at Susan. The surprise at finding their parents home early was clearly evident as was their curiosity over what their mothers were looking at on the computer.

Susan nodded. "Go ahead. I'll fix you something and bring it out before I leave."

With a quick 'thanks' given, the kids headed outside.

/

"That waterpark looks really cool. Do you think they'll like it?" Marissa asked Bianca.

Miranda's ears perked up as she approached her mothers. "Waterpark? Where?"

The couple shared a brief but knowing glance. They had heard the kids open the backdoor but decided to act like they hadn't.

Bianca feigned surprise. "Hi, guys. We didn't hear you. How was camp today?"

AJ tried to catch a glimpse at the laptop's screen to see what his mothers were looking at but Marissa had closed it. "It was okay. What waterpark?"

Gabby climbed onto Marissa's lap. "Hi, Mommy."

"Hi, Monkey. Did you have fun today?"

"Uh huh. Whatcha looking at, Mommy?"

"Well, Monkey, your Mommy and me were talking and thought it might be fun for all of us to go on vacation somewhere."

"Really?!" Miranda was started to get excited at the idea.

Bianca smiled seeing smiles spreading across three small faces. "Yep! Think you might like that?"

"Yeah! That would be fun! Where?"

"We were thinking Florida."

Things started clicking for AJ. "Like maybe Orlando?"

Marissa nodded. "Maybe. What do you think?"

"That would be awesome, Ma! We could go to the park where they have a bunch of superheroes!"

Miranda chimed in. "They have Harry Potter down there too!"

Bianca chuckled. "They do. They also have Shrek, Dr. Seuss, the minions from 'Despicable Me', a really cool waterpark and a lot of other rides."

Marissa squeezed Gabby. "You know what else is down there, Monkey?"

"What, Mommy?"

"There's a park called 'Sea World'. They have dolphins, whales and all kinds of other animals that live in the water."

Gabby's eyes widened. "They do?"

Bianca nodded. "They do. They also have a new penguin exhibit, and you can see how they live."

"Oh, I'd like that, Mommy!"

"I think they like the idea, Rissa."

Marissa laughed. "I think you're right."

"It sounds like a pretty fun vacation." Susan smiled as she set snacks for the kids down on the table.

Bianca nodded. "Hey, Susan. Thanks for dropping the kids off and getting the snacks together. That's definitely above and beyond."

"You're welcome, and it's not that big of a deal. I better get going. Have a nice night."

"Bye, Susan!"

"What else is down there?"

"When are we going?"

"What about Max? Can he come with us?"

The couple smiled at their children's excitement.

"This was definitely a good idea, babe."

"What can I say? I was inspired." Bianca grinned.

Marissa laughed as she opened the laptop and pulled up the site the couple had been reviewing when the children came home and began to answer the barrage of questions flowing from them. "Max can't come with us because he wouldn't be allowed in the parks. Don't worry about him though. We've already called Aunt Kendall, and they're going to take care of him while we're gone."

/

Bianca watched as Marissa finished getting ready for bed. The redhead's mood had improved significantly after getting home. The couple talked some more before calling the fertility clinic. After speaking with Dr. Roeth and being reassured by her, they set up another appointment. It was decided that Marissa would undergo another procedure the week before the family went on vacation. The time away would allow not only her but the whole family time to relax, have fun and get away from everything. Bianca had to admit that she felt better herself. They worked through the issue and were stronger for it.

"Penny for your thoughts."

Bianca hadn't realized her mind had strayed albeit briefly. "I was just thinking about today. You look like you're feeling better."

Marissa smiled. "That's because I am, and it's all because of you. You helped me realize that I wasn't really thinking clearly. I was just so disappointed and a little depressed that it didn't happen this time. It's because I know how much we both want this."

"We do, but it's doesn't define our relationship."

"No, it doesn't. It doesn't even come close to doing so."

"It's going to happen, Rissa. You just have to keep having faith that it will."

"I will. Thank you for loving me and being here for me."

"It's no more than you've done for me, and it's kind of our thing."

"Yeah, it is, isn't it?" Marissa smiled and gave her fiancée a loving kiss before settling herself in Bianca's strong and loving arms. "I love you."

Bianca smiled softly. "I love you too."

**/**

**A/N****: Now, I thought about having Marissa miscarry, but I didn't want to go there. Not having gone through something like that, I think it would be tough for me to write. I decided to not have the procedure work this first time because that happens in real life. No matter how much it's wanted, sometimes it just doesn't work the first time. I thought a mini freak out is something that would happen when you have your heart set on something so much and it falls through. I wanted Greenlee to be the one to find Marissa. It helps them bond a little more. Greenlee has been supportive of our girls and their relationship. I wanted to give her a little more depth and not just have her around for comic relief (although I do like writing her and Kendall in those moments). I also thought this gives Bianca the chance to step up and be the strong one this time. I see them switching those roles without any problem or thought because they are partners and friends and that's what you do. One person can't be the strong one all the time, and Bianca is definitely a strong character. That is something that's been proven time and time again. As for Marissa getting pregnant, keep Bianca's words in mind. It's going to happen. Okay, that's enough from me for now. I have lots to do before leaving tomorrow. Oh, if you didn't guess, I'm going to Orlando for vacation. I have a feeling the next chapter will feature the Minx family vacation! See you soon!**


	100. Another Dynamic Duo?

**A/N****: I'm back! I missed all of you! Did ya miss me? As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! I really appreciate it! Vacation was good but over way too fast. I think that's always the case, that and the fact that you spend the week after vacation making up for the time away. I think I've finally managed to dig myself out of the avalanche of emails waiting for me at work. **

_**Miched8, **_**I managed to dodge the rain in Orlando for the most part and enjoyed your city quite a bit! While I was down there, I was struck with an idea and did manage to get some writing done. This chapter is the result. For lack of a better description, I would say this one could fit within the last chapter. Basically, I felt I could add a little more to the last one the more I thought about it, and this was my way to do it. It features a few other people besides Minx. Don't worry, our girls are in here. With that said, I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Erica and Krystal made their way back to the restaurant after witnessing the scene between their daughters in the park. The return trip had been quiet with both women contemplating what they thought was going on with their daughters. Krystal was needed in the kitchen to handle a minor crisis. While the restaurant owner did that, Erica found a seat in a corner near the counter that was hidden from view. This would allow her some privacy which would give her a chance to think. She had every intention of solving this latest mystery. Bianca had finally found a partner that Erica deemed worthy of her daughter, someone who deserved her and who truly had Bianca's best interests at heart, and the diva was damned if she was going to sit idly by while some perceived threat, known or unknown, no matter what size, intruded on and threatened their happiness.

/

"There you are, Greenlee."

"What are you doing here, Kendall? Did you think I got lost?"

"We weren't sure. They were starting to get concerned so they decided a search party was in order. Who better than me to track you down?" Kendall smirked.

Greenlee rolled her eyes at her best friend. "You mean everyone was hungry and wanted their lunch so they sent you to see where the heck it was."

"Well that too. Seriously, what's taking so long?"

"I got sidetracked by a friend who needed a friendly ear to listen to them and a shoulder to cry on until the calvary could arrive."

Kendall was thoroughly confused by that statement and it showed.

"Oh that reminds me." Greenlee punched her friend's arm.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Kendall asked rubbing her arm.

"That was for not telling me about what's been going on with Bianca and Marissa. I know you couldn't tell me though since you were probably sworn to secrecy."

It took Kendall a minute before realizing what Greenlee was talking about. "Wait! You know? How? If you know I was sworn to secrecy, which I was, what's with the hitting?"

"Just keeping you in line." Greenlee offered with a quick smile before turning serious. "Marissa was the friend in question."

Kendall glanced around quickly before lowering her voice so only Greenlee could hear her. "Is she alright? What happened? Where did you see her?"

Greenlee held up her hand to stop the torrent of questions. "I think she's going to be okay now. I ran into her in the park. We talked briefly until I could get Bianca there."

"Ah, the calvary."

"Exactly."

"So, what's going on? Why was she upset?"

"She said the procedure didn't work which caused her to have a mini freak out."

Kendall was unable to mask her disappointment for the couple. She knew how much they wanted to have a baby together, how much this meant to both of them. "Dammit. She had to be devastated."

Greenlee nodded. "Yeah, she was. I think she was more upset about how disappointed Bianca would be. We talked for a little bit. I assured her about how nothing would change how Bianca feels about her which is something she knows but …"

"She needed to hear someone else say it, and you're right about there being nothing that would change Bianca's feelings for her. I can't thank you enough for that."

Greenlee waved her off. "No thanks are needed. You know how much I like Marissa, and I think she's perfect for Bianca. She makes her happy. They make each other happy, and they both deserve that. Besides, she really fits in great with this crazy family. I'm just glad I could help some."

"So, you found Marissa and saw she needed help and sent up the Bat Signal for Bianca?"

"Pretty much. I knew she was the one Marissa really needed and the only one who could truly help her."

"Well, I'm sure you helped more than you think you did, but you are right about her needing Bianca the most. Anything else?"

Greenlee shook her head as their carryout order was finally ready. The friends each grabbed a large shopping bag and headed for the door. "Not really. I hung around for a couple of minutes more and heard Bianca mention they should talk to Dr. Roeth and Dr. Abbott. That's pretty much it."

/

Erica peered around the wall from where Kendall and Greenlee had been talking. From her vantage point, she had been able to eavesdrop undetected. That had not been her original intent when she settled in that spot. Her ears perked up, however, when she heard the couple's names mentioned along with the voices of who was discussing them. She then decided to use this position to her advantage. Unfortunately, she couldn't hear much of their conversation because Kendall and Greenlee had lowered their voices. What she was able to glean from the overheard conversation was that Marissa had received some devastating news that she had been reluctant to share with Bianca at first. The exact nature of that news, however, was unknown to Erica at the present time.

The diva had heard Greenlee mention two doctors on her way out, and she had to wonder if Marissa was ill. If that was the case, Erica's mind was already made up to call in the absolute best doctors, bring in whatever specialists would be needed and make sure the redhead received the best care possible no matter what the cost. Bianca had a waited a lifetime to find the right person, and Erica would be damned if she didn't do whatever she could to help them maintain their happiness. The one thing that could be said about Erica was that she took care of her family, and Marissa was family.

"Did you manage to catch any of Kendall and Greenlee's conversation? I saw them talking and didn't want to interrupt on the off chance they might let something slip for you to pick up." Krystal took the seat opposite the diva.

Erica weighed what she had overheard and whether or not she should tell Krystal everything let alone mention the doctors. She may loathe the woman standing in front of her now, but she did believe if something was seriously wrong with Marissa then Krystal needed to know because Marissa would need everyone's support. It was that thought that tipped the scales and helped her make up her mind. "It would seem there is in fact more to the story than what Bianca would have us believe."

"No surprise there. Any idea of what she left out?"

"Possibly. Have you heard of or know who either Dr. Roeth or Dr. Abbott are?"

Krystal thought for a moment. "I have no idea who Dr. Roeth is, but I believe Dr. Abbott is Marissa's gynecologist. Why?" Her concern was starting to show.

Erica took in this new piece of information. The wheels were slowly starting to turn, her thinking beginning to shift. "Apparently, Marissa received some bad news. I don't know what it was however. Whatever this news was is what's responsible for her missing our planning session."

"And those doctors were mentioned? You don't think Marissa is sick, do you?" Krystal couldn't stop her mind from going to that dark place. She had already lost Babe. Was she destined to lose Marissa too after finding her and beginning to rebuild their relationship? Surely this wouldn't be her punishment for all of the wrongs Krystal had committed over the years. She would endure whatever punishment was directed at her but prayed that Marissa wouldn't suffer because of what Krystal had done, that her daughter wouldn't pay for her sins.

Erica shook her head seeing the panic in the other woman's eyes. "I'm not sure, but something's telling me that might not be the case. I do have an idea though of what might be going on. Do you have a computer we can use? I need to check something out."

Krystal nodded. "We can use the one in my office."

/

The pair walked down the narrow hallway to the small office. Krystal unlocked the computer's screen and then moved aside for Erica.

The diva quickly pulled up Google and did a search on Dr. Abbott in Pine Valley. The results produced two entries. The first was Elizabeth Abbott who was an obstetrician and gynecologist. The second was Simon Abbott who was an ear, nose and throat specialist. Given what Krystal had said, it seemed more than likely that Elizabeth Abbott was one of the doctors in question. She then did a search on Dr. Roeth. There were no matches found in Pine Valley. Following a hunch, she tried searching in New York City. Several matches were found. As Erica reviewed the results, she found she could ignore several of the matches based on their specialties. One match though did jump out at her. There was a Sarah Roeth who was an OB/GYN who specialized in fertility treatments. Dr. Roeth was also the director of the Franklin Clinic, a highly respected fertility clinic located in New York City. For some reason, this clicked for Erica and pieces started falling into place.

"I'm not positive about this mind you, but I think they might be trying to conceive. More specifically, I think Marissa might be trying to conceive."

Krystal read the entry that had caught Erica's eye. It did make sense to her as well the more she thought about it. Marissa was a natural as a mother and loved AJ, Miranda and Gabby as if she had given birth to them herself. She knew her daughter had a deep desire to have a child. "Now that I think about it, I remember Marissa quizzing me several months ago about our family's medical history. She did ask about pregnancies, specifically mine and Babe's. Given that with what you've just found out, I think you might be right." Krystal started to relax a little and began to think her daughter might not be ill after all.

The women sat and contemplated the implications of what this latest development meant not only for their daughters but for themselves as well. Sharing a grandchild would bring a whole new dimension and dynamic to their lives and relationship and how they dealt with each other.

/

The ringing of Erica's cellphone broke the silence between her and Krystal. The diva saw that Marissa was the caller. "Marissa dear, how are you? We missed you at lunch earlier."

"I'm fine, Erica. Thank you for asking. I hope you're doing well. I wanted to apologize for missing our lunch earlier. A combination of work and a stomach bug rearing its ugly head were behind my being unable to attend. I hope you can forgive me."

"I'm doing just fine. Of course, dear. You have nothing to apologize for. I do hope you're feeling better now."

"I'm feeling much better thanks to your daughter. Bianca's taking very good care of me, and she tells me that she left you and Krystal in a rush to do so."

"She did, but I expect nothing less from her. It was the right thing to do, and something I'm sure you would do for her. We can reschedule when you're feeling better."

"I would do anything for Bianca. Thank you. I'd really like to reschedule it. I'm sorry, but I need to go now. I really should call Krystal and apologize to her as well."

"Oh, you can do that now. I'm still at the restaurant, and she happens to be right here."

There was a pause on Marissa's end of the line. The redhead was slightly taken aback by the fact that Erica and Krystal were still together. It could either be a good thing or a really, really bad thing. "You are?"

"Yes, I had another meeting after our lunch and decided to have it here." Erica lied smoothly. "I'll give you to Krystal now." The diva handed the phone to Krystal.

"Marissa, are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Krystal. It was nothing serious, just a stomach bug. I'm really sorry for missing today and having you worry."

"It's not a problem. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters."

"I am. Like I told Erica, Bianca is taking very good care of me. I better go. She's calling me down to the kitchen. I haven't really eaten anything today. I didn't feel like it. Bianca's fixing me something light to eat. She says I need to try and eat something."

"Okay. Feel better. She's right, you do. I know you're in the best possible hands, and I'll talk to you later."

Krystal disconnected the call and finally took a deep, relieved breath. "Based on the conversation we just had, I would say the issue today wasn't a miscarriage. It was that the procedure didn't work, and she's not pregnant. If it was the former and not the latter, I don't think she would have called us. Plus, the tone of her voice didn't indicate it either. If she had miscarried, she would've sounded more upset."

"I believe you're correct. If I were to guess, I would say they are keeping their attempts private for the very reason of what actually occurred, in case it didn't work. They don't want to get anyone's hopes up prematurely and feel like they were disappointing any of us if it didn't."

"That's definitely them, always thinking about others. We shouldn't tell them what we suspect."

Erica nodded in agreement. "No, we shouldn't, and I don't think I'll try to confirm our suspicions with Kendall. She'll go straight to Bianca, and I don't want to add any pressure to them, especially now."

"I think that's a good call."

/

"How'd it go with my Mom?"

Marissa glanced up from her laptop which was on the patio table. She moved the laptop to the side as Bianca set a plate down in front of her and then one in the place next to her. "Thank you. It went pretty well. I told her I wasn't able to make it today because of a combination of work and a stomach bug. I explained my being sick was the reason you left as abruptly as you did, that you wanted to check on me and make sure I was okay. She seemed to buy it. She asked if I was feeling better. I said I was and that you were taking excellent care of me which is true. You're taking very good care of me."

Bianca simply shook her head. "I made you a sandwich, Rissa. It's not that much."

Marissa shook her head. "It's not just the sandwich, and you know it. It's everything else you've done. Erica said she understood why you left and said we could reschedule when I felt better."

"Did you call Krystal?"

"I didn't have to. Your Mom was still at the restaurant. She said she had another meeting and decided to stay there. Krystal was right there with her."

"Seriously?" It was clear that Bianca found this odd.

"Yeah, I'm not really sure what to make of that myself. They weren't fighting though and had to have been pretty close to each when I called because Erica volunteered that Krystal was right there and handed her the phone."

"Huh, I honestly don't know what to make of that. I mean it's good that they're not fighting, but it's weird. Do you know what I mean?"

Marissa chuckled. "I know exactly what you mean. I'll take it though."

Bianca smiled. "So will I. At least it seems like they're making an effort for us."

"Yeah, they are. I feel a little bad for keeping what we're doing from them."

"I do too, but you know how they'll be if they find out."

"Yes, I do. It's bad enough with the wedding planning. Can you imagine what they'll be like with a baby?"

Bianca gave an exaggerated shiver. "Dueling grandmothers! Besides, we're going to tell them when we have good news."

"I know." Marissa made to get up when Bianca stopped her.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to get us something more to drink."

"I'll get it. I'm taking care of you today, remember? You stay here and finish eating."

Marissa grinned. "Yes, ma'am."

Bianca rewarded her with a quick kiss before grabbing both of their glasses and heading back inside.

/

Bianca's cellphone started ringing as she put the pitcher of iced tea back in the refrigerator.

"Hey, Kendall. What's up?"

"Hey, Binx. I, uh, talked with Greenlee earlier."

Bianca sighed. "Why am I not surprised?"

"How's Marissa?"

The younger brunette could tell her sister was worried because she didn't use Marissa's nickname. "Better. We've talked and have a pretty good handle on things. She's out by the pool now. We're having a late lunch. Neither of us ate earlier. She's also doing some research."

"That's good. What kind of research? On other options? It was just the first attempt. You're not giving up are you?"

"No, we're definitely not giving up. We've already spoken to her gynecologist here as well as Dr. Roeth at the clinic to schedule another procedure."

"I'm glad to hear that. What's she researching then?"

"She's looking into places to stay and things to do in Orlando, Florida. We decided to take a family vacation."

"I think that's a great idea, Binx! It gives all of you a chance to get away and relax. God knows you can all use it. Speaking of which, are you alright? I know how you feel like you have to take care of everybody. You have to make sure you take care of yourself too."

"I'm alright now that I know what was going on with her. Not knowing had me more concerned than anything else."

"Okay. Good. You know to let me know if you need anything."

Bianca smiled. "Yes, I do."

"When's the big vacation then?"

"In a couple of weeks. We have a favor to ask. Could you watch Max for us and keep an eye on the house?"

"Sure, that's not a problem."

"Thanks. This favor entitles all of you to use of the pool, not that you need an invitation."

"The boys will love it. They've been pestering Zach about getting one, and he's thinking about it."

"I can see them doing that." Bianca chuckled.

Kendall joined her sister in laughing at the antics of her sons. "Yeah, they're really not all that subtle about it. I have to admit that I wouldn't mind having one either. Can't you just see me lounging by the pool with a frozen drink of some sort?"

"Yes, I definitely can. Zach would make a great pool boy."

Kendall cracked up laughing. "Oh god, what a great picture! I'm not going to be able to get that out of my head now."

Bianca laughed. "Glad I could help. Oh, I better go. Marissa's waving at me. She must have found something."

"Give her my best, and tell her to save that research. Maybe, I'll be able to convince Zach to take a family vacation of our own. Talk to you later."

"I will. Bye, Kendall, and thanks for checking on us. You're definitely the best big sister ever."

"Anytime, Binx. By the way, you're not too shabby in the little sister department yourself."

/

"I'm guessing by the smile on your face that you found something." Bianca smiled and set down their drinks as she rejoined her fiancée.

Marissa grinned. "I'm pretty sure I did! Who were you talking to?"

"Kendall. She called to check on you."

"Let me guess. She talked to Greenlee?"

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, she did. Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I am. Greenlee really helped me earlier, and Kendall already knows what we're doing anyway. I'm good with her knowing."

Bianca studied Marissa for a moment and smiled.

"What?"

"Nothing. I was thinking about how much I love that you and Kendall get along so great. It really means a lot to me."

"It means a lot to me too. She's a really good friend, and I kind of see her like a sister, at least what I've always thought one would be like."

Bianca smiled softly at Marissa's confession. "I know. Kendall's told me she feels the same way about you." The brunette released a contented sigh, happy about the relationship between her sister and Marissa. "I asked her about watching Max and keeping an eye on the house for us, and she's in. I told her to feel free to use the pool. She said the boys are after Zach to get one and he's considering it."

Marissa started laughing. "Zach could be her pool boy!"

Bianca joined her fiancée laughing. "That's exactly what I said! She loved the image."

"I bet she did!"

"So, tell me what you found."

"I found a condo near everything. It has 4 bedrooms so the kids can each have their own rooms. There's also a kitchen and a family room. The complex has a pool and play area."

"That sounds really good."

"I saved the best part for last, the master bedroom. It has a king-sized bed and a jaccuzi tub. It's not quite as good as what we have here at home, but it looks pretty close. I know how much you enjoy the jaccuzi." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca laughed as she thought about how much fun the couple had in their tub. "I'm not the only one. You enjoy it pretty much yourself."

"I'm more than happy to admit that I'm guilty as charged! I was thinking that if we split the driving between us, we could get down there in two days and back home in two at the minimum. We can map out the drive and find a nice hotel to stay at mid-way."

"That should work. We can keep the kids distracted with some DVDs and games. What did you find out about the parks?"

"If we get park to park passes, we can go between them as many times as we want. Now, Disney World has four parks plus two water parks and a couple of other things there. Universal has two parks and a waterpark nearby. Sea World has its park and Aquatica which is its waterpark along with a couple of other things. Obviously, we won't be able to all of that."

"No, we won't. We'll need a vacation for after our vacation. We need to limit what we do."

"Exactly! I figure we can take a day or two and just hang by the pool also."

"I like that idea." Bianca cocked her head. "The kids are home. You ready to surprise them?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "Definitely!"

/

"That waterpark looks really cool. Do you think they'll like it?" Marissa discreetly winked at Bianca having spotted the kids and hearing their less than quiet entrance.

Miranda's ears perked up as she approached her mothers. "Waterpark? Where?"

Bianca feigned surprise at their kids' appearance. "Oh hi, guys. We didn't hear you. How was camp today?"

AJ tried to sneak a glimpse at the screen of Marissa's laptop to see what his mothers were looking at when they got home, but Marissa was too quick and had closed it. "It was okay. What waterpark?"

Gabby climbed onto Marissa's lap. "Hi, Mommy."

"Hi, Monkey. Did you have fun today?"

"Uh huh. Whatcha looking at, Mommy?"

"Well, Monkey, your Mommy and I were talking and thought it might be fun for all of us to go on vacation somewhere."

"Really?!" Miranda was started to get excited at the idea.

Bianca smiled seeing smiles spreading across three small faces. "Yep! Think you might like that?"

"Yeah! That would be fun! Where?"

"We were thinking Florida."

Things started clicking for AJ. He knew about all of the parks down there. "Like maybe Orlando?"

Marissa nodded. "Maybe. What do you think?"

"That would be so awesome, Ma! We could go to the park where they have a bunch of superheroes!"

Miranda chimed in. "They have Harry Potter down there too!" She loved that series of books.

Bianca chuckled. "They do. They also have Shrek, Dr. Seuss, the Minions from 'Despicable Me', a really cool waterpark and a lot of other rides."

Marissa squeezed Gabby. She could tell their youngest was thinking of what she could do. The redhead knew the perfect thing for her given the girl's love of animals. "You know what else is down there, Monkey?"

Gabby shook her head. "What, Mommy?"

"There's a park called 'Sea World'. They have dolphins, whales and all kinds of other animals that live in and around the water like flamingos and pelicans. We can see if flamingos really stand on one leg."

Gabby's eyes widened. "They do? We can?"

Bianca nodded. "Yep, they do! They also have a new penguin exhibit, and you can see how they live."

"Oh, I'd really like that, Mommy!"

The kids started talking a mile a minute about what they could do and see down there.

Bianca smiled seeing their excitement. "I think they like the idea, Rissa."

Marissa laughed. "I think you're right, B. I like it too. I'm glad you were inspired."

The couple shared a loving kiss.

"Me too." Bianca sighed happily as the family continued their planning.

**/**

**A/N: The next chapter will focus on their vacation. Who knows? There might be some things in there from my own vacation. See you soon!**


	101. Heading Out

**A/N****: Hello all! I hope you are doing well and surviving the heat. I know it's been hotter than all get out in a large chunk of the States and I hear it's been unusually hot over in the U.K. I'm not sure about other parts of the globe. Thank you as always for your continued reading and reviewing! I hope I'm still keeping you entertained. Thanks also for the wishes on reaching the 100 chapter/500,000 word mark! Trust me, I did not imagine reaching either of those marks when I started writing this tale. I think I'll just let you all get to this chapter and end my comments now. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca looked at the list she had made and checked off the remaining items on it as she closed her suitcase. The family's suitcases were now officially all packed. She carried her suitcase into the garage to join the others waiting there. They would be loaded into Marissa's car when she returned from dropping off Max at Kendall and Zach's and a quick stop at the gas station to fill up the SUV's tank. Bianca went back into the kitchen to pack the cooler with drinks and get snacks ready for the family for the long drive ahead. The brunette had to admit that she was almost as excited about this trip as the kids were, almost. Bianca had dreamed of taking a family vacation and road trip for a long time. That desire increased even more hearing Marissa recount family vacation's she had taken with her parents while growing up. They sounded like so much fun and were exactly the kind of memories she wanted her and Marissa to have with their family, the memories she wanted for their children. This type of family vacation was also a far cry from the lavish vacations from _her_ childhood. Those were nice, but they weren't really her, and they were always interrupted by either the press or her mother's fans. Bianca craved the normality of being out of the spotlight. Now, she pretty much had that, and she relished the quieter and simpler lifestyle. This, however, did not mean her family wasn't going to stay somewhere nice along the way. One didn't necessarily preclude the other, and Bianca was a master at finding that happy median.

"Mom, when's Ma getting back?"

Bianca glanced up and saw her oldest daughter. "She should be back very soon, Mimo. Do all of you have the video games and movies you want to watch ready?"

"Almost. AJ's looking for one more game, and Gabby's trying to decide between two movies."

"Could you do me a favor and help your sister out?"

"Sure, Mom." Miranda grinned knowing as well as her mother that if Gabby didn't have any help narrowing her choices down that they wouldn't leave for a very long time.

"Thank you." Bianca continued packing only stopping when she heard the garage door opening.

Marissa opened the door separating the garage from the kitchen a moment later.

"Hi, Honey. You're home!" Bianca grinned.

Marissa stopped and quirked an eyebrow at her fiancée's beating her to the punch on her favorite line. "Cute, you're real cute. Has anyone ever told you that?"

"You have, repeatedly." Bianca grinned even wider.

"Hmmm, I guess I have. It must be true then!" Marissa rewarded her fiancée with a quick kiss.

"How'd it go?'

"Pretty good. Max didn't whine too much. I think the boys will keep him occupied. He's starting off his vacation in Spike's room."

"How did they decide that?"

"By a flip of the coin. It was Zach's idea. He saw a fight starting to brew last night and came up with the compromise. The first half will be with Spike and the second half with Ian. Any problems or complaints and Zach will revisit this decision."

"That makes sense and seems fair."

"I thought so too. Kendall has the keys now and a copy of our itinerary. She said to have a good time and to take lots of pictures. I'm guessing by the mound of luggage in the garage that you finished up the packing?"

"Yep, I'm just finishing up with the snacks and drinks now, and the kids are wrapping up their final decisions on the movies and games they want to bring along."

"Okay, I'll get started on loading the car."

"I'll be out to help in a couple of minutes."

/

"That's the last suitcase!" Marissa shifted things slightly to fit in the last bag before shutting the back of the SUV and making sure the back window was clear."

"I've got the cooler ready along with snacks for everyone. We've also got the games and movies ready for the kids for when they get bored. I've got your iPod ready to go so we'll have some great music for the drive. I've got our tickets for the parks, and our purses are in the car which you filled up on the way back from Kendall's. Oh, and the GPS is programmed for the hotel where we're staying tonight. I think that's it."

"It sounds like it, but I have this feeling that we're forgetting something." Marissa had caught a glimpse of three small heads poking in from the kitchen and winked at her fiancée.

"Hmmm, I think you're right, but I just can't think of what it is." Bianca smiled having caught Marissa's wink and slight nod towards the door. She snapped her fingers as if she was struck suddenly by a realization. "Oh, I remember now! We're missing our Minions!"

Gabby couldn't hold in her laughter any longer. "You can't forget us, Mommy!"

"No, we most certainly cannot and never will! Has everyone gone to the bathroom?"

Three heads bobbed up and down. "Yep."

"Okay then. Let's get you loaded in."

"Oh, Mommy, I need to get Minx!"

Marissa grinned and thought the stuffed monkey she had gotten her daughter last year was definitely worth every penny because of how much Gabby loved it. "I'll get him, Monkey."

"Thanks, Mommy!"

The redhead went back inside the house. She checked the locks, set the alarm and made sure everything else was turned off. When her final check was complete, she retrieved Minx from his current resting spot on the sofa in the family room. Once back inside the garage, she handed the stuffed monkey to a smiling Gabby and helped Bianca finish getting the kids settled comfortably in the SUV. The couple then belted themselves in with Marissa taking the first shift behind the wheel.

Marissa glanced around at her family. "Alright, is everyone ready?"

"Yeah!"

Bianca grinned. "Let's go! Orlando, ready or not, here we come!"

/

"Kendall, have you heard from Bianca or Marissa yet? Did they make it down to Orlando safely?"

The younger brunette glanced up from her desk at Fusion, surprised at her mother's sudden appearance. "Hi, Mom. It's good to see you too."

Erica sighed. "I'm sorry. Hello, Kendall, dear. It's good to see you. Have you by chance heard from either your sister or Marissa as to whether or not they have arrived safely in Florida?"

"Actually, I just got a text from Bianca. They made it to their condo without any problems last night. They were all pretty tired so they crashed right away and slept in a little later today. Bianca said they were on their way to Universal Studios."

"I'm glad they made it there safely. I was worried the drive might take too much out of them, and I wasn't sure how safe it was for them to be driving that far. Bianca and Marissa need their sleep as well, especially now."

A puzzled look crossed Kendall's face. She wasn't sure exactly what her mother was implying with her last comment about the couple needing sleep especially now but decided to let it pass for the moment. "Mom, you know Binx and Red are probably the most responsible people around. There is not a snowball's chance in hell that they would take any unnecessary chances with the kids' safety. They mapped out the drive down and stopped about halfway there. They were taking turns driving and had allowed for stops along the way. They made sure everyone got enough rest before finishing up. It's the same thing they're doing for the return trip. They'll be fine. You don't need to worry."

"I can't help but worry a little. It's just that it's a long drive. Vacations are supposed to be relaxing with people catering to your every whim, and it sounds like they have a great deal planned. It's important that they all get some rest particularly Marissa … and Bianca."

Kendall caught the pause but again decided to let it slide. "I understand, but again, they got down there with no problems. They are going to take their time on the way back too. As for having someone catering to their every whim, you know that's not them. They like doing things for themselves, and having others do everything for them, waiting on them hand and foot, makes them uncomfortable."

Erica paused for a moment. She knew Kendall was right. "You said they were going to one of the parks today?"

"Yeah, Universal Studios. There are a lot of rides there the kids can't wait to try."

"Like what?"

"I'll pull up the site." Kendall soon had the website pulled up for her mother. "There you go. Some of them look pretty fun. Gabby won't be able to ride some of them because she's too young, but she'll ride her fair share since they do have a lot of rides geared towards younger children."

Erica perused the site. Several of the rides looked like they might not be advisable for someone who may be pregnant. "Do you think it's wise for them to go on some of these rides? They look like they could be a little too much for … the children."

It was that slight pause that peaked Kendall's curiosity again. Something was definitely up with her mother. "They're not going to put the kids on something that's not safe or something that's too rough or wild for them. Alright, that's it. What's going on?"

"I don't have any idea what you're talking about." Erica denied a little too vehemently.

Kendall eyed her mother. Erica could deny it all she wanted, but Kendall knew better. "I'm not buying it, Mom. Something's up. Why the sudden concern about long drives, them getting enough rest and the kinds of rides they're going to do?"

"What? I'm not permitted to be worried about their health and well-being? Honestly, dear, I don't understand your suspicion. Your sister has been through quite a lot in her life. I just don't want to see her get ill by overdoing when she is finally happily settled. It wouldn't do well for Marissa to exhaust herself either. She still has her knee to worry about. I don't understand why you wouldn't share my concerns and want the same things for them." Erica finished with a trademark flip of her hair.

The younger brunette knew exactly what her mother was doing. She'd seen this maneuver too many times to count. Erica was trying to deflect and distract her. "Of course I worry about Bianca and the kids and Marissa. Red's knee is just fine. You seem awfully focused on her." Kendall was dumbstruck by a sudden realization. "Oh my god! You know!"

Erica was shocked by Kendall's exclamation. She really was too smart for Erica's good sometimes and she had no idea how she had found her out so quickly. "Know what, dear?"

"Don't give me that, Mom! I know that look. I've seen it way too many times over the years. You know! Admit it!"

Erica huffed. "Fine! Yes, I know they are trying to have a baby. You found me out. Are you happy now?"

Kendall chuckled. "Yeah, I am actually! How did you figure it out? They've been keeping it on the down low."

"I'm smarter than you think, dear. Why did they tell you and no one else and how long have you known?"

"I've never doubted your intelligence. I've known for a while, and don't feel bad or left out that you haven't been included. Binx and I talk about a lot of things, and Red and I have gotten close and talk as well."

"I'm glad that you and your sister are as close as you are, and it's good for Marissa to have you to turn to as well. You do share a common interest in keeping your sister happy."

"You're right, we do. I've helped keep an eye on the kids when they've gone to see the fertility specialist. I gave them the name of one that someone I know used."

"Would that be Dr. Roeth at the Franklin Clinic?" Erica smirked.

Kendall quirked an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. It is. How do you know about her?"

"I was in Krystal's the day you and Greenlee were talking about her. It was the day Marissa was upset about not being pregnant. She missed meeting with Bianca, Krystal and myself to discuss the wedding. Your sister received a text and took off suddenly with no explanation. Krystal and I went to look for Bianca and Marissa. We knew something was going on with them but didn't know what. We spotted them in the park but couldn't hear their conversation. At first, we thought that Marissa might be ill when I heard Greenlee mention two doctors, one being Dr. Roeth. Something felt off with that theory though. If she were truly ill, you would have reacted differently then you did. You would've been more upset. I decided to play a hunch and look the doctors up on the internet. With all of this information, I was able to put two and two together."

"Nice! I really am impressed. I can see where I got it from."

Erica chuckled. "You would do well to not forget that. Why haven't you said anything?"

Kendall shrugged. "I was sworn to secrecy. They want to keep this quiet for as long as they possibly can. You know how fast news travels in this town. Once something is out there, everyone is all up in your business, giving you unwanted or unneeded advice and telling you everything that you're doing wrong. They may mean well, but it's kind of an intrusion. They can take away from how special this time is without meaning too. You're thrust into the spotlight, and you know that Bianca and Marissa prefer staying out of that as much as they can. They like leaving that to you and others better suited for it. Plus, they don't want to jinx anything. They'll tell people when they're ready, and when they do start telling people, you know that you'll be on the top of their list, after me of course." Kendall punctuated that last statement with a smirk.

Erica rolled her eyes. "Of course, after you. You're right. I know that they'll tell me when they are ready. I don't want to add any pressure on them. I do expect you to keep me informed however."

Kendall didn't respond to her mother. There was no way in hell she was going to promise that. She had given her word to Bianca, and she would keep it. Kendall couldn't hide her shock when something else her mother said registered in her mind. "Wait a minute, you and Krystal were working together to figure out what was going on with them?"

The diva cleared her throat. She had been hoping her astute daughter hadn't caught that part of her story. "Yes, _this time_. You know very well that I can't stand the woman. When I thought Marissa might be ill, I thought the best thing for her would be to be surrounded by all of those that care for her, to have their support. As much as I loathe admitting it, that includes _that woman_. I don't hold her actions against Marissa. She is nothing like her. They have, however, thanks to your sister, begun to build a relationship. It is for that reason alone that I do my best to tolerate her. I will never forgive her though."

"You know that Bianca appreciates you doing that. She knows that it's hard for you. It's hard for Marissa. You know, I think the reason it's so hard for her has more to do with what Krystal did to Bianca than what she did to her. Bianca convinced her to try so she has. Binx is probably the most forgiving person there is."

"I know your sister can be quite persuasive when she puts her mind to it. I also believe you're right about her. I sometimes think she is a little too forgiving."

"Possibly but it's what makes Bianca who she is. Besides, I think Marissa keeps an eye on that, helps balance it. Anyone that hurts her or even thinks about it? Let's just say that Red more than lives up to the stereotype of redhead's and their tempers. Reese and that reporter are prime examples of that. Bianca's had her share of protecting Marissa as well."

Erica smiled at the memories of the video of Marissa hitting that horrid reporter and of the way she handled her daughter's ex. She also remembered the anguish Bianca went through when Marissa was injured and how she did everything she could to ensure her safety. "Yes, I remember those instances. They are a good fit, aren't they?"

"Yes, they really are."

"Do you know if they've had another procedure performed or when they might?"

Kendall shook her head. "No, I'm afraid I don't have any information on that front. I do know that when they've gone to the clinic before, they've gone over the weekend. It's easier for both of them to do it then since they don't have to take time off work. They're saving up some of that time for later. I've watched the kids a couple of times before when they went up. When we talked the week before they left, they didn't ask me to watch them. I couldn't have anyway since we were so busy we only had time for a quick 'hi and how's everything going'."

"Well if you weren't available to watch the children, maybe they decided to wait until after their vacation."

"Maybe, but they do have Susan. She's watched the kids overnight before so she could have watched them. Bianca and Marissa have both told me they don't want to take advantage of my time and have me watch the kids too much. I told them I don't mind. What they are doing is important. I want to be there for them and help them however I can. You know how they are though."

Erica chuckled lightly. "Yes, I do. They don't want to impose even when they aren't."

"Very true. I can tell you one thing though. This baby, when he or she comes along and I really believe this is going to happen, is going to be the luckiest baby in the world to have them as his or her mothers. Plus, they'll have me as an aunt and you as a grandma."

Erica glared at her daughter. She loved her daughters and their children and would do anything for them, but even all these years later, the diva resisted that title. It implied that she was old, and Erica refused to admit, concede or budge one inch on age related issues. She had an image to uphold after all that was why when she received her AARP card she shredded it immediately. That was a group for senior citizens, and Erica Kane was most definitely not a senior citizen. "When you talk to your sister, tell her I said hello and to have good time." Erica said coolly before turning on her heel and leaving.

Kendall had barely managed to keep a straight face in the wake of her mother's reaction along with the fact that she almost knocked Greenlee over on her way out. When the elevator doors closed, she burst out laughing.

"What in the hell is Erica's problem now?" Greenlee asked slightly amused. Anything that bugged Erica, Greenlee instantly liked.

"I called her 'grandma'."

Greenlee's eyes grew wide not quite believing what she heard. "Shut up! You did not do that! Do you have a death wish? That explains the Kane death glare." Greenlee soon joined her friend laughing.

Kendall was now doubled-over and struggling to catch her breath from laughing so hard. "I just couldn't help it! I have a feeling I'm going to pay for that later, but it was _so_ worth it now!" Kendall started laughing again and wiped tears from her eyes.

/

Marissa pulled into the garage and smiled. They'd had a great time down in Florida, but no matter how great of a time they had, she was happy to be home and couldn't wait to sleep in her own bed. She turned at the sound of Bianca sighing and could tell her fiancée felt the same exact way. They both glanced over their shoulders into the backseat. All three children were sound asleep. Neither woman was surprised since it was late, and long car rides seemed to have a magical effect on children, lulling them to sleep despite the unusual positions they ended up in.

Knowing that neither of them could carry AJ or Miranda any longer, they gently roused them awake. The older two children were ushered inside and straight to their rooms by Marissa while Bianca carried Gabby to her room remembering to grab Minx before heading inside. The stuffed monkey was going to need to be washed but that could wait until tomorrow as could baths for their children.

Marissa helped AJ change into his pajamas and got him quickly settled in bed before going to help Miranda. Bianca took care of Gabby who was still sound asleep. The brunette then grabbed a couple of things from the car, leaving the rest for the next day. By the time she made her way back to their bedroom, Marissa was finishing up in the bathroom. Bianca washed her face and brushed her teeth before joining her fiancée in bed.

"Are AJ and Miranda settled?"

"Yeah, they are. As soon as their heads hit the pillow, they were back out. What about Gabby?"

Bianca smiled. "She never woke up once even when she reached for Minx after I set him next to her. We're going to have to wash him tomorrow. Our one day trip to the beach did not do him any favors."

Marissa chuckled. "Yeah, he was definitely starting to smell a little. I'm so glad to be home in our own bed, not that I didn't have a good time."

"I know what you mean. I had a great time too, but there's just something about being home." Bianca sighed contentedly as she sunk under the covers and pulled Marissa into her arms after they shared a loving kiss. With that, the couple was soon fast asleep.

/

"Mommy, when will Minx be done?"

Bianca smiled at her youngest. Gabby had been waiting patiently for her beloved stuffed animal to be washed and trying her best to hide how anxious she was about being separated from him. "He's almost done, Sweetie. The dryer should be finished in just a few more minutes. You're being very good."

"Yes, you sure are, Monkey." Marissa grinned at her daughter as she joined the two brunettes in the kitchen. "I have an idea of something you could do for us that would be a really big help. Aunt Kendall, Uncle Zach and the boys will be here soon with Max. Would you check with AJ and Miranda and see where they put their gifts?"

Gabby smiled brightly. "Okay, Mommy!"

"Thank you."

"Good save, Honey." Bianca smiled in relief. "That should keep her occupied until the dryer's finished."

"I thought it would. With the exception of the last load in the dryer, everything else is put away."

"That is good to hear. What do you want to do for dinner? I really don't feel like cooking."

Marissa shook her head. "Neither do I. One more meal of takeout before we get back to the routine?"

"I think that's a great idea. How does pizza sound?"

"Sounds perfect to me. Since Kendall and company are coming over, I could see if they want to join us."

"You read my mind, but you always seem to be able to though." Bianca stole a kiss that quickly turned heated.

The couple had not had too much alone time in the ten days they were gone. The condo, while nice, did not allow for much privacy and Gabby had a hard time not being in her own bed. The littlest member of the family had spent a couple of nights in her mothers' bed. The stays in hotels in route to and from their destination also did not allow for any privacy. Both had been too exhausted from the long drive home last night when they got in to do anything else other than sleep, and their morning routines were interrupted by well-rested children.

Marissa moaned as she reluctantly pulled away. "Oh, I can tell you that it's not taking much to read your mind right now."

Bianca grinned wickedly. "Yeah, yours is pretty easy to read right now too. We're going to have to do something about this tonight."

"Yes, we definitely are." Marissa leaned back in for a lingering kiss.

The sound of the dryer signaling the end of its cycle stopped the couple from going any further.

Marissa sighed. "You better get Minx out of there. I have no doubt that Gabby has heard that signal."

"You're right. She has hearing like a bat when she wants." Bianca chuckled. "I'll get Minx and you call Kendall. Later tonight? We're picking right up where we just left off."

Bianca headed to the laundry room with an extra sway to her hips that had Marissa groaning. "I'm going to be counting the hours to that. Maybe, the kids will go to bed early. They really need to catch up on their sleep."

**/**

**A/N: Okay, I was going to go into the vacation here, but I got sidetracked by the conversation between Kendall and Erica and had to end this chapter where I did in order to prevent it from being huge and to post today. There will be a vacation recap in the next chapter and maybe some other stuff. Talk to you soon! **


	102. Pool Party

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing! It's much appreciated! We're chugging forward with this chapter. Besides a recap of their vacation, there are a couple of other things I hope you'll like. Some of what they recount from vacation is based on my recent personal experiences with some being tweaked and some I made up based on what I saw while I there. Hope you all enjoy this update! **

**/**

It had been close to three weeks after returning home before the Tasker-Montgomery's had been able to get together with their family and friends. Everyone's schedules had been packed with work and other obligations preventing them from catching up. The Slater's were supposed to come over the day after they arrived home, but Spike and Ian had picked up a stomach bug that had gone through their day camp while their cousins were down in Florida preventing them from coming over. Zach dropped off Max before heading back home to help tend to his sons. Through quick phone calls and texts, a date was set to get together. Since it had been a while since everyone had gotten together, Bianca came up with the idea to invite the others over for a cookout and pool party. Marissa quickly jumped on board with the idea. She loved family get-togethers, the bigger the better, even if they sometimes ended up in shouting matches. As long as no one was arrested or needed to go to the emergency room, they were considered a success in the couple's book.

Per usual, the Slater's arrived first. Gifts that were bought for the family down in Florida were opened. Others would be distributed to various family and friends when they showed up later.

"Cool! It's an Iron Man t-shirt! Thanks, Aunt Bianca! Thanks, Aunt Marissa!" Spike exclaimed just a second before removing the shirt he was currently wearing to put on the new one.

"I got a Minion shirt!" Ian said proudly as he showed it to his parents.

Kendall smiled at her youngest son's excitement. He had handed it to her to help him put it on like his brother had with his new shirt. "What do you say?"

"Thanks, Aunt Bianca. Thanks, Aunt Marissa." Ian grinned as he looked down at his new shirt.

"You're both very welcome!" Bianca smiled at her nephews.

"Can we show them what we got?" AJ asked.

Marissa nodded. "Yes, you may. Have fun."

After an eye roll from AJ on the grammar correction, the five children dashed upstairs to the kids' bedrooms.

"I'd say the shirts are a hit." Zach grinned.

"Ah, but wait! There's more." Bianca had a big smile on her face as she handed a bag to Zach.

Zach laughed as he pulled out the shirt. "The Incredible Hulk?"

"Kendall's said you remind her of him a little in the morning."

"Only before he's had his coffee or if someone goes after his family. They wouldn't like him when he's angry." Kendall added with a smirk.

Zach nodded. "She's right. They wouldn't. Thank you both. I'll wear it proudly."

"And for you, Curly." Marissa handed a bag to Kendall.

A loud laugh escaped Kendall when she saw her shirt. "Marge Simpson! I love it. Do you think I could pull off the blue hair?"

Zach grinned and gave his wife a quick kiss. "If anyone can, it's you."

"Good answer!" Kendall smiled. "Thanks for the shirts."

"You're welcome, but we do have one more gift for just you and Zach. It's not from Florida, but we think you'll still like it." Marissa grinned and handed a package to Kendall.

The older brunette pulled out a bottle of her favorite wine. "Very nice! Thank you! We'll put this to good use later, but you didn't need to do any of this."

"We know, but we wanted to. We appreciate you watching Max and the house." Bianca added.

"Well, we have to thank you for the use of the pool. The boys loved it."

"Yes, they did so much so that we're going to get one ourselves." Zach shook his head having finally caved to his family. He was tough to those outside, but for his family, he would pretty much do anything.

"They finally wore you down, huh?" Marissa teased.

"Them and Kendall. I am not, however, going to be her pool boy."

The women laughed at his smirk.

"Hmm, I guess I'll have to work on you a little more for that to happen."

Zach shook his head at his wife. "Not going to happen. Is the shed open? I think I'll go get the picnic tables out for you."

"No, it's not. I'll open it up for you. If you set them up, I'll wipe them off." Marissa headed to the kitchen to retrieve the key to the storage shed with Zach following.

"We'll be out in a few minutes to help." Bianca added.

Kendall turned to her sister. "You guys look like you had a good time."

"We really did."

"How was the drive?"

"It wasn't too bad. We drove through Washington D.C., and it made us think that we need to plan a trip there sometime in the future. The kids should like it, and my favorite lawyer perked up at the thought of a tour of the Supreme Court."

Kendall laughed. "I can see Red being all over that."

"We also got some ideas for visiting a few of the places along the coast."

"So, you're definitely on board with future family road trips?"

Bianca smiled brightly. "Yes, definitely. It was everything I thought it would be and then some. The kids did really well with the drive. There were only a couple of incidents with them bugging each other."

"That's good. What about you and Red? Did you have any problems staying awake?"

"No, we switched every so often so it wasn't bad. When one of us was driving the other would handle any disputes between the kids as well as be in charge of the music and keeping the other sharp."

Kendall had to ask because she hadn't heard anything from her sister about the next topic for a few weeks. "I have to ask, and if you don't want to tell me, that's fine. I'll understand. Is there any word on the baby front? I wasn't sure when Marissa had her last procedure and how things were going with that."

"There's nothing to tell yet on the baby front. We're just waiting. And I don't have any problems with you asking. We should probably get out there and help them set up. People will be getting here soon."

Kendall noticed her sister side-stepped the question of when Marissa's last procedure was and how she switched gears on her but decided not to press her on it. "You're right."

"You go ahead. I'll let the kids know where we are in case they need anything."

After letting the kids know they would be outside, Bianca paused in the kitchen before heading out to join the others. She looked at a calendar and began to wonder.

/

Not much later, the house was crowded. The kids were in the shallow end of the pool with AJ, Miranda and Gabby chattering about their recent adventures with anyone who would listen.

"I gotta feed a dolphin! I touched a stingray too!" Gabby gushed.

"It was really cool. They gave us these fish to feed the dolphins, and they came right up to us and took them right out of ours hands." AJ grinned.

"I liked that too, and I really liked touching the stingrays. We held our hands in a shallow pool, and they swam by so we could touch them. We had to be really gentle." Miranda added happily.

"Did they feel slimy?" Spike asked.

"Nope, not really."

"Mommy was right about the flamincos."

The other children eyed Gabby curiously before Miranda stepped in and figured out what her sister was trying to say. "She means the flamingos."

Gabby nodded as well as she could with her life vest on. "Yep. They do sleep standing on one leg, just like she said!"

"Cool!"

"Which Mommy?" Emma asked.

Gabby was quick to answer although she wasn't sure why she was being asked. In her mind, she always knew which one she was talking about. "Mommy Rissa. Oh, tell them about the penguins, Mimo!"

"That was the best part! Mom set it up so we could go on this tour so we could see the penguins up close! They had all kinds of them there. We saw some of them standing and guarding their eggs too."

"It was cold in there too so the penguins would feel like they were at home. The people that worked there were wearing their coats." AJ added. "We got to see Shamu too. He's huge! When he jumped up in the water and came back down, we all got splashed! That was really fun!" AJ mimicked the action and released a decent size splash of his own.

/

The adults were nearby with some sitting on the edge of the pool ready to jump in if necessary while others were also in the shallow end.

"How were the rides? Did you ride any roller coasters?" Sam asked. The teen loved roller coasters. It was because of this that the Walkers had bought season passes to the local amusement park, and Sam had ridden all of them multiple times.

Bianca nodded. "We rode a few of them at Universal but not at Sea World. The roller coasters there were a little too much for the kids, but they did have some other rides there that we could ride."

"Hey, sorry we're late."

Marissa glanced up and jumped to her feet with a big smile on her face. "Hey, Brian, Stef! Hey, Jamie!"

The toddler giggled and instantly reached for the redhead. She was his favorite person next to his parents.

"How is my godson?"

Stef chuckled and handed over her son to his godmother. "We told him we going to see his Aunt Marissa today, and he was so excited. He kept telling us 'go', and I swear it was like he was trying to say 'Rissa'."

Bianca joined the couple and her fiancée who was happily cuddling the young toddler and beaming at his attempt to say her name. "Well, he does have good taste, don't you, Jamie?"

Another giggle and nod answered the brunette's question, and the pair began playing a game of peek-a-boo around Marissa.

"I think he likes you almost as much as Marissa." Brian smiled. He shared a glance with his wife. They had talked on the way over about their friends. They knew the couple was hoping to add to their family and fervently hoped that dream would be coming true for them soon. "Did we miss anything?"

"Then that definitely proves his good taste! No, you haven't. We'll be firing up the grill shortly. Most have decided to avoid the heat via the pool. If you don't feel like doing that, there are plenty of spots in the shade."

Stef turned her gaze towards the pool. "I can't get over Gabby. She's like a fish out there."

"She took swimming lessons a long time ago, before we lived here. The younger they are when they take them, the better. AJ and Miranda had them early on also but not quite as early Gabby. She could probably go without the life vest, but we don't want to take any chances. Plus with so many people in the pool, we just feel better with her having it on."

"Where did she go for lessons?"

"I took her to the 'Y'. The instructors were great, and she loved them."

"Thanks, we'll definitely look into that. I don't know about Brian, but I'm definitely up for a dip in the pool. I think Jamie is too."

"Oh, I'm definitely up for that myself."

Marissa smiled. "Great! Follow me and I'll show you where you can change and put your stuff."

"See you soon, Jamie." Bianca waved to the toddler who waved back.

/

"What about roller coasters? I hear there're some cool ones there." Spike was developing a keen interest in roller coasters.

"There was 'The Mummy'."

"Like from the movie?"

AJ nodded. "Yep! It had fire all around us and even on the ceiling, and we went backwards too and went up and down hills in the dark. It was so cool!"

"Did you all ride it?"

Miranda answered. She could tell her cousin couldn't believe her sister would ride something like that. "No, Gabby was too little so her and Ma rode something else while we rode it with Mom. We did that a couple of times on the bigger rides. They made sure she had fun too."

"Mommy and me got made into Minions!"

The others looked at her puzzled.

"She's talking about the 'Despicable Me' ride. They kind of make it feel like they make you into a minion. It was pretty fun. She rode some stuff that had characters from Dr. Seuss. The Simpsons ride was pretty fun. We went into this room for it and didn't leave it. You felt like you were on a roller coaster but you really weren't." AJ explained.

"Harry Potter was pretty cool too. It was just like we were at Hogwarts, and we got butter beer!" Miranda chimed in.

"Was it good?" Kathy asked.

"Yeah, it was. We saw some superheroes too."

"Oh yeah, we saw Cyclops from X-Men!"

"Cool!"

"And there was the water ride from Jurassic Park. There were dinosaurs all around. We got to see a Shrek movie too. And then …" Miranda continued on.

/

Greenlee looked at Bianca who had joined others in the pool again. "Did you guys run the entire time or did you get a chance to rest at least a little?"

"Yeah, we did get a chance to rest some. Our stays at the parks didn't last real late because the kids wore themselves out. We did do dinner at a couple of the restaurants in the CityWalk area. We went to Hard Rock Café and Margaritaville. Both were really good, but Margaritaville was definitely our favorite. The food was really good, and I think the kids really liked the volcano they had there. They got to see it erupt, and they thought, and I quote, 'it was awesome'. When we finished up there, we would lounge around by one of the pools the condo had. We also drove over to a beach and spent some time there. That was pretty relaxing."

"Why didn't you go to Disney World? I thought for sure you all would've gone there." Carol Walker asked.

"It's because of all of the Disney stuff we have here that we didn't. We needed the break."

"Well technically, B, we did go to Disney." Marissa smirked as she rejoined the others with Brian, Stef and Jamie following behind.

Bianca made a face at the memory. "That wasn't anything."

"Alright, I'm sensing there's a little more to the story, Binx. What gives?"

"Fine." Bianca lowered her voice so the kids couldn't hear. "First off, it was late. The GPS had been doing pretty well until we got to our exit. At that point, it said to go straight but that wasn't an option unless we wanted to hop a median and plow into a bunch of cars. So, we turned right, and of course, we should've turned left. Before we knew it, we were turning into the Disney Resorts. There was a huge Mickey Mouse statue there taunting us so …"

Marissa had started laughing as soon as Bianca started recounting what happened. "So, my lovely fiancée said something very un-Bianca like to the _taunting Mickey_. By the way, I didn't see him taunting us, but I'm more than happy to take her word for it."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "This one was no help because she couldn't stop laughing and woke up the kids."

"To be fair, I think I handled that a lot better than most would have if they had heard what you said to Mickey. Thankfully, the kids were still asleep when she said it, and when they did wake up, they didn't realize where we were. Besides, we would've woken them up in a few minutes anyway."

Greenlee eyed Bianca but the question was directed to Marissa. "What did she say exactly?"

"She dropped the F-bomb on Mickey Mouse." Marissa grinned.

The other adults present started laughing and teasing the brunette.

Marissa saw that Bianca was taking it all in stride but the redhead stepped in after a couple of moments to put an end to the playful teasing. "In Bianca's defense, I can't say I wouldn't have said exactly the same thing if I had been driving."

Bianca chuckled at her fiancée. Since they had become friends, she was always the brunette's biggest defender, and now that they were a couple, she was even more so. Bianca knew Marissa always would be that way and so would she.

"What else did you do down there?" Brian asked. He hadn't been able to talk to Marissa too much at work since she had gotten back.

Miranda happened to be passing by when she heard the question. "Ma won a karaoke contest!"

All eyes turned to Marissa who shrugged. Bianca simply grinned at the redhead's modesty.

"What did you sing?"

"She sang a song she dedicated to Mom. It was called Brown something."

"It was 'Brown Eyed Girl', the version Jimmy Buffett sings."

Miranda smiled brightly. "Yeah, that was it! When she was done, everyone clapped and cheered really loud."

"Rissa brought the house down! Nobody else came even close to matching her performance. She had everyone up and dancing and singing with her."

"Isn't there a verse about an activity behind a stadium?" Ryan asked.

Marissa cut him off right away. "I changed the lyrics a little bit on the fly, not just for our kids but the other ones that were there as well. Since we were singing about a stadium, I changed it to 'playing ball in the green grass.'"

"It was actually pretty good. People kind of paused to see what she would sing. When she sang that instead, they let out this roar. She had them in the palm of her hand." Bianca beamed proudly.

"Think you might be up for an encore performance here, Red?"

Marissa grinned. "Maybe if you're lucky. Oh, they had a great spa in the condo complex."

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, it was really great. They had a baby sitting service so we were able to indulge in that little bit of decadence for a couple of hours."

/

Erica and Krystal were seated at a table in the shade. They had been eyeing their daughters the entire afternoon, Marissa in particular, for any sign that might give them the information they desperately wanted. So far, they'd had no luck. From the various conversations taken place throughout the day, they learned about the family's trip and their activities. They had been relieved when they heard that Marissa had taken it easy on riding the wilder rides. She might have just done it purely for Gabby's sake or she could have had another reason for doing so. Whatever the reason, they were happy she had done so.

Despite what they had agreed upon about not thinking about the couple having a baby, the women couldn't stop their minds from pondering the prospect of a new grandchild and what it meant. For better or for worse, they would be forever linked. Holidays and family get-togethers such as that happening today would be spent in each other's company, something which neither woman was particularly fond of or looking forward to. It wasn't exactly a secret that the women just flat didn't like each other.

Erica's distrust and loathing was well-documented and justified. Krystal and her daughter Babe had knowingly kept Miranda from Bianca, letting her endure unending grief, pain and suffering until the girl had served her purpose for them and was quickly replaced by AJ. Bianca had almost died as of a result of their crimes. True, JR was the one who pushed her daughter off that balcony but their actions had led to that point. How Bianca was able to forgive them was something Erica couldn't understand. She could never or would never forgive them, no matter the amount of spin put on it or whatever justification was given.

As for Krystal, it was Erica's condescending attitude and her treatment of others not meeting her standards that was at the root of her dislike. She wouldn't admit it to anyone but a degree of jealousy might be at play as well. There was a time that Krystal saw a glimmer of hope that her relationship with Jack might turn into something more, but that was quickly snuffed out when Erica and Jack mended their rift and were now stronger than ever.

That their daughters had fallen in love and were building a truly happy life together thrust the women together more and more and forced them to play nice for the sake of their daughters. They were trying but damn if it wasn't hard.

"If the two of you don't stop staring, you're going to give them a complex or let them know you know what they're trying to do or both." Kendall whispered to the pair.

Properly chastised by Erica's eldest daughter, the women quickly glanced away from the couple.

"Sorry, Kendall. I was just trying to see if I could tell …"

"Yeah, I know. If she is, it would be way too early to tell just from looking at her stomach."

Erica rolled her eyes. "Of course it would be, dear. You haven't heard anything, have you?"

Kendall shook her head. "Nope, nary a word from either of them. I'm going to get something to drink. Can I get either of you anything?"

Both women thanked her but declined.

"Fine, and stop looking at them. You're not going to will a baby popping into Marissa by staring at her." Kendall smirked as she walked away.

"I suppose she's right. We are a bit obvious."

Krystal nodded. "Yes, we are. I suppose we could mingle or talk about their wedding. We really should get back to planning it."

"It has been a few weeks. Perhaps, we could arrange another meeting with them. We could discuss the wedding and possibly observe them a little closer." Erica smiled.

/

Marissa found Bianca in the kitchen watching their mothers. The redhead smiled and wrapped her arms around her fiancée from behind and rested her chin on Bianca's shoulder. "So what's up with your Mom and Krystal? They seem a little … chummy."

Bianca leaned back into the embrace. "They do, don't they?"

"Yeah, it's kind of weird. I mean, I'm glad they're getting along but …"

"I know, me too, but I have to admit that it's a little disconcerting."

Marissa decided to change subjects. "Everyone seems like they're having a good time."

"Yeah, they do. It was a great idea." Bianca grinned.

"Gotta like inspiration." Marissa matched her fiancée's grin and leaned in for kiss.

When the couple separated, Bianca sighed when she saw her mother wave them over. The younger brunette motioned to give them a minute. "I guess we better get out there."

"We probably should. I have a feeling we're going to be discussing the wedding."

"I'm sure you're right. Hey, I just got a great idea."

"Would you care to share it with me?"

"You know that I will, but we don't have enough time to talk about it now. I want to do it tonight when everyone's left. We'll put them off as best we can until we get a chance to talk."

"That sounds good to me. I have to admit that I'm intrigued. There's something I want to talk to you about too but when we're alone."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Now, I'm intrigued."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss before pulling her outside. "All will be revealed tonight."

/

"So, what do you think? Is it a good idea?" Bianca asked anxiously. Their long awaited conversation was finally taking place now that the last of their family and friends had left about an hour ago. AJ, Miranda and Gabby had passed out not too long after the final guest departed. After putting the kids to bed, the couple was finally alone. Marissa had insisted Bianca go first with what she wanted to talk about. The brunette laid out her idea in full while her fiancée sat quietly and listened without interruption.

Marissa shook her head. "No, it's not." The redhead could only keep her poker face in place for a couple of moments before she smiled brightly. "It's a brilliant idea! I love it!"

Bianca playfully nudged her fiancée's shoulder. "You're bad. You really had me going there for a second. So, you really feel that way?"

Marissa reassured the brunette with a kiss that left no doubt about her feelings on the subject at hand. "I do. I love saying those words and I can't wait to say them in front of any and every one."

"Neither can I! My Mom and Krystal might not like it."

"Well, it's just too damn bad if they don't. It's _our_ wedding not theirs. I appreciate all of their help, and I know you do too."

"I do." Bianca grinned. "You're right. It feels so good saying those two little words. I do appreciate their help and I don't want them to be hurt."

"Neither do I, but on that particular day, the one where we say 'I do' in front of everyone, it's about us. I've heard some of their plans. I know they mean well, but …"

"It's about us and what we want. When we meet with them on Monday, we'll explain and hope they understand."

"That's all we can do, Babe."

Bianca nodded. "Okay, it's your turn. What did you want to talk about?"

Marissa was suddenly very nervous. She'd managed to keep her emotions in check all day, but now that it was time to say out loud what she had been thinking, she was having a hard time. She took several deep breaths, worried her bottom lip, fidgeted in her seat on their bed before standing up and starting to pace and finally cleared her throat a few times.

Even without all of those blatant tell-tale signs, Bianca could easily tell something was on her fiancée's mind. "Rissa, what's wrong? You know that you can tell me anything. Please, talk to me." The brunette patted the spot next to her on their bed.

Marissa stopped and looked at Bianca before nodding to herself. She was right. She could tell her anything. The redhead sat down and took her fiancée's hand. "I'm late."

It was several seconds before Marissa's words registered in Bianca's mind. "You are? You mean like late late?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, late late."

Bianca's mind was racing. She'd had a fleeting thought earlier in the day when talking with Kendall. "Okay. Okay, have you taken a test?"

"Not yet. I wanted to wait until I talked with you. There's no keeping anything from you this time. I read it's better to take it in the morning." Marissa was thinking of the home pregnancy test that was stored in their bathroom. The couple had purchased it and put it away for safe keeping after her first procedure.

"It is. Okay, we will take the test tomorrow morning if that sounds good to you?"

Marissa smiled at Bianca's use of the term 'we'. They definitely were in this together, every step of the way. "It sounds perfect."

Bianca was trying really hard to keep her emotions under control. She didn't want to get ahead of herself too much with thinking that Marissa might be pregnant with their child. Her fiancée didn't need the pressure especially if it turned out to be a false alarm. "Okay. Okay. We'll take it first thing tomorrow morning. What? Why are you smiling?"

"It's just that you keep saying 'okay'. You do that when you're nervous or excited." Marissa chuckled.

"I do?"

"Yeah, you do."

Bianca shrugged. "Huh, I never realized that I did. Could I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner? Is it because you're worried?"

Marissa smiled sheepishly. "To be honest, I kind of forgot because we've been so busy. First, there was vacation. We had the planning and then the packing and then the trip itself. When we got back home, I've been so busy getting caught back up with my current cases along with picking up a couple of new ones. I didn't have time to think about it. Is that bad?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, not at all. It makes sense and is probably a good thing. Okay." The brunette chuckled. "I need to stop saying that. We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, we probably should. Although, I'm not so sure how much I'm going to get."

"Me either, but we're going to try." Bianca settled under the blankets and opened her arms. "Come here."

Marissa grinned and happily crawled into bed and into her fiancée's arms. "I have an idea of something we could do to help wear us both out and help us sleep."

"You do, huh? What might that be?"

"How about instead of telling you, I show you?" Marissa pulled back slightly.

"I love how you think." Bianca sighed happily as Marissa shifted her position to lie on top of the brunette. Lips crashed together, and soon, they surrendered all rational thought as they lost themselves to the loving caresses of hands, lips and tongues. Each feeling the never-ending love they had for the other in each soft caress.

/

The couple sat nervously next to each other early the next morning holding hands. Bianca had set the timer on her phone after Marissa had exited the bathroom with the home pregnancy test. Now, they were waiting for the allotted time to pass revealing the results.

A ding indicated it was time to check the results. Marissa turned the test stick over as two sets of eyes immediately zoomed in with laser like focus on the test's small window to see if it would be a plus or minus sign that appeared.

**/**

**A/N****: The story about Mickey Mouse is true except it was my sister who dropped the F-bomb on him. My niece and I completely lost it. You probably had to be there to fully appreciate it. It did become the vacation's catch phrase though, and I have a feeling it's going to stick with us for quite some time. Oh yeah, I guess my evil side came out again with ending this update where I did, huh? You just never know when she's going to come out and play. See you soon! **


	103. The Results

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! It is much appreciated! Sorry on where I ended the last chapter. What can I say? My evil love cliffhangers and sometimes, I just can't stop her. For this update, there is a flashback, and it's in **_**italics**_**. That's enough from me for now. I'll let you get to reading. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

_Monday, early afternoon_

"I think the Yacht Club will be the absolute perfect place for your reception. There is more than enough room for a band and a dance floor. Guests arriving from out of town will be able to stay there as well. They could hold a block of rooms for you. Some guests may want to stay at the Pine Valley Inn, but honestly, everyone knows the Yacht Club is much nicer. And you have an excellent relationship with them from your dealings with the Miranda's Center New Year's Eve Gala. I am positive the owner will make sure you are well taken care of. As for the food, you have your choice of caterers since this will be the event of the year. I believe, Krystal, you have some thoughts on that."

"Thank you, Erica, I do. I know several that are wonderful and that I would trust with your special day. They are working on menus and will have a tasting for you whenever you'd like. As for the cake, these particular caterers also do wedding cakes. There is also another option with that. As you know, Mrs. Jackson who owns the bakery across the street does excellent work. We were talking the other day, and she told me that she would be honored to do your cake. It would be her way of thanking you for all of the legal advice you've given her. I don't think you'll be interested in this, but she also volunteered her nephew Mike's services for creating your invitations. She said he's working at a design firm and has access to a lot of tools. I thanked her and politely declined the offer. I hope that's alright."

Bianca stiffened slightly at the mention of the man's name. Erica and Krystal didn't notice it, but Marissa did. It had been quite some time since the couple had seen him, but they both remembered him all too well. The memories were mixed with some of them not being all that pleasant.

Marissa remembered him for the painful and awful jokes that he told about lawyers which he seemed to have a never ending supply of as well as spilling his drink on her. It was excruciating. That, however, was not the worst part of the evening for her. The worst part was seeing Bianca with someone else that evening, _Sienna_. She had been a little too handsy with Bianca for Marissa's liking. She could tell that Bianca wasn't too thrilled about it either, but the redhead had her own hands full with her 'date' and wasn't able to help. The sheer mention of the other woman still grated on the redhead, and Marissa could see that Bianca was experiencing the same thoughts regarding the mention of Mike.

For her part, Bianca remembered _Mike_ all too well. He was a little too touchy-feely with Marissa after he spilled his drink on her. A part of the brunette still wondered if he had done that on purpose so he could get closer to Marissa. Bianca had been unable to help her because she was saddled with Sienna. Both were part of Krystal's and Kendall's grand plan to get Bianca and Marissa to see that the person each had been looking for was right in front of them. True, it ended up working, but they still didn't like to think about the other two players involved in their scheme that night.

"No, we really aren't interested in his help. You didn't overstep."

Again, Marissa was the only one noticing the tone of Bianca's voice. She reached across and squeezed her hand and winked. Both gestures had the necessary effect, and Bianca relaxed.

"I guess the comedy thing didn't pan out after all since he's back to graphic designing." Marissa smirked which caused Bianca to snicker.

"Good, I'm glad I didn't overstep."

"I spoke with Vera, and she would love to design both of your dresses. You'll have to go to New York for her to measure you though. My assistant is gathering the portfolios of three exceptional photographers as well as two extremely talented videographers."

/

"This looks like the place to be." Kendall smiled as she entered Krystal's with Greenlee. The friends spotted Bianca, Marissa, Erica and Krystal seated together. The table they were seated at had pads of paper and pens as well as a laptop. It was obvious that the wedding planning had begun in earnest. Bianca had told her that the couple would be meeting with their mothers to go over plans.

Greenlee eyed the couple. It looked like they were listening to the older women, but something told her that they really weren't. She whispered to her friend as they moved to another table to observe the foursome. They hadn't been noticed just yet so they decided to use this time to their advantage. "Is it just me, Kendall, or do you think that your sister and Marissa really aren't paying too much attention?"

Kendall shook her head. "No, it's not just you. I see it too. Binx told me she wasn't really looking forward to today. It seems that she and Marissa have their own ideas for their wedding, ones that Mom and Krystal may not like too much."

"Did she say what they were?"

"No, she didn't. I told her we would stop by for backup if they needed it."

"They just might with those two."

/

The couple listened to their mothers go on and on about the plans they had for the wedding. They had attempted several times to stop the older women and tell them what they had in mind but were drowned out each time. Truth be told, both Marissa and Bianca were slightly distracted and having a hard time concentrating on what was being said. The mention of Mrs. Jackson's nephew snapped them back to reality. They realized they needed to step in now more forcefully to get their point across.

"We need to reserve the church and the Yacht Club as soon as possible. I can call the Yacht Club and Krystal can call the church if you'd like, but first, you need to decide on a date. We were thinking a December wedding."

"Thanks, Mom, but that won't be necessary. We have that taken care of."

Erica was somewhat surprised by that response. "I didn't realize you had picked a date and had made the reservations. That's wonderful, sweetheart."

"Yes, Mom, Rissa and I have picked a date, but we won't be needing the church or the Yacht Club."

"Really? So, where do you intend on holding the service and reception?"

"Our place!" Marissa answered happily.

"What do you mean your place?" Erica and Krystal exclaimed in unison causing restaurant patrons to turn in their direction.

Erica lowered her voice and hissed. "I'm afraid that is just not acceptable. There are a great many people that should be invited, and there is simply not enough room."

"I have to agree with Erica. The guest list is pretty long, and you don't have enough room at your place."

"Yes, we do. There is more than enough room for everyone that _we_ want to invite." Bianca stated firmly.

Marissa held up a hand to stop the protests starting to come from their mothers. "Bianca's right. Look, we both really appreciate everything that you've done. We honestly do. It's just that neither of us wants a big wedding or one that will be the social event of the year. It's just not us. We want something with just our families and our friends. Those are the people we want help us celebrate our wedding. If I'm completely honest, I just need Bianca and the kids there to make it perfect for me."

Bianca's goofy grin was all the reply Marissa really needed to know she felt the same way. "That makes two of us."

"Whose idea was this?"

"We both made this decision, Erica."

"But it was my idea, Mom."

"And one that I wholeheartedly agree with. It may have been your idea, but I'm completely onboard with it. It's what I want too."

"I don't understand. Why didn't you say something earlier to us? All of this planning was for you." Krystal asked.

"Did either of you really stop to ask exactly what they wanted? From everything that I've heard about the planning, you both jumped right in and took off. They asked you to help not take it over and plan everything." Kendall added thoughtfully. She and Greenlee had made their way over to the foursome's table.

Greenlee nodded. "She's right. They just wanted your help. I know you may not want to hear it, but it's their day and should be about what they want. If you look in their eyes, you can see how right their decision is for them."

"It's true. There is no way you can say that it isn't."

A thousand arguments were racing through Erica's mind but all fell flat when she saw the way the couple was gazing at each other. All Erica wanted was for her daughter to be happy, and she most definitely was. They were presenting a united front. Neither was backing down nor were they letting the other take the heat from either her or Krystal. Erica saw the smile on Bianca's face and knew what she needed to do.

"You're right, Kendall. Whatever the two of you want is what we'll do."

Krystal was somewhat taken aback by Erica's response. She wasn't expecting her to fold like she did. The others were right though. This was about what Bianca and Marissa wanted, and she needed to accept that there would be no big wedding for her to plan. "Yes, we will."

Erica smiled. "It's settled then. The service and reception will be at your home. What date have you decided on?"

Bianca sighed in relief at her mother's acceptance. Marissa had done her best to assure her that Erica would support them and be okay with what they wanted. She wasn't sure why she'd thought that, just that she did. It turns out that her fiancée was right, and the look on her face said _I told you so_.

Marissa grinned. "Thank you! It's going to be September 23rd."

"But that only gives us just over two months!" Krystal said in disbelief.

"We've already spoken with Reverend McSherry. She is available and willing to conduct our service."

"She's also more than happy to come to our home to do it." Bianca finished up for Marissa.

"But what about the dresses, the invitations, flowers, caterer, photographer …"

Erica had been quiet trying to wrap her head around this change. There was something she was curious about though. "May I ask why you chose that date?"

"We looked at our schedules as well as the kids. I'm free that week and the week after at the Center, and Marissa's free at work."

"The courts will be closed a few days for furloughs due to budget cuts so I'm able to hold off on my cases as a result. The kids' school has in-service days the Thursday and Friday beforehand. It really works the best for us."

"Having it around the holidays would be nice, but they're already hectic enough as it is. I can only imagine what it would be like with a wedding added. As for everything else, we'd like to keep it simple."

"Something that represents you." Erica's wheels were turning. She loved a challenge. "I understand. Given the time, I know Vera won't be able to do your dresses, but I have a feeling that while that would be appreciated, you both are looking for something not that extravagant. Let me make a few calls. I know a few designers who I think we'll be able to help you. As for the rest, we will divided and conquer. You have four of us ready and willing to help, if that is alright with the both of you."

Kendall, Greenlee and Krystal all nodded indicating their willingness.

The couple shared a smile before Bianca responded. "That would be perfect and more than alright with us. Thank you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Now, I suggest we get to work."

The next 45 minutes were spent identifying tasks and assigning them. At the end of that time, they had a pretty good handle on what needed to be done.

"We definitely should meet again. Perhaps, we could meet tonight?"

Bianca froze briefly at her mother's question.

Marissa was quick on her feet though and quickly covered. "We can't tonight. We already have something planned with the kids."

"Rissa's right. We do. If all of you are free tomorrow though, you could come over for dinner, and we could plan more then. Does that sound okay?"

"I think that will give us all a chance to get some information together." Marissa and Bianca didn't really have plans that evening but didn't want the others to know. The couple had the afternoon off. When they were done with this planning lunch, they were headed to an important meeting. Again, this was something they didn't want the others to know, just yet. The outcome of that appointment would determine their moods for the rest of the day, and they both knew they wouldn't be able to hide their feelings from the others, especially Kendall.

"Red does have a point. We probably won't have much to report today. Tomorrow works for me. Zach and the boys can do some male bonding." Kendall checked the time. "We need to get back to the office, Greenlee."

"Rissa and I need to get back too. Thanks for understanding and helping."

"We really do appreciate it more than you know."

After the couple left, Erica turned to her oldest daughter. "Did they seem alright to you?"

Kendall thought about it for a few moments. She had picked up on something but didn't know what it was. She didn't think it was anything serious though and wasn't going to worry the others with it. "They might have been a little nervous, but I think that might be because they weren't sure how either of you were going to take the idea of having their wedding at home and pairing down the size of it and the guest list."

"You don't think there was anything else?" Krystal asked.

Greenlee shook her head. "No, I think Kendall's right. It was just nerves over the wedding. I don't think there's anything to worry about."

/

Bianca and Marissa walked to the brunette's car. The couple had driven in together that morning so they only had one car to deal with later. After their seatbelts were fastened, Bianca turned to her fiancée. "That went better than I thought it would. I honestly thought my Mom would be upset, but she wasn't."

Marissa simply grinned. "And?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "You were right. Feel free to say you told me so."

"Hmm, I think I'll give you a pass this time. I'm glad both she and Krystal understood."

"Me too. We better go. We don't want to be late. You ready?"

Marissa nodded nervously. "Let's go."

/

_Sunday, the day following the cookout_

_Marissa woke up early the morning after the impromptu cookout. It was Sunday, and normally, the couple would sleep in a little later on the weekends. That was not going to happen today though. She had a test to take and was anxious about what the results would be. The redhead was surprised they had actually managed to fall asleep since they were both anxious to find out whether or not she was pregnant. A huge grin spread across her face as she thought of the ways they came up with to wear themselves out the night before. Marissa started to turn so that she could begin her morning routine but was stopped when she felt Bianca's hand. The brunette had her hand splayed on Marissa's stomach, protecting both her and hopefully someone else. The thought had the redhead's heart skip a beat. She hoped that she was pregnant, but knew if she wasn't they would still be okay. Marissa decided to stay right where she was, in Bianca's arms, for a little while longer._

_Bianca woke up and a sleepy smile graced her face. She loved nothing more than waking up with Marissa in her arms. The brunette dropped a soft kiss on her fiancée's shoulder causing Marissa to sigh contentedly and tilt her head allowing better access. That was all Bianca needed to continue her morning routine as she trailed kisses from her fiancée's shoulder to her neck, finding that one spot behind Marissa's ear that caused the redhead to inhale sharply and release a soft moan._

"_Good morning."_

_Marissa turned and was greeted by a grinning Bianca. "Good morning, beautiful. How did you sleep?"_

"_Well when I managed to actually fall asleep, I slept very well. You wore me out. I think the student is surpassing the teacher."_

"_Never, you, my love, are the master and more than wore me out." Marissa met Bianca halfway as their lips came together. "As much as I would love to continue your morning routine, I …"_

_Bianca nodded. "Me too. Are you ready?"_

"_Yeah, let's find out." Marissa got out of bed and padded to the bathroom, pulled out the home pregnancy test__, read the instructions and followed them. When she was done, she returned to the bedroom and found Bianca waiting for her on their bed._

_Marissa sat down next to her fiancée. Bianca set the timer on her phone and then took Marissa's free hand. They waited for the required amount of time to pass revealing the results. A ding indicated it was time to check. _

_Chocolate eyes met hazel as Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand. "No matter what the results, I love you."_

"_I know. I love you too." _

_The redhead took a deep breath and turned the test stick over. Two sets of eyes immediately zoomed in with laser like focus on the test's small window to see if it would be a plus or minus sign that appeared._

_Marissa beamed as a plus sign appeared. "I … I … I'm … We're pregnant! We're going to have a baby!"_

_Bianca couldn't contain her happiness as she swooped in and kissed Marissa. She then kneeled in front of her fiancée and placed a reverent kiss on her stomach. "Hello, little one. I'm your Mommy. I can't wait to meet you. Neither can your Mama, but we don't want that to happen too early. We both want you to be healthy so no coming before it's time. We are so lucky and blessed to have you joining our family. You have a big brother named AJ and two big sisters named Miranda and Gabby. They're going to so excited when we tell them about you, but we're not going to do that right away. We're going to wait a little bit. Right now, it's just going to be a secret between your Mama and me. Let me tell you about your Mama. She is amazing. She is smart, funny, kind, talented and as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. I'm blessed to have found her and be sharing my life with her. She is an incredible mom and will fight for and protect you with everything she has and so will I. You have made us so happy. I love you, little one." Bianca placed another kiss on Marissa's stomach._

_Marissa swallowed the lump that formed in her throat. Having Bianca kneeling in front of her softly caressing her stomach and talking to their unborn child made her heart swell. Marissa knew she fell even more in love with Bianca, and she didn't think that was possible. With Bianca though, the redhead knew anything was possible. As she listened to her fiancée talk, Marissa loving ran her fingers through Bianca's soft locks while happy tears flowed down her cheeks._

_Bianca gazed up and flashed a magnificent smile at her love. _

_Hazel eyes locked with warm chocolate ones. "I love you so much, Bianca."_

"_No more than I love you, Rissa." Bianca gently wiped Marissa's tears away. "Thank you for making me happier than I ever thought I could be."_

_Marissa's breath hitched and she leaned down to capture Bianca's lips for a fervent kiss. As the kiss deepened, both women __moaned as they felt the intensity of the love behind the kiss. Bianca rose from her knees and ever so gently laid Marissa back onto the bed. The couple reluctantly separated but did so only to make fast work of their pajamas. Bianca quickly recaptured Marissa's lips for an achingly tender kiss that conveyed every ounce of love she had. Her lips then moved and slowly trailed along the redhead's jawline and neck and down to Marissa's breasts, and her tongue began to torturously tease hardened nipples while her hands began to caress the soft curves of Marissa that were emblazoned in her memory causing the redhead to moan. Marissa was becoming incapable of rational thought as the growing ache in between her legs screamed in need and want of Bianca and began to overwhelm her._

_Bianca slowly continued her torturous journey to Marissa's stomach where she placed loving kisses as __her hands slowly drifted lower, caressing each magnificent curve until one gently eased between Marissa's legs. As Bianca slid two fingers easily inside Marissa, the redhead moaned loudly and pulled her fiancée up to her, capturing Bianca's lips for a searing kiss as a rhythm was soon set between them. Each thrust drove Marissa to a height of sheer ecstasy. Bianca could feel Marissa tighten around her and applied more pressure and curled her fingers hitting that spot that caused the redhead to lose control. Marissa cried out as she was driven over the edge and completely unraveled as a wave of euphoria soon enveloped her._

_As Marissa slowly recovered, she felt cherished and loved as she had never had before with anyone else other than Bianca, and she needed and wanted Bianca to feel exactly what she was feeling. A brilliant smile graced her face as she opened her eyes and met Bianca's loving gaze and beaming smile. "I love you and thank you for making me happier than I've been. I'm blessed to have found you and be sharing my life with you. Thank you for being there for me in every way."_

"_I love you, and I always will be." Bianca sighed happily and leaned up for a loving kiss. She yelped in surprise when Marissa quickly flipped positions with a wicked grin._

_Marissa's lips began to roam, soon finding Bianca's pulse point causing a sharp intake of breath. Marissa continued down to Bianca's breasts causing the brunette to moan as her tongue began working its magic. Another moan escaped from Bianca as the throbbing ache between her legs intensified, and she pulled her fiancée closer. As Marissa continued to ravish Bianca's breasts, her hands drifted lower, travelling lovingly over soft curves that were etched into her very soul. __Marissa reached her final destination as she heard Bianca's plea for release. She slowly slid two fingers through her fiancée's soaked outer folds and into her aching center. Bianca's head snapped back as her hands grasped copper locks, pulling Marissa closer as her back arched. She began to unravel under the ecstasy being brought on by Marissa's magical tongue and fingers. A rhythm was set and soon waves of ecstasy swept over Bianca and exploded inside her. The brunette's entire body went limp moments later, and Marissa watched as Bianca slowly recovered. She didn't think she'd ever see a sight more beautiful than Bianca as she was in the moments like this. _

_A brilliant smile formed along Bianca's face as she opened her eyes seeking Marissa's. "You're staring."_

"_It's this bad habit that I picked up from you." Marissa replied with a cheeky grin before lying back in Bianca's loving embrace._

_The couple lay entwined, basking in the afterglow. Neither could wipe the beaming smiles from their faces if they tried._

"_We're having a baby." The awe clearly evident in Marissa's voice as reality began to sink in._

"_Yes, we are." Bianca smiled as she made a solemn vow silently to herself to do everything in her power to make this pregnancy as stress-free and as easy as possible for Marissa. Her fiancée would want for nothing. Whatever she wanted or needed, Bianca would provide it for her. She knew Marissa would fuss and say she was going overboard, but that would not dissuade the brunette. Marissa was carrying their child, and Bianca saw it as her primary responsibility to help her, take care of her and be there for her throughout this entire pregnancy. This would mean making a few changes in regards to some upcoming plans. Bianca didn't consider that a sacrifice at all._

"_I know what you're thinking, and I'm not going to let you do it."_

"_What are you talking about?"_

_Marissa grinned and pulled back to look at Bianca. "You are not dropping your class this coming semester."_

_Bianca chuckled. Of course Marissa would know what she was thinking. "Yes, I am. I should be home with you and not in a classroom."_

"_It's your dream, B. I'm not having you giving it up for me when I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I'm pregnant, not an invalid."_

"_I know that. But you, this baby and our three other amazing children are my dream."_

"_And you say I have a way with words. Getting your master's degree is one of your dreams too. Look, I know you want to be here, but I don't want you to give that up. You'll be done with the class in December. I'm not sure exactly how far along I am yet, but I know I probably won't be due until sometime late winter or early spring. That gives you plenty of time to take this class with no problems. In fact, you could probably even take one the next semester if you …"_

"_No. That won't be happening. I won't be taking any classes in the spring." Bianca's tone indicated there was no swaying her from that stance._

"_Okay. How about a compromise?"_

"_And what would that be?"_

"_You take your class this semester as planned and take the next one off. That way you know you'll be here when the baby arrives. You can start up again next fall."_

_Bianca eyed her fiancée. She knew what Marissa was doing and could see the lawyer in her peeking out from underneath those hazel eyes. Well, Bianca had picked up a few things from her fiancée as well as her mother. Erica was a master at getting what she wanted. "I have a counter offer. I'll take my class this fall, none in the spring along with no more classes until the following spring. Plus, I drop this year's class if anything should happen."_

_Marissa considered the counter offer for a moment. She had expected Bianca to give her a hard time about school if the redhead got pregnant. She could be stubborn but so could Marissa. Bianca didn't have too many more classes to take to get her degree, and Marissa didn't want her to stop when she was so close to achieving that goal. "I have a counter to your counter. Fall class is on for this year with the stipulation that you can drop it if something happens. No classes in the spring, and we will revisit next fall's classes next year closer in to registration. Deal?"_

"_I suppose I can live with that. Deal."_

"_Good! Should we seal it with a handshake or a kiss?"_

"_Definitely with a kiss. You don't settle all of your negotiations this way, do you?" Bianca grinned._

_Marissa laughed. "Nope. I only settle them this way with the person I am hopelessly and desperately in love with."_

"_Lucky me!"_

_The couple sealed their deal with a lingering kiss._

_Just a few minutes later, the couple heard their children, not so quietly, making their way downstairs._

"_It always amazes me how much noise they can make when they're trying so hard to be quiet." Marissa chuckled._

"_It is kind of amazing, isn't it? I'll go start breakfast." Bianca kissed Marissa, got out of bed and quickly put her pajamas back on before heading to the kitchen._

_/_

_While the kids started on their breakfasts, Bianca went to back to let Marissa know breakfast was ready. She paused outside the bedroom door when she heard her fiancée talking to someone. Bianca poked her head inside and found Marissa sitting on the window seat of the bay __window and gazing out at the small pond and the woods behind their home as she absently caressed her stomach._

"_This is your Mama, little one. I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am to be having you and how much I love you. Everything your Mommy said about me fighting for you, protecting you and being there for you is true. I will. Whenever you need me, I'll be there and so will your Mommy. Let me tell you about your Mommy. She is simply incredible. I've never known anyone like her, and she turned my life upside down. No, scratch that. She turned my life right side up. Everything is better and brighter with her. I have to admit that she's not my first love, but she is my best love. She's taught me what love really is all about. I can't imagine my life without her and can't remember a time when I wasn't in love with her. She loves you so much already and is the best Mommy in the whole world. Your brother and sisters will back me up on that. She has given me so much. I have a home and a family of my own which you complete. She's helped give me you, and you along with AJ, Miranda and Gabby are the best gifts I could ever ask for."_

_Marissa glanced towards the door and saw Bianca with a radiant smile and glistening eyes. "Hey."_

"_Hey. You and our little one …"_

"_We're getting acquainted, and I'm just telling them a little about you."_

"_So I gathered. Breakfast is ready."_

"_Good because I'm starving. You had me working up quite an appetite." Marissa grinned as she took the hand Bianca offered._

"_Ditto you with me." Bianca kissed her lightly._

"_Moms!"_

_The couple chuckled. "Let's go find out who's doing what to whom."_

/

_Monday afternoon_

Bianca and Marissa held hands as they sat in the waiting room of their OB/GYN. They had called her the day before, and she agreed to squeeze them in for an appointment. She knew they were anxious to have the results confirmed. While home pregnancy tests were fairly accurate, it wasn't the same as hearing it from a doctor.

"Marissa Tasker?"

"That's me."

The nurse smiled. "Dr. Abbott will see you now."

Marissa nodded, and she and Bianca followed the nurse down the hallway to an exam room.

/

After a quick exam and having some blood drawn in addition to taking a urine sample, Marissa was dressed and sitting with Bianca in the doctor's office.

Having reviewed the results, Dr. Abbott entered and took a seat behind her desk. She smiled because this was the definitely one of her two favorite parts of her job. "Congratulations, ladies! You're pregnant!"

The couple's laughter was a combination of happiness and relief.

"We're going to have a baby, B!" Marissa beamed.

Bianca pulled their clasped hands to her and kissed Marissa's. Her smile matched the redhead's. "Yes, we are, Rissa! Yes, we are."


	104. Decisions, Decisions

**A/N****: Thanks for continuing to read and review! I really appreciate it! You all seemed pretty happy to find out that our girls are expecting in the last chapter. I'm glad you liked it. The baby isn't expected for a while so if you'd like to take a guess on whether it's a boy or a girl along with the little one's name, please feel free. I meant to put the following question in the author's notes at the end of the last chapter but forgot. Would anyone care to take a guess as to why that wedding date was chosen? It was picked for a reason. Okay, this chapter picks up where the last one on left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

After a quick exam and having some tests done, Marissa was dressed and sitting with Bianca in the doctor's office. The couple held hands as they waited for the doctor to reveal the results.

Dr. Abbott reviewed the results of the tests, entered the office and took a seat behind her desk. She smiled because this was the definitely one of her two favorite parts of her job. She didn't make the couple wait because she knew how anxious they were. "Congratulations, ladies! You're pregnant!"

"We're going to have a baby, B!" Marissa beamed.

Bianca pulled their clasped hands to her and kissed Marissa's. Her smile matched the redhead's. "Yes, we are, Rissa! Yes, we are."

The couple shared a chaste kiss before turning back to the doctor.

Marissa's smile said it all but she still wanted to say the words. "Thank you, Dr. Abbott."

"I didn't do anything, Marissa. I just gave you the happy news."

"You squeezed us in today so we didn't have wait. Having the home pregnancy results confirmed takes a huge weight off our shoulders. I'd say you did a lot."

"Plus, you're going to be taking care of Rissa for the next … Wait, how far along is she?"

"I can't believe we forgot to ask." Marissa smiled sheepishly.

The doctor laughed. "Don't worry. I was going to tell you. Going by the first day of your last menstrual cycle, you are five weeks along. Your estimated due date is March 26th. We'll probably tweak that the further you get into your pregnancy and when we do an ultrasound."

Marissa's free hand went to her stomach. "Five weeks. March 26th." It was all becoming so real now.

Bianca smiled and squeezed Marissa's hand. "You're going to be taking care of Rissa for the next eight months so consider it a thank you in advance."

"You're welcome then. Now, it's time for me to give my standard speech. I know Bianca has been through this twice before and that you have done a great deal of research, but I still have to go over this with you. I know you don't but no smoking. You do need to limit your caffeine. No alcohol. Have you set a wedding date yet?"

Marissa grinned and nodded. "As a matter of fact, we just did. We set it before we took the test. It's September 23rd."

"Well, I guess it's double congratulations for you then. I will allow you to have one sip of champagne on your wedding day but that's it."

Marissa laughed. "Got it and thank you."

"I'm going to give you a prescription for some prenatal vitamins. Take them as instructed. I want you to continue following the instructions I gave you prior to you being pregnant. Watch your diet, get plenty of rest and you can keep up with your exercising, just nothing too strenuous. I'm pretty sure Bianca will make sure you follow all of those instructions."

Bianca nodded with a smile still firmly in place. "Yes, I will."

Dr. Abbott chuckled. "I thought as much. If you experience any spotting or cramping, contact me right away. That is a standard warning I give all of my patients. Based on your family history and how healthy you are, I don't foresee any problems at the present, Marissa. What questions do you have for me?"

Marissa asked several questions as did Bianca with the doctor answering all of them.

When they were done, Dr. Abbott smiled. "I want to see you back here in a month. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, Dr. Abbott. We'll see you in a month." Marissa shook the doctor's hand as did Bianca.

As the couple was about to leave the office, the doctor stopped them. "Congratulations, you two. I'm very happy for you."

The couple smiled happily. "Thank you!"

/

When the couple arrived back home from the doctor's office, Marissa headed back to change while Bianca took Max outside. The brunette headed back to their bedroom after letting their dog back in. Marissa wasn't there though so she decided to change her clothes before she started looking for her fiancée. She had a pretty good idea where the redhead might be.

Bianca found Marissa sitting on the floor in the room that would soon become their baby's bedroom. One of the redhead's hands was resting on her stomach while she was humming a familiar tune. Bianca smiled as she settled on the floor next to Marissa.

When she finished the song, she turned to Bianca with the smile that had been present since the day before. "Hey. How's Max doing?"

"He's happy as can be. He had an early romp outside and is happily chewing on a fresh rawhide bone while he waits for the kids to get home from camp. How are you doing?"

"I've never been better or happier. I think it's finally sunk in. We're having a baby."

"Yep, we sure are. Hearing it from Dr. Abbott has made it real. Oh, we should call Dr. Roeth and let her know that we hopefully won't be needing her services anymore."

"Yeah, we should." Marissa paused to knock on the wood baseboard. Seeing the amused expression on Bianca's face, she shrugged. "It won't hurt."

Seeing the logic behind Marissa's action, Bianca quickly followed suit and knocked on the baseboard as well. "No, it won't. So, what are you doing?"

"Thinking."

"About?"

Marissa grinned. "What do you think?"

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty easy to figure out. Anything in particular you want to share?"

"Of course. Well, I think we should wait until I'm at least through the first trimester before we tell anyone, especially the kids."

"I agree 100%. Once we tell them, everyone will know. I don't see the three of them being able to keep this secret, and it wouldn't be fair to ask them to. As for everyone else, we'll tell them after we tell the kids. Getting through the first trimester is an important milestone so I'm with you on waiting until we get through it. After the kids, who do you think we should tell first?"

"Kendall, definitely."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I am. She deserves to know first. She has helped us so much. I know she'll be happy for us."

"She'll be beyond happy for us. Thank you for wanting to do that."

"You're welcome. Then, we should tell Greenlee, your Mom and Krystal. After that, I think we should just tell Opal so she can let everyone else know."

Bianca snorted. "That would sure save us time. There's no way she'll be able to keep quiet. What else is on your mind?"

"My wedding dress. Erica's got it into her head to get us a designer, and well, we don't know how big I'll be in a couple of months."

"I haven't thought about that. You should be around three months pregnant when we get married so you probably won't be showing that much if at all. We probably should let the designer and seamstress know though just in case. We'll just ask them not to say anything to anyone, kind of like a designer/seamstress/customer agreement."

Marissa grinned. "You mean like doctor/patient confidentiality or lawyer/client privilege?"

"Precisely!" Bianca smiled"

"It's worth a shot. We'll ask."

"Okay. What else?"

Marissa looked around. "This room and the one downstairs."

"Ah, thinking about how we should decorate them and when."

"Yep and that leads to the question of whether or not we want to find out the sex of our little one in advance."

"What are your thoughts on that last question?"

"Honestly, I'd like to wait. I know it would make things easier for decorating and getting clothes if we knew, but I've always thought it's more fun to wait. What do you think?"

Bianca smiled. "I want to wait too. I really like the idea of not knowing until we see our little one in person. As for decorating, there's a whole plethora of choices that are not gender specific."

"You're right. We just have to figure out which one. I know when we had the house built we talked about having the spare bedroom by us serve as a temporary nursery, and I still think we should do that. What do you think about decorating both but using the same furniture? We would just move it up when we move little one here."

"I like that and it makes sense. It won't be much work to repaint the other room when it's time. I think we should decorate at maybe 6 or 7 months. If we start then, we still have plenty of time to finish before little one's arrival, and …"

"We're not jinxing ourselves."

Bianca sensed there was more that was on her fiancée's mind, something heavier. "There's something else. Tell me, please."

Marissa shook her head and chuckled. Bianca knew her too well. She couldn't keep anything from her. Of course the same could be said about the brunette. "There is. I have to do some research on this since I'm not sure."

"Rissa, what are you talking about?"

"Your rights concerning little one here. I want to see if it's possible to have your name added to the birth certificate. If we can't, then I'll have adoption papers ready and waiting to be signed and filed as soon as we can. You are as much little one's mother as I am, and I want your rights established and protected."

Warm chocolate eyes glistened and Bianca's breath hitched. "You really want my name on the birth certificate?"

Marissa smiled. "Yes, I do. Like I said, you're this baby's mother too so why shouldn't it be."

Bianca kissed her fiancée softly. "Thank you. If it's not possible to do that, adoption is just fine with me. You know that we'll have time to do that after."

"I know, but I want to do it right away. It's the lawyer in me. The sooner it's done and established, the better. Plus, remember last year when I was in the hospital."

A cold chill ran up Bianca's spine at the memory. "I remember."

"If something should happen and I can't get there, I want you to be able to make those decisions without anyone questioning your right to do so."

Bianca simply smiled. It was a combination of Marissa the woman who loved her like no other and Marissa the lawyer making this decision. "Alright, we'll have the papers ready and packed in the bag we take to the hospital when you go into labor. Is there anything else?"

Marissa sighed happy to have that topic settled. "There is one more thing. We need to come up with names for little one. As much as I love the name you gave them, it might be awkward for them when they're a teenager."

Bianca laughed. "You're right. It might be. Since we're not going to find out in advance what we're having, we'll need names for both boys and girls. Do you have a preference? Do you want a boy or a girl?"

"No, I really don't care what we have. I just want little one to be healthy. You?"

"I don't have a preference either. As long as our little one is healthy, I'll be happy."

"The kids may have a different opinion, however. I think AJ would like a brother to even things out for him."

"Probably. I think Miranda might like another little sister. As for Gabby, I think she'll be happy either way. She just can't wait to be a big sister."

"Personally, I think she is going to be a great big sister. She's had a great example."

"Yeah, she has. So, we need names. The logical approach is to start at the beginning of the alphabet and work our way down. We could pick a few girls' names and a few boys' names each day."

"I like it and I just happen to have my tablet here. Want to get started?"

"Sounds good."

Marissa went to Google and did a search on baby names. "Let's go to boys first. Aaron, not bad. Abba?"

"Seriously? Abba? Like the band from Sweden? Dancing Queen? That Abba?"

Marissa laughed. "Yep. Judging by your expression, I'll take that as a 'no'."

"You would be right. You don't look like you're sold on it either."

"Yeah, I'm not. Abe. He is my favorite president, but it seems a little old for a baby. Ace."

"Ace? I don't think so."

"Achilles. Sorry, but I'm going to pass on that."

"I don't know Achilles Tasker-Montgomery kinda has a ring to it." Bianca chuckled.

"Adam."

The couple looked at each other, and at the same time, gave the same response. "Hell no." They busted out laughing.

When they collected themselves, Marissa shook her head. "We couldn't use it because of AJ. Besides, I think we have more than enough other 'Adam's' in our lives."

"Yes, we do. Maybe we should try some girls' names?"

"Okay. Abigail, Abby for short. Oh wait, that sounds way too much like Gabby. Can't do that one."

Bianca leaned in closer and read some names. "Adele. I love her. We'll have to play some of her songs at the reception. I don't know naming our little one that though."

"I think you're right on all counts."

"Alexandra. We could do Alex or Lexie for short."

"I kinda like that one. That's on the list. We could always use Alexander for a boy."

"We'll add that too. Anna. No wait, I take that back. Forget I even said that name. Nice name, but way too close to something else. Forgive me?" Bianca bit her lip.

Marissa gave her a quick kiss. "I'm good. Don't even worry about it, but you're right. We're not using the name. This is going to take a while."

"Well, we've got about eight months to figure it out."

/

"Hey, Binx."

"Hey, Kendall. Thanks for coming over."

"No problem. I'm happy to help with my little sister's wedding. Where is everybody?"

"The kids are downstairs watching a movie. Everybody else is in the kitchen. You're the last one to arrive."

"Is everyone playing nice?"

Bianca nodded. "Yep, they are."

"Will wonders never cease. Well, let's not keep them waiting."

/

"Shall we discuss the music?" Erica glanced up and saw her daughters enter the kitchen. "Kendall, how are you, dear?"

"I'm good. Sorry I'm late. What have I missed?"

"Hey, Curly. We've decided on a designer for the dresses, flowers and have a meeting set up with a photographer."

"That's definitely a lot of progress." Kendall paused and noticed the huge matching smiles on the couple's faces. "What's up, Red?"

"What do you mean?"

"You and my little sister just can't seem to stop smiling. What gives?"

"We're planning our wedding. It's the day I'm going to marry the person I'm meant to spend the rest of my life with. What's not to smile about?"

Bianca's smile increased even more. Not only was she grateful that Marissa was quick on her feet with an explanation that would not reveal their news about the baby, she couldn't help but smile when Marissa said something like she just had. Bianca knew without a doubt that every single word was meant. "I feel exactly the same way." With that said, the couple shared a quick kiss.

Greenlee shook her head and laughed. "Marissa really does have a way with words. I can't wait to hear what your wedding vows will be like."

Krystal smiled. "You can definitely tell who your dad was. Roy had a way with words just like you do. Lydia said he would always find just the right thing to say to sweep her off her feet. He definitely was a charmer and had the gift of gab. I see that in you."

Marissa grinned. To be compared to her Dad was one of the greatest compliments she could receive. "Thank you. Why not learn from the best? Besides, I meant every word."

Kendall had no doubt that Marissa meant what she said, but she couldn't help but wonder if there was something more, something not being shared, behind those blinding smiles. She decided to accept the redhead's answer though, for now. "I'm with Greenlee. We could be in for a treat. Care to tell us what the vows are going to be like, Red?"

"We're looking into it. We could go old school with the traditional vows or do our own." The redhead wasn't giving anything up.

"Rissa and I spoke with Reverend McSherry, and she gave us some excellent advice. I guess you're just going to have to wait until the big day to hear what we come up with." Again, Bianca's smiled matched her fiancée's. The couple had agreed to keep the details of their vows to themselves.

"Hmmm, I suppose we will. As long as you are both working on them, that will have to do for now." Erica was slightly miffed by the couple's silence on the subject of their vows, but she decided to move on. "Let's get back to the music, shall we? There is a lovely string quartet that could be used for the service and a larger band for the reception."

"Mom, we were thinking of having a DJ for the reception. That way we could have anything played for us and the guests. We have someone in mind that we think you'll like."

"I'm listening."

"Do you remember the DJ that has worked the New Year's Eve Gala for us?"

Erica paused to remember the young man. "I think so. His name is Matt?"

"Yes, that's him. How do think he did?"

"He was a very nice young man and did do quite a nice job. He did find that one song that I love. I'm sure he'll do a wonderful job. What about the processional, your walk down the aisle?"

"Speaking of your walk down the aisle, do you have any ideas what you want to do regarding that?" Krystal asked. She didn't see Marissa asking David to walk her down. Their relationship had been contentious for a while given some of his past actions. He loved to push the envelope and often crossed the ethical line which is why he was still fighting for reinstatement of his medical license. Marissa was nothing if not highly ethical. She would not put the welfare of her clients in jeopardy to feed her own ego. This was in stark contrast to David and his god-like complex. Krystal also knew her daughter still harbored some resentment for his attempts to circumvent Bianca and dictate her medical care when she was injured last year going against her wishes.

"Bianca and I talked. We're going to walk down by ourselves and not have anyone give us away."

"Perhaps now that Kendall is here, you can tell us who is in the wedding party?" Erica asked. The couple had put the discussion on hold until her oldest daughter arrived.

"Well, we're going to have the kids stand up with us, obviously. AJ is going to be the ring bearer, and Gabby and Miranda are going to be flower girls. You won't believe how excited they are." Marissa smiled as she remembered their reactions when she and Bianca told them about the wedding and asked if they wanted to be a part of it.

Krystal chuckled. "I can just imagine. Who else?"

Bianca turned to her sister and her friend. "We've asked Kendall and Greenlee to stand up with us, and they agreed."

"We're happy to do it, Binx. Nothing would make me prouder."

"I have to admit that I was little surprised, but I'm honored."

"Greenlee, you and Kendall have been there for Rissa and me too many times to count. It only makes sense to have both of you part of that day."

Marissa grinned. "And don't worry, we're not doing the traditional ugly bridesmaid's dresses."

"Thank god for that. If you did, I would seriously have to reconsider." Greenlee joked. She had been extremely touched when the couple had asked her to be in the wedding. She and Marissa had been close for some time but had grown even closer since that afternoon in the park when Greenlee helped the redhead deal with her disappointment of not being pregnant.

Erica had to admit that she was only mildly surprised by Greenlee's inclusion. She had noted the closeness of the four younger women for some time. They were there for each other, no matter what, and it was very good to see.

Krystal was also happy to see the relationship amongst the younger women. They were friends in the truest sense of the word and had each other's backs. She also couldn't help but laugh at the way they joked with each other.

"Getting back to the processional, we plan on having the DJ play it. We have a very specific song in mind and the same for the recessional. We know what we want. Neither is traditional, but they're us." Bianca added simply.

Erica couldn't find it in herself to argue over this point, not when she saw how happy the couple was. "What do you plan on doing for a dance floor?"

"The pool makes it a little awkward so we are up for any suggestions on that, Erica."

The diva smiled. "You happen to be in luck. I have an idea that I think will solve that issue. The pool will be drained by that point?"

"Oh yeah, we'll definitely have it closed up for the year."

"Good, then my idea should work. I found a company that will install a temporary floor that will safely cover the pool and give you a very nice dance floor without any damage to the pool or concrete."

"Seriously? That's great, Mom. How long will it take for them to do that?"

"They'll need a day to install it."

"That shouldn't be a problem."

"Do you want me to make a call then?"

"Yes, please do, Erica. I think you're right about having tents in reserve just in case it decides to rain that day."

"It's better to be safe than sorry, but Marissa dear, it won't dare rain on your and Bianca's special day. I simply won't have it."

Marissa laughed at the amused look on her soon-to-be mother-in-law's face. "Erica, if anyone could dictate the weather, I know that it's you."

"Thank you, dear. Now, have the two of you created your guest list?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, we have, and we really like the printer that Greenlee found. I'm calling him tomorrow to set up a time for us to meet with him."

"We also like Krystal's top pick for a caterer, but we want to do a tasting before we make that final decision. We're happy with Mrs. Jackson doing our cake too. I've already called her, and we're going to meet with her in a couple of days."

/

The women continued their planning for another hour before wrapping up for the evening. Plans were made to meet in a week's time and go over everything again, but they would stay in touch in between on the progress made. Bianca walked the others out while Marissa went to get the kids started on their baths. After she went back in to help Marissa, the other four women continued to talk before getting in their cars and heading their respective ways.

"Okay, I've got to ask. Does anyone know if Marissa is pregnant? I'm asking because I really can't tell." Greenlee asked as she looked at the other three women. Her question was met with the others shaking their heads.

"No, Binx hasn't said anything."

"Did anyone notice that Marissa didn't have any wine?" Krystal asked.

"I caught that. I know she stopped when they started the whole process. Binx told me they didn't want to take any chances. The same goes with caffeine. Red's been slowly cutting that back too. Binx is cutting both out as well. She feels it's another way to support Red during this time."

Erica nodded. "That does sound exactly like your sister. Perhaps when they go see the designer about their dresses, we'll find something out."

"There's a thought. Oh well, I've got to get home and help Zach with the boys."

"Good night, dear. If anyone finds something out in the meantime, we let the others know."

While the others agreed, Kendall remained silent and made no such promise. She couldn't. She had given her word to Bianca that she would keep the results secret whenever she knew something. She had yet to hear from her sister whether or not the couple was pregnant, but when Bianca did reveal the results to her, Kendall would keep her word to her sister, no matter what.

**/**

**A/N****: This was kind of a filler chapter and a little tough to write in parts. That is mainly because work has been rough this past week. It just doesn't seem like there is enough hours in the day sometimes. Anyway, I wanted Bianca and Marissa to talk about the baby and their plans. I also wanted them to get started on the planning of the wedding. I actually started writing some of that already. Any suggestions or thoughts anyone has on the big day are welcome. See ya soon! **


	105. Going Shopping

**A/N****: Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing! It is truly appreciated! There are a few orders of business to get out of the way before we start this chapter. **

**I have the smartest and best readers! Our girls wedding date of September 23****rd**** was picked because it was the date the show ended its run on network television. It's a combination of a shout out to the original show and my way of ignoring what the reboot did to Minx. So, in my Minx happy bubble, everyone is alive and happy. September 23****rd**** will also be a Saturday just because weddings are usually on Saturdays in the States. Having that be Marissa's parents' anniversary was very creative and honestly didn't occur to me.**

**Next, I need to clear up the issue of the baby's sex. If you're reading **_**Once Upon a Time**_**, you'll notice that I only refer to the youngest member of the family as Sparky. That is just the nickname that Kendall gave to them because of their personality. I've been very careful not to use him or her when referring to them. Trust me when I say that it's been tricky doing that. It's very tempting to say 'he said' or 'she said', but I haven't because I didn't want to reveal it there. I want to reveal it here because this story is really my baby. Also, **_**Once Upon a Time**_** is more of a glimpse into the future, if you will.**

**One last thing, I'm making Gabby just a couple of months older. According to the show, she was born in October. For my purposes which you will soon read, let's say it's in the July/August timeframe. Basically, I need or want her to be 5 years old now.**

**I do believe that takes care of everything that I can address in this chapter without giving anything away. There's no fun if I give everything away in the author's notes, now is there? Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

"Do we have to go shopping?"

"Sorry, Buddy, but we do. You need a new suit for the wedding." Marissa smiled as she ruffled her son's hair. He was definitely going to need another haircut before school started. "And today, you're just going to get measured for it."

"Why can't I wear my old one?"

"Because it doesn't fit anymore. That last growth spurt of yours finished it off."

"Plus, your Ma and I want everyone to see how handsome you are at the wedding." Bianca added with a wink which caused AJ to blush.

"After we're done with everyone getting measured for their clothes for the wedding, we have to go shopping for school clothes and supplies. It's going to be starting up in a couple of weeks."

AJ and Miranda groaned just a little at the thought of summer break coming to an end.

Gabby, however, couldn't contain her excitement and squealed. She was going to be starting kindergarten and couldn't wait. "I'm going to school cause I'm a big girl!"

Bianca and Marissa shared a wistful glance at their youngest. She may be ready to start school, but they weren't. It meant she was growing up, and it felt a little too fast for them. They knew that first day was going to be tough on them.

"Yes, you are, Monkey. Do your Mommy and me a favor though and don't grow up too fast. The same goes for you two as well."

"We have to grow up sometime, Ma." Miranda, ever the logical one, stated simply.

"We know that, Mimo, but it's tough sometimes for us to see it." Bianca sighed.

"Your Mom is …" Marissa stopped mid-sentence. One hand clutched her stomach and the other covered her mouth before darting out of the room as she managed to get out a quick "I'll be back."

The kids looked to their brunette mother with concerned expressions.

"Is Mommy alright?"

Bianca did her best to reassure her children. She had a pretty good idea of what was going on. "I'm sure she is. You all finish your breakfast, and I'll go check on her."

/

"Rissa, honey, how are you feeling?" Bianca found Marissa on her knees beside the toilet in their bathroom.

"Well, I was feeling pretty good, and then all of a sudden, I knew I was going to get sick." Marissa groaned again and leaned over the bowl.

Bianca held her fiancée's hair back for her and rubbed her back. She felt helpless that she couldn't provide more comfort.

"This would be morning sickness, right?"

"I'm afraid so, honey."

Marissa closed her eyes for a moment as the nausea receded. "Help me up?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am. It's stopped for now, and I really want to brush my teeth."

Bianca helped the redhead up. "Do you need me to do anything else?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, thank you though. You should probably check on the kids and let them know that I'm okay."

"Yeah, I should. They were a little worried with the way that you raced out of the kitchen. They're going to be okay though so don't worry about them. I told them to finish up breakfast."

Marissa groaned at the thought of food.

"I know how you feel, and I wish I could do more. We can put off the shopping today if you want or need to." Bianca offered. Marissa's health was more important than anything else.

"You're doing more than enough. I'll be okay. We need to go. The designer is expecting us. She needs to get started on the dresses for both us and the girls as well as AJ's suit. We have to pick up the kids' school supplies too, and they need new clothes. Most importantly, I need to learn to deal with this. It's part of what we signed up for."

"Okay, I'll bring some crackers for you. They always seemed to help me. I'll get you some Sprite too."

"Thank you."

Bianca kissed Marissa's cheek. "You're welcome."

/

"The kids are taken care of. AJ's is playing a video game. Miranda is reading, and Gabby is drawing. We're all yours, Lana. Thanks for seeing us." Marissa sat back down next to Bianca and across from the designer.

"You're welcome. I'm glad for this opportunity. Bianca was telling me there is something I need to know and that you need me to keep quiet?"

"Yes, there is, and before we tell you, we need your word that what we say to you will stay just between the three of us. You can't tell anyone, especially Erica."

"Is everything alright?"

"Don't worry. It's nothing bad. It's just something that we prefer to keep private for the time being." Bianca reassured.

"Okay, I won't say anything. Whatever you have to tell me will stay between us. You have my word."

Marissa glanced over her shoulder to make sure the kids were out of earshot. Assured that they would not overhear, she turned back to the designer. "I'm pregnant."

Lana started to laugh but quickly covered her mouth. "That's fantastic. Congratulations."

"Thank you."

The designer quickly shifted gears understanding why they were telling her. "How far along will you be by the time of the wedding?"

"I'll be three months."

"Just ending your first trimester."

"Yes, we really don't want to tell anyone until Rissa's through it."

"I understand. I've had friends of mine that have kids and didn't tell anyone until after the first trimester just in case. It won't be a problem for me not to say anything. I'll just finish Bianca's dress first. What we can do for you, Marissa, is keep the dress loose-fitting until our final fitting and schedule the last alteration the week before the ceremony. There shouldn't be many changes, if any at all, in that short time period so that will give me plenty of time to finish your dress. Does that sound like a plan to the both of you?"

Marissa sighed, clearly relieved at the designer's simple solution. "It does and thank you."

Lana waved her off. "No thanks are needed. I'm happy to do it. Now, let's talk dresses."

"The wedding will be outside at our home so we don't want something too formal."

The designer was taking notes as she listened to Bianca. "You want something simple and a little casual but on the elegant side at the same time. I think I have a couple of things for you to look at. I can show them to you both and let you decide. Do you want to see each other in them before the ceremony?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, as hard as it will be, I know it will be more than worth the wait."

"Yeah, it will be. Waiting is just going to add to the day. Plus, we need at least one surprise for each other."

/

"Well looky here! If it isn't one of my favorite families. I hear congratulations are in order. You set a wedding date. I couldn't be happier for both of you." Opal hugged Marissa and then Bianca. She had not seen either woman in over a week.

With the wedding planning in full swing, the couple had not been in the restaurant since the day the doctor had confirmed Marissa's pregnancy. Lunch hours had been spent picking a caterer and cake tastings. Luckily for them, those had happened before Marissa's morning sickness decided to kick in. They also had picked out their wedding invitations.

"Thanks, Opal." The redhead smiled and helped get Gabby settled into her seat.

"How are all of you this fine day?"

"We're doing great, Opal. How are you?" Bianca asked as she took her seat next to Marissa.

"I'm fine and dandy. What has you all out and about today?"

"We were picking out dresses for the wedding!" Miranda said excitedly.

"I have to get a suit." AJ grumbled mildly.

Marissa chuckled. "You just have to wear the tie for a little bit the day of the wedding, Buddy. We promise just for the ceremony and pictures."

AJ nodded.

"I just bet you're going to look mighty dapper and the girls are going to look like princesses. I think your mothers are going to be so beautiful."

"Thank you. I have no doubt about Bianca." Marissa grinned as her fiancée blushed. "Oh, that reminds me. You need to decide who your plus one is going to be. We just dropped the invitations off at the post office. Expect yours in a couple of days."

"I've definitely got some thinking to do then. Have you just been shopping for the wedding?"

"No, we did some school shopping too, for all three." Bianca sighed.

"I'm gonna go to school, and I got a backpack just like Mimo and AJ do!" Gabby beamed.

Opal laughed at the little girl's excitement. "Well, you sure are growing up. What can I get you all for lunch?"

"Chicken nuggets!"

"A cheeseburger!"

"Small cheese pizza!"

"I know you're shocked by those orders." Bianca smirked. The children were fairly predictable with their food orders at the restaurant. "I'll have the chicken Cesar salad please."

Marissa had been fighting nausea off and on all morning and didn't feel 100%. She knew she needed to eat something though. "I'll just have the chicken noodle soup."

"That's it? Don't tell me that you're watching your weight for your wedding because there is no need for you to do that."

"Ma wasn't feeling good this morning." Miranda informed Opal.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. It was just a little bug. I should probably take it easy for now though."

"Alright, I'll bring you some extra crackers."

"Thanks, Opal." Marissa smiled gratefully as the older woman nodded and headed back to the kitchen.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Bianca was a little worried about her fiancée. She had tried to persuade her several times earlier to call it a day and end the shopping spree, but Marissa refused. Morning sickness was a normal occurrence during pregnancy, and the redhead was determined to not let it get too much in the way of their time with the kids.

"Yeah, I am or I will be. Don't worry so much."

"I can't help it. We'll go home after lunch, and you can rest. Actually, I think we can all use a break. I'm sure AJ's all shopped out."

AJ's head popped up, and he nodded. "Could we go swimming?"

"Sure. I don't see why not."

"Hi, guys!"

Bianca glanced up and was met with the smiling faces of Carol Walker and Sam Robinson. "Hey, how are you two doing?"

"We're doing very well. And how are all of you?" Carol asked.

"We went shopping for the wedding, Mrs. Walker!" Miranda answered excitedly.

"And then we shopped for school supplies! I'm gonna go to school!" Gabby couldn't stop herself from telling pretty much everyone.

"That's really cool, Gabby. Grandma and me were doing some shopping too."

"What for? Are you shopping for school too?" AJ asked.

"No, dear, we're shopping for Sam's birthday."

Marissa grinned. "That's right. It's coming up. It's a big one too. You're going to be 16, right?"

Sam nodded. "Yep, I am! I'll be able to apply for my driver's license soon! I've been taking classes, and Gail, Alex and Grandma have been letting me drive them around. I drove us today."

"She's a very good driver. Since we saw all of you, we can tell you now. We're having a party for her in two weeks, and you are all invited. Gail's going to be sending evites tomorrow so that will have all of the details."

Bianca thought briefly. "I'm pretty sure we're free so you can count us in. Oh speaking of invitations, we just dropped our wedding invitations off at the post office. Keep September 23rd open."

"We definitely will. All of us are looking forward to it."

"Yeah, we really are. I'm really happy for you guys."

"Thanks, Sam." Marissa smiled.

"I'm going to get us a table, Grandma."

"I'll be right there, dear." Carol waited until Sam was out of earshot. "Marissa, could I speak with you for a moment?"

"Sure. I'll be right back."

The two women stepped away from the table.

/

"What's up, Carol?"

"Since I ran into you, I thought I would take this opportunity to put a bug in your ear. Gail and Alex would like to discuss something with you. They planned on calling you later tonight to set up a time to meet, professionally."

Marissa cocked her head, clearly intrigued. "I'm pretty sure I have some free time next Wednesday. I'll be happy to help them with whatever it is they need. Have them give me a call and we'll set something up. I don't suppose you want to tell me what this is about?"

"No, that is for them to tell you. I'll have them to call you. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Carol paused and looked at Marissa. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, never better. Why do you ask?"

"No reason in particular. I just thought I would ask."

"Okay, I better get back. Have them call me."

"I will. Thank you again." Carol watched as Marissa rejoined her family. The older woman was very perceptive. There was definitely something different about the redhead. Carol shook her head. She would find out eventually.

/

"Is everything okay?" Bianca asked as Marissa sat back down.

"Yeah, I think so. Gail and Alex want to talk to me about a legal matter."

"That's interesting."

"It is. I don't know anything else other than that though."

"And if you did, you couldn't tell me because of privilege."

Marissa laughed. "Exactly! I really don't know anything right now though."

The issue was dropped when their order was delivered. After the family finished lunch, they headed home. Marissa had thankfully managed to keep her lunch down making not only her but Bianca feel better. When they got home, everyone changed and went swimming which gave them all a much needed break from wedding planning and thoughts of school starting.

/

_One week later_

Marissa was in her office going over what happened that morning. Things had started out fine, a typical day in the Tasker-Montgomery household, but quickly took a turn south.

Bianca had received an early morning call from her mother about the wedding. Erica wanted to add a few more details. They weren't sure how much more they could take because the couple was already on wedding overload.

Marissa had been slightly distracted with a new case that was starting to look like a tough one emotionally. Her client and her husband had been happily married, or so she had thought, for five years. An old girlfriend of his had recently sent him a friend request on Facebook which he accepted. They started talking again, and before her client knew it, the husband and the old girlfriend were having an affair. She discovered it by accidentally walking in on them which made it impossible for him to deny. Now, they were dealing with the aftermath. To add to everything, Marissa's client discovered she was pregnant. It seemed the husband wasn't being exactly faithful to either of the women in his life. The case was striking a bit of a chord with the redhead, not because she thought Bianca would cheat if she was in a similar situation. It was because both she and her client were pregnant causing her to identify with the other woman to a degree. Marissa found her hormones weren't helping with this particular case either.

Miranda and AJ had then started talking about Sam's birthday the next week and what they should get her. By this time, Bianca was off the phone with Erica. The couple realized they had completely forgotten about the party. It had been one more thing added to their already full plates. It was then that Bianca said she wasn't sure if she could make the party. Her college course had started, and she already had a big paper she had to work on for it. Wedding planning had put her a little behind on the schedule she had created for herself, and she was starting to stress out a little bit. Marissa was then hit by what had now become her regular wave of morning nausea and had to leave the room quickly. When Bianca went back to check on her, the couple ended up snapping at each other. Even though they shared a quick kiss goodbye, tension was still high.

It was how things had ended that weighed heavily on Marissa's mind. She hated when they fought. Luckily, they didn't do it very often. It still really bothered her when they did though. The redhead quickly came to the realization that the couple had done nothing lately but focus on the kids, work, school, the wedding and the baby. They were in desperate need of some alone time. They needed to spend some time on just the two of them even if it was just for one night. There would be no talking about the wedding, decorating the baby's room, work, homework or the kids' activities. It would just be them. A knock on her office door interrupted her thoughts.

Marissa smiled as she greeted her friend. "Hey, Brian. What's up?"

"I was passing by the receptionist, and she asked me to deliver this for her." Brian pulled out a crystal vase holding a bouquet of flowers from behind his back and placed it on her desk. It was beautiful and contained several of Marissa's favorite flowers, stargazer lilies. The redhead couldn't hold back her smile and immediately knew who was behind the thoughtful gesture. She plucked the card out and began to read it to herself.

_Rissa,  
>I'm so sorry about this morning. I didn't mean to snap. I hope you can forgive me. Meet me at Krystal's for lunch? I'll do my best to make it up to you.<br>All my love,  
>B<em>

Marissa smiled brightly knowing how lucky she was to have Bianca in her life. She pulled out her cellphone and sent a quick text to her fiancée to let her know it was a date.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but don't you two normally do the thing with a red rose? What's up with the other flowers? Am I going to have to compete with this now too?" Brian teased.

Marissa glared playfully at her friend before sticking her tongue out. "Can I help it if my soon-to-be wife is so thoughtful? You're going to have to step up your game before Stef hears about this."

"Great. I can tell neither of you care how bad you're making me look." Brian smirked. "I gotta go make a call to the florist. Enjoy the flowers."

After Brian left, Marissa realized she needed to take some of her own advice. She needed to step up her own game. She checked the time and saw she had a few minutes before she had to leave for lunch. Marissa grinned as she began to make plans for a date night for her and Bianca.

/

Bianca had felt awful about how things were left between her and Marissa this morning. Both were on edge with everything they had going on and they took it out on the closest target, each other. The brunette knew they needed to talk and not let things fester. Knowing what needed to be done, Bianca picked up the phone and ordered flowers for her fiancée as soon as she got to the office, making sure the bouquet included a few of Marissa's favorite flower. The florist was a little surprised receiving a different flower order. She was used to the couple's weekly order of a single red rose for each other. She simply shrugged and took the order.

Concentrating on work had proven to be a difficult task for Bianca after placing the order. The brunette kept checking her cellphone hoping to hear from Marissa. Finally, a text came through and a smile graced her face for the first time all day.

_B,  
>I'm sorry about this morning too. I shouldn't have snapped like I did. It was wrong, and I'm sorry. I can't think of anything I want to do more than meet you for lunch. Actually, I can, but we might get arrested doing that in public! See you soon.<br>All my love,  
>M<em>

_The flowers are beautiful but they don't even come close to you._

Bianca had a goofy grin on her face as she typed a quick reply.

_Charmer. Keep saying things like that and getting arrested for your first thought will be a distinct possibility, Counselor._

/

"Welcome to the Miranda Center. I'm Jan. How can I help you?"

"Hello. I was hoping to see Bianca Montgomery."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I don't."

"I'm sorry then but her schedule is full today. In fact, she's due to leave now for a lunch meeting. I could schedule something for tomorrow if you'll tell me what the meeting is about. Given the circumstances that bring our clients here, we have to ask. It's for Ms. Montgomery's safety as well as that of the staff." Jan was extremely protective of Bianca's privacy and wasn't about to tell a stranger that her boss's meeting was actually lunch with her fiancée. She also pointed out the security guards that were strategically yet discreetly placed throughout the Center.

At that moment, Bianca opened her door. Her head was down as she was retrieving her keys from her purse. "Jan, I'm going to head out. Don't worry. I'll be back in time for my next meeting."

The smile that Bianca had been wearing since receiving Marissa's text quickly vanished when her eyes met those of the visitor.

"Maggie?!"


	106. Reconnecting

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing and sticking with me on this adventure! I know I sound like a broken record, but I honestly do appreciate it. So about that cliffhanger, did I surprise you? You gotta have a little angst for them to make it interesting, right? I have a nice long chapter for you this time. I couldn't figure out a good place to stop it so you get all of it. It picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Welcome to the Miranda Center. I'm Jan. How can I help you?"

"Hello. I was hoping to see Bianca Montgomery."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, I don't."

"I'm sorry then but she is booked solid today."

"I only need a moment of her time. How about now? It's lunchtime. Surely she takes a break for that."

"I'm sorry, but she has a lunch meeting today and should be leaving for it in a few minutes. I could schedule something for tomorrow if you'll give me your name and tell me what the meeting is about."

"It's Dr. Stone. Why do you need to know what I want to meet with her about?"

"Given the circumstances that bring our clients here, we have to ask. It's for Ms. Montgomery's safety as well as that of the staff." Jan was extremely protective of Bianca's privacy and wasn't about to tell a stranger that her boss's meeting was actually lunch with her fiancée. There was no way in hell she was going to schedule an appointment with said stranger without some idea of what she wanted. Jan was serious about Bianca's safety. She had voluntarily promised Marissa that she would keep an eye on her after the Brennan incident. To that point, the assistant pointed out the security guards that were strategically yet discreetly placed throughout the Center.

"I see."

At that moment, Bianca opened her door. Her head was down as she was retrieving her keys from her purse. "Jan, I'm going to head out. Don't worry. I'll be back in time for my next meeting."

The smile that Bianca had been wearing since receiving Marissa's text quickly vanished when her eyes met those of the visitor.

"Maggie?!"

Jan watched as her boss stood dumbfounded in front of the petite brunette visitor. Obviously, Bianca knew who she was since she had said the woman's first name, but it was evident that she was surprised by the woman's appearance. Whether or not this was a pleasant surprise, however, was anyone's guess.

"Hi, Bianca. It's good to see you again. You look like you're doing really well."

"What are you doing here, Maggie?"

"Here at the Center or here in Pine Valley?"

"Both."

"I'm here for a medical conference and had some free time before it starts tomorrow. I thought I would take a chance and see if I could convince you to have lunch."

Jan seized the moment. "Bianca, you have that other meeting that you're going to be late for if you don't leave now."

Her assistant's words and urgent tone cut through Bianca's shock. "You're right. Thanks, Jan. I can't do lunch today. I have somewhere important I need to be. If you want, you can schedule something with Jan."

"I'll do that. It was good seeing you."

Bianca didn't reply because she honestly didn't know what to say. All she knew in that moment was that she needed to get to Krystal's. She had kept Marissa waiting long enough.

/

Marissa was smiling as she took a seat at the couple's table. Bianca hadn't arrived yet so she took the time to go over her plan for the surprise date night she had started planning. She was convinced more and more that it was exactly what the doctor ordered. She knew she'd have to get some help in order to pull it off but figured she would be able to count on Kendall.

Bianca spotted Marissa immediately when she entered the restaurant. It was easy to see that the redhead was deep in thought, but those thoughts looked to be happy ones given the smile on her face. As much as Bianca didn't want to, she knew she was going to have to tell Marissa about Maggie being in town. All the way over to Krystal's, Bianca couldn't think of anything else. She had thought briefly of not saying anything to her fiancée, but that thought was dismissed as soon as it crossed her mind. The last time she had kept something from Marissa it was about the break-in at the Center. She had gotten her fiancée to come to the police station without telling her the whole story. It all worked out in the end, but it did cause some problems between them. After that incident, Bianca had promised Marissa she wouldn't do anything like that ever again, and she was going to keep her word. The brunette wasn't looking forward to it though and wasn't sure what she was going to say when Marissa asked her, and she knew she would, why Maggie wanted to see her and what she thought about it. Bianca honestly wasn't sure how to answer either of those questions. She didn't know what her feelings were about seeing her ex-girlfriend because she hadn't had time to process it. What she did know was that she would be responsible for Marissa losing the smile that was on her face, and she hated that more than anything.

The redhead glanced up and smiled even wider seeing Bianca. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself." Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'm sorry I'm late."

Marissa shook her head. "It's okay. Waiting for you is never a problem. I'm sorry about this morning."

"No, I'm sorry. It was my fault."

"How about we agree that we were both to blame? We've got a lot going on right now, and I think everything just bubbled over."

Bianca nodded. "You're right. It did. Thanks for meeting me."

"It's definitely my pleasure. Thank you for the flowers. I love them, but I don't think Brian's too happy about them. He was afraid Stef was going to find out so he decided to make a call to florist. He grumbled that we're making him look bad."

"I'm glad you loved the flowers. Tell Brian that I'm sorry, and there's no way that he could ever look bad in Stef's eyes. I suppose it works out pretty well for her though."

"Yeah, it does." Marissa paused. She could tell something was going on with Bianca. "What's wrong? Is everything okay at work? Did something come up there and that's what kept you? If that's the case and you need to get back, then I understand. I'll be okay."

Bianca sighed. She wasn't surprised at all that Marissa had picked up that something was going on, and just as she had feared, that smile was starting to fade. "Everything is okay at work, and I'm right where I want to be."

"Then what's up? Don't tell there isn't anything going on because I can tell that there is. Talk to me, B."

"I was late because someone stopped by and wanted to meet. It was someone I hadn't seen in a very long time."

"Who was it?"

Bianca took a deep breath knowing that it was time to come clean. "It was Maggie."

The surprise could not have been more evident on Marissa's face. The redhead knew exactly who the other woman was and the role she had in Bianca's life at one point. "Oh. Maggie. She's in town and wanted to meet with you."

"Yes, she is. She wanted to do lunch, but I'm not going to change my plans with you for her or anyone else." Bianca stated earnestly.

Marissa smiled softly at the honesty behind her fiancée's words. "Why is she here?"

"She said she's here for a medical conference."

"I see. How long is she here for?"

"I don't know. We didn't really talk other than just a few words."

"How are you doing with seeing her again?"

Bianca sighed. "Honestly?"

The redhead nodded.

"I'm not sure. It's been a while since I've seen her, and it wasn't something I thought would happen. We didn't end well. It wasn't as bad as with Reese though. I …" Bianca noted the expression on Marissa's face. "Hey, I can tell you one thing I'm certain about. I love you."

Marissa smiled. "I love you too."

"Good to know." Bianca grinned.

"Yes, it is. Are you going to meet with her?"

"What do you think I should do?" Bianca truly wanted to know and was leaving this decision up to Marissa. She had told Maggie to set up an appointment with Jan, but if Marissa didn't want her to meet with her then she wouldn't. She would not go behind her fiancée's back.

Marissa thought for a moment. It meant so much to her that Bianca was leaving this up to her to decide, and she didn't want to come off as not trusting Bianca or having her jealousy get the best of her. "I think you should meet with her and at least see what she wants."

"Are you sure?"

"I am. I don't know her, but I do know you. I trust you."

Bianca smiled at the words uttered by her fiancée. "Thank you."

/

_The next day_

"Bianca, Maggie Stone is here."

After a deep breath, Bianca answered her assistant. "Thanks, Jan. Please send her in."

A moment later, Maggie entered the office.

"Hi."

"Maggie. Please have a seat."

"Thanks. Sorry about just dropping in like that yesterday. I would've called, but I didn't know any of your phone numbers. I figured this would be the best place to find you."

"Why are you here? And please don't say it's because of a medical conference."

Maggie chuckled. There was no beating around the bush with Bianca. She wanted answers and wouldn't settle for anything less. "I wanted to see you. It's been a long time. I wanted to see how you and Miranda were doing. How is she?"

Bianca smiled. This was a safe topic, and they both knew it. "She's great. If you can believe it, she's nine years old already. I also …"

A knock on the door followed by the appearance of Bianca's assistant interrupted her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Bianca, but that one client you were expecting earlier just arrived."

"Thank you. What room is available?"

"The back conference room is free."

"Okay. Could you take her back and get Aya? She'll be taking her to the safe house. I'll be right behind you."

Jan nodded and disappeared just as quickly as she had appeared.

"I'm sorry, Maggie, but I need to take care of this. If you would like to wait, I'll be back as soon as I can."

"No problem. I'm happy to wait."

Bianca nodded and left.

/

Maggie decided to take a look around Bianca's office while she waited for her return. The room was comfortable with a simple elegance in its décor and clearly reflected the personality of the woman who occupied it. Maggie had to admit she was impressed by what Bianca had accomplished here, not that she was terribly surprised. If she set her mind to it, there wasn't anything Bianca couldn't do.

A painting on the wall caught her eye. Bianca was in between two girls with an arm around each of them. The children were smiling and resting their heads against her while she was reading to them. Both girls looked like carbon copies of Bianca. Maggie guessed that the older one was Miranda. She wondered when the younger girl came into being. She then glanced at Bianca's desk and started looking at the pictures there. The first was of the three Kane women at what looked to be a holiday gathering of some sort. Erica was settled in between Kendall and Bianca. All three were smiling and all three didn't look like they had aged much in the time she had been away. Erica would love to hear that. Maggie shook her head and chuckled to herself at that thought.

The next was a shot of Bianca with a blonde haired boy. He looked to be about Miranda's age, and Maggie couldn't help but wonder who he was and his connection to Bianca. Another frame contained a photo of Bianca and the three children with another woman added to the mix at a fair. All were smiling brightly. The last picture was in a frame made of Popsicle sticks and held a photo of Bianca and the other woman. The couple was looking at each other, smiling and seemingly lost in each other's gaze. Looking at the photo, it was plain for Maggie to see the love in each of their eyes. She carefully returned it to its previous position and picked up the one of Bianca and the boy again puzzling over their connection.

"Sorry about that." Bianca saw Maggie quickly place the frame back on her desk. She knew which one it was.

Maggie returned back to her seat. "It's no problem. I'm impressed with what you've done here. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you. I didn't do this all by myself though. I had and still have a lot of help."

The petite brunette shook her head. It was still hard for Bianca to take a compliment. "I have to say that you look great. Life must be agreeing with you."

Bianca smiled. "It is."

"So, Miranda?"

"She's nine and will be starting 4th grade the week after next. She's so smart, kind and thoughtful, and I couldn't be prouder of her."

_Like mother, like daughter._ "Is that her?" Maggie asked as she nodded towards the painting.

"Yes, it is."

"She's beautiful."

"You won't get any argument from me. And that is my baby, Gabby."

"I thought they were related. She's adorable."

"Yes, she is, and so inquisitive and full of life and love. I had her while I was married to Reese."

"I wondered. I was sorry to hear about you and Reese splitting up."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. She knew the divorce made headlines so she wasn't surprised that Maggie knew about it. She did, however, doubt the other woman's statement. She and Reese had run into Maggie years ago in Paris by accident, and it did not go well. Maggie's distain for Bianca's now ex-wife was evident, and it was a sentiment that was shared by Reese.

Maggie shook her head and grinned. She knew Bianca wasn't buying that. "What?! I was. Well, at least I was for you. Her, not so much."

"Uh huh." Bianca smirked before turning her attention to the photo Maggie had been looking at when she came back into the office. "If you're wondering, the boy is AJ Chandler."

Maggie couldn't hide her surprise. "As in Babe and JR's son?"

"One and the same."

"I had heard about Babe."

"Yeah, she died while saving her son's life."

"Well, you know how I felt about her, but I do feel bad for AJ. How's JR?"

"When last heard from, he was … working on things."

Maggie cocked her head. "Working on things? What does that mean?"

"It's a long story."

"Okay. So, you're close with AJ."

"Very. He's great. He's smart and caring and very protective of the girls. He lives with us."

"Wait. He doesn't live with JR? I'm missing something. Why is he living with you?"

Bianca nodded. "After Babe died, JR remarried a woman by the name of Marissa Tasker. You're actually related to her."

Maggie was getting really confused. "What? How?"

"David is Marissa's biological father and is Babe's fraternal twin."

"Her twin? So wait a minute. Where did she come from? I don't remember her."

"Marissa grew up in Devon and was adopted and raised by the Taskers. After they died in a car accident, she found out that Krystal was her biological mother. She convinced Marissa to move here and to continue with law school."

"She's a lawyer?"

"Yes and a pretty good one too. She handled my divorce and stopped Reese from getting custody of the girls."

"What?! Reese tried to take your daughters?" Maggie knew there was a reason she didn't like Reese.

"She tried, but like I said, Marissa stopped her."

By the look in Bianca's eyes, Maggie knew there was definitely something between the women. "Well, I'm glad to hear that. So, how did we not know about her before? Oh wait, let me guess. It's a long story."

"Yes, it is and not one that I feel I should tell."

Sensing she wouldn't get any more information on the subject out of Bianca, Maggie asked another question. "So, she married JR."

"She did, and she also adopted AJ. Marissa and JR are divorced, and she has custody."

"Why'd they split up?"

"JR cheated on her."

"Oh." Maggie had no other words. She had no right to comment on the subject of infidelity.

"They were trying to get along for AJ's sake, but JR was being JR. The long and short of it is that Annie, the woman he had the affair with pretty much lost it when she found out that JR was lying to her and trying to get Marissa back so she tried to kill her."

"What the hell?"

"Yeah, there's some other stuff that happened, but Annie is safely tucked away in Oak Haven. Marissa wiped her hands of JR."

"Good for her. So?"

Bianca smiled. "Marissa and I were friends for a while and then things changed. We fell in love, and now we are getting married next month."

That's when Maggie saw the diamond ring on Bianca's left hand. She didn't know why she hadn't seen it before that moment. It hadn't been like Bianca was trying to hide it because she wasn't. It was that Maggie wasn't letting herself see it, to acknowledge its existence until she absolutely had to, until there was no way to no longer deny its presence. Maggie deflated a little at that statement but did her best to cover. "Congratulations. I have to ask. How does Erica feel about you marrying Krystal and David's daughter?"

"Thank you. Actually, Mom is good with it. She knows that Marissa is different from them and could never or would never do anything like what they did. They have a really good relationship. She gets along even better with Kendall." Bianca could talk about her family all day long. They were definitely her favorite subject. She decided to switch gears though. "So, enough about me. What's going on with you, Dr. Stone?"

"I'm no longer in Paris. I moved back to the States a little over a year ago."

"Oh, where are you living?"

"Chicago. I'm on staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. I really enjoy it. It keeps me busy, almost too busy sometimes. I can't say I've had the luck that you've had with my personal life though."

"Well, don't get so busy that you forget to have a life outside of work."

"I'll keep that in mind. I noticed the text book. Is that yours?"

"Yeah, I've wanted to go back to school for a while and get my master's. Marissa convinced me to go for it."

A knock on the door interrupted them again.

"Hey, Bianca. I just wanted to check and see if you needed anything before I left for the day."

Bianca checked the time and wondered where it had gotten to. "Thanks, Jan, but I'm good. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow."

Jan smiled. "You too. Tell Marissa and the kids 'hi' for me."

"I will." Bianca turned back to Maggie. "I didn't realize it had gotten so late. I've got a paper I really need to get to work on."

Maggie took that as her cue to leave. "Say no more. I'll let you get to work. What's it on by the way?"

"It's for my child psychology class, and I'm writing about the effects of bullying and the parental influence behind it in some cases." Bianca had chosen that particular subject for a very specific reason. She had unfortunately witnessed it firsthand but considered her family lucky that they were able to stop it before it had gotten too late.

"Unfortunately, that's an all too real problem in today's society. You know, I think I have something that might help, if you're interested. It's some statistics and data we gathered for a study that was conducted at Northwestern."

"I would be very interested. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll drop them off tomorrow if that works."

"That works fine. Just drop them off here at the office. I work on the paper here. It's a lot quieter. The kids can get a little loud sometimes."

"Marissa's okay with that?"

"Yeah, she is. She's pretty understanding and even more supportive."

"I'm glad to hear that. I … I had a good time."

"I did too. I'm glad you stopped by."

"That makes two of us. I'll see you tomorrow."

Bianca nodded and watched Maggie leave. It had been a good visit. They had skirted the heavy topics so there hadn't been any drama. Whether they came up while Maggie was visiting was anybody's guess. Bianca sighed and pulled up her notes and began work on her paper. She was going to make every effort to be done by next weekend for Sam's party, not only for the birthday girl but for Bianca's family.

/

_A week later_

Marissa answered the front door and smiled. "Hey, Kendall. Thanks for coming over."

"No problem, Red. What's up?"

"Would you mind coming to the kitchen? I'm just cleaning up dinner."

"Sure." Kendall followed the redhead out of the family room and into the kitchen. She took a seat while Marissa loaded the dishwasher. "Are you sure I can't give you a hand?"

"I'm sure. Besides, I'm almost done. I just need to make a plate for Bianca."

"Where are the kids and my sister by the way?"

"The kids are downstairs watching a movie, and Bianca is still at the office working on her paper. It's quieter there for her. Plus, it gives us a chance to talk."

"Okay. I'll repeat my earlier question then. What's up?"

"Well, I need your help with something. Bianca and I have been so busy lately that we haven't had any time for just us."

"Ah, Mom and Krystal are driving you nuts with all the wedding planning, huh?"

Marissa chuckled. "A little, yeah. I know they mean well, but multiple calls every day starts to wear on you."

"I understand. So, what can I do to help?"

"Would you mind having the kids over for a sleepover this Friday?"

"I think I can do that. What do you have planned?"

"A romantic dinner for two. Oh and I want to keep it a surprise."

"That sounds perfect. I'm sure Bianca will love it. I'm guessing chocolate cake from Krystal's is on the menu." Kendall smirked.

"Yes, it will definitely be. In fact, I've already placed an order for it."

"Binx will be very happy to hear that. I hate the fact that she's alone at the Center."

Marissa shifted uncomfortably. She knew Bianca wasn't alone. She was with Maggie. Bianca had come home from work last week and told her about her meeting with Maggie and of her offer to help with her paper. Marissa listened quietly and could tell it meant something to Bianca and that she was looking forward to the help. Her fiancée had been stressing out over this paper, and the redhead really didn't want her to. It wasn't good for her. Marissa told her that she understood and that she was okay with her working with Maggie. Besides, she trusted Bianca.

"She's not alone. Maggie is with her and helping her out."

Kendall raised an eyebrow. She knew Maggie was in town. Bianca had told her she was. She didn't know this though. "Um, how do you feel about that?"

"I'm okay."

Kendall eyed the redhead not buying that completely. "Seriously? You expect me to believe that you're 'okay' with your fiancée spending a lot of time with her ex? Sorry, that's not happening."

Marissa sighed and took a seat. "Okay. I'm not exactly thrilled by it. I trust your sister. I really do. It's just …"

"I get it. I do. I don't know of anyone who would be completely understanding in this situation."

"Yeah, it doesn't help that I'm working on this case that hits a little close to home."

"How so?"

"My client thought she was happily married. Her husband got a friend request from an old girlfriend. The next thing she knows is she's walking in on them in her own bed."

Kendall could see the similarities and how it would be hard for Marissa. "Wow. You know that Bianca wouldn't do that, right?"

"I do. I just don't like it. I can't help it. It's bothering me some."

"Have you told Binx?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, I haven't, and I don't know how I can. Maggie's helping her with her paper and you know how much this class means to Bianca and how much she really wants to do well in it. Besides, Maggie will be leaving soon."

Kendall sighed and nodded.

"Can I ask you something, Kendall?"

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Tell me about Maggie. Before you ask, yes, Bianca's told me about her, but I want to hear it from you. Am I being weird, overreacting and worrying about nothing or should I be worried? I need you to tell me the truth." Marissa needed to know because she was struggling. Her hormones were wreaking havoc with her rational side.

Kendall thought for a minute. She could see the concern etched on Marissa's face. If their roles were reversed, she would be asking the same thing. Kendall owed her that. "Maggie and Bianca started out as friends. After a while, Bianca's feelings changed and she fell in love with her. Maggie didn't or couldn't return those feelings. I don't think she could accept that she felt that way for a woman."

Marissa nodded. "Sounds familiar."

Kendall smiled. "Yeah, I suppose it does. There's a big difference though. With you, once you realized how you felt about Binx, there was no going back. You didn't have any doubts. You didn't hide from it. In fact, you ran to it."

"How could I do anything else? I knew where I belonged. I knew who had my heart. None of that other stuff mattered."

"That's why I think you're so right for Bianca."

"Maggie changed her mind though."

"She did, but not for a while. They still remained friends though. Maggie was the first person that Bianca told about the … um …"

Kendall didn't need to finish. Marissa knew what event she was referring to. Knowing what happened to Bianca made the redhead sick to her stomach and her blood boil. If that bastard Cambias was still alive, god help him because Marissa knew he couldn't run far enough or fast enough to get away from her and what she would do to him to make that son of a bitch pay. Marissa took a deep breath to calm herself down. She knew she wasn't the only one to feel that way. She could see it in Kendall's eyes. Marissa simply nodded and that was enough. Neither woman wanted to chance the kids overhearing, especially Miranda. God knows that amazing little miracle of a girl was the only good thing to come from that horrific crime.

Lowering her voice and knowing that Kendall would follow suit, Marissa continued. "I didn't know that."

Kendall lowered her voice as expected. "Yeah, she was great. Maggie wanted Bianca to go to the police, but she couldn't, not at first. When Bianca told her about being pregnant, Maggie didn't think she should keep the baby. Bianca had made up her mind to do just that at that point and nothing was going to change her mind about that. Maggie understood and stood right by her side. Then, Bianca gave birth and …"

Marissa shook her head. Again, she had that sick feeling to her stomach, and it wasn't because she was pregnant. It was because of what her biological family had done.

Kendall could see the ill-placed guilt in Marissa's eyes and quickly did her best to reassure her. "Hey, you are not responsible for what they did to her. Bianca doesn't blame you. I don't blame you, and our Mom doesn't blame you. That was them, not you. We know that you couldn't do anything like that. Alright?"

"I know. I just hate what they did and will never understand it. There's no justification. There never will be."

"No, there isn't. I don't know how she forgave them. I don't know that I could have."

"Neither do I. That's what makes Bianca so amazing."

"Yeah, it is. Maggie was there for Bianca during that whole time. It wasn't just one-sided though. Bianca was there for Maggie too. She was in an abusive relationship. Bianca tried to get her to leave, but Maggie wouldn't. She just couldn't get through to her. It took Bianca and Jack bringing an old girlfriend of the prick's and him threatening Bianca to convince Maggie to leave."

"I didn't know about the abuse. I'm not surprised though and don't take it personally that she didn't tell me. Bianca respects other people's privacy and wouldn't reveal something like that without their permission. I'm also not surprised that she put herself in jeopardy."

Kendall shook her head. "I agree. I expect no less of her. Binx finally decided she needed to get out of Pine Valley. She asked Maggie to join her and Miranda. For a while there, it looked like she might not take her up on the invitation, but she finally did. They still took things slow. Maggie still struggled and Bianca understood. Maggie finally accepted her feelings and their relationship turned romantic. Binx was really happy, for a while. She came back home and told us that Maggie had an affair. When Maggie eventually followed her back here, she tried to get Bianca to go back, but she just couldn't. Binx had been hurt too much. She just couldn't trust Maggie quite the same way after that. Before Maggie did what she did, I thought she was the one, the great love of Bianca's life. She sure as hell proved me wrong."

Marissa listened. It broke her heart to hear of Bianca being like hurt like she had. The redhead knew of Maggie's betrayal and again didn't understand how she could've done that to Bianca.

"You, though, are different, and you've proved me wrong. You are without a doubt the one that was meant for my sister. You make her so happy. I've never seen smile or laugh as much as she has since you became a part of her life. _You_, Red, are the great love of her life, without question."

"She's the love of my life, Kendall. I can't even remember when I wasn't in love with her. She's amazing, and I don't think she realizes just how amazing she really is."

"And I take it that it's your personal mission to make her see that?" Kendall asked with a smile.

Marissa smiled in return. "It is, and that's why I want to do this dinner for her. She's been working so hard lately, and she needs something to give her a little break and let her know how special she is."

"Well, I'm completely on board with whatever you need. Oh, and you should talk to Bianca. Let her know how you feel about her spending so much time with Maggie. She'll understand."

"I will. I'll talk to her on Friday."

/

"Alright, I think I finally have this right. Would you mind taking a look and let me know what you think?"

Maggie put down her container of sweet and sour chicken and turned Bianca's laptop around so she could read what Bianca had typed. "I'd be happy to."

"Thanks!" Bianca picked up some General Tso's chicken and started to eat. She felt conflicted. It had been nice working with Maggie and spending time with her old friend. She liked reconnecting with her and finding out about where life had taken her. The petite brunette was still trying to find someone to share her life with. Her work at the hospital had made it challenging, but Bianca encouraged her to try. She wanted Maggie to find the happiness that she had found. Bianca also appreciated all of the help Maggie was giving her on her paper. It was very helpful, and Bianca wanted to do really well on this paper. Marissa had so much faith in her, and she didn't want to disappoint her. So while part of her liked reconnecting with Maggie, she really missed Marissa and the kids. Bianca was looking forward to having this paper done so she could get back to them. If all went well, she would be done with the paper in a couple of days and would be able to enjoy the weekend with her family.

"It's good. I wouldn't change anything."

"Thanks again." Bianca took the laptop back.

For her part, Maggie loved spending time with Bianca again. She had missed her a great deal over the years. For so long, she had felt like something was missing from her life. Now, she knew what it was. It was having someone to share her life with and not just anyone. It was Bianca that was missing, and she had no one else but herself to blame for that. Maggie thought for a minute. Something had been on her mind for a while and she needed to know. "Could I ask you something?"

"Sure. What?"

"You're really marrying Krystal and David's daughter, Babe's sister? How is that? I mean, they kept Miranda from you and let you think she was dead. How is it possible you're marrying into that family? I know Erica can't be okay with that. There's not a chance in hell that she is. I know how she feels about Krystal. Your mom would as soon kill her than look at her, let alone spend family functions with her. I have no doubt it's the same with David."

Bianca looked at her old friend, took a deep breath and counted to 50 in order to control her temper before responding. She knew Maggie meant well, but she had crossed the line. "First of all, I'm not marrying Krystal and David's daughter or Babe's sister. I'm marrying Marissa, the daughter of Roy and Lydia Tasker. They raised her, taught her and set examples for her. She could never nor would never do what Krystal and Babe did. It's not who she is or how she was raised. She has a harder time with what they did to me than what Krystal and David have done to her. She isn't them. Do I really have to remind you that you're her cousin and share some of the same DNA? And do you really want to bring families into this? I don't hold you responsible for what yours did."

Maggie immediately knew she crossed a line, and Bianca was pissed. She was also right. Maggie held up her hands in surrender. "You're right. I'm sorry. I overstepped."

"Damn straight you did. You don't know Marissa, what she's been through and what she's done for me and the girls. Whenever I've needed her, she's been there, no matter what. She's risked her life and career for me and others who have needed her help without a second thought. I'm lucky to have her in my life. As for my Mom, I told you before that she likes her and trusts her. The fact that she's helping us plan our wedding should be a testament to her feelings about our relationship."

"I'm sorry. It was wrong of me to question her when I don't know her."

"You're right. It was."

Bianca turned back to her laptop while Maggie focused on her dinner. The silence became uncomfortable, and Maggie decided it was best to leave, hoping that tensions would ease by the time they saw each other again.

"I should go. I have an early round of lectures tomorrow."

"That's probably a good idea then."

"I'll give you a call, and we can work on that last part if you want."

"I'll talk to you later."

"Goodnight, Bianca."

/

_Friday_

Marissa was up earlier than usual. She had an early deposition as well as some last minute details to take care of for tonight. She glanced at Bianca as she lay sleeping in their bed. Marissa knew she had to be exhausted. Bianca had been working late for over a week to finish her paper. The fact that a large chunk of that time was spent with her ex-girlfriend did not go unnoticed by the redhead. Marissa was fighting the jealousy caused by that fact. She trusted Bianca, but the redhead was only human. The fact that Maggie was spending more time with her than Marissa was lately bothered the hell out of the redhead, and the damn hormones caused by the pregnancy were not helping her at all. In the few minutes the couple had talked last night, Bianca had said she would drop the kids off before heading into work. She also said she was wrapping her paper up at lunch and sending it to her professor. Bianca promised she would be all her's and the kids' starting that evening. Marissa softly kissed her fiancée's cheek before heading to her office.

/

Bianca popped out of her office surprising her assistant. "Hey, Jan. I'm leaving a little early today."

Jan smiled. "Seriously? Good for you. Any big plans?"

"I'm going home and spending the weekend with my beautiful fiancée and our wonderful children."

"I'm glad to hear that. You deserve it, and I'm sure Marissa and the kids will be thrilled."

"I hope so. I've really missed them. I definitely need to re-work my schedule for my next paper. It's been hard being away from them."

Bianca's cellphone interrupted them. "Bianca Montgomery." The brunette listened to the voice on the other end of the line and frowned. "I'll be right there."

"Is everything okay?'

"I think so. I'll see you at Sam's party tomorrow."

"See you then."

/

"Hi, I'm Bianca Montgomery. I received a call from the manager. Her name's Julie."

"Oh yes, Ms. Montgomery. Hi, I'm Julie. Thanks for getting here so quickly. Your friend's over there."

Bianca turned and saw Maggie. "Thank you. I'll take it from here."

Maggie glanced up, saw Bianca and smiled weakly. "Sorry. I didn't know who else to call. The manager refused to let me drive."

"I'd say with good reason. How much have you had to drink?"

"More than a little but less than a lot." Maggie grinned slightly.

Bianca shook her head. She checked the time. She was still early and would beat Marissa home with ease. "Come on. Let's get you some fresh air and try and sober you up some before I drop you off at the hotel."

Maggie nodded and followed Bianca out of the bar. She'd stopped by to have a quick drink after her last lecture. It had been boring as hell and only gave her time to dwell on the fact that was leaving town tomorrow. One drink turned into two which turned into three and so on. The more Maggie thought about how she'd screwed things up with Bianca, the more depressed she became and the more she drank. The bartender called the manager over who refused to let her leave and insisted on calling someone to retrieve her. The only person she could think of was Bianca. The pair made their way to the park nearby.

After a few minutes, Maggie broke the silence. "Thanks for getting me. I'm sorry for this."

Bianca turned to her friend. "What's going on, Maggie? Getting drunk like this isn't like you."

/

Marissa couldn't help but smile. Today had actually been pretty good. Her cases were going well. The quick text she had received from Bianca earlier told her that her fiancée's paper was done and turned in. To top it all off, the redhead was able to leave work a few minutes early. Kendall had picked up the kids which gave Marissa time to stop by Krystal's to pick up dessert for tonight's dinner. In fact, she was on her way there now. She hadn't been able to find a parking spot close to the restaurant so she parked on the other side of the park. Marissa was fine with that and took the shortcut through the park. The short walk was good for her anyway.

Marissa stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Maggie and Bianca.

/

Maggie's mind went blank. Bianca was right there in front of her. A part of Maggie knew what she was thinking was wrong and that she shouldn't do it. She couldn't find it in herself to care anymore though and alcohol had drowned all reason. She leaned in wanting nothing more than to capture those soft lips of Bianca's. It had been so long since she had.

/

Marissa saw Maggie lean in and knew what was happening. Her mind went numb, and her only thought was that she couldn't bear to see what was happening so she turned and bolted as fast as she could from the park and the heartbreaking scene that was unfolding. It was against her nature to run, to avoid, to fight, but in that moment, it was the only thing that she could think to do. Her brain was no longer thinking rationally due to the hurt, jealousy and hormones, and her body was simply reacting to that mix.


	107. A Long Overdue Conversation

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading and reviewing! It is much appreciated! This was a heck of a week at work, but we have the Labor Day holiday coming up in the States which gives me a long weekend. Who knows what writing I might accomplish during this time? This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca saw Maggie leaning in closer and froze for a millisecond. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. There was no mistaking Maggie's intent though. Bianca shoved the other woman away roughly before any contact was made.

"What the hell, Maggie?! What in the hell do you think you're doing?"

Maggie was stunned for a moment, not only by her own actions but by Bianca's reaction to them. Bianca was furious. "I'm sorry. I thought …"

"You thought what? Thought I could betray and hurt Marissa?"

"She wouldn't have to …"

"Don't you _dare_ finish that sentence if you know what's good for you! I can't believe that you would even think that I would ever do that! I would never hurt Marissa like that, _never_!"

Maggie was flooded with remorse over what she had just tried to do. How could she be so stupid, so thoughtless? Of course Bianca would never do something like that, would never allow that to happen or even consider it. She wasn't capable of inflicting that kind of pain on someone that she loved, and it was crystal clear just how much she loved Marissa. Maggie slumped to the ground, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm a complete idiot. I wasn't thinking. I had too much to drink and you were right there in front of me. I remembered the good times that we had, and I … I just wanted what we used to have."

/

Halfway home, Marissa became aware of her surroundings. Both her mind and body had shifted to auto-pilot after witnessing the scene between Bianca and Maggie in the park. She couldn't believe that Bianca would do something like that to her.

Marissa shook her head and swiped at the tears falling from her eyes while her voice broke as she argued with herself. "No! Bianca wouldn't do that to me. That's not who she is. I trust her and believe in her. But I saw Maggie kiss her. No! I don't know for sure what happened, what led to it if it did happen. Of course I don't know. I ran away. I should've stayed. I should've walked right up to Maggie, ripped her away from Bianca and thrown her sorry ass across the park. Did I do that though? Hell no! I ran away! I'm the biggest idiot around. And now, what do I do? I can't go back there, not now. It's too late. Bianca will think that I don't trust her, and I do trust her. What the hell do I do?"

Marissa continued her drive home simultaneously kicking herself for fleeing and breaking down over what she had seen.

/

Bianca looked down at Maggie's slumped form. She couldn't remember ever seeing her like this, so disheartened. Bianca felt compelled to do something. She sat down on the ground next to her old friend. "Talk to me, Maggie. What's going on? Why did you try and do that? You know me. You know I would never do anything that would intentionally hurt someone that I love, and I don't want you to doubt for one second my love for Marissa. I know you may not want to hear this, but I think I have to tell you this until it sinks in. I love Marissa. I love her with all of my heart. I don't mean to sound cruel, but that's …"

Maggie shook her head. "No, I know you don't want to hurt me. I know how you feel about her. I do. I really do."

"Then why would you do something like that?"

Maggie had begun to sober up immediately after Bianca had shoved her away. She knew it was time to be honest with Bianca as well as herself. "I'd like to blame it all on me being drunk, but I … I can't. When I heard about the conference being here in Pine Valley, I jumped at the chance to attend it. It was a convenient excuse to come back here and to … to see you again. This last week, spending time with you again, has been so great. I started to remember us and all of the good times that we had. I just wanted to see if there was a chance."

Bianca sighed. She knew they should've had this talk earlier, but she kept putting it off not wanting to deal with a confrontation. Now, there was no way around it. It had to be done. She pulled out her cellphone and sent a quick text to Marissa and hoped that her fiancée would understand about her being late tonight.

"_I'm going to be late. I'm sorry. Something came up that I have to take care of. I promise I'll tell you everything when I get home and I'll be there as soon as I can. I love you."_

Bianca stood up and held her hand out for Maggie. "It's time that we talk, really talk. Come on. There's a bench over there."

Maggie nodded solemnly and took the proffered hand. Once she was on her feet, Bianca dropped her hand and walked to the bench nearby with Maggie following her.

/

Marissa pulled into the garage. She was exhausted. The trip home had been an emotional one. She was warring with herself over what she should have done in the park as opposed to what she actually did do. Once inside, she dropped her purse and cellphone on the kitchen counter and raced back to the bathroom. The whole situation had her feeling sick to her stomach and she heaved the contents of the day into the toilet bowl. After several minutes, she brushed her teeth then went into the bedroom and changed her clothes. She padded to the kitchen and got herself a glass of Sprite hoping to calm her stomach. Max wandered over to her and Marissa patted the dog's head. She glanced around the kitchen. Some of the items she had dropped off during lunch for the night's romantic dinner had been stowed away in either the refrigerator or cabinets while the fresh flowers had been placed in water in a crystal vase and new candles were alongside candle holders on the counter. Tears began to fill her eyes again when she noticed the time. Bianca was late, probably still with her ex-girlfriend. The entire evening was a waste. Marissa looked down at Max who was looking at her with his head cocked. He could tell something wrong.

"Come on, boy. Let's go outside." Marissa's voice broke as she spoke. She headed outside needing to think and hoping the fresh air would help. She knew she should have stayed in the park and confronted the situation head on, but she didn't. Now, she needed to regroup. She would have to talk to Bianca about what she saw and what she was feeling when her fiancée got home. Marissa needed to figure out what to say, and to do that, she needed to calm down, rein in her hormones and regain her rational side. This wasn't good for her, and it especially wasn't good for the baby.

/

"Maggie …"

"I know, Bianca, you don't have to say it."

"Yes, I do. Having you back here this past week has been nice. It was nice having my old friend back. We've been through so much together. You helped me through the worst time in my life. To be honest, I don't know if I could've gotten through it without you there, and I will be forever grateful to you. That's all it can be now though, and you can only be my friend. There is no chance for us. I've moved on. I'm with Marissa. I'm marrying her. We have a family, a life and a future together. I trust her. I'm in love with her, and I have no intention of leaving her, not for you or anyone else. I need you to know this, to understand this."

Maggie looked into Bianca's eyes and saw it. A part of already knew everything she was being told. It's what she had been thinking about when she entered the bar earlier that afternoon. She could hear the lyrics of the song that had been playing when she started drinking in her head, and damn if they weren't true.

_She didn't have to say a word  
>It was just so plain to see<br>She had found what she'd been looking for  
>And I knew it wasn't me<em>

I saw goodbye in her eyes  
>I don't think I can change it<br>There's no way to disguise  
>We will never make it<p>

I saw goodbye in her eyes

I know you got somebody new now  
>All my candles have burned out<br>He's gonna love the way you shine  
>So did I<br>So don't smile at me if it ain't what you need  
>With that goodbye in your eyes<br>I know that I can't change it  
>(Know you see right through me)<br>There's no way to disguise  
>We will never make it<br>I saw goodbye in your eyes  
>I know that I can't change it<br>(Now you see right through me, goodbye!)  
>Should I hold on<br>We will never make it  
>(Now you see right through me, goodbye!)<br>Should I hold on  
>Is it just a waste of time<br>One thing that I know for sure  
>I saw goodbye in your eyes<br>I saw goodbye in your eyes  
>I know that it's over<p>

Maggie took a deep breath. She knew. She had let nostalgia, wishful thinking and alcohol get the better of her, and she ended up hurting Bianca, again. Maggie had Bianca once and blew it. Her chance was gone. "I understand. I really do. I'm sorry. I seem to keep hurting to you, and I can't seem to figure out why. I don't mean to. You have to know that."

Bianca nodded. "I know you don't. I think I may have an idea of what's going on. Maggie, I forgave you a long time ago and moved on. I had to. I couldn't go on feeling that way. I wasn't really living, and I had Miranda to think about and then Gabby. Holding onto anger like that isn't the kind of example I want to set for my daughters. The same goes with regrets. You need to forgive yourself. You're not going to be able to move on with your life, not going to be happy until you do. I want you to be happy. I want you to find what I have."

A rueful smile crossed Maggie's face. "That's easier said than done, Bianca. You're an awfully hard woman to get over."

"Maggie, that's not true and you know it."

"No, I have to tell you that you're wrong on that one. You'll just have to trust me on that one. I will try my best though. It might be easier now that I know that you've forgiven me. You're wrong about something else. You definitely could've gotten through everything without me. You are one of the strongest people I know. There's no doubt in my mind about that."

"Thanks."

"I'm glad you're happy, Bianca. If anyone deserves to be, God knows that it's you. I hope Marissa knows how lucky she is."

Bianca shook her head. "I'm the lucky one. And speaking of Marissa, I need to get home. Let me drop you off at your hotel."

Maggie nodded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Bianca glanced at her phone again and saw how late it was. There was still no message from Marissa. Bianca was a little concerned by that fact. She was sure Marissa and the kids would be upset with her for not being home when she said would be. Bianca sent another quick text.

"_I'm sorry. This took longer than I thought. I just have one stop to make and then I promise I'm on my way. I love you."_

With the text sent, the pair headed to Bianca's car. When they got to the car, Maggie turned to the taller brunette. She knew without a doubt that Bianca would tell Marissa what happened, what Maggie tried to do. "Would you apologize to Marissa for me? Tell her that I'm sorry and never meant to hurt either of you. I'm pretty sure she'll never be able to forgive me. I can't say that I blame her at all for that. If the roles were reversed, I know I most likely couldn't forgive her. I really am sorry though and wish you both nothing but the best."

"Thank you for that. I'll tell her."

/

After dropping Maggie off, Bianca decided to stop at Krystal's to pick up dessert for her family. It wasn't much, but she hoped they would accept the peace offering. It was bothering her that she still hadn't heard from Marissa. It really wasn't like her to not return a message.

"Binx, what are you doing here? I thought you were going home early."

"Hey, Kendall. I got stuck taking care of something earlier, and it made me late. I'm on my way home now. I thought I would stop and pick up dessert for Rissa and the kids to make up for it."

"Does this 'something' that came up have anything to do with Maggie?"

Bianca sighed. "Yes, it does. I had to pick her up from Malone's Tavern."

"Why?"

"She had too much to drink, and they wouldn't let her leave. So, she needed someone to pick her up. There aren't many people around here anymore that she could call."

"And she called you. That shouldn't have taken that long."

"No, it shouldn't have, but something happened." Bianca paused.

"What happened, Binx?"

"She tried to kiss me."

Kendall couldn't hide at first her shock and then her anger. She struggled to keep her voice low and not draw attention to them. "She what?! Are you serious? What the hell?! She knows you're with Marissa and that you're getting married. I can't believe she would do something like that."

"I said she tried. I stopped her. After she tried it though, I knew that we had to talk. It actually went pretty well. I told her in no uncertain terms that I'm happy with Marissa and that my life is with her. Maggie finally gets it and knows that nothing will ever happen with us."

"I'm glad to hear that. Are you going to tell Marissa what happened?"

"Yeah, I have to. I know she won't like to hear about it, but I have to. We promised we wouldn't keep secrets from each other. I intend on keeping that promise."

"I think she'll understand. Did you let her know that you were going to be late?"

"No, I've been trying to get a hold of her. I've sent several texts and left several voicemails, but she hasn't responded to any of them. I'm guessing it's probably because she's busy with the kids."

Kendall was torn. She had promised Marissa to keep her plans for the evening between them, but something wasn't feeling right about it now. "Look, I promised Red I wouldn't say anything, but I think I should. The kids are staying overnight with Zach and me."

"They are? Why?"

"Red's planning something for just the two of you tonight. She thought you two needed the time since you've both been so busy lately with work, the wedding, the kids …"

Bianca knew what her sister was going to say, and she couldn't help but feel a little guilty about it. "And school. She's really doing that? Of course she is. Why isn't she answering my messages then if she doesn't have the kids? Is there something else?"

"I honestly don't know. I do think the two of you need to talk. She's been pretty understanding about how much time you've been spending with Maggie, more understanding than I think I would be."

"Yeah, she has. You're right. We do need to talk. I …"

"Bianca, it's good to see you."

"Hey, Opal."

"Well, I guess I can give this to you." Opal pulled out a carryout bag.

"What's this?"

"Well, your other half ordered this and was supposed to pick it up a little while ago, but there hasn't been any sign of her all day. Don't worry. It's all paid for. I guess she got hung up with something. Kendall, here's your order."

"Thanks, Opal." Kendall took her carryout order from the older woman.

"Hey, is something wrong with Marissa?"

The sisters turned to see Greenlee approaching.

Bianca was really starting to get concerned. "What do you mean, Greenlee?"

"Well, I saw her driving by a while ago and waved, but I don't think she saw me. She looked upset."

Kendall turned to her sister and could see the concern in her face.

"None of this is like Rissa. She didn't pick up an order and she isn't answering messages. She ignored or didn't see Greenlee and looked upset. Something's not right, Kendall." Bianca's mind raced to the thought of something being wrong with the baby. She didn't know what else could be wrong.

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation, Binx."

"I've gotta go. Give the kids a kiss for me."

"I will. Call me if you need anything." Kendall watched as her sister darted out of the restaurant.

"What's going on, Kendall?"

"Honestly, I don't know, Greenlee. Whatever it is though, I think Maggie has a lot to do with it."

/

Bianca pulled into the garage and was beyond relieved to find Marissa's car there in its normal spot. She hurried inside and immediately headed back towards their bedroom. The brunette checked the bathroom first. Seeing it was empty, she walked back into their bedroom looking for clues as to the redhead's whereabouts. Finding none, she went back to the kitchen and spotted her fiancée's purse and cellphone. A quick glance at the cellphone told her that her messages hadn't been read or voicemails listened to. It was then that she saw the flowers and candles. She started kicking herself for being so late and knowing that she ruined their evening. A movement outside caught her attention. It was still light enough outside for her to see Max moving around. Bianca walked to the door and saw the dog hop up on a lounge chair. She finally released the breath she had been holding when she caught sight of Marissa. She opened the door and walked outside.

/

Marissa was lost in thought. She was still in the lounge chair she had settled in after getting home. She was absentmindedly petting Max who was curled up next to her. He'd only left her side once during the evening and that was just a few minutes ago. He knew something was wrong and that she needed comfort. Marissa's tears had subsided some time ago and given way to some much needed thinking. She was so caught up in it that she hadn't heard Bianca call her name. It took Max barking his greeting to the brunette to shake her out of her fog.

"Hey." Bianca's breath caught when she saw Marissa's face. Hazel eyes were rimmed with red. "Rissa, what's wrong? Don't tell me that you're fine because I can tell that you're not. I've been trying to get a hold of you for a while. I'm so sorry I'm late. I know I said I'd be home earlier, but something came up that I had to deal with. Please talk to me. Is it the baby?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, the baby's fine. Where were you?"

Bianca was relieved to hear that the baby was okay, but now, she knew there was something wrong with Marissa herself. The brunette sat on the edge of the lounge chair next to Marissa's. "I got a call from Malone's Tavern. Maggie got drunk, and she needed someone to pick her up because the manager wouldn't let her leave. We went for a short walk in the park to try and sober her up."

"Is that all?"

"No, it's not." Bianca knew she had to be honest, and it didn't make sense to beat around the bush or sugarcoat what had occurred. "Maggie tried to kiss me."

Marissa looked both confused and relieved. She wasn't quite sure if she heard Bianca right. _I could swear she said 'tried'._ "You mean she didn't kiss you?"

"No, she tried. I pushed her away. There's no way in hell I was going to let her do that, and it sure as hell wasn't something that I wanted. Wait a minute. You thought she kissed me?" Things started making sense to Bianca now. "Rissa, why would you think that?"

Marissa sighed. _I knew it. I knew I should've stayed. _Now, it was time for her to come clean. "I was in the park earlier. I was heading to Krystal's to pick up something for us. I saw the two of you there. She was leaning in to kiss you."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I don't know. I couldn't think straight. I just went numb and ran. By the time I actually started thinking rationally, I was halfway home and really didn't think I could just turn around and storm the park without you thinking I'd lost my mind."

"Rissa, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, don't you?"

"I do. Honestly, I do, and I trust you with my life. It's just …"

Bianca gently wiped a tear away that had escaped Marissa's eyes and was making its way down her cheek. "Just what?"

"God, this is going to sound so stupid."

"Tell me, please."

"You've been spending so much time with Maggie lately. She's seen you more in the last week than I have. I know why. I know she's helping you with your paper. It's these damn hormones. They don't let me think straight sometimes, and I've got this case that's brought up some stuff."

"We really do have a lot to talk about. When was the last time you ate?"

"I had something at lunch." Seeing Bianca's knowing expression, Marissa conceded. "I didn't keep it all down. I got sick when I got home."

Bianca sighed. She thought as much when she spotted the Sprite. Marissa only drank it to calm her stomach. What Bianca wasn't sure about was whether or not it was the pregnancy that made her sick, the situation with Maggie or a combination of the two. She had a feeling it was both, and she really hated that she was responsible for part of it. "Okay, that's what I thought. How's your stomach feeling now? Do you think you could eat something?"

As if on cue, Marissa's stomach began to growl. "Yeah, I can. I'm sorry. I had this nice dinner planned."

"Hey, it's not your fault. We'll have it another night. What are you in the mood for?"

Marissa thought for a moment. There was something that sounded really good and that she had kind of been wanting all day, but she had already had dinner planned so she was going to stick with that. Now that her plans for the evening had changed, she could satisfy what she supposed was a craving. "You know what sounds really good? A pizza with the works from LaRosa's."

Bianca couldn't help but smile. Usually when they ordered pizza, it was cheese and sometimes pepperoni if the kids were feeling a little adventurous. This would be a nice change since she loved their pizza too, and if this is what Marissa wanted, she was going to have it. "That sounds good to me. I'll order it."

"Could maybe order some of their breadsticks too?"

Seeing the way hazel eyes lit up at the thought of the side item caused Bianca to chuckle. "Craving them maybe?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I guess I am a little."

"Then, you're getting breadsticks. Let me go get my phone, order and then change."

"Yeah, I would like to wash my face. I'll take care of feeding Max too."

"Okay, we'll meet back out here and talk."

"That sounds good."

/

Bianca had finished first so she grabbed them both something to drink and flipped on the white Christmas lights that were still hanging outside from earlier that year when the couple had proposed to each other. They were going to take them down, but the kids pleaded to let them stay up. Neither mother could find it in their hearts to say 'no'. So, they stayed.

Marissa soon joined her fiancée outside and took a seat next to her at the patio table. "It's not quite the romantic setting I had in mind for tonight, but I like it."

"Me too. First things first." Bianca gave Marissa a tender kiss. "Hey. It's good to be home."

Marissa smiled softly. "Hey, yourself. It's good to have you home."

"Okay, we have some time before the pizza and breadsticks get here so let's start at the beginning. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all of the time I've been spending away from here working on my paper. I said I wouldn't let school get in the way, and it has. I was so focused on doing a good job because I didn't want to disappoint you for all of the faith you had in me."

"B, you haven't disappointed me or lessened my faith in you. I know you can do this. I also know why you were working on it at the office. It's quieter, easier for you to concentrate."

"Yes, it is, but it's not worth the quiet if I'm losing time with my family. All of you are more important to me than any paper or class. So since I know you won't let me quit …" Bianca smiled seeing Marissa nod her head adamantly. "I'm going to work on the next one here. I can handle some noise. I just need to rethink my schedule for working on it."

"I'll help you with that."

"Thank you." Bianca took Marissa's hands and looked into the hazel eyes that she loved. She wanted to make sure that Marissa knew that she meant every word of what she was going to say next. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am about all of the time I've been spending with Maggie. I honestly had no idea she still had romantic feelings for me. It was just nice having an old friend back, someone who had been there for me during a really difficult time in my life. I had hoped that we could be friends again, but …"

"But she hasn't gotten over you. Otherwise, she wouldn't have tried to kiss you."

"Yes. I swear she didn't kiss me though. I would _never_ let that happen. I love you, and these lips belong only to you."

Marissa kissed her quickly. "I know. I believe you. The same goes for these lips."

"Good." Bianca smiled and turned serious again. "I made sure that Maggie knows that in no uncertain terms. She apologized. She was drunk and feelings surfaced. She wasn't thinking. It's no excuse though. What she did was wrong and she knows it. She knows that you probably can't forgive her but she wanted me to tell you that she's sorry."

"She's right." Marissa looked at Bianca. "I'll think about it though, for you."

"Thank you, but you know that you don't have to. I'm not asking you to."

"I know."

"Now, tell me about the case."

Marissa took a deep breath. "My client's husband had an old girlfriend get in touch with him recently. One thing led to another, and she found them in bed together. Not long after that, my client found out she was pregnant. I know you wouldn't do that. It's not who you are. They're not us."

Bianca shook her head. "No, it isn't, and they're not. But I can see the similarities. I wasn't helping the situation either, was I? I was spending way too much time with her. I should've known how you felt."

"I didn't help either. You can't know how I feel if I don't tell you. I should've been upfront with you and told that it was bothering me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Bianca asked.

"I didn't want you to think I didn't trust you because I do. I was a little jealous too, and I didn't like that I was. Plus, these hormones have been wreaking havoc on me."

"Is that why you left the park without confronting her?" It was the only reason Bianca could come up with. Marissa wasn't normally one to back down from a fight. She remembered the incident with Reese all too well.

Marissa made a face. "Yes, it is, and I was kicking myself afterwards as soon as my brain started working again. I gave serious thought to going back and ripping her lips off and throwing her in the pond."

Bianca laughed. "You were just a _little_ jealous, huh?" The brunette had to admit that she did like that Marissa could still get jealous after all their time together.

"Exactly." Marissa grinned. She could feel the weight of the day being lifted from her by simply talking to Bianca, just like it always did. "If there's ever a next time and I really hope there's not, I promise I'll talk to you, tell you how I'm feeling and also kick whoever's ass tries anything."

"That's my fiery redhead. I'm glad to hear that. It's not good for you or our little one to keep all that inside. I want you to listen to me. Maggie is my past. You are my present and future. I want to stay with you because I can't imagine my life or world without you. I love _you_ and I want _you_. _You_ are the great love of my life. Got it?"

Marissa took a shaky breath and nodded. "Got it. Everything you said goes for me as well. I love you."

"Good. Look, I understand about the hormones. There were times, especially when I was pregnant with Gabby, that I didn't know which way was up. I remember watching this greeting card commercial, and I just started blubbering. It wasn't even one of the really sentimental ones either."

"Oh great, that means I'm going to be a basket case next week when Gabby starts school."

"You're not going to be the only one. I think we better have a box of tissues ready."

"Good idea."

Bianca turned at the sound of the doorbell. "Pizza's here."

"That's good because little one here is getting hungry."

The brunette laughed. "Well, we can't have that now, can we? I'll go get it if you get us a refill."

"Deal."

/

Marissa groaned as she took a bite of the pizza. "Oh god, this is so good."

Bianca simply smiled, loving how much Marissa was enjoying the pizza. "It is pretty good. Feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks. I'm sorry for freaking out earlier."

"Hey, don't apologize for that. There's no need to. I understand. You're allowed. It's just my turn to be the strong and rational one. Now, I have to say I really loved your plan for a romantic dinner. Sorry I ruined it."

"You didn't ruin it, B. I'd say you may one hell of a save. We really do need to do something like this more often though."

"You're right. We do. I know we said we would have a regular date night, but we kinda got away from that with everything going on. I say we change that and stick to it this time. It could be once a month or once every so many weeks, starting next week. This week doesn't count."

"You're on. And we won't talk about the wedding or anything else. It's just us."

"That sounds perfect. Speaking of the wedding and stay with me on this, I think we need to pull Mom and Krystal back a little. They've kind of started going overboard with the plans. The daily calls are really starting to get to me."

Marissa nodded. "You're right. They have. The wedding's starting to not look like what we had planned. We're going to have to talk to them."

"I'm afraid so. Hopefully, they'll be okay with it, but if they're not, we can't let that change our minds. It's our day."

"I'm with you all the way. We'll talk to them on Monday." Marissa contemplated having a third slice of pizza but decided against it. "I don't want to get too full."

"Me either. Do you think you have room for dessert though?"

"Dessert?"

"Yep. I stopped by Krystal's to pick up a peace offering for being late. Opal gave me your order."

"I forgot all about it. Wait. You have our cake?" Marissa couldn't help but smile at the thought of chocolate cake.

Bianca grinned. "Yep, I sure do. You stay here, and I'll get it."

Marissa sighed. Bianca was incredible. She knew exactly what to say and do tonight, like she always did. She didn't judge Marissa or make fun of her for her reaction or her feelings. She simply listened and understood. It was just what she needed, and Marissa loved her even more for it. Suddenly, she wasn't all that interested in chocolate cake. A wicked smile crossed Marissa's face and she grabbed Bianca's hand effectively stopping her from standing and leaving. "I have a great idea. What do you say we put all of this away and save the cake for a little later, give ourselves a chance to work off dinner and make room for dessert?"

To make sure there was no room for misunderstanding, Marissa leaned in and captured Bianca's lips. The kiss deepened and soon became torrid. The couple reluctantly separated in want of oxygen.

Bianca husked, her voice lowered and was laced with desire. "I love how you think, Counselor. You grab the food. I'll get the drinks and Max."

Marissa grinned and gave her fiancée a quick but promised-filled kiss. "I'll race ya!"

**/**

**A/N****: I don't own the lyrics from the song Maggie heard while she was drowning her sorrows. They were taken from "Goodbye in Her Eyes" by the Zac Brown Band. They own them. I couldn't get them out of my mind though when I started writing this chapter and thought they would fit with how Maggie was feeling. I was able to tie my evil side up long enough to give you all a break on the cliffhangers. I didn't want to see our girls miserable for too long, especially Marissa given her current condition. I also didn't want Bianca to beat herself up for being away from home so much. Plus, I think she would want to let Maggie down easy but also be firm and leave no room for doubt about her relationship with Marissa. So, how'd I do? See you soon! **


	108. A Rainy Day

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing! I appreciate it! This is sort of a filler chapter. Like always, there is a reason for what I write. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca managed to slip out of bed without waking Marissa. She didn't want to disturb her fiancée. She needed her rest. The couple had experienced the gamut of emotions last night, but after talking everything through, she felt they were back on solid ground. They had both been at fault this past week and let misunderstandings rule their thoughts and actions instead of just talking to each other. Bianca heard the rain starting to fall as she checked the time. It was still fairly early. The family had one thing on their plate for the day, Sam's birthday party that afternoon. Marissa had told her that Gail had asked her to come over a little early to discuss something. While she wasn't sure exactly when Marissa had told Kendall they would pick up the kids from her and Zach, Bianca was fairly certain, that given the current time, that they had several hours before they needed to retrieve them. An idea popped into her head of something special she could do for Marissa this morning. Bianca just hoped that it would work out. With one last glance to make sure Marissa was still asleep, the brunette padded out of the bedroom and down the hallway.

/

Marissa shifted slightly as she snuggled under the covers more. She could hear the rain starting to hit the roof along with rumbles of thunder. Both were trying to pull her from the dream she was having, and she was fighting it, refusing to be pulled from dreamland and reliving the exquisite memories of last night.

_Marissa grinned and gave her fiancée a quick but promised-filled kiss. "I'll race ya!"_

_The redhead could see Bianca grinning back at her as she called for Max._

Those were the last words uttered between her and Bianca for quite some time. It was also the last time they raced or did anything remotely fast for the remainder of the evening. No, they didn't rush or hurry in the least bit. Each took their time drawing out the pleasure for the other, making it last as long as humanly possible, pouring every ounce of love they had and felt into each caress and kiss. It was slow, sweet and completely and utterly satisfying. Each was left sated before collapsing and drifting off to sleep in the arms of the only one who held their heart and made them whole, complete.

/

It took everything Bianca had to not laugh as she watched Marissa. The redhead scrunched her face and snuggled under the covers as she struggled to not wake up. Bianca found her utterly adorable at that moment. She quietly set the tray that held breakfast for them down on the nightstand. She then kneeled on the floor next to their bed and ever so carefully lifted the covers to gain access to her goal. Bianca then gently kissed Marissa's belly. There was no sign of a baby bump yet, but that didn't deter the brunette as she began to whisper.

"Good morning, little one. This is your Mommy. I just wanted to tell you that I love you so very much. I'm sorry I've been away and haven't spent much time at home lately. You have my word that I won't let that happen again. You, your brother and sisters, and your Mama are the most important people in the world to me, and there is nothing that I won't do for you. I want to ask you a favor. It's not for me. It's for your Mama. Could you take it a little easy on her? The morning sickness has been a little rough on her, and she needs to be able to eat and keep things down so you will come out nice and healthy for us. I would appreciate if you could do that for her. You are going to love your Mama so much. She's amazing. You know, I really hope you look like her. She has a smile that lights up a room, and there's this glint that she gets in her eyes when she gets a particularly brilliant thought or idea or when she's in a really playful mood. More importantly, I hope you have her heart. It's so good and kind. She's helped so many people, including someone we're going to see today."

/

Marissa felt the feather-soft press of lips against her belly and then heard Bianca speaking tenderly and lovingly to their little one. The redhead's lips twitched as she struggled to suppress a smile but found she was fighting a losing battle. A low chuckle escaped from her and caused Bianca to glance up.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Bianca smiled brightly. "Good morning."

"What are you doing down there?"

"I was just talking to our little one." Seeing Marissa's smile, Bianca knew she had been overheard. "You heard everything I said though, didn't you?"

"Yep. Thank you for talking to them about the morning sickness. We'll see if it helps."

"You're welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Hmmm, a proper good morning would be wonderful."

Bianca smiled and kissed Marissa's stomach. "We'll talk again later, little one. Your Mama needs me to do something for her right now." The brunette then took a seat on the bed next to Marissa and leaned in for a loving kiss. "Good morning."

Marissa hummed with her approval of the 'proper' good morning. "It is now. Do I smell bacon?"

"You sure do. I made us breakfast, and I thought we could have it in here. Do you feel up for it?"

Marissa thought for a moment, assessing how she felt. "Yeah, I do. Maybe your talk helped. Why do they call it morning sickness when it can hit you any time of the day?"

Bianca laughed and placed the tray holding their breakfast on the bed after Marissa sat up. She then settled in next to her fiancée. "I hope it helped, and I really don't know why they call it that. Hopefully, you'll be done with it soon." The brunette paused. "Are we okay?"

The redhead nodded. "Yes, I think so. What about you?"

"I think so too." After a quick kiss, Bianca continued. "What time do we have to pick up the kids?"

Marissa glanced quickly at the clock on the nightstand. "We have a few hours. This is delicious by the way. You're spoiling me."

"I'm glad to do it. So, we'll be picking them up on the way to Sam's party?"

"Yep. That reminds me. There's a folder I need to take with me, something I've been working on for Alex and Gail."

"Is this what Carol talked to you about not too long ago?"

"It is, and I have permission to tell you about it now if you'd like to hear."

"Of course I would. What is it?"

"They want to adopt Sam."

"Seriously? That's wonderful."

"I think so too. I've been looking into what needs to be done in order for that to happen. Right now, we're checking to see if Sam has any living relatives."

"I thought Child Services did that when they placed her with them."

"They did a cursory check. The firm is going to do a more thorough check. We just want to make sure we don't run into any surprises when we petition the court."

"How's Sam doing with this?"

"She seemed okay when we talked about it."

"I'm glad to hear that. She's thrived with the Walkers. I know Carol adores her, and Sam feels the same way about her. I mean she's been calling her 'grandma' for a while now."

"Yeah, she has, and Carol loves it. She's wanted a grandchild forever, and Sam fits in perfectly with all of them."

Bianca nodded. Seeing that Marissa had finished her breakfast, she moved the tray off the bed and placed it on the floor. The brunette then leaned back and pulled Marissa close. She loved the feeling of having her fiancée so close. Bianca then began to let her lips wander, finally stopping at the Marissa's pulse point. "Since we don't have to be anywhere for a few hours, do you have any ideas of how we can kill some time?"

"Mmmm, I can tell you have some definite thoughts on that, and I have to say that I love how you think." Marissa grinned before turning and capturing Bianca's smiling lips.

/

"Happy birthday, Sam!"

The teenager smiled at the Tasker-Montgomery family as they greeted her when she opened the door. "Thanks, guys. Come on in."

"Should we just leave our umbrellas on the porch?" Bianca asked before entering. The rain was still coming down pretty hard, and the family huddled under two golf size umbrellas.

"Yeah, they'll be fine."

"This is for you, Sam!" Miranda presented the teen with a brightly wrapped package that she had pressed tightly to her to keep in dry on the walk from the car.

"Thanks! Grandma has some cookies she just took out of the oven. She said that if it was you guys to tell you right away."

The three kids turned to their mothers with their eyes wide in silent plea.

Bianca chuckled. "Go ahead but no more than two each. Understand?"

Three heads bobbed up and down before they headed to the kitchen.

The brunette hugged Sam. "So, how does it feel to be 16?"

"It feels really good. A few months from today and I'll be able to get my license!"

Marissa laughed and hugged the teen. "Not that you're counting."

Sam grinned. "Nope! Thanks for the present. You guys really didn't have to get me anything. You've done a lot for me this past year. If it wasn't for the two of you, I don't know where I'd be today."

"You're welcome. We're glad we could help. As for the gift, we wanted to get you something. You deserve it. Bianca tells me all the time how hard you work at the Center."

"She really does work hard. I don't know what we did without her."

"I really like it. I wasn't sure at first if I would, but I feel like I'm helping."

Bianca smiled. "Well, you're very good at it, and you are helping. You know that you've almost completed all of your required hours. Have you thought about staying on?"

Sam nodded. "I'd really like to, if that's alright with you?"

"That's more than alright with me. How about we work on the details next week?"

"That'd be great! Thanks, Bianca!"

"You're welcome."

"Bianca, Marissa, I'm glad you could make it. We really appreciate you coming over a little early." Gail Walker smiled as she entered with her husband Alex right behind her.

"We're happy to do it. Why don't I leave you all to talk and go see if Carol needs any help?" Bianca offered.

"We don't mind if you stay, Bianca. That's why we told Marissa she could tell you what we've been discussing with her." Alex offered.

"Let's all have a seat." Gail gestured to the sofa and chairs in the family room.

Once everyone had settled, Marissa pulled out her folder and began. "I've started researching what needs to be done in order for you to adopt Sam. I'll petition the court to have you changed from foster parents to adoptive ones. Social Services will need to visit and conduct interviews with all of you as well as Carol and any character references you want to supply to them. I think it's a good idea to have Mike Jensen on that list."

"The district attorney?"

"Yes. Mike is aware of all of the particulars of Sam's case, and he's checked in regularly on how she's doing. He's a really good guy, and someone that'd be great to have in your corner."

Gail nodded. "Okay, we trust your judgment on this."

"I've initiated a search for any family members that we may not know about. I know Social Services did a search last year, but it wasn't too in depth. This will help us speed this process up and show the court we are acting in good faith. If all goes as planned, there will be a hearing in family court where a judge will review everything and sign-off on your petition."

Alex and Gail smiled and looked at Sam. The teen had been quiet during this discussion, and they could tell something was on her mind.

"Sam, is something wrong?" Gail asked the teen, her concern clearly evident. "If you don't want to do this, we understand. It won't change how we feel about you. We want you to stay with us, no matter what."

Sam shook her head. She wanted to stay with the Walkers. They had provided her with a loving home when no one else would. "It's not that. It's just … I can't really say. I just …"

Marissa had an idea of what might be bothering the teen. "Would you mind giving Sam and me a few minutes in private?"

The others nodded and left the pair alone.

/

Marissa eyed the teen while she tried to figure out where to start. She had always been straight with Sam starting back to when they first met in the interrogation room at the police station. Now was not the time to change that approach. "Sam, I need you to be honest with me. Do you want Gail and Alex to adopt you?"

Sam thought for a long moment before slowly nodding. "Yeah, I do. I love them. They've been great to me. I have a home and a family again. I didn't think I would ever have that."

"Okay, then what's wrong?"

"It's hard to say. It's gonna sound weird."

"Try me."

Sam ran her fingers through her hair and took a deep breath. "Ever since we started talking about this, I've been thinking about my Mom and Dad a lot. Is it wrong that I want Gail and Alex to adopt me? I mean, do you think my Mom and Dad would be mad or hurt by it?"

Marissa motioned for Sam to sit next to her. When the teen complied, she continued. "I don't think they would. They'd want you to be happy and taken care of."

"Could I ask you something?"

"Sure. What do you want to know?"

"You told me that you're adopted, and I know that Krystal's your biological mom. How does she feel about that? How did she feel about you being adopted?"

Marissa thought for a few moments about how much of her own history she wanted to reveal. There was one detail she would never share with the teen. It was just too painful for her, and frankly, she didn't know how to say it. _How do I tell someone that my mother sold me but kept my sister? Granted, I ended up with a better life with Mom and Dad, but still, she didn't want me. She didn't pick me. She sold me. I was the spare child, the throwaway._ Marissa shook her head to clear the thoughts. It didn't do her any good to dwell on the past, and she usually did a good job of moving on from those thoughts. Besides, Krystal did help her later when she needed it and had been very supportive of her relationship with Bianca. "Well, my situation is a little different than yours. My Mom and Dad, the Taskers, adopted me when I was a baby."

"Huh, so Krystal was alone?"

"No, she wasn't. She had my sister." Seeing the confusion on Sam's face, Marissa continued. "I'm not talking about Jenny. I'm, uh, talking about my twin sister, my fraternal twin to be exact."

"You're a twin? Wow. What's she like? She doesn't live in Pine Valley, does she?"

"She passed away a few years."

"I'm sorry." Sam immediately felt guilty for bringing up the subject.

"Don't worry about it. It's okay. It was before I came to Pine Valley so I never met her. I didn't even know about her. Krystal wasn't in a position to take care of both of us. She asked her friends, my Mom and Dad, to take care of me. They weren't able to have kids of their own so they readily agreed. It turns out that it was the best thing that could've happened to me. They gave me a great life. I had a very happy childhood. They chose me and loved me more than anything. As to what my sister was like, oh her name was Arabella but everybody called her Babe, I can only go by pictures that I've seen of her and what other people have told me. She was what everybody wants, blonde hair, blue eyes and beautiful, kinda like the girl next door. AJ looks like her."

"He does?"

"Yes, he does. AJ is her biological son. It's a long story, and I'll save you a lot of the details. She and JR were married and had AJ. When that tornado hit Pine Valley a few years ago, she died saving AJ. When I came to town, I met him and he stole my heart before I even knew his relationship to me. I ended up marrying JR and adopted AJ. I couldn't love him anymore than if I had given birth to him myself. AJ remembers his mom. While he sees me as him Mom now too, I've never tried to replace her because I couldn't, and I know and accept that. If something were to happen to me, I can honestly tell you that I'd want someone there to take care of AJ. That's why I have it set up so that Bianca will have custody of him if something does happen to me. That's also why I'm pretty sure your Mom and Dad would be okay with this. Gail and Alex know that they can't replace them, and they're not going to try. This is a way to commit to you, to formalize your relationship. It's a way to show you how much they love you, that you're an important part of their lives, their family. No one will be able to take you away from them. You don't have any reason to feel guilty about any of this. So the question is, what do you want? What will make you happy? Because knowing Gail and Alex like I do, that's all that matters to them."

Sam had listened intently to Marissa. She respected both Bianca and Marissa a great deal. They had helped her when no one else would. Through them, she had met the Walkers and had the life she had now. With Marissa though, it was different. In Sam's mind, the redhead had always been straight with her and never sugarcoated anything. It was definitely what she needed at that time in her life, and it had been the only way to get through to her, to make her see reason and the truth of her situation. The teen also thought they had a lot in common. Marissa knew better than anyone else what she was feeling, what it was like to lose your parents and to be suddenly alone in the world. Sam had been feeling guilty. She worried that her parents would think she was replacing them, forgetting them. Listening to Marissa helped her put things in perspective. "I want to stay with the Walkers. I want to do the adoption."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am. Thanks for helping, again."

Marissa smiled and hugged Sam. "Anytime and you're welcome. I'll go get them, and you can give them the good news. Okay?"

"Yeah." Sam smiled and felt a huge weight lifted from her.

/

Marissa entered the kitchen to find the concerned faces of Gail and Alex. She gave them a reassuring smile. "Sam would like to talk to the two of you." After the couple left, she found Carol giving her a questioning look. "It's good news."

Carol exhaled and smiled. "Thank you."

Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa from behind and rested her head on the redhead's shoulder. She had caught part of her and Sam's conversation and had tried to assure Gail and Alex that Marissa was the best person to talk to Sam about this having been on both sides of the adoption issue personally. Bianca whispered in Marissa's ear, making sure that no one else could hear what she was saying. "I overheard part of you said to Sam. I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of you, how incredible I think you are for sharing what you did with her. Just so you know, not everybody would want Babe over you. I'd pick you every damn time."

Marissa smiled and leaned back into Bianca's embrace, knowing that her fiancée meant every word. "Thank you."

/

Sunday's weather stood in stark contrast to Saturday's. Thunderstorms had roared through Pine Valley resulting in some minor flooding and wind damage. The storms also resulted in flights being cancelled. Maggie's flight was one of the casualties, and she wouldn't be leaving town as expected. While other travelers scrambled to find a place to stay, she had been fortunate to be able to book a room in her hotel again. Her new flight was scheduled for early that evening, and she now found herself trying to kill some time before heading to the airport. She decided to head to the park and enjoy the day as much as she could. The petite brunette had found herself thinking about how her visit back to Pine Valley went. It did not end well for her, and she was still trying to make sense of what she had done. She found herself lost in her thoughts and not paying attention to where she was walking.

/

The following day was perfect. Where Saturday had been dark and dreary and dominated by thunderstorms, Sunday was bright and clear. The sky was a brilliant blue and nary a cloud in sight. Since it was a picture perfect day and the last one before school started, the Tasker-Montgomery clan decided to have a picnic in the park that afternoon. While Bianca kept the kids and Max occupied in the park, Marissa cut across it and stopped at Krystal's to pick up a lunch of fried chicken and their favorite side dishes. As she was making her way back, Marissa found herself crossing paths with someone she was not expecting to see.


	109. Paths Crossing

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading and reviewing! It is much appreciated! This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Oh, there is a favor I ask of you at the end of the chapter, dear readers. Your help will be greatly appreciated. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

That Sunday was perfect. Where Saturday had been dark and dreary and dominated by thunderstorms, Sunday was bright and clear. The sky was a brilliant blue and nary a cloud in sight. Since it was a picture perfect day and the last one before school started, the Tasker-Montgomery clan decided to have a picnic in the park that afternoon. While Bianca kept the kids and Max occupied in the park, Marissa cut across it and stopped at Krystal's to pick up a lunch of fried chicken along with their favorite side dishes. As she was making her way back, Marissa found herself crossing paths with someone she was not expecting to see. From the angles that both women were taking, there was no way to avoid seeing each other. In fact, they would be lucky if they didn't collide.

Maggie hadn't been paying attention to where she was walking. She was so lost in thought that she found herself almost running into someone else, only stopping at the very last second and preventing a collision. Her head snapped up and she readied herself to apologize. Her apology fell silent however when she saw who the other person was. "I'm sor… Oh, it's you. I'm …"

Marissa's eyes met those of the other woman. The redhead gave her a determined look. Marissa knew without question that she wasn't going to back down from the other woman. Her emotions were in check, and she was definitely going to be standing her ground this time, no matter what. The one thing she didn't want to do though was cause a scene where the kids might see. "Maggie. Yes, I know exactly who you are."

"Yeah, I guess you would. I'm, um, sorry for almost running you over. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going."

"So it would seem." Marissa bit back another comment. _Not really the first time you've tried to do that to me since you've been back, huh? _"I thought you were leaving yesterday."

"I was. My flight was cancelled because of the storm. I've got another one in a couple of hours. I'm just killing some time before I head back to the airport." There was an awkward pause, and Maggie felt compelled to break it. "Marissa, I … I don't know if Bianca told you ..."

"Bianca told me everything."

Maggie sighed. "Yeah, I kind of thought she would. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause any problems. It was honestly the last thing on my mind when I came here."

Marissa eyed the other woman curiously. "What _was_ on your mind then when you decided to come back here?"

"Honestly?"

"I'd appreciate it and think it's the least you can do."

"I wanted to see Bianca, see how she was doing. It's been a while since we've seen each other. I didn't mean for anything to happen, not that anything happened. At least, Bianca didn't do anything."

Marissa simply nodded. "I know. I know Bianca didn't do anything. She's not that kind of person."

Maggie caught the inferred 'but we all know that you are' and sighed. _I guess I deserved that._ "You know, when we were working together, all Bianca could talk about was you and the kids, and I'm not making that up. She bragged about all of you, and she told me how you took on Reese when she tried to take Miranda and Gabby from her."

"That's something I'm never going to allow to happen. Bianca is an incredible mother. Her children are everything to her."

"I'm glad to hear that. Bianca deserves to have someone that fights for her. She's been through a lot, you know?"

"I know she has. She's told me everything that happened to her. I'll do everything in my power to protect her, to keep her safe. The same goes for our family." Marissa stole a glance and couldn't help but smile seeing them. Bianca with a huge grin on her face was pushing Gabby on a swing while their youngest was squealing in delight. Marissa knew that Gabby was most likely telling Bianca to push her higher and higher. Miranda and AJ were kicking a soccer ball between them. Max seemed to think it was an odd game of fetch. The dog would pounce every so often in an attempt to capture the ball. He wasn't having much success though since it was a little too big to fit in his mouth. The ball would squirt loose for either AJ or Miranda to grab. The birthday twins were laughing at their dog's antics and would begin the whole exercise again.

Maggie followed Marissa's eyes and saw the whole scene play out in front of her. She couldn't recall Bianca ever smiling as much as she was at that moment. Happiness seemed to radiate from her.

/

Bianca pulled out her cellphone to check the time. She wondered what was taking Marissa so long. She should've been back by that point.

"Mom?"

"What is it, AJ?"

"Who's Ma talking to?" AJ had noticed his redheaded mother talking to another woman a few minutes ago. It was someone he didn't recognize.

Bianca glanced in the direction her son was pointing. She saw her fiancée talking to Maggie. Bianca couldn't help but worry a little about the two meeting. Marissa appeared to be calm and in control. The redhead had placed one of the carryout bags on the ground next to her. She then placed that now free hand across her belly. It was a habit Marissa had adopted soon after finding out she was pregnant. Before Bianca could answer AJ, Miranda piped up.

"Ma's back! I'll go help her with the bags." Miranda then raced off in the direction of her redheaded mother.

"Mom?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Buddy. Your Ma is talking to an old friend of mine."

"Is that Maggie, the one that was helping you with your paper?"

"Yes, it is."

"We should invite her to our picnic since she helped you."

Bianca smiled at her son. AJ was sweet and thoughtful, but inviting Maggie to join them for lunch was something she didn't see happening any time soon if ever. Bianca would never ask Marissa something like that. Truth be told, the brunette was surprised to Maggie was still in town. "I don't know about that, Buddy. I really don't think that's going to happen."

/

Maggie couldn't deny that she had never seen Bianca happier. She had a family, and from what Maggie could see, it was one that Bianca deserved. "I honestly can't tell you enough how sorry I am. I …"

"Can I help you with one of the bags, Ma?"

Marissa glanced down and smiled. "Yes, you can. Thanks, Mimo."

"You're welcome." Miranda looked at the other woman standing before her. She looked vaguely familiar, but the girl didn't know why. "Hello. I'm Miranda."

"I'm sorry. Miranda, this is Maggie. She's an old friend of your Mom's."

Maggie was a little stunned. Miranda was in front of her, and she was no longer a baby. She was a beautiful young girl. The pictures she had seen in Bianca's office didn't do her quite enough justice. Maggie also noted that Miranda had called Marissa 'Ma'. "Hi, Miranda. It's nice to see you again. I don't know if you remember me or not."

Miranda remembered the name and that Maggie used to see her Mom and had hurt her before. She also knew that the other woman had been spending a lot of time with her brunette mother recently. The girl stepped closer to Marissa taking her hand and nodded. "I remember who you are." The look Miranda gave Maggie was reminiscent of her mother, grandmother and aunt. The girl was too polite to say anything but that look said it all and indicated exactly where her loyalties laid.

_That's my girl. _Marissa was able to hide her smile and squeezed Miranda's hand pulling her attention from the other woman. "Sweetie, would take this bag to your Mom for me? She can start setting up things for lunch. I'm sure AJ's starving." Seeing the hesitation in her daughter's eyes, Marissa continued. "It's okay. I'll be over in just a few minutes. I promise."

Miranda nodded and smiled softly. "Okay, Ma. You're right. I'm sure he is." She turned back to Maggie, the smile gone. "Bye."

Maggie nodded in return. "Bye." There was no doubt where Miranda stood. "I should get going. I really do hope you accept my apology."

"I do. Thank you for it."

Maggie couldn't help but be surprised. She didn't know if she could be as gracious as the redhead was being right now if the roles were reversed. "You're welcome, and thanks."

Marissa smiled. She knew full well that not only was Miranda still watching her but Bianca was now as well. She didn't want to do anything that might make them worry more than they probably already were. "Before you go, I want to make sure you understand a few things. What you did? It was flat out wrong. It was way over the line, and quite frankly, I don't give damn that you were drunk or remembering old times or whatever lame excuse you want to use. I only care about Bianca and what it did to her, how it made her feel. Do you have any idea of how it affected her? You should if you know her as well as you claim you do. I'll tell you what though. I'll clear it up for you just so there's no misunderstanding. It hurt her. It was a betrayal of her trust yet again. It's the kind of betrayal she's had to endure too many times to count, and I'm not going to stand by and watch it happen without saying or doing something about it. If you ever try something like that again or hurt her in any way, you'll be dealing with me. And we won't be having an accidental meeting because I'll hunt you down. It also won't be within sight of Bianca and our children. I won't do anything to upset them. It comes down to this. Bianca and I are happy and have a great life _together_. We love each other very much, and we're getting married, building a future together. I will fight for what we have and are building together with everything that I have, with every fiber of my being. Unlike Bianca, I like a good fight every now and then, and I'm really good at them. Maybe it's because I'm a lawyer, maybe it's the red hair and the stereotype that goes with it, maybe it's fighting for the person I'm meant to spend my life. Whatever the reason, I'm not backing down or running away. If you want a fight, a fight is exactly what you'll get from me. Make no mistake about that. I'll give you a free piece of advice before you head out. If you want to keep those lips of yours, keep them away from Bianca and don't _ever_ try anything like that again. That's not a threat. It's a promise. Do we understand each other?"

Maggie nodded. "Yeah, we do. Could I give you a free piece of advice?"

"Have at it."

"Don't do what I did. Cheating on her was the biggest mistake of my life, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't regret it. You'll be the same way if you do. That's just a statement of fact."

"Don't worry, I won't. I could never hurt her like that. You see, unlike you and the others that were lucky enough to have Bianca be a part of their lives and were foolish enough not to realize it, I know _exactly _what I have and how lucky I am, and there's not a chance in hell that I'm going to blow it like all of you did. I'll be completely honest with you. I think you all were complete idiots and utter fools, and I'm neither. Bianca is everything to me. There's not a single doubt in my mind about that, and each and every day, I do my very best to show her how much she is loved and cherished. I don't have anything else to say. Now if you'll excuse me, my family is waiting for me. Goodbye, Maggie."

Maggie watched Marissa as she walked away. There was no doubt in her mind that the redhead meant everything she had just said. She shook her head, turned and left the park.

/

Bianca watched the exchange nervously as she worked at setting up lunch. A few minutes after Miranda had made her way back to their spot, Marissa finished whatever she was saying to Maggie and walked their way, smiling. Bianca was curious about what was said between the two.

"Mommy!"

Marissa laughed and set down the bag she was carrying. She scooped up Gabby and swung her around. "Hey, Monkey."

"Did you get the cookies?"

"Cookies? What cookies are those?"

"Mommy, you know." Gabby pouted slightly.

"Oh, you mean the chocolate chimp cookies! Of course I did. Would I let you down like that?"

Gabby rewarded Marissa with a hug and kiss. "Nope! Thanks, Mommy!"

Bianca laughed at the exchange. Ever since Gabby had told them a certain joke, chocolate chip cookies were now referred to as chocolate chimp cookies and the same went for chocolate chip pancakes, at least between the two of them. Miranda and AJ simply rolled their eyes at the two. Bianca could tell they were amused by them though.

Marissa sat Gabby down and picked the bag back up. When she got to the blanket she handed it to Bianca's outstretched hand. The redhead smiled at her love seeing the unspoken question in her eyes. "I'm good, and I'll tell you everything later. I promise."

That was enough for Bianca, for the moment. She noticed hazel eyes were sparkling though, a sure sign that she had a chance to say her piece, and Bianca could tell she felt good about it. "Alright, you can tell me later."

/

"So, now will you tell me what happened earlier?" Bianca and Marissa were settled on the sofa enjoying some well-deserved quiet time. Tomorrow was the first day of school, and it was going to be a big day in the Tasker-Montgomery home. The kids had been bathed, read a bedtime story and tucked in after a fun-filled day in the park and continued later on at home. Lunches had been packed as had backpacks. Max had been let out to take care of his needs and was settled in his bed by the fireplace. Now, the couple was taking a breath and enjoying a few minutes before heading back to bed. Bianca had waited patiently all day for them to be alone and away from little ears to find out what was said.

Marissa chuckled. "Yes. You've been very patient. Maggie apologized, and I accepted it."

"There's more though, isn't there?"

The grin on Marissa's face answered that question easily enough. "Yeah, there is. I told her that there was no excuse for what she did. It was over the line, and if she wanted to keep her lips, she better keep them away from you. If she tried something like that again, I wouldn't be so nice. I also called her and your other ex's complete idiots for not knowing what they had when they had you. I have to say that their loss is definitely my gain."

Bianca laughed seeing the grin on Marissa's face and hearing what she said. "You did, huh?"

"Yep! I meant every word of it too."

"You feel better?"

"I do. I wish I would've done it the other day, but I got to do it today. It was something I needed to do."

"I'm glad you feel better and got to say your piece."

"No lectures or anything else?"

Now, it was Bianca's turn to grin which she did right before she kissed her fiancée and pulled her into her arms. "Nope. I got nothing to add. I think you covered it all." There really was nothing left to say. In Bianca's mind, Marissa had every right to say what she did, and the brunette was not going to begrudge her that.

Marissa laughed at Bianca's amused expression and leaned into the brunette's embrace. She was extremely thankful that her hormones were back in check, at least for today.

"What did Miranda say when she went over to you and Maggie in the park?"

The redhead sat up with a huge grin. "It's not so much what she said, it's what she did. Don't worry, she was polite. Then, she remembered Maggie."

"Really?"

"Yep. Miranda grabbed hold of my and then gave Maggie the pint-sized version of the Kane death glare."

Bianca chuckled. "Well, I'd say that it's pretty clear whose side she's on."

"Uh huh, that's my girl!"

"Yes, it is."

Marissa settled back into her previous position. Just as she started to relax, Marissa felt Bianca suddenly start to shake. The redhead sat up and turned to see what was going on. Bianca had tears in her eyes, and Marissa was immediately concerned. "What's wrong?"

Bianca shook her indicating there was nothing wrong. She wasn't able to hold it in any longer. The brunette burst out laughing. After about a minute, she had collected herself enough to finally talk. "I'm sorry. Everything's fine. I was just thinking of something AJ said earlier when he saw you talking to Maggie."

A copper eyebrow rose in question. "What did he say?"

"When he found out who she was, he thought we should invite her to join us for lunch."

"Seriously?" Seeing Bianca nod, Marissa started laughing.

"I told him I didn't see that happening."

"Uh, yeah, you would be right. There's not a snowball's chance in hell of that. My hormones may be a little out of whack right now, but they are definitely not _that_ out of whack." Marissa smirked as she leaned in for a tender kiss.

**/**

**A/N****: A couple of you thought Marissa might invite Maggie to join them. In my mind, I never really saw that happening, messed up hormones or not. Now for the favor, any thoughts of what can be done for their bachelorette party? There has to be a party of some sort since Greenlee and Kendall are involved, but Marissa is pregnant and only Bianca knows. Drinking is out of the question for her. I do have an idea, but I am definitely open for suggestions. Oh, any thoughts on their honeymoon destination? They have three kids and it is during the school year so I don't think them taking a long one is in character for them. What do you all think? Help is appreciated! See you soon! **


	110. School Days

**A/N****: Happy Saturday, dear readers! Thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! I appreciate it. I also appreciate the feedback on the bachelorette party and the honeymoon. It really helped me figure out what I want to do so thanks! For this chapter, we're picking up the next day. I got nothing right now. Have a great weekend, and I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The next morning came all too soon, at least it did for AJ and Miranda. The birthday twins grumbled a little when they had to get up and start getting ready for school. While they did want to see their friends again, they really liked having the summer off. It had been a good one for them, and they'd had a lot of fun. So, the grumbling was not a surprise to either mother when they woke them up. The grumbling increased when they caught sight of Marissa's video camera and saw that she was recording them. While that was going on, Bianca was watching it all and doing her level best to suppress her laughter.

Gabby was a different story. As soon as Bianca and Marissa woke her up, the little girl was out of bed and running to her closet to pull out the clothes she had carefully chosen to wear for her first day, with Bianca's help, the night before. She was definitely excited to start school, to be in her words 'a big kid like AJ and Miranda'. She was moving so fast that Marissa struggled a little to have the video camera keep up with her.

Bianca helped Gabby get dressed and fix her hair. The little girl was a bundle of energy and didn't make either an easy task. When she was done with her youngest, she helped Miranda with her hair. While Bianca was busy with the girls, Marissa helped AJ tame his unruly hair before heading downstairs to start on breakfast.

/

Gabby was the first downstairs, and she bounded into the kitchen. She was so excited that she was practically bursting with at the seams. "What are we having for breakfast, Mommy?"

"Well, Monkey, I thought we would have some pancakes today, chocolate chimp for you of course. How does that sound?"

Gabby beamed as two monkey shaped pancakes were placed in front of her. "Sounds really good! Thanks, Mommy!"

Marissa laughed and placed a kiss on the top of her daughter's head. Gabby's good mood was definitely infectious. The redhead turned her video camera back on and had it placed on the counter and facing the table so it could capture more of the morning's activities. "You're welcome. Are you ready for today?"

Gabby nodded excitedly. "Uh huh! It's gonna be really fun. Mommy, will I be able to see AJ and Miranda today at school?"

"I don't think so, Monkey. They'll be on the other side of the school once it starts. Remember though, you need to wait for them in your classroom after school. They'll come get you and then your Mommy and me will meet the three of you outside to pick you up. Okay?" Marissa didn't doubt that Gabby would remember what she needed to do. The little girl had an amazing memory and had surprised them all with it on more than one occasion.

"Okay! I'll remember, Mommy."

"What will you remember, Sweetie?" Bianca asked as she joined Marissa and Gabby in the kitchen followed by Miranda and AJ.

"Wait in my room for Miranda and AJ to come get me after school."

Bianca kissed the top of Gabby's head before sitting down with the others. "Very good! We'll be waiting outside for the three of you. Rissa and I were talking, and we think that such an important day deserves a special treat."

That got the attention of all three children.

"What, Mom?" Miranda asked excitedly.

"We're thinking of stopping by Krystal's for some ice cream on our way home. Do you think you guys would like something like that?"

The answer from all three children was emphatic. "Yes!"

Marissa chuckled. "Alright, finish up breakfast. When you're done, I'm going to take some pictures. AJ and Miranda remembered the routine from last year and nodded while Gabby couldn't wait. She had been in the pictures last year, but that was for pre-school which wasn't real school in her mind. This year, it was for kindergarten, and to her, that was real school.

When everyone was finished, the table was cleared and breakfast dishes loaded into the dishwasher. Pictures were then taken of each child by themselves and followed by a group shot. After that was finished, backpacks and lunches were grabbed by the children and purses and computer bags by the mothers. They piled into Marissa's car and headed off to school.

/

Marissa parked the car by the school. Before AJ and Miranda headed off to catch up with friends and then on to their homeroom, they were stopped by Bianca.

"Don't forget after school …"

The birthday twins rolled their eyes and sighed.

Miranda spoke for the two of them. "We know, Mom. We'll get Gabby."

Bianca scowled. Maybe she and Marissa had been reminding them too much. They couldn't help it though. Gabby was their baby, at least for now, and this was a hard day for them. "Sorry. I'll stop. Thank you. I love you. Have a good, and we'll see you after school."

"See you later, guys. I love you. Learn lots."

"Love you, Mom. Love you, Ma." AJ and Miranda replied quickly before waving to their mothers and little sister before darting off.

"Mommy!"

Bianca and Marissa both glanced down at their youngest.

"What is it, Sweetie?"

"Can we go?"

Marissa chuckled. "Yes, Monkey, we can. Let's put your backpack on." The redhead helped Gabby put on her new backpack. It had taken them some time to find one that she liked, but once her eyes fell on the one with the face of a monkey on it, that was it. Her whole face lit up, and it was a no-brainer that it was going to be hers.

With backpack secured and Bianca carrying her lunch box, Gabby took a hand from each of her mothers and began to skip towards the school.

Gabby's classroom was found easily enough, and Marissa took of a picture of her outside of the door. Other parents were doing the same thing. For kindergarteners and first graders, the school allowed parents to walk their little ones to class on the first day since it was not only a milestone but was also the first time many would be away from home for an extended period of time. It could be traumatic for both parent and child.

Bianca located Gabby's cubby and placed her lunch in it while Marissa helped their daughter off with her backpack and opened it up. She carefully removed a folder before zipping the backpack up again and handing it to Bianca to place in the cubby as well. Marissa then took out the sticker they had made up for Gabby to decorate her cubby to indicate which one was hers as they had been directed to by the school in an email sent to them earlier in the week.

Marissa handed the sticker to Gabby. "Here you go, Monkey."

Bianca helped the little brunette put it on her cubby while Marissa snapped another picture.

The teacher, Mrs. Weber, clapped her hands. "Parents, I'm sorry, but it's time for you to leave. We need to start class."

The couple then knelt down next to Gabby with each giving her a hug and kiss.

"Have a good day, Sweetie. I love you."

"We'll see you after school. I love you too."

"Okay. Love you, Mommies. Bye!"

As the couple walked towards the door and struggled to keep their tears at bay, they saw a little boy approach their daughter.

"Hi, I'm Benjamin."

"I'm Gabby."

"Is that your monkey backpack?"

"Uh huh. I like monkeys a whole lot."

"I do too. They're really cool, so's your backpack."

Gabby beamed. "Thanks!"

Bianca and Marissa shared an amused look as they left. It seemed their youngest already had an admirer.

/

The Tasker-Montgomery family entered Krystal's and headed directly to 'their' table. Krystal had seen them come in and walked over to greet them.

"How was the first day? Did _everyone_ make it through okay?"

Marissa nodded getting the hidden meaning. "Yes, everyone made it through just fine, including the parents."

"That's very good to hear."

"It was pretty hard on the parents though, harder than it was on Gabby." Bianca admitted. After the couple left the school, Marissa dropped Bianca off at the Miranda Center before heading to her office. They both worked through lunch so they could leave work early. Several texts were exchanged throughout the workday wondering how Gabby was doing. They took turns assuring the other that she was fine. Gabby was a lively and affable little girl and most that met her quickly adored her. Plus, she'd been in daycare and pre-school so this wasn't a completely new experience for her. "It seems Gabby has an admirer already."

"I'm not surprised. Who is it?"

"Who is who?" Erica asked as she glided in. "Hello, my sweethearts."

"Hi, Mom. Gabby has an admirer."

"Well, she is a Kane woman." Erica smiled proudly.

The little girl in question looked at Bianca very confused. "Who, Mommy?"

"Benjamin, the little boy who told you he liked your backpack."

Bianca's prompt helped Gabby remember the little boy. She hadn't really given him much thought after his compliment. Gabby shrugged. "Oh, him. He thinks monkeys are cool. I guess he's okay. Oh, Mommies, we're having show and tell. Mrs. Weber gave us a letter about it. Can I bring Minx?"

"May I bring Minx?"

Gabby sighed at the correction from her brunette mother. "May I bring Minx?"

"Are you sure you want to? You have to be really careful with him if you do." Marissa asked.

"I will be, Mommy."

Bianca looked at Marissa who nodded her mutual consent. "Then yes, you may."

Gabby smiled brightly. She knew that Minx would be a big hit.

"Uh, Erica, what do you have there?" Marissa pointed to the rather large looking book in the diva's arms.

"I'm glad you asked. Krystal and I were talking and came up with a few more wonderful ideas for the wedding. I knew both of you were going to be here today so it's the perfect time to go over them."

"This looks like this is the place to be today." Kendall, Spike and Ian appeared along with Greenlee and Emma. They had all spoken the day before and liked the idea of giving the kids a quick treat for making it through the first day of school. Kendall and Greenlee exchanged a glance with each other when they saw the looks on Bianca's and Marissa's faces.

Marissa spoke up first. "Before we do anything, could we get some ice cream for the kids?"

"Of course you can. Is it safe to assume that everyone wants their usual?" Receiving nods from the kids, Krystal headed to the kitchen to receive the treats.

/

While the kids were occupied with their ice cream and recounting what happened at school to each other, the women moved to another table nearby.

"Here is what we've come up with …"

Bianca held up a hand. "Mom, before you start, we need to talk."

"Of course, Sweetheart. What did you need to talk about?"

"We need to stop adding to the wedding. It's getting to be too much, and we're starting not to recognize it. You're adding things we don't want."

"Bianca and I truly do appreciate everything that you and Krystal have done and are doing, but Bianca's right. We don't want an ice sculpture or ornate centerpieces or a releasing of doves. We don't need all of that. We only need each other, our kids and our families and friends. We want it to be simple, and we've told you that."

"We also said that if it got out of hand, we would pull back on the reins. This is us pulling back on them."

Erica saw the determined looks of her daughter and soon-to-be daughter-in-law. They were, as always, presenting a united front. It was admirable. She glanced quickly at Krystal, and the two older women nodded in silent agreement. "Perhaps we have overstepped. We apologize. We certainly didn't mean to. We simply want to make your wedding day special, memorable for both of you."

"Erica's right. While our intentions were good, it seems our methods have left a lot to be desired." Krystal conceded. "I'm guessing we need to cut back on the calls too?"

Marissa nodded. "That would be really helpful. Multiple calls a day is a little on the excessive side."

"I suppose that has added some stress to the two of you. We will do better." Erica assured the couple. Stress was something she knew was not good if they were attempting to have a child. It bothered her that she still didn't know the status of that endeavor.

"Thanks, Mom." Bianca smiled gratefully.

Kendall clapped her hands together. "Good! Now that that's settled, Greenlee and I have an important piece of business to discuss with Binx and Red."

"Why yes we do, Kendall!" Greenlee grinned.

"Should we be scared?" Marissa teased.

"Greenlee and I have been discussing your bachelorette party or parties as the case may be."

"Oh yeah, we should be scared." Bianca smirked.

"I think that's our cue to leave." Erica stood and walked back over to the table where the kids were.

"I'll send over some refills." Krystal nodded before heading back to the bar to place the drink orders.

"Funny, Binx. We have one important question for you before we start. Would you prefer one party for the both of you or two separate ones?"

The couple exchanged a glance before Bianca answered for them. "One."

Marissa nodded. "It makes sense. A lot of the same people will be invited to both, and we would only have to worry about a babysitter once."

Kendall shook her head. "You don't have to worry about a babysitter at all. We've got it taken care of already."

"Yep, Zach and Ryan will be watching all of the kids. Mamas need a night out!" Greenlee smirked and exchanged a high-five with her partner in crime.

"Yes, we do! One party it is then. We've got you booked then for two weeks from Friday."

"We'll have to check and see if we're free." Bianca pulled out her phone.

"You both are. Don't worry." Kendall gave a cheeky smile at her sister's questioning look. "We checked with Jan for you, Binx, and with Lisa for you, Red."

"Do we get a hint as to what we're doing?" Marissa asked.

"We're still working out the details. Knowing we're dealing with planning just one party now helps. I'll have you know that planning a bachelorette party for the two of you is no easy feat. Think about it. We can't have strippers of any kind. Let's be honest here. Male strippers do nothing for either of you, and female strippers do nothing at all for me or Kendall. Plus, neither of you are drinking right now. These are staples for bachelorette parties!" Greenlee smirked.

"Oh, Greenlee and I have a solution to that last one though. Any drinks that are bought for either of you? We'll drink them for you."

Marissa laughed. "That's very big of the two of you."

Kendall shrugged grinning. "What can I say? We're givers. Don't worry. We'll make arrangements for transportation. All we need from you is a list of who you want to invite."

"Erica and Krystal are not invited. They understand so don't worry about that. Oh, you will need to pack an overnight bag because you won't be coming home that night." Greenlee added.

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, Binx. That's why we're having it two weeks before the wedding. It will give everyone a chance to recover, some more than others. Don't worry. This is just giving everyone a chance to cut loose, have some fun and celebrate with you."

"I'm in." Marissa grinned.

Bianca chuckled. "So am I."

"Curly, Shorty, we are in your hands. Have at it!"

Greenlee clapped her hands. "Hot damn! This is going to be fun. By the way, you only have maybe an inch on me, but given the faith you are putting in us, I'll ignore the 'short' crack, _Rocky_. I will feel safe having you around though, to provide muscle."

"It's actually two inches, and I'll be more than happy to provide protection for you. You should know though that I'm Bianca's bodyguard first and foremost."

Marissa was rewarded with a quick kiss. "You do a really good job too. I have no complaints whatsoever."

"I have a feeling we're going to be drinking a lot, Kendall, especially if they keep that up." Greenlee smirked looking at the couple.

"You're probably right, but we're just the women for the job!"


	111. A Stitch in Time

**A/N****: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It's truly appreciated. Now, there was a question from **_**mymariska**_** I need to clear up regarding Gabby's age. I went back and read my author's notes from the chapter in question and saw that I was missing an important word from my comments, the word 'birthday'. That does make a difference. So, I'll try it again making sure I'm not missing that word. According to the show she was born in October. For purposes of having Gabby in kindergarten now, I'm moving her birthday from October to the July/August timeframe in order to make her five years old. Sorry about that, and I hope that clears up the confusion. Thanks for keeping me honest. This chapter is just something into my head and had to be written. I hope you like it. The bachelorette party will be getting started in the next chapter. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

_Two weeks later_

Bianca was putting the finishing touches on her updates for the Center's 4th quarter budget when Jan buzzed her.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Bianca, but the school is on the line for you. It's something to do with Gabby."

"Thanks, Jan." Bianca immediately dropped what she was doing and picked up the phone. "This is Bianca Montgomery. Is Gabby alright?"

"Hello, Ms. Montgomery. It's Grace Benson. Gabby is okay. She hasn't been hurt, but she is very upset. It seems there was an incident in her class during show and tell, and the stuffed monkey she brought in for it was torn."

Bianca sighed. While she was extremely grateful that Gabby was physically okay, she hated that her little girl was upset. Gabby loved Minx and knew that if he was damaged that she would be almost inconsolable. "I'm on my way, Mrs. Benson."

"Should I call Ms. Tasker as well?"

"No, I'll call her later. She's in court right now."

"Very well. Please come to the main office when you get here."

"Thank you. I'll be there in a few minutes." Bianca disconnected the call, grabbed her purse and headed out. "Jan, I need to go and pick up Gabby."

"Is everything okay?"

"It seems there is a mini-crisis, but I think she'll be okay, at least I hope so. I'll call you later and check back in."

/

"Hello, Ms. Montgomery. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to Gabby."

"Thank you, Mrs. Benson." Bianca followed the elderly woman into a quiet room where a staff member was sitting with Gabby trying her best to comfort her but not having much luck.

Gabby glanced up with tear-stained cheeks and saw her brunette mother. "Mommy!"

Bianca was across the room in no time flat and Gabby threw herself into her mother's arms.

"Hi, Sweetie. Mommy's here. Shhh, it will be okay." Bianca began rocking her daughter as her tiny body was wracked with her sobbing.

"I'll let Mrs. Weber know you're here." Mrs. Benson stated before she and the other staff member left them alone.

After several minutes, Gabby began to quiet down as she listened to her Mom hum what had, since Marissa entered their lives, become their family's song. It never failed to do the trick.

Bianca grabbed some tissues and began wiping the tears from Gabby's face before having her blow her nose. "Are you able to tell me what happened, Sweetie?"

Gabby shook her head and snuggled deeper into her mother's arms.

"Hello, Ms. Montgomery. I think I might be able to help you there."

"Mrs. Weber, please tell me what happened."

The teacher sat down and was relieved to see Gabby was doing better. "As you know, today was show and tell, and Gabby brought in her favorite stuffed animal."

Bianca nodded. "Minx, her stuffed monkey. Mrs. Benson said he was torn. What happened?"

"Well, he was quite the hit. All of the children loved him. Gabby was very proud of him and did a wonderful job of telling everyone how she got him and sharing him with the other students. I'm afraid one of them, however, was a little overzealous."

Gabby gazed up at Bianca. Her eyes started welling with tears again and her chin quivered. "Benjamin broke Minx, Mommy." The little girl hid her head back in her mother's chest.

Bianca gently soothed her daughter by gently rubbing her back.

"Benjamin grabbed him and tried to make him fly. Before I could stop him, the monkey, Minx, was torn. Honestly, I think he was trying to impress Gabby and got carried away. I know this probably doesn't help Gabby right now, but I truly believe it was an accident. Benjamin's almost as upset as Gabby. Another teacher is sitting with him while we wait for his parents to come get him. He wanted me to make sure that I told you how sorry he was." The teacher retrieved a bag and handed it over to Bianca. "I put Minx in here to prevent further damage. I can't tell you how sorry I am that this happened."

Bianca nodded. "I understand. Accidents happen."

"Gabby, I'm sorry about what happened today, and I hope you feel better. I'll see you tomorrow. Okay?"

"K." Gabby murmured, her face still pressed against Bianca's chest.

The school day had been close to being over when Bianca was called so she waited in the room with Gabby until just before the final bell before carrying her little girl to the car where they waited for Miranda and AJ.

As Gabby was being secured in her seat, she looked to her brunette mother. "Mommy?"

"What is it, Sweetie?"

"Is Mommy going to be mad at me?"

"Why would she be mad at you?"

"'Cause Minx is broke. She wasn't sure I should bring him, and now, and now, he, he's broke."

Bianca wiped away a tear that had escaped. "Gabby, there is no way that Mommy is going to be mad at or upset with you. What happened today was an accident, and she'll know that. Besides, you know that she loves you bunches and bunches, and there is nothing that will ever change that."

Gabby nodded. "I know. Will we be able to fix Minx?"

"We're going to try our very best. I don't want you to worry. Okay?"

"'K."

Bianca shut the car door and pulled out her phone. She sent a quick text to Marissa and silently hoped they would somehow be able to fix this for Gabby.

_Rissa, I need you to come home as soon as you can. Something happened at school, and Gabby's upset. She's better now but really needs to see you. Love you, B_

The brunette got in the car and honked when AJ and Miranda appeared a few minutes later. She got back out to greet her older children.

"Mom, why do you have Gabby already? We went to her room and her teacher told us you picked her up early." Miranda asked seeing her sister in the car.

"Something happened during show and tell. One of the other students was playing with Minx and accidentally ripped him. Gabby got really upset."

AJ was instantly on alert and in big brother mode. No one made his sister cried, either of them. "Who was it?"

Bianca smiled softly. "AJ, it was an accident. He's very upset too and has apologized repeatedly according to their teacher. He's a little boy and didn't mean for this to happen. I don't want you saying or doing anything to him. Understand?"

"But he made Gabby cry."

"And he's smaller than you and didn't mean it. Do you understand?"

AJ nodded. He didn't like it but knew his Mom wanted him to do this so he would. "Yes, Mom. I understand. I promise I won't do anything."

"Thank you. Miranda, I want you to promise the same thing."

It was a hard promise to make because she didn't like seeing her little sister upset, but Miranda knew she needed to do it for her Mom. "I promise too, Mom."

"Good. Please don't mention Minx to Gabby. She's finally calmed down, and she's worried that Rissa will be upset with her because he's damaged."

"Ma would never be upset with her about that." Miranda stated confidently.

"I know. I've told her that already, and your Ma will tell her the same thing when she gets home. I know deep down, Gabby knows that too, but with her being upset, she just can't see it right now. She will though. Okay, let's go home."

/

On the drive home, AJ and Miranda tried their best to get Gabby to smile. Neither was used to seeing her like this, and it really bothered them. Bianca had them start on their homework when they got home while Gabby went to her room and laid down with Bernie, the larger version of Minx. Max could tell something was wrong with the little girl and stayed with her.

Finally alone for a few minutes, Bianca headed back to the master bedroom and carefully took the stuffed monkey out of the bag. It was worse than she thought. His arm was almost entirely ripped off. She had picked up some sewing over the years such as sewing a button back on or making a quick stitch along a seam to fix a minor tear. This, however, was a repair job definitely above her skillset. She hoped Marissa would be able to fix it. Her fiancée had picked up sewing at a young age thanks to her mother. Lydia Tasker loved to sew and had taught her daughter well. In fact, Marissa still had her mother's sewing machine. She'd had to store it while married to JR because it did not fit into either the décor of the mansion or the pre-defined role of a Chandler wife. When she had moved out of the Chandler mansion and into her own home, the redhead was able to retrieve it from storage and put it to good use again. Now, the sewing machine had a place in their home. It wasn't used as much as Marissa would've like because of the lack of free time but that was the only reason.

Bianca surveyed the damage again. This would have to be repaired, if it could be, by hand. The brunette placed the monkey on their bed and retrieved Marissa's sewing basket, another remnant of her childhood from Lydia. She placed that on the bed next to the monkey. Bianca then retrieved her laptop and went to the FAO Schwartz website to begin the search for a replacement if needed. She knew a new one could never fully replace Minx. It might help though and lessen the hurt, and at that moment, she was at a loss of what else to do.

/

Marissa read Bianca's text as she was leaving the courthouse. Reading that Gabby was upset had the redhead first sending a text to Bianca letting her know she was on her way home and then placing a call to her office right away. She informed her paralegal Lisa that she was going home early. The redhead immediately found her car and headed home.

Twenty minutes later, Marissa was pulling into the garage. She was greeted by AJ and Miranda who were sitting in the kitchen doing their homework.

"Hey, guys."

"Hi, Ma."

"Where's your Mom?"

"She's back in your guys' bedroom." Miranda answered.

"Where's Gabby?"

"Upstairs in her room. Mom's checked on her a couple of times and said she's better."

"Thank you, Mimo. How are you the two of you doing?"

AJ shrugged. "We're okay. We don't it like though when Gabby's upset."

"I know, Buddy. Your Mom and I don't either. We don't like it when any of you are upset. Let me go see what I can do."

/

"Hey."

Bianca glanced up from her laptop and smiled. "Hey."

The couple exchanged a quick kiss. As Marissa kicked off her heels, she spotted Minx lying on the bed.

"What happened?"

"Do you remember Benjamin?"

"The little boy in Gabby's class, right?"

"Yeah, it seems he got a little too carried away during show and tell in trying to impress Gabby and Minx paid the price. I went and picked her up after the school called. Rissa, I don't know that I've ever seen her that upset. She's also afraid that you'll be mad at her because of this."

"Why on earth would I be mad at her? This isn't her fault." Marissa was examining the damage.

"I've told her that, and I think she knows it too. She just doesn't want you to be disappointed in her. She's calmed down a lot from earlier."

"Let me go see her."

"Do you think you can fix him?" Bianca asked hopefully.

"Maybe, but Benjamin sure did a number on him. Okay, Gabby first and then Minx."

/

Marissa knocked softly on the door to Gabby's room before entering. Gabby was lying on top of Bernie with Max right by her side.

The little girl glanced up and saw her redheaded mother. Her eyes were still red and puffy from earlier. "Mommy."

Marissa immediately scooped her daughter up, kissed her and hugged her tightly. "Hey, Monkey. I heard you had a bad day."

Gabby nodded. "Minx got broke, Mommy. I'm sorry."

"Oh, Gabby, there's nothing for you to be sorry about. Your Mommy told me what happened. It was an accident. You couldn't help it."

"You're not mad at me?"

"No, of course I'm not, and I'm not disappointed in you either. Why would I be? This was an accident, and you didn't do anything wrong. Benjamin just got a little too excited. He didn't mean for this to happen. What I really don't like is seeing you so upset."

"But he broke Minx, Mommy. I don't like him."

"Monkey, he didn't mean to. It was an accident and those things happen sometimes."

Gabby scowled still not convinced of the boy's innocence. She then looked hopefully at her mother. "Will you be able to fix him, Mommy?"

Marissa looked into the big brown eyes of her daughter. They reflected so much faith and trust in her. The redhead only hoped she could live up to it and not let her down. "I'm going to try my very best."

"Mommy said the same thing."

"Well, she's very smart. Let me go see what I can do."

"'K." Gabby smiled softly as her mother kissed her again before setting her back down and left.

/

Bianca spent the next hour keeping Gabby occupied while Marissa worked. The brunette had gotten Gabby out of her room and slowly but surely smiling a little bit, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes, at least not yet. She was now outside playing with Max along with AJ and Miranda. Bianca had started dinner during this time as well and decided to take a quick break to check on Marissa's progress. The redhead had changed her clothes and started on the repairs for Minx immediately after talking with Gabby. The brunette padded down the hallway to their bedroom and found Marissa settled on their bed with glasses perched on her nose and a look of complete concentration on her face. After one last stitch, the redhead was carefully examining her work.

"Well?"

Marissa glanced up quickly before resuming her inspection. "I think I got it. Would you take a look and let me know?"

Bianca walked over, took the stuffed animal from her fiancée and checked it out. "Rissa, this is amazing. I can't even tell where it was ripped. You did an incredible job. Gabby's going to be thrilled to death."

Marissa sighed in relief. "I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that. It's a big relief. You're sure though?"

"I'm positive. It's perfect and better than new. That makes two of us that are relieved. I went to the store's website earlier and couldn't find him there anymore. I was getting ready to hit eBay and see if I could track him down that way. That was looking kind of daunting."

"If anybody could do it though, it would be you. You do have a black belt in shopping." Marissa teased as she remembered Bianca's boast from a few years ago. It was one that she proved correct when helping Marissa furnish her new home after moving out of the Chandler mansion and then Tad's house after that.

Bianca smiled at the shared memory. "Why yes I do! Come on." Bianca held out her hand to help Marissa up. "Let's go give this to her."

/

"Gabby, could you come in here please?" Bianca called outside to Gabby.

The youngest family member ran into the house. When she saw Marissa with her hands behind her back, she stopped. "Mommy, is Minx okay? Were you able to fix him?"

Marissa smiled and knelt down in front of her little girl. She pulled the monkey out from behind her back. "You tell me."

Gabby's eyes lit up as she carefully took her beloved stuffed animal from her redheaded mother. He was all in one piece. His arm was securely attached again. He was whole and better than ever. "You fixed him, Mommy! Thank you!" Gabby threw her arms around Marissa's neck and hugged her for all she was worth.

"You're welcome, Monkey."

Gabby then ran over to Bianca and showed her Minx. "Mommy fixed him!"

"Yes, she did. Do you feel better now, Sweetie?"

Gabby nodded. "Uh huh." She then hugged Bianca just as she did Marissa. "Thank you, Mommy."

"I didn't do anything."

"You helped me feel better."

"You're welcome, Sweetie. I'm glad that I could. Now, we need to have a little talk about tomorrow."

"What about tomorrow, Mommy?"

Bianca stood and took a seat at the kitchen table. She pulled Gabby onto her lap. Marissa was leaning against the kitchen counter right behind them. The couple had talked about what they would tell Gabby next. "I know you're upset with Benjamin."

Gabby scowled. "He broke Minx."

"It was an accident, Gabby. He didn't mean to do it. Mrs. Weber told me he was very upset about what happened."

"He was?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, he was. Tomorrow, if he tries to apologize, Rissa and I want you to try and be nice to him. We know you're upset with him, but he was very sorry. Do you remember how you felt when you ripped AJ's drawing?"

Gabby nodded solemnly. She hadn't been paying attention and accidentally tore the drawing AJ had worked so hard on. He'd been upset with her but did forgive her after a little while. "I didn't mean to, Mommy. It was an accident."

"I know. AJ was upset though, but he accepted your apology when he saw how sorry you were and that you didn't mean to do it, didn't he?"

"Uh huh."

"So, Rissa and I want you to do the same thing tomorrow with Benjamin, okay?"

Gabby looked from Bianca to Marissa.

"It's the right thing to do, Gabby." Marissa noted completely backing Bianca up on this point.

The little girl nodded. "I'll try, Mommies."

Bianca smiled proudly at her youngest. "Good. That's all we can ask. Okay, would you please get AJ and Miranda and ask them to come in and wash up? Dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

"Okay, Mommy." Gabby hopped off of Bianca's lap. With Minx clutched tightly to her, she skipped outside with a huge smile on her face.

Marissa smiled. "You were great with her as always."

"Thanks. It always helps knowing you have my back. Hopefully, she'll remember our little talk tomorrow."

"Well, we'll go with her to school to make sure things go smoothly."

/

The next morning, Bianca and Marissa accompanied Gabby to her classroom. Mrs. Weber greeted them with a smile.

"It's good to see you smiling again, Gabby."

"My Mommy fixed Minx." Gabby smiled proudly up at Marissa.

"She did? That's really good. Way to go, Mommy."

Gabby's smile disappeared when she spotted Benjamin across the room with his parents. The little boy smiled tentatively, but Gabby gave him a pint-sized version of the Kane death glare. Benjamin immediately hid behind his mother's legs. The woman looked down at him and began speaking quietly with her son.

Bianca saw what happened and knelt down next to her daughter while Marissa walked across the room to speak with the boy and his parents.

"What did we talk about yesterday?"

"But he broke Minx."

"Gabrielle Amelia Montgomery, what did we talk about yesterday?"

Gabby swallowed. She knew whenever either of her mothers called by her full name that she'd done something wrong. "That I would try and be nice if he said he was sorry."

"That's right, and you giving him that look before he even has a chance to say anything isn't really trying now, is it?"

"No, I guess not."

"It's not. Do you remember Amber?"

Gabby nodded. "Uh huh. She's Miranda's friend."

"She is now, but Amber was mean to Miranda and AJ last year. When she realized what she was doing was wrong, she apologized. They saw how sorry she was and forgave her."

"Okay, Mommy. I'll try and do better."

"Thank you."

Marissa returned with Benjamin and his parents. "Everything okay?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, it is. Hi, I'm Bianca, Gabby's other Mom."

"Hi, I'm Connie and this is my husband Andy, otherwise known as Benjamin's mom and dad. Benjamin, did you have something to say to Gabby?"

The little boy nodded and held out a yellow daisy. "I'm sorry, Gabby. I didn't mean to hurt Minx or you or make you cry. I thought he was really cool. I'm really, really sorry."

Gabby looked at the little boy. His big brown eyes were starting to fill with tears, and she knew that her Mommies were right. He was sorry. She took the flower and nodded slightly. "Okay. It's alright. Minx is all better now. My Mommy was able to fix him."

Benjamin's eyes widened. "She did?"

"Yep!"

"So, you really forgive me?"

"I forgive you."

Benjamin smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Thank you for the flower."

Bianca smiled at the boy. "That was very nice of you, Benjamin. Gabby, why don't you put that in your cubby to keep it safe?"

"Okay, Mommy."

"You're welcome. I'm glad you like it. Could I sit next to you in the reading circle?"

Gabby thought about it for a minute and then shrugged. "Okay."

Five very relieved adults watched them walk away.

"You have an amazing little girl there." Andy acknowledged.

Marissa smiled. "Yes, we do. She's a lot like her Mom."

Bianca shook her head and blushed slightly. "We're both very proud of her. We could tell that Benjamin didn't mean to do anything wrong. That was very sweet of him to give her a flower."

"Well, if you haven't guessed, I think he likes Gabby, and he made himself sick last night because he was so upset that what he did hurt her." Connie said. "As I told Marissa before, we're very sorry about what happened. We talked with Benjamin last night, and he knows that he needs to control himself more, to watch what he does."

"I'm very glad this crisis was handled fairly easily." Bianca looked at Marissa. "We should get going."

Andy checked his watch. "We should too. It was nice meeting you. Hopefully next time, it will be under better circumstances."

"Yes, hopefully it will be."

Bianca and Marissa paused briefly on the other side of the now closed door and looked through the door's window.

"She really is an amazing little girl."

Gabby and Benjamin were sitting next to each other. A little girl on her other side whispered something to Gabby that made her giggle. Benjamin simply just looked at Gabby and smiled.

"Yeah, she really is. I have to say that yet again, it looks like someone has fallen victim to a Kane woman's charms. Poor kid never stood a chance. I know exactly how he feels." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed so hard she snorted at her fiancée's response.

"See, right there. Once you did that, I was a goner, done for, toast, utterly defenseless …"

Bianca laughed even harder as they made their way to the car. "You're impossible."

Marissa grinned even wider. "Yep, but you wouldn't have me any other way."

"No, I definitely would not."


	112. Hitting the Road

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading, following and reviewing! It is much appreciated. The last chapter was a little different, but like I said, it was something that popped into my head and needed to be written so thanks for indulging me. **

**I realized something while writing this chapter. Did you know that I started writing this story almost 2 years ago?! This leads me to say Happy Minxiversary! It's really hard for me to believe that I've been doing this for that long. Writing this and the other stories I've posted to this site, but particularly this one, has brought back my love of writing. I hadn't written anything in a long time, and writing this has been really fun and I've loved every minute of it. The thing with this story is that I've never been able to figure out exactly where to break it and make a sequel. So, I just keep adding to it, and I'll keep adding to it for the foreseeable future because I have a lot of ideas left and still no idea of where to cut it off. I hope you keep enjoying this journey through the lives of the Tasker-Montgomery family.**

**This chapter deals with the Minx bachelorette party. I have two words that I think will pretty much sum things up, Road Trip! Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Kendall and Greenlee stopped by the Miranda Center to check on Bianca. Tonight was the joint bachelorette party for her and Marissa, and they wanted to make sure she left work in time. Actually, they wanted to make sure both guests of honor left work in time which is why they also had a stop planned at Marissa's office when they were done at the Center. The friends found Bianca's assistant Jan along with Aya as soon as they entered the building.

"Good afternoon, ladies. Are you ready for tonight?"

Aya smiled. "I know I definitely am, Kendall. I've heard a lot about this club and can't wait to check it out."

"Neither can I. We went to their website, and it looks really hot. I have a feeling this night is going to be really fun." Jan added. "Have either of you been there?"

Greenlee shook her head. "No, we haven't, but we'd heard a lot about it from a buyer. When Kendall and I started discussing where to have this shindig, it just sounded like the perfect place."

Kendall and Greenlee had finally settled on a dance club in Philadelphia called 'Verve'. It was described as the 'in' place. Anyone who was anyone would be found there. Celebrity appearances were common place as well which added to the degree of difficulty of getting in. Well, it was difficult unless you were Kendall or Greenlee and had their connections. They only had to pull a couple of strings to secure their entry into Philadelphia's hottest dance club. It was actually more than just securing entry into the club. They had VIP passes which gave them access to a private area along with their own private bar. It was the perfect set-up for them. Both Bianca and Marissa loved to dance so they definitely would have fun as would everyone else in their group. More importantly, having the private bar allowed them additional security. Kendall spoke to the manager and the scheduled bartender personally and explained the situation that the couple was trying to conceive. Strict instructions were giving that absolutely under no circumstances was alcohol to be served to Marissa who may or may not already be pregnant. Whether or not Bianca would drink was up in the air. She had been abstaining along with her fiancée, but Marissa had said she was fine if Bianca wanted to cut loose and have a few drinks. Marissa knew that Bianca certainly didn't need her permission, but she wanted her fiancée to know that she more than okay with what she might decide. Either way, Kendall and Greenlee didn't want to take any chances that something could slip past them accidentally because they knew drinks would be flowing and people would be wanting to buy them for the guests of honor.

There were a couple of other major parts they had to plan for the night in question. The club was in Philadelphia which was over two hours away by car so they would need transportation there. It didn't seem right to them to ask everyone invited to the party to drive themselves so Kendall and Greenlee rented a limo. Not just any limo mind you but a Cadillac Escalade stretch limo. It could seat up to 20 people and was loaded with amenities. There was a fully stocked bar, a flat screen TV and a state of the art sound system among the list. What they really liked though was the disco floor the vehicle had. It could be synched in time with the music and would be a great way to get the group in the mood for the club on the drive up.

Since the club was some distance away, Kendall and Greenlee thought it would be a good idea to stay overnight in Philadelphia. This way, the group could stay out as late as they wanted and enjoy themselves without worrying about getting back home. Having rooms also gave them a place to freshen up after the drive from Pine Valley and before hitting the club. Plus, they thought it would add to the fun. To that end, a block of rooms was reserved for the night at the Ritz-Carlton for the attendees, including their driver whom they wanted to be well rested for the drive home. Kendall and Greenlee were going to take full advantage of everything the posh hotel had to offer from the outstanding restaurant where they would dine before heading out for the evening to the hotel's spa which they would use for some much needed pampering the next day. Kendall and Greenlee wanted only the best for the brides-to-be. Bianca and Marissa deserved no less so they were pulling out all the stops.

"So, are you packed?" Kendall asked.

Both Jan and Aya nodded.

"We're meeting at your place at 5:00, right?"

Kendall nodded. "Correct. We'll leave at 5:30. The boss hasn't given you a hard time about leaving early, has she?"

Aya laughed. "Well, she's usually pretty tough, but seeing as this is her party, she's good with it."

"I'm glad to hear that. Hey, is she free? We want to make sure she leaves early herself." Greenlee added.

Jan shook her head. "No worries there. Bianca's already gone. She left around lunch."

"She did?"

"Yeah, she mentioned needing to run a few errands. One of which was a fitting for her wedding dress."

"Oh, okay. I guess our work here is done then. We'll see you in a few hours." Kendall smiled as she and Greenlee took their leave.

/

The next stop for Kendall and Greenlee was Marissa's office. Seeing the redhead's office was empty, the pair headed to Brian's office where they found not only him but Marissa's paralegal Lisa. The two were reviewing a document of some sort.

Brian smiled and greeted the friends. "Ladies, what brings you two to this neck of the woods? No legal problems, I hope."

Kendall grinned. "Not today and not yet at least. Besides, we have Marissa on call. Speaking of which, we're looking for your work wife."

Lisa laughed. "See! I told you that's how everybody saw you two and not just Bianca and Stef."

Brian rolled his eyes. His wife and Bianca teased them both about being work spouses even though they knew they were only friends. Stef and Bianca were just glad their partners had someone that had their backs at work. Brian and Marissa for their parts just took the teasing in stride. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Marissa's not here. I'm not exactly sure what her schedule is, but I'm sure 'Miss I Told You So' probably knows."

Lisa grinned. "In fact I do. She was dropping off some motions at the clerk's office before going to a fitting for her wedding dress. After that, she was going home to get ready for tonight."

"It looks like we're 0 for 2 today in tracking them down." Greenlee smirked.

"Yeah, I guess it does. Well, at least neither one of them is working late." Kendall saw the confused looks on Brian's and Lisa's faces. "We stopped by Bianca's office before coming here. It seems my little sister also left early for a fitting. It makes sense I suppose since the wedding is in just two weeks. Hey, did she give any indication whether or not she knows what we have on tap for them tonight?"

Lisa shook her head. "Not to me she hasn't, and I know I haven't said anything. So to the best of my knowledge, they don't know anything. Oh in case I didn't say it before, thanks for inviting me. It sounds like we're in for a great night."

Greenlee smiled. Lisa, in fact, had thanked them twice already. It was clear how much the paralegal liked Marissa. She also respected and looked up to the redhead. Marissa, in turn, liked the younger woman and was more than happy to mentor her. Seeing as how the two also shared the same sense of humor, it was no surprise that they became friends as well. "You're welcome, again. What about you, Brian?"

The man held his hands up in mock surrender. "Don't look at me. Stef has kept me in the dark. All I know is that I'm riding solo with Jamie until sometime late tomorrow and am not allowed to call unless it's an emergency. She's really looking forward to whatever you have planned."

Kendall sighed and stood. "Alrighty then. I guess we're done here too. See you at my house in a little while, Lisa."

/

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late." Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss before taking the seat next to her in the waiting room.

"Given the fact that I'm still out here and not in there yet, I'd say that you're just in time. The doctor is running a little behind."

"Good. I mean good that I didn't miss anything, not good that she's running late. How late is late by the way? Because we can't be late for our own party. Kendall and Greenlee would never let us hear the end of it."

Marissa chuckled. "God, you are so cute when you're like this."

Bianca furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Like what?"

"Flustered and a little nervous."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "You are so not right."

"Yep! Don't worry. Dr. Abbott is only a few minutes behind. We should be done here in plenty of time to get to our fittings before heading home. We won't be late. Both of our bags as well as the kids' are already packed. Susan is picking them up from school. We're good. Besides, shouldn't I be the one all nervous here?"

Bianca laughed at Marissa's playful teasing. "Sorry for the mini freak out. I'm much better now. I just don't want to disappoint Kendall or Greenlee by being late. They've put a lot of work into whatever they have planned for tonight. Plus, I worry about you and our little one. I just want to be sure the both of you are doing well."

Marissa grinned. "Well, both of us are feeling pretty good. And yes, Kendall and Greenlee have put a lot of work in. They won't be disappointed. We're got a nice cushion of time. Don't forget. Tonight is about having fun."

"Yes, it is. Hey, how _are_ you so calm?"

"It's easy. I have you to get me through this."

"Yeah, you definitely do, always." Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand.

"Besides, only one of us is allowed to freak out at a time, remember?"

Bianca chuckled. "You're right. I forgot about that."

"Marissa Tasker?"

"That's me. We're on."

/

Marissa sat upright on the examining room table and looked expectantly at her doctor.

"Everything looks good, Marissa. Both you and your baby are doing great."

Both Bianca and Marissa released a relieved breath.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good. It feels like I have a little bit more energy."

Dr. Abbott nodded. "That's normal for this stage of your pregnancy. How is the morning sickness?"

"About that, there's definitely false advertisement on 'morning' sickness. If you want to be accurate about it, it should be called 'anytime of the day' sickness. I think I might have to look into that from a legal perspective." Marissa smirked.

The doctor laughed. "I forgot I'm dealing with a lawyer. I'm afraid I can't help you out with that one, Marissa. That's out of my hands."

The redhead shrugged. "Oh well, it was worth a shot."

Bianca simply shook her head in amusement at her fiancée's quips.

"How are you doing with the 'anytime of the day' sickness? Any better?"

"Yes, it is, thankfully. It's nice to actually be able to keep something down."

"Good. Like I said earlier, you're doing great. You're almost through your first trimester. Have you decided when you're going to start telling people?"

"Bianca and I decided to wait until after the wedding. We'll tell them when we get back from our honeymoon."

"We don't want to overwhelm them with everything all at once."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. Alright, I will see you in a month. Congratulations on the wedding."

"Thank you, Dr. Abbott."

After Marissa was dressed, Bianca held out her hand. "Come on, Counselor. We have dresses to try on and a party to get ready for."

/

The Tasker-Montgomery family arrived early at the Slaters' and were promptly greeted by Kendall. The kids quickly ran off to find their cousins with Max trailing behind.

"Wow, I have to admit that I'm impressed you're already here and even more so that you're early."

"Bianca and I skipped out of work a little early. We couldn't have everyone waiting for us, especially the Dynamic Duo."

"Yeah, I know." Upon seeing the questioning looks on the couple's faces, Kendall fessed up. "Greenlee and I made the rounds to make sure you were going to leave work on time. By the time we got to your offices, we found out you were already gone. By the way, how did the fittings go?"

Bianca shook her head. "Of course you and Greenlee were checking up on us. The fittings went great. The dresses are almost done. She just has a few more adjustments to make. The kids' outfits are done though. We've got those stashed in a closet in one of the guest rooms and out of sight from the kids."

"That's great that theirs are done. When will yours be, and you still haven't seen each other's, right?"

"They'll be done next week, and no, we've been behaving ourselves. We still don't know what the other's look like."

"Good. We need to keep at least one surprise for you two on the big day. Have you given anymore thought on whether or not you'll see each other before the ceremony? Are you going to spend the night before and the morning of together or apart?"

"With everything we have going on, neither of us can see how it would work not being at home together. Besides, we think it might be nice for the five of us to have a couple of hours to ourselves that morning before the madness begins and we're invaded." Bianca added thoughtfully.

"When you put it like that, it makes sense."

"Bianca and I thought so. Plus, it gives us a little more time with them before we go away on our honeymoon. It's going to be hard not seeing them for a week."

"I know it will be, but you know that Zach and I will take care of them. So, is everyone up for tonight?"

Marissa nodded. "We know, and there's no one we trust more than the two of you. As for tonight, we are definitely up for whatever you have in store for us. Oh, we brought over what you asked for. Miranda has it. Are you sure Zach and Ryan will agree to it?"

"There's not a doubt in my mind that they will. I know for a fact that Zach is pretty much incapable of saying 'no' to his nieces, especially when they bat their big brown eyes at him. As for Greenlee, she has Emma all prepped on how to play Ryan. They don't stand a chance."

Bianca was laughing so hard at what was planned for the night the she snorted.

Marissa grinned. "See. How can I ever resist you when you do that?"

Bianca continued to laugh for another minute before finally catching her breath. She loved the idea her sister and her partner in crime came up with. Gabby would ask her Uncle Zach and Ryan if they could have a tea party. It turns out that she would just so happen to have her tea set with her. Miranda and Emma would quickly latch onto the idea. Zach and Ryan would cave and participate. Pictures would of course be taken and used as needed by the wives in the future. "All I have to say is that you and Greenlee are evil geniuses."

"I'm an evil genius, huh? Thanks! That's about the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." Greenlee smirked as she joined the other women. "What did I do to deserve this honor?"

"The tea party." Marissa answered with a grin.

"Ah yes, I'm rather proud of myself for that. Emma's really up for it and brought some supplies to accessorize their outfits."

"What exactly inspired you to come up with this?"

"Basically, Ryan was hacking me off the other day with his macho attitude. I just thought he needed to be taken down a peg or two. This seemed like a fun way to do it. When I mentioned it to Kendall, she jumped at the idea."

"Yeah, Zach's not as bad as Ryan, but I thought it would be pretty fun. There's a lot of testosterone in this house. I need to break it up whenever I can, and my husband participating in a tea party and possibly wearing a boa is just the ticket."

Suddenly, all six children ran into the room.

Kendall managed to grab her oldest son. "Hold your horses, mister. Where's the fire?"

"The limo's here, and it's really, really, really big! Can we go see it, Mom?"

The other kids soon chimed in and pleaded with their mothers. Zach and Ryan appeared and wanted to check out the vehicle as well.

"Sure. Let's all go, but no one touches anything. That goes double for the two biggest kids over there."

Zach and Ryan attempted to look offended by Kendall's remark but failed to convince anyone that they were.

/

Guests for the party started arriving shortly after the Slaters, Laverys, and Montgomery-Taskers finished their inspection of the limo.

"Oh my god, that thing is huge. I don't think we're going to have to worry about being cramped in there." Aya chuckled.

"I don't know that I've ever seen a limo that big. It's definitely an upgrade from the party buses I've been in before." Lisa added as they went inside the Slater house.

Soon, everyone had arrived. Randi, Natalia, Madison, Amanda, Gail, Jan, Aya, Lisa and Stef joined Greenlee, Kendall, Bianca and Marissa outside next to the limo.

Before the group piled in, Greenlee whistled for everyone's attention. "Good evening, ladies, and thank you all for joining us in celebrating the upcoming nuptials of Bianca and Marissa, or as Kendall and I refer to them to, Minx."

Everyone laughed and cheered on the couple.

Bianca looked at her fiancée. She's never going to let that go is she?"

Marissa grinned. "Nope."

Kendall picked up from Greenlee. "There are a few orders of business to take care of before we head out." She gestured for a sandy-haired man wearing a dark suit over to her. He looked to be fit and in his 30's. "Ladies, this is the poor soul tasked with driving us tonight. Everyone, this is Jimmy. Jimmy, this is everyone."

A chorus of "Hi, Jimmy" rang out from the women.

The driver chuckled. From the looks of the group assembled before him, he had a feeling he was in for a heck of a night. "Hello, everyone. If there's anything you need tonight, just ask."

Greenlee continued. "Thank you, Jimmy. Now …"

Bianca raised her hand. "Excuse me."

"Yes, Bianca."

"When do Marissa and I get to find out where we're going?"

Kendall laughed. "Oh, I suppose it's safe to tell you now. We're headed to the hottest dance club in Philadelphia. We're going to Verve, and afterwards, we're spending the night at the Ritz-Carlton. Tomorrow, we are all getting pampered at their spa."

The group cheered again.

Marissa smiled brightly. "Oh, I've heard of that club. I've really wanted to check it out. Thank you both."

"Seriously? You guys are great. Thank you. You've really outdone yourselves."

"It's just another example of our awesomeness." Greenlee smirked.

"And modesty." Marissa chuckled.

"That too." Kendall laughed. "Seriously though, we only want the best for both of you. Now, I need everyone to raise their right hand. You too, Jimmy. Do you solemnly swear that what happens tonight stays within this group no matter what and that you will not post any pictures on any form of social media be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or whatever else you belong to?"

"I do!"

"Very good!" Greenlee clapped. "Finally, the last thing you have to remember for tonight is to have fun and to give Bianca and Marissa a great sendoff. Is everyone ready to do that?"

"Yeah!"

"Hell yeah!"

"Let's go then! Jimmy, we're all yours!"

Jimmy walked over to the vehicle, opened the limo door and smiled. "Ladies, after you."

/

Once inside the limo, bottles of both non-alcoholic and regular champagne were popped and waiting glasses were filled.

"To Bianca and Marissa!"

"Here, here!"

Glasses were clinked and quickly refilled after they had been emptied. The music was cranked up and the disco floor was turned on. The party had officially started.

/

The group had been on the road for about an hour with the party in full swing when suddenly there was a loud thunk. The car swerved and came to a sudden stop.


	113. Shamokin

**A/N****: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! As always, it's really appreciated. This story has now passed the two year mark! I would have loved to have posted an update on the actual anniversary but couldn't because of life and work. It's hard for me to believe it's been two years, and I've really enjoyed doing this more than I thought I would. I'm not done yet though. We've got a wedding, a baby shower, baby and …" **

**Okay, I have this feeling I need to put a warning with this chapter. Without giving away too much, I will simply give you a definition as a warning. This is more for those not familiar with the term. According to Wikipedia, 'an **_**earworm**_** is a catchy piece of music that continually repeats through a person's mind after it is no longer playing'. There is a possibility of what some might consider earworms ahead. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

The party was soon in full swing and the drinks were flowing. The divider between the driver and passengers was put up so the music, flashing lights and conversations did not distract the chauffer, Jimmy. Before they left Pine Valley, Jimmy communicated the alternate route they would need to take to Philadelphia because of road construction on the interstate. Kendall and Greenlee agreed with the detour, and the group was off on their adventure.

Not long into their ride, Madison noticed that Marissa wasn't drinking champagne along with the others. If anyone should be partaking, she figured it would be the redhead since it was her party along with Bianca so she decided to ask her about it. "You're not drinking?"

Marissa shook her head. She wasn't surprised by the question and knew it would come up sometime during the evening. "No, I just don't feel like drinking tonight. Plus, I want to remember everything about this night, especially what all of you do. You never know, it might come in handy later."

Kendall overheard the conversation and decided to jump in when she saw Madison getting ready to fire off another question. "I think Red has decided it might be in the best interests of certain members of the wedding party to remain sober in case the need for her legal services arise, especially this close to the wedding."

"Well given we're talking about you and Greenlee, can you really blame me?" Marissa deadpanned.

All those listening to the exchange started laughing and nodding in agreement. Marissa flashed Kendall a grateful smile knowing full well what she did and why. Kendall nodded in silent acknowledgement.

"When you put it like that, I don't suppose I can fault your logic." Madison laughed.

"You can never have too many lawyers in the family, especially this one." Greenlee smirked and raised her glass to toast. "To lawyers!"

Everyone raised their glasses for this latest toast. They had begun to toast any and everything. "To lawyers!"

/

The group had been on the road for about an hour when suddenly there was a loud thunk. The car swerved and came to a sudden stop.

"What the hell was that?"

The divider window was lowered and Jimmy glanced around quickly at his passengers. "Is everyone okay back there?"

The women looked around checking themselves as well as each other out quickly.

Bianca was especially relieved to see Marissa give her a reassuring smile.

"We're good. We were just jostled a bit. Are you okay, Jimmy?" Marissa asked.

"I'm better now that I know that all of you are okay."

Kendall leaned forward. "What happened?"

"I'm not exactly sure. I did manage to get us pulled off to the side of the road. I think it's better if you all will stay inside while I check things out. It will be safer for you in here."

Before exiting, Randi stopped him. Some of them had spilled their drinks on either themselves or someone else. "Jimmy, are there any towels?"

"Yeah, there are some hand towels underneath the bar. I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing we can't handle."

/

A knock on one of the rear windows several minutes later alerted the women to lower it.

"Well, I'm not 100% sure, but it could be the transmission."

Natalia sighed. "I don't really know anything about cars, but that's bad, isn't it?"

Jimmy nodded. "I'm afraid so. I'm going to need to call this in and see if they can send another car."

"Hey, Jimmy, do you know where we are?" Lisa asked.

"According to the GPS, we're about an hour outside of Philadelphia in Shamokin."

"Shamokin? What the hell's in Shamokin?" Amanda asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think we're going to find out." When Bianca saw the confused look from Amanda, she continued. "It's going to take at least an hour no matter where another car comes from, and I'd rather not stay in here the whole time, bar or no bar."

Marissa nodded. "I'm with Bianca. It'll be good to stretch my legs. Why not check it out?"

Jimmy raced around to open the door while the others shrugged and decided to follow the couple's lead.

Kendall and Greenlee were on their phones to call the club and hotel to tell them they would be delayed.

"Well, this sucks." Greenlee stated when she ended her call.

Bianca smiled. "Don't worry about it. These things happen. There's plenty of time left for us to get to Philadelphia. This is just a minor diversion."

Marissa agreed. "She's right you know. It is. We're just getting started. I have to say though that I'm getting a little hungry, more peckish than anything else. I was okay until I got out of the car and smelled something being grilled."

Lisa nodded. "I'm glad it's not just me. It smells really good. I wonder where it's coming from."

Stef found the source across the street and up a few doors from their current location. "It looks like it's that place over there." She started laughing. "Oh, look at the name. It's called Shamokin' Joe's."

Marissa laughed. "I love it! We _have_ to check it out now."

Kendall glanced at the group. She knew it would be fairly late by the time they got into Philadelphia now no matter what Bianca had said earlier to make her and Greenlee feel better so they might as well check out the place. "I'm game if everyone else is." Seeing their agreement, she turned to the driver. "Jimmy, we're going to go across the street."

"Alright, I'll join you in a few minutes just as soon as I'm done with this call and lock up the car."

As the group made their way to the restaurant, Bianca pulled Marissa back. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Marissa lowered her voice. "I'm fine, B. I promise. I have to say that I would kill for a big, fat, juicy cheeseburger though. I've been craving one all day. I think our little one likes them more than me."

Bianca chuckled and placed a hand on Marissa's belly lovingly. "Well then, I guess it's good we stopped because I don't think the Ritz will have what you're looking for, and if that's what you and our little one want, then that's what you'll get."

"Thank you! Yeah, I don't think the Ritz will have big juicy burgers like I'm craving either. I know their food is excellent, but I'd feel kind of weird getting one there anyway. Besides, the messier the burger, the better."

"I couldn't agree more."

Greenlee called back to the couple. "Are you two coming?"

Marissa grinned and held out her hand for her fiancée. "Yep, right behind you."

/

Shamokin' Joe's looked like it was the place to be on a Friday night in the small town. Considering it was early evening, the place already had a nice crowd and only a few empty tables. You definitely wouldn't consider it fancy by any stretch of the imagination, but it had a nice feel to it.

A dark-haired woman greeted the newcomers quickly. "Welcome to Shamokin' Joe's. I'm guessing you're all together."

Gail nodded. "You guessed right. Do you think you'll be able to seat us all together?"

"I don't think it will be a problem. Just give me a couple of minutes to put some tables together."

Aya volunteered. "I'll be happy to help."

"Me too." Jan offered as well.

"You don't have to, but if you're sure, I'd appreciate the help."

"We're sure."

"Alright then. Thank you. Follow me."

Five minutes later, Aya and Jan waved the rest of the group over while the server went to retrieve menus.

In addition to the menus, she returned with glasses of water, sets of utensils and baskets of the restaurant's homemade rolls. "Good evening, ladies, and again, welcome to Shamokin' Joe's. My name is Terri, and I'll be your server tonight. I'm pretty sure of the answer because none of you look familiar, but have any of you been here before?"

"No, we haven't. It's a first time for all of us to even visit the town." Marissa smiled.

"Well, welcome to Shamokin then. What brings you all here?"

"We were on our way to Philadelphia for a bachelorette party when the limo we rented broke down." Greenlee answered.

"I'm sorry to hear about the car problems, but we're glad to have you here. Who is the lucky bride-to-be?"

Kendall smiled. "It's actually brides-to-be. Meet the happy couple, Bianca and Marissa."

Terri followed the motion of Kendall's hand to a brunette and redhead sitting next to each other with huge smiles on their faces. The couple gave the server a quick wave. "Congratulations!"

"Thank you!"

"What will you all have to drink?"

The server took their orders and returned a couple of minutes later with an assortment of mixed drinks, again with and without alcohol. "I told the manager your happy news, and the first round is on the house."

Marissa smiled brightly. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome. So, when's the big day?"

Bianca answered happily. "Two weeks from tomorrow!"

"Ah, giving everyone time to recover before the wedding. Good idea. Where are you all from?"

"Pine Valley."

"I've never been there. Isn't that where Erica Kane is from? That's what, an hour away?"

Kendall and Bianca shared a slight smile with each other. Their mom definitely was famous and this was just another indication of just how famous she was.

"Yes, she is from there. And yeah, it is about that far. It's going to be a while before they can send another car so we decided to wait it out here, especially after we smelled whatever you have cooking on the grill." Marissa added.

"I have to be honest with you. We have the best burgers in Pennsylvania. We also have some killer chili cheese fries."

Marissa laughed when she saw Bianca's eyes light up at the mention of one of her favorite guilty pleasures.

Terri raised an eyebrow. "Is it something I said?"

"Bianca kind of likes them so we know we'll be getting at least one order of them."

The server chuckled. "Alright, I think I get it. Do you all still need some time to decide and are you going to wait on the other member of your party?"

Greenlee nodded. "Yes and yes. Our driver will be joining us as soon as he's able."

"I'll be back in a few minutes then."

/

Jimmy walked into the restaurant and immediately spotted the group and was greeted by them. "Ladies."

"Hey, Jimmy. What's going on with the car?" Kendall asked.

"Mrs. Slater, I'm afraid I have bad news. The company said there won't be another limo large enough for your party available for at least three hours. If you add in the time for it to actually get here, you're looking at four hours at the earliest. I'm really sorry."

"Four hours? Wow. It's not your fault, and there's not much else we can do right now. Have a seat. We'll order dinner and just take it from there. Oh and since we're going to be spending a lot more together, I think you should start calling us by our first names, okay?"

Jimmy smiled and nodded.

Greenlee looked at the couple. "Sorry. This isn't anything like we had planned for you. It's not really looking like much of a bachelorette party."

Bianca shook her head and smiled. "It's like Kendall just told Jimmy about the car not being his fault. This isn't your fault either. Besides, Rissa and I are having a good time."

The waitress returned and took their orders.

"Hey, Terri. I have a question." Aya said after giving her order.

"I'll try my best to answer."

"Is that a stage over there?"

"Yes, it is. We have karaoke every Friday night. We'll fire it up in about an hour. If any of you are interested, I can bring over a list of the available songs."

Kendall grinned. "That would be great, Terri. Thank you."

When the server left, Stef couldn't help but ask the question that a couple of them had. "I have a feeling you're up to something, Kendall. What's up?"

"Well, I don't know how many of you are aware of this, but Red over there has a really great voice."

Marissa sighed. "It's not that great, Kendall."

Bianca shook her head. "I beg to differ. You have a beautiful voice. Would you sing something for me, please?"

The redhead chuckled. Marissa pretty much knew she couldn't really refuse Bianca anything, and Bianca knew it as well. "Of course I will."

"Yes!"

Greenlee grinned. "You know, I think it's only fair that Bianca sing something for you too, Rocky."

Kendall nodded happily. "She's right. It is only fair. Come on, Binx. What do you say?"

Marissa smiled. "Please, Babe? I think you have a beautiful voice too. I'd really love it if you sang something for me."

Bianca scowled slightly. She really didn't like to sing in front of others. Sure, she could speak in front of large crowds when needed because it was part of her job as the head of the Miranda Center. Singing was different though, and she didn't see herself as being on par with her fiancée when it came to performing like that in front of a crowd. Dammit it all to hell though, she couldn't say no to Marissa. "Okay, I'll do it, but only if I can have a couple more drinks to get my courage up."

Everyone laughed and cheered with Kendall and Greenlee doing so the loudest. This gave Marissa an idea.

"I was thinking that since Bianca and I are going to sing that it'd be nice if everyone else did too. I know Aya likes to sing. It'll be fun."

Bianca smiled seeing where Marissa was going, and some of the others were already on board. The real targets of the request though were staying quiet. "Yeah, it really will be. Come on, Kendall, Greenlee. It's what Rissa and I would like."

"And it is our night after all." Marissa grinned.

Kendall and Greenlee narrowed their eyes at the couple. Somehow, Bianca and Marissa had managed to turn the situation around on them.

Greenlee sighed. "Well played, ladies. Fine, I'll sing, but I'm going to need more than a couple of drinks to do this."

Kendall rolled her eyes and nodded reluctantly. "Me too." She raised her arm and flagged down their server. "Terri, bring us another round and keep 'em coming."

/

Everyone in the group with the exception of Jimmy had signed up to sing. He was given a reprieve since he was still on the clock. While they waited for their food to be delivered, they reviewed copies of the song list Terri had brought them.

"Wow, I'm not sure what song I want to sing. There's a lot of interesting choices." Gail stated.

"I have an idea. We could pick a bunch of songs and write them down on separate pieces of paper. Whoever is up to sing picks one out of the pile. You _have_ to sing what you pick." Aya suggested.

Randi nodded. "I like it. You won't know what you're going to sing until the very last minute. It adds a little something extra to the whole thing."

"Let's do it then. Everybody pick a song and write it down. Jimmy, since you are the only impartial one here, we'll let you keep them so no one peeks and tries to rig it." Greenlee decided.

That seemed agreeable to everyone, and they got to work on making their selections. When they were done, they handed the slips of paper to Jimmy who tucked them away in his jacket pocket.

Terri returned a short time later with another server to deliver their food and collect more drink orders.

Marissa groaned as she took a bite of the restaurant's signature burger, the Shamokin' Joe. "Oh my god, this is _so_ good."

"I told you they were the best burgers." The server smiled.

"You were right."

"Should we tell Krystal?" Kendall asked with a smirk.

"No! Don't you dare! Actually, you're not allowed. Since I'm having the burger tonight, that would be a violation of the pledge we took earlier at your house." Marissa quipped.

"Is my fiancée a kick-ass attorney or what?" Bianca said with a goofy grin.

Marissa chuckled. By this point, Bianca had a few drinks in her and nothing to eat for quite some time so the alcohol was quickly making its affects known. Now that she was getting some food in her, they should slow down some. Bianca was still several drinks behind some of the others though. "Feeling good, Babe?"

"Yes, I am, thank you very much. I don't believe I'll have any problem when it's my time to perform. Rissa, you have to try these chili cheese fries. They're awesome. Not quite as awesome as Krystal's but still pretty damn awesome. The jalapeños give it a really good kick." Bianca held out a forkful of the dish for Marissa.

The redhead shook her head clearly amused by her fiancée as she took a bite of the forkful offered by Bianca. "They are pretty good, and you're right about the peppers. Don't worry, I won't tell her how much you like them. You're secret is safe with me."

/

The group was finishing up their dinners when the karaoke machine was fired up. There were renditions of songs by Adele, Pink, Elvis, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and others. Some of the performances were really good while others left a lot to be desired. They all agreed the woman who sang Adele's 'Rolling in the Deep' probably should have picked another song, one that was less challenging, but they cheered her on anyway. It took a lot of courage to get up there. The drinks were still flowing, and thoughts of the dance club in Philadelphia were fading as the night wore on because they were all having a great time.

Kendall noticed the slight scowl on Greenlee's face during another patron's rendition Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On' which had a couple of cringe-worthy notes. Kendall had a feeling there was something else going on with her friend besides the off-key notes. "What's up? You okay?"

Greenlee sighed. "Yeah, I guess. It's just that this evening really hasn't panned out like we thought it would."

"I know what you mean." Kendall glanced at Bianca and Marissa. The couple had huge smiles on their faces and were laughing, clapping and singing along with everyone. They were truly having a good time. "No, we didn't plan any of this, but look at them though. Look at those smiles. They're having fun, and that's all that really matters. It makes sense when you think about it."

"What do mean?"

"Yes, they like the nice things in life and would appreciate going to a fancy club and having dinner at a five star restaurant. The thing is they don't need it. They are just as happy here with a cheeseburger and chili cheese fries as they would be there. It's not because they don't appreciate everything that we had planned because they do, but that stuff doesn't really matter to them. It's nice but not necessary. It's just who they are."

Greenlee considered her friend's words. "You're right. Why do you get all philosophical and deep when you drink?"

Kendall laughed. "I have no idea. Don't worry though. It's temporary and will pass with a few more drinks."

"Good. I'm glad to hear that. We don't need deep insights and conversations tonight." Greenlee smirked before addressing the members of their party. "Okay, ladies. It's almost time for us to get up there. Who's going first?"

"Well, since we're picking the songs randomly, why don't we do the same with who performs?" Stef suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Lisa agreed quickly.

"Okay. Let's do this then." Greenlee wrote down everyone's name on a separate slip of paper and mixed them up. "Jimmy, we'll let you do the honors for who goes first. Pick a name."

"Wait. Before we do this, I think we all need a shot or at least I need a shot." Aya offered.

Most agreed because they were getting a little nervous about getting up in front of everyone and singing. Only Marissa was unfazed by the prospect.

Terri brought over the requested round and distributed them to everyone.

Kendall looked at the driver. "Go ahead."

Jimmy nodded. Before picking a name, he removed the song choices from his pocket and put them in small pile in front of him on the table. "Gail."

The woman sighed and selected a song from the pile. Gail groaned when she saw what she had to sing and then laughed. "I don't know who picked this one, but you seriously have problems." She downed her shot and walked to the stage. The group started laughing as soon as the first chords started playing.

_Her name was Lola, she was a showgirl  
>With yellow feathers in her hair and a dress cut down to there<br>She would merengue and do the cha-cha  
>And while she tried to be a star<br>Tony always tended bar  
>Across the crowded floor, they worked from 8 til 4<br>They were young and they had each other  
>Who could ask for more?<em>

_At the Copa, Copacabana_  
><em>The hottest spot, north of Havana<em>  
><em>At the Copa, Copacabana<em>  
><em>Music and passion were always the fashion at the Copa<em>  
><em>They fell in love.<em>

Everyone in the restaurant started cheering and clapping as Gail let loose and got into the song more. When she finished, everyone stood and clapped loudly, none louder than those at her table. She bowed graciously and took another shot that was offered to her when she returned. "Alright, who picked that one?"

Amanda smiled. "That would be me. What? I happen to like it and Barry Manilow."

Gail sighed. "Whatever. I think I should get to pick the next victim, I mean name."

"Go for it. By the way, you did great. Don't worry though. What you sang won't get back to Sam." Marissa smiled.

"Thank you. That's all I need." Gail selected a name. She chuckled. "Karma. Amanda, you're up."

Amanda scowled and then picked a song. "I don't really know this song."

"What did you pick?" Madison asked.

"'Hot Stuff'."

"Ooh, I know that song. Donna Summer sang it. Would it be alright with everyone if I helped her?"

The group looked at each other and agreed.

Kendall nodded. "Sure, go ahead and sing it together."

Both women downed their shots and headed to the stage. Madison was definitely more into it than Amanda who did eventually loosen up by the end. After taking their bows, they returned to the table for another shot. Madison picked the next name. Natalia was up and performed a pretty good rendition of 'Hold On' by Wilson Phillips with backup from Marissa, Bianca and Lisa. After her, Jan had to perform 'Satisfaction' by the Rolling Stones and even managed to throw in a Mick Jagger-like strut that had the crowd going. She was followed by Stef doing a version of 'Walking on Sunshine' by Katrina and the Waves. Lisa then performed 'I Want You to Want Me' by Cheap Trick. Randi picked 'Crazy Little Thing Called Love' and was followed by another song by Queen, 'Bohemian Rhapsody', performed by Aya. Marissa grabbed Lisa and Randi, and the three provided backup on the song. The crowd loved it.

When Aya returned, she pulled Kendall's name.

Kendall downed a shot before picking her song. She glanced around the table and smirked. "If this isn't appropriate for tonight and for this crew, I don't know what is."

Greenlee snatched the paper and started laughing. "'Friends in Low Places', I love it!"

"Well, I'm no Garth Brooks, but I'll give it my best shot." Kendall dashed to the stage and started singing in her best twang.

_Blame it all on my roots  
>I showed up in boots<br>And ruined your black tie affair  
>The last one to know<br>The last one to show  
>I was the last one<br>You thought you'd see there  
>And I saw the surprise<br>And the fear in his eyes  
>When I took his glass of champagne<br>And I toasted you  
>Said, honey, we may be through<br>But you'll never hear me complain_

_'Cause I've got friends in low places_  
><em>Where the whiskey drowns<em>  
><em>And the beer chases my blues away<em>  
><em>And I'll be okay<em>  
><em>I'm not big on social graces<em>  
><em>Think I'll slip on down to the oasis<em>  
><em>Oh, I've got friends in low places<em>

By the second verse, everyone in the entire place was singing along and cheering loudly. When Kendall returned to the table, Terri was distributing another round of drinks.

"Wow, you're good. We didn't even have to order." Kendall grinned.

"Someone else ordered and paid for these for you all. I've actually got orders for a few more rounds for all of you. It seems that you're all a crowd favorite."

Greenlee picked her drink up and downed it. "Well, please thank them for us. Okay, who's up next, Kendall?"

"Binx!"

Bianca sighed and accepted her fate. She knew it was coming, and thanks to the nice buzz she had from the shots, she wasn't as nervous as she was earlier. Bianca had actually slowed down on the drinking though when she felt she was getting a little too drunk. She did okay holding her alcohol but was nowhere nearly as adept at it as Kendall, Greenlee and a few others in their group. She also felt a little guilty since Marissa wasn't able to partake even though her fiancée was having a great time. Bianca selected her song and cracked up laughing. She handed the paper to Marissa who started laughing as well.

"What is it?" Gail asked.

Marissa grinned. "'Dancing Queen' by _ABBA_."

The guests of honor started laughing again and were met by confused looks from the others.

Bianca gathered herself and simply replied. "It's an inside joke."

Marissa nodded and gave Bianca a quick kiss. "Go get 'em, Babe!"

"You got it!"

Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other and smiled.

"Wait up, Binx. We're coming with you."

"Yep, I want to break out my moves from seeing 'Mamma Mia'." Greenlee added with a grin.

Bianca shrugged and smiled. "The more, the merrier."

With Greenlee and Kendall flanking her, Bianca grabbed the microphone and started.

_You can dance, you can jive  
>Having the time of your life<br>Ooh see that girl, watch that scene  
>Diggin' the dancing queen<em>

_Friday night and the lights are low  
>Looking out for a place to go<br>Where they play the right music, getting in the swing  
>You come in to look for a king<em>

_Anybody could be that guy  
>Night is young and the music's high<br>With a bit of rock music, everything is fine  
>You're in the mood for a dance<br>And when you get the chance_

The three hadn't had any time to choreograph their moves, but somehow, they were perfectly in time with each other. It added to the performance, and the crowd was eating it up. Bianca got into the song more and more and definitely showed another side to some of the members of the group. Marissa, however, was not one of them because she knew Bianca had it in her to do something like this. The redhead grinned as she watched her fiancée perform and found herself captivated.

_You are the dancing queen  
>Young and sweet, only seventeen<br>Dancing queen, feel the beat  
>From the tambourine, oh yeah<em>

_You can dance, you can jive  
>Having the time of your life<br>Ooh see that girl, watch that scene  
>Diggin' the dancing queen<em>

_You're a teaser, you turn 'em on  
>Leave 'em burning and then you're gone<br>Looking out for another, anyone will do  
>You're in the mood for a dance<br>And when you get the chance_

_You are the dancing queen  
>Young and sweet, only seventeen<br>Dancing queen, feel the beat  
>From the tambourine, oh yeah<em>

_You can dance, you can jive  
>Having the time of your life<br>Ooh see that girl, watch that scene  
>Diggin' the dancing queen<br>Diggin' the dancing queen_

When Bianca finished, Marissa cheered wildly. She like most of the crowd had been standing the whole time. Kendall and Greenlee clapped almost as much as the redhead, almost. Several members of their group stood stunned for a moment before joining the others. The lag in their reaction was due only to the fact that they hadn't seen Bianca cut loose like that before and couldn't get over her performance.

"Wow. Bianca, that was amazing." Stef's statement was followed by nods from the others.

"Thank you!" Bianca smiled as she tried to catch her breath.

Marissa grinned and hugged Bianca. Beaming proudly, she proclaimed. "I told you that my fiancée was nothing short of incredible."

Bianca blushed. "I really think you're over exaggerating, Rissa.

"Nope, I have to agree with Red on this, Binx."

"Thanks, and thanks for the backup. You and Greenlee were fantastic."

Greenlee eyed Marissa. "It looks like it's just you and me, Rocky."

"Bring it, Shorty." Marissa grinned.

Before Bianca could pick the next name, they were interrupted by Jimmy.

"Excuse me, ladies. I'm sorry to interrupt. By the way, that was a great performance, Ms. Montgomery."

"Thanks, Jimmy, but it's Bianca. Remember, we told you to call us all by our first names."

"Got it, and you're welcome, Bianca. Mrs. Slater, I mean Kendall, could I speak with you and Greenlee for a moment?"

"Sure, Jimmy."

The three headed off to speak where it was a little quieter.

Marissa handed her fiancée a shot. "I think you deserve this."

Bianca grinned as she took the drink. "Are you trying to get me drunk and have your way with me? Because if you are, you should know a couple of things. One, I may already be a little drunk."

"Yeah, there's no 'may' about it." Marissa chuckled.

"And b, you should know by now that you don't have to get me drunk to have your way with me. You can have me pretty much anytime, anywhere, Counselor." Bianca waggled her eyebrows for effect.

Marissa couldn't help but laugh at the sight. The sexy look Bianca was going for really wasn't going the way the brunette had thought it was because of the amount of alcohol she had in her system. It didn't matter to Marissa in the least bit because she found Bianca irresistible regardless of her state. Bianca also tended to get a little handsy, frisky when she had a little too much to drink, not that either of them getting drunk was something that had happened all that often. Marissa would _never_ complain about a frisky Bianca though. She enjoyed it way too much to ever say a word about it. "I'll keep that in mind for later tonight, and ditto by the way."

Bianca gave her a goofy grin, and Marissa leaned forward for a kiss. The couple was interrupted by Kendall and Greenlee's return from their discussion with Jimmy.

Greenlee got the group's attention. "Well, Kendall and I have been talking to Jimmy and we've got some news. It could be considered good news, bad news or a little bit of both. It all just depends on how you choose to look at it."

**/**

**A/N****: Time for disclaimers. I don't own any of the songs used in this chapter. They are owned by those mentioned alongside the songs. As for the name of the town, there really is a Shamokin, Pennsylvania. When I started looking for the name of a small town our merry group could get stuck in, I went to the web to look for cities in Pennsylvania, and the name Shamokin jumped out at me. I'm playing around with its geography and where it is in respect to Philadelphia. Finally, yes, there is another cliffhanger. It's needed because this chapter is already over 5,500 words. Who knows how long it would be if I added the other stuff I have planned for Shamokin to it? See you soon! **


	114. What Happens in Shamokin

**A/N****: Thanks for reading, following and reviewing as always! It is greatly appreciated. It's been a heck of a week. I know this is a shorter chapter, but I wanted to get something up today for everyone. That wouldn't have happened because of what I have planned. So, I'm splitting it up. If all goes well, maybe I'll have another one mid-week for you all, but no promises on that other than that I will try my best. The action continues in Shamokin for our merry band. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Greenlee got the group's attention. "Well, Kendall and I have been talking to Jimmy and we've got some news. You might consider it good news, bad news or a combination of both. It all just depends on how you choose to look at it."

Aya looked at the others and spoke. "Hit us with whatever you've got, Greenlee."

"Jimmy just heard back from the limo company. They won't be able to get another car that will fit all of us here until tomorrow morning. They can send another car tonight, but it can only fit half of us at a time which would mean it would take two trips to get all of us together again in Philadelphia. It's the best they can do given the short notice."

Marissa glanced at Bianca who nodded knowing what her fiancée was thinking. "There is another option. We could all just stay here tonight and head out tomorrow. I know it's not what the two of you had planned, but Bianca and I would really like to keep the group together and spend time with all of you. That's not possible if we split up for separate trips and who knows how long it will take for everyone to hook up again."

Kendall looked at Greenlee and smirked. "I told you they'd say something like that."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Yes, you did. I figured the same thing, and that's why I didn't take your bet."

"That was a very smart move on your part by the way. We checked with Terri to see what they had in the way of places to stay around here. She said there is an inn just down the street. It's not very big, but it's nice. Most importantly, they have enough rooms for us if we double up. Jimmy obviously is the exception and will get his own room. I know sharing a room will be a hardship for you and my sister, Red, but I somehow think you'll suck it up and take one for the team."

Bianca chuckled. "I think we'll manage just fine, Kendall. Seriously though, that's fine with us as long as everyone else is okay with it."

"Staying here works for me." Gail offered as the others agreed. "Besides, you shouldn't worry about us. This night is about you and Marissa. It's your night."

Stef nodded. "Gail's right. We're good with whatever you want to do."

Marissa smiled. "If you're all sure, Bianca and I wouldn't mind staying. We really are having a great time. Besides, I still have to kick Greenlee's ass in karaoke."

Bianca snorted in response. "I have every faith in you that that's exactly what you're going to do."

Kendall laughed. "Alright, Shamokin it is. Let's reserve rooms and then Greenlee and Red can duke it out karaoke-style."

While Kendall and Greenlee got the group rooms and Jimmy called his dispatcher to inform them of the group's decision, Marissa excused herself to run to the ladies' room with Lisa deciding to accompany her.

/

"So, Bianca, tell us more about the wedding. What all do you have planned?" Amanda asked.

"Give it up. We've tried to pry that information out of her. Neither she nor Marissa are spilling any of the big details. They're going for the surprise for everyone." Jan smirked. Both she and Aya had tried their best to get information out of the brunette with no luck. After comparing notes with Lisa and Stef, they found the redhead was being just as stingy with the particulars.

"We just want to keep a few details for ourselves. I will tell you that the kids will be in it, obviously, and so will Kendall and Greenlee. They're our matrons of honor. Kendall is mine, and Greenlee is Marissa's."

"I have to say I'm a little surprised about Greenlee being Marissa's matron of honor." Madison stated. "I didn't realize they were that close."

"Greenlee's been there for us a number of times just like Kendall. She and Marissa have just clicked as friends. They understand each other. It makes perfect sense to me."

"The ceremony is outside, right? How are you going to work that around the pool?" Randi inquired.

"We've already winterized the pool so it's been drained until next year. My mom found a company that can install a temporary floor that will cover the pool safely and not damage the pool itself or the concrete around it. Best of all, it gives us a really nice dance floor."

"Very nice."

"What about the honeymoon, Bianca? Are you going someplace exotic?" Gail asked.

"Right now, we're not. It doesn't feel right with the kids being in school. We are going away for a few days though, but we'll be close enough to get home quickly if we need to." Bianca spotted Marissa and Lisa making their way back from the ladies' room. A man stepped forward blocking Marissa's path. This wasn't the first time he had tried to talk to her fiancée which was why Bianca was keeping an eye out for her and was glad that Lisa went with her. She watched as Marissa took a step to the left and he blocked her path again. He then stepped forward said something to the redhead who simply smiled before shaking her head and saying something in return. When the man leaned in even closer, Bianca began to rise but stopped when Marissa quickly sidestepped the man causing him to stumble forward while she walked away without sparing a glance backwards. Bianca could easily tell Marissa was annoyed by what happened.

Marissa saw the look on Bianca's face and smiled to calm her. "Miss me?"

"Always. What was that about?"

"He complimented me on my singing, which I find very funny because I've only done backup so far, and then offered to buy me a drink. I thanked him and politely declined."

"He didn't try anything, try to hurt you?"

"No, he didn't, and it was nothing that I couldn't handle. I'm okay."

Bianca nodded, trusting Marissa but not the man. She would have to keep an even closer eye on him than she had been. "Okay, just watch yourself around him. I don't trust him."

"I promise I will. So, what did I miss here?"

"Just a grilling for wedding details." Bianca smiled.

"Don't worry, Marissa, she really didn't tell us anything." Stef smiled.

"What didn't Binx tell you?" Kendall asked as she, Greenlee and Jimmy returned.

"She didn't give us many details about the wedding." Randi replied.

"I'm not surprised by that. They're very tight lipped about a few of the details."

"Let's get back to what's really important tonight, Rocky going down in karaoke." Greenlee smirked.

"Bring it on, Shorty." Marissa countered confidently.

"Okay, who's next?" Bianca pulled out the next name. "Greenlee, you're up. That means we're saving what I personally think is the best for last." Bianca grinned at Marissa.

"Jimmy, I'll let you do the honors. What song am I singing?"

"You've got 'Love Shack' by the B52's."

Greenlee nodded and took a shot followed by a second one. "Let's do this." She made her way to the stage and started singing. Midway through, she was joined by Kendall, Natalia and Stef who were the perfect backup singers for her. When she finished, everyone cheered, and several hands went up to order the table yet another round in appreciation for her performance.

"Okay, top that, Rocky!" Greenlee smirked.

"I'll do my best. Wait, why are there two pieces of paper left?"

"Madison and Amanda sang together. Remember?" Lisa answered.

"Oh, that's right. Okay, Jimmy, pick me a good one."

Jimmy nodded and smiled broadly when he saw the choice. "I have a feeling that you're going to like this one. Joan Jett sang it."

Marissa's eyes grew wide hoping it was what she thought it was. "Don't toy with me, Jimmy."

The driver chuckled. "I won't. You've got 'I Love Rock and Roll'."

"Yes!" Marissa did a fist pump.

Bianca grinned. She knew how much Marissa liked the song and couldn't wait to see her perform it. "Knock 'em dead, Rissa!"

Marissa winked at her fiancée, and after a quick kiss for luck, she headed to the stage.

Bianca turned to her sister's best friend. ""You are _so_ going down, Greenlee."

_I saw him dancin' there by the record machine  
>I knew he must a been about seventeen<br>The beat was goin' strong_

_Playin' my favorite song  
>An' I could tell it wouldn't be long<br>Till he was with me, yeah me, singin'_

_I love rock n' roll  
>So put another dime in the jukebox, baby<br>I love rock n' roll  
>So come an' take your time an' dance with me<em>

_He smiled so I got up and asked for his name  
>That don't matter, he said<br>'Cause it's all the same_

_Said, Can I take you home where we can be alone?_

_An' next we were movin' on  
>He was with me, yeah me<em>

_Next we were movin' on  
>He was with me, yeah me, singin'<em>

Bianca couldn't take her eyes off Marissa as the redhead commanded the stage. The crowd was singing and dancing along as Marissa moved across the stage and worked the room like a pro.

_I love rock n' roll  
>So put another dime in the jukebox, baby<br>I love rock n' roll  
>So come an' take your time an' dance with me<em>

_Said, Can I take you home where we can be alone?_

_An we'll be movin' on  
>An' singin' that same old song<br>Yeah with me, singin'_

_I love rock n' roll  
>So put another dime in the jukebox, baby<br>I love rock n' roll  
>So come an' take your time an' dance with me<em>

The crowd roared as Marissa finished giving her a standing ovation, and none cheered louder than Bianca. She loved hearing the redhead sing, and seeing her perform here simply blew her away. She'd seen her perform when they were on vacation down in Florida with the kids, but this, this was something else. Bianca was bursting with pride when Marissa rejoined the group.

"Rissa, you were brilliant, amazing and simply incredible. It was the best performance tonight hands-down. You brought the house down!" Bianca gushed as she hugged Marissa.

"I don't know about that, B."

Kendall shook her head. "Binx is right, Red. Joan Jett herself would be loving that performance."

"I have to agree with them. I mean damn, Marissa. You win. It's no contest. I bow to your karaoke greatness." Greenlee laughed.

Marissa chuckled. "Thanks! That was such a rush and so much fun! I wouldn't mind doing that again. This is great. I know this wasn't what you guys had planned, but damn if I'm not having a great time."

Bianca smiled brightly. "That makes two of us. This is the best."

Other restaurant patrons made their over to the group's table to compliment the women on their performances with more than a few asking if any of them would be performing again, especially Marissa.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kendall saw their server talking to a man who pointed in their direction. Terri shook her head repeatedly. Kendall could tell whatever point she was trying to make to him just wasn't getting through.

"I think I want to see what else they have to sing. Anybody else interested?" Marissa looked at the others in their group.

"What the heck, I'll take a look." Aya shrugged.

The pair walked up to the karaoke station. Kendall noticed that as they did, the man she had seen talking to Terri followed them. She also noticed that Bianca's eyes followed them as well. What Kendall didn't know was that he was the same man who had annoyed Marissa earlier and that was why Bianca was on the lookout regarding him.

/

"Hey you were really great."

Marissa smiled politely even though inside she was cringing and not happy at all about seeing the man again. "Thank you."

"Let me buy you a drink."

"Thanks but no thanks, again. I don't know you and don't feel comfortable about it."

"Well, I can fix that. My name's Todd and you are?"

"Not interested. Like I told you earlier, I'm not drinking tonight so thanks but no thanks, _again_."

"Oh come on, a pretty little thing like you not drinking? That's just not right. Have one drink on me. I'm sure you'll have lots more fun if you do. Besides, I'm a really nice guy. Ask anybody here. If you just give me a change, I'll show you how _fun_ I can be."

Marissa resisted the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. "Look, Todd, is it? I'm not interested, and I'm not available."

"I don't see a ring on your finger."

"That's because you're looking at the wrong hand." Marissa waved her left hand in front of him. "This is my engagement ring. It means I'm taken."

"An engagement ring isn't the same as a wedding ring, and I don't see the fiancée around. What he doesn't know won't hurt anybody."

"Again, you're not looking at the right thing. _He_ is a _she_." Marissa gestured towards Bianca. "Do you see that stunning woman over there, the one who looks like she'd like nothing better to do than rip your head off? That's my fiancée."

Todd laughed and grabbed Marissa's arm. "So, you play for the other team. That's cool. I'm not worried about her. As for you, you just haven't met the right man yet. Give me a chance and I'll get you back on the right team."

Aya tried to step in. "You really need to let go of her. She's clearly not interested in you so you should go find someone else who is."

"You should mind your own business. This is between me and this pretty little redhead here."

Marissa pulled her arm free. "Well, this pretty little redhead isn't interested."

/

As soon as the man grabbed Marissa's arm, Bianca was on her feet and off like a shot from their table.

Kendall and Greenlee were a split second too late in reacting to stop her. They scrambled to their feet to follow her with both muttering, "Oh crap."

The movement of the three women had the rest of the group look around to see what had caught their attention. Upon seeing what was happening across the room, the rest of the group followed the others, ready, willing and able to aid their friends.

/

"Come on. One drink. You'll never know what you're missing if you don't give it a try."

"Trust me. I know, and I'm not missing a thing."

Todd reached for Marissa again.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." Bianca appeared behind Todd, the tone of her voice stopping him.

The man turned and was met with a steely gaze that matched that of the voice warning him away from the redhead. The look made him hesitate briefly but backing down was out of the question because other patrons were now paying attention. "Well, you're not me." Todd moved towards Marissa.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop right now." Bianca's glare intensified as she stepped closer.

Todd scoffed, turned and lightly pushed Bianca away.

**/**

**A/N****: Again, I do not own the songs mentioned in this chapter. They are owned by the artists mentioned in reference to them. Oh, a piece of news I picked up on the internet. Thorsten Kaye who played Zach on AMC is going over to The Bold and Beautiful. I have no clue what that means for AMC 2.0 and Zendall fans. Maybe, they can at least write something where they can have a happy ending of some sort whenever the show comes back since they won't let Minx have one. No date on when it's returning, and it doesn't matter to me anymore because I stopped watching some time ago. It wasn't just because of what they did to Minx, although that played a big role in it. I also didn't like a few other things they'd done. This is also why my little tale continues to chug along in its bubble! See you soon!**


	115. Stays in Shamokin

**A/N****: Thanks, as always, for reading, following and reviewing! I really do appreciate it. So, I didn't get to do a mid-week update like I thought I might be able to. I kind of got on a roll with this one, wasn't sure where to cut it off and didn't want to keep dragging this thread out for everyone. As a result, you get this mammoth chapter. Speaking of which, I feel I need to offer a bit of an explanation for the title of this chapter as well as the previous one to some readers who may not be familiar with a certain slogan here in the States. I'm paraphrasing a slogan that is used for Las Vegas. It's a city where pretty much anything goes. A slogan was adopted for them, and it's been pretty successful. It simply is "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." Basically, nobody talks about anything embarrassing that they may have done there while visiting. I figured that would work for our merry band and their adventures. Hence, "What happens in Shamokin, stays in Shamokin." Now, there are two songs mentioned in this chapter. I don't own them. They are owned by the artists mentioned in reference to them.**

**There is a question I hope I can clear up for a guest reviewer. They don't see "Things Change" pop up in the menu with the other stories. Check the filters and make sure you're selecting "all" for the rating. It looks like the rating defaults to "K-T", and this has a rating of "M". If you select "all", you should see it then. I hope this helps you out.**

**That's enough from me for now. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

"Come on. One drink. You never know what you're missing if you don't give it a try."

"Trust me. I'm not missing a thing."

Todd reached for Marissa again.

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." Bianca appeared behind Todd, the tone of her voice stopping him.

The man turned and was met with a steely gaze that matched that of the voice warning him away from the redhead. The look made him hesitate briefly but backing down was out of the question because other patrons were now paying attention. "Well, you're not me." Todd moved towards Marissa.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop right now." Bianca's glare intensified as she stepped closer.

Todd scoffed, turned and lightly pushed Bianca away.

Marissa saw red and started to lunge towards the man but stopped she heard Bianca's voice.

Bianca had gathered herself together instantly and stepped in front of Marissa not a second after being pushed away by Todd. "No, Rissa. Stop. I got this."

"What the hell are you doing?" A blonde woman suddenly appeared and glared at Marissa. "Are you hitting on him? He's mine."

"You've got it all wrong. You can have him. I'm not interested in him at all."

"Oh please, I saw you. You were over here flirting with him. And just now, you were going to grab him."

Marissa held up her hands in protest. "First of all, I wasn't flirting with him. I was over here trying to pick out a song. _He_ approached _me_. _He_ was hitting on _me_. I don't want anything to do with him."

"What? Todd wouldn't do anything like that."

"Believe what you want, but that's what he did. As for grabbing him, yeah I was going to grab for him _because he pushed her_." Marissa gestured towards Bianca who was on high alert because of the other woman and how agitated she seemed.

"And why in the hell would he do something like that?"

Todd stood there smirking. In his mind, he saw two women fighting over him.

"_Because he was hitting on me and she's my …"_

The blonde didn't let Marissa finish. "You're a lying little slut."

She forcefully shoved Marissa who thankfully landed into Aya who was somehow able to keep them both upright. All hell broke loose in that moment. Bianca completely lost it. The combination of alcohol and having someone physically assault her pregnant fiancée pushed the normally composed brunette over the edge. She grabbed the blonde, spun her around and slugged the woman. Her fist landed squarely on the other woman's jaw and knocked her backwards. The woman charged Bianca, and the brunette's second punch landed with more force than the first and had the other woman landing on her ass.

While Bianca was dealing with the blonde, Todd made to grab the brunette but was stopped by Greenlee who jumped on his back. As he tried to shake her off, Kendall kneed him in the crotch for all she was worth sending him to the floor in a whimpering heap. The pair then went into full attack mode on him.

The blonde staggered to her feet and lunged towards Bianca for a second time. Bianca for her part was now preoccupied with checking to make sure Marissa was okay to see the attack coming. Others in her party did however, and the blonde was stopped short by Lisa, Stef and Jan who quickly formed a barrier between the woman and their friends.

Natalia used her law enforcement training to subdue another woman who came charging onto the scene and was headed straight towards Bianca.

"Let me go, you bitch! That other bitch hit my sister and nobody does that and lives to talk about it!"

In a calm voice learned from her police training, Natalia spoke to the woman. "I'm sorry but that's not going to happen."

Suddenly, an ear-piercing whistle had everyone freezing in their tracks.

All eyes turned to the source of the shrill sound, Terri. The server wore an amused look and was standing next to two police officers. The taller of the two turned to the server. "Thank you, Terri."

"My pleasure, Sean."

The officer assessed the situation. He first addressed Natalia. Judging by the hold she had the other woman in, he was pretty sure she was in law enforcement of some sort. "Am I safe in assuming you're a police officer or something along those lines?"

"You are. She was charging up here and was going to add to all of this. I simply stepped in."

"Sounds reasonable to me. You can let her go. Diane won't be causing any more problems tonight. Will you, Diane?"

The woman struggled. "That bitch hit Shelly. She has to pay."

"And knowing your sister like I do, I'm sure she was completely innocent."

The officer's sarcasm was not lost on Diane who finally stopped struggling. "Fine."

"Thank you. If you wouldn't mind, please have a seat, and we'll get your statement soon."

The woman huffed and angrily sat in the spot indicated by the officer once she was released by Natalia.

"I'm Officer Sean Bray, and this is Officer Dave Corder."

"I'm Natalia Fowler with the Pine Valley P.D. My ID is over at our table."

"I'll take a look at it later. Would you mind helping us out with her?" He pointed to the woman still kicking and clawing at Lisa, Stef and Jan as she attempted to get to Marissa and Bianca.

"No problem." Natalia understood the nature of the request. Male officers had to tread lightly sometimes when apprehending female suspects in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety. She quickly subdued the blonde.

"What the hell?! Sean, you can't let her do this to me!"

"It's either her or I can have Dave radio for Bernadette, and I have a feeling she's being nicer to you than Bernie would be. Now, are you going to calm down or are we going to have to call Bernie and cuff you?"

"You wouldn't dare!"

Officer Bray simply returned her glare with one of his own that seemed to say 'try me'. That was enough to have the blonde stop struggling.

"Thank you, Shelly. Please have a seat next to your sister."

Officer Corder walked over to where Todd was crumpled on the floor. He took note of a man holding back two brunettes who looked to be aching to get their hands on him and not in a good way. With an amused look on his face, the officer crouched down next to the man. "How ya doing there, Todd?"

The man groaned. "Those bitches attacked me for no damn reason!"

Kendall rolled her eyes. "No reason! You were going after my sister!"

"I'm sure they did." The officer smirked. He then addressed Kendall and Greenlee. "If you promise not to attack him again, I'll ask this nice man to let you go. I have the distinct impression that he really is protecting Todd from you."

The comment was met with a round of laughter from the other patrons.

Kendall and Greenlee nodded and grinned. "Of course, Officer."

Greenlee turned. "You can let us go, Jimmy. We'll be good."

"Thank you. If you'll have a seat, we'll get with you shortly. Terri, would you get Todd some ice? I have a feeling he could use it."

Terri chuckled. "You got it, Dave."

/

While the officers were sorting out the others, Bianca was busy fussing over Marissa and making sure she wasn't hurt. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"

Marissa smiled trying her best to calm and reassure Bianca. She knew her fiancée was ready to rip the blonde's head off in an instant if either Marissa or the baby were hurt. "I'm fine. I promise. Aya here made a nice landing spot for me. Thanks for that by the way."

Aya laughed. "Glad to help. I'm also glad you're okay."

Bianca glanced at her friend, the gratitude clearly evident in her eyes. "Thank you, Aya."

"You're welcome."

Marissa took Bianca's hand in her own and began examining it. "How's your hand? It looks a little swollen."

"It's okay." Bianca tried to shrug it off. "I'm more worried about you and …"

"I promise you that everything is okay. I wouldn't say it if it wasn't true."

Bianca sighed before nodding. She knew that Marissa wouldn't take any chances when it came to the baby.

/

Terri returned and dropped a bag of ice squarely on Todd's crotch causing the man to curse while the server smirked.

"Excuse me, Terri. Could we please have some ice for Bianca's hand?"

Terri looked at the swollen hand and nodded. "Of course you can, Marissa. I'll be right back with some."

"Hey, I need some ice too!" Shelly demanded as she rubbed her jaw.

The server rolled her eyes, sympathy clearly lacking for the locals. "Whatever."

A man clearing his throat pulled Marissa and Bianca's attention from each other. "Are the two you alright?"

Marissa nodded. "I'm fine."

"I'm fine also, Officer. Thank you. I'm guessing you want to talk to me?"

Everyone started talking all at once with none making any sense.

The officer glanced at Terri who had returned. She let out another ear-piercing whistle.

"Thanks again, Terri. I would like to talk to you. Would you like a lawyer? I'm sure we can get one over here pretty quickly."

"That's not necessary. I'm an attorney. I'll be representing her as well as everyone else at that table."

"Very well." He held out his hand for the redhead to shake. "I'm Officer Sean Bray."

Marissa shook his hand. "I'm Marissa Tasker. Could we talk in private for a few minutes? I might be able to clear things up for you."

Todd, Shelly and Diane started to protest.

"Shut up before I haul the three of you in. I'm talking to her. Dave, keep an eye on them."

"You got it."

Terri handed a towel covered ice pack to Bianca who thanked her. She then dropped the other bag of ice on the table for Shelly.

Before following the officer, Marissa made sure Bianca was settled at the table with their friends and using the ice pack. She then looked at the entire group. "Don't make any statements or answer any questions about what happened without me present. Understood?"

Everyone nodded.

"Good. I'll be back in a few minutes. Kendall, please make sure Bianca keeps that ice on her hand."

/

Terri walked over to the table. "Can I get you all anything to drink? Maybe something non-alcoholic until you're done talking to the police?"

Kendall nodded. "That would be great, Terri. Thanks. Hey, could I ask you something?"

"Sure. What is it?"

"What gives with you and the three of them?"

Terri rolled her eyes. "Oh them. I know this is going to be a shock, but this isn't the first time something like this has happened with them. Sean, Dave and some of the other officers are always getting calls about them, if not here then at a couple of other places in town. Todd's a dog and a jackass. He hits on anything with a pulse."

"That is not true!" The blonde shouted from across the room.

"Yes, it is, Shelly, and you know it. He's hit on me and all of the other waitresses here."

"You're lying! Todd wouldn't do that."

"Yes, he would and yes, he has. I wouldn't make it up, and don't try and say that I was hitting on him. Trust me when I tell you that I'm not remotely interested in him. I'm happily married. Besides, I have way better taste than that. If it were up to me, I would've stopped him from coming in here a long time ago. He was on thin ice as it was when it came to Bob allowing him to come in here, and after tonight's little episode, Bob's already told me that he's going to ban him from this place permanently."

"Well, that redhead hit on him."

Terri rolled her eyes. "No, she didn't. You weren't here until a few minutes ago and didn't see what was really happening. Todd's been hitting on the poor woman all night, trying to buy her drinks, cornering her whenever she got up from her table, trying to get her to go off with him. I don't know how many times she told him 'no' because she's not interested in him."

Shelly scoffed. "Why wouldn't she be interested in him?"

The server sighed. Now, the woman was offended because Marissa didn't want him. "Unbelievable. Because she's engaged to this woman here, you idiot. They're getting married in two weeks."

"You're making all that up."

Terri rolled her eyes. "Why in the hell would I make that up? Diane, talk some sense into your sister. You need to tell her the truth about Todd because she deserves a whole hell of a lot better than him, and if she keeps up like this, someone's going to get seriously hurt or go to jail for a very long time because the cops are getting pretty damn tired of dealing with all of their drama." The server turned back to the Pine Valley crew who had been watching her exchange with the blonde with great intensity. "Could I ask you something?"

Kendall nodded. "Sure."

"Is Marissa really a lawyer?"

"Yes, she is and a damn good one too." Bianca answered proudly as she matched glares with Shelly.

Terri eyed Bianca and grinned. "You pack a helluva wallop. Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm a little surprised. You don't quite look like the type."

"No offense taken. When someone goes after my family, all bets are off. If she does anything like that again, she's going to get worse. That is a promise." Bianca made those last two statements loud enough for Shelly to hear and caused the other woman to shift uncomfortably.

"I believe that." Terri smiled as she walked away.

Stef shook her head and grinned. "Bianca is a badass."

"Tell me something I don't know." Aya smirked. She'd seen Bianca in action at the Miranda Center and had a really good idea of what she was capable of.

/

Shelly broke her gaze with Bianca's, unable to keep up the staring contest with the brunette. It was clear she was woefully overmatched. She turned to Diane. Her sister had continued to whisper to Shelly since Terri left. Diane realized the server was right about her needing to talk some sense into her sister.

/

Kendall watched Bianca carefully. Now that she had defeated the blonde's pitiful attempt at intimidation with a staring contest, Bianca's eyes were firmly rooted on Marissa who was engaged in conversation with the police officer. The redhead glanced their way briefly and smiled when her eyes met Bianca's who smiled in return without a thought. The officer nodded and wrote something down. Kendall wasn't really surprised by her sister's actions earlier. It was clear the man they now knew as 'Todd' had been hitting on Marissa for while so Bianca coming to her fiancée's aid in handling him when he crossed the line was more than expected. No, what surprised Kendall was the ferocity of Bianca's defense of Marissa when she was attacked by Shelly. Again, Kendall wasn't surprised that Bianca charged in and took care of the woman in no time flat. It was the growl that she would've sworn she'd heard coming from her sister that surprised her. Kendall had never heard her sister do anything like that before. There was something else going on besides a couple of drunken idiots getting way out of line. She couldn't quite figure out what it was exactly. Whatever the explanation was, she felt it was just beyond her grasp. Kendall's train of thought was broken by her best friend.

"Huh, I've never seen Marissa in action before."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never seen Marissa in full legal mode. I know we've joked about it and that she handled our deal with Macy's, but this is different. I've never seen her in full legal eagle mode as in handling the police. It's impressive to watch."

"You can't hear anything she's saying."

"I know, but I can read her body language. She's leading him where she wants to go and not the other way around. Like I said, impressive."

/

For her part, Bianca's focus was solely on Marissa. She was thankful that neither she nor the baby was hurt by those idiots. If something had happened to them, god help the ones responsible. Bianca wasn't sorry for what she'd done, but she hated that Marissa was having to deal with the aftermath of her actions. When Marissa glanced her way and smiled, Bianca couldn't help but follow suit. She felt herself calm down immediately. Bianca saw love in those hazel eyes and something else. She saw that glint in them that Marissa got when she was working on a case and had figured out how to solve a problem with it. It wasn't cockiness. It was confidence.

/

"Please have a seat, Ms. Tasker."

"Thank you, Officer Bray."

"Now, would you like to tell me what the heck happened here?"

Marissa smiled. "I'd be happy to. My friends and I were on our way to Philadelphia …"

"Excuse me for a minute. That wouldn't happen to be your limo across the road, would it?"

"As a matter of fact, it is. We rented it for the weekend."

"For what purpose?"

"For transportation for a bachelorette party. We were on our way from Pine Valley to Philadelphia when it broke down. We decided to wait it out here while our driver dealt with his dispatcher."

"Let me guess. The driver is the guy holding two of your group back from pummeling Todd into a bloody pulp."

"No comment on that last statement, but Jimmy is the driver and was standing between Todd and two of my clients, two defenseless women mind you."

Officer Bray chuckled. There was nothing defenseless about them, and both he and the lawyer knew it. "Okay. Who is the bachelorette party for?"

"Me and my fiancée." Marissa glanced over to the table and smiled the instant her eyes met Bianca's.

The officer's poker face slipped with this information, and he raised an eyebrow. That one glance told him a great deal. Todd didn't stand a chance in hell because it was as plain as the nose on his face that this couple was in love. "You're engaged to the woman with the ice pack on her hand?"

"Yes, I am. Her name is Bianca, and we're getting married in two weeks."

Officer Bray nodded. Something Terri had told him when he first arrived on the scene finally made sense to him now. "Congratulations."

"Thank you. We were having a pretty good time …"

"Until?"

"Every time I got up, Todd was hitting on me. He blocked my path several times and physically restrained me another, which could be considered assault if one looked closely at the legal interpretation."

The officer smiled having a good idea of where she was going with this. "True, like a police officer or a lawyer for example. They might read it like that."

Marissa grinned. She liked this guy. "Exactly. Now, let's talk hypotheticals."

"Okay, let's."

"Let's say a man grabbed a woman, and her fiancée saw this happening and rushed over to help her out. The man was insulting and pushed the fiancée. That would be another assault."

"Hypothetically? Yes, it definitely would."

"Of course it would. Now, another woman comes onto the scene and pushes the first woman. The fiancée sees this and hypothetically knocks the other woman on her ass."

Officer Bray couldn't help but laugh. He pictured Shelly being knocked down in such a manner and loved it. "Hypothetically, that might be something I wouldn't mind seeing. The fiancée, however, seems a little bit of a hothead and might do well with taking some time to cool off."

Marissa turned serious. "There were extenuating circumstances."

"Such as?"

"The first woman being pregnant and the fiancée not only worried about her but their unborn child."

The officer's eyebrows shot up quickly forgetting about hypotheticals upon hearing this news. "You're pregnant?"

"I am, but Bianca, myself and now you are the only ones here that know."

"May I ask why?"

"I'm only in my third month, and we're being …"

"I get it. When my sister was pregnant, she didn't say anything until after her first trimester. I asked Terri why and she said she didn't want to jinx anything because too many things could happen during that time. She just wanted to be careful."

"Precisely. We plan on telling everyone after the wedding. Terri's your sister, huh?"

The officer grinned. "Yep, she's my big sister."

Marissa shook her head and smiled. She could see the resemblance now.

"Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" The officer was definitely concerned.

"We are. Luckily, I was pushed into a friend who managed to keep us both from falling."

"I'm really glad to hear that. Given those circumstances, I would say your fiancée's actions were more than justified, hypothetically speaking."

"Of course."

"What about those other two?"

"Bianca's sister and cousin witnessed Todd's assault on her. Hypothetically, one might argue that they would be coming to her defense."

"I can see that."

"So, we would have two assault charges against both Todd and Shelly; Todd for assaulting two women."

"Never looks good."

"And Shelly for assaulting a pregnant woman."

"Looks even worse."

"My thoughts exactly. I would like to keep the pregnancy quiet until after the wedding but will make the announcement before then if necessary."

"I understand. I'm guessing you have some sort of deal in mind because those two are squawking about pressing charges."

"Yeah, I know. It's simple really. If they don't press charges, we won't press charges. The only things bruised are a face, some knuckles and pride. Well, Todd might have something else bruised, but I'd rather not think about it."

Officer Bray was relieved the lawyer had offered up a way out of this mess for them. The more he talked with Marissa, the more he liked her. She seemed really nice, and he couldn't help but feel she definitely didn't deserve any of the drama that had occurred tonight. If her fiancée was anything like her, she didn't either. He took the lifeline the lawyer offered and held on. He would find a way to make it work. "That sounds more than reasonable to me. Your story matches what Terri and a few others have told me about what Todd and Shelly did tonight. They'll probably try and make a fuss but both of them have a history in this town. I think I can get them to see reason and agree. Are you sure you're okay?"

Marissa nodded. "I'm sure."

"Good. So what about your car?"

"They can't get us a new one until tomorrow morning. We're going to stay overnight at the inn."

The officer nodded. "I think that takes care of everything then. I do have one more question though. It's personal if you don't mind."

"What is it?"

"My wife and I have been trying for a while to get pregnant with no luck. We were thinking of looking into fertility clinics. Given your situation …"

Marissa smiled. "You thought I might know of a place?"

"Yeah. You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"I don't mind. We went to a clinic in New York. Pine Valley is small by comparison, and we didn't want everybody to know what we were doing. You know how small towns can be."

"God, do I ever. You can't keep a secret to save your life. It's okay, but something like this is just really personal. I'd rather not have them all up in our business."

Marissa laughed. "Exactly. That's why we kept everything private. I tell you what. Do you have a card with your email address? I can send you a lot of information when I get home."

Officer Bray smiled. "I sure do. I can't tell you how much I appreciate this."

Marissa took the card and smiled. "I'm glad to help. Good luck."

"Thank you. Alright, we better get back over there."

/

Gail nudged Jan. "Here they come. I wonder what's going to happen. Marissa's got her lawyer face on."

"I've seen that face before. Any ideas, Lisa?"

"Nope. She's got a great poker face. It's really hard for me to tell sometimes when she's bluffing."

/

Marissa immediately went to Bianca's side and examined her hand again.

"Ladies, you are free to go, or I actually guess I should say stay. From what Ms. Tasker tells me, you'll be staying the night."

The table immediately sighed in relief.

"What?! How in the hell is that right?! They assaulted me. They hurt the boys." Todd whined and gestured to his crotch which still had an ice pack pressed against it.

"I want to press charges."

"I don't think you should, Shelly. I don't think it's a good idea."

"You should listen to your sister." Officer Bray offered.

"No! They assaulted me and Todd. I want to press charges. Besides, I've got everyone here as witnesses." Shelly smirked and sat back confidently.

"Fine, let's ask them." Officer Bray turned to the restaurant's patrons who had been watching the evening's unexpected events with great amusement. It was one of the more exciting and memorable nights in the small town. They had definitely been entertained. "Who saw what happened?"

Hands shot up all around the restaurant.

"Gil, what happened?"

An older man stood up. "Well, those ladies were celebrating two of them getting married."

"How in the hell do you know that?" Shelly asked indignantly.

Gil rolled his eyes. "We asked Terri what was going on, and she told us. Anyway, they were having a good time and entertained everyone with their singing. A few of them have really good voices. Todd was hitting on the redhead all night. Everybody could see she wasn't interested, but he's an idiot and wouldn't take 'no' for answer. He went to grab her and the brunette there, her fiancée, went to stop him. He pushed her." Gil looked at Todd and shook his head. "You don't ever lay your hands on a woman like that. Some of us we're on our way over to help when Shelly came in and pushed the redhead. Everything broke loose then." He pointed to Kendall and Greenlee and smiled. "Those two over there jumped in and whooped Todd's sorry ass but good. Nice job by the way, ladies."

Kendall and Greenlee grinned in response to the praise.

Officer Bray struggled to keep a straight face. "So, I'm hearing that Todd and Shelly started everything and these women were simply protecting themselves and each other. Is that about right?"

Affirmative answers were given by the patrons.

"Wait a damn minute! That's not right!"

"Shelly, I've got a roomful of witnesses that say otherwise. Now, Ms. Tasker has graciously offered to not press charges if you agree to do the same. I'm guessing that is okay with her clients?"

The Pine Valley crew smiled and nodded.

Greenlee spoke for the group. "That's more than okay with us. We are happy to place ourselves in Marissa's more than capable hands."

Marissa smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

"What's it going to be, Shelly?"

The woman glared around the room.

"Take the deal, Shelly." Her sister pleaded.

"Don't do it, Shelly. They started it. They're lying."

Diane turned and snapped. "Shut the hell up, Todd. You can't tell me that everyone in this room is lying except for you. This is all your fault."

Shelly huffed. "Fine. I won't press charges. I want to get out of here."

"If you won't press charges …"

"Yeah before you even go there, Todd, I should probably point out that you grabbed one woman and pushed another which constitutes assault. Judges and juries really look down on that. Also, you got beat up by a couple of women. You press charges, that's going to come out. When the other guys in lockup hear that, I'll just say it will make things mighty interesting for you." Officer Bray knew it was going to come out anyway. It was a small town and news travelled fast. He wouldn't be surprised if most everyone in Shamokin already knew about what happened.

Todd paled at the police officer's implication and mumbled. "Fine. I'm going home."

"I think Dave and I will make sure you all get home safely, okay? You can pick up your cars tomorrow after you've sobered up. Dave, will you take them to the squad car?"

"No problem, Sean. Come on, folks." Officer Corder nodded and led the others away with Shelly and Todd already starting to snipe at each other. Todd was also walking rather awkwardly.

As he watched the man walk away, Officer Bray couldn't help but think Todd was walking like he had just gotten off of a horse that he had ridden for a very long time, and his pain and discomfort were obvious. Officer Bray smiled to himself thinking that if he'd ask the women seated at the table beside him they would say he'd gotten off easy. He'd have to agree with them on that point. The officer nodded to the Pine Valley crew. "Ladies, on behalf of the town, I apologize for any inconvenience and hope you enjoy the rest of your stay here. Ms. Tasker, it was a pleasure."

Marissa nodded. "Officer, yes it was. Thank you for your help and understanding."

"Terri, I'll see you Sunday at Mom and Dad's." Sean then shook the manager's hand. "Bob, call again if you need anything."

"Thanks, Sean. I appreciate the help as always." The manager looked at the women. "I would like to apologize for everything that happened tonight. I'm really sorry. Don't worry about the bill. It's taken care of."

Kendall shook her head. "It's not necessary. You're not responsible for those idiots."

"Still, I insist. I don't want you all to leave Shamokin with a bad taste in your mouth about us. I hope you can enjoy the rest of your evening." He turned to Bianca and Marissa. "And you two, I hope you have a long and happy life together."

"Thank you." The couple smiled.

After the manager walked away, the Pine Valley crew looked at each other in stunned silence trying to sort everything out.

Lisa looked at Marissa. "So, Terri is related to the one officer?"

"Yep, she's his sister. She told him everything that happened. We couldn't have asked for a better witness."

"So, he knew what happened before you talked to him?"

"He did, but I cleared up a few small details for him. I could tell he seemed reasonable and really didn't want to press charges. I gave him an out with the deal." Marissa looked at Bianca. She could see the conflicting emotions in warm chocolate eyes. "Are you okay?"

The brunette was about to answer when Marissa stopped her. She wanted to have this conversation in private.

"Let's get some fresh air.

Bianca nodded. "I'd like that." She turned to her sister. "We'll be back in a few minutes."

Kendall couldn't help but agree. The couple needed to talk. "We'll be here. Hey, Terri."

The server popped over to their table. "What's up?"

"I'd like to buy a round of drinks for the house, and make sure I get the bill for it."

Terri chuckled. "You got it. If this crowd didn't love you before, they will now."

Greenlee watched as Bianca and Marissa walked outside. "Are they okay?"

Kendall nodded. "I think so. They just need some time alone to talk. They really haven't had much of a chance since all of this happened."

"True. Your sister has a helluva punch."

"Yes, she does, doesn't she?" Kendall grinned proudly. "And Red was something else too."

Greenlee laughed. "Yes, she was. I knew having another lawyer in this family would be a good idea. Who'd have thunk that Bianca that would need it? Us? Sure, it's a given. Not so much with Bianca."

"I know, but those jackasses deserved everything they got and more."

"Amen." Greenlee raised her shot glass and clinked it against Kendall's before the two downed their drinks.

/

As soon as they stepped outside, Marissa pulled Bianca to her and captured her lips. When they separated, Bianca smiled. "I really needed that."

"You and me both. And yes, I'm fine and so is our little one. How are you?"

Bianca took a deep breath and placed her uninjured hand gently on Marissa's belly. "I'm okay now that I know the two of you are okay."

Marissa placed her own hand on top of Bianca's. "You were amazing in there. Not only did you handle Todd, but you _really_ handled Shelly."

The anger Bianca had felt over the entire incident that occurred and those responsible for it flashed across her face. "Those jackasses. What the hell was he thinking? You told him 'no' repeatedly, and he still kept pawing at you. I wanted to rip his hands off."

"Tell me about it. When I saw him push you, I couldn't see straight. The only thing that stopped me from going after him was you literally standing in between us. I honestly don't know how you moved that quickly. And then Shelly showed up."

Bianca growled. "How dare she call you those things? What right does she have? She doesn't know you, and it's obvious she doesn't know him. What a pig. And when she pushed you, I was so scared, Rissa. I was afraid that she'd hurt you or little one. Then, I was so damn angry. I just lost it. Damn if it didn't feel good when I hit her."

"Now you know how I felt about Carmen."

Bianca chuckled at the memory of Marissa slugging that reporter and sending her into the Pine Valley Inn's pool. "Yeah, I do. Anyone that hurts you has to deal with me."

"Ditto." Marissa lifted Bianca's injured hand and gently kissed the bruised knuckles one at a time. "How's your hand?"

Warm chocolate eyes darkened with the combination of Marissa's lowered voice and the feeling of soft lips on her skin. "It's a little better, now. You know, I think I might've done something to my shoulder when I threw that one punch."

Marissa grinned as she took Bianca's none too subtle hint. "Well maybe I can do something about that." She pulled Bianca closer and softly kissed her fiancée's shoulder. She smiled as Bianca sighed happily and tilted her head. Again, Marissa took the hint. "Is your neck a little sore too?"

Bianca nodded as she suppressed a moan at the gentle and loving touch of Marissa's lips pressed softly against her flesh. "A little bit, yeah."

Soft lips trailed along the shoulder and up Bianca's neck before their lips crashed together.

"Hey, is everything okay out here? Oh, sorry." Greenlee grinned as she interrupted the couple.

Marissa glared at Greenlee. "I somehow doubt that. What can we do for you?"

"Kendall asked me to check on the two of you, see if you're okay. You've been out here a while. I guess I know why."

Bianca rolled her eyes at the smirk on Greenlee's face. "We're fine."

"I can see that you are. How's your hand doing? Was Marissa kissing it and making it feel better? Although, she really wasn't kissing your hand now was she? Interesting technique."

"Shut up, Greenlee."

The shorter brunette simply laughed. "I'm afraid you're going to have to keep it in your pants a little longer, Rocky. We have more celebrating to do. There are a lot of people inside that want to congratulate you, not only on your impending nuptials but your knock out tonight of Shelly and Todd."

"You and my sister actually took down Todd. Thanks for that by the way."

"It was our pleasure."

"I don't think Todd or his 'boys' will forget either of you anytime soon. I also don't think he's going to be walking right for quite a while." Marissa smirked.

"We do what we can." Greenlee turned serious. "Kendall wanted to make sure you were alright, that you weren't kicking yourself or doubting that what you did was the right thing."

Bianca rolled her eyes again. "She didn't want me overthinking things, getting all 'Bianca' on her, huh?"

Marissa laughed while Greenlee grinned. "Something like that, yeah."

"Well, you'll both be happy to know that that's not going to happen. I don't regret what I did. Do I want the kids to know? No, I don't, but I don't regret what I did. They deserved it and more."

"That's very good to hear. Both of us really hope this hasn't put too much of a damper on the evening for you."

"Nope, it hasn't, and I'm not going to let it." Bianca gave a cheeky grin. "Marissa was doing a very good job helping me with that before you came out here."

Marissa grinned. "You seriously need to work on your timing."

Greenlee raised an eyebrow. "Really? If you ask me, I'd say my timing was excellent. You see if I didn't come out when I did, I think the two of you would've been giving Shamokin another show, and your buddy, Officer Bray, would've had to pay another visit here."

The couple laughed. They weren't quite to that point, but they were both very glad they had their own room tonight because it did leave them wanting more.

As if she could read their minds, Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Alright, let's get back to the party. I have to stop your sister from bankrupting us."

Bianca needed to know what Greenlee was talking about. "What's Kendall doing now?"

"Buying several rounds of drinks for the entire restaurant. Me having to rein her in is making me the responsible one. You know I don't like that. Plus, my buzz is starting to wear off."

"We're aware of your aversion of being the responsible one, and we can't have that or your buzz wearing off." Marissa grinned.

"Exactly! Thank you! Besides, Handsy Montgomery here needs a few more drinks."

Bianca was a little confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh please, you think I don't see how you get when you've been drinking? You get all handsy with this one."

"I'm not complaining about it. I love Handsy Montgomery. In fact, the next round is on me." Marissa waggled her eyebrows causing Bianca to snort.

"Alright, let's stop my sister from bankrupting you. Besides, I think Rissa owes me another song."

The three entered the restaurant and found Terri right away.

"Terri, the next round's on me." Marissa's offer received a loud cheer from the patrons, many of whom came up to congratulate and wish the couple well.

/

The karaoke machine was fired back up and everyone, including the Pine Valley crew, signed up again. Marissa serenaded Bianca with a rendition of Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling in Love' that had many smiling at the couple. Some had even gotten up to dance. The song also left Bianca with the goofiest of grins.

"Marissa is so getting lucky tonight."

Kendall smacked her friend. "That's my sister you're talking about in case you forgot, and yeah, I know she is."

Randi spotted a lone scrap of paper on the table and remembered there was one song left from their first round. She snagged it and chuckled when she read it. She handed it to Bianca who had just finished giving a Marissa a preliminary thank you for her song. "We forgot one from earlier."

After reading it, Bianca showed it to Marissa who grinned wickedly. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I believe I am."

A vote was taken while certain members of their party were distracted with the results being unanimous.

"Hey, Kendall."

"What's up, Binx?"

"There's one more song that needs to be sung from earlier. We all think it'd be perfect for you and Greenlee."

Even though she'd had a lot to drink, Kendall was immediately on alert. Something was definitely amiss. She nudged Greenlee who had caught back up with her drink-wise in no time flat. "What's up?"

"They have a song they want us to sing." Kendall eyed the couple suspiciously while they feigned innocence. She took the paper and read. "Nope, no way, not a chance in hell."

"What's the song?" Greenlee read and followed her friend's lead. "Ain't no way in hell."

"Come on, Kendall. Do it for me, please." Bianca adopted her best puppy dog eyes."

"And me." Marissa followed suit.

Greenlee looked at the couple. "Why us?"

Aya, who wasn't feeling any pain, grinned. "We took a vote and it was unaniminmous. Wait, that's not right. It was unaniminous. Screw it. We all voted for it."

"But why us?"

"Because the height difference is just about right between you two and the people who sang the song." Randi giggled.

"And …"

"If you say I look like him, you're going down, Natalia. I don't care if you're a cop or not."

The group erupted in laughter at Greenlee's glare and threat.

Kendall rolled her eyes and handed a glass to Greenlee. "Come on. Let's get this over with."

The women downed the shots and quickly followed them with a second one. Kendall then pulled Greenlee to her feet. "Come on, Sonny."

"Why am I Sonny?"

"Well, you certainly can't pull off Cher."

"And why the hell not?"

"Seriously? Let's go with the obvious. You're not tall enough."

Greenlee huffed her way to the way but only after eyeing the table. "I'm not forgetting this."

The pair then performed a very memorable rendition of Sonny and Cher's 'I Got You, Babe' which had the entire restaurant roaring.

/

The restaurant had stayed open late that night due to the fact that no one, including the staff, wanted the night to end. It would go down as one of the town's most memorable evenings. The Pine Valley crew made their way to the Shamokin Inn after settling up their tab for the drinks purchased for their newfound friends and leaving an extremely generous tip for Terri.

Overnight bags were retrieved from the limo on the way to the inn. After they checked in, rooms were divvied up. Jimmy had his own room. Bianca and Marissa had their own room. Everyone else just grabbed keys and ended up with whomever. Those that weren't familiar with some were definitely friends by the end of the night so it didn't really matter who they roomed with. Given that they had an odd number of people, a rollaway was needed for one of the rooms. Lisa volunteered to take it. She was just happy she was going to be able to lie down soon. Goodnights were made, and they all stumbled to their rooms.

Kendall and Greenlee ended up sharing a room and were next to Bianca and Marissa's.

"Goodnight, ladies. Don't do anything we wouldn't do." Greenlee smirked.

"Well, that leaves it wide open, now doesn't it?" Marissa joked.

"Don't do anything we would." Bianca giggled.

Marissa burst out laughing as she pushed Bianca into their room and left a stunned Kendall and Greenlee in the hallway. Neither could believe she had said what she did.

"She did not say what I think she did, did she?" Greenlee asked.

"I think she did. Just remember, you have your own bed."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Like you could handle this."

Kendall laughed. "Whatever makes you feel better."

/

Bianca had Marissa pressed up against the door as soon as it was closed and the locks set. The redhead knew damn well that her fiancée wasn't quite as drunk as the others had thought she was. No, she definitely wasn't, and she knew exactly what she was doing. Bianca had begun to formulate a plan for the second half of their evening immediately after they had kissed outside the restaurant, and Marissa was a more than willing participant.

Marissa had wanted to tease Bianca about her quip to Greenlee, to tell her how proud she was of her for the restraint she showed earlier with Todd and Shelly because Marissa knew without a doubt that Bianca had showed extreme restraint with them, to tell her about the conversation she'd had with the police officer. Marissa found she just couldn't. Bianca's insistent lips had all rational thought quickly fleeing from her mind. The only things she could think of now were the feelings and sensations Bianca's lips and hands were evoking. Yeah, that could all be discussed tomorrow. Overnight bags had been long forgotten and left by the door. Clothes were quickly discarded as they moved as one across the room. The couple tumbled onto the bed, their bodies melding together as they lost themselves in each other.

/

"Good morning, ladies."

Marissa smiled brightly as she and Bianca entered the restaurant hand in hand. "Good morning, Terri. I'm a little surprised to see you here this early after working so late last night."

"Rissa's right. You have to be exhausted." Bianca added.

"I'm a little tired, but Bob asked if I could come in early today. He had a feeling we might have a larger than normal crowd this morning. It seems we have a group of visitors in town. Speaking of, where's the rest of your crew?"

Bianca grinned. "They're back at the inn. Some are moving a little slow this morning."

Terri chuckled. "I expect they would be. Let's get the two of you settled and something to drink." The server led them to a table and continued to chat with the couple. "I'll tell Bob to work on his hangover remedy for them. It's full proof, works every time. I have to say this is a first. Usually the guests of honor for a bachelor or bachelorette party are among the last to arrive, not the first. They're also pretty much worse for wear. You two look great and like you're raring to go."

"Well, it helps that I didn't drink at all, and Bianca didn't drink nearly as much as some as the others."

"That would explain it. How's your hand?"

"It's okay, a little sore but I'll survive."

"Good. If it helps any, I'm pretty sure Todd and Shelly are a lot worse off this morning. It serves them right if you ask me. Can I get you both some coffee, tea, something else?"

"Coffee would be wonderful." Marissa smiled gratefully. While she hadn't been drinking, it had been a late night for both she and Bianca after they gotten back to their room, and she could use the caffeine. Because of the baby, Marissa had to cut back on caffeine, but her doctor had said she could still have one cup of coffee a day. It was definitely needed today.

"I'll be right back."

Bianca's eyes grew wide as she read the menu. "They have chocolate chip pancakes."

Marissa laughed. "I guess I know what you're getting."

"Yep, and I'm starving. I worked up _quite the appetite_ last night."

"That makes two of us. The western omelet sounds good to me."

"Ewww, how can you guys talk about food?" Lisa asked as she, Stef, Gail, Jan and Aya joined the couple.

"Seriously, I really don't want to think about food. Caffeine, however, is another story." Aya added as she carefully took a seat.

"How do you not have a hangover, Bianca? You were drinking pretty much last night." Stef asked.

Bianca stifled a laugh at the condition of the other women. "I took some aspirin and hydrated last night. I also didn't drink as much as you guys."

Jan groaned and laid her head down on the table.

Marissa had a hard time not laughing. "Terri told us that Bob has a guaranteed hangover cure. She was going to have him make up a batch for everyone."

"Make up a batch of what?" Kendall slowly made her way into the restaurant. She and Greenlee both wore dark sunglasses and left them on as they sat down.

"A hangover cure." Bianca bit her lip. It was getting harder and harder not to laugh as more and more of their group joined them and their pitiful conditions became known.

"Oh god, I hope so." Greenlee groaned.

"Good morning, ladies." Terri smiled as she placed steaming mugs of coffee in front of Bianca and Marissa.

"Terri, I really like you, but you're talking way too loud. Could you speak a little more quietly, please?" Natalia pleaded.

"Sorry. I'll do my best. I see we're only missing a couple of you."

"Jimmy was on the phone with his dispatcher. He'll be here soon." Kendall offered.

Randi nodded but winced immediately. "That wasn't a good idea. Madison and Amanda were going to be here soon I think. They were in really bad shape."

Terri shared an amused look with Bianca and Marissa. "How about I bring you all some coffee and Bob's cure?"

"If it'll stop my head from wanting to split open, I'll take it." Kendall muttered.

"I'll be right back."

Greenlee lowered her sunglasses a fraction and glared at the couple. "The two of you seem particularly chipper this morning. No hangover, Bianca?"

"Nope. Rissa took very good care of me last night."

"I bet she did."

Kendall groaned. "I really didn't that imagine in my head this morning."

"Sorry." Marissa smiled brightly.

"No, you're not."

"You're right, I'm not."

Terri returned with coffee and glasses containing a light brown liquid. "Okay, drink the coffee after you drink the other stuff. You'll be feeling a lot better in about 10 minutes."

Gail eyed the glass suspiciously. "What's in here?"

"You don't want to know."

"You're sure this works?" Lisa asked.

"It works every time. I promise."

"What the hell? I doubt it can make me feel worse than I already do." Aya shrugged and downed the concoction.

The others watched her as she shivered slightly and then took a swig of coffee.

"Well?" Natalia asked.

"It doesn't taste that bad. I can tell why you said to drink the coffee afterwards though. It helps with the aftertaste."

"That's the only problem with it. Bob's tried to fix that, but it usually makes it less effective when dealing with the hangover. It's a tradeoff."

One by one, the others drank the remedy followed quickly by their coffee.

"I'll bring some of our homemade biscuits over while you get your appetites back. Plus, they'll tide Bianca and Marissa over until you're ready."

"Thanks, Terri."

/

After 10 minutes, the group felt better.

"I'll be damned. It really works." Randi's surprise was clear at the revelation.

Lisa nodded. "It really does. I'm actually kinda hungry."

"Thank god. These biscuits are good, but I need something more to eat." Marissa sighed gratefully.

Terri returned. "How are we doing?"

"This stuff is amazing. Bob really needs to consider bottling this and selling it." Greenlee smiled as she felt ready enough to remove her sunglasses.

Kendall nodded as she ventured dealing with the morning light without shading her eyes as well. "She's right. This stuff is great. I think we're ready to order." She glanced up and saw Jimmy enter and waved him over. "Perfect timing, Jimmy. We're about to order."

"Oh great, I'm starving."

"You didn't happen to see Madison and Amanda, did you?" Randi asked.

"They were walking really slowly in this direction."

"I'll take your orders and bring some more coffee over along with two hangover cures for them."

"Sounds perfect." Bianca agreed and gave Terri her order.

/

Madison and Amanda stumbled into the restaurant just as Terri was returning with refills. They were met with knowing smiles from the others.

"How are you all in such good shape?" Madison asked.

Natalia handed her a glass. "Drink this and then some coffee. You'll feel better. Trust me."

The friends did as instructed, wanting nothing more than to stop their heads from pounding and an end to their nausea. Soon enough, they were feeling better like the others.

"So, Jimmy, what's the word?"

"A new car will be here in about two hours. If you want, I can still drive you into Philadelphia."

Greenlee thought for a moment. "We'll still miss our appointments at the spa."

Marissa shook her head. "We don't need to do that. We can check out some of the shops here and take our time getting back home."

"We can stop for a late lunch along the way." Bianca added.

"Are you sure, Binx?"

"Yeah, we are. If we go to Philadelphia, we'll pretty much have to turn around as soon as we get there. Where's the fun in that?"

"Exactly. Plus, even though you're all feeling better right now, you probably don't want to push it too much." Marissa finished.

Kendall nodded. "If that's what you want, that's what we'll do."

/

As the group ate, they chatted about the previous night's events.

Lisa pulled out her cellphone and pulled up a picture on it. "I have a question. Who is this guy, and why am I in a picture with him?"

Marissa laughed at her friend's confusion. "That would be Gil. You became good buddies after he stood up and gave his version of what happened to Officer Bray."

"Oh, I remember him now, nice guy, reminded me of one of my uncles."

"The two of you teamed up together for a drinking contest."

"Seriously? How'd we do?"

"You kicked everybody's ass."

The younger woman grinned proudly. "Cool!"

"So, it was kinda like Bianca kicking that other chick's ass?" Aya smirked.

"Pretty much." Marissa grinned.

"Bianca, I said it before, and I'll say it again. You are a badass." Stef raised her glass in the brunette's direction.

"Thanks. I have my moments. All of you aren't so bad yourselves. You all were right there."

"I can mark getting in a bar fight off my bucket list." Jan smirked.

The others laughed and nodded in agreement. Other pictures were found on different cellphones and holes filled in by Marissa, Bianca and Terri. Some of the stories and pictures were fairly embarrassing. Terri also had gotten a video of the brawl sent to her from one of her friends which was shared with the group.

Kendall fished out a business card from her purse and gave it to the server. "Terri, you have got to send that to me. Don't worry, everybody. I remember the oath we took last night. This will just be shared among us."

"I'll be happy to send it to you, Kendall. I also have videos of several of your performances. I'll send those along too."

"If I could, I'd like to propose a toast on behalf of Bianca and myself." Marissa, who had switched over to orange juice after finishing her coffee, raised her glass.

"Go for it, Rocky." Greenlee grinned.

"To all of you and particularly Kendall and Greenlee for giving us the best bachelorette party, ever."

Bianca nodded happily. "Definitely. Thank you all."

"We were all glad to do it." Kendall raised her coffee cup again. "I'd like to propose a toast of my own. To Bianca and Marissa, may you have a long, happy and adventurous life together."

"Here, here."

"To Bianca and Marissa!"

"To Minx!" Greenlee grinned. "And remember everyone, what happens in Shamokin…"

The group laughed and finished the toast. "Stays in Shamokin!"


	116. Getting Back to Work

**A/N****: Thanks for reading, following and reviewing! I appreciate it. I'm glad you all enjoyed the bachelorette party. It was fun to write. While I've never been in a situation quite like our Pine Valley crew was in, I have had some **_**interesting**_** experiences at various parties like the time my friends and I got a police escort **_**to**_** a party. That's a story for another time though. :D **

**Now, this is kind of a filler chapter. There's also a fun little bit I threw in that was something that popped into my head a while ago. It wouldn't let go and had to be written. I think it works okay in here. I'll leave it to you to try and figure out what it is. I have a question for all of you at the end of this chapter. Your input will be greatly appreciated. Okay, that's it for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Erica and Krystal had given the couple the weekend off from meeting with them about the wedding saying they wanted them to enjoy themselves at their bachelorette party, and Bianca and Marissa took full advantage of their slight reprieve and put the wedding plans on the backburner for a couple of days.

After picking up the kids and Max from Kendall and Zach's late Saturday, they headed home. Both mothers were exhausted having gotten little sleep the night before, a fact of which they happily accepted responsibility for. As luck would have it, the kids were equally exhausted having a late night themselves while under the care of their Uncle Zach and Ryan. It seems the men let them stay up later than usual for a video game marathon. The result of this indulgence had the kids tired a little earlier than normal when they got home Saturday night. They ordered takeout from Krystal's for dinner which Marissa picked up. The redhead had successfully avoided Krystal and Opal and any questions they might have about the party since they were both off. After dinner, the five gathered in the family room to watch 'Monsters University'. By the time the movie's credits rolled, AJ, Miranda and Gabby were more than willing to go to bed. The fact that they didn't put up a fight showed just how tired they were. Once they were tucked in and the family room and kitchen picked up from dinner and the snack of buttered popcorn the family had while they watched the movie, Bianca and Marissa headed to bed themselves. Both were asleep almost as soon as they had settled in. Sunday was a lazy day for the Tasker-Montgomery's. They all slept in and then had a leisurely breakfast. Since the weather was still somewhat mild, the kids played outside on their jungle gym while their mothers focused on a few minor chores around the house. When they were done, the family hiked through the woods to the pond nestled on their property for a picnic. All in all, it was a great weekend for the couple. There was some adult fun mixed in with some family time, a pretty good blend if you asked them.

/

Bianca walked into Krystal's and immediately spotted her fiancée, mother and future mother-in-law at the couple's table. The sight was not an uncommon one of late or unexpected given the fact that the wedding was less than two weeks away, but they hadn't met since last Thursday so there was work to be done. She observed the three women for a moment. Erica and Krystal were each trying to make a point. Marissa patiently listened to each while making notes on a legal pad. Bianca had to admit that Marissa's skills as in the area of family law definitely came in handy when dealing with their mothers and planning the wedding.

Marissa glanced up and saw Bianca. A beaming smile spread across both of their faces as the brunette joined the trio. The couple exchanged a quick kiss before Bianca took the seat next to her fiancée.

"What have I missed?"

As always, Erica charged forward and answered. "I heard from the manager of the flooring company …" The diva stopped when she saw Bianca's hand as she picked up the legal pad Marissa had been writing on. "Oh my, Bianca sweetheart, what on earth happened to your hand?"

Bianca glanced at her right hand. It was still a little sore from what had been dubbed by the Pine Valley crew as the 'Shamokin Smackdown'. While it was still a little tender, it looked worse than it felt. Her knuckles were a rainbow of colors of black, blue, purple, yellow and green. She mentally kicked herself for forgetting about the injury. She should've known that her mother would see it, and now, Bianca was going to have to come up with a logical explanation for what happened.

While her fiancée struggled for an answer, Marissa came to her rescue as she took the injured hand in her own. "Oh, that happened this weekend when we were out of town. We were standing by the car trying to figure out what we wanted to do when another one got a little too close to me. Bianca pulled me out of the way, and when she did, she hit her hand on the limo. We put ice on it right away, and I've been checking it for swelling and pain. Your daughter has promised me that it feels better."

Bianca silently thanked her fiancée for her quick thinking. "And it does."

"Are you sure? You might want to consider getting it checked." Erica was slightly suspicious of the redhead's explanation but couldn't find any glaring fault with it. Plus, her daughter didn't deny the story. It felt like there was more to it than just hitting it on a car.

"I'm sure. Marissa has been taking excellent care of me all weekend. Honestly, it looks worse than it feels, and don't worry, Mom, the bruising should be long gone before the wedding."

Erica rolled her eyes. While she was concerned how it would look for the wedding, she was more concerned how her daughter was feeling. "I am more worried about you're being in pain."

Bianca smiled. "I know, Mom. I'm kidding. I promise that it doesn't hurt. I'd actually forgotten about it until you mentioned it." Bianca couldn't help herself. She knew a small part of her mother was worried that it wouldn't be healed in time. "If it doesn't look better by the wedding, I'm sure we can come up with something to cover it up."

The diva huffed. She hated that her daughter knew her so well because Erica was already thinking ahead of ways to hide or disguise the injury so it didn't become a point of focus in the wedding pictures.

Krystal seized on the pause in the conversation to ask a question. "Speaking of this weekend, how was the bachelorette party? We jumped right into talking about the wedding that we didn't get to ask Marissa anything."

"Yes, do tell. How was it? Inquiring minds want to know." Opal asked as she appeared out of nowhere. She was dying to know what happened, hoping for some sliver of juicy gossip.

The couple exchanged a brief glance, remembering the pledge they had taken to not reveal anything that happened. Neither was going to break it because if they did it meant telling exactly what happened to Bianca's hand. That was not an option.

"It was great. I think I speak for Bianca when I say it was probably the best bachelorette party ever."

Bianca's grin matched Marissa's. "It definitely was."

"Well, what happened? I heard you were going to that fancy club in Philadelphia. How was it? Did you see anybody famous?"

"We didn't make it to Philadelphia. The limo broke down before we got there. We ended up having to make other plans which was just fine with us. We had a great group and made our own fun."

Marissa nodded. "Yes, we did."

Opal leaned in. "What did you do?"

"We're not at liberty to say."

"And why not?"

"Some things are just meant to be kept private. Sorry, Opal." Marissa shrugged.

"Don't look at me. I'm not going to tell you anything."

Opal narrowed her gaze at the couple. "Fine, be that way. I will find out though. Somebody's going to crack."

"Maybe, but if you do find out, it won't be from us." Bianca smiled.

Erica was amused by Opal's attempts. While she would've liked to have known what happened herself, she wouldn't push the issue. After all of these years, Erica was trying not to meddle as much, to give her daughters a wider berth. It was hard as hell, but she was trying. It didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated by her daughters either. Besides, she knew Kendall and Bianca were together and would keep each other safe as would Marissa. Erica also took comfort in that fact that she hadn't received any calls for help and that everyone had returned safely which was all she could really hope for given the fact that Greenlee was involved.

Krystal chuckled as Opal stalked away. "Let me go put your lunch orders in. You can all get started while I do that."

After Krystal left, Erica brought the discussion back to wedding. "As I telling Marissa before you got here, I talked to the flooring company. They have an opening and are able to install the dance floor this week. I think you should have them do it now. If something goes wrong, which it wouldn't dare, there's time to resolve it. And don't worry about it being exposed for longer. They'll be able to cover it so it doesn't get damaged."

The couple looked at each other and nodded.

"That makes sense and works for us. Good idea, Mom."

"Excellent! I'll go call them right now." Erica smiled and walked away from the table as she placed the call.

"Thanks by the way."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For coming up with that story about my hand."

"You're welcome. I figure the less Erica knows about what really happened, the better."

"You are so right about that. Have you heard anything from any of the others?"

"I heard from Stef and Gail. They're doing good. I could tell Brian wants to know what happened, but Stef told him that he wasn't allowed to ask me. If he did, she'd know, and there would be repercussions. I saw Lisa, naturally. She was in good shape too, but she's still trying to figure out how she ended up sleeping in the bathtub." Marissa grinned.

Bianca chuckled. "Stef and Aya were no help to her, huh?"

"Nope. She talked to them again yesterday, but they didn't know. She said all Aya knew was that Lisa was there when she went into the bathroom."

"Well if she does ever figure it out, maybe she'll be able to help out Jan."

"She still doesn't know why she was sleeping on the closet floor?"

"No clue. Aya seemed like her usual self and so did Jan except for the closet thing."

"Did you hear from Kendall or Greenlee?"

"I heard from Kendall. She was feeling pretty good, but there're a couple of bruises that she's found that she can't figure out where they came from. She said Greenlee was good too, but Randi and Madison were still moving slowly. According to what Randi told her, Natalia was fine as could be. Madison reported that that wasn't quite the case with Amanda. It seems she had a bit of a relapse. It was caused by her having a couple of glasses of wine after she got home Saturday and Trevor was asleep.

Marissa shook her head. "Terri warned everybody not to do that. She said it might counteract the hangover cure if you drank right away."

"Yeah, she did." Before Bianca could say anything else, both Erica and Krystal returned.

"Alright, let's get started." Krystal smiled.

"Yes, let's. We have less than two weeks and a great deal to do in that time. The floor has been taken care of. They will be there tomorrow to start work. Now, what about your dresses?"

"Bianca's is done, and I'm picking mine up the day after tomorrow."

"Good. What about your wedding rings?"

"Rissa is picking them up tomorrow afternoon."

Erica made a note and smiled. "Very good. What about the wedding license?"

"It's all ready and Bianca is picking that up while I get the rings."

Another note was made before Erica continued to review the other items. All in all, it was a successful lunch and the four women soon parted ways with Marissa and Bianca heading back to work, Krystal to her kitchen and Erica to take care of a few other details.

/

Zach and Ryan were leaning against the bar at Krystal's restaurant having a drink. They were celebrating a successful meeting with Jack where they finalized the creation of the Myrtle Fargate Foundation. Both men were pleased with the results and extremely happy to be free of Cambias. The name had brought a great deal of grief to their families.

"You picked a great name for it, Zach. There aren't many better than Myrtle."

Zach nodded. "No, you're right about that. She was definitely one of a kind. I'm glad you're doing this with me."

"Thanks for asking me."

"Hey, guys. What's up?"

Ryan turned and saw Jake approaching. "Just taking care of some business, Jake. How's it going with you?"

"Not bad. I'm glad Amanda's back home. Trevor had a hard time sleeping the other night when she was away at Bianca and Marissa's bachelorette party. You had their three to watch along with yours, didn't you? How'd that go?"

The other two men exchanged a quick and awkward look. Neither man wanted to go into certain details of the night.

Ryan cleared his throat. "It was fine. We didn't have any problems."

"Have any problems with what?" Scott asked as he joined the others.

"They watched AJ, Miranda and Gabby the other night during the bachelorette party."

"In addition to Spike, Ian and Emma? I'm impressed. Speaking of the party, have any of you heard exactly what happened the other night? Madison really hasn't said anything."

"Neither has Amanda."

"Kendall's not talking either. All I know is that the car broke down, and they ended up staying somewhere other than Philadelphia."

"Yeah, that's pretty much all Greenlee gave me too. For some reason, I have a feeling that it's better that we don't know what happened."

"What are you four handsome men talking about?" Opal asked as she and Krystal positioned themselves behind the bar.

"The bachelorette party the other night." Jake offered. "It seems that none of them are talking. Neither of you would happen to know anything, would you?"

Krystal chuckled. "I'm afraid not, and even if I did know, I wouldn't tell you. I don't want Kendall or Greenlee coming after me. I just know what Marissa and Bianca told me when they were in here at lunch."

"Which was what?" Scott asked.

"That they had a great time. I think you should face it, fellas, no one's talking. You're not going to find out what happened."

"Krystal's right. Trust me, I tried my best to pry some details out of them, but I didn't have any luck. And if I couldn't get them to spill anything, I know you're not going to."

The men shrugged. They supposed Opal was right. She did have a way of pumping people for information. Usually, they talked just to get her off their backs.

"How did you two do watching six kids? Marissa said theirs were in one piece when they picked them up Saturday. They didn't wear you out too much, did they?" Krystal asked.

Zach smiled tightly. "No, they were good. We didn't have any problems."

Ryan muttered under his breath so that no one other than Zach heard him. "You know, purple really is your color." The comment was a reference to the purple boa Zach wore at the tea party at Gabby's insistence. When he refused at first, Gabby pouted until he finally gave in.

Through gritted teeth, Zach responded in an equally low voice. "I'd watch it if I were you, _princess_."

That comment had Ryan wince at the memory of wearing the tiara that Emma had begged him to wear. Both men had managed to shrug off the tea party until their wives got home the next day. Both wore big smiles on their faces after Bianca and Marissa left. That was when they found out that Marissa had given her cellphone to Miranda who in turn somehow managed to take pictures of the tea party undetected. When the cellphone was returned the following day, Marissa sent the pictures to Kendall and Greenlee. The women were literally in tears after viewing them, and it took a while for them to collect themselves. For now, they weren't going to do anything with the pictures. They were holding onto them for 'a rainy day', something both men dreaded.

"I've got an order for Martin." A server announced.

Jake gestured to the woman. "That would be me. I told Amanda I'd pick us something up for dinner."

"Yeah, I'm doing the same for me and Madison."

The server reappeared as if on cue. "Chandler?"

"That's me. I'm going to head out. See ya later." Scott gave a short wave and left.

Krystal and Opal shared a look. There was something going on between Zach and Ryan. They were hiding something, and it only piqued the women's curiosity.

Opal eyed Ryan and Zach. "So what did you do the other night to keep the little ones occupied?"

Jake had yet to leave, his curiosity preventing him from leaving.

Ryan cleared his throat. There was no way he was going to tell them about the tea party. Part of him did want to tease Zach about it some more, but he knew better. Zach had more dirt on him because he had been made a princess and as such had been decked out much more elaborately then Zach had been. He just had a purple boa while Ryan had a tiara, pink boa and jewelry. It was as if the three girls were taking particular delight in dressing him up. Little did he know that that was exactly the case. Greenlee had spoken with the girls before leaving. She left them instructions to target Ryan in particular and made it worth their while with a nice bribe. "Oh, we just played some games and stuff like that. Speaking of dinner, I should probably get going. Greenlee and I are taking Emma out."

Zach managed to hide a smirk at his friend's discomfort. While there were a couple of embarrassing pictures of him, there were a lot more of Ryan, and they were much worse. "I need to go too. I want to stop by the office before I head home. There's a file I need to get for Jack. I'll see you tomorrow Ryan at Jack's office. Jake, I'd give up on finding out any details of what happened over the weekend. To be honest, I don't think you really want to know, and it's probably better for everyone concerned if you don't. It was good seeing all of you. If I don't see you before, I'll see you at the rehearsal dinner or wedding."

/

Bianca was sitting in the couple's home office and closed her eyes tightly willing the pounding in her head to go away but having no luck. The headache had made its presence known a while ago and had gotten worse as the evening wore on. The construction work being done outside around the pool and patio on the temporary dance floor was compounding the throbbing in her head. She really wished they hadn't agreed to let them start the work early. The wedding was still over a week away so they had time, but the firm installing it had an opening in their schedule and asked if they could start the job early. Erica thought it was an excellent idea. The couple conceded that it would be one less thing for them to have to worry about next week so they agreed.

The kids were fascinated by the whole process, especially AJ, and were watching with rapt attention from behind the sliding glass door in the kitchen after they had finished their homework. Truth be told, they wouldn't mind getting closer, but Bianca didn't feel it was safe at this point in the process. She was on her own for a few hours tonight while Marissa stopped at the designer's for her final fitting. If all went as planned, she would be bringing her wedding dress home with her tonight. Bianca's was finished the other day and safely stored in the room that would become the baby's room. Marissa's would be stored in the guest room in the basement.

More pounding and shouts was outside sounded as another slab of flooring was lowered into place. Bianca sighed and massaged her temples hoping to alleviate the pain to no avail though. There really was nothing she could do about it for now except grin and bear it and hope they would be finishing for the evening soon.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Bianca glanced up and saw Marissa looking at her with concerned eyes. She hadn't even heard her fiancée come in. "Yeah, I'm fine just taking a break on this paper."

Marissa shook her head. "You're lying. You have another headache, don't you?"

The brunette knew it was a losing battle to deny it so she didn't try. "Yeah, I do, and the construction's not helping."

"Stay here. I'll be right back."

Bianca merely nodded and watched as Marissa left the room. A few minutes later, the noise from outside stopped. Bianca sighed gratefully, knowing that Marissa was behind it. The redhead returned not long after with a glass of water and some aspirin.

"Take these." Marissa handed the medication to Bianca who obliged. "Good. Now, come with me."

Bianca took the proffered hand. "Where are we going? I really want to work on this paper a little bit more."

"I know you do, but you need a break. We're just going to go into the bedroom, and you are going to take a break for half an hour. You know you need to. You're not going to be able to concentrate on your paper right now anyway given your condition."

"You're right. I can't really see straight so a break will be good. Thank you for sending the workers away. You didn't really have to though."

"You're welcome, and yes, I did. We've got plenty of time for them to finish up. I don't like that you've been having so many headaches lately."

"I'm not too thrilled about it myself." Bianca quipped as she watched as Marissa closed the curtains which darkened the room and made it more comfortable for the brunette.

"Funny. I'm serious. I want you to see the doctor."

"I don't need to see the doctor. I'm fine."

"No, you're not, and you didn't let me finish. I want to see the eye doctor. You've been doing a lot more reading lately because of your class. I think your eyes might be behind these headaches."

"Why do you think that?"

"Back when I was studying for the bar exam, I was doing a lot of reading obviously and had quite a few headaches. A friend suggested I get my eyes checked. I didn't really think there was a connection but the headaches just kept up. When I finally broke down and went to get them checked, the eye doctor pretty much confirmed what my friend thought. He said all of that reading was putting a strain on my eyes and causing my headaches. I just didn't realize it. Hence, I needed glasses, and now, I wear them when I have a lot of reading to do."

"Hence? That's kind of a legal term like 'whereas' and 'party of the first part', isn't it? I _love_ when you go into lawyer mode."

Marissa chuckled. "And you tell me I'm impossible. As I was saying, there is another sign it could be your eyes. I've noticed you squinting a few times, and that's not good for you. Plus, you're due for an exam. It will make me feel better if you do. Besides, don't you want to be in good shape for the wedding and honeymoon?"

Bianca sighed. Marissa's tilted her head and gazed lovingly at her. It was a patented technique that the redhead had perfected in their time together and one that was guaranteed to have Bianca bend to her will because the brunette was absolutely unable to refuse her anything when she looked at her like that. It was something that Marissa knew all too well. "You don't fight fair sometimes. You know that, right?"

Marissa grinned. "I know. The same can be said for you too. So, you'll make an appointment?"

"Fine. Yes, I'll call tomorrow. Okay?"

"Okay and thank you. I won't have to go to 'plan E' now."

"Plan E as in Erica? Cute. And what did this plan consist of?"

"Me telling your Mom about you squinting. They say prolonged squinting could lead to wrinkles or crow's feet, and you know how Erica feels about wrinkles." Marissa smirked.

"Wow. You would threaten me with having to sit through a lecture from my Mom on wrinkles? You really don't fight fair, do you?"

"Nope, not when it comes to your health or safety. Now, lay down. I'll start on dinner and come back to check on you in a little while."

Bianca did as she was told as Marissa gave her a quick kiss before turning off the light and closing the bedroom door. Even though her head was still pounding, Bianca couldn't help but smile a little. After years of not having someone put her first and take care of her, she was now used to having that. It was something Marissa took as seriously as Bianca did when she cared for her. It was one of the many reasons that they made a great team.

/

_Three days later_

Bianca was sitting at the kitchen table scrolling through the wedding 'to do' list. She quickly glanced outside and smiled before crossing off the installation of the dance floor. The work had been completed last night, a fact everyone was happy about. It was now covered with a tarp to keep it protected. The crew would be back early the day of the wedding to clean and polish it. That was a very big thing to mark off. The next big thing was the set up for the DJ and making sure the feed for the electricity needed for it worked and was safe. To that end, the electrician would be stopping by tomorrow to begin work.

"All homework is done. We have a free weekend to run errands and have some fun before the insanity of next Saturday." Marissa grinned as she hustled into the kitchen. "The kids asked if we could order pizza for dinner."

"That sounds good to me. We both could do with a night off from cooking."

"Perfect. I'll order …"

Bianca glanced up when Marissa stopped mid-sentence. "Rissa, is everything okay?"

"What are those?"

"What? Oh, my glasses? I picked them up today. I thought I mentioned it this morning."

"No. No. Oh no, you didn't mention it. I, I, I would've remembered that, definitely."

"What do you think?"

Marissa cleared her throat as she walked over to the table, darkened hazel eyes never leaving warm chocolate ones. "I get it."

"Get what?"

"The thing you have about me wearing glasses."

"Whatever do you mean, _Counselor_?" Bianca smiled slowly while raising an eyebrow.

A slight shiver ran through the redhead. When her fiancée lowered her voice like she just had and called her that, it did wonderfully delicious things to Marissa and Bianca damn well knew it. "I think you know exactly what I mean, Montgomery." Marissa pulled Bianca's chair away from the table and straddled her before capturing her lips for a torrid kiss.

When they separated for air, Bianca grinned. "Isn't there a saying about people not making passes at girls who wear glasses?"

"Obviously, they never saw you wearing glasses. In that same vein, they better never make a pass at you if they know what's good for them."

"I could say the same for you. So, is it safe to save that you like my glasses?"

"Oh yeah, it's very safe to say that. I _love_ your glasses. I thought I was pretty clear about that, but if you're not sure, I'm more than willing to show you exactly how much I love them." Marissa leaned in again.

"Mom! Ma! Could we get breadsticks with our pizza?" Miranda called in from the family room.

"Don't forget the garlic dipping sauce!" AJ added.

"I don't like that sauce." Gabby pouted as their voices could be heard drawing closer to the kitchen.

The women reluctantly separated as Marissa groaned in frustration. "We _will_ finish this later."

"You won't get any arguments from me. I'm counting on it, especially after that kiss. You wear your glasses, and I'll wear mine, _Counselor_." Bianca grinned.

"It's a date." Marissa gave her a quick kiss before getting up and meeting the kids at the kitchen door. "Yes, we'll order breadsticks and both garlic and pizza sauces for them. We're also ordering salad which everybody has to eat some of, but we have plenty of ranch dressing so no excuses on not eating it."

"Okay, Ma."

"Thanks, Mommy!"

Bianca sighed happily as the voices faded away as her four favorite people walked back to the family room. She definitely wasn't expecting Marissa to have that reaction to her glasses, but there was not a chance in hell that anyone would hear her complain about it. Her fiancée had entered that stage of her pregnancy where her sex drive had increased. The couple had a very healthy sex life as it was, but now, it was off the charts. Again, Bianca wasn't going to complain and was more than happy to be the recipient of those particular surging hormones. She was also thankful to be able to keep up with Marissa. That kiss had Bianca really hoping for an early night for the kids. She shook her head to clear it of those wonderfully distracting thoughts and went back to reviewing their 'to do' list for the wedding.

**/**

**A/N: Okay, I have a question for all of you. As you can probably tell, the Minx wedding is fast approaching. Would you prefer it in one long chapter or broken up into two? One long chapter might mean that I have to skip a regular Saturday update. Let me know what you think. Regarding the next chapter, I have plans to be out with friends all day next Saturday so I'll either have to update late Saturday or sometime on Sunday. I just wanted to give you a heads up on that. See you soon! **


	117. W is for

**A/N****: I apologize for the day's delay, but I was out all day yesterday and didn't have a chance to edit. I also did a little rewrite of this chapter. The more I thought about something I had written in it, the more I wasn't 100% sold on it. Basically, I talked myself out of it. I think this works better and hope you do too. **

**Here's a quick update on what I've seen on Twitter regarding AMC 2.0 (again, I'm not watching it anymore, but I thought this was an interesting tidbit). PP already shelved One Life to Live to focus on AMC. The speculation now is that PP is going to shelve AMC as well. There was supposed to be a big announcement on Friday about this, but that didn't happen. Hmmm, PP not responding on rumors of shelving AMC? To quote NY Yankee great Yogi Berra, "this is like déjà vu all over again". **

**Thanks as always for reading, following and reviewing! I owe another big thank you for the input on what to do chapter-wise for the wedding! I really appreciate it all! I was leaning towards one big chapter, but I was swayed by your comments so it will be broken up. As for this chapter, you will see that we are getting really close to the wedding. I have a quick question for you, dear readers. What are your thoughts are items Bianca and Marissa can use as 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'? I have ideas on a couple of the items, but I'm not really sold on what I have for the others. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to drop this as a review or PM me. It will be greatly appreciated!**

**Okay, that's enough for now. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

_Thursday_

Marissa sighed as she looked at the clock on her desk. She didn't think it was possible but time seemed to be both flying and dragging at the same time. Both she and Bianca had taken tomorrow off so this was their last day of work before the wedding. Marissa had been working non-stop since getting into the office that morning. This included working through lunch and having Lisa run out and grab them something. Her paralegal had been even more of a godsend today than usual. She had fielded calls, grabbed needed files or research and ran to the clerk's office to file several briefs. Marissa wanted to clear her desk so she wouldn't have anything hanging over her head while she was gone or anything pressing when she got back from their honeymoon, and by pitching in like she was, Lisa was helping make that goal a very real possibility. A smile slowly spread across Marissa's face as the thought of being alone with Bianca for a whole week had her mind wandering, again. It was something that had happened a handful of times during the day. As much as she tried, it couldn't be helped. Luckily for her, Lisa was there to help get her back on track and re-focused on the matters at hand.

The paralegal chuckled softly as she walked back into the office and spotted Marissa behind her desk. The redhead had that dreamy look on her face which could mean only one thing, she was thinking about Bianca, again. Lisa cleared her throat causing Marissa to snap out of her daydream and blush.

"I was doing it again, wasn't I?"

Lisa grinned and nodded. "Afraid so. I've got that research for you, and I know you won't be surprised when I tell you that you were right. There is a precedent."

Marissa did a little fist pump as she took the law book from the paralegal. "Yes! This is great. Thank you, Lisa."

"You're welcome. I think I can help you with your other problem."

"What problem?"

"The daydreaming one."

"Ah, that one. What'd ya got?"

"Once you get that brief written up, you're done and can go home."

Marissa couldn't hide her surprise at the unexpected news. "Really? Don't mess with me, Lisa. That's not cool to do to someone getting married in two days."

Lisa laughed. "I know, and I wouldn't do that to you. That's honestly the last piece of work you've got to do. After that, you are free from this place and don't have to be back for 11 days."

"That's best news I've gotten all day. Let's get this done. There are a few more things I need to take care of for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner."

Brian knocked on the door. "Hey, I don't mean to interrupt. I know you want to get out of here, but I have a delivery for you." He smiled as he handed a box to Marissa.

The redhead grinned as she opened it to reveal a single red rose.

"It's amazing to me that the two of you are still doing this. Am I ever going to get to read any of the cards?"

Marissa shook her head as she plucked the card from the box eager to read what Bianca came up with this time. "Nope. It's just between Bianca, me and I guess our florist, and none of us are talking." She pulled the card out and laughed as she read the sentiment because it was just another example of Bianca and her being on the same page.

_M,  
>Wife, and I do love how that sounds. I can't wait to call you mine and to be called yours.<br>All my love,  
>B<em>

"Judging by that smile, it must be a good one."

"The best! Thanks for delivering this. Now, get out of here. I've got to finish this up and then I'm outta here."

Brian chuckled. He understood how she felt. He had felt the same way before his wedding. "You got it. I'll see you Saturday."

"I'll see you then!" Marissa smelled the rose before placing it back in the box. Normally, she would put it in the vase she kept on her desk, but she wouldn't be doing that today. This one, she was taking home. "Okay, Lisa, let's get back to work so I can get outta here."

/

"Thank you for your donation, Mrs. Holmes. It is truly appreciated and will be put to good use here."

"You're welcome, and thank you for taking the time to give me this tour. You have done wonderful work here and everything you have accomplished here is simply amazing. I had no idea of everything that the Center did, the services that it offered and all of the people touched by it."

"Unfortunately, abuse doesn't discriminate. It doesn't care about your age, the color of your skin, your sexual orientation, your gender, your nationality, whether or not you are religious and if you are what religion you practice, the level of your education, your social standing or the amount of money you have. None of that matters."

The older woman nodded solemnly. "Yes, I'm afraid this is something I'm learning."

Bianca had a feeling Mrs. Holmes was alluding to a personal experience of some sort but was choosing not to reveal it just yet. The brunette knew not to press. "In that same vein, the Miranda Center doesn't discriminate either. We don't judge. We simply try to help. Please believe me when I say that I don't do this by myself. We have an excellent staff, and everyone here is vital to the success of the Center."

"Bianca, I'm sorry to interrupt, but the computer techs have compiled that report for you and need your answer."

The brunette nodded. "Thanks, Jan. I really need to take care of this, Mrs. Holmes. We're looking to upgrade our computer system, something we haven't done in quite some time and it's needed very badly. Thank you again for your donation. If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to ask any member of our staff. They are more than willing and able to answer any questions you might have."

"Thank you, Ms. Montgomery, for your time." When Bianca returned to her office, the older woman turned to Jan. "Excuse me, but would Ms. Montgomery have time to speak again say tomorrow or early next week?"

Jan shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Bianca is off tomorrow and all of next week. She'll be unavailable."

"Are you quite certain of that? I'm sure she would be able to make some time if you told her I needed to speak with her."

The assistant could see the determination in the other woman's eyes and knew there was only one way to deter her from her goal of meeting again with Bianca next week. Jan wasn't one to reveal personal information regarding her boss, but she felt it was necessary to reveal a small bit this time. Besides, it wasn't something that was a secret. "I am. Bianca will be on her honeymoon."

The older woman seemed surprised by this. "After everything that she's seen here and that she deals with day in and day out, she's getting married?"

"Yes, she is. There is one thing I know about Bianca. She has this amazing ability to see the positive side of life despite dealing with its darker side every day. She's found someone that has that same ability, and they are incredible together, an inspiration to the rest of us, and in particular to those that the Center helps. For them to see that love and happiness is possible, it gives them hope, something that they really need especially at a time in their lives that brings them here."

Mrs. Holmes thought for a moment before agreeing. "I suppose you're right. That is inspiring. Good for her. Ms. Montgomery told me she had an excellent staff, one that she couldn't do all of this without, one that she trusted completely. It looks like she was right. Perhaps you and I could talk next week?"

Jan nodded. "I can arrange that, and if you still want, I can set something up for you to talk to Bianca when she gets back."

"Thank you. I'll call you tomorrow, and we can set something up. Have a good day, and please, tell Ms. Montgomery congratulations for me."

"I will." As Mrs. Holmes left, Jan saw the delivery boy from the florist making his weekly appearance. "Hi, Nolan."

The teen grinned. "Hi, Jan. I have a delivery for Bianca."

Jan chuckled. "Of course you do. Grayson Florist has to love her and Marissa." The assistant removed some money that Bianca had set aside for tips for these deliveries and handed it to Nolan.

"Thanks! Yeah, they have been good for business between these weekly deliveries, all of the special ones they come up with and the wedding. Charlie's working on their bouquets, and they are pretty special. They're going to love them. I better get going. If Bianca asks, the delivery to Marissa's office has been made. Maybe I'll see you Saturday when we're setting up for the wedding. Have a good one."

"You too."

Bianca appeared a minute later. "Jan, I'll be in the conference room if anyone needs me. Nick has something set up in there about the upgrade he wants me to see."

"Okay, but first, this is for you." Jan smiled as she handed the box to Bianca whose eyes lit up.

"Thank you." Bianca opened the box to reveal the perfect red rose. The brunette opened the card and read the heartfelt sentiment from Marissa.

_B,  
>This rose is brought to you by the letter 'W'. 'W' stands for wife and in two days, my dream will come true when I become yours and you, mine.<br>With all my love,  
>M<em>

Bianca smiled brightly as a giggle escaped. _Judging by that first line, I think Rissa watched a little too much Sesame Street with Gabby earlier this year._ The brunette laughed at the memory of the two of them watching the show together and Marissa imitating the Count perfectly much to the delight of their youngest.

Jan had to admit that she was a little shocked. Her boss had actually giggled. She couldn't recall Bianca ever doing that. The brunette was practically radiating happiness and Jan couldn't be happier for her. "It must be a really good message."

"Yep! It definitely is. I'm going to go put this in my office and then head to the conference room."

"Alright. Oh, Bianca, when you're done with Nick, you can go. That's your last meeting of the day."

"Really?! That's the best news you could've given me, Jan. Thanks!"

/

Marissa made it home first and sighed happily as she pulled into the garage. While she was at work she hadn't been sure if the day would ever end. After a brief moment of solitude, she headed inside and found Susan and the kids gathered around the kitchen table.

"Hey, guys."

The four looked like deer caught in the headlights. Susan recovered first and quickly hid whatever they were working on.

"Hi, Ma."

"Hi, Mommy."

"Hi, Ma."

"Hey, Marissa. How was the last day of work for a while?"

"Long. It's definitely good to be home."

"I bet. Well, I better go. So, 10:00 tomorrow morning, right?"

"Yes and thank you. You're watching these guys tomorrow is a really big help for Bianca and me."

"It's no problem. I'm glad to help. I'll see you all tomorrow." Susan smiled and left, taking whatever it was she and the kids had been working on with her.

"Okay, my minions, I'm going to go change and then we'll work on our plans for tonight." Marissa grabbed her stuff and headed back to the master bedroom.

/

Once she had changed from her work clothes into something more comfortable, Marissa returned. "I was thinking since it's so nice outside that we could grill something for dinner. What do you think?"

AJ's eyes lit up. "Could we have hamburgers, Ma?"

"We sure can."

"That sounds like a great idea to me."

Marissa turned and saw Bianca. "Hey, you're home early."

After sharing a quick kiss with her fiancée and greeting the kids, Bianca replied. "So are you. I think Jan and Aya couldn't wait to get rid of me. It seems I kept daydreaming."

"Ha! I had the same problem. I don't know what I would've done if Lisa wasn't there to keep me focused. My mind kept wandering."

"It's weird. The day seemed to both drag and fly by at the same time."

"I know what you mean. I felt the same way."

"Well, we're done with work for a while and tonight is just about the five of us. So, what's the plan other than grilling out?"

"Could we play some games and maybe a movie?" Miranda asked hopefully.

Bianca nodded. "I like it."

"I do too. Okay, why don't you go change, and I'll start working on dinner."

"Don't move the grill without me." Their grill had been moved from its regular location to allow for more room for the wedding and reception. Its current location wasn't the best for using it so a move was needed. Even though it had wheels, the grill was definitely heavy, and Bianca wasn't going to take a chance on Marissa hurting herself or the baby by trying to move it on her own.

Marissa smiled. "I won't. I promise."

/

After dinner, the family played a few games as well as watched, per Miranda's request, 'Beauty and the Beast'. The movie was Miranda's favorite. It was Gabby's turn to pick a bedtime story, and tonight, she asked for one that wasn't in a book. Bianca grinned at the idea of being treated to a 'Marissa original' story. The redhead agreed, and after a few minutes, told the story of two princesses who met, fell in love, endured a few trials and tribulations, but remained steadfast. In the end, their love had triumphed over all of the obstacles that had been thrown into their path. As their reward, they were married and lived happily ever after. The other four were mesmerized by Marissa's tale and silently agreed to have her tell an original story again.

The kids were tucked in after the story, and the couple retired to their bedroom. Bianca was going over the list of things they needed to do tomorrow.

"I was talking to Kendall earlier, and she thinks it's a good idea to take Max home with them tomorrow after the rehearsal."

"Well, we owe the idea to my brilliant fiancée. It only makes sense because it's one less thing for them to have to deal with on Saturday. So, we'll pack the kids bags tomorrow and have those ready to go. I think Zach may want to inspect them before letting them into the house."

Bianca snorted. "I think you're right. He doesn't want a repeat of the tea party incident."

"Can you blame him? Although, compared to Ryan, he got off lightly."

"Well that's because of Greenlee's bribe."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, that's true." The redhead slid under the covers and pulled Bianca close for a loving kiss.

The brunette grinned. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"That was me thanking you for my rose. I loved the card that came with it."

Bianca hummed her approval of Marissa's method of thanking her as she moved her tablet to the nightstand. "You're welcome and thank you for my rose. You kind of outdid yourself on the card."

"I try." Marissa moaned as the brunette's lips found purchase on her pulse point.

"You succeed." Bianca murmured as the redhead wrapped her arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Enough talking. Have your way with me, woman." Marissa grinned.

"As you wish."

/

_Friday_

In just a little over 24 hours, Marissa and Bianca would be married. It was the first thought both women had when they woke up that morning. It was a thought that had them linger in bed and enjoy their 'morning routines'. Since the kids were off school for a teachers' in-service day, they didn't have to rush around getting them ready for it. Whey they were finally able to pull themselves out of bed, they padded down to the kitchen to start on breakfast. While Bianca finished getting everything ready, Marissa woke up the kids.

Gabby, ever the morning person, bounded into the kitchen and happily greeted Bianca. AJ and Miranda, on the other hand, stumbled in and mumbled a 'good morning'. Bianca chuckled, amazed at the differences in the three's personalities, and set their breakfasts in front of them. In the center of the table, there was a small, crystal vase that held two perfect red roses. The kids noticed the roses the night before but didn't say anything. Roses were not that uncommon in their house because their mothers had a habit of sending them to each other. Gabby chattered away, and AJ and Miranda finally began to perk up as the family ate breakfast.

The plans for the day were discussed while everyone ate. There were errands that needed to be run and a lot to do around the house before the rehearsal and dinner later that evening. Susan was coming over to watch the kids while Bianca and Marissa did their running. The kids were tasked with picking up their rooms while they were gone. During this time, the couple had a cleaning company coming over to take care of the areas that would receive the largest traffic tonight and tomorrow. Both women were loathed to do this, but they simply didn't have enough time before the wedding to do it themselves. The company would be back in the morning to take care of what needed to be done outside. A check of the weather for the umpteenth time indicated a sunny day with temperatures in the 70's, perfect weather for a perfect day.

When breakfast was finished, the dishes were rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher, and everyone got ready for the day ahead. As soon as Susan arrived, the couple was off.

/

Marissa walked into Krystal's with a smile that could only be described as blinding.

"Would you just look at that smile. It's like the sun just burst into this place and lit it all up."

The redhead laughed. "Hey, Opal. How are you doing today?"

"Well, I'm good but not as good as you judging by that smile on your face."

"It seems that I just can't stop smiling today."

"I have a feeling that will be even tougher for you tomorrow."

"I do believe you're right."

"Good morning, Marissa dear."

Marissa turned and saw Erica and Kendall. "Good morning my soon to be mother-in-law and sister-in-law!"

Erica chuckled. "I don't have to ask how you are this morning, my soon to be daughter-in-law. I assume my daughter shares this mood."

"Yup!"

Kendall grinned at the redhead. She was practically bouncing on her heels with excitement. "So, dear soon to be sister-in-law, where is Binx?"

"She's running a few errands right now, but she'll be here in a few minutes."

"Good morning, Marissa."

"Morning, Krystal."

"Let me guess. You're checking to make sure everything is set for tonight?"

Marissa grinned. "I'm that obvious, huh?"

"Just a little, and I don't mind. In fact, I'd be surprised if you didn't. Everything is set. We're closing the restaurant at 5:00 and packing everything up. The servers know what they need to do and will have things ready once the rehearsal is over."

"Thanks. I feel bad that you're closing up tonight. That's …"

Krystal cut her daughter off. She was thrilled that the couple agreed to let her cater the rehearsal dinner. Krystal was footing the bill for this, including paying the servers. It was something she wanted to do for them. So when they agreed, she talked to her staff and told them of her plans to shut down the restaurant for the evening and asked if anyone would be interested in working it. Since they knew and really liked the couple, all of them volunteered. Krystal picked her best servers and went over the details with them several times. While the restaurant was closed tonight, it would be open tomorrow for business as usual, just without Krystal and Opal. Krystal had mentioned the idea of catering the wedding to Bianca, but the younger woman politely declined. She wanted Krystal to enjoy the day and knew she wouldn't if she was worried about making sure everything was perfect for the wedding dinner. In the end, Krystal realized that Bianca was right. "It's nothing. I'm more than happy to do this for you and Bianca."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. And before you ask, yes, we've got the chocolate cakes baked and will be icing them shortly."

Marissa grinned. "That's good to know. Bianca will be relieved. She's really looking forward to it."

"Right, only Bianca will be relieved and she's the only one looking forward to it." Krystal chuckled knowing that all of the members of the Tasker-Montgomery family loved the dessert.

A few minutes later, Bianca entered with a smile equal in brilliance to Marissa's. "This looks like the place to be."

"Well, you look just as happy as this one here." Opal cracked.

"Why wouldn't I be? I get to marry her tomorrow after all."

Marissa grinned. "Oh yeah, that! Ditto."

"Ah, if it isn't the happy couple!"

"Hey, Tad."

"Ladies. Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you for tomorrow?"

Marissa nodded. "We're sure. We just need you to bring your charming self and your girls."

"I think I can manage that. So, what are you doing today?"

"We're just checking on some last minute details. Did you get everything on your list done, B?"

"Yep. What about you?"

"Everything's taken care of. And Krystal said she's all set for tonight including the dessert."

Bianca grinned. "Thank you, Krystal." The brunette checked the time. "Ooh, we need to get home."

When Marissa saw how late it was, she nodded. "Oh, you're right. We do."

"We'll see you all in a few hours."

/

Tad watched the couple leave. "I don't know that I've ever seen either of them happier."

"I do believe you're right, Tad, and I don't know two other people who deserve that happiness more."

Erica nodded, agreeing completely with her daughter's sentiment. "I agree, and we're going to make sure nothing changes that, especially tomorrow."

"My gal pal here is right. Thaddeus, what does JR have to say?"

"And where is he?"

"He's still out in California, Krystal."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. I have a contact out there, and he's been keeping an eye on JR. As to your question, Mama, I talked to JR yesterday."

"And?"

"And he's really accepted that things are over with Marissa. He still struggles a little bit with the fact that she's with Bianca, but he knows how happy AJ is with them. JR doesn't want to do anything to mess that up. He said if that means working harder to get over those feelings he has about their relationship then he'll do it. He knows that if does anything to try and wreck their relationship that AJ would never forgive him. He's definitely right about that."

"That's all well and good for him to say that, but you'll have to excuse me if I'm a little skeptical. JR doesn't have the greatest of track records when it comes to honesty."

"Mom's right. I want to believe him, but I just can't. I'm not going to take any chances with their happiness."

"So, you talked to Zach?"

"Yeah, I did, Krystal. With Mom's help, Zach was able to get a couple of security guards placed with both the caterer and the valet service they hired to take care of the parking in addition to a few others that we won't see."

Krystal was able to breathe easier with this knowledge. "Do you think either of them have any idea about any of this?"

"If they do, they're not saying. They have told me that they refuse to let him get to them again. This isn't about JR. It's about the two of them as well as the kids. They said that if he tries something, they'll deal with it. He doesn't have any power over what they do or their lives."

Erica smiled proudly upon hearing the couple's thoughts. She had no doubt that they meant every word of what they had told Kendall. "They're right, and I'm very glad to hear them say that. Even so, it doesn't hurt for us to be prepared just in case."

The others nodded.

/

"It seems like they're having a meeting of the minds in there." Bianca smirked.

"It does. I'm sure they're planning something, but I don't think it's anything we need to worry about." Marissa offered matter-of-factly as she fastened her seatbelt.

"I agree. They have gotten better about behaving themselves. Let's get home. We have a lot to do for tonight."


	118. The Rehearsal

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading, following and reviewing! It's really appreciated. I also appreciate the ideas I received in reviews and via PM. You definitely gave me some ideas and also guessed something I had in mind. **

**I have a small update on AMC 2.0. It has officially been cancelled. I'm torn because the show will most likely not come back ever again. That being said, I wasn't happy with the direction they took. So, I've decided that the reboot never happened. As much as I hated the cliffhanger, I hated that they burst our Minx bubble in the reboot even more. The bubble will continue in this story for as long as I have ideas! You have my word on that! **

**I have a small favor to ask if you wouldn't mind. I applied for another job in my group that would basically be a promotion for me as well as a bump in pay. I don't think I'll know anything about it for a couple of weeks. Would you all keep your fingers crossed for me? Thanks! I'd appreciate it! **

**Okay, that's enough for now. This chapter focuses on the wedding rehearsal. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

"Mitch, Bianca and Marissa said to pull around to that side of the house. We'll park by the garage and carry everything in through there into the kitchen. It's closer for us. We'll have that be our staging area for getting everything ready for the dinner."

The man nodded and followed his boss's directions. "You got it, Krystal." Mitch and Krystal were driving in the restaurant's delivery van while the other servers followed behind in a different car.

As the van headed in the direction indicated, Krystal caught a glimpse of Aya and Sam talking to Bianca and Marissa. The couple spotted the restaurant's van and waved to them. Krystal waved back. She saw Marissa say something to the pair before giving each a hug and walking towards the direction Krystal and her servers were driving. She couldn't help but wonder why they were there tonight. She shook her head as they parked and were greeted by Marissa.

"Hey, you're right on time."

"Hi, Marissa. Krystal says we'll be setting up in the kitchen?"

"Yeah, follow me, and I'll show you where everything is."

"Go ahead, Mitch, I'll bring the others in."

/

"Sam, I think that's our cue to leave."

The teen nodded to Aya. "You're right, it is."

Bianca eyed the pair. "Are you sure you don't want to stay? You know that you're more than welcome, and knowing Krystal, they'll be more than enough food."

Aya nodded. "We know, but we both have plans tonight."

"Besides, if we stay, everybody's gonna wonder why we're here, and you and Marissa won't be able to keep what you have planned secret."

"Sam's right. You won't. We both know that the two of you have only been able to keep a few of the things you want to do for the ceremony and reception secret, and that you want to surprise the others. I think they're really going to like it."

Bianca conceded the point. "Okay, you're both right. Thank you again for doing this, and you're really great. Marissa and I couldn't be happier to have you both a part of our wedding."

"We're honored to be a part of it." Aya hugged Bianca.

"Yeah, we really are. And after everything the two of you have done for me, this is the least I can do."

Bianca hugged the teen. "You don't owe us anything, Sam. You've come a very long way and have worked hard to be here. We're very proud of you."

"Thanks. That really means a lot to me."

"Alright, I need to get her home and then meet Kate. We'll see you tomorrow."

Bianca watched Aya and Sam walk to the car before heading inside.

/

"Could I ask you something, Marissa?"

The redhead looked at her mother and shrugged. "I don't see why not."

"I'm just curious. What were Aya and Sam doing here? There's nothing wrong is there?"

"No, nothing's wrong. They just stopped by to take care of something for Bianca and me."

Krystal nodded in relief. That made sense to her because both worked at the Center with Bianca and Marissa was handling the legal issues Sam that had brought the teen into their lives.

"Could I ask you something?"

"Of course you can." Krystal smiled.

"What did you all talk about after Bianca and I left the restaurant earlier? Wait, let me guess. You were talking about JR."

Krystal sighed. She should've known that her daughter would've figured them out. "Yes, we were. We're just worried about you and Bianca and want to make sure he doesn't try anything to ruin your day."

Marissa smiled softly. She and Bianca had thought it was something along those lines. "Thank you. That means a lot to both of us. We're not worried about him though."

"Worried about whom?" Bianca asked as she joined them.

"JR. It seems we were right. It was a meeting of the minds earlier about him."

"Ah, if I know my Mom and sister, plans are in place for whatever all of you came up with."

Marissa chuckled. "Yeah, I have no doubt about that. We appreciate your concern, but like I said before, we're not worried about him. There's nothing that he can do to us, not anymore. Bianca and I refuse to give him any power over us or our lives. This isn't about him. It's about the two of us, our family and our future. It's really that simple." Marissa glanced away when she heard someone at the front door. "I'll get it."

After her daughter left, Krystal looked at Bianca. "Is she really okay? Are you really okay?"

"Yeah, we're both okay, _really_. She meant everything that she just said about JR not running our lives and so do I. We're focusing on our wedding and future. And we don't need to know whatever you all have planned. We'll let you guys handle that, and we'll take care of the ceremony and making sure that we don't flub our vows. Deal?"

Krystal smiled. "Deal. So, David's coming tomorrow?"

Bianca started to answer but was interrupted by Marissa who was followed by Kendall, Zach, Erica, Jack, Greenlee and Ryan who had all arrived at the same time. Spike, Ian and Emma had joined AJ, Miranda and Gabby downstairs in the playroom.

"Yes, he is, thanks in large part to Bianca. We made him promise not to cause any trouble. That reminds me, Zach, would you mind keeping an eye on him? You know, make sure he doesn't start anything with Kendall, Erica, Tad, Krystal, Greenlee, Ryan and well pretty much all of our other guests?"

Zach chuckled. "It looks like I could be busy tomorrow, but you got it. David will not be a problem for either of you. You have my word on that."

"Thank you. I know it's a lot to ask, but we both would appreciate it. And before the rest of you say anything, Bianca and I know that you are all perfectly capable of taking care of yourselves and then some, but for the kids' sake, please let Zach handle it tomorrow. We really don't want Jesse or Brot to have to interrupt the reception by hauling people away." Marissa smirked.

The redhead then spotted the photographer waving to her from outside. She had come over to find the best spots for her shots tomorrow as well as to take some photos of the rehearsal. "It looks like Brenda needs me. I better go see what she wants. Zach, if you need more help to keep an eye on David, you could always ask whoever you have planted in with the caterers or the valets that will be keeping an eye out for JR to help."

All but Bianca stood in shock by the comment Marissa had tossed over her shoulder as she went outside. While the others were left with their mouths hanging open, Bianca laughed. Judging by their reactions, the brunette knew that her fiancée had guessed exactly what they had planned.

Greenlee shook her head. She had been filled in on the plan by Kendall. "How in the hell did she know that?"

"In case you've forgotten, my fiancée is brilliant so you really shouldn't be surprised she figured it out. When you stop to think about it, it's the only logical plan. I mean it's what I'd do if our roles were reversed." Bianca heard someone at the front door and checked the time. "That should be Reverend McSherry. Continue with your planning."

After Bianca left, the others burst out laughing. They could tell by the amused expressions on the couple's faces that they weren't upset but merely accepting and that Bianca was right. They would do the same thing for any of them if the need ever arose.

"You called that right, Kendall, when you said you thought they probably had an idea that something was going on." Krystal stated plainly.

"Yeah, I guess I did. I've learned not to underestimate them. They're both pretty sharp as it is, but when you put them together, it's damn near impossible to get something over on them."

"Well, Marissa's right about having the security stationed with the caterers and valets help out with David. It's a really good idea, and I'll mention it to them tomorrow."

"Excellent. Now, I believe it's time to put this particular discussion on hold for the moment and get started with the rehearsal." With that said, Erica headed outside. The others looked at each other with smiles on their faces, shrugged and followed. The diva had spoken.

/

Reverend McSherry was introduced to everyone upon her arrival and immediately put everyone at ease. They could easily see why the couple liked her and chose her to perform the ceremony. They could also see how much she liked the family. She addressed photographer first. "Will you be able to find a stationary position for taking pictures during the ceremony? I'm only asking because I'd rather you not be running around while it's going on."

The photographer nodded. She understood exactly what and why she was being asked. She knew that Bianca and Marissa were the focus. "Yes, that won't be a problem. I've found spots for both me and my assistant to shoot from during it. We won't be in the way. This is all about Bianca and Marissa."

The minister smiled. "Thank you. Believe it or not there are some photographers who don't feel that way. Alright, the ceremony will be conducted here, correct?" Reverend McSherry was standing on the patio near the sliding glass doors that lead inside the house.

Bianca answered. "Correct. We're going to have a drape covering the doors. Marissa and I will enter from opposite sides. Kendall will be with me, and Greenlee will be with Marissa. The kids will come down this middle section."

"That sounds perfect. The music for them?"

Marissa spoke up. "We have it on my iPod for today. The DJ will be playing it through his system tomorrow."

"Very good. Let's get started then shall we?"

As the others took a seat, the kids walked back to their starting point. Their mothers had rehearsed this part with them a few times last night. Bianca and Kendall headed around the right side of the house and Marissa and Greenlee to the left side.

Jack had cued up the song the kids would be marching down the aisle to on Marissa's iPod. Miranda glanced towards Erica. Upon receiving a nod from her grandmother, she, AJ and Gabby walked down what would be the center aisle once the chairs for the guests were lined up.

AJ, as the ring bearer, was carrying the pillow that tomorrow would hold his mothers' wedding rings. He was a little nervous and afraid he might trip causing the rings to go flying and become lost. The couple assured him they would be secured to the pillow and not to worry. They trusted him. That was all the assurance the boy needed to hear to boost his confidence.

Gabby, as the flower girl, held a basket and pretended to sprinkle rose petals as she walked. She would have real petals tomorrow. She was taking her role seriously and practiced her technique many times since she had been asked by her mothers. Gabby was a little nervous as well about tomorrow but felt better knowing she would be beside her brother and sister.

Miranda was a junior bridesmaid and walked proudly holding a practice bouquet. Like her brother and sister, she would have the real deal tomorrow. Bianca and Marissa discussed what roles the kids could have in the ceremony. AJ and Gabby were pretty much no-brainers for them, but Miranda was a different story. Both agreed that she was too old to be a flower girl and felt that it would take away from Gabby if they had the same role as well. After doing a little research, the couple decided on the role of junior bridesmaid. Miranda was beyond thrilled when her mothers asked her and readily accepted. With Marissa's guidance, she went online to see what the typical responsibilities were for junior bridesmaids and eagerly embraced them. When Miranda attended the bridal shower her grandmother threw, she felt so grown up and beamed when her Aunt Kendall asked her to document who gave what gift to her mothers. _The shower thrown by Kendall and Greenlee was a different matter altogether with its decidedly more adult theme and wasn't shared with the kids. What they didn't know in this case didn't hurt anyone._ Miranda had proven to be a big help, a fact which didn't surprise her mothers one bit.

After the kids reached their final destination, they were joined by Kendall and Greenlee moments later as the music stopped.

Reverend McSherry then spoke. "At this point, Erica and Krystal will rise indicating for the guests to follow suit." The women did as instructed. "The song for Bianca and Marissa will start. You have your music timed out?"

Bianca answered. "Yes, we do."

"Okay. Whenever you're ready, ladies."

The couple began walking with their wedding tune playing in their heads. They smiled as soon as they saw each other, both imagining what the other would look like tomorrow. They met in the middle and walked hand in hand until they reached the minister.

"Nicely done. At this point, I'll ask everyone to be seated. I'll offer a greeting, and then ask 'who supports this couple in their marriage' to which you all will respond 'I do'. This is indicated in the program. I will then say a few words about Bianca and Marissa. After that, they will recite their vows. When they're done, I will ask for the rings. Bianca and Marissa will hand their bouquets to Kendall and Greenlee, and AJ, you're up. You know what to do?"

AJ nodded. He held up the pillow, and the minister then went through the motions of removing the rings.

She winked at the boy. "Good job. I'll say a few words. Bianca will take Marissa's ring and place it on her finger as she repeats after me. Marissa will then do the same with Bianca's ring."

The couple followed their instructions and pretended to place wedding bands on the other's finger.

"A few more words and then my favorite part. By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you married. You may kiss."

Bianca and Marissa exchanged a loving kiss.

"I think they've got this part down. They've probably been practicing." The reverend mused, and the others laughed. After the couple separated, she continued. "I present to you Bianca and Marissa."

Those gathered stood and clapped and cheered loudly. "No prompting needed very nice, people. Bianca and Marissa will then take back their bouquets and walk down the center aisle followed by Kendall and Greenlee and then AJ, Miranda and Gabby." After those in the wedding party did just that, she spoke again. "The programs instruct the guests to remain in place for a few minutes following the ceremony. Bianca and Marissa and the rest of the wedding party will loop their way back as they are doing now. I'm told there is no receiving line so guests can congratulate them during the reception. There will be pictures taken in the garden and by the pond. Did I miss anything?"

"Nope, you've got everything covered." Marissa smiled.

"Good. Why don't we run through it all one more time?"

/

The second walkthrough went a little better than the first one. Erica offered a few suggestions that helped with the flow of things. When they finished, Marissa and Bianca spoke to the minister about a few items. While they were doing that, Erica was speaking with the photographer. There were certain shots that she wanted and was going over them in detail with the woman. Erica had mentioned this earlier to the couple, and they were perfectly fine with what she was requesting. In the meantime, Zach, Ryan and Jack pitched in and moved tables and chairs into place for everyone. When everything was in place, Krystal's team served dinner.

It was very relaxing with various conversations taking place. Bianca and Marissa told the kids how proud they were of them and how good of a job they did. They toasted their family and friends, thanking them for their help with everything. During the lull between dinner and dessert, Erica and Krystal managed to corner the couple. There was something they wanted to discuss with them, something they were hoping to change their minds about, and they were going to give it one more try.

"Bianca, Marissa, we really think you should reconsider."

"Reconsider what, Mom?" Bianca was confused about what her mother was talking about.

Erica sighed. "Both of you staying together this evening. You really should consider sleeping separately tonight. You could stay with Jack and me, or I know that Kendall would love to have you."

"Or, Marissa, you could stay with me. We have plenty of room."

The redhead shook her head. "Why? What's the big deal?"

"It's bad luck to see the bride before the wedding."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "That's an old wives' tale and has no bearing on how the marriage will be."

"You know, B, I was wondering. Does that still hold if it's two brides? I mean, the saying is actually 'it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride'."

Bianca cracked up laughing. Leave it to her kick-ass lawyer of a fiancée to come up with a loophole. "Rissa has a point. That is the actual saying. So, two brides don't make a wrong."

Marissa joined her fiancée laughing. "God, I love you. That was absolutely brilliant."

Erica rolled her eyes at the highly amused couple. "The two of you need to be taking this seriously."

"We are, Mom. Rissa and I are not superstitious. Our marriage will not be dictated by the fact of whether or not we see each other tomorrow before the wedding. Our relationship is a helluva lot stronger than that."

"Bianca's right. It is. Look, we appreciate your concern, but we're both staying in _our_ home tonight. We're not tempting fate or anything along those lines. If anything, we're being practical. Who would stay with the kids, and how would we really explain that we're sleeping apart? And you can't expect one of us to get all three ready tomorrow. If it were a regular school day, sure, that wouldn't be a problem, but tomorrow, they're going to require some extra attention."

"Exactly. Besides, we have things planned already with them tomorrow morning. It's our last chance to spend some time alone with them before we go away for a week. So, we're not going to change those plans."

Krystal turned to Erica. Both knew there was no changing their daughters' minds. "I give up. I can't come up with any argument that will match that."

"I suppose I do as well. Fine, we won't bring it up again. You win. Are you happy?"

"Yes, blissfully so!" Bianca grinned.

Marissa's grin matched the brunette's. "That makes two of us!"

Erica observed the couple and couldn't help but smile at their reactions. She didn't mean happy in the way they were taking it, and she knew the couple knew that. Erica also knew dwelling on it would be useless. "Both of you are impossible."

"That's Rissa's fault. She's a bad influence on me." Bianca smirked.

"You love it, and you know it."

"Yeah, you're right. I do."

Any further discussion was interrupted by Gabby.

"Mommies, can we have dessert now?"

Bianca smiled. "May we please have dessert now."

Gabby somehow managed not to roll her eyes. She knew her moms were only correcting her to help her, but it got old sometimes, just like AJ and Miranda had said it would. "May we please have dessert now?"

Marissa grinned. She could see their youngest was a little exasperated by the grammar correction. "Yes, Monkey, we may since you asked so nicely."

Gabby lit up. "Thanks, Mommies!"

Krystal chuckled. "I guess that's my cue."

Bianca nodded. "Yep, I believe you're right."

A signal was given by Krystal, and her team sprang into action and began serving again.

/

Sometime later, after everything was cleaned up and packed away, everyone began to depart. They had an early day tomorrow, and they all needed a good night's sleep. AJ, Miranda and Gabby scampered up to their rooms to change into their pajamas while Bianca and Marissa walked the others out.

Erica eyed the couple seriously. "I want you both to get some rest. I don't want to see dark circles under your eyes in the morning."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that too much, Mom. I think the smiles they'll be wearing will distract from the dark circles if they have them." Kendall smirked.

The diva huffed in reply, knowing her oldest daughter was most likely right. "I don't want to take any chances. I'll see you tomorrow morning." She hugged both women as did Jack before they left.

Krystal hugged the couple as well. "I'll be here early tomorrow too."

"Thanks and thanks for tonight. Everything was delicious, as always." Marissa added.

"You're more than welcome." Krystal then headed off with Mitch who had waited to drop her off at her home.

While Ryan and Emma waited in the car, Greenlee said her goodbyes. "I'll be here tomorrow at 10:00 to help out. Rocky, you'll be in good hands."

Marissa laughed. "I don't doubt that at all, Shorty. See ya tomorrow."

"Binx, Red, if you tell her I said this, I'll deny it until my dying day and even after that, but Mom is right. Try and get some sleep tonight. You have a big day tomorrow, and it's going to be long too. I'll be here at 10:00 with Greenlee. Binx, I've got you covered tomorrow."

"Thanks, Kendall. Don't worry. Your secret is safe with me. I won't tell Mom." The sisters shared a hug while Zach loaded the boys and Max into their car.

The couple headed inside leaving the others to head off.

Greenlee stopped Kendall before she could get into her car. "Now, as casually as you can, look over to your right and into the woods. Let me know if you see anything."

Kendall did as instructed. "I see a light over there."

"That's what I thought."

"I know they have a state of the art security system and set it religiously, but I'll tell Zach right away. He'll have someone over here before we leave."

"Let me know what you find out."

"You know that I will."

With that said, the friends parted.

/

Bianca sighed happily as she slid under the covers, and Marissa nestled into her arms. "Just think, this time tomorrow, we'll be married!"

Marissa grinned, equally happy with that realization. "This is our last night as single women. It's hard to believe it's almost here. I can't wait!"

"Me either. I love you so much."

"I love you too, more than I can ever say."

The couple shared a loving kiss before both succumbed to sleep with dreams of their wedding day calling them.


	119. Dreams

**A/N****: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It's appreciated and keeps the Minx bubble afloat. There was something I wanted to tell you. What was it? Oh yeah, I got the promotion! There really won't be any change in what I do. I'm just going to get the title and a nice bump in pay! That's always nice. Thanks for the well wishes on that! Okay, I got nothing to really add for this chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca shifted slightly and immediately glanced down. Marissa was sleeping peacefully, a smile gracing her face, the sight of which had the brunette smile as well. Bianca looked around the room and saw it was still dark out. Try as she could, she couldn't figure out why she was awake. Then, she heard it, a noise somewhere down the hall. She thought maybe one of the kids had gotten up. Bianca slowly slid away from Marissa and out of bed, careful not to wake her. There was no sense in them both being awake at the moment if it was just one of the kids needing something. She pulled on her robe and padded down the hallway. When she reached the family room, she saw no one was there. She heard the noise again and knew it was coming from the kitchen. Bianca slowly entered the room and froze in her tracks when she saw who was there. While she had never met them, she had seen enough pictures and home movies to immediately recognize the man with dark wavy hair and soft brown eyes and the woman with red hair and brilliant green eyes. "Mr. and Mrs. Tasker?"

There sitting at the kitchen table were Marissa's parents, Roy and Lydia Tasker.

Marissa's mother offered her a warm smile. "Hello, Bianca. It's good to finally meet you. Please, call us Lydia and Roy."

"Would you like to join us?" Roy asked.

Bianca nodded numbly and took a seat. The shock of seeing the couple was evident on her face. "Hi. I'm sorry. Where are my manners? I'm just surprised to you."

Lydia chuckled at the flustered younger woman. "We're sorry if we scared you."

"It's okay. It's nice to finally meet you too. I feel like I know you both from everything that Rissa's told me about you. I know I don't have to tell you, but your daughter is incredible. You should be very proud of her."

Roy smiled. "We are and thank you."

"I'm not just saying that. I really mean it. If it wasn't for her, my ex-wife would've taken the girls and left the country. Rissa stopped that from happening, not once but twice. I'm not the only person she's helped either. She risked her life to help a client get out of an abusive marriage last year. She's also helping a girl rebuild her life after she lost her parents, was placed in an abusive foster and then fell in with the wrong crowd. I could go on and on about all of the people that she's helped."

The couple shared a knowing glance hearing Bianca gush about their daughter and how special she was before Lydia interrupted her. "We know, Bianca. We've kept an eye on her and know what she's been up to, but thank you for telling us. It means a lot to have someone else talk about her in such glowing terms though."

Bianca blushed. "Sorry, I do that sometimes. My sister and Greenlee like tease to me about that."

"Oh yeah, your sister's Kendall, right?" Roy asked.

The brunette nodded. "Yeah, that's her."

"Well, Lyd and I don't see anything wrong with you talking about the many qualities of our daughter."

"Thanks. If you don't mind, could I ask the reason behind this visit? Not that I'm not happy to meet you and talk with you. I'm just curious."

"You are marrying my little girl ..."

Lydia cleared her throat.

Roy smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry Lyd. You're marrying _our_ little girl."

The older woman nodded. "Much better. Why I have to correct you after all these years is beyond me."

"Father's prerogative? Bianca, we thought it would be nice to meet our future daughter-in-law, ask a few questions and …"

"See if I'm good enough for your daughter." It wasn't really a question, more of a statement of fact.

Lydia rolled her eyes at her husband's antics. "Don't let him scare you, dear. He's all bark and no bite. If it were up to my husband, our daughter would never have dated anyone. I told him years ago how unrealistic that was, but he persists in that misguided belief. The biggest fight that ever happened between him and Marissa was over her dating. Let me see if this will get through his thick head. Roy, if Marissa listened to you, we wouldn't have three wonderful grandchildren with a fourth one on the way."

Roy couldn't come up with a retort. His wife was right.

"You know about the baby?"

"Of course we do. Like I said earlier, we check in from time to time. We couldn't be happier. You're both wonderful mothers. Have you told anyone else yet? What about the kids?" Lydia's eyes lit up, next to being a mother, being a grandmother was a long cherished dream. She unfortunately wouldn't be able to interact with them but would be able to watch them from afar.

"No, we haven't told anyone yet. Rissa's in her third month so we don't want to jinx anything. We're going to tell them after we get back from our honeymoon. The kids will be the first to know though."

Roy eyed Bianca. "So, you got our daughter pregnant without the benefit of marriage."

"Oh for heaven's sake, Roy, stop scaring the poor girl. It's not like this wasn't planned and Marissa wasn't a willing participant and didn't consent every step of the way. Knowing our daughter, she was in full research mode and checking everything out. Besides, they're getting married tomorrow so you won't need to get your shotgun out."

Bianca started laughing when she saw Roy wink at her. She knew he was messing around with his wife.

Roy soon cracked up, unable to keep a straight face. When Bianca snorted, he laughed even harder.

Lydia chuckled as she rolled her eyes. "Oh for the love of, Marissa was right about both of you."

"I'm sorry, Lyd, I just couldn't help myself. You should've seen your face."

"I'm sorry too, Lydia. Rissa told me about Roy's sense of humor and then he winked at me."

"Yeah, he couldn't keep a straight face for very long. He was the worst card player ever. He couldn't bluff to save his life."

"Hey, I resent that."

"You know I'm telling the truth."

"Well, your daughter has a great poker face which is good for her clients. She also has a mean right hook."

Roy grinned, a little pride showing. "Yeah? I taught her that."

"You taught her well."

Lydia asked. "When did she need that? We taught her to try and avoid those kinds of fights if at all possible."

"We teach the kids the same thing too. Rissa did it to protect me."

Roy nodded. "Ah, that makes perfect sense and sounds exactly like her. She'll do whatever needs to be done to protect the people that she loves, and it's clear that she loves you very much."

A huge smile broke across Bianca's face. "I know, she does, and I love her more than I ever thought possible. Rissa and our kids mean everything to me, and I know she feels the same way. You were right when you said she's a wonderful mother. She really is. She's a natural. Rissa couldn't love the three of them any more if she had given birth to them. Before, when we were only friends, I saw how great she was with AJ. He hadn't had it easy, but Rissa took him in and gave him all the love she had, helped him heal. He loves her so much. AJ's a wonderful boy, and he will be an amazing man. AJ will break the cycle that has plagued the Chandlers for a long time. There's no doubt in my mind about that, and it will be in large part because of her.

As for the girls, they adore her and love her very much, and the feeling is definitely mutual. She clicked right away with Gabby which was a little surprising. You see, Gabby is a little shy at first around people that she doesn't really know. Once she knows you though, you're in and get to see her for who she really is. She just lets her personality shine. Gabby did that with Rissa right from the very start. It was as if Gabby just knew she could trust her and could be herself. The two of them are as thick as thieves. Gabby's favorite stuffed animal is the monkey that Rissa gave her. She wants to take him everywhere. He got damaged during a show and tell at school, and Gabby was beside herself. She was afraid that Rissa would be upset with her because of it. We got her calmed down. Rissa talked to her and told her that wasn't possible. She just hated the fact that Gabby was so upset. Your daughter came through and was able to fix him, actually made him better, and Gabby was thrilled beyond words.

Miranda has been through a lot, seen a lot mostly because of me. She saw my first marriage fall apart and became very protective of me and wary of others, afraid they might hurt me as well as her and Gabby. I hate that she felt that way. I reassured her every way that I possibly could, and she was doing pretty good. Part of her though still hung back. With Rissa, she was able to truly believe that what happened wasn't her fault and didn't have anything to do with her or anything that she did. She carried that weight around with her for a long time and was finally able to let it go because of your daughter. It was something that I couldn't quite make Miranda understand."

"But Marissa could." Lydia stated.

"Yes, she could which was good and bad. It was good because Miranda had someone who knew what she was feeling and could understand those feelings. It was bad though that either of them had to go through that pain, feeling like they weren't good enough, that there was something wrong with them or that they did something wrong, blaming themselves for things that were not remotely their fault. I hate that they ever had to feel that way. If I could change it, I would in a heartbeat, but I can't. Because of Rissa though, our daughter was finally able to put that behind her. Thank you."

Roy was confused. "For what?"

"For raising such a loving, caring, kind and amazing woman, for showing her love, giving her a home, for instilling that belief in herself. If it wasn't for the two of you, I don't know what would've happened to her."

Both Roy and Lydia shared a soft smile. They could tell Bianca meant every word she said.

Lydia was finally able to bring herself to speak. "Thank you for saying that. To be honest though, I don't know what would've happened to us if it wasn't for her. Marissa completed our family, made it and our lives so full and blessed. We were always uncomfortable with the circumstances that brought her into our lives, but we've never regretted what we did. The day she became our daughter was the best day of both of our lives."

"You're responsible for her building a relationship with Krystal. I find that remarkable given what she and Babe did to you. How were you able to forgive her?"

"From everything Rissa's told me about you, I don't think I did anything that the two of you wouldn't have done. I realized I had to forgive them though. I couldn't continue to live with that hate and bitterness. If I did, I wouldn't be able to truly live and appreciate my life and what I had. It turns out there was another good reason to do so, one I didn't know about until much later though."

"What was that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"If I hadn't forgiven them, I don't know if Rissa and AJ would be in my life, and I can't imagine that for one second. The two of them and the girls are everything to me. I can't imagine my life, my world without them."

"You have quite the way with words, Bianca." Lydia smiled.

"You can thank your daughter for that. I had to learn to keep up with her."

Lydia laughed. "She's just like Roy. He always managed to take my breath away by saying the right thing at the right time."

"It's easy when you speak from your heart, and it's the easiest thing in the world to do with the right person, with you."

Lydia squeezed her husband's hand. "See what I mean?"

"Definitely like father, like daughter." Bianca smiled.

"Thank you. There's no greater compliment you could ever give me than that." Roy said earnestly. "How does Marissa get along with your family?"

"Well, she works with my Uncle Jack, and he's crazy about her and not just because he thinks she's the brightest associate the firm has."

"That's my girl!" The pride was evident on Roy's face.

"She and my sister get along great. They've become friends in their own right and really love and trust each other. Kendall and her husband asked both of us to be guardians for their sons should anything happen to them."

"Wow, that really says a lot about how they feel."

Bianca nodded at Lydia's comment. "It really does. Kendall and Rissa have a similar sense of humor and are both fearless when it comes to family and friends. Kendall likes that Rissa doesn't shy away from things that I might. She loves that she's protective of me and the girls. Kendall says she can rest easy knowing that I have Rissa in my life. As for my Mom …"

"Ah yes, Erica Kane. From everything we ever read about her, she seems like she can be intimidating."

Bianca shrugged. "Yeah, I suppose she can be, especially when it comes to her family. Mom and Rissa have a mutual admiration society though. Rissa's never let Mom intimidate her. She's always been straight with her, spoke her mind, and doesn't back down when she thinks Mom is in the wrong. Kendall's husband is like that, and I think Mom respects that. I've been involved with others that have tried to come between me and my family. Rissa isn't like that. She knows how important they are to me. Mom really appreciates that. The Kane women have a stubborn streak which can sometimes lead to disagreements between us. Rissa has put her mediation skills to good use in helping us resolve them. What really sealed the deal for Mom when it came to Rissa is the fact that Rissa asked her for my hand in marriage. Mom has told her that if there is anything she ever needs to just let her know. When Rissa's ex was causing problems, Mom was right there leading the charge against him. Rissa is family in Mom's eyes, and you do not mess around with her family."

Lydia couldn't help but smile knowing that her daughter had someone as fierce as Erica Kane looking out for her. It was clear that she had several people willing to step up for her though, the woman sitting in front of her being the first in line. "Thank you for that. What Roy and I worried about the most was leaving her alone. We can see that is something we don't have to worry about anymore."

"I love her with all of my heart and would do anything for her. I promise you that I will protect her and try my very best to never hurt her. I'll always be there for her. My family comes first, always, and I will never forget that. I will do my best every day to let her know just how much she means to me, and the same goes for AJ and our little one."

Roy and Lydia shared a smile and nodded to each other.

"That's all we could ever want for or ask for her. Do you feel better now?" Lydia asked.

It was then that Bianca realized the reason for this visit. She hadn't been nervous about marrying Marissa, but she had been anxious about not being enough for her or being what the people who raised her would want for her. "I do. Thank you."

Lydia patted Bianca's hand. "You're welcome, dear, and thank you for loving our daughter. We know she is in the best possible hands."

Roy grinned. "She's right as always. I think our work here is done, Lyd."

"I think so too, Roy, for now. Give Marissa our love."

"Tell her to always to keep her chin up and to keep smiling. We believe in her and are very proud of her."

"I will. I enjoyed meeting both of you."

"It was a pleasure getting to know you as well. I can see why our daughter fell in love with you." Roy winked.

"Take care of our girl and yourself." Lydia added before the couple faded away.

Bianca glanced around and found she was back in bed with Marissa sleeping soundly in her arms. Bianca smiled softly and drifted back off to sleep.

/

Marissa opened one eye. She'd heard something but wasn't sure what it was or where it exactly was coming from. Hearing the noise again, she opened both eyes and slowly lifted her head from her pillow. She had shifted during the night so that Bianca was now spooning her. Marissa glanced over her shoulder and saw that Bianca was still sound asleep with a smile gracing her beautiful face. The redhead made the decision to let her fiancée continue to sleep while she checked things out. Her first thought was that maybe the noise belonged to Max, but she quickly remembered that he was already at Kendall and Zach's. Her next thought was that one of the kids had gotten up. She gently removed herself from Bianca's arms and got out of bed. After putting on her robe, she padded down the darkened hallway. When she entered the family room, she froze in her tracks. There, seated side by side, were two elderly women, one with white hair and the other with red. It took her a few seconds before she could put names with the faces.

"Mrs. Tyler? Mrs. Fargate?"

Bianca's beloved grandmother Mona Tyler was sitting on their sofa with a smile on her face next to Myrtle Fargate who was a second grandmother to Bianca. There was the trademark kindness shining in Mona's eyes, and there was the tell-tale twinkle in the older redhead's eyes that she'd heard about from others.

Mona was the first to break the silence. "Good evening, Marissa dear. Would you join us?"

Myrtle smiled. "Come on, darlin'. Have a seat and join us. We promise not to bite."

Marissa found herself moving forwarding and taking a seat in the rocker recliner closest to the women. "Good evening, Mrs. Tyler, Mrs. Fargate. I'm … I'm sorry. I'm just a little surprised to see you here. It's an honor to meet you both."

From her days on the carny circuit, Myrtle could spot a phony a mile away, and the young woman in front of her was definitely not one of them. She meant what she'd said. Myrtle being Myrtle however decided to have just a little fun. "An honor, really now?"

Marissa nodded nervously. "Yes, ma'am, I mean it. I've heard so many people talk about you and how much you meant to them, especially Bianca. The two of you are very important to her and played large roles in her becoming the amazing woman she is today."

"Now, Myrtle, stop teasing the poor girl."

"I'm sorry, Mona, but I just couldn't help myself. You too, Marissa, I'm sorry, darlin'. I know you meant what you said. Now, please call me Myrtle."

"And please call me Mona. I apologize if we startled you."

"Thank you and it's okay. I understand. It's kind of like something my Dad would do." Marissa started to feel at ease with the women. "It really is nice to meet you."

"And it's nice to meet you, especially since you're marrying my granddaughter tomorrow."

Marissa couldn't help but smile. "Yes, I am, and believe me, I know how lucky I am. Your granddaughter is without a doubt the most amazing person I've ever known. I know you have to be so proud of her."

"I am, and I always have been. Thank you for saying that though. I never tire of hearing someone go on about her."

"And you shouldn't be. Despite everything that she's gone through, Bianca has this tremendous capacity for love, forgiveness and caring. Some people would get bitter or close themselves off, but not Bianca. She created something amazing, something that has helped so many people and not just in Pine Valley but in other parts of the country too. She …" Marissa stopped when she saw the knowing smiles on the older women's faces and caused her to blush. "Sorry, I tend to go on and on about her sometimes. I just can't help myself because she's so special. Kendall and Greenlee love to give me a hard time about that sometimes."

Myrtle chuckled. "That's something I can see the two of them doing."

"And Bianca and Kendall?"

Marissa smiled. Bianca had told her all about her relationship with Kendall, from its rocky beginnings until now. "They couldn't be closer. The two of them are there for each other and would do anything for the other one. They really are great together."

"And Greenlee?" Myrtle couldn't help but ask.

Again, Marissa knew all about her history with Bianca as well as with Kendall and Erica. "They've grown fairly close. Erica and Greenlee will never be best buddies mind you, but they try and get along with each other for Jack's sake. Kendall and Greenlee though are as thick as thieves or kind of like Lucy and Ethel." Marissa then proceeded to tell her guests about the Dynamic Duo and their visit to Marissa's house the day after her and Bianca's first Christmas together when they had finally admitted their feelings for each other. The women laughed at the image of the two women diving behind a tree and into the bushes to hide.

"Honestly, they've both been there for us too many times to count. I'm a little embarrassed to say that they recognized that there was something more than friendship between Bianca and me before we did. Neither of us could see it nor admit it at first. We hadn't had the best of luck in our past relationships to put it mildly. Plus, I always identified myself as straight. I was never interested in women romantically before her."

"What about now?" Myrtle was intrigued and she could tell Mona was interested in the answer as well.

"Now, I came to the realization that I don't like labels. All I can tell you for sure is that I love Bianca with all of my heart and all that I am. There are no doubts in my mind whatsoever. Bianca is everything to me, and I have never or will never love anyone as much as I love her. Falling in love with Bianca was the easiest thing I've ever done. I mean let's face it. I was in love with her before I realized things changed between us. There was no 'I think I'm falling in love'. It was 'I am in love with her'. Once I admitted that, there was no going back, and I wouldn't even try for all of the money in the world."

Mona smiled. She liked this young woman more and more. "You were married to JR Chandler?" She knew many of the happenings of Pine Valley over the years from watching over her family and knew of his impact on their lives, particularly that of her youngest granddaughter's. This also meant Mona knew about Krystal and Babe and what they had done.

Myrtle knew all too well what had occurred with the other women and Bianca having witnessed it firsthand. It still made her blood boil.

If it had been anyone else, they might have held all of this against Marissa, but it wasn't and they didn't. The women knew something about second chances. They had watched the couple's relationship from afar and recognized that Marissa was an innocent in what had happened in addition to having been a victim in her own right.

Seeing Marissa's questioning expression, Myrtle answered the unasked question. "We keep an eye on things from time to time."

Marissa nodded. "Yes, I was. I'm assuming you know who Krystal is?"

Both women nodded.

"Then you know she is my biological mother?"

"We do. We know all about that, and we're sorry you had to go through it, dear."

"Thank you, Mona, but while it hurts a little still from time to time, it worked out for me. I had the best childhood possible with the best parents. I was surrounded by love. Mom and Dad did everything they could for me, and I couldn't have asked for more. I couldn't do any real wrong in their eyes. Saying all of that, I know they would not have been happy with JR and that nightmare, but as bad as the marriage was, it gave me one of the best gifts I ever could've asked for. It gave me AJ, and he is the sweetest, kindest and most thoughtful boy there is. So, I can't regret being married to JR. What I got from it was worth much more than what I lost. You know, that's something else that's amazing about Bianca."

"What do you mean, darlin'?"

"I mean she doesn't hold any of what my biological family did against AJ or me. She loves us. AJ is her son in every way possible. She's even encouraged me to build a relationship with Krystal and forgive her, and for Bianca, I'm trying."

"That can't be easy."

"It's gotten easier with Bianca's help. She makes you want to be a better person."

"What about the girls?" Mona asked.

Marissa smiled brightly. "Oh, they are her pride and joy, and she is the best mother possible. They adore her and are both so much like her. Miranda takes her role of big sister very seriously. Bianca's ex-wife has tried a few things, tried to take them."

"And you stopped her." Myrtle's eyes gleamed with anger over what had happened.

"I won't ever let anything happen to those girls. You have my word on that." The steely resolve was evident in Marissa's voice.

"I believe you, and I'm sure Myrtle does too."

"That I do."

Marissa nodded. "Gabby got scared one time by what Reese was doing. Miranda stepped right up and wasn't going to let anyone do that to her little sister. She reminded me so much of Kendall and how she is with Bianca. Oh, and both of the girls have the Kane death glare down already."

Mona and Myrtle were amused as Marissa related Gabby's use of the death glare following the show and tell incident at school. They listened then as Marissa gushed about the girls and their various accomplishments and many qualities and then went on to tell them about the relationship between them and AJ. It was plain as day to the women how much she loved them and how she viewed them. To her, they were her daughters. It was as simple as that. They were definitely impressed with Marissa and could tell she was being honest and meant every word she said.

"I can't help but wonder, dear, how you and my daughter get along."

Marissa paused. "We actually get along pretty well. I'll be completely honest with you. I was pretty nervous when we talked after my relationship with Bianca changed. She can be pretty intimidating, but she loves her daughters, her family. I can't really fault her for wanting to protect her especially after everything Bianca has been through. We found common ground there. Erica realized, with Bianca's help naturally, that I'm not like Krystal or Babe or David. My parents are Roy and Lydia Tasker, and I learned from them. They taught me the difference between right and wrong. I'll never hurt Bianca and I won't let anyone else either, not if I have anything to say about it. I also had some good advice from Kendall. She said not to show any fear because Erica could sense it."

While Mona sighed at the assessment of her daughter, Myrtle chuckled.

"Kendall's right. You don't seem like you intimidate too easily."

"I'm a lawyer so I really can't. When it comes to someone that I love though, I'm not. If I can't fight for them, what can I fight for?"

"I think you're good for this family. Erica always needed someone to challenge her. It sounds like you're a lot like my son-in-law. Myrtle's told me about Zach, and I've seen his relationship with Kendall as well as with Erica."

"Thank you. I take that as a compliment. Zach is a really good guy. I respect him a lot. We understand each other. Zach's been a very good male role model for AJ and so has Jack."

"Do you think Erica and Jack will ever get married again?"

Marissa couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh, that's something Bianca and I have talked about a lot, Myrtle. I know Bianca would like it. Jack's been like a father to her for a very long time, and she loves him a great deal. Kendall does too. So, I know it would make them happy, but getting married just to make your children happy isn't a reason to do so. Erica and Jack do love each other very much. They also make each other happy more than anyone else does. Both are stubborn though. Erica loves her freedom and doesn't want to give that up for anything. I think that's something I don't have to tell either of you."

"No, you definitely do not. I just want my daughter to be happy. It's all I've ever wanted. I agree with you about Jack making her feel that way. She just needs to let her guard down and realize that she's not losing her freedom with him. Jack will do anything for her. He has done anything for her. There aren't many people that would put up with everything that she's done."

Marissa nodded. "True, but Jack has. He sees her for exactly who she is and loves and accepts her for all of it. I honestly think she's coming around to the idea though."

"What makes you say that?"

"He's been very patient with her. He accepts her publicity tours and doesn't complain a lot about her being gone. I've seen her change some of that. Erica's been around here a lot more recently. She actually turned down a few requests that would have taken her out of the country. We've had family dinners. She's watched the kids for us, although they still can't call her grandma, and she's helped with the planning of the wedding. She seems to like being here more than being away."

"Do you think she knows that you're pregnant and that she's going to be a grandmother again?"

Marissa wasn't fast enough in hiding the shock from her face, a fact that amused the women. "You … you know? You know about the baby?"

Mona smiled warmly while Myrtle chuckled.

"Of course we do, darlin'. Remember, we told you earlier that we keep an eye on things here from time to time."

"Myrtle's right. We know. I couldn't be happier at being a great grandmother again. I only wish I could really be here to enjoy them fully. They are wonderful children, and my granddaughters are incredible mothers."

"They really are."

"I'm including you in that statement, dear. You are family, Marissa. A fact I believe my daughter has also confirmed to you. I can't tell you how pleased I am that you're marrying Bianca."

"You fit in perfectly. That's not something everyone can say. Welcome, darlin'." Myrtle winked.

Marissa smiled brightly. Yes, she had been _told_ that she was part of the family, but the two women in front of her _showed _her that was true. Bianca's grandmother and surrogate grandmother were able to do it in a way that no one else really could. "Thank you. Coming from the two of you that means more than you'll ever know. We haven't told anyone that we're expecting yet. We're going to wait until we get back from our honeymoon."

"I'm glad we could help. That makes sense." Mona knew it was getting late and that she and Myrtle needed to be going. "Good luck tomorrow. Give all of them my love?"

"Of course, Mona. It will be my pleasure, although I'm pretty sure they more than know how you feel."

"Now, don't worry about tomorrow." Myrtle chuckled at the failed attempt to protest. "Don't even try to say that you're not a little worried that JR might try something. I know better. You can't kid a kidder. Your wedding day will be perfect. You can trust me on that. We know certain things from where we are now. I promise that you and Bianca have nothing to worry about tomorrow. You have a great many people looking out for you. They'll take care of you. Do you believe me?"

A sigh of relief escaped from Marissa. Both she and Bianca had been trying to play it cool, but a small part of both of them was a little concerned that JR might try and do something. For some reason that she couldn't explain, Myrtle's words reassured her. "I do."

"Good. Give them all my love as well."

"Trust me, I will."

"Get some rest, dear. You have a big day tomorrow, and you have to take care of that great-grandchild of mine." Mona added with a smile before she and Myrtle faded away.

The next thing Marissa knew, she was back in bed with Bianca's arms wrapped around her. With a happy sigh, Marissa drifted back to sleep.

**/**

**A/N****: This popped into my head and needed to be written. The next chapter will feature Bianca and Marissa's wedding day! I promise. Oh to all those that celebrate, Happy Thanksgiving! See ya soon!**


	120. The Wedding Day Has Arrived

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's much appreciated. Okay, as promised, we have reached Bianca and Marissa's wedding day! I won't say anything else. I'll just let you get to it. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

The alarm clock sounded at 7:30 AM on Saturday, September 23rd. The song playing made both women snicker, and without even a single word uttered between them, a silent agreement was reached to let it finish. It was a pretty appropriate song for the day. Both lay snuggled together, Bianca spooning Marissa as they listened to the Jason Derulo song, 'Marry Me'.

_A hundred and five is the number that comes to my head  
>When I think of all the years I want to be with you<br>Wake up every morning with you in my bed  
>That's precisely what I plan to do<em>

_And you know one of these days when I get my money right_  
><em>Buy you everything and show you all of the finer things in life<em>  
><em>We'll forever be in love so there ain't no need to rush<em>  
><em>But one day I won't be able to ask you loud enough<em>

_I'll say will you marry me_  
><em>I swear that I will mean it<em>  
><em>I'll say will you marry me<em>  
>Singing oohh, ooh, ooh<br>Oh yeah

_How many girls in the world could make me feel like this?_  
><em>Baby I don't ever plan to find out<em>  
><em>The more I look, the more I find the reasons why<em>  
><em>You're the love of my life<em>  
><em><br>You know one of these days, when I get my money right  
>Buy you everything and show you all of the finer things in life<em>

_We'll forever be in love, so there ain't no need to rush_  
><em>But one day I won't be able to ask you loud enough<em>

_I'll say will you marry me_  
><em>I swear that I will mean it<em>  
><em>I'll say will you marry me<em>

_And if I lost everything_  
><em>In my heart it means nothing<em>  
><em>'Cause I have you, girl I have you<em>  
><em>To get right down on bended knee<em>  
><em>Nothing else would ever be better, better<em>  
><em>The day when<em>

_I'll say will you marry me_  
><em>I swear that I will mean it<em>  
><em>I'll say will you marry me (Yeah)<em>  
><em>I'll say will you marry me (The day I get on my knees)<em>  
><em>I swear that I will mean it<em>  
><em>I'll say will you marry me (what you do to me baby)<em>  
><em>Got me singing (ooh)<em>  
><em>Got me singing (ooh)<em>  
><em>Would you marry me baby (ooh)<em>  
><em>A hundred and five is the number that comes to my head<em>  
><em>When I think of all the years I want to be with you<em>  
><em>Wake up every morning with you in my bed<em>  
><em>That's precisely what I plan to do<em>

When the song finished, Marissa turned in Bianca's arms to face her, both still smiling.

"So, will you, Bianca?"

"Will I what, Marissa?"

"Will you marry me?"

"Only if you'll marry me."

"Deal!"

Their lips met lovingly and lingered until they needed to break for air.

Marissa laughed. "As much as I hate to admit it, Kendall and Greenlee are right. We are really cheesy sometimes."

Bianca joined her. "Yeah, you're right, but I don't care. Do you?"

"Nope. Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, yourself." Bianca lovingly placed a hand on Marissa's belly. "Good morning, little one."

Marissa grinned at what had become Bianca's standard morning greeting to their unborn child.

"In a just a few hours, Rissa, we'll be married!"

"Yes, we will. I can't believe this day is finally here."

The couple sighed happily and remained in each other's arms in a comfortable silence until Bianca finally spoke again.

"I had a really interesting dream last night."

Marissa sat up. "You did? So did I. Tell me yours first and then I'll tell you mine."

"Okay." Bianca moved so she was now sitting next to Marissa. Their hands joined together and the brunette began. "I met your parents. Well, in my dream, I met your parents."

"Seriously?"

"Yup. I dreamt that I heard a noise and got up to check it out. I walked into the kitchen, and there they were at the table. It was really nice to meet them and talk with them."

Marissa couldn't contain her curiosity. "What did you talk about?"

"Everything, but you in particular. It was our favorite subject." Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss. "They were exactly like I thought they would be. It was a dream though so I guess that would be the case." Bianca then proceeded to tell Marissa all about her dream.

"Huh."

Bianca cocked her head. "What?"

"That sounds a lot like my dream except I met your Grandma Mona and Myrtle."

"You dreamt about my Grandma and Myrtle?"

"Yeah, I did, and they were just how I imagined they would be, so warm and welcoming. We had our conversation in the family room. Your grandma was really nice and so sweet. Both of them were. Myrtle was really funny. Like you and my parents, we talked about everything but _you_ were _our_ favorite subject."

"Tell me everything about it, please?"

"Of course." And so, that's what Marissa did. "They wanted me to give you and everyone else their love."

Bianca smiled. "The same with your parents. Your Dad wanted me to tell you to keep your chin up and to keep smiling."

Marissa grinned. "He always used to tell me that when I had something big coming up."

"I guess you do have something big coming up, huh?"

"I guess I do. We both do."

"Yes, we do." Bianca grinned as she leaned in for a loving kiss.

Whether their nighttime visitors were merely dreams or something else entirely, neither woman knew, and there wasn't time to discuss it any further at the moment either.

"Did you hear that?" Marissa asked.

"Yeah. Do you think we have more visitors?"

"Judging from the sound of it, I'd say we have three pint size visitors headed our way."

Bianca heard the none-too subtle warnings to be quiet being uttered between their kids and couldn't help but laugh. "You know they'd have better luck at surprising us if they didn't keep telling each other to be quiet."

Marissa grinned, thoroughly amused by the kids' antics. "You're definitely right but where's the fun in that?"

A knock was heard at the bedroom door.

"Come in."

Gabby bounded into the room. The girl raced to her mothers' bed and scampered onto it as she greeted them with hugs. "Morning, Mommies!"

"Good morning, Baby."

"Good morning, Monkey."

AJ and Miranda followed suit and joined their other three family members in bed.

"Morning!"

"This is a very nice surprise!" Marissa smiled.

"Yes, it is. The three of you are up a little early though." Bianca noted.

"We have a surprise for you!" AJ grinned.

"You do?"

"Yup, but to get it, you and Mom need to come to the kitchen." Miranda added.

Gabby nodded. "You're really gonna like it."

"Okay. Rissa and I need to brush our teeth and fix you breakfast. Do you want us to come now or can we do that first?"

A knowing grin was shared among the three younger family members and wasn't missed by their mothers.

"You can brush your teeth first, but don't take too long. We'll meet you in the kitchen." Miranda answered. With that, the three scampered off the bed and raced down the hallway.

The couple chuckled knowing their children were up to something.

Marissa sighed. "As much as I would love to stay in bed with you for a while longer …"

"That makes two of us, but it would appear the kids have other plans for us." Bianca got out of bed and held out her hand for Marissa. "Come on."

/

"They're coming!"

The couple bit back a laugh as they heard Gabby's so-called 'whisper' to her brother and sister.

Marissa entered first with Bianca right behind her. A brightly colored handmade sign on poster board and plenty of glitter was propped up against the kitchen window reading 'Happy Wedding Day, Mom and Ma!' and greeted them. On the kitchen table, a breakfast of cereal, fruit, toast, grape and strawberry jams, juice and coffee was waiting for them. Bianca and Marissa knew that AJ and Miranda had made the toast and coffee. While Gabby was too young to handle those appliances, the couple had shown their older children how to operate both without hurting themselves when they had asked their mothers to show them. In the center of the table, was the vase with the last two roses the couple had sent to each other the day before yesterday. The roses were in full bloom and were the final perfect touch. Tears of pride and love threatened to escape from hazel and warm chocolate eyes.

"This is great, guys. You know that you didn't have to do this though, right?" Marissa said as the kids looked on expectantly.

"We know, but we wanted to do something special for you and Mom. I mean, it's your wedding day." Miranda said simply.

"There's no doubt in my mind, Rissa, that we have the best kids."

"You are so right, B. We love it but …"

"Not as much as we love the three of you. Come here."

The three rushed forward and were engulfed in the arms of both mothers. After a few moments, the family separated.

Bianca stood as she heard some stomachs growl. "I don't know about all of you, but I'm starving. Let's eat."

Marissa took a sip of coffee and moaned. "Mimo, this is perfect. It's just the way I like it. You've really been paying attention, haven't you?"

Miranda grinned. "Yep!"

The kids were excited about their roles for the wedding, and they chattered away happily as they ate.

"Mom, Ma, are you nervous about today?" Miranda asked. It was something she had to ask. She knew it was a big day and always heard about people that were getting married being really nervous, but her moms didn't seem that way to her.

"Well, Sweetie, I can't speak for Rissa, but I'm not nervous. I'm really excited though. I can't wait for Reverend McSherry to tell everyone there today that we're married."

Marissa grinned as she took Bianca's hand in her own. "I couldn't have said it better myself. I want this day to go really fast, but at the same time, I want it to go slow so I can enjoy every minute of it because I know it's going to be great."

"Is there a particular reason you asked, Sweetie?"

"Huh. I thought people were always nervous on their wedding days. Jessica had a cousin that almost called her wedding off because of cold feet."

"Ah, I see." Marissa nodded. "That happens sometimes, but I'm not nervous because I know in my heart that marrying Bianca is absolutely, positively the right thing for me to do. She is the one for me, and I don't have any doubts so there's no reason for me to be nervous."

"_I _couldn't have said it better myself." Bianca grinned at the redhead before turning to her daughter. "Rissa's right. When you know something's right, there's no reason to be nervous. Do you understand?"

Miranda thought about what her mothers said, and it made sense to her. "I do."

Gabby looked between her brother and sister. "Can we give them their presents now?"

AJ nodded. "Yep, let's go get them."

The three quickly retrieved three brightly wrapped packages, one large and two smaller ones, from the kitchen pantry where they had hidden them when they had come downstairs earlier that morning. Each woman was handed a smaller package which they opened revealing a simple but tasteful picture frame. Instead of the generic placeholder for a picture in each frame was a drawing of how the kids' imagined a scene from the wedding would appear. Bianca and Marissa were in the center wearing dresses with the kids next to them dressed up as well. Kendall and Greenlee were on either side and the reverend was standing behind the couple. It had tears falling from the eyes of both women.

"This is perfect. Thank you." Bianca wiped a tear away.

Marissa struggled to find her voice. "It really is. Thank you. This is amazing."

"That's just to hold the place until you get your real wedding pictures. You know, the ones the photographer's gonna take." AJ assured the women.

"I don't know of any photo that will be more perfect than this."

"Your Mom's right. I'm definitely going to be keeping this one. Who helped you pick out the frames?"

Miranda grinned. She had told the others that their moms would say something like that. "Susan did. We all chipped in from our allowances for them, and she took us to the store on our way home from school one day."

"Now?"

AJ and Miranda nodded to their little sister. "Now."

Gabby lifted the larger package and handed it to her mothers. "This is for both of you."

The couple opened the package together and revealed a homemade 11x14 frame made from paint sticks with another drawing of the same scene from their wedding.

AJ piped up. "They didn't have the frame we wanted so we made that one until it comes in, but we wanted you to have it now so you know it's coming."

"That one is for here, and the other ones, you can take to work." Miranda explained.

Marissa shook her head. "I don't know what to say. This is all so thoughtful."

"Do you really like them, Mommy?"

"Oh, Gabby, we love them. These are the best gifts." Bianca looked at Marissa and knew that they would be displaying this frame and picture just as prominently as what the photographer produced for them.

"Thank you, guys." Marissa wiped away more happy tears before hugging all three children. Bianca followed suit. Neither woman was really surprised by their thoughtfulness and knew how lucky they were.

Marissa heard the front door and glanced at the clock on the wall. "Wow, this morning is flying by. I'll get the door. It's got to be either Kendall and Greenlee or your Mom or Krystal."

"It has gotten late, but whoever it is, they're still half an hour early. I'll start cleaning up in here while you see who it is."

"We'll help, Mommy!"

"Thank you, Gabby."

/

Marissa opened the door to a laughing Kendall and Greenlee.

"Good morning, Red." Kendall stopped when she saw the redhead. The older woman could tell the other woman had been crying. Kendall stepped forward quickly. "Marissa, what's wrong? Is everyone alright?"

Marissa waved her off to allay her fears. "Everything's great. Why?"

"I can tell you've been crying."

The redhead chuckled. "You have your nieces and nephew to thank for that. They made us breakfast and gave us the most thoughtful gifts."

Greenlee smiled, not surprised at all. "We'll check it out, but you and the other bride need to get a move on."

"You're right. I know we do. You guys are here early though. What's up with that?"

"Ah, there's a very good reason for that which we will share with you _after_ Binx and you have gotten your showers. Greenlee and I will take care of the kids while the two of you are doing that."

"Alright, I'll go get started. Bianca's in the kitchen with the kids. They had their baths last night."

"Okay, we'll go get her moving along and help the kids get dressed."

"They have clothes picked out already that they want to wear until they have to get dressed for the wedding. Thanks!"

"You're welcome. Now, get going." Greenlee smiled as she followed Kendall into the kitchen.

/

By the time Bianca and Marissa were showered and dressed, a crew had arrived and had begun setting up things outside. The team from the florist was at the door by the time the couple was entering the family room.

"Hi, Nolan."

"Hi, Marissa. Hi, Bianca."

"Hi, Nolan."

"Are we good to take these around back?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, you are."

Greenlee interrupted. "You'll need to go around outside. They started putting up the drape for the doors leading to the patio."

"Thanks." Nolan nodded and headed back outside.

Kendall joined the three women. "The kitchen's clean, and the kids are downstairs watching a movie."

"They're setting up in the back, and Krystal called and is on her way."

"Mom is too. That gives us just enough time to show you something."

Marissa eyed the pair. She could see the mischievous glints in their eyes. "Alright, let's have it. What happened?"

"You need to sit down for this." Greenlee smirked as she went to retrieve her tablet.

When all four were settled, Kendall began. "When we left last night, Greenlee spotted a light coming from the woods. I told Zach, and before we left, he had someone over here checking it out."

Bianca looked at her sister. "Why didn't you tell us? What if something happened?"

"I'm sorry, Binx, but we didn't want to worry you. You have a lot going on, and we wanted to take care of this for the two of you. Besides, we knew all of you were safe inside because of your security system. And like I said, we didn't leave until the security guards were here."

The younger sister started to protest but was stopped by Marissa. "Babe, it's alright. Remember that dream I told you about?" Bianca nodded and the redhead continued. "This backs it up."

"What dream?" Greenlee asked.

"We'll tell you about it later. You and Curly need to keep going."

Kendall shook her head and continued her story. "A couple of security guards checked it out and found someone back there. They didn't approach them right away though. Instead, they called Zach to see what he wanted to do about it. When I heard who it was, I called Greenlee, and we decided to have a little fun with them."

"Who was it? It wasn't JR, was it?"

"No, Binx, it wasn't him. He's still out west. This was someone else from your past."

"Can I please be the one to tell them, Kendall?"

"Sure, go for it, Greenlee." Kendall chuckled at her best friend's excitement.

"It was your favorite so-called reporter, the recipient of Rocky's vicious right hook."

Marissa couldn't hide her shock and rubbed her right hand subconsciously. "Carmen Navarro was in the woods by our house? She's on probation, and we have a restraining order against her."

"Oh, we know. From what the guards could tell, it looked like she was setting up camp in hopes of getting the scoop on your wedding."

"Yeah, it seems good old Carmen still hasn't found a reporting gig since her trial and all too short stay in prison. Kendall and I think she was hoping to leverage photos of your wedding into something permanent and lucrative for her."

"With that in mind and like I said earlier, we decided to have some fun as well as teach her a lesson."

"What did you do, Kendall? And now that I think about it, do we really want to know?" Bianca knew that look in her sister's and Greenlee's eyes all too well.

Marissa chuckled. "I want to know. Spill it, you evil geniuses!"

Kendall grinned. "Thank you! See, this is why I like you so much, Red. To you, we're not just pretty faces. You truly appreciate that which is Greenlee and myself."

Bianca snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. What did you do?"

"We set her up." Kendall replied simply.

Greenlee jumped in. "We arranged it so she overheard the guards discussing the wedding. They let it slip that to be sure it wasn't disrupted by paparazzi that the two of you had moved the ceremony to a neighbor's home."

"Which neighbor?"

Kendall's lips twitch at her reply. "The Kagans."

"As in Judge Sonya Kagan and her family?"

"That would be correct."

Marissa knew the judge and her reputation well. Judge Kagan had served on the bench for several years and was highly respected by almost every attorney that appeared before her be they for the prosecution or the defense. Law enforcement especially respected her though. She was a no nonsense jurist and extremely fair. Her husband was successful in his own right and was able to retire early. Upon retirement, he took up the hobby of raising horses. Their property was larger than the Tasker-Montgomery's and easily accommodated the half dozen horses they now owned. When the kids found out about their neighbors' horses, they were beside themselves. The judge and her husband were gracious and let them visit often. While Marissa wasn't fond of having the other family's privacy disturbed by the likes of Carmen Navarro, she knew that if anyone could strike fear into the heart of the former reporter and get her off their backs it would be Judge Kagan. The redhead knew she would have to apologize to her later that day when she saw her at the reception, but Marissa couldn't help but laugh at the image of the former reporter having to deal with the formidable judge. "I have a feeling this is not going to end well for Carmen."

"Again, you would be correct, Red."

"Carmen took the hint and packed up some of her stuff and headed over there. She left enough over here to make it clear she violated the restraining order though. The guards followed her and recorded what happened. We just so happen to have that recording. Would you like to see it?" Greenlee grinned.

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Do you really have to ask?"

The video was cued up, and Carmen appeared on screen at her stealthiest best approaching the Kagans' barn. The four watched as the former reporter cracked open the barn door and went inside. Before they knew it, she was running back outside screaming. Judge Kagan's husband Aaron soon followed with a shotgun at the ready. The camera found Carmen trying to hop a fence, losing her footing and falling face first into a large, fresh pile of horse manure. The woman screamed multiple expletives and struggled to her feet. When she saw Aaron Kagan approaching, she took off, but again didn't make it very far before finding another pile of manure. By the time she righted herself, Aaron's shotgun was trained on her, and he could be heard telling her to stay where she was. Sirens were heard in the background, and in a matter of minutes, two squad cars appeared as did the judge. Aaron lowered his shotgun as two of the police officers approached. They winced when they got a whiff of Carmen. Handcuffs were placed around her wrists and the officers were arguing who would be taking her in. Judge Kagan wore what looked like an amused expression on her face as she and her husband spoke with the other two officers. One of the officers dealing with Carmen was seen stalking to his car and retrieving a towel which he placed on the backseat. Carmen was then hauled over to the same car, placed inside and was soon joined by the two officers driving it. Their windows were rolled down to help handle the smell of the woman, and the car tore off down the road. The other two officers nodded to the Kagans and shook their hands before leaving themselves.

By the time the video ended, the couple was wiping away tears from laughing so hard.

"Thank you for that! That was priceless!" Bianca said when she was able to catch her breath. "We're going to need to apologize to Sonya and Aaron when we see them later."

"We really are. We're also going to have to show this to them. I think they'd appreciate the humor."

"I don't think you'll have to apologize to them too much, but you're right about them needing to see this." Kendall smirked.

Greenlee happily continued seeing the curious expressions on the couple's faces. "They may have gotten a heads-up on things and not been as surprised as they looked. They also may have had a hand in some of the set-up."

Marissa laughed loudly. "You called them and told them about everything. I can see both of them going along with this. Now that I think about it, the police did get there pretty quickly, and Sonya did kind of look amused by everything."

Bianca shook her head. "I feel better knowing they were in on this. You two have definitely outdone yourselves." A knock at the front door prevented further discussion.

Erica greeted Bianca as she opened the front door. "Bianca, sweetheart, you've been crying. Did something happen?"

"No, Mom, everything's fine. Kendall and Greenlee were just showing us something really funny."

"Oh good, you had me worried for a minute. Marissa dear, it's good to see you, but now, you both need to go to separate rooms. We have a great deal to do and need to get to it. This includes you both getting ready. That means no seeing each other again until the ceremony."

The couple sighed. They knew Erica was right, but they didn't like the fact that they wouldn't be able to see each other again for a few more hours.

Kendall caught the glance shared by the couple. "Mom's right. Don't worry. It's not forever, just a few hours. You'll see each other soon."

The couple shared a few loving kisses before they were drug away from each other by a chuckling Kendall and Greenlee.

"I love you, Rissa. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too, B. I'll meet you by Reverend McSherry."

/

Krystal arrived not long after Bianca and Marissa went to the separate parts of the house and immediately set about helping Erica organize things inside and outside.

The valet service arrived and set things up at the front of the house. As guests arrived, the valets would park their cars in an area that had been cordoned off for their vehicles. The DJ began setting up in the backyard and was doing sound checks. Chairs were set up and an aisle took form while the drape covering the kitchen doors had been installed. Some tables had been set up around the perimeter for the reception. The bulk of the tables, however, would be set up immediately following the ceremony. A temporary bar was erected as well, and the bartenders were hard at work making sure they were ready for action when they opened the bar once the wedding ceremony was over. Grayson Florist had gotten to work with the floral arrangements, and everything looked amazing. A table for gifts had been set up next to the stand holding the guest book, and the programs were inspected one final time to make sure everything was correct.

Things were just as busy inside. The kitchen was roped off for the caterer to do their work, and they had commandeered the dining room as well. This would have guests using the side door to access the restroom. Once the ceremony was over and pictures were being taken, the wait staff would be circulating with hors d'oeuvres to tide the guests over until dinner was served. They also prepared a light lunch for Bianca, Marissa and the other members of the wedding party. The cake was delivered with the baker making her final touches. The photographers and videographer arrived at the same time. While the videographer began setting up outside, Erica reviewed a few last minute details with the photographers. Once they were done, they headed outside to get their initial light readings in the various spots where photos would be taken. After they were done with their scouting, they would return inside to take some shots there before the women were escorted outside for individual photos.

Once Erica deemed things to be under control, she set about helping Miranda and Gabby get ready while Krystal helped AJ.

/

Marissa and Greenlee were settled in the guestroom downstairs. The redhead's hair and makeup were done, and she ate something while Greenlee did hers. Bianca had been insistent that Marissa eat something that afternoon before the ceremony. She didn't want the redhead getting sick. Her morning sickness was much better now but would still rear its ugly head every once in a while. Small meals helped a great deal in keeping it at bay. Neither woman wanted to take any chances on having to deal with it today. Marissa had been equally insistent that Bianca eat something as well. She didn't want the brunette getting sick either.

"So, do you have your something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue?"

"Well, my something blue is this." Marissa pulled out a brilliant sapphire on a platinum chain.

"That's a beautiful necklace. Where did you get that?"

"It was my Mom's. I always loved it. She told me that she hoped that I would wear it on my wedding day, but only if I wanted to which I definitely do. It's like having her and my Dad part of everything going on today."

"That's nice. They are you know, part of today. From everything you've me about them, I just have this feeling that _nothing_ would keep them away from this."

"Thank you. That means a lot, and you're right. I can kind of feel them here."

"What's your something new?"

"That would be this. Bianca gave me this last night." The redhead handed a sapphire and diamond bracelet over to Greenlee. Marissa smiled to herself as her friend examined the piece of jewelry. While Bianca did give her the bracelet and it was new, it wasn't _really_ her something new. No, her something new was the couple's unborn child, their little one. It was a secret that only she and Bianca knew.

"Bianca definitely has good taste. Okay, we need something old and something borrowed."

Before Marissa could answer, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Erica and Kendall entered.

"How is everything going in here?"

"Are you holding up, Red?"

"I'm doing great. How's Bianca?"

"She's doing great too. Krystal wanted a minute alone with her so Mom and I decided to come down and talk to you."

"How about the kids?"

Erica smiled. "They are dressed and ready. And at the sake of being biased, they all look adorable. Everything is running smoothly with all of the set-up as well."

"Thank you, Erica, for everything. You and Krystal have been so helpful during all of this. I know it's not easy working together, but you've done a great job. I can't tell you how much Bianca and I appreciate it."

"You're quite welcome, dear. Kendall and I each have something for you if that's alright."

"Of course it is, but you don't have to give me anything."

"We know, but this is a little different. I think you'll be okay with it. Kendall, would you like to go first?"

"I would. Bianca told us that you have your something new and something blue. I'd like to give you something borrowed." Kendall held out a small box for the redhead.

Marissa opened it to reveal a lovely platinum bracelet that she had seen Kendall wear several times.

"This is what Zach calls my 'lucky' bracelet. Among other fortunate events that have happened, I was wearing it when we sealed the deal with Macy's. I would consider it a huge favor if you would wear it."

"I'm honored to. Thank you."

Kendall helped Marissa fasten the bracelet and examined it after. "Good, it doesn't take away from what Bianca gave you. I didn't think it would, but it's good to know for sure."

"It's my turn." Erica handed over a small box to her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. "I had something in mind that I wanted to give you. When Bianca told me what her gift was, I knew I had the perfect thing."

Marissa opened the box and saw a pair of sapphire earrings. "These are lovely, Erica. Thank you. These match my Mom's necklace and Bianca's bracelet perfectly."

"Yes, they do. These belonged to my Mother."

"These were your mother's? Oh, Erica, I can't. I appreciate this more than you'll ever know, but I simply can't. You should give these to Bianca, Kendall or the girls."

"Nonsense. I have plenty of other pieces of jewelry to pass on to them. I want to give these to you. You have become just like a daughter to me so they are in good hands and staying in the family. I also think my Mother would be very happy with you wearing them on this special occasion and would love you just as much as I do. No crying, dear. You don't want to ruin your makeup, and I will simply not allow for mine to be."

Marissa took a shaky breath and chuckled. "No, we can't have that. Thank you. I can't even begin … Thank you. I love you too, both of you. I couldn't have asked for a better family to become a part of."

/

After Erica and Kendall left, Krystal was alone with Bianca. She had asked for a few moments alone with her soon-to-be daughter-in-law, and Erica had graciously agreed and took the opportunity to visit Marissa.

"Thank you for agreeing to speak with me for a few minutes."

"You're welcome, and it's not a problem."

"How are you holding up?"

Bianca smiled. "I'm doing great."

"No nerves or cold feet?"

"No, none whatsoever. I've never been more sure of anything in my life."

"I'm glad to hear that. You look very happy."

"That's because I am."

"You deserve it. Oh, you should see the kids. Erica's probably told you about the girls."

"She has. What about AJ?"

"He is the handsomest young man that I believe I've ever seen. We're holding off on the tie for a little while longer."

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, that was his least favorite part of the suit. We promised to limit the amount of time he would have to wear it today as much as we could."

"Speaking of things to wear, I, uh, have something for you that I hope you wouldn't mind wearing. Talking with Marissa as well as Erica and Kendall, I believe you have everything except something borrowed. I would be honored if you would consider this."

The brunette took the jewelry box from Krystal and opened it to reveal a platinum bracelet. "It's lovely."

"It was my mother's. I managed to hold onto a few things when things were tough, this being one of them. I had wanted to give it to Marissa today, but Erica, Kendall and I talked about these items. They both had something they wanted to give her which is so generous of them. You had told me you had something 'new' for her, and I knew she had planned to wear something of Lydia's. I'll give this to her another time. Until then, I would be honored if you borrowed it for today."

"It would be my pleasure. Would you help me put it on?"

"Of course." After the bracelet was in place, Krystal smiled. "It matches your locket. What did Marissa get you? I didn't have a chance to find out."

"Oh, she actually got me a couple of things." Bianca smiled as she recalled their exchanging of gifts last night once they were alone.

_/_

_Marissa grinned when Bianca settled next to her on the sofa in the living room. "Okay, I have something for you, two things actually."_

"_I have something for you too." Bianca saw the excitement in hazel eyes and decided to let her go first. "You first."_

_The redhead grinned and handed her a familiar looking box. "You can use this as your unofficial something new for tomorrow." _

_Bianca couldn't help but be a little confused when she found her locket inside. "You're giving me my locket and it's unofficial?"_

_Marissa scrunched her face as she considered the question. "Well, I guess I am kind of. Open it though. The 'new' is inside. I'll explain the unofficial in a minute"_

_Doing as instructed, Bianca found a new family photo inside. It was a shot of the five of them at Universal during their vacation. The photo happened to be Bianca's favorite. "I love it. How did you get this in here though? I wear this all the time."_

"_Ah, you took it off earlier when you were getting a shower and didn't put it back on so I seized the opportunity."_

"_It's perfect. Thank you."_

"_You're welcome, but we'll have to keep it unofficial and between us for now. Kendall wants to give you something new for tomorrow. I couldn't really tell her I had this already and could see how much it meant to her so I told her that was fine. That's why I have this for you as well. This will cover the something blue."_

_Bianca opened the second package and revealed a pair of platinum hair combs encrusted with sapphires. "Oh my god, Rissa, these are absolutely gorgeous."_

"_They were my Mom's. Blue was her favorite color. For their anniversary one year, Dad gave her these. She fussed about him spending too much money, but we could both tell how much she loved them so she didn't put up too much of a fight over them."_

"_Rissa, you should …"_

"_No, I shouldn't. I want you to have these, please." _

"_I will wear them proudly tomorrow." Bianca kissed Marissa tenderly. "Thank you."_

"_You're welcome."_

"_Okay, my turn. This is your something new."_

_Before Marissa opened the present, she grinned. "Actually, you already gave me my something new."_

"_I did? What's that?"_

_The redhead took Bianca's hand and placed it on her belly. "You gave me our little one."_

_Bianca laughed. "I guess I did. We're not telling anybody else about them yet though so we probably should have something else to show the others for now."_

"_I suppose you're right. Alright, let's see what this is." Marissa gasped when she saw the sapphire and diamond bracelet. "B, this is simply beautiful."_

"_Not quite as beautiful as you though. You just glow. I know you're wearing your Mom's necklace, and I thought this would match it."_

"_It does, perfectly. Thank you. I love it, and I love you." _

"_I love you too."_

/

"So, she got you the new picture for your locket and Lydia's hair combs, and you gave her the bracelet."

Bianca nodded. While she had revealed that information to Krystal, she held back the news about the baby. "Yeah, but don't tell Kendall about the picture."

Krystal chuckled. "I won't. I promise. Thank you for wearing the bracelet and more importantly, thank you for making Marissa so happy."

"She makes me happy too, Krystal. I promise I'll do my best to keep her safe and happy, to let her know that she's loved."

"I know you will."

/

"You look beautiful, Marissa." Krystal smiled as she saw Marissa with her dress on.

"Krystal's right. You do. You're going to take Bianca's breath away." Greenlee added sincerely.

"You look really pretty, Ma."

"Thank you all, especially you, AJ. Alright, Buddy, it's time to do that tie. Come here."

AJ sighed and stepped towards his redheaded mother. Marissa couldn't help but chuckle at him.

As Marissa tied his tie, her son looked thoughtfully at her. "Are you still not nervous, Ma?"

"Nope, I'm steady as she goes. I'm excited and can't wait to see Bianca."

"She looks really pretty too."

"I bet she does. Your sisters looked very pretty too, and you are so handsome and dapper. You know, we all clean up pretty well, don't we?"

AJ blushed and nodded. "Yep, we do."

Trinette, one of the photographers covering today, snapped away as Marissa helped AJ.

Greenlee answered the door as the florist delivered Marissa's and Greenlee's bouquets and AJ's ring bearer's pillow.

/

Erica held a hand to her chest as Bianca turned around. "Absolutely beautiful, Sweetheart."

"Mom's right, Binx, you are. It's going to take everything for Red not to run towards you when she sees you."

Bianca chuckled. "Thank you. I'll have you know, that contrary to what you might think, Marissa does have some restraint when it comes to me."

"Not much." Kendall smirked. "What do you think, girls? How does your Mom look?"

"You're really pretty, Mom, and you look really happy."

Gabby nodded in agreement with her big sister. "You are really, really pretty, Mommy. We saw Mommy earlier too and she is too."

"I know she is. The two of you though, well, I don't think I've ever seen a prettier junior bridesmaid or flower girl, ever."

Miranda giggled. "Ma said the same thing."

"Well then, it must be true if we're both saying it. Your brother is pretty handsome as well. Is Rissa helping him with his tie?"

"She was going to do it in a few minutes."

Erica watched as Bianca helped the girls with their final touches. It made her wish that her mother was there. Mona would have doted on them.

"Bianca, I have something for you. I cleared it with Marissa that I could give you something new. She said that it was fine because she had your something blue covered. I didn't know exactly what it was though."

"Her mother's hair combs are exquisite and the perfect touch for your hair." Erica added.

"Thank you. They really are, aren't they?" Bianca smiled as she opened Kendall's present, a diamond tennis bracelet. "Kendall, this is …"

"You like it?"

"I love it. Thank you. Would you help me with it?"

"I'd like nothing better."

"It's lovely, Kendall. Now, I have the something old. These were my mother's, your grandmother's."

Bianca revealed a pair of diamond earrings. "These are so beautiful. I don't recall Grandma ever wearing these."

"She didn't wear them a lot. My mother was more understated and wasn't into all of the flash and glamour like some of us are." She glared playfully at her daughters as they snickered, knowing full well she was referring to herself. "She did wear these on special occasions however, and if she were here today, she would be wearing them. The next best thing to that is to have you wear them in her place."

"Thank you, Mom. I'll wear them proudly." Bianca hugged her mother tightly.

When they separated, Brenda, the lead photographer, spoke. "Excuse me, but Marissa wanted to make sure that I got some photos of the Kane women."

They happily obliged as three generations of Kane women were captured for posterity.

Kendall answered the door to Bianca and Marissa's bedroom. The florist entered with bouquets for Bianca, Kendall and Miranda as well as Gabby's flower girl's basket.

/

The women in both rooms agreed that the florist had outdone himself on their bouquets. As they admired his work, the brides read the card enclosed with their bouquets. The wording was the same for both women.

_Ladies,_

_I'm sure the first thing you noticed is that bouquets are a rainbow. This was done for a very specific reason. As the two of you are well aware, the colors of flowers have certain meanings. This is especially true for roses. A yellow rose represents joy and true friendship. A white rose means unity, pureness of a new bond of love, honor and reverence. An orange rose means desire, __passion, excitement and is an expression of fervent romance. The lavender rose represents enchantment. A __pink rose means grace and harmony. The __turquoise rose stands for fertility, life, abundant growth, and the constant renewal of life and energy. The blue rose means you are extraordinarily wonderful. The __peach rose is for appreciation and closing the deal. Finally as you know all too well, the red rose represents love and romance. Just as colors have different meanings, so do numbers. You have a total of nine roses. Nine roses symbolize 'we'll be together forever'. I believe all of the above is true for both of you. As for the ribbons, I couldn't help myself. You'll notice that they have the letters of the alphabet scripted on them. I thought you might like it, and just so you know, your bouquets are the only ones with those ribbons. Congratulations and may you have a long and happy life together._

_Charlie Grayson_

The heartfelt sentiment had both Bianca and Marissa smiling brightly. While they shared the card with the others, neither revealed the meaning of the ribbons.

/

The girls joined Marissa, AJ, Greenlee and Krystal outside for several photos in Bianca's garden. When those photos were completed, the kids stayed behind while the women went back inside. Upon receiving the all clear, Bianca, Erica and Kendall joined the kids in the garden for their photos. Each group carefully avoided being seen by guests that had begun to arrive and were milling about. A check of the time indicated that it was time for everyone to take their places. Susan had arrived and taken the kids to their starting point in the garden. Krystal gave Marissa a kiss before heading outside. Erica shared a kiss with each of her daughters before leaving with Jack.

Kendall and Greenlee met briefly before Bianca exited the bedroom and went outside with Kendall. When it was all clear, Greenlee led Marissa outside.

/

"Are you ready, Binx?"

Bianca smiled brightly at Kendall. "I'm more than ready!"

/

"Marissa, are you ready?"

A brilliant smile crossed Marissa's face as she looked at Greenlee. "Oh yeah, most definitely!"

**/**

**A/N****: I know it's kind of a cliffhanger, but I think it's a fun one. I don't own the song "Marry Me". That is owned by Jason Derulo. Oh, I may be in training this week at work. If I am, I will be having a few long days which will cut into my writing time so there could be a delay for the next chapter. See you soon! **


	121. I Now Pronounce You

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! I really appreciate it. While I did end up having training this week, I did have a majority of the wedding ceremony written already which means I get to make my normal Saturday update! Alright, I couldn't help myself on the previous chapter's little cliffhanger. My evil side was whispering in my ear again, and I didn't want to break the ceremony itself up. Now, I know that September 23****rd**** did not fall on a Saturday this year, but I really wanted this wedding to happen on that date just 'cause (you can probably figure out why) so please work with me on that date. I'll leave it there and let you get to the story. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

_**Bianca Christine Montgomery and Marissa Lynn Tasker  
>request the pleasure of your company at the celebration of their marriage<strong>_

_**Saturday, the twenty third of September two thousand thirteen  
>at five o'clock in the afternoon <strong>_

_**Minx Manor  
>2441 Crescent Drive<br>Pine Valley, Pennsylvania**_

_**Reception to follow**_

**/**

Guests began to arrive and walked around to the backyard. As they stopped to sign the guest book and drop off gifts and cards, they couldn't help but admire the transformation that had taken place there. They almost didn't recognize the backyard. Guests began milling about, and various conversations took place as friends caught up with each other while they waited for the ceremony to begin.

/

Brian whispered to Stef. "I wonder what the guitar is for."

Stef followed her husband's gaze as she shifted Jamie in her arms. She noted a guitar resting on a stand next to two chairs near the DJ's station. "I don't know. I guess someone's going to be playing during the ceremony. Marissa didn't give you any clues about it?"

"No, she didn't. She and Bianca were keeping a few things quiet. I guess we'll find out soon enough." The man smiled. "I'm really happy for both of them."

"I am too. They deserve all the happiness in the world." Stef shifted her son again and chuckled as he babbled away and flirted with several of the guests.

"Do you think they're going to try and have a baby?"

"I wouldn't be surprised at all if they did. Both are great moms, and Marissa has mentioned that she'd like to have a baby."

Brian grinned. "That settles that then. Bianca will move heaven and earth to make Marissa happy."

Stef nodded. "You're right. She will, and the same can be said for Marissa."

/

"David, how are you today?" Zach smiled as he approached the man.

The doctor gave a curt nod. "I'm good, Slater. It's my daughter's wedding day, and I've never seen her happier. She's found the perfect partner in Bianca."

"You have argument from me on that. They're good together and deserve this happiness that they've found." Zach noticed David's eyes follow first Tad then Ryan then Adam. He could see the wheels turning in the doctor's head as he eyed just a few of his many enemies. "I would hate for anything to take away from their day."

David's gaze snapped back to Zach as he took in the subtle hint. He held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not going to cause any trouble. I gave Marissa my word. If anything happens today and I hope that it doesn't, it won't be because of me. I'm just here to witness my daughter's wedding."

"I'm very glad to hear that. I know they will be too."

"If you'll excuse me, I see someone I need to talk to."

Zach nodded as David walked away. Despite what the doctor had said, Zach would still keep an eye on him.

/

"Judge Kagan, it's good to see you. You remember my wife, Dr. Angela Hubbard?"

"Of course I do. It's nice to see you again, Angie. This is my husband Aaron."

"Sonya, a pleasure as always. Aaron, it's nice to meet you."

"Likewise, Angie. Jessie."

"Aaron. I'm told by some of my officers that you had some excitement over at your place this morning. I trust that the two of you are okay?"

Sonya Kagan nodded. "That we did, and we're fine. Your officers took very good care of us."

Angie turned to her husband. "What happened?"

"The Kagans had an intruder."

"What?"

"A woman claiming to be a reporter trespassed onto our property. It seems she was under the impression that this wedding was happening over at our place. She had a run-in with my husband and then landed in something that our horses had left behind."

Angie laughed and would've sworn she'd seen a twinkle in the judge's eyes as she related what had occurred earlier. "Who was the reporter?"

"Carmen Navarro."

"Isn't she the …"

Jesse nodded. "Yeah, that's her. After today's stunt, she won't be bothering anyone for a while. In addition to what happened at the Kagans', there was evidence found in the woods here indicating she violated the restraining order Bianca and Marissa had filed against her."

/

"How are they doing, Jack?" Tad offered his hand to the lawyer and the men shook.

"Ah, there are two young women inside who are extremely eager to get this show on the road."

"So, they're not nervous?" Scott asked.

"Not in the least bit. They are chomping at the bit and can't wait to be married. They are so excited and happy. I think 'over the moon' would be a pretty good way to describe them both."

Caleb turned to Tad. "What's the latest on Junior?"

"He's no threat for today and is still out west. Zach has things under control in the way of security here though, just in case."

"It looks like Hayward is on that list of potential threats." Caleb noted the doctor walking away from Zach who was wearing his trademark smirk.

Jack nodded. "Kendall said that Marissa asked Zach to keep an eye on him. She said that while Hayward had promised to behave himself today that she didn't want to take any chances."

"She's hedging her bets. That's one very smart young woman we have working for us."

/

"Do you know where they got the idea for their invitations? They were unique. I liked them."

Lisa shook her head. "I'm not sure, Madison, but I'm pretty sure there's some personal meaning behind its design."

"Why do you think that?" Amanda asked.

"Well for one, the tree on it looks just like the ones they have around their pond, and for another reason, the tree had their initials carved into it. It seems obvious to me. I loved them, and they really fit Bianca and Marissa."

/

"Hey, Sam, are you ready?"

The teen looked up and saw Aya. "Yeah, I am. What about you?"

"Yes, I am."

Kate, Aya's girlfriend, smiled. "She's been practicing all morning. I finally convinced her to take a break. Her vocal chords needed it."

Carol chuckled. "Sam's been doing the same thing with the guitar. We finally got her to put it down."

"I just want it to be perfect for them. I mean, they've done so much for me. This is their wedding, and I don't want to mess it up."

"You won't, Sam. All Bianca and Marissa want is for you to do your best. You do that, and there's no way you'll mess anything up. They believe you can do this and so do we." Gail smiled.

Sam relaxed at the encouraging words. "We're gonna do great, Aya."

"Definitely!"

Jan saw the kids walking into the backyard with Susan. "Oh, there are the kids. I think it's time to take our seats. Good luck you two."

/

AJ, Miranda and Gabby walked with Susan through the backyard. They smiled and waved to everyone they passed on their way to the garden, their starting position for the wedding. Susan attached the wedding rings to the pillow and handed it back to AJ who held it carefully while keeping a close eye on the rings.

/

With the appearance of AJ, Miranda and Gabby, guests began taking their seats suspecting the ceremony was close at hand. This suspicion was confirmed when Erica and Krystal appeared. Both women were smiling as they greeted guests on the way to their seats.

Sam and Aya took their seats in the two chairs near the DJ station. Aya took a microphone from the DJ while Sam picked up her guitar.

/

Kendall and Greenlee met briefly in the family room.

"How's Bianca?"

"Ready to go. I don't know that I've ever seen her this excited. What about Red?"

"The same. She's not nervous at all. She just wants this all to start."

"I think we've had them wait long enough. I'll get Bianca and head outside."

"Sounds good. I'll wait a couple of minutes before I bring Marissa out. See you in a few."

/

Kendall walked down the hallway and opened the door. She couldn't hold back her smile when she found her sister in front of a mirror doing a last minute check of her hair and makeup.

"You know that you shouldn't mess with perfection."

Bianca glanced up and rolled her eyes. "Well, we both know that I'm far from perfect."

"There's a certain redhead that would argue that point from here until the end of time."

"She's a little biased."

"No, she's a lot biased. Speaking of that certain redhead, are you ready, Binx?"

Bianca nodded happily at Kendall. "I'm more than ready!"

"Alright then, it's time."

Bianca straightened up and grabbed her bouquet. With a brilliant smile on her face, she took her sister's hand. "Let's go!"

Kendall laughed as her sister pulled her down the hallway and into the family room.

"Hey, Greenlee, see you outside."

Greenlee shook her head seeing the excitement in Bianca's eyes. Kendall was right. She couldn't recall a time when Bianca was this excited. She chuckled knowing that an equally excited woman was downstairs, and that it was time to get her.

/

Marissa checked her makeup and hair one final time as she waited for the all clear and could head outside to meet her bride. Hearing the door open, she glanced up and saw Greenlee.

The smaller woman smiled. "You look beautiful, and Bianca will be speechless, which is really something for a Kane woman."

"I don't know about me leaving her speechless."

"How about tongue tied? I think you'll do that. Okay, she and Kendall just went outside. Are you ready, Marissa?"

Marissa beamed as she looked at Greenlee. "Oh yeah, most definitely! It feels like I've been waiting a lifetime for this day. Let's go!" Marissa retrieved her bouquet and headed towards the stairs. She turned back to Greenlee. "Are you coming?"

Greenlee laughed. "Oh yeah, I wouldn't miss this for the world."

/

Reverend McSherry took her place in front of those assembled to witness this event. She smiled and nodded to the DJ who started playing the song indicating the start of the ceremony.

Erica turned around in her seat facing the back and nodded to Susan who started the kids on their way down the aisle.

The Tasker-Montgomery children walked down the aisle next to each other with AJ and Gabby flanking Miranda. AJ held the ring bearer's pillow carefully as he concentrated on making sure the rings stayed in place. The boy glanced up every once in a while and smiled remembering his Moms telling him to do so. Miranda walked slowly as she kept in time with the music and her brother and sister kept pace with her. A confident smile was on Miranda's face as she held her bouquet which was a smaller version of the ones her Moms carried. Gabby smiled brightly as she sprinkled the multi-colored rose petals from her basket. She was nothing short of charming, and the crowd was putty in her small hands. AJ sighed in relief as they reached the end of the aisle, and the rings were still attached.

/

Kendall gave her sister a quick hug before beginning her march. On the other side of the house, Greenlee gave Marissa a wink before leaving her spot.

The friends smiled as they met by the kids as the song ended. Reverend McSherry nodded to Erica and Krystal who stood and the other guests followed suit. Sam began to strum her guitar as Aya began singing 'I Will' by Paul McCartney.

/

Bianca and Marissa took deep breaths and began walking. When hazel eyes locked with warm chocolate, the breath of both women hitched. They knew in that instant that neither had seen anyone more beautiful in their lives. Both were beaming as they walked towards each other, their gazes never wavering.

_And when at last I find you  
>Your song will fill the air<br>Sing it loud so I can hear you  
>Make it easy to be near you<br>For the things you do endear you to me  
>Oh, you know, I will<br>I will._

The song finished as they reached each other.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

"You look absolutely stunning."

"You are simply breathtaking."

/

Reverend McSherry chuckled softly at the couple. The depth of their love never ceased to amaze her, and she was overjoyed that she was able to take part in their special day. A second nod was given to Erica indicating for everyone to be seated. The diva sat, and the other guests followed suit. After clearing her throat, the reverend began.

"Good afternoon and welcome! Friends, we have been invited here today to share with Bianca and Marissa a very important moment in their lives. Today is a celebration of their love. In the years they have been together, their love and understanding of each other has grown and matured and now they have decided to live their lives together as a married couple. I don't know about any of you, but I couldn't be happier for them, and I don't know of two people who deserve happiness more than they do.

I have known Marissa since she moved to Pine Valley and became a member of our church. I've gotten to know her over the years and consider her a good friend. During this time, we've had many enjoyable and challenging conversations, and I've learned that Marissa has this great thirst for knowledge and this even greater capacity to help and care for others. Her being a lawyer is a perfect fit. She has provided free legal advice to many members in need and is quite good from what I'm told."

"She's a brilliant lawyer." Bianca beamed proudly while Marissa blushed slightly.

The crowd laughed along with the minister, not surprised by Bianca's pride in Marissa's legal skills.

"I stand corrected. She's a brilliant lawyer. Marissa is very smart and funny, more importantly though, she is kind and generous. There isn't much that she wouldn't do for those that she loves. This is especially true when it comes to the four most important people in her life, Bianca and their children. I know that all of you will be shocked by this, but she brags constantly about AJ, Miranda and Gabby." The minister smiled at the three children in question. "Your Ma is very proud of you and loves you all very much. One of the happiest and proudest days of her life was when the three of you came to her and Bianca and asked if it was alright if you could call them 'Ma' and 'Mom'. It was the same for Bianca too."

AJ, Miranda and Gabby sported matching grins. They were thrilled that they had made their Moms so happy.

"One of the things I admire most about Marissa is that she doesn't give up. The challenging conversations that I mentioned earlier are a good indication of this. Things haven't always been easy for her. Some people would throw up their hands and complain to any and every one and just simply give up. It would make them less apt or willing to help anybody else, make them bitter or cold. That's not the case with her. It's made her more caring and giving, more willing to help others, more compassionate. She still sees the good in life and in people. That's pretty remarkable. Speaking of remarkable people, let's talk about Bianca."

"One of my favorite subjects!" Marissa grinned, earning laughs from the guests and a happy sigh from the woman in question.

"I didn't know her before Marissa. I knew _of_ her and of the many wonderful things that she had done in Pine Valley. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know about any of that. I wasn't really surprised when I found out that she and Marissa were best friends given what I knew about Marissa and what I'd heard about Bianca. Through Marissa, I came to know Bianca. And what can I say? I'm a huge fan. Everything that Marissa had told me and continues to tell me about her is true. And trust me, she's told me a lot. If you think she brags about the kids, it's nothing compared to what she says about Bianca and vice versa. Bianca gushes about Marissa just as much. I think the 'brilliant lawyer' comment made earlier speaks for itself."

Again, the crowd laughed. They knew exactly what the minister was talking about and enjoyed seeing the embarrassed looks on the couple's faces.

"Like Marissa, life has not always been easy for Bianca. She has this light about her though. It's the only way I can describe it. She sees the good in others when no one else can. The amount of lives that she has changed and saved through the Miranda Center is immeasurable, and I'm not just talking about here in Pine Valley. Other centers have opened throughout the country and continue the amazing works that she started here. When I met her and she found out I was a minister, she knew of my church, and it wasn't only through Marissa. She knew of my church's outreach program and that we were struggling a bit with it. Bianca immediately stepped in and volunteered funds, staff and time. I hadn't asked. In fact, I didn't have the time to ask. Before I even formed the question of why, Marissa told me it wasn't because of her or their friendship. It was because she was Bianca and that's just what she did. She helps people, and it's not something she does for fame or glory or awards or recognition of any type for that matter. It's just something she does because it's simply who she is. Having the opportunity of working with and getting to know her on a personal level, I knew Marissa was right."

Reverend McSherry saw many nods of agreement in the crowd and continued. "I was able to see her compassion, her kindness, her caring and her humanity, and they are boundless. This does not mean that she is a pushover though. If someone does something to a member of her family or anyone that she cares about, watch out. If you've ever seen what Marissa calls 'the Kane death glare', you know what I'm talking about."

Erica and her daughters simply grinned while others chuckled. Many of those in attendance had seen that look from at least one of the three over the years and knew precisely what the minister was talking about. For Marissa, hazel eyes sparked with mischief and other thoughts about the glare when she saw Bianca give it. Seeing the look on Marissa's face, Bianca chuckled and shook her head before mouthing 'behave'.

"When I saw Bianca and Marissa together, there was no denying how close they were. They were best friends in every sense of the word. They seemed to know when the other was hurting without being told. They helped each other through painful times in their lives, somehow knowing just the right words to help the other. This was done without thought or question. I have to admit that I didn't see the change in their relationship at first. To me, they were simply being themselves. Others, however, did see it and thought they should do something about it to encourage them to realize that the person they had been looking for to share their lives with was in fact right next to them."

Kendall and Krystal shared a quick glance at each other while Greenlee smirked.

"I say right next to them because that's exactly what it was. In the time that I have known them, they have always stood beside each other, giving the other the support they need. Sometimes, it was silent. Other times, it was more vocal. I think you can figure out which one does which more."

"Bianca does love a good debate." Marissa chuckled and was quickly joined by others. They all knew the reverse was true and that Marissa loved nothing more than a good verbal altercation. A small group knew that she wasn't above a good physical altercation should the need arise, and neither was Bianca for that matter.

Bianca laughed at her soon-to-be wife's tease. "It's a good thing you're not under oath, Counselor."

The minister joined the others laughing at the couple's exchange. "Once Marissa and Bianca realized how they truly felt about each other and found the courage to express those feelings, there has been no going back for either woman. When Marissa told me about their relationship changing and becoming romantic, I was only a little surprised. That surprise came from them being such good friends. When I thought about it though, it made perfect sense to me. Their personalities complement each other so well, and they just fit. They are able to see beyond what's just on the outside. To them, love is simply love, and I don't know two people who deserve it more than the women before you right now. I've seen the love they share grow each day, and it is that love that brings us to today's happy occasion. Who supports this couple in their marriage?"

Everyone assembled answered as one. "I do."

The reverend nodded. "Ladies, it is time to state your intentions. Would you please join hands?"

Bianca was still smiling as she handed her bouquet to Kendall while Marissa with a smile that had never left her face either handed her's to Greenlee. When the couple turned back to each other, they joined hands.

"Do you, Bianca, take this woman to be your wedded wife?"

"Yes, I do." Bianca beamed happily, answering the question so quickly that that minister had barely finished asking it.

"Do you, Marissa, take this woman to be your wedded wife?"

"Oh yeah, I do." A radiant smile broke across Marissa's face.

Reverend McSherry addressed the guests who were chuckling at the excitement the women were showing. "The vows Bianca and Marissa have chosen are blend of traditional vows and their own. Bianca, would you begin?"

In a clear and confident voice, Bianca began. She had committed the words to memory and needed no prompting from the reverend.

"I, Bianca, take you, Marissa to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to care for and to protect you, to comfort and encourage you. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward and promise to stay with you, for all eternity."

Marissa took a deep began to recite the vows she had memorized just as Bianca had, her voice equally clear and confident.

"I, Marissa, take you, Bianca, to be my friend, my lover, the mother of my children, to be my wife, my partner in life and my one true love. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to care for and to protect you, to comfort and encourage you. I will cherish our union and love you more each day than I did the day before. I will trust you and respect you, laugh with you and cry with you, loving you faithfully through good times and bad, regardless of the obstacles we may face together. I give you my hand, my heart and my love, from this day forward and promise to stay with you, for all eternity."

Both women were beaming, and their eyes never left the others.

"May I have the rings?"

AJ presented the ring bearer's pillow to the reverend. She gave him a quick wink and untied the rings.

Marissa started first this time. She took Bianca's wedding band from the reverend and placed it on the ring finger of Bianca's left hand.

"Bianca, I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

Bianca took Marissa's wedding band from the reverend and placed it on the ring finger of Marissa's left hand.

"Marissa, I give you this ring to wear with love and joy. As a ring has no end, neither shall my love for you. I choose you to be my wife this day and forevermore."

"By the power vested in me by the State of Pennsylvania, I now pronounce you married. You may now kiss."

Neither woman needed to be told twice. They had been waiting for this moment all day. Their lips met for the perfect kiss. It was not too long but not too short, not too chaste but not too passionate, not too soft but not too rough. It was just right. It was perfect and conveyed their feelings not only for each other but for all who were there bearing witness to their special day.

Reverend McSherry smiled brightly and spoke again once the couple had separated. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is most definitely my pleasure to introduce to you for the first time, Bianca and Marissa Tasker-Montgomery!"

The crowd erupted as the couple turned and faced them with what could only be described as blinding smiles. Bianca and Marissa shared another loving kiss before hugging AJ, Miranda and Gabby. They retrieved their bouquets from Kendall and Greenlee as the DJ cued up the song they had chosen as their recessional, 'This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)' by Natalie Cole. Taking each other's hands again, they headed down the aisle. Their happiness coupled with the song's beat had them swaying in time with it as they walked.

_This will be an everlasting love.  
>This will be the one I've waited for.<br>This will be the first time anyone has loved me._

_I'm so glad you found me in time._  
><em>And I'm so glad that you rectified my mind.<em>  
><em>This will be an everlasting love for me.<em>

When they were halfway down the aisle, Kendall and Greenlee whispered to the kids to begin their walk. They were grinning from ear to ear and waved to the crowd as they headed towards the garden where their mothers would be waiting.

_Loving you is some kind of wonderful_  
><em>Because you showed me just how much you care.<em>  
><em>You've given me the thrill of a lifetime.<em>  
><em>And made me believe you've got more thrills to spare, oh!<em>

_This will be an everlasting love_  
><em>Oh, yes it will now!<em>

Kendall and Greenlee followed closely behind AJ, Miranda and Gabby. The friends were laughing at the five that had preceded them down the aisle as well as the wedding guests. The newly married couple's joy was infectious, and they were all clapping, dancing and even singing along with the song.

_You brought a lot of sunshine in to my life._  
><em>You filled me with happiness I never knew.<em>  
><em>You gave me more joy then I ever dreamed of.<em>  
><em>And no one, no one can take the place of you<em>

/

When they reached the garden, Bianca pulled Marissa to her and kissed her fervently.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?" Marissa teased, loving how wonderful that felt to say.

Bianca grinned, loving being called by her new name. "What? I'm not allowed to kiss my wife?"

A brilliant smile formed on the redhead's face. "Oh no, you can kiss me as often as you'd like, anytime, anywhere!"

"It will be my pleasure, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

"Oh, I do love how that sounds!"

"That makes two of us! I love you."

"I you love too."

Their lips met yet again as they enjoyed the brief moment of time they would have alone until sometime later that evening after they departed to spend the night in a suite at the Yacht Club. They had originally thought about staying at home their first night as a married couple but made a change of plans when they realized that workers would be back early tomorrow to begin cleaning up and hauling away the temporary floor, bar and DJ stand along with all of the tables and chairs. The caterers would also be there late tonight packing up everything they had brought. All of that activity didn't allow for much private time for the newly married couple, and they really wanted to be alone to celebrate. The kiss they were now sharing was but a promise of the private celebration to come later.

**/**

**A/N****: I don't own the songs mentioned in this chapter. ****'This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)' is owned by Natalie Cole and 'I Will' by Paul McCartney. You've got to like Google. It helped a great deal with this chapter and helped me find a lot of things. The vows are a mix of things I found online with some of my own thoughts added in. The wedding invitation mentioned was one I stumbled upon during my research. When I saw it, I had to use it given the original Minx storyline and the mention of a tree with initials carved into it. If you're curious as to what it would like, do a search on wedding invitations and go to the site called Zazzle. Okay, I've got snow to shovel. The area was hit several inches of the white stuff yesterday along with sleet and freezing rain, and the driveway needs to be cleared. After that, I've got to finish decorating my Christmas tree. Oh, I'm sure I'll get some writing done too. The wedding reception will follow in the next chapter. See you soon! **


	122. The Wedding Reception

**A/N****: First of all, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's greatly appreciated! I find it amazing I'm still getting new followers after two years. Welcome to the Minx bubble! Second, I'm sorry for missing my regular update last week. Everything's fine. I just had a lot going on and a small writer's block to deal with. To make up for it, you have a nice long chapter. I was asked if this was the ending. Nope, it's not. I still have ideas so we're going to continue for a while. We are now, as the title of this chapter indicates, at the wedding reception. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"It will be my pleasure, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

Marissa grinned. "God, I love how that sounds!"

"That makes two of us!" Bianca's grin matched her wife's. "I love you."

"I you love too."

Their lips met yet again as they enjoyed the brief moment they would have alone until sometime later that evening. The kiss grew heated, both women losing themselves in it. If she had her way, Marissa would take Bianca in that garden right now. Due to the pregnancy, the redhead's libido was often in overdrive making her insatiable. If you coupled that with the fact that they had abstained from sex the night before, Marissa felt like she would about to burst. She needed Bianca, needed her inside of her and to be inside of the brunette just as much.

For her part, Bianca felt the same overwhelming need and desire. She kept asking herself why they abstained the night before. The brunette knew what they had agreed on and why. Holding back for one night would add to their wedding night at least that was the reasoning at the time, but seriously, who were they kidding? Both knew that they really didn't need to add anything to their night to make it special, but they had listened to others, Erica, Krystal, Kendall and Greenlee chiefly among them, and caved since they weren't spending their wedding eve apart like the others had wanted. Instead, the couple had a seriously heavy make out and petting session that had led to both wanting and needing more and leaving them sexually frustrated. Well, no more. Hands began to move lower as the crowd on the other side of the garden wall was quickly forgotten.

Throats being cleared could be heard distantly as three pairs of arms wrapped around Bianca's and Marissa's legs and waists. The couple sighed as they reluctantly separated to greet AJ, Miranda and Gabby. Glancing up, the brides spotted Kendall and Greenlee with smirks on their faces.

Kendall couldn't help but laugh having seen the newly married couple's impromptu make-out session before they were interrupted by the appearance of their children. "Alright, that's enough of that for now. We don't have much time before Mom makes her way back here and yells at you for making her cry."

"Mom was crying?"

"I'm pretty sure I saw Erica discreetly wiping away tears, and we all know that doesn't happen every day." Greenlee smirked.

Bianca chuckled. "No, it certainly does not."

Heartfelt hugs were exchanged between the women.

"Seriously, it was a beautiful ceremony."

"Kendall's right. It really was."

"We're not the only ones that think so either. You left everyone dancing in the aisles."

Marissa smiled. "Really? Good, I'm glad we're not the only ones." She gazed down at the three youngest family members. "You guys were amazing and did such good jobs. We're so proud of you."

AJ visibly relaxed. "I didn't lose the rings."

Bianca smoothed her son's hair. "No, you didn't, and neither of us thought for one minute that you would. We knew you would do great, and you did." The brunette smiled at her daughters. "That goes for the two of you as well."

"Yep, best ring bearer, junior bridesmaid and flower girl, ever."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Marissa dear. The three of you did an absolutely fantastic job. In fact, I'd say that you almost stole the spotlight from your mothers." Erica smiled as she joined the others, her comments earning giggles from her grandchildren. The diva turned to the beaming couple and hugged them both. "It was a lovely ceremony, and I couldn't be happier for the two of you."

"Thank you, Erica."

"Thanks, Mom."

"I have to agree with Erica. It was beautiful. I'm so happy for you both, for all of you." Krystal added as she walked towards them.

"Thanks, Krystal." Marissa smiled as they hugged.

Bianca followed suit. "Thanks, Krystal."

"Hi, I hate to break this up, but we really should start with the photos." The photographer stated.

Marissa nodded. "You're right, Brenda, we really should. The sooner we start, the sooner I can dance with my wife."

"I love how you think. Where to first, Brenda?" Bianca asked.

"Let's head down to the pond and start there. We'll finish up here and get you to the reception so you can have that dance."

"That sounds like a perfect plan to me." Marissa held out her hand for Bianca. "Shall we, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"

Bianca laughed and took her wife's offered hand. "Most definitely, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery!"

Gabby then took Marissa's free hand while Miranda took Bianca's. AJ smiled when Gabby held her hand out to her big brother which he happily took. As the five set off for the pond, the photographer was already back to work getting off several shots as the family walked. Erica and Krystal grabbed the items the kids had carried in the wedding and followed. Kendall and Greenlee trailed behind chuckling as they carried their bouquets as well as the brides'. The couple was practically glowing they were so happy. Kendall and Greenlee also knew exactly what they had just interrupted. They had to admit the brides had composed themselves fairly quickly. The friends knew first hand that having an intimate moment interrupted by their children was the norm and something parents everywhere had to deal with.

"I think we're going to have to keep any eye on them. You know, make sure they don't sneak away and try anything." Greenlee smirked.

Kendall rolled her eyes. She didn't think she'd ever understand why Greenlee kept bringing up Bianca's sex life. They'd had this discussion repeatedly, and no matter how many times Kendall asked her not to bring it up, her friend couldn't help herself and enjoyed the mental torture she put her through. Kendall shook her head at the thought. Torturing each other was just something that friends did. "I hate to admit it, but you have a point. I don't think they want anyone stumbling on a scene like we just did."

"Oh yeah, we almost got one heck of show." Greenlee laughed when she saw Kendall shiver slightly at the memory.

/

While the wedding party and a handful of others were busy with wedding photos, servers circulated among the guests with drinks and hors d'oeuvres, and the DJ played a variety of music. The photographer's assistant circled the area taking photos of those in attendance. As the guests chatted and enjoyed the cocktail hour, a crew was busy at work placing tables and chairs for the reception. No sooner had a table been put in its spot than a tablecloth, centerpiece and place settings were added. They were a well-oiled machine, exactly what would be expected of a group picked by Erica.

/

"Sam, you and Aya were great. I didn't know you could play." Brian smiled.

The teen blushed at the praise. "Thanks. I used to play when I was younger. I took it up again not long after I moved in with the Walkers. They got me that guitar for Christmas." Sam had the guitar packed up and placed safely in the house immediately after the ceremony. She didn't want anything to happen to it.

"Can you believe she was nervous she was going to mess up? We told her that she didn't have anything to worry about. Maybe, she'll listen to us next time." Carol winked.

Sam rolled her eyes. "You were right, Grandma. I should've listened to you."

"Much better!"

Alex pulled the lawyer aside. "Marissa said you were covering for her while she's gone."

Brian nodded. "I am. We went over everything the other day."

"Yeah, she told us. Even though she was off and getting ready for her wedding, she was still following up on this for us. She said there still hasn't been any word from the investigators on their search for any possible family members of Sam's."

"That's what she told me too. She said they would check back in the middle of next week with an update, and I was to let you know what they found out right away."

Alex sighed. He and Gail were anxious to hear something so the adoption process could begin in earnest. Marissa was being as thorough as possible and following up on every lead. She was literally with them every step of the way, and the Walkers knew they couldn't be in better hands. "Thanks. I really appreciate it, we all do."

/

"Hey, Jack. Are they almost done?"

"Yes, Erica just had a few more poses that she wanted them to do. Not only are Bianca and Marissa being extremely patient but the photographer is too. She really is showing the patience of a saint. You did not hear me say that though."

Tad laughed. "There's no way I'm telling Erica that. Your secret's safe with me."

"Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me I need to let the DJ know that they should be back up here in a few minutes."

/

"Adam, relax. JR's not showing up. Even if he does, there's nothing he can do now. Marissa and Bianca are married. That's something he can't change no matter what he would try. Besides, I have a feeling Zach has things covered."

"You're right, Brooke. I have no doubt that Slater has taken appropriate precautions in case JR decides to show up. I just don't want him to ruin this day for them. Lord knows that he's done enough in the past to cause them trouble. I know that he's said he was going to try and respect their relationship, but …"

"It's hard to believe him. I know. For what it's worth, I believe him this time. It's not that I think he's doing it for them, just that he's doing it for his son. I think AJ finally got through to him."

"I hope so." Adam smiled. "I have an amazing grandson, don't I?"

Brooke chuckled. "Yes, you do. Marissa and Bianca have done a terrific job."

"Yes, they have." Adam agreed. There was no denying that fact. Given that Marissa had full custody of AJ, he knew that the couple could have prevented him from seeing him and having a place in his grandson's life, but they didn't. For that, Adam was and would forever be very grateful.

/

The DJ spotted Krystal and Erica join the other guests and knew it was almost time to announce the happy couple. When he received a nod from the diva, he turned down the volume of the music and picked up the microphone.

"If I could please have your attention, it's time to make some very special introductions. First off, we have our ring bearer AJ Chandler, our junior bridesmaid Miranda Montgomery and our flower girl Gabby Montgomery!"

The crowd clapped loudly as the kids made their appearance, each waving as their name was called. They walked to the head table where Erica was waiting for them to show them to their seats. Gabby trailed behind her brother and sister, skipping happily to the table.

"Now for our lovely matrons of honor, I give you Kendall Slater and Greenlee Lavery!"

Again, the crowd clapped with the pair's husbands and kids cheering the loudest.

"Finally, we've saved the best for last, our beautiful brides. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in welcoming Bianca and Marissa Tasker-Montgomery!"

The crowd erupted with thunderous applause, whistles and cheers.

Bianca and Marissa walked into the reception area holding hands and with beaming smiles on their faces. They waved to the guests and joined the other members of the wedding party at the head table. The couple deposited their wedding bouquets before turning to their children. Marissa helped AJ remove his tie as promised, and the couple gave their permission for the kids to join their cousins and friends. AJ was eager to talk to his friend Bobby Douglas who was there with his dads, and Spike joined him. Miranda ran off to show off her dress and bouquet to her best friend Jessica Mendes who was in attendance with her parents. The families had grown close after the bullying incident. Emma went with her. Ian tagged along with Gabby who quickly found her best friend Sarah Lind. The girls had become inseparable since meeting in kindergarten and had a number of playdates. Sarah's parents had become good friends of the family as well and were also there.

Bianca and Marissa were handed drinks before they headed off to greet their guests. The servers had been instructed as to what the brides would be drinking, and Erica made sure to have them be vigilant to the couple's needs.

/

"Sam, thank you so much! You were fantastic! Bianca and I couldn't be more thrilled with your performance." Marissa said as she hugged the teen.

Bianca nodded happily and hugged Sam as well. "Or more grateful to you for doing this for us. Thank you."

Sam grinned. "You're welcome. I'm glad you guys liked it."

"We loved it."

"I have to agree with both of you about her performance. One thing surprises me though." Gail remarked clearly amused by what she was thinking.

Marissa eyed her curiously. "What's that?"

Gail teased her friends. "I'm surprised you heard anything. When you saw each other, it was like you blocked everything else out, at least that's how it looked to me."

Bianca blushed at the truth of those words. Marissa did as well but managed to respond in her characteristic manner. "Guilty. I couldn't take my eyes off of Bianca. Can you blame me though? She's absolutely gorgeous. And while it's true I could only see my beautiful bride, I could still hear Sam and Aya."

The brunette sighed happily. "You never cease to amaze me with your gift for words, Counselor."

"It's easy when you speak the truth, B."

Hearing what Marissa said, Bianca couldn't help but remember her dream and what Roy had said to Lydia. She was struck by just how much her wife was like her dad.

Carol shook her head. "Don't listen to them. They're teasing you, dears. You remind me so much of Thomas and me when we got married. He was so handsome, and he was the only one I could see."

The brides couldn't help but smile as the older woman recalled her own wedding years ago.

Somewhere, one of the guests clinked a glass and others soon joined in on the signal telling the couple to kiss. The brides happily obliged and shared a loving kiss.

/

"Bianca, Marissa, the two of you look absolutely amazing." Jan hugged the couple who had made their way over to her group.

"Thanks, we had a lot of help. Aya, you sounded wonderful. Thank you so much for singing for us."

"Bianca's right. You were perfect. Thank you."

"You're more than welcome. I'm just glad I didn't screw up."

"There wasn't any chance that would happen especially with all of the practice you put in." Kate smiled at her girlfriend. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you think to ask Aya to sing?"

"Well, Bianca had heard Aya sing before and said she had a great voice. When I finally got to hear her sing, I couldn't have agreed with Bianca more. She blew me away. It was kind of a no-brainer that we had to have her sing today."

"When did you hear her sing?"

Marissa, Bianca, Aya, Jan and Lisa all looked at each other and chuckled.

Lisa grinned. "What happens in Shamokin …"

"Stays in Shamokin!" The others laughed in what had become their well-used response before the brides went to greet some of their other guests.

/

"I would like to thank the two of you for inviting Brooke and myself to share in your special day. And if I could add, both of you are absolutely stunning."

Marissa smiled and hugged Adam. The two had developed a warm relationship over time. After all, they did share a common goal in making sure AJ was happy. "You're welcome. We're glad you could make it."

"It means a lot to us and especially to AJ to have you here."

"Thank you, Bianca. My grandson is quite the young man. The two of you have done a wonderful job with him."

/

"If it isn't the two most beautiful women in Pine Valley." Tad grinned as he took Marissa's hand and gave her a spin. "What do you say, Marissa? Save a dance for me later, and I'll show you some of my smooth moves." The man performed what some might call some vague form of dance moves as he waggled his eyebrows.

Marissa couldn't help but laugh in response.

Bianca struggled to keep a straight face and raised an eyebrow. "Watch it, Tad. She's a married woman now. I don't know that I want you showing her any kind of moves especially ones that might injure her or possibly steal her away from me."

Marissa grinned. "I don't know if I'm ever going to get tired of hearing that. Thanks for looking out for me, Babe. He does look a little dangerous."

"Like I would stand a chance in hell against Bianca." Tad chuckled. "Seriously though, congratulations. I'm really happy for you both.

"Thanks, Tad, and thanks for your help with _he who shall remain nameless_ today."

"You're welcome. I'm happy to help and even happier more of my help wasn't needed."

Bianca spotted the Kagans. "Rissa, there's Sonya and Aaron. We should talk to them."

"You're right. We really need to apologize."

When she saw Tad's questioning look, Bianca responded. "It's a long story, one which I'm sure Kendall and Greenlee would be more than happy to share with you."

"If those two are involved, I know it's gotta be good."

"It is." Marissa stopped as the couple had begun to walk away. "Oh and Tad?"

"Yeah?"

"You're right. You don't stand a chance in hell against my wife."

Tad laughed as the redhead led Bianca away with the brunette sporting a goofy grin. He picked up his glass and clinked his knife against it. Other guests soon mirrored his actions. The couple paused and again happy obliged their guests by sharing a kiss.

"I really love this tradition." Bianca sighed.

/

Before they could get over to the Kagans, the happy couple was stopped.

"So, you and Bianca are going to hyphenate and go by Tasker-Montgomery. I guess that means we're going to have to change the firm's letterhead again."

"Yeah, we are. We want to share each other's names. Professionally though, I'll stay Tasker and Bianca will remain Montgomery. It's less confusing for our clients. But when we're off the clock, it's definitely Tasker-Montgomery. Why would that change the letterhead anyway? Only partners are on it."

Caleb smiled and nodded to Jack who was talking with Bianca a few feet away. Jack said something to his niece and guided her over to the two lawyers.

Bianca immediately saw the slightly confused look on her wife's face.

"Did you tell her yet?" Jack asked.

"Give her a second."

"Rissa?"

Marissa looked between the two men trying to make sense of her conversation with Caleb. The pieces started to fall into place and her eyes grew wide.

Caleb chuckled. "I think she's got it now."

"Are you saying what I thinking you're saying?"

"Yes, we are."

"Do you think you might be interested?" Jack asked.

As the realization hit her, a huge smile broke across the redhead's face.

"Rissa, what's going on? What are they talking about?"

"They are offering me a partnership in the firm."

Bianca looked at her uncle and Caleb. "Seriously? You want her to be a partner?"

Both men nodded.

"Rissa, that's, that's fantastic! I'm so proud of you!" Bianca hugged her wife fiercely.

"The partners met and were going to make you the offer after you got back from your honeymoon, but Caleb and I wanted to be the ones to tell you. This isn't a gift. You deserve this."

"Thank you. I am interested, but this is something Bianca and I need to talk about. Could I take some time and get back with you on this?"

"Of course. We'd expect you to do nothing less than that. Look, Jack and I know that this is a lot to take in, especially today. The two of you talk about it, and then we will talk when you get back."

"I left some papers inside for you to look at but only if you get a chance. Erica will kill me if I do anything to disrupt your honeymoon."

Marissa nodded still a little in shock. "I will, and I won't tell her if you don't."

"Deal."

"Congratulations on everything but mostly on your marriage. Be happy. You deserve it." Caleb clapped Jack on the back. "Now, what do you say you buy me a drink, Jack?"

"You're on." Jack smiled as the two men headed towards the bar.

Bianca looked at her wife, her pride clearly evident. "Rissa, this is an amazing opportunity for you. I'm so proud of you. They're right. You've earned this."

"It's definitely big, and I wasn't expecting this at all. I'm going to have to be upfront with them when we hash this out. I'll have to tell them about our little one."

"Yeah, you will, but you know what? It's going to be fine. Scratch that. It's going to be great."

Marissa smiled and kissed her wife. "It already is, no matter whatever else happens."

/

"Congratulations! I'm really happy for you." Scott hugged the couple.

"Thanks. Did this give you any ideas?" Marissa nudged her friend. He and Madison had been together for a while, and the subject had been broached a couple of times. Scott wanted to propose but just couldn't bring himself to do it yet.

Madison changed the subject. "Where are the two of you going on your honeymoon?" The blonde couldn't remember what the couple had told them before.

Bianca got the hint. "We're keeping it a little low key. We found a really nice resort and spa a couple hours away."

Amanda couldn't hide her shock. "What? I still can't believe you're staying in Pennsylvania. I thought for sure that you'd change your mind and go someplace tropical. You know, get away from everything. I'm still working on Jake to take some time off so we can get away. Ruth has said she'll be more than happy to watch Trevor for us."

"Yeah, Mom's looking forward to spending some quality time with him. I'm working on getting the time off."

"So, why aren't you going away?"

"We wanted to stay close. The kids are in school right now, and we didn't want to be out of the country in case something came up. Besides, we just took a big family vacation this summer." Bianca explained.

Madison saw that Amanda was getting to ask yet another question and decided to step in. "I love your dresses, and your bouquets are so unique. What's with the letters on the ribbons?"

Marissa grinned. "That's just something between Bianca and me. Our florist designed them. Each color rose has a specific meaning and so does the number of roses. He did a wonderful job." The redhead leaned in to whisper. "If you want, I could throw mine in your direction."

Madison gave a slight nod in response. Maybe this would be the push Scott needed. "I'd like that."

"No problem. Maybe Scott will get a little bit of a clue."

/

"Hey, Marissa, Bianca. You two look beautiful. My son definitely agrees with me." Brian laughed as Jamie lit up seeing the couple and reached out for the redhead.

"Issa!"

Marissa reached for her godson. "Hey, Jamie. Look at you. You are so handsome in your suit."

The toddler giggled as he was tickled by the brides.

"I have to agree with Rissa. You definitely give AJ a run for his money, but don't tell him that."

Stef chuckled. "Don't worry, we won't say a word. Will we, Jamie?"

The boy shook his head before resting it on Marissa's shoulder. The redhead started to softly sway as they chatted.

"There's something you should know about your godson. He's a shameless flirt. I swear he's been flirting with all of the women here."

"Stef's right. He has been."

"Well, I don't know many who can resist Jamie's natural charms."

"Speaking of charmers, your kids were adorable. Miranda is becoming quite the young lady. AJ was very dapper, and Gabby, well she almost stole the show from the two of you."

Bianca and Marissa smiled proudly hearing Stef go on about their children.

/

Kendall and Greenlee walked over to the DJ stand. The caterers were putting the final touches on the dinner which meant it was time to make some toasts.

The DJ lowered the volume on the music, and Greenlee took the microphone.

"If I could have everyone's attention, Kendall and I have just a few words we want to say. Where are our brides?" Greenlee spied the women across the yard. "Would the two of you join us?"

Bianca and Marissa nodded and made their way over to where their matrons of honor were standing.

"While we're waiting for them, would everyone please grab a glass?"

Kendall handed Bianca and Marissa each a glass of champagne once the couple joined Greenlee and her.

Greenlee began speaking again. "As you may be aware, a matron of honor has several duties to perform before, during and after the wedding. There's a bridal shower that must be held."

Kendall grinned. "Check. A matron of honor also needs to hold a bachelorette party."

"Big check on that one." Greenlee laughed. "And no, we're not giving details on that one. We help with the rehearsal."

"Check again. The day of the wedding, a matron of honor helps the bride get ready for the ceremony and keeps her calm in case she's nervous. Now, I've done this before and so has Greenlee. I'm speaking for both of us when I tell you that today was a first. Neither bride was nervous. In fact, both were pretty calm, that was until right before the ceremony."

"That's when they got excited. When it was time for us to bring them outside, I thought Marissa was going to leave me behind. I told her it was time to start, and she headed right for the stairs. She was halfway up before she remembered she needed me. She turned around and asked whether or not I was coming."

Marissa cleared her throat only slightly embarrassed by her excitement.

"Now, let's talk about my sister. When I told her it was time, she bolted for the door and grabbed my arm on the way out of the room. I thought she was going to pull it out of the socket trying to get out here and get this thing going. It's still a little sore."

Bianca shrugged, unable to deny the claim.

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Stop whining, Kendall. We'll get you some ice for it later."

"Wow, your sympathy is overwhelming." Kendall smirked.

"Whatever. Another part of a matron of honor's duties is to give a toast at the reception."

"Which leads us to where we are now. After you, Greenlee."

"Bianca, we've known each other a long time and haven't always gotten along. Somewhere along the line, something changed, and now, I think we're pretty close. Maybe, we both grew up. Alright, I'll just stop all of you from saying it. Maybe, I grew up. Whatever happened, you're someone I respect and can count on when things get tough, and I consider you a good friend. I know we're cousins, and if our parents ever get their acts together, we'll be sisters. Huh, that would make us sister-cousins. That sounds like an interesting reality show."

Kendall cleared her throat. "I think you're getting a little off track."

"Oh, sorry about that. Next to Kendall, there's no one else I would like to call sister other than you. Scratch that. There is one other person. Marissa. You definitely fit into this family. We've gotten close, and I know that some people were probably surprised when you asked me to stand up with you. I'm sure they thought you would ask either Scott or Brian. I'm honored that you asked me. You've definitely come through for both Kendall and me a few times and I can't tell you how much it means to know that I've got you and Bianca on my side. I also happen to think I look better in this dress than either Scott or Brian ever would."

The crowd laughed.

"I agree with you, Greenlee. Brian doesn't have the legs for it." Stef smirked.

"Yeah, and it's not really Scott's color." Madison added with a smile.

Greenlee nodded. "Bianca, Marissa, I wish you both all of the happiness in the world and a long and happy life together. To Bianca and Marissa." Greenlee raised her glass with the other guests following suit.

"To Bianca and Marissa!"

The brides raised their glasses as well and took a sip of champagne.

Kendall smiled. "Now, it's my turn. Marissa, Red, I don't even know where to start. We've been through a lot in the time that we've known each other. You are most definitely one of my closest friends, and it's not just because of Bianca. You are a fighter and fight for your friends and family. You've helped me out a few times, and I can't even count the number of times you've been there for my sister. You helped bring that smile back to her beautiful face. She lights up whenever you're around or whenever your name is mentioned. You brought love back into her life, and I will never be able to thank you enough for that. Greenlee's right. You do fit right in with this family. I'm not sure how good that is, but it's too late now. You're stuck with us so welcome to the family."

"Thanks! I'm definitely happy to be part of it."

"Good to hear. The more I've gotten to know you, the more I really admire you and love you. I could never find anyone as perfect for my sister as you. I couldn't be happier to now have you as my sister."

Through a shaky breath, Marissa was able to add. "Me too."

"Now, Binx, my little sister. I love you so much and am so happy for you. You have finally found the love that you deserve. You have that person who loves you and would do anything for you. More importantly, you have someone who realizes just how special and amazing you are. Mom and I have known that for a long time, but now, you have a wife who knows and isn't afraid to tell any and every one that. I've never seen you laugh more than you have since you've been with Marissa or be loved more. You deserve that and so much more, and I know that Red will do everything in her power to make that happen. You are so special and the best person I've ever known or ever will know. You are the best of us. You've been through so much in your life, and you to continue to amaze me because you don't give up. You keep going no matter what. You've made the best out of what life has handed you and remained optimistic, and I don't know anyone else that has that kind of inner strength. I respect and admire you more than I could ever say. I'm proud of you and proud to be your sister. I love you, and I'm so happy that you have someone worthy of you, that you finally have your happy ending. No, let me change that. That you finally have your happy beginning because I believe that's what this is, the beginning of a long and happy life together. I wish you both nothing but happiness and joy and an eternity of love. You deserve it, little sister, you both do. And if you ever need me, I'll be here. I love you." Kendall wiped a tear away and addressed the crowd who were also wiping away tears of their own. "Please join with me and toasting my sister and her wife. Bianca, Marissa, to you and the wonderful life I know that you will have together."

A deeply touched Bianca and Marissa wiped away tears and took a sip of champagne before hugging Kendall and Greenlee.

"Thank you."

Marissa looked around at the crowd gathered in her and Bianca's backyard. It meant so much to have all of their family and friends there. "I suppose that leaves us. First of all, Bianca and I would like to thank all of you for coming today and sharing this day with us. It means so much to us to have all of you here."

"We will never be able to thank you enough for all of your love and support. Next, Rissa and I want to thank Aya and Sam for their performance."

The crowd clapped in agreement.

"You were wonderful just like we knew you would be."

"Erica and Krystal, thank you for all of your help and support in planning today. You kept Bianca and me on track and focused with our plans and gave us some wonderful ideas, many of which you are all seeing now. You listened and respected our wishes about what we wanted too and made it all work together beautifully. Because of you, this day has been made more special than we ever could've imagined. Thank you."

Unable to find any words, Erica and Krystal could only nod as they carefully wiped away tears.

Bianca continued. "And last but by certainly no means least, that brings us to our matrons of honor, to Kendall and Greenlee. I'm not even sure where to start."

"I have an idea of where if I could."

"I yield to my beautiful wife."

Marissa giggled. "That's never going to get old. It goes back a couple of years, and I have to include Krystal in on this. If it wasn't for the three of you, we may not be here today. Well, we may be here at our wedding but just not today. You saw what Bianca and I couldn't see at the time. You were able to see that person we were looking to share our lives with was right there in front of us. It was just something we just couldn't see or admit to ourselves. With a none too subtle nudge and the worst blind dates in the history of the world, which we still owe you for …"

"Just so you know, I didn't have any part in the blind date debacle. I did help clean up the mess that they made though."

"So noted, Greenlee. Anyway, you helped us see what was right in front of us and gave us the pep talks we needed to take that first step. I do think we would've eventually realized that ourselves, but it might have taken us a while longer. The point is, we would've missed out on some time together and that is something we would've regretted. So, thank you."

"I couldn't agree with Rissa more. Kendall, Greenlee, you have been there for us too many times to count. Whether it was sitting with one of us when the other was hurt or helping one of us get home sooner when we were out of town and couldn't stand to be apart any longer or just listening when we needed to talk. Thanks."

"Greenlee, thank you for agreeing to be my matron of honor. You're a great friend, and there's no one else that I would want to have with me today. You also had a valid point. No offense, Scott and Brian, but Greenlee does look a lot better in that dress than either of you."

"Tell me something I don't know." Greenlee added cockily.

"Kendall, we weren't always as close as we are now, and I can't tell you how glad I am that that changed. You are by far the best big sister ever. You're one of my best friends and have helped me through so much and are one of the strongest people I know. I love you. So, to all of you."

Everyone raised their glasses and took a drink.

A server whispered to Marissa who nodded. "Now that the toasts are out of the way for the moment, please take your seats. Dinner will be served."

/

Everyone soon found their seats, and AJ, Miranda and Gabby made their way back to the head table to be seated with their mothers. Guests had been given the options of having filet mignon, roasted chicken, seared salmon or a vegetarian dish as their entrée when they had returned their RSVP's. Taking their own children into account, an option of chicken tenders was given for the other younger guests in attendance.

The guests happily chatted away as they enjoyed their meals. Bianca saw Marissa eyeing the filet mignon the brunette had on her plate and couldn't help but smile. The redhead had requested the chicken actually wanting it at the time, but Bianca could tell she was rethinking that choice. The pregnancy had Marissa craving red meat. Seeing and smelling the filet mignon sparked that craving tenfold.

"You want the filet, don't you? Take mine."

Marissa scrunched her face up. "No, I've poached enough of your food lately. I want you to enjoy your dinner. I'm good with what I have, honestly." The redhead turned back to her meal.

Bianca shook her head and smiled to herself. She got the attention of a server. A whispered exchange took place, and after a few minutes, they returned with a perfectly cooked filet mignon for Marissa.

The redhead grinned at Bianca knowing she was behind the gesture and gave her a quick kiss. "Thank you."

"It was nothing. The caterer told me she always makes extras of each dish. I knew you ordered the chicken, but I also know about your cravings lately. I asked her to make sure she had an extra filet mignon for you just in case."

"Best wife ever!" Marissa smiled even more than before.

Bianca returned the smile and whispered again. "I promised to take care of you, our kids and our little one, to make sure you want for nothing. I have every intention of making good on that promise, doing whatever is humanly possible."

"Like I said, _best wife ever_!"

Kendall nudged Greenlee. "Did you see that?"

"I did. I also noticed that Marissa isn't drinking anymore champagne. She just had the one glass."

"Given that and all of the other things we've noticed recently, I'm starting to wonder if maybe she's already pregnant."

"That makes two of us."

/

After dinner, the cue was given to the DJ who picked up the microphone for his next announcement.

"If I could ask our brides to come to the dance floor, it's time for your first dance."

Marissa stood and grinned as she held out her hand. "Would you give me the honor of this dance?"

"It will be my great pleasure."

The happy couple walked to the dance floor, and the DJ began playing the song the couple had chosen. While all eyes were on them, Bianca and Marissa only had eyes for each other as they swayed and moved effortlessly around the dance floor together. Marissa began to softly sing the words to _I Just Call You Mine _along with Martina McBride.

_I pinch myself sometimes to make sure  
>I'm not in a dream, that's how it seems<br>I close my eyes and breathe in the sweetest moments  
>I've ever known, it feels like home<em>

_And here I am, I wanna be your everything_  
><em>There you are turning winter into spring<em>

_And everyone that sees you always wants to know you_  
><em>And everyone that knows you always has a smile<em>  
><em>You're a standing ovation after years of waiting<em>  
><em>For a chance to finally shine<em>  
><em>Everyone calls you amazing yeah, I just call you mine<em>

_I fall apart and just a word from you somehow seems to fix_  
><em>Whatever's wrong, oh, you reach into the weakest moments<em>  
><em>And remind me that I'm strong, you've gotta know<em>  
><em>I'd be a fool not to see or even worse<em>  
><em>To forget that you're more than I deserved<em>

_'Cause everyone that sees you always wants to know you_  
><em>And everyone that knows you always has a smile<em>  
><em>You're a standing ovation after years of waiting<em>  
><em>For a chance to finally shine<em>  
><em>Everyone calls you amazing, I just call you mine<em>

_Nothing makes sense when you're not here_  
><em>As if my whole world disappears<em>  
><em>Without you what's the point of anything?<em>

_'Cause everyone that sees you always wants to know you_  
><em>And everyone that knows you always has a smile<em>  
><em>You're the dream that I've been chasing after years of waiting<em>  
><em>For a chance to finally shine<em>  
><em>Everyone calls you amazing, I just call you mine<em>  
><em>Everyone calls you amazing, yeah, yeah, I just call you mine<em>

When the song ended, the couple shared a loving kiss before motioning for others to join them on the floor. The next song was more up tempo, and AJ, Miranda and Gabby joined their mothers in dancing to it.

When another slower song started playing a few songs in, Jack came up and tapped Marissa on her shoulder. "Would it be alright if I borrowed your wife and took her for a spin?"

Marissa smiled. "I suppose, but make sure you give her back."

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss before being whisked away by her uncle. Seeing Marissa alone, Caleb approached.

"Would you do me the honor of this dance? I promise not to step on your feet."

"I'd love to dance with you."

/

"So, Princess, I was going to ask if you're happy, but judging by the smile on your face, I can tell that's a pretty silly question."

Bianca laughed. "Yes, Uncle Jack, it is. I am happy though. In fact, I don't think that I've ever been this happy. I'm so lucky to have found Marissa and to be sharing my life with her."

"I know I'm being completely biased here, but I'd say she's pretty lucky herself. You are an amazing woman, and I am so proud of and happy for you."

"Thanks, Uncle Jack."

"You know, you've always been just like a daughter to me, and I couldn't love you more if you were."

"I know, and you've been just like a father to me. I couldn't have asked for better and couldn't love you more if you were." Bianca leaned up to kiss him on the cheek. "So, when are you and Mom going to get your act together and get married? Come on and jump into the marriage pool. The water's just fine!"

Jack laughed at the brunette's cheeky grin. "We're working on it. When are you and Marissa going to add to your family?"

Bianca froze for the briefest of moments. "How did you? Oh wait, don't tell me. Mom said something, right?"

"She might think something is happening on that front. I'm not sure where she got that idea from, but you know she has her ways."

"Yeah, I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

"Well between you and me, I think it would be a wonderful idea."

"I'll just say that we're working on it and leave it at that."

/

"It was a lovely wedding."

"Thanks, Caleb. I'm glad you came. It means a lot."

"There's no place else I'd rather be. So, the firm will be making a few other offers. We're going to ask Mr. Douglas if he would be interested in moving up to the position of associate."

"That's wonderful news. Brian's a great lawyer."

"We know. Now that she passed the bar, we're going to ask Ms. Walsh if she'd be interested in joining the firm as a junior associate."

"Lisa will be thrilled. She's good and will be an excellent addition."

"Because you've mentored both of them, we'd like you to be present when we make those offers. To that end, we'll do it when you get back from your honeymoon."

"Thank you. I really want to be there. It means a lot."

"Now, I won't put any added pressure on you to accept our offer. I know you want to discuss this with Bianca, and I respect that."

"Good because I really need to do that."

"I will just say that the offer is sincere and is based on your performance and not your connections. You earned this. Between last year and this year, you've given the firm several big wins. Chandler jumped ship to hire our firm, and I suspect your working for us had more to do with that than you're willing to admit. Fusion is now a client thanks in large part to your work on their deal with Macy's, and because of the way you handled Walter Regan's daughter's divorce, Regan Industries has solidified its relationship with us for a very long time. Excellent work all around."

"Thank you. Like I said, I am interested but …"

"I know that family always comes first with you. That's what makes you so valuable to your clients, why they trust you so much, and it adds to that respect that I have for you. We've taken that into consideration. Did you know that partners don't put in as many hours as associates? It's because we don't log as many hours in the courtroom."

"I'd heard that."

"Did you also know that the firm is going to be starting a daycare center for its staff?"

Marissa cocked her head. She and Bianca had finding a daycare on their list of things to do for the baby. "I hadn't heard that."

"Well, it only makes sense, from a business perspective of course. A number of our staff have started or are starting families like Brian for example. We know that it would be a help to them, one less thing for them to have to worry about. An announcement will be made shortly."

"Of course, from a business perspective, it does make sense." Marissa knew there was more behind it and could tell that Caleb knew she knew that.

"If anyone would be interested in taking advantage of that benefit, it will be opened early next spring."

"I'll keep that in mind, for anyone that might be interested."

"You do that."

/

Caleb felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see David.

"May I cut in?"

"If it's okay with Marissa?"

The redhead nodded. "It's okay, Caleb. Thank you for the, uh, talk."

Caleb bowed his head slightly. "You're welcome. We'll talk again soon."

Marissa and David began to dance.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you and thanks for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me. I wasn't sure if you would. I know that I've done a couple, okay I've done a lot of things that you're not happy about. I've disappointed you and tried to go against your wishes when you were injured. I was worried about you and wanted you to have the best possible care. I still think my approach …"

"David, no. You know where I stand on that, and we're not going to go over that again."

"You're right. I will do my best."

"Thank you."

"I am happy for you. Bianca is a wonderful woman. I couldn't ask for anyone better for you."

"I know. I'm very lucky."

"She's lucky too."

/

Bianca and Marissa made the rounds again to greet guests they hadn't had a chance to talk to yet. This is what finally brought them to the Kagans.

"Sonya, Aaron, we can't begin to tell you how sorry we are about this morning. If we had known …"

The judge waved Marissa off. "There is absolutely no need for you to apologize. You and Bianca had nothing to do with what that woman did."

"But my sister and Greenlee …"

"Had our full blessing. When they called last night and told us what they had in mind, we jumped at the chance. Aaron was so excited he was up early."

"What can I say? I needed to prepare, to get myself in character."

Marissa laughed. "It was definitely an Oscar-worthy performance. You were pretty intimidating. Have you seen the video?"

"No, we haven't, not yet. Greenlee did say she would send it to us though. I think they were a little busy today." The judge winked.

"I'm sorry to interrupt." Lisa froze when she saw who Marissa was talking to. "Your honor, I …"

The judge raised an eyebrow. "Yes, it's Ms. Walsh, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, it is."

Marissa struggled not to laugh at the younger woman's expression. She looked terrified for having interrupted the judge. "Did you need something, Lisa?"

"Huh? Oh right, I'm really sorry to interrupt, your honor, but I've been sent to get the brides. Your presence is requested on the dance floor."

Bianca looked at Lisa suspiciously. "By whom?"

"Kendall, Greenlee, Stef, Aya, Jan, Madison. You get the idea?"

"I'm kind of afraid that I do." Bianca turned to Marissa. "Shall we?"

The redhead nodded. "We shall." She turned back to the Kagans. "We'll talk more later?"

Sonya waved the couple off. "Yes, we will. Go have fun."

As the three younger women walked away, Lisa was still in shock. "Judge Kagan knows my name. She knows who I am."

Marissa merely nodded. "You'd be surprised at what she knows."

The judge couldn't help but chuckle at Lisa's comments while her husband shook his head. His wife had left yet another young lawyer in awe.

/

When Greenlee spotted Lisa leading Bianca and Marissa towards the dance floor, she signaled the DJ who cued up the next song.

Marissa started cracking up when she heard '_You can dance, you can jive. Having the time of your life.'_ She pulled Bianca with her. "They are playing your song, Babe!"

Bianca rolled her eyes but quickly gave in and joined her wife and the other women who had attended their bachelorette party singing and dancing.

Tad and Jesse looked at Angie as she darted past them to join the others.

The doctor stopped and turned. "What?"

"Seriously, Angie? ABBA? _Dancing Queen_?"

Angie simply shrugged. "What can I say? It's a guilty pleasure. And I wouldn't talk if I were you, Tad. You seem to forget that I've known you a very long time and know a lot of things about you. I don't think you really want to go there."

Tad held up his hands in surrender. "Have fun."

Jesse looked at the group. Most had attended the bachelorette party. Neither Natalia nor Randi had divulged any details of that night. "Why do I have a feeling we're missing something?"

"That's because we probably are, but I think we're better off not knowing."

"You're probably right."

/

After the song had finished, Bianca managed to speak with the DJ and make a request of her own. A couple of songs later, the group was still dancing away when Garth Brooks' voice came through the speakers causing Kendall to laugh.

"Well played, Binx, well played."

When the song reached the chorus, the group joined in loudly.

_'Cause I've got friends in low places  
>Where the whiskey drowns<br>And the beer chases my blues away  
>And I'll be okay<br>I'm not big on social graces  
>Think I'll slip on down to the oasis<br>Oh, I've got friends in low places_

/

Marissa was taking a brief break from the dancing to grab something to drink when Krystal found her.

"There you are."

"Hi, Krystal. What's up?"

"Are you having a good time?"

"I'm having a great time. Thank you again for everything."

"You are more than welcome. Thank you for letting me be a part of this."

"You're welcome."

"Now, they'd like to cut the cake."

Marissa nodded happily. "I'll go get my wife."

Krystal chuckled at the beaming smile on her daughter's face as she said those last two words.

/

Bianca eagerly went with Marissa when she told her they wanted them to cut the cake. While Krystal alerted the photographer and AJ, Miranda and Gabby, Erica informed the DJ of what was going to happen. He nodded and made the announcement.

"If I could have your attention please, I've just been informed that it is time to cut the cake."

The crowd quickly gathered around the exquisitely decorated multi-tiered cake with cameras at the ready. The baker had topped it with two brides, one brunette and one redhead.

Bianca and Marissa posed with the knife cutting into the cake, and after several shots, carefully removed a piece of the confection revealing a tier of chocolate cake with raspberry filling.

"What are the odds of either one or both of them smashing the cake in the other's face?" Greenlee smirked.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Please, you have a better chance of winning the lottery than having that happening."

"Yeah, that's what I figured."

"Oh look, they have chocolate cake. I'm so surprised." Kendall deadpanned which had Greenlee laughing.

Bianca and Marissa carefully fed each other a bite of cake before sharing a kiss.

Marissa looked at her wife. "We have to take a couple pieces of this with us for later tonight."

Bianca nodded happily. "Yes, we do. We're going to be working it off later."

"Uh, yeah we are!"

Five slices were quickly cut and given to the Tasker-Montgomery family. The baker and her assistant then quickly removed the top tier that would be carefully wrapped before being placed in a freezer for the couple's first anniversary. The cake was then sliced for guests and distributed to the guests by the servers. Besides the chocolate, other flavors of cake and filling made up the other tiers and were given as options to the guests.

/

"Would you like to do the garters and toss the bouquets now?" Erica asked the couple a little while later.

Bianca glanced at Marissa who nodded before answering. "That's fine with us."

"I'll get everything arranged."

When Erica was gone, Marissa pulled Bianca to her. "Just so you know, I've wearing two garters, one a little lower on my leg and the other higher up, or you could say one for now and one for later."

A wicked grinned flashed across Bianca's face. "What a coincidence, I'm doing the same thing."

"Great minds."

"Definitely."

The DJ made the next announcement. "I need all of the single men to come up to the front please."

A chair was placed by the couple and Marissa took a seat. Bianca knelt down and gently reached up to remove her wife' lower garter. Once she was done, she stood and helped Marissa up. The couple traded places, and Marissa removed one of Bianca's garters. Given the fact that their children were present, they were keeping this all on the mild side, G-rated, much to the chagrin of some of their guests. The couple then turned their backs to the men and boys gathered and tossed the garters over their shoulders. When they turned back around, they saw that Tad and Scott had caught them.

"Alright, I need all of the single women to come up front please."

Erica handed Bianca and Marissa each a replica of their bouquets. Marissa glanced to see where Madison was before turning her back to the women and girls gathered around. The redhead tossed the bouquet and turned around in time to see Madison emerge from the melee in triumph. Bianca was up next with Aya's girlfriend Kate snatching the bouquet just before it landed in the grasp of another guest. Bianca and Kate each nodded slightly before the music started to swell again.

"I saw that." Marissa grinned.

"Saw what?"

"You and Kate had something worked out didn't you?"

"We might have. You don't have any room to talk. I saw you aiming for Madison."

"I can neither confirm nor deny that."

"Nice save, _Counselor_." Bianca pulled Marissa close and kissed her.

When they separated, Marissa lowered her voice an octave. "Is it time for us to leave yet? I really need to be alone with you."

Bianca practically growled in response. The combination of Marissa lowering her voice like she just did and gazing at her the way she was doing now did things to Bianca, gave her ideas of things she want to do with her wife, things they were in no position to do at that moment. Marissa knew all of this too. She knew exactly what she was doing to Bianca, and the brunette knew she knew. Of course, Bianca often returned the favor by doing the same thing to Marissa. "God, that makes two of us. Okay, we've done everything that we're supposed to do. I say it's okay if we start thinking about making our escape."

"I couldn't agree with you more. Got any ideas?"

"Why don't you let us help you with that?" Kendall smiled as she and Greenlee appeared before the couple.

"Seriously?" Marissa asked hopefully.

Kendall chuckled. "Yeah, we figured we'd take pity on you and help the two of you get away."

"We know you want to be alone and get the honeymoon started." Greenlee smirked. She caught Kendall shaking her head and laughed. It was just too easy sometimes.

"Do you mind?"

"Not at all. Okay, I'll be good. Kendall, you go help them, and I'll talk to Erica and Krystal."

With that said, the four separated.

/

Marissa glanced around the bedroom. "Uh, Kendall, where's our luggage?" The couple had their bags all packed prior to the wedding to save them time for when they left.

"It's in the car. Greenlee and I took care of it a little while ago. The two of you just need to change your clothes."

Bianca hugged her sister. "You are the absolute best."

"Tell me something I don't know. Go change. We've got one more surprise for you." Kendall grinned before leaving the bedroom.

Several minutes later, there was a knock on the door. "Are you decent?"

"Come on in, Kendall."

The door opened and AJ, Miranda and Gabby bounded into the room ahead of Kendall and Greenlee.

"Mom!"

"Ma!"

"Mommy!"

Hugs were shared between the five Tasker-Montgomery's.

"We thought you might want to say goodbye in private."

Marissa nodded from her seat on the bed. Gabby had already claimed her lap. "Thanks, Kendall. Are you guys having fun?"

"Uh huh. Aunt K says you and Mommy are going to leave now for your trip."

Bianca stroked her youngest daughter's cheek. "Yes, we are. Are you going to be okay with that?"

Gabby nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"So am I." AJ nodded.

"Me too." Miranda agreed. "We had lots of fun today."

"Good. Rissa and I are glad that you did and so did we. You're going to have lots of fun with your aunt, uncle and cousins."

"I know we don't have to tell you, but listen to them and do what they say. Don't forget to do your homework."

The kids nodded.

"We'll call you every day. If you need to talk to one of us, let Aunt Kendall know and she'll call us." Bianca assured the kids.

"And take it easy on Uncle Zach when it comes to the video games. Don't beat him too bad. You know how he gets." Marissa teased.

"Yeah, I'd appreciate your help on that one. He pouts sometimes."

The kids giggled at their aunt.

"We'll try, Aunt K, but he's not that good so it's kinda hard." AJ grinned.

Bianca ruffled her son's hair. "Well, do your best. Okay, we need some more hugs and kisses."

AJ, Miranda and Gabby happily obliged the request. When they were done, they hustled out of the room giggling about what was going to happen next.

The four women exchanged hugs.

"Have fun and don't worry about the kids. They'll be fine."

"We know they will. They're in great hands. Thank you for everything you've done for us."

"Bianca and I don't know what we would've done without you."

"It was our pleasure." Greenlee smiled.

"It really was. Everything else is taken care of. The place will be clean as a whistle when you get back. Mom has cleaners ready to come in tomorrow."

"Now, it's time to go. You've got a honeymoon to start and an antsy crowd waiting to say goodbye."

/

When the couple emerged from the house through their front door, they were greeted with cheers and handful upon handful of brightly colored confetti, most of which was tossed by their children and the other younger guests.

Bianca and Marissa paused at the bottom of their front stairs.

"What's that?"

Zach walked up with a grin on his face. "That, Bianca, is your ride for the week. I was able to arrange it for you. I figured you needed something fun for your drive, you know, something less _mom-like_."

Marissa grinned as she checked out the cherry red Mustang convertible. Handmade _Just Married_ signs were on the driver's and passenger's doors as well as the trunk. "This is _so_ sweet, Zach! Thank you!"

Zach tossed the keys to Marissa. "You're very welcome. Have fun."

Krystal stepped forward and hugged the women before handing Bianca a bag. "I saw the way the two of you were looking at your cake so I snuck a couple of slices in there for later. Have fun and congratulations."

"Thanks, Krystal."

Marissa grinned. "Thanks, Krystal."

Erica made her way to the couple. "Congratulations. I'm so happy for the two of you."

"Thanks, Erica, and thanks for taking care of the cleanup."

"It's my pleasure. Don't worry about a thing, just have fun and enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks, Mom. We will. We'll see you in a week."

The couple climbed into the car and buckled up. Marissa put the car in gear and honked the horn. The guests waved as the happy couple headed down the road with the top down, balloons attached to the antenna and the _Just Married_ sign attached to the trunk fluttering softly in the wind as they drove away.

**/**

**A/N: I don't own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter. 'I Just Call You Mine" is owned by Martina McBride, 'Dancing Queen' by ABBA and 'Friends in Low Places' by Garth Brooks. I had to give our girls something fun to drive on their honeymoon and couldn't think of anything more fun than a Mustang convertible. I rented one a few years ago when I went on vacation out west, and damn if it wasn't fun to drive. It was red of course because well just because it had to be red! To those that celebrate, have a Merry Christmas! I'll be back with an update before the New Year!**


	123. The Honeymoon - Part I

**A/N****: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following. It means a lot and is greatly appreciated. This is a shorter chapter, and the reason for that is in the author's notes at the end. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

While the reception continued back at Minx Manor in full force, Marissa pulled up to the front of the Yacht Club. Two young men in valet uniforms quickly opened the car doors for the couple.

The taller of the two young men greeted them as he opened Marissa's door. "Good evening and welcome to the Pine Valley Yacht Club." Taking note of the signs on the car, he smiled. "Congratulations!"

Marissa smiled as she handed the valet a tip. "Thank you!"

"We'll have your luggage brought inside right away." He offered as he signaled a bellboy to come over with a luggage cart.

The couple thanked them again as Marissa walked around the car and took Bianca's offered hand before they headed inside.

As they approached the front desk, the clerk smiled as she recognized the couple. "Good evening, Ms. Tasker, Ms. Montgomery. How are you tonight?"

Bianca smiled. "We're really good, Ally. There's one thing though. It's Tasker-Montgomery."

The clerk was confused. "I thought that's what I said. Ms. Tasker, Ms. Montgomery."

Marissa grinned. "You did, but it's actually Tasker-Montgomery. It's hyphenated."

The clerk's eyes grew wide as she realized what they were saying and took note of the wedding rings. "Oh my gosh! You mean, you mean, you're married! It's Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery! I mean, Mrs. and Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery! Congratulations!"

The brides laughed. "Thank you!"

"This is the best news. I'm really happy for both of you. Let me get you checked in." Ally tapped some keys on her computer and chuckled to herself. Seeing the arrangements that had been made for the couple's room had everything making sense to her now. "I see that you have the Admiral's Suite. Everything is ready for you."

Bianca reached into her purse to retrieve her credit card in order to pay.

"That won't be necessary, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery. Payment for the room has already been taken care of. In fact, it's been comped."

"It has? By who?"

"I show that Mrs. Foster has taken care of everything."

The couple couldn't help their surprise at finding out that the owner of the Yacht Club had taken care of their room. The woman had been more than generous with them previously by offering the venue as the home of annual Miranda Center New Year's Eve fundraiser. It seemed that now her generosity extended to them on a personal level.

"Wow, that's extremely generous of her, but she didn't have to do that." Marissa smiled.

"Well, that's Mrs. Foster. She's one of the best bosses I've ever had. I happen to know that she's very fond of the both of you, and she loves having the Center's fundraiser here. I have a note here that if you need anything to just let us know. To quote Mrs. Foster, 'your wish is our command'."

"Would you please thank her for us if we don't get to see her while we're here?" Bianca asked while making a mental note to contact Mrs. Foster personally after they returned from their honeymoon.

"Of course I will." Ally nodded and handed the couple two key cards that had been programmed for their room. "Very good, here are your keys. If you take the elevator to the right up to the top floor, you'll find your room. The bellboy will bring your luggage up to your room. A late checkout has been arranged for you. Room service is available 24 hours. Do you have any questions I could help you with?"

Marissa glanced at Bianca who shook her head. "No, I think we're good, Ally. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Have a good evening and enjoy your stay at the club!"

"Good night."

/

Due to the presence of a few others, the couple was forced to behave themselves on the elevator ride to their floor. They located their room quickly. Marissa placed her key card into the lock and had just opened the door when she was stopped by Bianca.

"That's interesting."

The redhead turned back and saw Bianca had her head turned to the side. Marissa took a step back to see what had caught her wife's attention. The next thing she knew, Bianca had swooped her up into her arms.

Marissa yelped in surprise. "Bianca! What on earth are you doing?!"

Bianca simply grinned. "What's it look like I'm doing? I'm carrying my wife over the threshold!"

"You're going to hurt yourself."

"No, I'm not. This is something I've been dreaming of doing ever since we got engaged."

Marissa sighed and surrendered easily as she nestled closer to Bianca. She placed a kiss on her wife's neck. "Who am I to deny you one of your dreams?!"

Bianca released a low growl at the contact and nudged the door open with her foot before carrying her bride inside. Marissa pushed the door closed with her foot as her lips found her wife's. Bianca gently lowered Marissa without breaking the kiss.

The couple reluctantly separated when they heard a knock on the door.

"It's probably the bellboy with our bags."

"Yeah, I'm sure it is. I'll get rid of him as soon as I can." Bianca added with a quick kiss.

"Good evening, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery. I have your bags for you."

While Bianca was dealing with the bellboy, Marissa took a moment to check out the suite. The sitting area was filled with flowers. Marissa followed a trail of them into the bedroom where there were more flowers along with dozens of candles. The flames provided a warm glow to the room. It seems their benefactor was a romantic. Marissa opened the doors that led to a balcony the overlooked the harbor. The moon appeared to be dancing on the water and added to the enchanting atmosphere of the evening. Marissa became lost in her thoughts as she reflected on the day's events. It had been a perfect day. Warms arms encircled her from behind, pulling her close and away from her thoughts.

"Hey, penny for your thoughts." Bianca rested her chin on her wife's shoulder.

Marissa smiled brightly as she turned in her bride's arms. "I was just thinking about today and how it was like a dream come true."

"It really was, wasn't it? It's not over though." Bianca started to lean in for a kiss but was stopped.

Marissa smiled teasingly. "No, it isn't. I need you to hold that thought if you could. I have something special for you."

Bianca wanted to protest but stopped seeing the glint in hazel eyes. Truth be told, she had a surprise for Marissa as well. "Fine, but don't take too long."

"I won't, promise." Marissa gave her a quick kiss before heading back inside and ducking into the bathroom.

When she was done freshening up, Marissa pulled on a plush robe provided by the hotel.

Bianca greeted her with a smile and raised eyebrow. She was aching to know what was under that robe but decided to let her wife have her fun with the surprise. Bianca was just as determined and with a quick kiss took her bag into the bathroom.

/

Bianca emerged later only to find the bedroom empty. A quick survey of the area had her spot Marissa back out on the balcony. The brunette found a bottle of non-alcoholic champagne being chilled and read the card attached. She smiled seeing it was Kendall and Zach. There was a promise of a real bottle of champagne sometime in the future. Bianca popped the cork and poured two glasses before heading outside.

Feeling Bianca's presence, Marissa turned and smiled seeing her wife in the other plush robe. The redhead took a glass from Bianca.

The couple clinked glasses. "To us."

"To us."

Bianca smiled at her wife. "How are you this evening, my dear?"

"Very well, only I wish you wouldn't call me my dear."

"What endearments am I allowed?"

Marissa grinned as she thought. "Rissa for every day, goddess divine but only on very special occasions."

"What should I call you when I'm cross? Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"

"No, no, you may only call me Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery when you are completely and perfectly and incandescently happy."

Bianca set her glass down on the table before taking Marissa's glass and setting it down next to hers. The brunette smiled as she remembered the final scene from _Pride and Prejudice_. Taking her cue from Marissa, she continued. "But how are you this evening, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?" Bianca kissed Marissa's forehead before murmuring the name again. The brunette moved her lips to kiss her wife's right cheek. Uttering the name again, Bianca moved her lips to Marissa's left cheek. Once more she spoke their shared name before kissing the redhead's nose. This was followed by kissing the corner of her mouth. Bianca murmured _Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery_ once final time before capturing Marissa's lips.

The women moaned at the meeting of soft lips. As the kiss deepened, access was quickly granted to tongues begging to explore and claim.

"In … in … inside. We … we … really need to go inside or we're going to give the harbor one hell of a show." Marissa gasped for air.

Bianca nodded and followed her wife inside. The brunette closed the door and turned back to Marissa.

/

Ever so slowly, the redhead untied her robe and finally revealed her surprise, an emerald green silk teddy. Bianca inhaled sharply as she raked her eyes over Marissa as her mouth went dry. It hugged her curves perfectly. Bianca cleared her throat as she struggled to speak. "You are so beautiful."

"So, you approve?"

"Oh god, yes I do."

"This was one of the gifts from the shower."

"You've been holding out on me because you didn't show me this one."

"I had to save something as a surprise for you." Marissa teased. "Why do I have the feeling you're holding out on me?"

Bianca smiled mischievously and slowly removed her robed. Marissa's pupils dilated as her eyes took in the sight of her wife in a royal blue silk teddy that hugged her in all the right spots. "Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous. Is this from the shower?"

"From Aya and Jan. They heard me mention that blue was your favorite color once and thought you might like this."

"Oh, I don't like it. I love it. Remind me to thank them the next time I see them. They were behind mine as well. It seems they remembered how much you like this color on me."

"No, I love that color on you. It brings out more of the green in your eyes. Yeah, I'm really going to have to thank them too."

Marissa felt the material and loved how it felt against her skin. _I'm definitely going to have to wear this again, especially if it continues to get this same reaction from Bianca that it is now. Oh, I won't be able to wear this for much longer though. I'll be too big for it. I'll be too fat for it and Bianca definitely won't be looking at me like she is now._ Tears began forming in hazel eyes that had only moments ago been filled with mirth.

Bianca was instantly concerned by her wife's sudden change in mood. "Rissa, honey, what's wrong?"

Marissa shook her head.

"I can't help you if you don't tell what's wrong. Did I do or say something?"

Another shake of her head as a sob started to form.

"Rissa, please tell me what's wrong."

Marissa sniffled. A part of her knew she was being silly, overreacting, but she couldn't seem to help it. "I won't be able to wear this soon. I'll … I'll be fat and you won't want to look at me."

Bianca was struck with the realization of what Marissa was behind her wife's sudden mood change. "Rissa, Rissa, look at me. Please look at me."

Marissa slowly lifted her eyes and sniffled again.

Bianca gently wiped away her wife's tears. "Marissa, you are beautiful. While I can admire how you look in this, it's not what makes you beautiful. What makes you beautiful is your heart, your love for me and our kids and everything else about you. You're not fat, and even if you were, it wouldn't matter one bit to me because I simply see you. You are carrying our child, the greatest gift you could ever give to me. The life you are carrying inside you makes you glow. I'm not just saying that. I mean it. And you are more beautiful to me than anyone. You always will be. When we're 100 years old, you will still be the most beautiful woman in the world to me. I love you more each day. That will never change. Today, you made me the happiest woman on the face of the planet when I became your wife."

Marissa let out a shaky breath. "Me too. I'm sorry. It's these stupid hormones. I don't know what's going to set me off."

"I know, honey. I've been there. I seem to remember how you reacted to that one commercial."

"Stupid Hallmark commercials. Thank you for preventing another hormonal meltdown. I'm sorry. I'm ruining our night."

"You have nothing to be sorry about. I understand. I get it. I really do. And you haven't ruined anything. I love you, no matter what."

"I love you too, so much." Marissa should have known better. She gazed at Bianca. There was nothing but love being reflected in her wife's warm chocolate eyes. The way Bianca was gazing at her, how could not she feel anything but beautiful? Marissa knew without a doubt that she felt the same way about Bianca.

The redhead leaned forward and captured her wife's lips.

Bianca pulled back slightly. "Are you sure? We don't have to do anything if you're not feeling up to it. I only want this if you do."

Marissa shook her head. "I know, but I do want this. I want you."

"Oh god, I want you too."

"B."

"Yeah?"

"You're talking too much." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "There's only one way to rectify that." The brunette crashed her lips into Marissa's.

The kiss deepened and quickly escalated as tongues silently asked for and were granted access.

Needing air, the couple reluctantly separated, breathless. Marissa took a small step back but still remained in Bianca's arms. There was a gleam in hazel eyes that told her wife exactly what was on her mind, and she took a step back, reluctantly moving her arms from the redhead's waist. Marissa slowly lowered first one strap and then the other of her wife's teddy. With a slight wiggle, it pooled around Bianca's feet. The brunette smiled softly at expression of love and wonder on Marissa's face. Bianca then gently lowered the straps of her wife's gown, placing a kiss on each shoulder as she did. Chocolate eyes dilated as she watched the silk glide down Marissa's body and pool on the floor. She would never grow tired of the sight before her. Knowing that her wife was carrying their child made her all the more beautiful. Bianca had meant every word when she said Marissa glowed. She took the her wife's breath away.

Lips were fervently captured again and hands began to roam and caress soft curves as they pulled each other closer.

**/**

**A/N: First off, I totally took the part about endearments for Bianca to call Marissa from 'Pride and Prejudice', the version with Keira Knightly. So, I don't own it at all. I just liked that scene and had it in my mind for them for a while. Second, I'm really sorry for leaving it there. I wanted to continue, but I have a bad cold. It's kind of hard to write M-rated stuff when you can't breathe. Who knows what you may get if I continue to write under the influence of cough medicine! My options were to post what I had and give you something this week or wait until I felt better. I chose to post now. I hope to have something up again for you soon. If I don't, Happy New Year!**


	124. The Honeymoon - Part II

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following. I appreciate it. I also appreciate the thoughts on my getting better. I have detoxed from the cough medicine and am feeling better just in time for the temperatures to nosedive. I took a break from writing anything for a couple of days because I just couldn't concentrate or focus. It definitely would've been interesting to see what I would've wrote while hopped up on medicine, but I don't know if any of it would've made a lick of sense. When I finally did start writing again, it took me a little bit of time to get back into the swing of things. It made me remember why I try and write a little something each day. It helps me from getting rusty. This is a shorter chapter, but it's helped get me back into the flow of the story. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"B."

"Yeah?"

"You're talking too much." Marissa grinned.

Bianca laughed. "You know, there's a way to change that." The brunette crashed her lips into Marissa's.

The kisses deepened and escalated quickly as tongues silently asked for and were granted access.

Needing air, the couple reluctantly separated, breathless. Marissa took a small step back but still remained in Bianca's arms. There was a gleam in hazel eyes that told her wife exactly what was on her mind, and she took a step back as well, reluctantly moving her arms from the redhead's waist. Marissa slowly lowered first one strap and then the other of her wife's teddy. With a slight wiggle, it pooled around Bianca's feet. The brunette smiled softly at the expression of love and wonder on Marissa's face. A small smirk formed on the redhead's face when she spotted the blue garter high up on her wife's thigh. Bianca then gently lowered the straps of her wife's gown, placing a kiss on each shoulder as she did. Chocolate eyes dilated as she watched the silk glide down Marissa's body and pool on the floor revealing the matching emerald garter the redhead had saved for later. Bianca knew she would never grow tired of the sight before her. Knowing that her wife was carrying their child made her all the more beautiful. Bianca had meant every word when she said Marissa glowed. She simply took her wife's breath away.

Lips were fervently captured again and hands began to roam and caress soft curves as they pulled each other closer, moaning when their bodies melded together. Neither willing to break their connection, Bianca slowly guided Marissa backwards towards the bed. Their final destination reached, they separated briefly, both gasping for breath but eager to join together again. Bianca helped Marissa onto the bed before joining her.

"I love you."

"I love you."

Once again, the couple came together with their lips meeting. The kiss started out slow but soon picked up in intensity as it deepened and escalated as the newlyweds became lost in each other. Moans were exchanged as thighs slipped between legs and met cores. Wanting this to be about Marissa, to show her how much she was loved and how truly beautiful she was to her, Bianca somehow managed to distract herself and had her lips blaze a path along Marissa's jawline and quickly finding her pulse point. Bianca couldn't help but smile at the growl this brought from Marissa. The brunette's hands continued to roam, caress and found their way to her wife's breasts, teasing rapidly hardening nipples. Marissa's arousal was becoming increasingly evident on the brunette's thigh. Bianca's lips trailed down to Marissa's breasts with her tongue replacing fingers on one. The redhead moaned and tangled her hands in silken brunette locks pulling Bianca closer. After thoroughly ravishing the one breast, she released it with a pop and traveled over to the other one to show it equal attention. Marissa ground herself on Bianca's thigh wanting, needing more. Bianca smiled, understanding what her wife needed.

Taking the hint, Bianca began to move lower towards where Marissa needed her most. Using her teeth, Bianca slowly slid the garter down Marissa's leg while never breaking eye contact. Hazel eyes darkened in want as the brunette placed kisses back up the path the garter had just traveled. Reaching her final destination, Bianca slowly slid her tongue past her wife's soaked outer folds and into her aching center. Marissa arched her back as she grasped silken locks pulling Bianca closer again. The redhead began to unravel from the ecstasy brought on by Bianca's magical tongue while her wife drank in all of Marissa. Bianca moved her mouth to the redhead's throbbing hub and began to suck as she slid two fingers inside Marissa curling them and sending the redhead tumbling over the edge and crying out in rapture. Bianca watched in awe as her wife recovered. She loved the sight of Marissa coming down from the heights that only Bianca could take her to.

Hazel eyes finally opened and found warm chocolate immediately. A lazy yet radiant smile formed on Marissa's face. She motioned for Bianca. "Come here."

Bianca happily obliged. Before she could say anything, Marissa captured her lips and flipped their positions causing the brunette to yelp in surprise. Bianca moaned when Marissa teased a nipple with her tongue completely ravishing it before moving to its mate. Her mouth soon blazed a trail past Bianca's belly and lower. A wicked grin spread across Marissa's face as she teased the garter down Bianca's leg after taking it between her teeth causing her wife to whimper needing more. The brunette thrust her hips as Marissa took the bundle of nerves in her mouth. Bianca moaned in need of having her wife inside her. Knowing what her bride wanted and needed, Marissa slid two fingers inside. After setting a rhythm, she thrust deeper and curled her fingers hitting the spot that drove Bianca wild over and over again sending her over the edge in utter bliss and causing the brunette to cry out as she came completely undone.

The couple lay entwined as they basked in the afterglow. Bianca pulled Marissa closer for a loving kiss.

"You know what sounds really good right now?"

Marissa chuckled. "Some of our wedding cake."

Bianca nodded happily. "See, that is just one of the many reasons why I love you so much."

"Good to hear it's just one of them. I'll get the cake if you get us something to drink."

"Deal. I'll meet you back here."

With a quick kiss, they were off.

/

"Oh god, this is so good." Bianca sighed as took a bite of cake.

Marissa laughed. She did love watching her wife enjoy eat. Several years ago, Bianca had told Marissa all about her battle with her eating disorder when she was younger. The brunette had come a long way and allowed herself these indulgences without fear, and Marissa was beyond grateful for this fact.

"It really is good. Remind me to thank Krystal for packing some up for us."

Bianca nodded. "I'll add it to the list. How much cake do you think the kids have had?"

"Oh, I'd say at least a couple of slices each. Hopefully, they won't be too wired for Kendall and Zach and be up all night."

"Well, tomorrow is Sunday so they can sleep in and decompress from all of the wedding activities."

"Speaking of decompressing, I'm looking forward to doing some of that myself."

"I hear you. I'm looking forward to being away from everything for a few days, no meetings, no phone calls, no clients, just me and you." Bianca kissed her wife sweetly.

"That sounds perfect to me." Marissa smiled brightly. "You, uh, dropped a little raspberry filling."

Bianca looked down and saw a splotch of filling near one of her breasts. "I guess I enjoyed this a little more than I thought." She grabbed a napkin to wipe it off.

Marissa stopped her with a wicked grin. "Let me get that for you. She took their empty plates and set them on the nightstand before turning back to her wife. As Marissa slowly licked some of filling away, she couldn't help but smile as she heard Bianca inhale sharply when tongue met tender flesh. "Mmmm, delicious. Oh, I missed a spot. I better get that too."

Bianca's eyes darkened as Marissa drew closer and quickly flipped their positions so the brunette was now straddling her wife. "Up for round 2, _Counselor_?"

"What do you think?"

/

Marissa turned and draped her right arm across Bianca's belly. The redhead then drew herself closer as she burrowed into Bianca's side. A hand began to caress her wife's velvety soft curves causing Bianca shiver in delight and Marissa to smile at the reaction her touch drew from the brunette. The redhead raised her head to find Bianca's waiting lips. Marissa hummed with approval enjoying the taste of her love's intoxicating lips.

"Good morning, my beautiful wife."

Bianca sighed happily as a goofy grin graced her face. She did love hearing that. "Good morning to you, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

Marissa flashed a brilliant smile. "Hmm, I think it's a toss-up as to which I like hearing more."

"I think you're right. They both sound pretty amazing. So, how are you this morning?"

"I've never been better. What about you?"

"That makes two of us. Any thoughts as to when you want to leave today?"

Marissa thought a minute. "Well, it's still early."

Bianca's breath caught as Marissa's hand drifted lower. "That it is. We do have a late checkout and can take our time getting to the resort too. Think you might have any ideas of anything else we can take our time with?"

"Oh, I might have a couple."

"What a coincidence. So do I." Bianca grinned mischievously as she captured her wife's lips ending all conversation.

/

The couple ordered a light breakfast from room service and reluctantly pulled themselves from bed when it was delivered. It had been quite some time since they had spent a leisurely morning together, and they thoroughly enjoyed it. With very little effort, Bianca convinced Marissa to share a shower to save on time. Said shower, in fact, ended up doing anything but save time, not that either woman would complain. When they were finished, the couple called their children. They were having a great time and told their mothers everything they had missed at the reception after they left. It seems that several members of their bachelorette party commandeered the stage and gave encore performances much to the delight and surprise of other guests. Miranda had her mothers in tears telling them about Tad, Jake and Scott hoping up on stage and singing together. She promised them that Greenlee had recorded the performance for them. After speaking with each of their children and promising to call before bedtime, they bid them goodbye. The couple then finished packing before hitting the road with Bianca taking over driving duties while Marissa handled the navigation.

/

About an hour outside of Pine Valley, Marissa spotted a familiar sign.

"Bianca, look what's at the next exit."

The brunette started laughing. "You've got to be kidding me. We're by Shamokin. I could use a break for a pit stop. You want to stop?"

Marissa nodded. "Let's do it!"

Bianca took the exit, and the couple soon found themselves in downtown Shamokin. The couple parked the car in a small lot and began to walk around. During their previous visit, they hadn't had a chance to check the town out. They were pleasantly surprised by what they found. Several small shops dotted the main drag, and the couple took their time inspecting them and making a few purchases. After a while, they happened upon the one spot they were most familiar with in the town, Shamokin' Joe's. Without speaking a word, the couple walked inside.

/

"Good afternoon and welcome to Shamokin' Joe's … Oh my gosh, Bianca and Marissa as I live and breathe. What a great surprise! What brings you here?" Terri hugged the couple when she realized who exactly it was that had entered the restaurant.

"Hey, Terri. It's good to see you again."

"Bianca and I were driving by and noticed where we were and had to stop. How have you been?"

"I've been good. It's been a little boring since you all were here." Terri teased. "Do you have some time to stay?"

Marissa smiled when she saw Bianca eyeing a plate of chili cheese fries as a server walked by. They were definitely her wife's kryptonite. "I think we have some time to grab a quick bite. What do you say, B?"

"Yeah, we have some time."

"Great! Come on. Let's get you a table." After the couple was seated, Terri handed them some menus. She took their drink orders and hurried off.

"So, is there anything on the menu in particular that interests you?"

Bianca rolled her eyes seeing her wife's amused look knowing she had been busted. "Oh, be quiet."

Marissa laughed and gave her a quick kiss. "Sorry, Babe, I couldn't resist."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. We're still getting some, right?"

"Of course we are."

Terri reappeared with their drinks. "So what can I get you ladies?"

"We're going to split an order of chili cheese fries please." Marissa grinned at her wife as she placed the order.

"You got it. I'll put it right in."

"Will you have some time to talk?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah, we're not too busy. It'll be good to catch up with you."

/

Terri returned after placing their order and took the seat the couple offered her. "So, what's new? How are your sister and cousin? I gotta tell you that I really enjoyed meeting them."

The couple shared a smile before Bianca answered. "Not much is new. Kendall and Greenlee are doing great. Kendall and her husband are watching our kids for us for a few days while we're on our honeymoon."

"Wait, what? You had the wedding! Congratulations! That is great! When did this happen and why are you here and not on some tropical island?"

Marissa laughed. "We got married yesterday, and we wanted to keep the honeymoon low key. There's a lot going on right now, and we didn't feel like we had the time to go away some place too far from home. We're thinking maybe next year we'll go somewhere."

"I can understand that. What are your honeymoon plans exactly then?"

"We're on our way to Bradford."

"Oh, they've got that really nice resort and spa there."

"That's where we're staying, and we're really looking forward to it." Bianca replied.

"I have to say I'm jealous. So, do you have any pictures from the wedding?"

Bianca pulled out her cellphone. "Actually, we do. A few of the guests sent us some pictures that they took during the ceremony."

Terri scrolled through the photos. "You both look so beautiful. I love your dresses. Oh, and your kids are adorable."

"Thanks. We think they're pretty cute ourselves." Marissa smiled.

"Speaking of kids, my brother told me what you did to help him and his wife out. Thank you."

"We're glad to help, but we really didn't do much."

"Marissa, you did more than you know. They've been trying for a long time with no luck. Now, they've got some hope. They've made an appointment with that doctor and will start the process in a couple of weeks."

"That's great to hear. Hopefully, they'll be as lucky as we were." Bianca smiled as her hand rested lovingly on her wife's belly.

"Let's hope. I'll go check on your order in should be about ready."

/

"I'm going to run to the ladies room real quick. I'll be right back." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss.

"I'll be here." Marissa sighed happily as she watched her bride.

Almost as soon as Bianca was out of sight, a voice interrupted the redhead's thoughts.

"Just what in the hell are you doing here?!"

Marissa turned and saw an angry blonde that she recognized all too well.

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I ended it there. I just couldn't help myself. See you soon!**


	125. The Honeymoon - Part III

**A/N****: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following as always! There was something I needed to fix in this chapter so I'm reposting it. It involves a conversation between Bianca and Marissa. Some of you might have caught it. I did after the fact and it bothered me enough that I had to fix it. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Almost as soon as Bianca was out of sight, a voice interrupted the redhead's thoughts.

"Just what in the hell are you doing here?!"

Marissa turned and saw an angry blonde that she recognized all too well and slowly stood. She did not want to be sitting down and facing the woman. That would put her at too much of a disadvantage. _I did not need to see her. Keep it together and don't lose your temper. You are not going to let her do anything that might hurt the baby. She's also not going to ruin your day._

"Shelly, what are you doing here? Bob told you that you're not allowed in here for at least a couple more months. He's tired of all the trouble you've caused around here." Terri had hustled over to block the other woman's path as soon as she saw her enter the restaurant.

"I was walking by and saw _her_ in here. So, I'm not allowed in here, but she is? She's the reason there was a problem the last time. I mean seriously, what the hell, Terri? Why in the hell is she here anyway?"

Marissa held up her hands to show she meant no harm. "We're just passing through and thought we'd stop by. We don't want any trouble."

"_We?_ Who's _we_? Oh, let me guess. You've got your whole gang here again because you can't handle anybody by yourself."

"It's just the two of us, and trust me, I have no problem handling you all by myself and neither does Marissa." Bianca moved quickly to stand in front of Marissa, the Kane death glare in full force causing the blonde to take a step back.

"Shelly, that's not what happened and you know it. We went over all of this before. They didn't do anything wrong. Todd caused all the trouble because he couldn't take no for an answer from Marissa. She wasn't interested in him. She's with Bianca. They were here for their bachelorette party. Remember?"

"Yeah, that's what they said, but how do you know it's true? How do you know they're not lying, making it up to make themselves look better? And why does she keep stepping in front of the other one and not letting her defend herself? Why she'd sucker punch me?"

Terri rolled her eyes. "Oh for the love of …"

"Bianca didn't sucker punch you. She hit you straight on, and she was doing it to protect me. I don't know what I have to say to make you understand that I was not and am not interested in him. I love Bianca. I don't want anyone else." Marissa placed her hand on Bianca's back reassuring her that she was safe and also not leaving her.

"Protecting you? Why you can't protect yourself?"

"She's more than capable of protecting herself from you or anyone else for that matter. When you love someone, you protect them no matter what and you do it even if they can protect themselves. I'll promise you this. There's not a chance in hell that you'll harm a hair on her because you'll have to go through me to get to her, and that won't be easy. I won't be backing down one inch." Bianca's steely gaze remained steady.

Terri continued to watch the standoff. She knew that someone had already called the police, and they were on their way. The server didn't want any trouble in the restaurant though, and she also didn't want the couple to get into any trouble. It really wasn't the way to start off a honeymoon. "Shelly, look, they're married. They got married yesterday."

"What?"

"Look at their hands. They have wedding rings on. I saw their wedding pictures. I saw their kids."

"Married? Their kids?"

"Yes, they're married, and they've got kids. You want to know why Bianca is so protective of Marissa? It's because she's pregnant. She was pregnant when they were here before. You know when you shoved her and could have caused her or their baby to get hurt."

Shelly visibly deflated in shock. "How … how … how do you know that?"

"Sean told me. Marissa told him so he knew why Bianca did what she did." Terri looked at the couple. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to blurt it out. Sean said you were keeping it quiet. It's just that Shelly wasn't going to let it drop."

"It's true?" The blonde looked at the couple and noticed that Marissa had a hand resting on her belly protectively.

Bianca nodded. "Yes, it is. You could've hurt her and our baby because of what you did, because you couldn't see reason, couldn't see past your unfounded jealousy."

"But you don't look it."

"I'm just over three months. You can believe me or not, but I don't have any reason to lie about it. It's one of the most incredible things that has ever happened to me."

"Oh my god, I didn't know. I could've …" The blonde felt instant remorse as she sunk into a nearby chair. She realized that her actions could have taken a truly tragic turn. And that's when she finally saw it. The love between the two women was undeniable. Neither willing to back down or leave the other alone to take the blame or whatever else may have come their way. She saw the trust and faith that they had in each other. That was a real relationship. It was the exact opposite of what she had with Todd. Others had tried to tell her that over the years, but she had refused to believe them, refused to see what was so obvious to her now. "I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry. I … I could've. I can't even say it."

Terri sighed in relief, beyond grateful that the tense situation had been defused. "Yeah, I won't lie to you, you are an idiot, but at least now, maybe you can do something about it. You need to get a hold of that temper of yours before something really bad happens. You were lucky this time, but next time, you might not be." Terri turned to the couple. "Are you alright?"

Marissa nodded as she pulled Bianca close to her. She could feel the tension in her wife slowly leave her body. "Yeah, we are. Thanks."

"Hey, Terri. What's up? I got a call that there might be some trouble here."

"Hey, Sean. Everything seems to be under control now." The server was still keeping an eye on Shelly.

The police officer quickly surveyed the room spotting Shelly as well as the couple. "Shelly, you're not supposed to be in here. You know that, right?"

"Yeah, I know. I'm leaving." The blonde got up and turned to the couple. "Look, I'm sorry for any problems I might have caused you. It looks like I have a lot of thinking to do about the people in my life and those relationships. Congratulations and good luck. I really mean it." With that, the blonde turned and left.

Sean looked at the couple. "Is everything alright?"

"It is now, thanks to your sister." Bianca offered.

"Are you sure? Do I need to go have a talk with Shelly?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, you don't. We're good. It's good to see you."

The officer took a short sigh in relief. "It's good to see both of you. How have you been? What brings you back here? And do you want to clue me in on what happened here?"

Terri chuckled. "Well, you could let them answer one question before you ask another. Sit down. I'll get you your lunch." She looked at the couple. "I know your order will be ready by now."

Bianca indicated to a chair at their table. "Come on and join us. We'll try and answer your questions."

When all three were seated, Marissa started. "Okay, where do we begin? Bianca and I have been really good. Never better, I'd say."

"I would agree with that wholeheartedly. We just got married yesterday."

"Yesterday? That's great! Congratulations!"

"Thanks! We're really happy. We're headed to Bradford for a few days. As we were driving by, Rissa saw the exit for Shamokin, and we just had to stop."

"I'm glad you did. I can tell you're happy because you're both beaming. Shelly didn't do anything to mess that up, did she?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, not really. She was surprised to see us and probably would've caused some problems, but Terri stepped in."

"What'd I do?" Terri returned with not only the couple's order but her brother's as well.

"Stepped in with Shelly."

"I did what I could, but I could tell Bianca wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

"No, I wasn't. She wasn't going to get close to her."

"I'm fine, B. I'm not going to break. If you didn't know, I'm pretty tough."

"I'm well aware of that, but I'm not taking any chances."

"When Terri told her we were not only married but also that I was pregnant, Shelly really backed off. I think things finally sunk in for her."

"Terri, come on. I told you that in private."

"I know you did, and I'm sorry, Sean. I apologized to them already, and I really am sorry. It was the only thing I could think of that might get through to Shelly. Nothing else was."

Bianca smiled. "It's okay. We're good. Don't worry about it. It's over, and I really don't want to talk about her anymore. I want to enjoy these chili cheese fries with my wonderful wife."

Marissa sighed happily. "I can do that. Don't get upset with her, but Terri told us that you've talked to Dr. Roeth."

Sean looked at his sister and shook his head. "Yeah, we have. She was pretty positive that she could help us. We're trying not to get too ahead of ourselves, but yeah, we're a little excited."

"That's really great news. You have to make sure you let Bianca and I know how things go."

"Definitely. So, tell me about the wedding."

/

"Welcome to the Bryant Inn. My name is Lanie. Are you here to check in?"

Bianca smiled at the young brunette behind the front desk. "Hi, Lanie. Yes, we are. We have a reservation for Bianca and Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."

The clerk typed in the names. "I have it right here. Ah, you're in the honeymoon suite. Am I safe in assuming that the name is appropriate for you?"

Marissa grinned. "Yes, you are."

"Congratulations!" The clerk took out a map for the sprawling resort. "Your suite is right here. As you can tell, it's in a more secluded location. If you'd like, we can have a cart to take you there."

"Your website said there was a path to the suite?"

"Yes, there is. It's very scenic. If you take the door to your left and follow the path, it will lead you right to your room."

"I think that's what we'll do."

"Okay. Let's finish getting you checked in." The clerk took Bianca's credit card and ran it through and then had their keycards for their room programmed. "If you just sign here for me please." Bianca did as instructed. "Very good. Here are your room keys. The dining room serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner and is located just down this hallway. Room service is also available 24 hours. If you'd like to make an appointment for the spa, the number is in a packet in your room along with the various services they offer. The pool is located over here. There are various trails with differing degrees of difficulty for you to hike, and they travel along our private lake. If you'd like to go into town, there are a variety of wonderful shops and restaurants for you to visit along with the Bradford Winery. All of this information is included in the welcome packet in your room. Do you have any questions for me?"

Bianca looked at Marissa who shook her head. "No, I think we're good right now."

"Alright. If you think of anything, please just ask. We'll have your luggage delivered. Enjoy your stay, Mrs. and Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

"Thank you!"

With that, the couple headed off towards their room.

/

"I can't get over this room. It's beautiful and just look at this view." Marissa marveled at the spectacular sunset as she stood on their suite's private patio.

Bianca wrapped her arms around Marissa and rested her chin on the redhead's shoulder. "It's incredible but not as incredible as you though."

"Talk like that will get you anywhere."

"That's really good to know."

Marissa leaned back into Bianca's embrace and sighed happily. Being in her wife's arms was truly her favorite place to be. "So, what would you like to do now, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"

Bianca grinned wickedly and lowered her voice an octave as she husked into her wife's ear. "See if you can guess."

Marissa shivered as Bianca began trailing kisses along her shoulder and neck. A soft moan escaped as Bianca found her pulse point. "I guess we'll be having a late dinner then. I do love your ideas." Marissa tuned and captured her wife's lips fervently.

The couple quickly lost themselves in each other as they picked up where they had reluctantly left off that morning.

/

The next day started late as the newlyweds were enjoying their time alone immensely and just couldn't bring themselves to have it come to an end. Once they finally did drag themselves from bed, they had brunch and planned some of their day. A couple's massage was scheduled for later with the time before spent exploring one of the trails on the grounds. After the massages, they decided to spend some time by the pool before a late dinner.

Bianca heard Marissa groan. "Rissa, is something wrong?"

Marissa exited the bathroom. "I think the top to my swimsuit shrunk some. Look, I'm barely fitting in it now, and it was just fine when we were in Florida."

Bianca smiled as she drank in the view of her wife. "It hasn't shrunk, honey. Your breasts have gotten bigger."

"Seriously? That can't be. I mean, my bras still seem to be fitting okay." Marissa began to examine herself in the mirror.

"Well, the bikini top was slightly smaller than your bras to begin with so it makes sense you would notice when wearing it first."

The redhead started thinking, and it seemed that her breasts were slightly larger. "You really think I'm bigger?"

A lustful grin spread across Bianca's face. "Oh yeah, trust me on this, you are. I'm well acquainted with their size and shape among other things."

Marissa raised an eyebrow clearly amused by her wife's reaction. "Why yes, you are. I have to say I really enjoy that you are too. I suppose this is one of the perks of the pregnancy that I read about and you should probably enjoy it while you can."

Bianca laughed. "Well, if you insist." The brunette turned serious. "You do know that it doesn't matter to me though."

"I do, and it's just one of the many reasons of why I love you so much." Marissa leaned in for a loving kiss. "Am I suitable enough for the pool? I won't be breaking any decency standards?"

"Unfortunately, you are suitable and decent enough. If you weren't, I would have to keep you in here away from the prying eyes of the public. Come on, let's go. Expect to be ravished completely later tonight."

"I look forward to it and definitely plan on returning the favor."

/

A rumble of thunder woke the couple up early the next day. They glanced out a window and saw the sky was gray and had opened up for what looked like a torrential downpour curtailing their plans to explore the town that day. Marissa very easily persuaded Bianca they should stay in bed for a while longer, not that it took that much effort to do so. Actually, it only took soft lips and gentle caresses to do it. When they did make it out of bed, they ordered breakfast from room service.

After breakfast, Bianca pulled out a file and handed it to Marissa.

"What's this?"

"It's the firm's partnership offer to you." Bianca continued before Marissa could offer the slightest protest. "Before we left, I saw that you had left it in our bedroom, and I decided to bring it for you to read. I know you're curious about it, and today is the perfect day for you to check it out. I've got something to read to keep myself entertained while you read that. When you're done, we can talk about it."

Marissa shook her head. Bianca knew her so well. She was curious about the offer, but she wasn't willing to take time away from their honeymoon to satisfy that curiosity. Her wife was giving her the perfect opportunity to do both. The redhead sighed and knew it would be useless to debate it. "Huh, it looks like you've got it all figured out, don't you?"

Bianca smiled. "Yes, I do. Now, get to reading. I have other plans for you later that don't require any reading at all, just action."

Marissa laughed as her wife waggled her eyebrows. "Yes, ma'am!" The redhead fetched her reading glasses along with a pen and notepad from their suite's desk. She then settled back on the bed and was soon in her lawyer mode.

Bianca settled herself next to her wife with her tablet and began reading. Every once in a while, her eye would catch Marissa making notes. The brunette would find herself distracted during those moments. She couldn't explain why exactly, but she found herself mesmerized by Marissa in this mode. Her focus was intense and complete, and damn if she didn't find it sexy. Bianca knew that she would be able to distract her wife in a heartbeat if she wanted. It was something she'd done numerous times before, but this was important. This was an amazing opportunity for Marissa, and Bianca really wanted this to work out for her. The brunette wasn't worried about her wife putting her job ahead of her family in the least bit. The fact that she'd left the file at home more than proved that point. Bianca wholeheartedly believed this was something Marissa deserved, and she was going to support her just like the redhead was supporting her return to school. The brunette's main concern was making sure that Marissa took care of herself. Again, this was something Bianca had every intention of making sure that happened.

/

"You're staring."

Bianca snapped back to reality not realizing she had lost track of time while watching the redhead and thinking about everything that needed to be done. She chuckled finding hazel eyes sparkling with amusement having busted her. "Sorry, it's that bad habit I have. I could tell you that I'll try and break it, but that would be a boldfaced lie because I have absolutely no intention of ever breaking it. How could I really be expected to when it would involve me not gazing at my beautiful wife?"

Marissa sighed. "Wow, and you say I'm the charmer."

"I've learned from you. So, tell me about the offer."

"It's good. I mean it's really good. They want to expand the family law department, and I would be over it. You know how I feel about family law. I would also still take on cases. That's something that I really didn't want to give up. I love that interaction with my clients."

"I know you do, and you're so good with them. That's something I know firsthand."

"I get to choose a couple of lawyers to come work for me. If I take this and they're interested, I'd like to ask Brian and Lisa."

"That makes sense. They're good. You work well with them and respect them. I know how much they respect you."

"I do. I forgot to tell you. When I was dancing with Caleb, he told me they are going to make Brian an offer of becoming an associate and Lisa a junior associate."

"That is fantastic! They're going to be thrilled."

"Yeah, I think they will be too, and they deserve it. Caleb told me something else that was pretty interesting. The firm is going to be starting a daycare center for the staff. It'll be opening early next spring."

"Really? That is pretty interesting. Did he say why?"

"He said that a number of the staff are starting families, and it just made sense for the firm to do this. I thought it was interesting that he brought it up."

"Huh."

"What is it?"

"When I was dancing with Uncle Jack, he asked when we were going to add to our family. It seems Mom has gotten an idea about that for some reason."

Marissa chuckled. "Why am I not surprised by that? I thought we were being good about not giving anything away, but maybe we weren't."

"I think we were. It's just you know how my Mom is. She probably overheard something and her mind just went there. I don't think they know for sure that we are pregnant. They're just guessing and maybe some wishful thinking on their part."

"I think Krystal might be in this with Erica. Think about it. They've been on their very best behavior and getting along with each other for quite some time. Given their history, the one thing that would bring them together would be a grandchild."

"You're right. What about Kendall and Greenlee?"

"Kendall knows we're trying. I don't see her breaking that confidence. The others may put pieces together, but she wouldn't volunteer that information. Greenlee knows we're trying as well. She was really there for me when I had my freak out earlier this year. I don't see her breaking our confidence either. While she doesn't know as much as Kendall does, she's probably put a lot together regarding our trying again."

"You're right about Kendall. She wouldn't break our confidence about something important, and she knows just how important this is to us. It's a different story if our Mom guesses, but Kendall still wouldn't give away any details. I think you're right about Greenlee too. I will be forever grateful to her for calling me that day. They might all suspect that we actually are expecting but aren't 100% positive. If they were, we'd know, trust me. I think they're dying to know but are respecting our privacy enough to wait until we tell them. And yeah, Greenlee probably has pieced more of this together on her own without help from anyone. She'd make a great secret agent."

Marissa laughed. "She really does like the cloak and dagger stuff, hiding behind plants and bushes."

"Yeah, she does. I don't know if we should be concerned by that or not. So …"

"We need to tell them when we get home but after we tell the kids."

"Yep. Maybe we can set up lunch with them. I really want our families to know first."

"So do I. Lunch sounds good. I can talk to Caleb and Jack afterwards, although, Jack will know because of your Mom unless he comes to the lunch. Either way, I still want to talk to them privately."

"I understand that, and it makes sense to me. Okay, we kind of got sidetracked there a little. Tell me more about the offer."

"There is an increase in vacation time and all of my benefits across the board as well as my annual bonus. This is what they are offering in the way of salary." Marissa handed over a piece of paper to Bianca.

The brunette's eyes widened seeing the number. "Whoa, that is one heck of an increase. If you ask me though, I think you're worth 10 times that, but I'm completely biased."

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, I'd have to agree with you being biased. Honestly though, it's an extremely generous offer. What do you think? I need you to be completely honest with me."

Bianca thought for a minute after reading over Marissa's notes. "There's not a doubt in my mind that you are more than capable of doing this. I think the most important question is 'do _you_ want this'. Will this make you happy professionally?"

"I'm glad you're making that distinction about being happy professionally. In my personal life, I've never been happier. I have you, the kids, our little one soon, a beautiful home and Max the best dog in the world. Those are the things I've always wanted the most, and I'm so lucky that I have all of that, blessed that I do. In my professional life, this is the next step."

"The next step? What else do you have in mind?"

"Honestly? I've kind of always dreamed of having my own firm, a small office where I get to decide the clients and cases that we take and can cut out all of the office politics that come with a large firm. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but …"

"But you want something more down the road, something that suits your style and personality more. I get it. I'd say take the offer then. It will give you the contacts and experience for when you do break out on your own. And when you're ready to take that step, I'll be right there next to you cheering you on, supporting you however you need me to."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you. That means everything to me."

"It's no more than what you're doing for me with school. We're a team, remember? Who knows, maybe by the time Miranda's graduated from law school, your firm will be established, and you'll be ready to have her join you." Bianca grinned at the way hazel eyes lit up at the thought of Miranda working with her.

"Maybe but only if she wants that. I won't force my dreams on her."

"I know you won't and so does she. I wouldn't be surprised if it happens though. She's already showing signs of a budding debater. So, these notes are items you want to negotiate?"

"Yes, they are. Are you sure about this?"

"I'm positive. I have all the faith in the world in you. Plus, this is just too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Marissa smiled brightly. "I really am the luckiest woman in the world." The redhead set her papers and glasses on the nightstand before taking Bianca's tablet and glasses and doing the same with them. "That's enough work. I think it's time we get back to the honeymoon."

Bianca's smile matched that of her wife's. "I do love how you think and couldn't agree with you more."

/

The rain cleared the next day, and the couple headed into town to explore. They spent time in many of the shops and found something for all of the kids including Spike and Ian. They then went to the winery where Bianca sampled a few of the wines made there. They selected some for Kendall and Zach as a thank you for watching the kids and Max. Bottles were also picked up for Erica, Greenlee and Krystal. They also purchased Bianca's favorite one to keep and share after the baby was born and Marissa was done breastfeeding.

On their last night, the couple went dancing after enjoying an exquisite dinner and absolutely decadent dessert of chocolate lava cake at the resort's restaurant. They headed home late the next morning arriving early Friday evening. Kendall and Zach were scheduled to bring the kids home the following night. This allowed the newlyweds to spend their first night at Minx Manor as a married couple in private. Bianca and Marissa took full advantage of their evening alone, both knowing that things would change for them in just a few months with the arrival of their little one.


	126. The Announcement

**A/N****: As always, thanks for reading, following and reviewing! It's really appreciated. I'm glad I went back and changed the last chapter. I figured the discrepancy would be caught, and it was. I'll be honest, that part slipped my mind, and I remembered almost as soon as I posted it. I had to change it because that was a key moment between Marissa and Greenlee, at least in my mind. Thanks for keeping me honest. Okay, our girls are back from their honeymoon, and it's time to start telling people about their little one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

The Sunday after their return from their honeymoon was the day Bianca and Marissa decided to tell the kids that Marissa was pregnant. They had briefly thought about telling them the night before when the kids returned home, but they were so excited seeing their mothers again and telling them about everything that had happened while they were away that the couple knew it wasn't the right time. Instead after they opened their gifts from their mothers, they ordered pizza, watched movies, had popcorn and enjoyed a slightly longer than normal bedtime story.

A leisurely breakfast was enjoyed by everyone the next morning, and they continued their conversations from the previous night with the kids monopolizing the majority of it. When they were finished eating, the kids rushed off to change while their mothers cleaned up the breakfast dishes and went to change their clothes as well. They all met in the family room a short while later.

"Rissa and I have something we want to talk with you about."

"Is everything okay, Mom?" Miranda asked. It wasn't that she was really worried because she'd never seen either woman as happy as they were now, but you could never tell in Pine Valley. It was something she'd learned even at her young age.

Bianca smiled as she looked across to the sofa where AJ, Miranda and Gabby were sitting. "Everything's good. There's nothing to worry about. We just have something we want share with you. Before we do though, we need you to keep it a secret for just a little bit."

"A secret? You mean we can't tell anybody?" AJ was trying to figure out the reason for that.

Marissa nodded. "Exactly. We want to keep this just between us for a couple of days. It's nothing bad. Bianca and I think it's actually really, really good, and we hope you do too."

"Do you remember when we were getting ready to move in here and Rissa talked to you about adding to our family?"

Three heads nodded in reply.

"Well, it's going to happen. I'm going to have a baby."

Eyes widened before smiles spread across faces and the three rushed over to hug their mothers.

"You're gonna have a baby?!" Miranda could hardly believe it. This really was good news, and she was really excited.

AJ had to know. He couldn't help but hope for a little brother. His sisters were great, but they needed another boy in the house. He and Max were really outnumbered. "Is it a boy or a girl?"

"We don't know yet, Buddy. We know that some people find out in advance, but we're going to wait until the baby is here to find out. Rissa and I just want this baby to be healthy so it doesn't matter to us what we have." Bianca answered.

AJ thought about what his Mom said. He could see her point and so he decided he would be okay with another sister.

"I'm gonna be a big sister!" Gabby exclaimed excitedly.

Marissa laughed as the kids settled back on the sofa. "Yes, you are, Monkey, and I know you're going to be a good one because you've got some good examples of what it means to be an older sibling."

"When's the baby gonna be here, Ma?" Miranda asked.

"The baby will be here next year, either the end of March or the beginning of April. So, what do you all think?"

"I think it's great!"

"Me too!"

"Me three!"

"Are you happy?" Miranda looked at her mothers. She pretty much knew the answer just by the smiles on their faces.

Bianca took Marissa's hand. "We're very happy."

"Why can't we tell anybody yet then?" Gabby asked. She was a little confused.

"Come here, Monkey." Gabby happily complied and settled herself on Marissa's lap. "Your Mom and I want to tell Erica, Jack, Aunt Kendall, Uncle Zach, Krystal, Greenlee and Ryan first. We want them to know before we tell anyone else. They're family and deserve to know before everybody else does."

"You mean Aunt Kendall doesn't know yet?" That was hard for AJ to believe because he knew his moms shared everything with her.

Bianca shook her head. "Not yet. You three are the first to know, the only ones to know right now."

Miranda grinned. "We won't tell anybody else, will we?" She looked at her brother and sister who shook their heads.

"Thank you. We promise that you won't have to keep it secret for very long. We plan on telling the others this week."

"Now, we need your help."

AJ's ears perked up. "What do you need, Ma?"

"Bianca and I need ideas for decorating the baby's room. You had such good ideas for your rooms that we figured who better to ask than the three of you."

Miranda and AJ looked at each other and grinned while Gabby bounced in her seat. This was going to be fun.

/

Everyone was finally able to synch up their schedules Tuesday evening. So instead of lunch at Krystal's, it was dinner at Minx Manor.

Per usual, the Slaters arrived first. Spike and Ian joined their cousins downstairs in the playroom while their parents talked. The Laverys arrived next with Emma heading downstairs to be with the other kids.

"Who all is coming tonight, Binx?"

"We're waiting for Mom and Uncle Jack. Krystal's coming as well, and we invited Caleb too."

"He's been there a lot for me, for both of us. I also might need to pull him and Jack aside for a few minutes."

"Why is that?" Greenlee asked.

"I've been offered a partnership in the firm."

Zach smiled. "Well, I'm glad they've finally come to their senses. It's about time. Congratulations, Marissa. You deserve it."

"Thanks, Zach. That means a lot. I haven't had a chance to talk with them since we've been back."

"I have to agree with Zach. You've done a great job for them. I know Greenlee and Kendall couldn't be happier with all of the work you've done for them." Ryan added.

Greenlee nodded. "He's right. We wouldn't have switched firms if we weren't. Congratulations."

"You are taking this, Red, aren't you?"

Marissa laughed at her sister-in-law. "Yes, I am. Bianca and I have discussed this, and it's the right move and time. So yeah, I am."

Kendall leapt up from her seat and hugged her sister-in-law. "Congratulations! I agree with everything that they've said. I'm really happy for you."

"Thanks!" A knock at the door grabbed her attention. "I'll get it."

The redhead opened the door to find Erica and Jack on the other side. "Erica, Jack, I'm glad you could make it tonight. Please come on in."

"Marissa, dear, it's good to see you and thank you for having us." Erica hugged her daughter-in-law before stepping inside to join the others.

Jack followed suit. "It's good seeing you out of the office. I know we haven't had a chance to talk yet this week."

"No, we haven't, but I'm hoping we can rectify that later tonight for a few minutes."

"That's sounds like a plan to me."

Before Marissa could shut the door, she was stopped by the sight of a pair of headlights coming down the driveway. The redhead was mildly surprised at seeing Krystal and Caleb arriving together.

Krystal smiled seeing her daughter. "Look at that smile. I can tell married life agrees with you."

"Hi, Krystal. I have to agree with you. It does."

"You had a good time?"

"We had a great time. It was perfect from our suite to the resort itself and the area around it to the spa. It was all simply amazing. We were so pampered."

"I'm so glad you had a wonderful time. You and Bianca deserved it."

"Caleb, I'm glad you could come tonight."

"Thanks for inviting me. I'm told by some that it's good for me to get out and socialize. It also doesn't hurt that I'll be surrounded by beautiful women. Are we going to get a chance to talk soon?"

"Yes, we are. Hopefully a little later tonight?"

"Sounds good."

After Caleb walked inside, Krystal stopped. "Before you ask, we just came together as friends. There's nothing more to it. I'm actually interested in someone else."

"I didn't say anything. I'm just glad you could make it, and you definitely have to tell me about this other person. Come on inside."

/

Bianca and Marissa went into the kitchen to check on dinner and get drinks for their guests. Before taking their seats again in the family room, they handed out the gifts they had gotten their family and friends.

Their guests were all impressed with the wine they had received. The Bradford Winery had an excellent reputation, and everyone couldn't wait to taste the vintages the couple had chosen for them.

"This is for the girls." Marissa handed over another bag to Krystal.

"You got them both something?"

"Well, we couldn't get Jenny something and not Kathy. She's like a little sister to me too."

Krystal smiled at her daughter's thoughtfulness. "They will be thrilled. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"And this is for Emma." Bianca handed a gift bag to Ryan and Greenlee.

"Thanks, but you really didn't have to." Ryan said.

"We know, but she's family too. This was something we wanted to do."

Marissa looked at Bianca who nodded. The couple stood with the redhead taking the lead. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes. Bianca and I just wanted to take a little time to thank you all for coming tonight. We know it was kind of last minute so thanks for making the time and joining us."

"We also wanted to thank you for all of the support that you've given us, and we're not just talking about everything you did for the wedding. You all mean so much to us."

"With that in mind, we have some news that we wanted to share with all of you first. Actually, I guess it's second. We had to tell the kids first."

Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other with grins having a pretty good idea of what was coming next while Erica and Krystal glanced at each other quickly as well.

"A few months ago, Marissa and I began to look into adding to our family. With Kendall's help, we went to a clinic in New York. As a result of those visits, we are extremely happy to tell you that we're pregnant! Well, Rissa is, but …"

"No, you had it right the first time. _We_ are pregnant. I just happen to be carrying the baby."

Kendall leapt from her seat and hugged the couple. "I'm so happy for both of you!"

Greenlee was next. "This is great news! Congratulations!"

Erica hugged Bianca and then Marissa. "This is wonderful news. I'm very happy for you both and this new addition to our family."

Krystal nodded as she hugged her daughter, thrilled that Marissa was realizing her dream of having a baby. "Congratulations! I can't think of a luckier child in the world. The two of you are amazing mothers." She hugged Bianca as well before allowing the men their turns in congratulating the couple.

"When are you due, Red?"

"Late March, early April. We wanted to wait until I was in my second trimester before we started telling people."

The women nodded in understanding. The odds of miscarriage were greatly reduced after the first trimester.

Marissa looked at Jack and Caleb. "I wanted the two of you to know as soon as I could because …"

"Because of the offer Jack and I talked to you about the day of the wedding."

Krystal looked between the three lawyers. "What offer?"

"The partners have made an offer to Marissa to become a partner herself." Jack held up a hand before Marissa could say anything else. "The offer still stands. We want you to become a partner no matter what."

"That's amazing, Marissa. Congratulations." Krystal smiled proudly at her daughter.

"Jack's right. We'd be fools to let you get away, and we're not fools. When the subject of the partnership offer was discussed, we took a lot of things into account. Jack mentioned there was a good possibility of the two of you trying to have a baby. Don't let it go to your head, but you were pretty much the main reason for the daycare center."

Marissa chuckled. "You're making it very hard to turn down your offer."

Jack smiled. "Good. Our plan's working."

"Yeah, it is. After dinner, the three of us will talk?"

"Definitely."

"Speaking of dinner, it should be ready." Bianca smiled relieved that everything was going well. "Let me go check on it real quick."

"I'm helping. Does anyone need another drink? We plan on serving some of the wine that we picked up in Bradford. Well, all of you are having the wine so you'll have to enjoy it for me." Marissa followed Bianca into the kitchen after the others declined refills on what they were currently drinking in favor of the aforementioned wine.

/

"I think that went really great, and you were the reason for the daycare center. I had an idea you might be." Bianca smiled brightly as she and Marissa carried serving dishes into the dining room.

"Of course you did. It was a nice boost to the ego to hear it though. Are you okay with me talking to Jack and Caleb for a few minutes tonight?"

"Yes, I am. Have I told you lately how proud I am of you and how much I love you?"

Marissa grinned. "It has been a couple of hours since you have. I feel the same exact way about you by the way. I love you and am so proud of you and am so proud to be your wife."

Bianca gave her wife a loving kiss.

"You'd think they would've gotten that out of their system last week."

Marissa rolled her eyes before smirking. "Yeah, that's never happening."

"We've had this conversation too many times to count." Kendall sighed.

"And your point?" Greenlee smirked.

"It's useless. We came to see if you need any help."

Bianca blushed slightly. "Sorry, we got a little sidetracked. Actually, we're ready. If the two of you wouldn't mind getting the others, I'll get the wine."

"And I will get the kids and make sure hands are clean."

"Actually, that's already taken care of. Come on, Greenlee, let's get everybody."

/

The kids chatted away happily while they ate at the kiddie table. AJ, Miranda and Gabby were thrilled they were finally able to talk about their new brother or sister. While they did that, their adult counterparts peppered the expectant couple with questions.

"Are you going to find out in advance what you're having?"

"No, we want it to be a surprise."

"Do you have a preference, boy or girl?"

"No, we just want our little one to be healthy. We'll be happy with either a boy or a girl."

"What about names?"

"We've started making a list. We haven't really settled on any yet though, but we do know that Minx will not be one of the names."

"You're loss." Greenlee smirked.

"What about the baby's room?"

"Eventually, their room will be upstairs, but for the first few months, we'll use the guest room by us as a nursery."

"We've asked the kids to help with ideas for decorating, but we plan on keeping the colors and design gender neutral. We'll also decorate the temporary nursery."

"How are the kids handling the news?"

"They're really happy about it. Before we moved in here, we talked with them, and they liked the idea. When we told them about this the other day, they were thrilled. Gabby's happy as can be about being a big sister."

"There was something I wanted to ask either Caleb or Jack."

"What is it, Marissa?"

"I did some research, and unfortunately, I can't have Bianca added to the baby's birth certificate. I'd like one of you to have adoption papers drawn up and ready to file as soon as our little one arrives."

This request brought a smile to Erica's face. It was yet one more example of how different Marissa was from the others.

Caleb looked at Jack who merely nodded. "That is definitely something either Jack or I will be more than happy to take care of for you."

"Thank you."

Kendall raised her glass. "I'd like to propose a toast."

The others followed suit and raised their glasses.

"To my sister, sister-in-law and their family, including my new niece or nephew to be. I think I speak for everyone here when I say we couldn't be happier for all of you, and we can't wait for your new addition to get here so we spoil them rotten just like the other kids in this family. To the Tasker-Montgomerys!"

"The Tasker-Montgomerys!"

"Here, here!"

/

After dinner, Marissa, Jack and Caleb went back to the couple's home office to discuss the firm's offer. The others either helped Bianca with the clean up or entertained the kids.

"Everything is good with Marissa then? The doctor says everything is fine?" Krystal asked Bianca.

"Yes, everything is just fine, knock on wood. They are both doing great. I have to say that you all didn't look 100% surprised by our announcement."

"Truth be told, we're not. We noticed that Marissa had cut back on her caffeine and wasn't drinking any alcohol recently, not that she drank that much to begin with. The day of the wedding, she only had the one glass of champagne." Greenlee noted.

"Which her doctor said she could have."

"We figured as much. Neither of you would take any chances." Kendall smiled. "We also noticed Marissa would have a hand protectively guarding her belly every once in a while. The day of the wedding, I saw you place a hand there yourself. Before you ask, I didn't say anything to Mom or Krystal. They had their own suspicions."

Erica nodded. "Yes, we did. I happened to overhear a conversation between Kendall and Greenlee that put the idea in my head and then we did some research of our own."

"I just wanted to thank you, Greenlee, for being there for Marissa." Krystal said gratefully.

"I was glad I could help. So, you obviously tried a second time."

"Yes, we did, and the second time was definitely the charm."

"You all know what this means, don't you? We're going to need to plan a baby shower!" Kendall grinned.

/

Marissa was at the firm's offices bright and early the next morning for a meeting with the partners to officially accept their offer. An impromptu office meeting was scheduled for 9:00 at which time the announcement would be made to the entire firm.

When everyone was gathered, Jack stepped forward. "Good morning. I want to first assure you that this isn't one of _those_ meetings, the kind where bad news is given, quite the contrary in fact. This one is all about good news. For some time now, the partners have been discussing expanding a segment of the firm. With this expansion in mind, we were keeping an eye on one associate in particular for heading it up. We made an offer to them to become a partner, and as of 7:00 this morning, they accepted that offer. We now have a new partner and a new name for the firm. We are now Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and _Tasker._" Murmurs ran through the crowd as they realized who Jack was referring to. "Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, it is my honor and pleasure to introduce you to our newest partner and head of our family law department, Marissa Tasker!"

Cheers broke out as all eyes focused on the redhead in question.

Marissa stepped next to Jack and waited for the applause to die down. "Thank you all very much. I'd like to thank the partners for this opportunity, and I promise not to let you down. I am honored to oversee the expansion of our family law department and will be counting on all of you to help make it the success I know it will be. I just have one more thing to add and then you can all get back to work. My open door policy remains in effect. If there's anything I can do to help or if you need to talk, you know where I am. Again, thank you!"

/

After being congratulated by countless firm employees, Marissa finally made her way back to her office. Inside, she found a smiling Brian and Lisa. "I was wondering where you two were hiding."

"We couldn't get to you through the crush of your adoring public." Brian smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I'm glad the two of you are here. There are a couple of things I wanted to talk with you about."

"First things first." Lisa set a bagel and a steaming cup of coffee on Marissa's desk. "Congratulations, boss! We would've gotten you something else if we had more notice."

The redhead gazed longingly at the coffee, wanting nothing more than to drink it, but she'd already had her one cup earlier. "Thanks. This brings up the first thing I wanted to talk with you about. While I appreciate this more than you know, I can only accept the bagel. I'd really love to accept the coffee, but my doctor won't let me. I'm only allowed one cup a day."

"Why is that?"

"I'm pregnant."

The pair leapt up and rushed over to hug Marissa.

"Congratulations! This is even better news than you being made partner. Okay, so there is a limit on your caffeine. Got it. I'll find some healthy options for you and boss junior."

Marissa laughed. "Thanks, Lisa. Bianca will be very happy to hear that."

"Congratulations, Marissa! I'm really happy for you and Bianca, and I know that Stef will be too. I can tell her, can't I?"

"Yes, you can. I'm 3 ½ months so we're letting everyone know."

"We're talking a Spring baby then! Oh wait, you were pregnant during the bachelorette party, weren't you? That's why you weren't drinking."

"Yeah, it's a good thing too."

Lisa grinned. "Yes, it was."

"Okay, I need to speak with Brian for a few minutes. Don't go too far though because I need to speak with you also. While I'm talking with him, could you check with these associates and see when they have some free time to meet with me?"

"You got it, boss."

"Thanks!"

After Lisa left, Marissa had Brian take a seat. "I'm happy to have this as one of my first official acts as a partner. Brian, the partners are very pleased with your hard work and would like to make you a full associate."

"Seriously?! Oh wow! This is fantastic. Stef's going to be almost as happy for me as she is for you having a baby." Brian laughed. "So much for me being cool about this."

Marissa grinned. "Well, I think you might lose your cool a little more when you see the increase." The redhead laughed as Brian's eyes grew wide as he read the offer sheet she handed him.

"Damn, I'm looking at this right, right? I mean I don't need to get my eyes checked?"

"No, you don't. That is the correct amount. So, what do you say? Do you need to talk to Stef?"

"No, I don't. We talked about this maybe happening one day. We didn't think it would be now though. I say yes! Thank you!"

"You're welcome. Now, I have one more thing to ask. I would like you to join me in family law."

"Seriously?! I would love to. It would be my honor. I love working with you."

"Thank you. It means a lot to have you on my team."

"I can't tell you how much it means to know you have this kind of faith in me. I won't let you down."

"I know that you won't. Now, go give Stef a call. I know you're dying to tell her. Oh, could you send Lisa in if you see her?"

"You got it, and thanks again!"

/

Lisa knocked on the open door to Marissa's office and poked her head inside. "Brian said you're ready for me."

"Yes, I am. Come on in."

Marissa smiled brightly seeing the bouquet the blonde was carrying.

Lisa set it on the desk. "This just arrived at the front desk for you."

Marissa pulled out the card.

_Rissa,  
>Good luck today. You'll do great. They're almost as lucky to have you as I am. I love you and am so proud of you.<br>All my love,  
>B<em>

She sighed happily and enjoyed the beautiful fall flowers that made up the bouquet before turning her attention back to Lisa. "Thanks for bringing this back."

"You're welcome. I can see that Bianca has struck again."

"Yes, she most certainly has."

"Before I forget, I spoke with everyone on your list and have 30 minute meetings with each of them set up for you. Here are the times."

Marissa reviewed the scheduled and nodded. "Thank you. This is perfect. I have to say I'm going to miss how well you handle these things for me. I'll be getting a secretary, and I hope they do this stuff half as good as you do."

"Thanks. I thought you might be getting one given your new position. I'm guessing you'll be moving to that bigger office down the hall."

"Yes, I will." Marissa grinned. This was the perfect segue for her. "What do you think of this office?"

"Oh, I've always loved this office. It's in the perfect location for everything. Too bad it's not bigger. You wouldn't have to give it up."

"True. You wouldn't mind taking it over for me then?"

"Not at all, wait. What? Only associates and junior associates get offices."

"I know. Do you think this office will suit your needs?"

"Huh? I'm confused. What are you saying exactly?"

Marissa laughed. The look on Lisa's face was priceless. "I'm saying that the partners would like to make you a junior associate, and as such, you would get this office."

Lisa's eyes bugged out slightly as things started to sink in. "Seriously? You want me to be a junior associate?!"

"Yes, we do. You've done excellent work here, and now that you've passed the bar exam, I'd say this move is long overdue. Here is your offer sheet."

As the blonde read, her eyes grew wider seeing her salary and benefits. "Oh my god."

"Would you like some time …"

"No! I mean, no. I don't need time. I accept. Wow. This is amazing. My folks are going to freak when I tell them. They're coming over tonight for dinner. They won't believe this. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome and congratulations. You deserve this. As for your parents, I think they will be even prouder of you than they already are. I need to tell you that you are in high demand. Everyone knows just how good you are, and I have a list of departments that want you to come and work for them. I would like to throw my hat into the ring. If you're up for it, I would love to have you in family law and help me with the expansion. Review these offers, and let me know your decision so we can get everything set up for you."

"I don't need to review the other offers. I know exactly where I want to work. I'd like to work with you in family law. I've learned so much from you and really feel like I can learn a lot more. We really make a difference with what we do, and I want to continue doing that."

Marissa smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way and am very glad to have you on my team. Okay, you will report directly to Brian who has been made an associate. My door is always open to you though."

"That's good to know, and that's great news about Brian. He deserves it."

"I couldn't agree with you more. After I speak with these folks, I'll set up a meeting with our new team. Would you mind helping me with some of the administrative tasks until I have a secretary in place?"

"Not at all, whatever you need. Just let me know."

"Great and thank you." Marissa was interrupted by her office phone ringing. She checked the caller id and recognized the number. "Excuse me a minute. This is the private investigator working on the Walkers' case."

"No problem."

Marissa spoke briefly with the investigator and was not happy with what she heard. She set up a time to meet with him in person. When she hung up, Marissa muttered under her breath. "Dammit."

**/**

**A/N****: Yeah, I ended it there. My evil side is cackling right now. I have to do something about that. I never did find that number for employee assistance from work. Of course, I really didn't look that hard. I probably should if I'm hearing cackling, huh? See you soon!**


	127. Wonder Woman & Superman

**A/N****: Thanks, as always, for reading, reviewing and following! It means a lot. Yeah, I was kind of evil with the cliffhanger from the last chapter. It's my evil side I tell ya. She's back after having been subdued by the cough medicine. I know that you, dear readers, live all over the world. I'm in the States in the Midwest and we are getting hammered by polar vortexes and artic blasts. We just got some more snow which I'm about to go shovel, and the temperatures have been below zero (that's in Fahrenheit) several times. We're going to hit those frigid temps again next week. I'm ready for spring. Enough of that rant, time to bundle up and go shovel some snow. This chapter picks up where the last left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"Thank you, Lisa. I really appreciate you helping out until I find a secretary. Hopefully, you won't have to do it for very long. I'll be interviewing secretaries in the next day or two while I'm also working on getting our team setup. It's a good thing I had a light week scheduled meeting wise." Marissa was interrupted by her office phone ringing. She checked the caller id and recognized the number immediately. "Excuse me a minute. This is the private investigator working on the Walkers' case."

"No problem. Go ahead."

Marissa spoke briefly with the investigator and was not happy with what she heard. She set up a time to meet with him in person. When she hung up, Marissa muttered under her breath. "Dammit."

Lisa glanced up. "I'm guessing it wasn't good news."

"No, it wasn't. Let me rephrase, it's not looking like it's going to be. He's not 100% sure on this yet and needs to do a little more digging, but he may have found a relative of Sam's."

"You're right, that's not good. That could affect the Walkers' adoption of her."

"Yes, it could. It all depends on, if this turns out to be true, the connection between that relative and Sam. Courts tend to try and keep the biological connection. They lean more towards it. Thankfully, it's not always the case, but more weight is definitely given to biology. When I talked with Sam at the beginning of this process, she didn't know of any relatives that were still alive."

"That's sad that she didn't have anyone else back then."

"It is. Her parents were a little older when they had her. Sam's mother was an only child and her parents passed away a few years back. Her father's parents died a while ago as well. He did have a sister but there was a falling out. They hadn't seen each other in years."

"Do you know why?"

"Yes, and because I'm going to need some help on this case, I can tell you all of this. She had a history of substance abuse, heroin to be precise. His sister had stolen from them to support her habit. At first, it was small amounts, just a few dollars that would go missing here and there. Then, more and more money would disappear. This always seemed to happen when she visited Sam's family. Somehow, she got a hold of their credit cards and ran up the charges on them. She then opened up others in their names. By the time they figured everything out, their credit was shot all to hell and they were deeply in debt. Sam didn't know a lot of this. They kept this from her as best they could. We got most of this information from a police report they filed."

"They pressed charges then?"

"Yes, they did. It was their only recourse to try and salvage their credit and really their lives. It turns out the Robinsons weren't the only ones whose identities she stole. She ended up going away for a year. There was hope that she would get clean. No such luck though. When she was released, she fell right back into her old habits. They ended up finally a restraining order against her to keep her out of their lives, and they hadn't seen her since they'd gotten it."

"What happened to her? I know that she died but that's it."

"She overdosed. The police found her in a condemned building. It was scheduled to be demolished, and the police were clearing out the squatters."

"God, that's awful."

Marissa nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Did the investigator give you any idea of who the relative is or what their connection might be?"

"No, he needed to follow up on this lead he had. He'll have a better idea by the time we meet."

"Are you going to tell them?"

Marissa sighed. "I'm torn but leaning towards telling Gail and Alex. I don't want this to come out of nowhere if it turns out to be true. That would be devastating to them."

"You're probably right. I suppose that I'd want to know if I was in their situation."

"That's my thought too. I'm going to call them and see when they can meet. I'd like to do it as soon as possible. I was hoping for this afternoon, but I'm booked solid after everything that's happened this morning."

A knock on the door interrupted the pair and had Marissa checking the time. Her first appointment setup by Lisa was here.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Hi, Claudia. Come on in. You're right on time. Lisa and I were just finishing up."

Lisa smiled. "Sorry, it's my fault. Do you want me to call the Walkers and set up something for you?"

"Ordinarily, I'd say yes, but I want to handle this myself. I'll take care of it, but thank you."

"No problem. I think I'll go check in with boss #2 then and see if he needs anything. I'll check back with you later."

"Thanks." Once Lisa left, Marissa turned her attention to the other lawyer. "Claudia, thank you for fitting me in. I know how busy you are."

"It's not a problem at all. Congratulations again on being made partner. You really do deserve it."

"Thank you."

"Can I be honest?"

"I wouldn't have it any other way and have always appreciated the fact that you are a straight shooter and tell it like it is."

"Thanks and same here. It's really nice to have a woman as one of the partners here finally. You broke through that glass ceiling and that's very gratifying to see."

"I'm honored to be the first and hopefully not the last, at least if I have anything to say about it. Obviously as you know, I'm leading the family law department and have the opportunity to create my team. I'd like you to consider joining me. I admire your work and honestly believe you would be a valuable asset."

The other woman smiled. "Thank you. When Lisa stopped by earlier and asked if I had time to meet with you, I was hoping you were going to ask me that."

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"It's definitely a 'yes'." Claudia really was happy to be joining Marissa. She not only respected her and her work, but she liked her. She seemed like a truly good person. What you saw with her was what you got. There were no pretenses and that was something Claudia liked and appreciated, especially in a boss.

"Great! Welcome aboard! Would you like to have your paralegal Mark come with you?"

"Yes, I would, if that's alright. He's kind of become my right hand."

"It's more than alright with me. I'm still trying to get some things organized. I have a couple of other people that I want to talk to and need to interview secretaries. I hope to have that all taken care of in the next day or two. Once I do, I'll set up a team meeting and then we can get to work. In the meantime, I'd like you to think about the department and how you'd like to see it, the direction you'd like it to go in. Like I said earlier, I welcome the input."

"I will. Could I ask who else you have in mind for the department?"

"Sure. No official announcement has been made yet, but Brian has been made a full associate and Lisa a junior associate. They have agreed to come on board."

Claudia nodded. "I'm glad to hear that. They're both good and work hard."

"You are right about that. Please keep this next part private since I haven't had the chance to talk to them yet. I plan to ask Brandon and Sofia to join us as well."

"Wow, you are picking a killer team. Don't worry, I won't say anything."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you. I'd like to think it's a pretty damn good team. If Brandon and Sofia join, I'm assuming they will want to bring along their paralegals."

"Will Lisa report to Brian?" Claudia asked. It was standard practice at the firm to have junior associates pair up with newer full associates while they got up to speed with their increased responsibilities instead of paralegals. Plus, she caught Lisa's remark about 'boss #2' earlier.

"Yes, she will. They work together well, and it will be good experience for both of them. I will have her work with you and the associates in our department as well though. Eventually, we'll get another paralegal which they'll share for a while."

"I look forward to working with her. She's good." Claudia knew about Lisa and how good she was. The lawyer expected no less since Marissa trained her.

"I'm glad to hear that. Do you have any other questions for me right now?"

"No, I'm good for now. I'll get my brain to working on what you asked. I'm really looking forward to this."

"So am I. If you think of anything, you know where to find me. And again, I'm really glad to have you on board."

Marissa sighed in relief after Claudia left. She was glad to have her on the team. There was a definite respect between the women, and they had worked well together in the past. Claudia also supported Marissa when she was dealing with Vicki and Tim which was something the redhead would never forget. Now, she could only hope her next interviews went as well. If they did, she'd be all set. The redhead's office phone rang snapping her out of her thoughts.

"Hi, Ellie. What's up?"

The firm's receptionist smiled on the other end of the line. She liked the redhead and was happy about her promotion. "First, congratulations on the promotion. I didn't get the chance to say it earlier."

"Thank you."

"Second, I know you have a lot going on right now, but I've got Taylor from Human Resources on the other line. She needs to talk to you, something about a job posting."

"Ah yes, I need to do one for a secretary. Alright, you can put her through please, and thanks."

/

Bianca paused before walking through the glass doors leading to the firm's law offices. Marissa's name was already stenciled in with the names of the other partners. The brunette traced the lettering with a combination of love and pride. She glanced up as one of the doors was opened from the other side. A dark haired man smiled and held the door open for her. Bianca nodded, smiled and stepped inside before thanking him. He nodded in return before leaving through the same door.

"Hi, Ellie." Bianca smiled in greeting the receptionist.

The woman responded in kind. "Hi, Bianca. How are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

"I can't complain. So, what do you think of our latest partner? The name looks pretty good up there with the others, doesn't it?"

"Yes, it most certainly does. I couldn't be prouder of her. How'd the announcement go?"

"It went really good. Jack gave a great speech to introduce her, and everyone was really happy about it. She gave a pretty good speech too."

"My wife does have a way with words." Bianca couldn't hide the smile that seemed to come with that phrase. "Do you know if she's free right now? I knew she'd be busy today so I brought her lunch."

Bianca always checked in with the receptionist first before heading to Marissa's office. She never assumed that it was safe to walk on back to her wife's office and interrupt. Marissa could be with a client, and Bianca would never intrude on someone else's privacy. Ellie appreciated the courtesy immensely having worked in a couple of firms where the spouses of the partners were not nearly as considerate as Bianca Tasker-Montgomery. "I'm honestly not sure. I know she's had a lot of people going in and out of her office today. I'll call back for you, or better yet. Lisa!" Ellie had spotted the young lawyer.

The blonde glanced in her direction and smiled. "What's up, Ellie? Oh hi, Bianca."

"Hi, Lisa."

"Do you know if Marissa's free right now and up for a visitor?"

Lisa smiled. "Actually, yes, she is free and has a break between meetings. I was just going to run and get her some lunch, but I see that's not necessary. Come on, I'll walk back with you so I can get my purse and head out for myself."

Bianca nodded. "Thanks, Ellie, and have a good day."

"You too, Bianca."

/

"Before I forget, congratulations, Lisa! Rissa told me you accepted the new position."

"Thank you! I can't tell you how much it means. Plus, I still get to work for her. It couldn't be better. Congratulations to you as well. Marissa told Brian and me about the baby. I couldn't be happier for the two of you. Boss junior is going to be a lucky kid."

Bianca laughed at the nickname. "Thank you. We're pretty happy ourselves."

"Oh, Marissa mentioned her limit on caffeine. Just so you know, I'm on it. I've been looking into healthier alternatives that will still give her a boost of energy."

"Thanks. I appreciate that."

"She thought you might, and I'm happy to do it." The pair stopped at Marissa's office. "Here you are. Have a good lunch. I'll see you later."

"You too."

/

"Hi, Gail."

"_Hi, Marissa. What can I do for you? Oh, before I forget, congratulations! Sam told us Bianca told some of the staff at the Center that the two of you are expecting. That's wonderful news."_

"Thanks. We're pretty happy about it. How did she find out already? She's not scheduled to be at the Center until after school."

"_Aya sent her a text after Bianca told them. Sam was so excited that she called me between classes."_

"Ah, that makes sense."

"_I don't think she's the most excited one in our family though. That honor belongs to Carol. She was thrilled beyond words. You can probably expect a call from her sometime really soon."_

Marissa chuckled. "I look forward to talking to her. I guess it won't take long for word to get around especially after Opal finds out. I'm not sure if it will be Erica or Krystal to tell her. It all depends on who sees her first. After that, I don't really think Bianca and I have to worry about telling anyone else. It'll all be taken care of."

"_You've got that right about how fast word travels in this town, and Opal is usually at the epicenter. So, what can I do for you?"_

"I was wondering if you and Alex were free tomorrow, maybe in the afternoon?"

"_Let me check real quick. Yeah, we are. Do you have an update for us?"_

"I have a partial update, and I wanted to go over a few things with the two of you."

"_Okay. Anything you want to tell me now?"_

"No, I want to wait if that's okay with you."

"_Alright. We can wait. Is 3:00 okay?"_

Marissa scanned down tomorrow's calendar page. It was filling up quickly. "That works for me. I'll see you tomorrow."

"_We'll see you then."_

The redhead hung up and sighed heavily. She could hear the wariness in Gail's voice. A knock on the door had her glancing up. When she saw her wife standing there, a huge smile spread across her face. Seeing Bianca's smiling face was exactly what she needed. "Hey."

"Hey yourself. How are you doing?" Bianca crossed the room, set the bag from Krystal's on the desk and gave her wife a quick kiss.

"Mmm, I'm doing much better now." Marissa pulled Bianca back down for another kiss. "You brought me lunch!"

"Yeah. I knew you were going to be too busy today to actually get out for it, and I want to make sure both you and our little one are well taken care of."

"Thank you. You're going to join me, right? Because that taking care of thing goes both ways."

"Yes, I am." While Bianca unpacked the lunch, Marissa grabbed two bottles of water from her small refrigerator.

As they began to eat, the couple chatted.

"I saw your name on the door when I came in. I have to say that it looks pretty damn good."

Marissa grinned. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it? Don't tell anyone, but I took a picture of it."

Bianca laughed. "I won't say anything, and I don't blame you one bit. I would've taken a picture of it myself if some guy wasn't coming through the door when I got here. I still might try and sneak one when I leave. I have to show off your big news. I hear the announcement went over really well, not that I thought it wouldn't."

"It did. Jack was very generous. I'm also making progress on my team."

"That's great. I know you have Brian and Lisa. Who else?"

"Claudia and Sofia are joining. I'm meeting with Brandon later this afternoon. Then, I'll be concentrating on a secretary."

"Is that why you were sighing when I came in?"

"You heard that, huh? No, it wasn't. I was setting up a meeting with Gail and Alex for tomorrow. I received what's looking like bad news regarding Sam's adoption."

"Oh no, I hate to hear that. Are you able to tell me? If not, I understand."

Marissa put down her sandwich. "Because they've gave me permission to tell you about the case before, I can tell you what I know right now. I had a call from the investigator we have working on their case. It's looking like Sam might have a relative of some sort out there."

"No! Dammit. I really don't want to hear that. They've all been so happy."

"Yeah, I know. It's not for sure. He's still following up on the lead. It's going to take him a few more days to track it down."

"You're going to talk to Gail and Alex about this tomorrow." It wasn't a question. Bianca knew her wife and knew why she was doing this. It's what she would do.

"Yeah, they need to know exactly what's going on. I don't want them to be blindsided by anything. When they asked me to help, they had me promise to be straight with them, not to sugarcoat anything, and I agreed."

"What are the chances of this relative getting custody of Sam?"

"It's hard to say. The courts do like to keep biological families together if they can. They want them to have that connection. You and I know, however, that's not always best for the child. Sam is 16 so they will definitely listen to her and take her feelings into account. Besides, _if_ this turns out to be true and there's no proof that it is yet, but _if_ it is, we're going to fight. I will fight for them for however long they want me to because I honestly believe Sam belongs with them. She's thrived under them, and she's happy. I'll do whatever I can to keep that family together and more importantly to keep Sam safe."

"I have no doubt that you will. If there is anything I can do to help, I will, just let me know."

"I know, and I will."

/

"Hey, Ellie, I was wondering …" Lisa stopped when she saw what the receptionist had up on her computer screen. "Are you thinking of posting for the position of Marissa's secretary?"

The brunette looked around. "Yeah, I am. Don't get me wrong, I like my job, but it's not the most challenging. I'd like to try something new."

"Go for it!"

"Could I ask you what Marissa's like to work for?"

"Honestly? She's great. She's not a pushover by any stretch of the imagination, but she's really fair and will back you up and fight for you when you need her to. Marissa can spot a phony a mile away which is something she had to learn the hard way, but it's a great skill. It's something I wish I could do as easily."

"So if I were to apply, any advice for me?"

"Be honest and upfront with her. She values that more than anything. She doesn't like kiss-ups. I would just say be yourself, and you should be pretty good."

"Thanks. So, what can I do for you?"

"Oh, I was wondering if you knew who I could talk to about ordering some other healthier drink alternatives to stock up on in the break room. I found some that I think people will like."

"Do I want to know why?"

"There's a reason, but I can't really say."

Ellie nodded. "Alright, try Greg. He should be able to help you."

"Thanks! And like I said before about the job, go for it."

/

After she and Marissa finished lunch and kissed each other goodbye, Bianca left her wife's office and headed for the firm's exit. She stopped when she heard a familiar voice calling her name.

"Bianca!"

"Hey, Brian."

"Congratulations!" The two laughed at their simultaneous well wishes and stepped into Brian's office.

"Ladies first."

"Thank you. Congratulations on the promotion!"

"Thanks! I was hoping it would happen but wasn't expecting it right now. I was thinking maybe next year so it was a surprise, a really great one though. I have to tell you what makes it even better is being able to work for Marissa. She's going to make a great partner, and I'm honored she asked me to join her team."

"Well, she respects and trusts you. Plus, she wouldn't have asked you if she didn't believe you could do a good job. What did Stef say?"

Brian smiled. "She said pretty much what you just did. She's taking me out tonight to celebrate. Speaking of celebrating, congratulations to you! Marissa told me and Lisa about the baby earlier. That's just the best news."

"Thanks. I couldn't agree with you more."

"When I told Stef _that_ piece of news, she literally screamed she was so happy. She said something about it making sense now why Marissa didn't drink during the bachelorette party, but that it ended up being a good thing."

Bianca laughed. "Yeah, it definitely was, and no, I'm not going to give you any details about the party so you can just stop trying to them out of me. You forget I live with a lawyer. I know the tricks."

Brian sighed. "You can't blame a guy for trying. Anyway, Jamie will be having a playmate soon."

"Yes, he will. Is he taking part in your celebration tonight?"

"Ah no, Stef is going to get a sitter, and we are going out on a proper date, grownups only."

"Good for you! Could I ask you to do me a favor?"

"Sure. Anything."

"Could you keep an eye on Rissa and make sure she doesn't overdo and get too stressed out? She's putting her team together, interviewing secretaries, moving offices, handling her current case load …"

"Say no more. I'll be happy to pitch in wherever I can."

"Thanks. I know that she can do it. I have no doubt about that at all. It's just that with the baby, it's even more."

"You're worried about her and the baby. I understand, trust me. I was like that with Stef when she was pregnant with Jamie. Do you mind if I give you a little advice? It could help you from making the mistake I did and help avoid a fight."

Bianca nodded. She was not above taking some advice, especially on this. Yes, she had been pregnant before. That was the thing though, _she_ had been pregnant. Now, she was on the other side, and this was an entirely different experience for her. "Yes, please."

"It's okay to be worried about her, about them. You can't help it, and it's perfectly natural. The trick is to strike that balance. You know, of worrying about her, making sure she's okay, not overdoing _and_ knowing you can't do everything for her, letting her be herself and believing she'll be okay. I got real overprotective of Stef at one point, and she finally had enough and laid into me, big time. I'll admit that she had every right to. I was treating her as this, for lack of a better description, delicate flower, and she is far that. She is strong and independent and couldn't stand that I was basically trying to put her in bubble wrap. She absolutely hated it, and once she called me on it, I honestly couldn't blame her. I know I'd hate being treated that way. I think Marissa is a lot like her. Your wife …" Brian paused. "Wow, that's the first time I've called her that. Sounds really nice."

"Yeah, it does." Bianca smiled brightly.

"Your wife is fearless, and I really mean that. She is one of the strongest people I know. When I think of the things that she's been through, I don't know if I could've gotten through it all. She did though and look at her. She has a wonderful, loving family and is a success professionally."

"She has some pretty great friends too."

"Thanks. You know what I mean. When you look at where she was, especially when she first came to Pine Valley, to where she is now, it's amazing, and she did it because she's strong, tough and a fighter. She fights for those that she cares about and loves, and her family is at the very top of that list. She will do whatever she needs to do to make sure that this baby is safe. It's just what she does when it comes to family. Granted, she might not like some of what she might have to do like slow down a little, but she'll do it. Just remember, she's not made of glass and won't break very easily"

Bianca smiled. Brian was right and had described Marissa to a 'T'. She was incredibly strong, brave, fearless, and she would definitely do whatever was needed to make sure their little one was safe. The brunette silently berated herself. She'd forgotten what she felt like when she was pregnant. She was still the same person she'd always been and just as capable. The only difference was that she was pregnant. The same was true for Marissa. She just needed to remember that, and Brian had helped her do that. "You're right. Thank you. I remember now what I felt like when I was pregnant. It drove me nuts."

"One other thing to keep in mind, I was so focused on trying to do everything myself so Stef didn't have to do anything, worry about anything. That wasn't good. All it ended up doing was stressing me out and straining our relationship. I finally realized that I couldn't do it all. No one can, including you. Please don't take that wrong way."

Bianca stopped him. "I'm not offended at all. I know I can't do it all. It's a lesson I learned the hard way. So trust me, I know I'm not Wonder Woman."

Brian chuckled. "You're a hell of a lot closer to being her than I am to being Superman. Seriously though, I will help her as much as she lets me. I don't have a problem with that at all. Whatever the two of you need, let me know. I'll do my best to help."

"Thank you. I appreciate it, and I really appreciate the advice and this talk. It's definitely something I'm going to take to heart. If you ask me, Stef's a pretty lucky woman."

The man actually blushed slightly. He wasn't exactly comfortable taking compliments. "I don't know about that, but do me a favor? Could you tell her that the next time she gets on me for forgetting to put the seat back down or not putting a roll of toilet paper on the spindle?"

Bianca laughed. "I'll see what I can do, but I can't promise it'll help. Those are pretty big offenses."

Brian sighed dramatically. "Yeah, that's pretty much what Stef has said."

"Okay, I need to go and let you get back to work. I don't want to get you in trouble with the boss. Thanks again though for everything."

"You're welcome."

"I'll see you later."


	128. Team Meeting

**A/N****: Happy Weekend! Thanks for reading, following and reviewing! It's truly appreciated and keeps the creative fires burning. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

With the exception of a secretary, Marissa's team was in place later that day when Brandon accepted her offer. It had definitely come together quicker than she had expected which was pretty good in her opinion. Since she had most of the team assembled, she decided to have a quick meeting with them the next morning. After checking their schedules, she reserved a small conference room and sent a quick meeting invite to everyone with the details. It would be another early day for her, but she really felt it was necessary. Her team was as anxious to get started as she was. Plus, there were a few things Marissa wanted to discuss with them. The redhead was well aware of some of the rumors that were out there about her, and she felt it was important to put them to rest by providing her team the true story. The meeting with them had to be early because her schedule was rapidly filling up with interviews for the secretarial position. She had to admit that she was a little surprised that there were already several people that had applied for it. Marissa sighed. She supposed that was a good thing. It was certainly better than the reverse of not having anyone apply. No matter, she would deal with it and make sure that she picked the best applicant, the one that fit the best for her and the rest of the family law department. Marissa checked the time and smiled. That could all wait until tomorrow. Now, it was time to go home and be with her family.

/

Opal squealed loudly early the next morning when she saw Marissa walk into Krystal's. The older woman sprinted around the counter and pulled the redhead into an almost bone-crushing hug which she quickly broke it off when she realized what she was doing.

"Congratulations, Marissa! Erica told me you were expecting. This is just wonderful news. I couldn't be happier for you and Bianca. There's nothing better than a new little bundle of joy."

Marissa laughed. She had been braced for Opal's reaction after Bianca had told her about her greeting from the woman yesterday. The redhead noticed the handful of patrons in the restaurant watching them and picking up on the news of her pregnancy. _It's not going to take long before all of Pine Valley knows. _"Thank you, Opal! We're very, very happy. So, Erica told you, huh?"

"Yes, she did. I have to tell you that she was pretty darn happy about it too. Who knows, maybe this little tyke of yours will be the one to get her to accept the title of grandma." Opal added with a wink.

"I won't hold my breath on that one. If the others haven't cracked her by now, I don't know that this little one will be able to."

"Yeah, I don't blame you. I guess I won't either. So, what brings you in here so early?"

"Oh, I have an early meeting and wanted to pick up some coffee and muffins for it."

"That's right. You had some more good news. I heard you were made partner at the firm. Congratulations on that too! Your _wife_ told me that one yesterday when she stopped by to pick up lunch for you. She was bragging just a bit mind you and rightfully so I would say."

"Thanks, again. I was surprised when Caleb and Jack made me the offer. I think I'm still a little in shock by it all."

"Well, I'm not surprised by it in the least little bit. You're very good, and if you ask me, they were smart to do it. They probably knew they better do it before someone else swooped right on in and made you an offer and took you away from them."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "If you say so."

"I do, and your wife would agree with me."

"You're right. Bianca's pretty much said the same thing."

"That's a very smart woman you've got there."

"Oh, I know, that trust me."

"So, how much coffee do you need?"

"There's going to be nine people in total at the meeting."

"Alright, I'll get working on that while you figure out which muffins you want."

"Will do."

/

Marissa made it to the office before the others on her team but not before Ellie. The receptionist was just getting settled when she saw the redhead make her way into the office. She hurried over to get the door for her.

"Thanks, Ellie."

"You're welcome. Let me help you. You look like you have your hands pretty full." Ellie took the shopping bag with the muffins and coffee and various supplies for it from Marissa.

"Yeah, I do a little bit. I appreciate it."

"Not a problem. Where does this need to go?"

"Conference Room C. I'll be right there. I just want to drop my laptop off in my office."

"Take your time. I've got it."

"You're a lifesaver. Thank you!"

/

By the time the others arrived for the meeting, Marissa had eaten her blueberry muffin and was reviewing her notes on what she wanted to say. She had gone over them with Bianca last night after the kids were in bed.

"Good morning. Please help yourself to some coffee and breakfast."

"Oh wow, thanks, Marissa." Brandon smiled.

"This is great, Marissa, but you didn't have to do this." Sofia added.

"I know, but I figured why not for our first meeting." Once everyone was settled, Marissa took a sip of her coffee before beginning. "First of all, thank you for coming in a little earlier than normal. Because this was last minute, this was unfortunately the only time that I could find for us to get together. I promise that our future meetings will be later. Second, I want to thank you all again for agreeing to join this team. When Claudia and I were talking, she asked who I wanted on it, and when I told her, she thought it was a killer team. I couldn't agree with her more. Before we get started, I wanted to take a few minutes and tell you a little bit more about myself. I'm fully aware of some of the rumors floating around out there about me. Since we will be working closely, I thought I would address some of them and dispel the ones that are false. That being said, I would appreciate your discretion on what I'm going to say."

/

Bianca stopped at Jan's desk on the way to her office as was part of her usual daily routine. "Good morning, Jan. What's on the schedule for today?"

"Good morning, Bianca. Most of it is the usual stuff. You do have the board meeting in a couple of hours."

Bianca knew what that meant and she did remember the meeting. Marissa served on the Center's board which meant she would be there, and the brunette couldn't help but smile at the prospect of seeing her wife. The family's morning routine had been interrupted somewhat the last few days with Marissa needing to go into the office earlier than usual. The kids missed seeing her in the morning before heading off to school, and Marissa missed them too. The redhead had promised to take them to school tomorrow which would help Bianca out because she had an early meeting at Fusion with Kendall and Greenlee, but more importantly, it would give the kids and Marissa some one on one time. As for today, Marissa said she would try to get to the Center a little earlier so they could have a few minutes alone before the meeting started. Bianca was also looking forward to this time today because it would be a late night for her. The brunette had class that evening and would get home after the kids were in bed and not long before they both went to sleep.

"What else do I have?"

"You have a meeting with Mrs. Holmes when the one with the board is over."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "This is what her third visit here?

Jan nodded. "Yes, it is. She stopped by while you were off."

"You said that meeting went pretty well."

"It did. She has some other questions though and only wants to speak with you. I tried, but it's you she wants to talk to and nobody else will do."

"Hmm, I got the sense from her that there's something extremely personal behind her questions and visits."

"I did too. She hasn't said anything specific though, hasn't given anything away."

"Maybe she will today. Alright, I better get to work. Oh, Marissa is going to bring another lawyer with her today to observe. She's going to have her cover these meetings for her when she goes on maternity leave. Her name is Sofia Jackson. I was hoping either you or Aya could give her the fifty cent tour."

"No problem. We'll take good care of her, and heck with it, we'll give her the dollar tour." Jan smiled.

"Thanks. I appreciate it and know you will take good care of her."

/

Bianca walked into her office and immediately noticed a box from the florist on her desk. Jan hadn't said a word about her having something in here. She'd have to remember not to play poker with her assistant. Bianca quickly deposited her purse and laptop on her desk. The brunette grinned as she found a rose inside and pulled out the card.

_B,  
>Blessed. That is what I am to have you in my life, to have you as my wife and to be yours as well. I never knew I could be this blessed to have someone as special as you in my life. I'm not sure what I did to deserve you, but it must have been something really good. I believe somebody up there must really like me.<br>All my love,  
>M<em>

Bianca's breath hitched as she read her wife's words. _I know exactly what you mean, Rissa. Somebody up there really likes __me__ to have given me __you__._

/

Marissa paused before continuing. This was the portion that Bianca had helped her with the most, the part that had concerned her. The redhead knew there were some rumors floating around about her, things that had been made public during her divorce from JR and the fight for custody of AJ. It was for this reason that she felt the need to be upfront with her team, honest with them so they knew what was true and what wasn't. This wasn't to say that she would tell them everything. They didn't need to know the more sordid details of her life nor was she inclined to share them. Only those closest to her knew some of them and only Bianca knew all of them and her feelings on them.

Brian gave Marissa an encouraging smile. He knew, understood and fully backed her reasoning for sharing this information about herself. Out of those present, including Lisa, he was the closest to and knew the most about Marissa. Despite their protests, which were half-hearted at best, Brian and Marissa really were work husband and wife. They had shared a great deal about themselves with each other, and there wasn't much they would do for the other. That was why when it was time to pick a godmother for Jamie, Marissa was the first and only one to come to mind for him. He trusted her completely and knew she would protect his son should the need ever arise. Brian was also a realist. He knew there were things about her past that Marissa hadn't shared with him but also knew she had her reasons. He knew there was a lot in her past that was painful for her, and Brian had a suspicion that most of it had to do with her biological parents. Marissa had told him a little and he knew her relationship with them was complicated to say the least, but she was trying to build some sort of relationship with them, particularly Krystal. She had let him in on the fact that Bianca was the main reason for it. Brian could relate. While he didn't quite know how it compared to Marissa's, he had a complicated relationship with his parents, and there were hard feelings there. Stef knew everything that had happened between them and why, but she was a little like Bianca in that she was extremely forgiving and had convinced him to try and get along with them. And like Marissa did for Bianca, he agreed to try for Stef.

Seeing Brian's smile gave Marissa a little extra boost of confidence, and she began. "I guess the best place to start is at the beginning. You may or may not know some of this. I am originally from Devon which, if you don't know, is smaller and not nearly as _interesting or colorful_ as Pine Valley."

The comment drew a few chuckles. Pine Valley was nothing if not interesting and colorful.

"My parents are Roy and Lydia Tasker. Judging from a few of your expressions, you're wondering about the truthfulness of that statement. Well, it's 100% true. I'm adopted. Yes, the rumors are true there. My biological parents are Krystal Carey and David Hayward. With that said, the Taskers are my parents. They raised me when Krystal and David were unable to. My Mom and Dad were there for the bad dreams, the broken hearts, skinned knees, homework, all of it. They gave me everything that they possibly could and were the best parents that I could've asked for. My values, morals and beliefs, I learned from my Mom and Dad. I'm who I am in large part because of them and the example they set for me. I've wanted to be a lawyer since I was a little girl. I wanted to help people, and to me, I could best do that by studying the law and help fight for their rights. My parents wholeheartedly supported that dream. When they died in a car accident, I committed myself to that goal even more. To do that, I needed to get a job to pay for school."

Marissa chuckled seeing the change in expressions around the room. "I see you've heard about that job. I hate to disappoint any of you, but it's actually a boring story. Yes, I worked at a massage parlor but contrary to the rumors, I was not involved in any illegal activities, nothing _hands on_. This has been corroborated by everyone that worked there as well as the police and district attorney. I was a little naïve and needed the money, but kept my hands clean, in more ways than one. Again, it's boring I know, but that's the real story. Around this time, Krystal found me and convinced me to come to Pine Valley where I finished law school. I also met my biological father. And judging by your expressions again, you're familiar with many of his exploits. I do _not_ condone any of them. He's knows in no uncertain terms exactly where I stand on them. When I moved here, I met someone else, JR Chandler. Yes, I was married to him for a little while. Obviously, it didn't work out. There were a lot of differences and they led to the decision to end the marriage. And yes, the divorce itself did get ugly as I know you've all heard. While the marriage itself left a lot to be desired, there was definitely something wonderful that resulted from it. Before JR and I met, I met someone else who stole my heart and has never given it back. I can't say I'm sorry about it either, and well, I don't want it back from them. During that marriage, that person became even more special to me and became my son. AJ is one of the best things that ever happened to me. So, I can't really regret that marriage because it gave me him." Marissa finished with a smile as she thought of her son.

"I'm sure you've figured out there were reasons why I've told you this. I know there are lots of stories out there about my past, and I wanted you to know the truth since we'll be working together. There's another reason that's even more important to me. Since I've been here, there have been people that I've run into that like to think that they're above the law. I believe what my Dad taught me. No one is above the law, especially those with money, connections or power. It doesn't matter where you come from or who you know or how much you're worth. The law should apply equally to everyone. That's a position I want to make clear to all of you. Yes, we will fight for our clients and their best interests as hard as we can and use all of our available resources for them, but we will _not_ go above or around the law for them. I don't care who the client is. We will not break the law. I believe you all feel the same way. That's why I asked you to join me."

Sofia spoke first. "I couldn't agree with you more on that, and I appreciate you telling us everything that you did." She looked at her paralegal Robin who nodded. "You don't need to worry about us saying anything. What you told us in here stays in here unless you say otherwise."

The others nodded and voiced their agreement which confirmed Marissa's opinions of them.

"Thank you. Any questions on those rumors?"

Brandon smiled. "Not on those, but there is one out there I'm curious about."

Marissa sighed. She could see a hint of humor in the man's eyes and could only guess what he was going to say. He was an excellent lawyer as well as a bit of a character with a great sense of humor. "Alright, what is it?"

"Well, it has to deal with Tim and Vicki. Word is you decked them in New York which I'm perfectly fine with. They deserved that and more. If it's true, I'm really disappointed that I missed seeing it."

Marissa chuckled. "Ah, those two. Well as much as I was tempted to, and trust me when I say I _really _was, no, I didn't. So you didn't miss anything, Brandon. I know I've told you all this before, but I really do appreciate the support you gave me back then."

"If I could speak freely?" Claudia asked. She continued upon seeing Marissa nod. "They were asses, and this firm is a whole helluva lot better off without them."

Sofia nodded. "I couldn't agree more. My mom would say good riddance to bad rubbish. They definitely were bad."

"You're telling me." Lisa shuddered recalling the pair. She resented the hell out of them for what they had put Marissa through as well as herself. Tim had started making her feel extremely uncomfortable with how he looked at her and some of the things he said to her, and Vicki treated her like she was something found on the bottom of a shoe. Lisa hadn't wanted to make any waves or cause any problems but just couldn't handle either of them any longer and finally went to Marissa. She didn't think she had ever seen the redhead as fired up as she was that day. Marissa was immediately on the phone to Human Resources to discuss the situation and even went with Lisa to meet with them. While Lisa documented every interaction with the pair as instructed, Marissa watched them like a hawk around the younger woman. There was a few years difference between Lisa and the redhead with Marissa being older, and Lisa saw the redhead as not only a mentor but as a big sister of sorts. It seemed Marissa felt the same way. When Marissa and Brian went to New York for the conference and had to travel with Tim and Vicki, Lisa couldn't help but feel something was going to happen and happen it did. Marissa lowered the boom on them for the stunt they pulled on her all while keeping Lisa out of their line of fire. The redhead didn't want to do anything that might jeopardize the complaint the younger lawyer was getting ready to file. Lisa remembered being both thrilled and relieved when Marissa gave her the news of the duo being let go.

"There's another rumor out there that your now mother-in-law slapped them." Brandon supplied.

Marissa raised an eyebrow as she imagined that scene and couldn't help but laugh at the visual. "Erica never said anything to me about doing that although that definitely would've been a sight to see if that happened. I seriously doubt it happened though. She might have slapped them down verbally, but I don't see her getting physical with them because they wouldn't have been worth that effort. Besides if Erica had done that, you'd know for sure, trust me. My mother-in-law doesn't do anything halfway, and she certainly wouldn't run and hide."

Brian suppressed a grin remembering the day Erica confronted the pair all too well. The only one at work he had told about it was Marissa, and there was no way the redhead would twist the truth like that and spread it around. Both he and Marissa knew that that particular rumor was courtesy of Tim and Vicki, a parting shot they were too cowardly to deliver themselves.

Brandon nodded. "Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought. Plus, I considered the source behind it."

"This does bring up something I wanted to tell you. If any of you experience any situation like the ones they were responsible for, I want you to know that you can come to me. We will talk about it and deal with it appropriately. I don't want any of you to through anything that makes you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. Alright?"

The others nodded and knew that Marissa meant every word she said.

"Good and thank you. Now all of that, with the exception of AJ, is part of my history. All of you know my present story. I got it right this time in the marriage department with Bianca. She's amazing, and together we are raising three wonderful children. And yeah, I know I'm completely biased when I say that. There is some other news that I want to share with you which deals with my future and will affect you somewhat. Bianca and I are adding to our family. I'm pregnant."

Congratulations were offered by the others and accepted gratefully. Marissa was ready for the usual barrage of questions that accompanied that announcement.

"I'm due in early Spring, and we're not going to find the baby's sex out early. We want to be surprised."

Claudia smiled. "I waited to find out, and it was the best surprise when Rob and I welcomed our daughter."

"You were really good about keeping this a secret." Sofia noted.

"That's because we went to a clinic in New York."

"Ah, that's very smart. There's no chance in it hitting the Pine Valley rumor mill until you're ready."

"I do have a question for you, Boss." Lisa grinned. "Are you going to be like Brian and show us thousands of baby pictures every day?"

Brian sighed and rolled his eyes while the others laughed. "Hey, it wasn't thousands."

"Oh, sorry. I meant hundreds."

Marissa grinned. "I don't know if I'll be quite that bad." The redhead laughed seeing Brian's scowl. "Sorry, but she's only slightly exaggerating, Brian. Like I was saying though, I don't know if I'll be quite that bad, but I can't guarantee anything. There's a possibility I could be worse."

When the others stopped laughing, Marissa continued. "I know that we've got a few months to plan, but we will need to make some preparations for when I go on maternity leave. I'd like to get started on one of those things now though. Sofia, I'd like you to handle the firm's interactions with the Miranda Center while I'm out."

"You've got it. I look forward to it."

"Great. There is a board meeting in two hours that I'd like you to attend with me. How's your schedule?"

"It's clear of meetings until this afternoon."

"Good, we'll head over there in an hour. They are arranging a tour of the Center for you beforehand. It will let you see some of the operations there and you'll meet some of the staff. Claudia, I'd like you to back up Sofia on this."

"I'll be happy to."

"Thank you. I'll arrange a tour for you as well a little later. Now that we've got that taken care of, let's move on." The group talked and followed Marissa's example by sharing some things about themselves with the others. While they did know each other somewhat, this session helped them learn more about their coworkers, and they all agreed that it was good to do. After they had done that, they handled a couple of business items. Before breaking for the day, it was decided to have weekly team meetings, and they found a day and time that worked with everyone's schedule. Marissa would reserve a conference and send meeting invitations out as soon as she got back to her office. The redhead checked the time and gave Sofia the heads up that they would be leaving for the Miranda Center in half an hour.


	129. Conversations - Part I

**A/N****: Thanks for reading, reviewing, following and basically hanging in here with me on this Minx adventure! I hope you're enjoying the ride. We're picking up this chapter just a little later than the previous one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

It was mid-morning when Marissa and Sofia arrived at the Miranda Center. The Center was a client of the law firm of Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt _and_ Tasker with the firm providing guidance on some of the more delicate and complex matters they ran into from time to time. The redhead served as the primary contact in these matters most of the time. In addition to providing this counsel when it was needed, Marissa also served on the Center's board. Bianca had asked her to serve on it some time ago because she recognized that the redhead had a way with people, got them to open up, put them at ease. The Center's staff saw this as well and grew to love her almost as much as they loved their founder. Fortunately, Marissa's role on the board didn't take up a lot of her time so she would still keep it despite her promotion at the firm. As they made their way to Bianca's office, the redhead received congratulatory greetings from the staff they encountered along the way on her pregnancy. Each one saying they couldn't be happier for her and Bianca, and the redhead was truly touched. As well wishes were given and accepted, Marissa also took the time to introduce Sofia. She observed those interactions and knew she had made the right choice in selecting Sofia to be her back-up.

As with most things she did, Marissa had done some research before deciding on having Sofia fill this role for her. The redhead had no doubt that any of the members of her newly formed team could do it. They were all very good lawyers, but she needed to take other things into account for this. Out of the associates that now reported to her, Sofia was the most qualified for this particular task. Her undergraduate degree was in social work. Given the work that the Center did, that was a definite plus. Besides that, there were other things that Marissa took under consideration. Claudia was the most experienced lawyer out of the four of them. Marissa was planning on having her take on a little more responsibility and cover more of her cases and run the team meetings while the redhead was on maternity leave. Brian had just been made a full associate so it was just a little too soon to have him take something like this on. She didn't feel she could ask Brandon because there was a history of abuse in his family. He had confided in her that his father was abusive and that he, his mother and two sisters had spent some time in shelters similar to those the that the Miranda Center operated when he was younger. This assignment might hit a little too close to home for him. Taking all of that into account, Sofia was the right choice in her mind.

/

The arrival of a certain redheaded lawyer did not go unnoticed by Jan. As soon as she caught a glimpse of Marissa, she alerted Aya who immediately made her way to her friend's desk. It was just in time to greet said redhead.

Marissa laughed seeing the friends waiting for her. This was the first time they had seen her since learning about the pregnancy from Bianca, and the two were practically bouncing up and down with excitement. Marissa simply smiled even wider and motioned for them. The pair rushed forward and hugged her.

"Congratulations! We are so happy for you and Bianca!"

Aya nodded happily in complete agreement with Jan. "This is the best news. I don't know that I've ever seen Bianca so happy, not counting your wedding day of course. This is just great. Oh, Kate wanted me to tell you congratulations too when I saw you."

"Thank you both and thank Kate for me too. Yeah, our wedding day was pretty amazing and definitely at the top of my list."

Jan smiled. "Just so you know, we've already talked to Kendall about the baby shower. You should also have fair warning that this baby is going to be really spoiled."

"I have no doubt that all of our little one's aunts and uncles will be up to that challenge." Marissa smiled knowing that in addition to Kendall and Zach, this baby would have a great many surrogate aunts and uncles, a fact for which she was very grateful. "I'm sorry. I forgot my manners. Jan, Aya, this is Sofia Jackson. She is an associate at the firm and will be handling the interactions between us and the Center when I can't."

"Hello, it's nice to meet both of you."

"Sofia, this is Jan Calipari. Jan is Bianca's assistant and right hand. She keeps Bianca on schedule and more importantly, in line."

"Uh yeah, if anybody needs to be kept in line, it's Bianca." Jan smirked. They all knew nothing could be further from the truth. She and Sofia shook hands.

"And this is Aya Kostas."

The two shook hands.

"Aya is the Miranda Center's newly appointed office manager. Congratulations, by the way."

Aya grinned. "Thanks! I'm still a little surprised by it and trying to get used to the new title. Something I'm sure you can relate to, Ms. Partner."

"Yeah, it does take a little bit of time to get used to it."

Jan nudged her friend. "I keep telling her she more than deserves it as do you, Marissa."

Sofia nodded. "I couldn't agree more with you on that. It was definitely a smart move on the partners' part and a huge boost to morale to see someone who came up through the ranks reach the top."

Marissa clearly wanted to change the subject. It was still a little hard for her to be the center of attention. "Bianca said she was going to set up a tour for Sofia."

"Yes, she did, and our new office manager will be handling that while I go take care of a few things for Bianca. She's in her office and said to tell you that you could go right in if you wanted to, Marissa."

"Thank you. With that, I will leave Sofia in your more than capable hands, Aya."

/

Marissa quietly observed her wife from the doorway. Bianca was solidly engrossed in something she was reading on her computer screen. "Have I told you how sexy you are with your glasses on?"

Bianca's head snapped up hearing her wife's voice and flashed her a brilliant smile as she took off her glasses. "I believe you've told me something along those lines before."

"Have I told you how sexy you are with your glasses off?"

Bianca laughed. "I believe you've said something along those lines as well."

Marissa grinned as she crossed the room. "Good. You're sexy as hell no matter how you slice it." The redhead leaned in for a quick but loving kiss. "Hey, beautiful."

"Hey, yourself. So, how'd the meeting go?"

"I think it went pretty well. We were able to get a couple of things accomplished. I have to tell you though that I look forward to sleeping in a little later tomorrow."

"I bet you are. You need the sleep. Did you have breakfast?"

Marissa chuckled. "Yes, I did. I stopped at Krystal's and picked up some muffins and coffee for everyone. I was just about mugged by Opal when I did. She was just a little bit happy for us."

"I'm just checking to make sure you're taking care of yourself. Yeah, I kind of sensed that myself yesterday about Opal." Bianca's eyes rested on her latest rose. "Krystal's wasn't your only stop this morning, was it? Thank you."

"You're welcome. What can I say? I felt inspired this morning. Of course, you always inspire me."

Bianca sighed happily. "Wow. You are good. So, what's on the schedule for you today?"

"I have a couple of interviews for secretaries. Did I tell you that Ellie applied?"

"Really? That's interesting. Do you think she could do it?"

"Well, she does some of the work already in her role as the firm's receptionist, and she does a good job. I won't really know about the other things though until I talk with her on Friday. There are others that have applied that have more experience though …"

Bianca could tell there was something bothering her wife. "But?"

Marissa smiled. "You know me too well. But I can't help but wonder why they would want to make the switch to work for me."

"Well, you're a partner now. Wouldn't that be considered a step up?"

"I suppose, but some of them have been with their particular lawyers for quite a while. It's really not all that common that they would switch."

"What do you think is behind it then?"

"I can't help but wonder if they have their own agenda of some sort. I'm a new partner, the new kid on the block. Maybe, they think they might be able to mold me somewhat. For some, it's kind of a power trip to know they run things, and they use this influence for favors from others and to elevate themselves. It's office politics."

"That's a little specific. You heard something, didn't you?"

"Sometimes, people aren't all that careful when they talk in public places, say like in the firm's ladies room."

"It sounds like they didn't check under all of the stall doors."

"Nope, they didn't. Two of the applicants were talking. This comes from a very reliable source, me. I heard the entire conversation with my own two ears."

Bianca smiled. "Well, it's obvious that they don't know you very well if at all. You may delegate responsibilities, but you still like to know what's going on and make the final decisions yourself."

"Just like someone else I know and love desperately." Marissa grinned.

"What can I say? Great minds. So, what are you going to do?"

"I'll still interview them and keep an open mind while I am."

"All while keeping the other in mind. Sounds like a good plan to me. You've got meetings with the investigator working Sam's case and Gail and Alex this afternoon besides the interviews, don't you?"

Marissa sighed. "Yeah, I do, and I'm not looking forward to either one."

Bianca reached across the desk prompting her wife to take her hand. The brunette squeezed Marissa's hand. "I'm sorry. Is there something I could do to help?"

"You're already doing it." Marissa squeezed Bianca's hand back.

"Will you let me know when you hear something?"

"I will, as soon as I can. That's enough about me. What's your day like?"

"Mrs. Holmes is coming back in."

"Again? Something's going on with her."

"Yeah, I know. There's something extremely personal behind her visits and all of her questions. I can't really do anything to help until she opens up and talks to me though."

This time it was Marissa who squeezed her wife's hand to comfort her. She could tell Bianca was frustrated at not being able to help someone who she was pretty sure needed it. "Hopefully, she'll tell you what's going on today. If she does, there's not a doubt in my mind that you'll be able to help her."

"Thank you."

A knock on the door interrupted the couple.

"Come in."

Jan poked her head inside. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's almost time for the meeting."

Bianca checked the time. "So it is. I guess we should head to the conference room."

Marissa nodded. "I guess you're right. Hey, Jan, are Aya and Sofia done with the tour?"

"Actually, they just finished up and are headed to the conference room."

The three women then followed suit and walked down the hall to the room.

Once inside, Sofia stood and walked over to Bianca and Marissa.

"Bianca, you remember Sofia, don't you?"

"Yes, I do. How are you?"

"I'm good and you?"

"Never better."

"I have to tell you that this place is impressive. I'd heard of some of what you did here, but it turns out that was only a fraction of what actually goes on. I'm really looking forward to working with everyone here. I can't thank you enough, Marissa, for asking me to fill in for you."

Marissa smiled. "I had a feeling you'd be good doing this."

/

Once the meeting broke up, Marissa and Sofia hung back for a few minutes in the conference room to go over a few things. When they wrapped up, they headed back in the direction of Bianca's office. It was there that Marissa saw Bianca talking to an older woman.

Bianca smiled and motioned for Marissa to join her.

The redhead nodded and spoke to Sofia. "I'll be right back."

"Rissa, this is Diana Holmes. Mrs. Holmes, this is Marissa Tasker. She is a partner at Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker. They handle legal issues for the Center, and Marissa is their lead representative here and serves on the board as well. She's also my wife."

Marissa couldn't help but return Bianca's smile before extending her hand. "Hello. It's nice to meet you."

The other woman smiled as she took the offered hand and shook it. She remembered Jan telling her Bianca was getting married. "If I recall correctly, the two of you just got married."

Bianca nodded happily. "Yes, we've been married almost two weeks."

"Congratulations."

"Thank you. I need to get back to the office, Bianca. Mrs. Holmes, it was very nice meeting you. I leave you in excellent hands."

"Likewise in meeting you, and thank you."

Bianca looked at her wife. "Call me later if you can, and let me know how it goes."

"I will." The 'you too' was implied by the redhead and understood by the brunette.

After her wife departed, Bianca turned to Mrs. Holmes. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"No, I'm good. Thank you."

"Okay, let's go into my office then, and we can talk privately."

/

"So, Mrs. Holmes, Jan told me you had some more questions for me. Hopefully, I'll be able to answer them for you."

"Yes, I do, and please, call me Diana."

"Only if you call me Bianca."

"Deal."

"So, Diana, what questions do you have for me?"

"First of all, I feel I should apologize. I can only imagine what all of you think about me, wondering why I'm so anxious and why I'm so set on speaking with you personally."

"There's no need to apologize. I'm sure you have your reasons. I just hope I can help you."

"Well, I have to admit I had some concerns, but meeting your wife helped ease them quite a bit."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"It's the fact that you have a _wife_."

Bianca began to comprehend what the woman was alluding to. "Oh, I see. My sexual orientation isn't a secret. I've been out since I was teenager. I guess I'm more surprised you didn't know that I was gay, especially given whom my mother is. It's because of her that it's common knowledge and been on the front of tabloids."

"I do know who Erica Kane is and that she is your mother. It's just that I don't follow celebrity news. I'm sure my nieces and nephews would know all about her and you though. They're all on that Facebook and the Twitter. I'm not on any of that. They tried to set me with accounts there, but both my husband and I don't want to deal with all of that. We don't like the idea of other people knowing our business. We like our privacy."

Bianca smiled. She could tell the woman was feeling more at ease and opening up some. "I can definitely understand that. Rissa and I limit what we put out there and keep the kids away from social media as much as possible because they are way too young."

"You have children?"

"Yes, between us, we have three children and are expecting our fourth child in the Spring. Rissa is pregnant."

"Oh mind, that is wonderful news. Congratulations!"

"Thank you."

"Children are such a blessing. My husband and I weren't able to have any so I took to spoiling my nieces and nephews as best I could. The advantage with that was I could spoil them and then send them back home for their parents to deal them." Diana chuckled.

Bianca laughed as well. "True. My sister and I ended up calling a truce for the most part. We realized that neither us would come out ahead there."

Diana admitted to herself that she now felt comfortable enough with Bianca to tell her the reason behind her interest in the Center. "I suppose that brings us to why I'm here and why I've been hesitate to tell anyone. I was concerned how seriously I would be taken with what I need to discuss. It's not something that's all that common or that you hear about every day. Obviously, it happens, but it's not really on the news. I don't know why it isn't. I guess that's why I hadn't really heard about it before. I'm rambling, aren't I? I'm sorry. I know I'm not making any sense."

Bianca simply gave her an encouraging smile. The brunette sensed where this was going. Diana had to be the one to say it though. Bianca couldn't force her because if she was right this was an extremely sensitive and delicate matter.

The older woman took a deep breath. It was now or never. "I have a niece named Kirsten. We've always been close. She's wonderful, so smart, talented, kind, generous, sweet and very outgoing. Kirsten would light up a room. She's a teacher, a very good one, a natural. Her students love her. She lives over in Llanview, and she's … gay. She and her partner Amelia have been together for going on close to four years now. Amelia is the manager of a bank, very smart. I liked her when we first met. Her family is well off. Her father is on the city council."

Bianca mentally noted she said _liked_ instead of _like_. She could see the concern, the worry in the other woman's eyes. She also noted Diana discussing Amelia's family and their connections. Experience was telling Bianca what the woman was saying without really having actually said anything. She recognized the signs having seen them before. It was all practically screaming at her. That was why she was almost positive why Diana Holmes was there. Bianca still needed her to take that final step though and tell her.


	130. Conversations - Part II

**A/N****: Happy Saturday! Thanks for reading, reviewing and following as always! It's appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. There could be a trigger in here for some, and I'm sure you can figure out what it is based on the last chapter. With that said, I'll let you get to it. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

"Recently, I've noticed some changes in my niece. Where Kirsten used to be outgoing, she now seems withdrawn. The spark she always had is missing. It's not just those things. Every 4th of July, our family gets together to celebrate, my brother and sister along with their children and now their children. I have a nephew that works for a pyrotechnics company so he supplies and handles the fireworks, and he puts on a very impressive show. It's a good time and goes back to when my parents were alive, minus the fireworks. They didn't set any of them off. Since they're no longer with us, my husband and I host it. We have the most room, and we really enjoy having our home full of people. Kirsten and Amelia came like they have before. When they arrived, I could tell Kirsten had been crying. She tried to hide it, but I could tell. If you remember, this past 4th of July was extremely hot. It was so hot that my husband wore shorts, and I can tell you that that doesn't happen all that often. Well despite how hot it was, Kirsten was wearing long sleeves and jeans. She also avoided the swimming pool. She's an excellent swimmer and even swam competitively in college. She always said the water was like a second home to her. At other gatherings in the past, she always dove right in, quite literally. So, I didn't understand why she was avoiding the pool then and asked my sister, her mother. She wasn't sure either but had noticed the couple seemed to be putting more distance between themselves and our family recently. My sister was actually surprised they showed up. She was almost positive they weren't going to when she talked to my niece earlier in the week.

"I knew I had to talk to Kirsten, privately. There was a problem with that however. Amelia seemed to be keeping a very close eye on her and not letting her out of her sight. I finally got my chance when I saw Kirsten go inside the house without Amelia. That was when I decided to seize the opportunity. I didn't follow her inside right away though because I didn't want to draw any attention and have Amelia interrupt us. By the time I made it to the house, I didn't see Kirsten anywhere. I quickly realized that she was in the bathroom so I waited. Kirsten was surprised to see me and was in a hurry to get back outside. She didn't want Amelia to get mad at her. I went to stop her by lightly grabbing her arm." Diana closed her eyes remembering what happened next, the images of what she saw were burned into her memory. She took a deep breath and continued. "Kirsten didn't necessarily scream when I did that. It was more of a sharp gasp. She was definitely in pain. I was able to pull up the sleeve of her shirt, and what I saw was awful. It made me sick. I have no doubt that you've seen what I did and worse. Her arm was covered in bruises. I quickly pulled up her other sleeve, and it was the same. I asked her what happened, and she said she had fallen down some stairs. When she did, she had put her arms out on instinct to brace herself and that's what caused the bruising. I wasn't buying it though. Something was telling me there was something else going on. Just as I started to question her more about what really happened, Amelia came in, and Kirsten shutdown immediately. I saw Amelia glare at her, and I swear I saw my niece cower. She was afraid, and I had never seen her like that before. Amelia gave me this sickeningly sweet smile when she saw the sleeves of Kirsten's shirt were up and her bruises were visible. She joked about how clumsy Kirsten was. I knew though. My niece didn't fall. There's not a chance in hell that that is what happened."

Bianca could see tears forming in Diana's eyes and handed her a tissue. She also retrieved a bottle of water for the woman. Diana gratefully took it and drank. She hadn't told anyone other than her husband everything that she had seen, and it had definitely taken its toll on her. It was easy to talk to Bianca though. Her compassion was clearly evident without the brunette even saying a word. Diana took a deep breath before continuing.

"They left not long after that. Amelia said something about having plans with her family which I could tell came as a complete surprise to my niece. She covered pretty well, but it was obvious that Kirsten didn't know about any other plans. My sister asked me if I knew why they left so early, but I honestly didn't know what to tell her. I only had a suspicion of what was going on, and I knew if I told her that then she would do something rash which could jeopardize Kirsten even more. So, I told her I didn't know. It really wasn't a lie because I didn't know for sure. The only thing I was sure of is that I needed to talk to my niece, and it had to be done without the possibility Amelia interrupting us. About a month later, I learned that Amelia was going to be out of town. I decided to take this opportunity and talk to Kirsten. So, I drove over to Llanview. When I saw her this time, it wasn't a bruised arm that caught my attention. She had cast on her arm, but she refused to talk about. The whole time I was there, she kept looking around and checking outside. She didn't want Amelia to know that I was there. Kirsten ended up just asking me to leave. I did. I didn't like it, but I did as she asked only after I had her promise to check in with me at least once a day. When I got home, I finally talked to my sister. She wanted to rush right over there, but I convinced her not to, not yet at least. We needed a plan and that included someplace for Kirsten to go. Over the next couple of weeks, we texted each other and then actually talked. Kirsten told me what was really happening with them. Amelia was abusing her, and it had been going on for quite some time, longer than I had thought. Her latest injury was a spiral fracture. It's where …"

Bianca nodded. "I'm aware of that type of injury. It's a common one in abuse cases. She went to a hospital to get it treated?"

A bitter laugh escaped from Diana. "Yes, but I'll get to that in a minute. This happened a week after the 4th of July. Amelia hadn't said anything at first about what had happened at my house. Then, they had an argument about something minor, and that's when Amelia accused her of sneaking off when they were there and flew into a rage. It was an awful fight and so loud that a neighbor called the police. They basically didn't do anything. Kirsten said they didn't really take it seriously when they saw it was two women involved in the disturbance. And when they realized who Amelia was related to, they couldn't get out of there fast enough. _They actually apologized to Amelia for disturbing her_. As soon as they were gone, Amelia called her father. He arranged for Kirsten to be seen in private at the hospital. They all looked at Kirsten like it was her fault. And consequently because of the inaction of the police and the private hospital visit, there aren't any records of this attack. I just don't understand it. How could they disregard everything and look the other way? It's no wonder Kirsten doesn't think anyone will believe her, and she's so embarrassed by all of this and blaming herself. You don't seem surprised by any of this though."

Bianca shook her head. "Unfortunately, I'm not. The majority of abuse cases involve a man abusing a woman, and those are the ones you hear about the most. Women abuse men, men abuse men, and women abuse women. Abuse is abuse no matter the genders, sexual orientation or income involved. It happens in the best of homes just as it does in the worst of them. Some, however, don't make that distinction, and they couldn't be more wrong. Most of those abused have something in common. They blame themselves and feel guilty. They believe that they are somehow at fault and deserve what happens to them, just like your niece. Also like Kirsten, they are embarrassed and feel an overwhelming sense of shame. It's that blaming of themselves, that guilt and that shame that keeps them quiet and keeps them from seeking help or reporting it. That's especially true when men are the victims because of how they are perceived in society. They're supposed to be strong, and abuse doesn't happen to someone that is strong. Women feel that way too. Some people feel that a woman couldn't abuse another woman, but they can and do. From what you've told me, it sounds as if there's something else at play with the police not doing anything, the connections Amelia's family has. It most cases, police take domestic disturbances seriously, regardless of gender, sexual orientation or income. I know that's how the Pine Valley Police Department is. Most hospitals are like as well. Pine Valley Hospital definitely. We work closely with both of them." Bianca paused. "You said your niece opened to you?"

"Yes, she did. I know it was hard for her, but she did."

"What do you need exactly from the Center? Until your niece comes to us or another shelter, there's not much that we can really do. _She_ has to be the one asking for help. It can't be done by proxy. That's not how it works."

"I know. I guess I was looking for reassurance that she wouldn't dismissed, that she would be taken seriously and that there would be someplace safe for her to go."

"I can assure you that she will be taken seriously here. We'll also keep her safe. The locations of our safe houses are a well-guarded secret. Only a handful of people know them, and they have signed a pledge not to divulge them."

"If I can get Kirsten to come here, what happens?"

"She'll be treated for any physical injuries that she may have. She'll also undergo counseling to help her with any psychological or emotional issues that she may have. We don't have one set course of treatment for those that come here because each situation is unique. Yes, there are similarities, but they're not identical. Something that would most likely happen is that she would stay in a shelter for a little while. During that time, you wouldn't be able to see her. We do that for the protection of all of our residents. There is no exception. I know you made a sizeable donation to the Center."

"No special treatment, correct?"

Bianca nodded. "Correct. Everyone is treated equally here."

"I understand, and I still want the donation to stand whether my niece seeks help here or not. Seeing what she's going through has opened my eyes to this issue more than ever before, and I want to help others. I plan on discussing everything with her this weekend since Amelia is out of town again. My hope is that she comes back home with me. I believe it's better if she seeks help here and not Llanview."

"I agree. It appears to me that she has a very good support system in place here with her family. Also, the connections of Amelia's family in Llanview could make things more difficult for her there. What is Kirsten's last name?"

"It's Tanner."

"And Amelia's?"

"Mears."

Bianca made a note of both names. "If you do convince your niece to come to Pine Valley, the Center is open on weekends. I believe it would be safer to bring her here rather than to one of your homes."

"In case Amelia shows up and tries to cause problems? Yes, I suppose you are right."

The women talked for several more minutes with Bianca answering a few more questions as well as offering some suggestions on how to talk with her niece. When they were finished, Bianca walked Diana out. The brunette stopped at Jan's desk and filled her in on the discussion she'd had with Diana.

"Everything definitely makes sense, and I can completely understand her sense of urgency."

"That makes two of us. I have some time before my next meeting, don't I?"

"Yes, you have a little over an hour."

"Great. You wouldn't happen to know where Aya is right now and if she's free would you?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. She's camped out in the huddle room over there and working on schedules. You know how much she loves working on them so I'm pretty sure she'd welcome a break."

Bianca chuckled. "You're right. They're one of her _favorite_ things. I'm going to talk to her about this weekend and what might happen. In the meantime, I need you to make a call for me."

"Alright. Who am I calling?"

"Someone in Llanview."

/

"Hi, Mitch. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable." Marissa greeted the private investigator.

"Thanks, Marissa, and congratulations on the promotion."

"Thank you and thanks for coming in today. I really appreciate all of the work you've been putting in on this case. I'm sure you could tell that it's a special one to me."

The investigator smiled. "It's not a problem, and I could tell that it was."

"Alright, there's no sense in beating around the bush. What did you find out?"

"You don't know how much I was hoping this lead was wrong and wouldn't pan out. Unfortunately, I found out otherwise." The investigator handed Marissa a folder labeled with the names of Sam's parents, _Hannah and Matt Robinson_. As was her habit, the redhead placed the folder aside for the time being and focused her attention on Mitch. Having worked with her before, he knew Marissa would review the report in-depth later and that this was his cue to summarize the contents of it for her now. "We've verified the earlier information we received on Sam's mother. She had no other surviving family members. It's Matt's family that seems to be the sticking point. As you know, his parents and sister are deceased. It was originally thought that was the extent of his family. I tracked down friends of his as well as his parents. It turns out his father was married before Matt's mother. It happened when he was in the military. His first wife, who sounds like a real piece of work from everyone we talked to familiar with her, filed for divorce after he was deployed overseas. Friends said she had a history of cheating on him, but Kurt, Matt's father, was crazy about her and forgave her time and time again. When she left, she cleaned out his bank account and left him deeply in debt. It was later found out that she was pregnant at the time of the filing of the divorce papers. She gave birth to a boy and named him Russell. Kurt Robinson is listed on the birth certificate as the father even though she gave him her last name which was Payne. By all accounts, Kurt tried to stay in the boy's life and paid regular and generous child support. This went on for two years until she and the boy disappeared one day. He tried to find them but didn't have any luck. Eventually, he met and married Rose, Matt's mother. They had two children and the rest is history you know with regards to them."

Marissa looked over the notes she had made during Mitch's rundown. "What happened to the ex-wife and son?"

"The ex's name was Jackie, and she passed away a few years ago. Russell, who goes by Russ now, lives in Pittsburgh and is married with no kids. From what we could find, he had no contact with Matt, ever. Matt did know he had a half-brother, but he didn't try to find him and vice versa. Russ has a record, all misdemeanors with no jail time. His arrest record is in the file."

A nod from the redhead had him continue. "Russ is a bit of a con man with most of his arrests being for fraud. None of his victims wanted to press charges though. It seems that he is very charming." Mitch watched as Marissa read through the arrest record. The lawyer had a good poker face when it came to work so he couldn't quite tell what she was thinking, but he could see the wheels turning.

"What did he say when you told him about what happened to Matt and Hannah and when you told him about Sam?"

"He really didn't have any reaction at all, especially about Sam."

"Did he ask about her wellbeing, where she was living, anything along those lines?"

The investigator shook his head. "No, he really didn't ask any questions about her. Although, he seemed to know she was in Pine Valley."

"Interesting. What's your impression of him?"

"Something's off with him, but I can't quite put my finger on it. I could see him thinking as we were talking, and I just got this feeling about him. It was telling me not to trust him."

Marissa thought for a moment. The Walkers would be there soon, and she wanted to review the file before they got there. "Okay, I'd like you to do this for me."

/

Marissa reviewed the Walker file after the investigator left, making countless notes from both it and her conversation with Mitch. After reviewing everything a second time, she called Lisa and asked her to join her in her office.

"Hey, Boss. What do you need?"

"I'd like you to sit in on my meeting with the Walkers and take notes for me. I have a strong feeling they are going to have a lot of questions for me, and I will need to focus on that."

"Sure, it's not a problem. I'm guessing Mitch didn't have good news for you."

"No, it seems there is a half-brother who would be Sam's uncle. At this point, I don't know how that's going to play out."

"Damn, I was really hoping Mitch wouldn't find anything."

"You and me both." Marissa was interrupted by a call from the receptionist. "Hi, Ellie."

"Hi, Marissa. The Walkers are here for you, all four of them."

Marissa sighed. Having Sam and Carol here was going to make this discussion even tougher. "Alright, thank you. Lisa will be right out to get them."

The blonde was out of her seat when Marissa hung up. "I'll stop by desk and grab a pad and pen before I get them."

"Before you go, Sam and Carol are here also."

Lisa nodded at the mention of their names. This got a lot more complicated for her boss. "Okay. I'll be back in a few minutes."

/

"Hi, Marissa!"

The redhead smiled seeing Sam walk into the office. The teen came over and gave her a hug.

"Hi, Sam."

"Congratulations on the baby and the promotion! Bianca was really happy when I saw her at the Center. Jan and Aya were so excited for you guys that I got a text from them even though I was going to be later that day. If you need a babysitter …"

"I believe she'll be calling me first, won't you?" Carol smiled and hugged the redhead. "Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you. I will be more than happy to babysit anytime."

Marissa chuckled. "Thank you, both of you. I'll definitely put you both on the top of the list of sitters. Although, you might have to duke it out with Kendall."

Sam grinned. "We can take her. It was really cool seeing your name on the doors out front."

"Thanks. I think it's pretty cool myself, and I'm still getting used to seeing it when I come in." She turned to greet Alex and Gail.

"Alex, Gail, it's good to see you."

"Marissa, congratulations on the big events." Alex hugged the redhead. "Gail and Mom have me started on your shower present already."

Gail rolled her eyes before hugging Marissa. "Congratulations, Marissa, and give me a break, Alex. You are just as excited about the idea as we are. Right, Carol?"

"She's right, dear. You are."

Alex sighed in defeat. "They team up on me all the time, Marissa. I never win an argument. I hope you don't mind that Mom and Sam came today. When they heard we were meeting with you, they really wanted to come. Considering it affects them too, we thought it was only right."

Marissa nodded. "I understand. Why don't you all have a seat and we'll get started."

Alex stopped Marissa when she started to move a chair over by her desk. "I got it. Bianca would have my hide if I let you move that."

"I was just pushing it over, and it's not that heavy."

"It doesn't matter."

"Fine. Thank you." Once they were all settled, she started again. "I asked Lisa to sit in with us and take notes. Would any of you like something to drink?"

They all shook their heads.

"Okay, let's get started. I met with our investigator earlier today. Sam, how much did you know about your grandfather, your Dad's father?"

"Dad said he was in the military. He was a Marine. He loved sports. The Eagles and the Phillies were his favorite teams. Dad told me that Grandpa and him would go see to their games whenever they could during football and baseball seasons. They always had a great time. Grandpa worked hard but always made time for his family. Why are you asking about Grandpa?"

"One more question, Sam, and then I'll answer that. "Did your Dad ever mention anyone by the name of Russell Payne?"

The teen thought for a moment. "The name doesn't sound familiar. Who is he?"

"From what we've found, he's your Dad's half-brother."

"Dad never said anything about a brother. Does this mean Grandpa cheated on Grandma?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, it doesn't mean that. Your grandfather was married to someone else before he was married to your Dad's mom, your grandmother."

Gail saw the redhead hesitate and guessed she wasn't sure how much to reveal in front of Sam. "It's alright. You know Sam and what she's been through better than anyone here so you know what she can handle. Tell us, please."

Marissa nodded and then recounted the results of the investigation. The others remained quiet for a few minutes while they let what she told them sink in.

Sam, who was holding Carol's hand, broke the silence. "So, this Russ guy would be my uncle?"

"Yes, he would."

"What's that mean then? Will Gail and Alex still be able to adopt me?" Sam glanced at the couple. "Do you still want to?"

Gail was sitting on the other side of Sam and immediately cupped her face. "Of course we still want to. You are part of our family. You are our daughter, and we couldn't love you any more than if I had given birth to you."

Alex nodded. "She's right. You're my baby girl. Do you still want to stay with us?"

Sam took the tissue offered by Marissa and nodded emphatically. "Yeah, I do. I really do. I love all three of you so much."

The four hugged before Carol spoke, not letting go of Sam's hand. "Marissa, what does all of this mean? How does it affect our chances of keeping our Sam?"

The teen's head snapped up and fear could be seen in her eyes. "Could … could he take me away Gail and Alex and Grandma?"

All eyes were on Marissa. This was the question she had braced herself for, the one she had expected, the one she knew without a doubt that would be asked. The redhead saw fear, hope and belief in her in their eyes. "I'll be honest with you. Courts like to keep family members that are related by blood together. Some judges feel that is the only type of _real_ family. I know that's not true. Sharing DNA with someone doesn't necessarily make them your family. The courts will strongly consider it though."

"I've heard courts don't like to place girls with …" Gail asked.

Marissa interrupted her. "They don't, but that is in large part with single men. In this case, he's married, and could in their eyes mean that he and his wife could provide a stable home." The redhead saw them deflate at this news. "We, however, have a lot of things on our side. While he's married, he does have a criminal record. Your records are spotless. Sam has thrived under your care, and the social worker assigned to all of you has written nothing but glowing reports on you. Because of her age, the judge will take Sam's feelings into account. They'll listen to her. And I will fight for you everything step of the way for as long as you want me to. We will not go down without one hell of a fight. I will use every resource available to me here at this firm for you."

"While I appreciate that more than you will ever know, this could get expensive for them."

"Sam, don't worry about that. We will spend whatever we need to. If it means I have to get a second or third job, I'll do it." Alex quickly added.

"I don't want any of you to worry about money, alright? We will sort all of that out later. I'm not worried about it so I don't want you to be either. Okay?"

Carol dabbed the tears away from her eyes and nodded. "Thank you."

"You are more than welcome. What other questions do you have for me?"

After Marissa answered all of their questions, she sat back. "Now, this is what I want you to do. I want you to go home and try your best to relax and not to think about it. I know that's a lot to ask, but I want you to try. We really don't know if he's planning on doing anything. So, let me and my team worry about this. Don't let them know I said this, but I've got a really good team, even Lisa's not bad."

Lisa chuckled as did the others.

"Seriously, let us handle this. I'm working on a game plan, and I've already got our investigator back out looking into some things for me. I'm going to meet with some members of my team tomorrow and discuss this. Don't think that means I'm not going to be involved because I'm going to be the lead on this."

Sam smiled hearing that. She trusted Marissa more than anyone else because without her, Sam didn't know where she would be. "Thanks, Marissa. That really makes me feel better."

"Good. Now, if any of you hear from him or anyone representing him, I don't want you to talk to them or engage them in any way, shape or form. I want you to call me right away. It doesn't matter what time of the day. If for some reason you can't get a hold of me and no one here knows where I am, call Bianca. She'll know how to find me. If you need anything at all, call me. I'll do everything in my power to help, and if you need her, Bianca will too."

"Thank you."

"Thank you so much."

Carol gave her a watery smile. "You know, I had a feeling when I met you. I knew we would be friends. I just didn't know how big of an impact you would make on our lives though. Without you, we wouldn't have our Sam, and she has made our family complete. We owe all of that to you, my dear. We trust and believe in you. Thank you."

Marissa nodded while she tried to keep her emotions in check. "You're welcome. I'll do my very best not to let you down."

/

Bianca was returning to her office after talking with Aya when Jan caught her eye. Her assistant was on the phone and nodding the brunette towards her office.

"Yes, Mrs. Buchanan, I have Bianca Montgomery on the line for you. I'll put you right through."

Bianca hurried into her office and picked up the phone. "Viki, it's Bianca. How are you doing?"

**/**

**A/N****: I have to offer a disclaimer here. If you ever followed 'One Life to Live', you know about Llanview and who Viki Buchanan is. I don't own her character. She is owned by Prospect Park (at least I think that's who still owns her). Anyway, I couldn't resist adding her in since I'm mentioning Llanview. It was just an idea that struck me, and you know how I am when that happens. You'll actually read more of her in the next chapter. She probably won't have too big of a role in this story though. **


	131. A Long Day

**A/N****: It's a little later in the day, but it's still Saturday, at least it is here! Sorry about the later posting though. I got a new car last week and was out driving around since the weather finally broke here. It's really nice and has that new car smell. It had to be driven and shown off.**

**Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! As always, it's greatly appreciated. I'm glad you all liked my adding Viki Buchanan to the mix. We'll see how much I blend her into the story. I mention a few other characters from 'One Life to Live' in this chapter. I don't own them either, and I'm not sure how much they will come into play, especially two of them. You'll be able to figure out which ones I'm talking about. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca was returning to her office after talking with Aya when Jan caught her eye. Her assistant was on the phone and nodding the brunette towards her office.

"Yes, Mrs. Buchanan, I have Bianca Montgomery on the line for you. I'll put you right through."

The brunette hurried into her office and picked up the phone. "Viki, hello, it's Bianca. How are you doing?"

"Bianca! Hello! What a pleasant surprise! It's been too long. I'm doing well. And you? How is married life treating you?" Viki smiled as she settled behind her desk at the Banner offices and removed her glasses. She and Bianca had met a few years earlier when they were both attending a conference on women's issues in Philadelphia. After talking with each other for a while, the women discovered that they had a few things in common and a friendship was struck. Both had been through quite a lot in their lifetimes, and both were survivors. It was this knowledge that led to a deep respect and admiration for the other. They had kept in contact over the years and helped each other out from time to time.

"It's treating me great. I've never been happier. Marissa and I are both sorry you and Clint couldn't make it to the wedding. How is he doing? Is he feeling better?"

While Viki had spoken to Marissa a few times over the phone, they had yet to meet in person. They were to meet for the first time at the couple's wedding. "I'm sorry too. I really wanted to be there and to meet Marissa. Clint is doing much better. Thank you for asking. It was a nasty bout of the flu, and neither one of us wanted to risk getting you or anyone else there sick. It wouldn't do for you or Marissa to be ill on your honeymoon. Your assistant said it was Bianca Montgomery."

The brunette smiled sensing the question. "At work, it still is. Both Marissa and I are keeping our names for professional purposes. Everywhere else though, it's Tasker-Montgomery. We are still working on the thank you notes, but since we're talking, I wanted to thank you for the crystal wine glasses as well as the donation to the Center. It was very generous."

"You are more than welcome, and I'm happy to have done both. Have you had a chance to use them yet?"

"No, we haven't. We're going to wait a few months to use them. Marissa and I are expecting a baby. She's pregnant."

Viki laughed. "That is absolutely wonderful news. Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for both of you. How is she doing? When is she due?"

"She's doing really well. The morning sickness has gone away for the most part. She's due in early Spring."

"Please pass on my congratulations to Marissa."

"I will. Thank you."

"How is Erica taking the news of being a grandmother again? She still hasn't accepted that title, has she?" Erica and Viki knew each other and got along for the most part. They would never be BFF's, but they were cordial. The relationship between Bianca and Viki however was far different from the other and much warmer. Viki had to admit that she sometimes wondered how Bianca turned out like she did given the drama that came with having a celebrity for a parent, and no matter what could be and was said about Erica, she was a good mother. Bianca was proof of that. The brunette was one of the best and most genuine people Viki had ever known.

Bianca chuckled. "Mom's taking it very well and is excited for us. I sometimes wonder if I should be concerned about how well she and Rissa get along. I've never had that with anyone I was ever involved with. There is a great deal of respect there between them though. It's kind of like the relationship Mom has with Zach, and I'm very happy about that. To answer your other question, no, the kids still don't call her grandma or anything remotely close to that. Maybe one day, she'll take that title on, but Kendall and I aren't holding our breath. Speaking of, how are your grandchildren and the rest of the family?"

"They're doing well, and my grandchildren are perfect."

"Now that is a grandmother speaking if I've heard it."

"I am guilty as charged. Everyone is well on your side? Are your children still perfect?" Viki smiled. She enjoyed the way Bianca gushed over her children and rightfully so from what she'd heard from other sources. Both women knew that Viki's grandchildren and Bianca's children weren't really perfect, but they teased each other about it anyway.

"Yes, everyone is doing great, and of course our kids are still perfect. Kendall, Zach and the boys are doing well and staying out of trouble for the most part. I think eventually Mom and Uncle Jack will get married. How are Bo and Nora?" Bianca always liked the couple and knew them to be honest and fair in their respective lines of work as police commissioner and district attorney.

"Bo and Nora are happier than ever. If there's ever a couple that belongs together, it's them. Now, not that I haven't enjoyed catching up with you, I can't help but think that there is another reason for this call."

The brunette smiled to herself. She knew Viki would suspect another motive behind the call, that this wasn't just an informal call between friends. "What? I can't call you to just say 'hi'?"

Viki chuckled. "If anyone could, I have to admit that it would be you. If I recall correctly, however, you made this call as Bianca Montgomery, and you told me yourself that you only go by that name professionally now. One would assume from that that if you were merely calling as a friend, you would be doing so as Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

It was now Bianca's turn to laugh. "One might assume that you work in the news business from the way you picked up on all of that. You've got me. There is another reason for this call, but I would like us to get together sometime soon. As you said earlier, it has been too long, and Marissa really does want to meet you."

"I would like to meet her as well. From everything you've told me, she sounds amazing."

"She is, and I know I don't do her justice. Okay, if I don't stop talking about her now, we'll never get off the phone. Do you know someone by the name of Amelia Mears? If you do, what can you tell me about her and her family?" Bianca knew Viki didn't pander in rumors. Any information that she shared with Bianca wouldn't be idle gossip. It would be based on facts and from reliable sources.

Viki thought for a moment. She knew if Bianca was asking for information that she had a very good reason to do so. The brunette didn't really gossip because she knew all too well of the downside of it. "Hmm, as a matter of fact, I do happen to know who she is and her family as well. Anthony and Julia Mears both come from old money and have strong political connections in Llanview. Anthony serves on city council. He's tried to seek higher office within the state but has never gotten the full backing of his party. He was a political ally of Dorian's when she was mayor."

"How is Dorian?"

"She's Dorian. Need I say more?"

"No, I suppose not. That does tell me something about him though." While Bianca didn't know everything about the complicated relationship between Dorian Lord and Viki, she knew enough, and she was definitely on Viki's side.

"Yes, it does. In addition to being on council, Anthony is chairman of the board of the Llanview Savings and Loan which is the largest bank here and has holdings of hundreds of millions of dollars. Julia serves on the boards of several charities. They definitely like to flaunt their connections and wealth. Their daughter Amelia serves as the manager of the bank. She had won several beauty pageants when she was younger. She is quite beautiful and very intelligent. Amelia is also gay and her partner is a woman by the name of Kirsten Tanner. She's a teacher and is originally from Pine Valley. I don't suppose you know her. I have to admit that I find it a little interesting that you're asking about someone here that has a connection to Pine Valley."

"I don't know Kirsten personally. We've never met. What else can you tell me about Amelia?"

"There is talk that she has a nasty temper and that her parents have had to bail her out of trouble numerous times."

"Would any of those rumors happen to mention anything about Kirsten in connection with that temper?"

"Are you going to tell me why you're so curious about her?"

Bianca weighed her words carefully, knowing that no matter what she said Viki was smart enough to put two and two together. "I'm really not at liberty to say anything at this time."

Viki paused. Taking what she'd heard around Llanview and what Bianca was saying without actually saying it, the older woman shook her head, saddened by this news. "Unfortunately, yes, she has been mentioned in those rumors. In the past, she has been seen sporting various suspicious injuries. The talk was spurred on more by her wearing a cast on her arm recently."

"I have a hypothetical question for you."

"Alright, go ahead."

"If the police were to respond to a call for, oh let's say, a domestic disturbance at someone's home who had Amelia's connections, what might happen? Hypothetically speaking of course."

"Of course. Hypothetically, it shouldn't matter. I know that Bo stresses tolerance and doesn't play favorites. He despises political favors. I can also tell you that the district attorney feels the same way. I haven't heard anything about such a call, and trust me, that would definitely be news if it had happened. If a call was made and no report filed, which sounds like is the case in this hypothetical situation, Bo and Nora would not like it at all. I could see them ordering an investigation into something like that. Could I ask _you_ a hypothetical question?"

"Be my guest."

"In this disturbance, was anyone injured?"

"Hypothetically, yes. For the sake of this discussion, let's say it was a broken arm."

"Was the victim treated at a hospital?"

"Again for the sake of this hypothetical discussion, they were treated privately at the hospital so no records would exist."

"So, this would be a _she said/she said_ case so to speak, and with the one party having political connections and no official record of it ever happening, the victim would be at a distinct disadvantage."

"You would be correct in your assessment of the situation, hypothetically."

"One thing I can tell is that you are definitely married to an attorney."

Bianca chuckled. "I might have picked up some pointers from my wife over the time we've been together."

"Well, she would be very proud of you right now. How would someone running a shelter such as yours find out about such a situation in another city?"

"Hypothetically, we could be contacted by a relative worried about the victim. That relative might also be working to get the victim to leave and come back to Pine Valley."

"Well, Pine Valley would definitely be safer. It's away from the abuser, her family and their connections. Plus, you have an excellent facility and staff. They couldn't be in better hands. We really do need to see about getting a branch opened here. What do you think the odds of the victim going to Pine Valley are?"

Bianca thought for a moment. "Hypothetically? I'd say 50/50 at this point."

"Am I safe in assuming this call today was a way to gage the probable accuracy of the hypothetical facts?"

"You would be safe in making that assumption, yes."

"I'm thinking that I might want to have a similar hypothetical conversation with the police commissioner and district attorney. I think Bo and Nora would be very interested in this."

"Could you have them hold off on any investigation until after this weekend?"

Viki took the subtle hint. It would be safer for the woman if that happened after she was out of Llanview and hopefully into one of the Miranda Center's shelters. "Of course. I know they would understand and appreciate the need for discretion." The older woman checked the time. "I'm afraid I need to go. I have another meeting in a few minutes."

Bianca checked the time on her side as well. "So, do I. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me today."

"It was my pleasure. Hopefully, we can get together soon on a more personal note."

"I'd like that very much, and I know Rissa would too. She definitely wants to meet you and Clint. Maybe we could include Bo and Nora as well."

"And we would definitely like to meet her. I'll check our schedules, and let you know when we are free. I'll check with Bo and Nora too. I think they'd like that very much."

"That sounds good. I'll do the same on our side with our schedules."

"Would you keep me updated on this whole situation?"

"I will. Thank you, Viki."

/

"Hi, Marissa. It's almost 4:00."

The redhead stood up quickly and had to grab the shelf for support to hold off the sudden wave of dizziness that had struck her.

Ellie had rushed forward to help steady her. She and Marissa had run into each other a short while ago and the redhead had asked her to hold her calls until it was time for a meeting she had at 4:00. Ellie had offered to do one better and call her a few minutes before that time in addition to holding her calls. This way Marissa could focus on her work without worrying about keeping track of time. The redhead happily took her up on her offer. "Are you alright?"

Marissa smiled sheepishly. "Thanks. I'm fine. I just stood up too fast. You didn't have to track me down in the library, Ellie. Why didn't you just call me?"

"I tried but you didn't answer either your office phone or your cell. When I stopped by your office, I saw your cell sitting on your desk charging."

Marissa groaned. "I am so sorry. I must have left it there. I guess what they say about pregnancy brain is true."

Ellie stopped in her tracks as she and Marissa had been walking back to the redhead's office, surprise was clearly evident on her face. "What? Did you say …"

Marissa turned and grinned. "You haven't heard yet? I guess my team decided to keep that quiet. I'm pregnant."

"You are?! That's great news! Congratulations! You and Bianca must be over the moon. When are you due?"

"Thank you! Yeah, we're pretty happy. I'm due early Spring."

"Are you sure you're okay?"

Marissa chuckled. "I'm sure. I was in my 'lawyer mode' as Bianca calls it and got my nose so buried researching a possible custody issue that I didn't even realize I still crouching by the shelf instead of sitting."

"Okay, as long as you're sure. You really need to start paying attention more and have someone help you with these books." Ellie had automatically reached for the two law books that Marissa had been carrying when the redhead made her announcement.

"Thank you for carrying them for me, but I can handle them. They're not that heavy, and I'm only pregnant."

Ellie blushed slightly. "Oh, I'm sorry. I guess I overstepped."

"No, it's fine. I'm just giving you a hard time. I guess I have to get used to that and let others help me more. Seriously, thank you. It looks like I have lots of people keeping an eye on me here. Bianca will be thrilled to hear that."

"Are you sure I didn't overstep?"

"I'm positive, Ellie. Stop worrying. Thank you, and thank you for tracking me down. I really appreciate it."

Ellie sighed in relief. "You're welcome. I'll set these down over here and get out of your hair. Oh, you really should look into one of those cases on wheels." The young brunette laughed seeing Marissa's smile. "I guess Bianca is already on that, huh?"

"Yep, she's all over it. She ordered me one before the wedding, and it will be delivered next week. And before you ask, don't worry. I'm not taking them home tonight."

"Good. Otherwise, I was going to tell you to come and get me so I could help you to your car with them, as long as that was okay with you."

"I would be okay with that, and I'll keep it in mind for the future."

A knock on the door interrupted them.

Marissa smiled when she saw an older blonde standing in the doorway. "Meredith, hello. Please come in and have a seat."

Ellie took that as her cue and nodded at Marissa before ducking out.

/

Meredith sat and glanced around the office while Marissa closed the door and then settled behind her desk. She was making a mental note of things that would need to be changed. The older woman prided herself on her discerning eye. The first thing that would absolutely have to go would be the frame made out of Popsicle sticks. That just didn't seem like something one of the firm's partners should have on their desk. It wasn't professional looking, and Meredith thought the redhead needed help with that. Marissa definitely had some rough edges that needed to be smoothed out and refined. She found the rose on Marissa's desk to be acceptable but thought the newly added framed wedding pictures should probably be removed. While she didn't have a problem with same sex marriages, some clients might. So, Meredith didn't see the need of rubbing it in anyone's face. There were a few other personal items that didn't belong either, one of them being a small stuffed yellow thing with one eye and blue overalls that she had no clue what it was supposed to be. The older woman had no doubt she could have those objectionable items removed. Meredith considered Marissa and knew another thing that needed to be fixed in her mind was Marissa's lack of formality with those on staff below her. She had noted that the redhead seemed too friendly with those on her newly formed team as well as the receptionist. The older woman didn't see how they could possibly respect Marissa if she was like that with them. Meredith was confident that she could mold the redhead, bend her to her will and thus solidify Meredith's position at the firm.

Marissa closed the door and smiled to herself. Meredith was one of the women she had overheard in the ladies' room earlier. The redhead saw her giving her office the once over and noted the look of distain on her face as she looked at the homemade frame the kids had given her their first Christmas together. She also eyed the minion the kids had given the redhead during their vacation in Orlando this past summer with distaste. The redhead knew it was a silly little thing to have, but it was from her kids. They had pooled their money together to get one for her and one for Bianca, and all three were so proud when they gave them to their mothers. Both Bianca and Marissa displayed them with pride on their desks at work and would smile every time they looked at the stuffed figure. It was special to them because Bianca and Marissa had taken to calling AJ, Miranda and Gabby 'minions' after watching 'Despicable Me' and its sequel too many times to count. The kids especially liked their redheaded mother's imitation of Gru, and truth be told, Bianca did some really good minion voices that always had the kids cracking up. No, that minion was not going anywhere no matter what anyone said or thought.

It was also during this time that Marissa noticed the slight shaking of the older woman's head when she looked at the wedding photograph she had brought in today and placed on her desk. They didn't have many of their wedding photographs back yet from Brenda, but the photographer had a messenger deliver two copies of the couple as they gazed at each other by their pond along with copies of them with AJ, Miranda and Gabby. She had done a wonderful job, and the photographs were stunning. They absolutely loved them and couldn't wait to see the others. Bianca and Marissa immediately put them in the frames the kids had bought for them with each taking a set into their offices. The redhead almost wished she could get into a poker game with Meredith because the woman had a lousy poker face. Marissa could read the older woman's expression perfectly and knew exactly what she was thinking. Meredith had never said anything derogatory to her, but Marissa knew she had her own opinions. The redhead could tell she thought Marissa was flaunting her relationship with Bianca in the face of clients. Nothing could be further from the truth. Marissa was merely doing what others at the firm did, displaying pictures of her family.

The redhead chuckled to herself at what Meredith's reaction would be when she found out Marissa was pregnant. She was sure she wouldn't be happy. Meredith was a career woman. She was married but had no children, whether it was by choice or not wasn't known. The older woman and her husband travelled extensively when they weren't working. Their lifestyle suited them and Marissa had no problem with that at all. From the conversation she had overheard, Marissa knew that Meredith was hoping she could leverage working for a partner for other perks and advancement. To do that, she needed to mold Marissa into her ideal of what a partner should be. That meant putting work first and family second. Marissa loved what she did, but it wasn't all that defined her. It was a portion of who she was and would never come first. Family would always come first to Marissa, always. Meredith was about to be sorely disappointed in more ways than one.

"Meredith, let's get started, shall we?"

"Yes, I brought a copy of my résumé for you."

Marissa politely took the proffered paper. "Thank you. I did review the one that was attached to your application. You're very qualified, but I'd like to know more about you on a personal level."

"What … what do you mean?"

"Well, _if_ you were to get this position and come and work for me, we would be working closely. I think it's a good idea to get to know each other. For instance, as I'm sure you're aware, I just got married. Bianca and I have three children, and I'm very happy to say that we'll be adding to that number shortly."

Meredith raised an eyebrow. "You are?"

Marissa simply smiled broadly. "Yes, I'm pregnant."

The older woman sat stunned upon hearing this news. Marissa could see the wheels turning though as Meredith struggled to see how this affected her. It took her a minute to regain her composure.

"Congratulations."

"Thank you."

"Do the other partners know?"

"Of course they do. I told them before I accepted their offer. It was the only right thing to do. They were all very happy for me. Did you know that the firm is going to have a daycare center for everyone that works here? The partners are very committed to helping those that work here create a proper work/life balance. That is something I agree with wholeheartedly. _Family is my first priority._ You seem a little off-put by that."

"Well, you are a partner and there are certain expectations for that."

"Such as?" When Marissa saw the woman hesitate, she continued. "Please, I would like to hear your opinion on this."

"You should project a certain image, attend certain functions, and maintain a particular relationship with those reporting to you."

"Unlike the relationship I have with them now?"

"Well, I feel that you are too friendly with them. I don't know how they can respect you when it's like that."

"What else? Is there something wrong with my image?"

"It could use some tweaking. Take your office for example. There are a few personal items that should be removed to project the right image to clients."

"Such as?"

"This frame and toy for example." Meredith was feeling more secure in expressing her opinion since the redhead seemed to be receptive to what she was saying. "They seem a bit childish."

"Anything else?"

"Well, your wedding picture. Some clients might be taken aback by it." She quickly added. "I'm not mind you, but others might be."

"I see. Well, thank you for sharing your opinion."

Meredith smiled. This would be easier than she thought.

"I'd like to share mine with you now. The frame was made by and given to me by my children. It's from the first Christmas that the five of us spent together so obviously it means a great deal to me. When I look at it, I not only see my wife whom I love with all of my heart, I see our children and the love that they put into making this for me. Bianca has an identical one on her desk and feels the same way that I do about it. As to this toy, it's a minion which is a character from the movie 'Despicable Me'. The kids bought this for me and one for Bianca on vacation with their own money. It also means a lot to me because of how proud of themselves they were when they gave them to us. I've seen similar items on the desks of the other partners. Neither they nor any of my clients have objected to them. Speaking of my clients, seeing these things actually seems to reassure them. It's not a cold, sterile environment they are entering when they come in here. They see someone who can relate because family matters to them just as it matters to me. As to my wedding photographs, I'm not flaunting anything. I'm simply displaying my family just like many of the others that work here are. I've seen similar photos in the offices of the other partners. The only difference being theirs contains a man and a woman and mine has two women. If someone has a problem with that, they are free to see another lawyer. I will not hide my relationship with Bianca. I am extremely proud to call her my wife. Are we clear on those points?"

A nod was Meredith's only response.

"Now, as to the matter of my relationship with those that report to me, it is friendly. We spend a lot of hours together. It helps if we get along and promotes a better work environment. We're not going serve our clients' best interest if we're fighting amongst ourselves. By working together and getting along with each other, we can. As to the respect of my team, I feel like I have theirs. They've actually demonstrated this fact to me a few times already." Marissa paused momentarily before continuing. She could tell Meredith didn't like what she'd heard. It was time to make her final point. "Let's talk about this position and expectations, alright? I don't expect anyone to fetch me coffee or to do something I wouldn't be willing to do myself. I expect them to treat my wife with respect because if anyone deserves it, it's Bianca. I expect anyone working for me to do their job and to help other team members out when needed. If someone on my team has a problem or question, I expect and hope they would come to me. As for the overall team, how it's run and the decisions that are made regarding it, _I _am in charge and will give final approval unless I delegate that responsibility to someone else in my absence. When I'm on maternity leave for example, Claudia will be in charge and will keep me informed about what's going on. I know I'm a new partner and younger than the others, but no one should make the mistake of thinking that I don't have clear ideas of how _my _department should be run and the direction of where I want it to go. I will listen to input from others and take it under consideration, but the final decisions remain with me. Are there any questions so far?"

Meredith shifted in her seat under the cool gaze of hazel eyes. She was definitely not expecting this from the redhead. The older woman shook her head.

Marissa smiled, satisfied that she had laid down the law effectively enough for Meredith. "Good. Now, let's talk about the position. Why are you interested in switching departments? What would you like to accomplish in this position? How do you see your role on this team?"

/

Bianca glanced down at her cellphone and read the caller id. "Hi, Gail. What's up?"

"Hi, Bianca. I just wanted to tell you that Sam won't be at the Center today. She's not feeling well."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope it's not serious."

Gail sighed. "It's nothing health related. We met with Marissa earlier today, and what we found out from her has us all a little upset. I think Sam will be okay, but we all felt it was a good idea to spend some time together."

"Is there anything I can do? Would you like to talk?"

"Thanks but no, at least not right now. Maybe later? We know how invested you are with Sam and our family and appreciate everything you and Marissa have done for us. We've told Marissa that she can share everything that she told us today with you. Now that I think about it some, it might be good if we talk to one of the counselors at the Center. While it's not like the cases that you normally handle there, they might be able to give us some insight or perspective."

"I think that is a great idea. Anyone here will be more than happy to help and will maintain your privacy. When you're ready to talk to someone, let me know, and I'll get you a name."

"Thank you. It means a lot. We appreciate the two of you more than you know."

"You're welcome. If there's anything else you need, please call no matter what time."

Bianca sat for a moment after disconnecting the call. She knew Marissa was concerned about what the investigator might find, and it seemed her wife's fears were well-founded. There weren't any texts from Marissa yet, but Bianca knew it was a busy day for her and she most likely didn't have a chance to send her one. This was a discussion that Marissa would want to have in person too. Hopefully, they could talk tonight after Bianca got home from class.

/

Marissa replayed the interview with Meredith in her mind as she drove home. The older woman struggled through the rest of it. Marissa had managed to throw her off her game. That fact made the redhead smile, and she couldn't wait to tell Bianca about it. She also needed to tell her about the meeting with the Walkers, and that was something she wasn't looking forward to. Marissa knew it would be late by the time Bianca got home from class and they would be able to talk. For now, she would put that all aside and concentrate on the kids. There was homework to review and dinner to be made.

/

Bianca sighed happily when she pulled into the garage and shut off the car. She was happy to be home. Her professor wanted to talk with her after class so she was getting home later than normal. Marissa understood when she had called to let her know. As a result of that discussion, she missed seeing the kids and putting them to bed which was something that she hated. Bianca ducked inside each of their rooms to kiss them goodnight before padding down to her and Marissa's bedroom.

The brunette smiled softly at the sight that greeted her. Marissa was sound asleep with her glasses on and a book resting on her lap. Bianca could tell that her wife had tried to stay up for her but had lost the battle. The brunette understood. Marissa needed her rest more than ever right now. Besides, it had been a long and exhausting day for both women. Bianca quickly changed into her pajamas and quietly slipped into bed. Marissa stirred as she removed her glasses and the book.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

"I'm sorry I fell asleep. I tried to stay awake. How did it go with the professor?"

"I know you did, and I love and appreciate you for it. It went really well. I'll tell you all about it, tomorrow. Now, it's time for you and our little one to get some proper rest. Right now, all I want to hold my beautiful wife and sleep."

Marissa smiled sleepily. "I do love how you think and I can more than handle that. I love you."

"I love you too."

The couple exchanged a loving kiss before Marissa settled into Bianca's arms, and they drifted off to sleep.

**/**

**A/N****: In this chapter, I have Viki and Clint together. I'm not going into any of the stuff that happened on OLTL with them because I liked them together way back when. Bo and Nora were favorites of mine from when I did follow the show and feel a mention of them fit here given the storyline. Oh, I mentioned 'Despicable Me' above. I don't own that or those characters either. I have training next week which will cut into my writing time some. I'll do my best to have another update next Saturday, but it may be a shorter one. See you soon!**


	132. Interviews

**A/N****: I'm back! First things first, I'm sorry for not updating last week. I posted something under the reviews so if you saw it you know what was going on. If you didn't, my laptop was taking its last gasps of life and needed to be replaced quickly. Luckily, I was able to save what I had written as well as my notes for future plotlines so we're good to keep going. Now back to business, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! I really appreciate it. This chapter picks up the following day from the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/ **

Bianca raised her head slightly, cracking her eyes open to glance at the alarm clock and saw that it would be sounding shortly. The brunette then gazed at Marissa and smiled softly when she saw her wife was still sound asleep and snuggled in front of her. Both had been so exhausted the night before that neither had moved the slightest bit after they had drifted off to sleep. Bianca carefully reached over her wife and turned the alarm off before it sounded and disturbed her restful slumber. She wanted Marissa to have a few extra minutes of sleep if at all possible. Unable to resist, Bianca place a whisper of a kiss on her wife's shoulder.

Marissa stirred feeling her wife's soft lips brush her shoulder. She turned her head and smiled. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning yourself. I'm sorry I woke you up. I didn't mean to. You're just simply irresistible, and I couldn't help myself. I had to kiss you."

Marissa chuckled and turned to fully face her wife. "You are good, and you don't hear me complaining, do you? I really can't think of a better way to be woken up then being kissed awake by you. I think you need to bring those lips back over here so I can give you a proper good morning kiss."

Bianca grinned. "If you insist, I'm more than happy to oblige."

The couple shared a loving kiss that left both beaming when they separated. Early morning obligations the last couple of days had left no time for them to share quiet moments like this.

"I've missed this." Marissa sighed.

"I have too."

"What time is it?"

"We've got about 20 minutes before we absolutely have to get out of bed. How did it go with the kids last night?"

"It went great. They missed you but are very proud of what you're doing. You're setting such a good example for them and showing them the importance of both an education and pursuing your dream."

"Thank you for saying that."

"I mean every word of it because it's true. So, tell me what your professor said."

"He wanted to talk about my next paper. He told me that my idea intrigued him, and he couldn't wait to see what I did with it. He gave me a few ideas to add to it and was pretty helpful."

"That's great! I'm so proud of you and not surprised by that at all."

"Thank you. I really am enjoying the class, but I'm glad I'm taking a break after it. I miss spending time with you and the kids, and with our little one coming, I don't want to miss a single thing."

"You're not going to. That reminds me, we have a doctor's appointment next week."

Bianca nodded. "I remember, and it's on my calendar. There's no way I'm missing any of those appointments."

"I know. I can't wait until it's time for an ultrasound, and we can see our little one." Marissa sighed happily as one of her hands rested on her belly which was still relatively flat but the slightest of bumps was starting to form and be felt. Her clothes still fit, but she knew that would be changing soon. This was something that honestly didn't bother Marissa because it was a sign that their little one was growing.

Bianca placed a loving hand next to her wife's. She loved feeling that small bump that was beginning to form. It wasn't something that could be seen yet when she was dressed so that meant that only Bianca and Marissa knew about it, and that made it a little more special to them. "That makes two of us. Another month and we'll be able to."

The couple smiled relishing the moment and imaging what their little one would look like when it was time for them to join their family.

The brunette reluctantly broke the silence knowing they didn't have a lot of time together right now. "What happened with Sam and the Walkers? Gail called yesterday and said that Sam wasn't feeling well and was upset so they decided it was best for her to stay home and for them to spend some time together."

Marissa sighed. "I'll give you the short version right now and the ugly details tonight. It seems Sam's dad had an older half-brother."

"Sam has a blood relative? Oh no, I don't have a good feeling about this. What exactly does that mean for Sam and the Walkers?"

"I'm still sorting that out. Right now, we don't what, if anything, he might do in the way of custody. I have the investigator checking into a couple of things still and am working out a strategy for our side. I'm going to be meeting with my team today to discuss it."

"I have no doubt that you'll figure something out."

"Thank you. I'm going to do my damnedest. How did it go with Mrs. Holmes?"

It was Bianca's turn to sigh. Since Marissa was counsel for the Center and may need to get involved in the case at some point, the brunette knew she could tell her the whole story. "I'll give you the short version for now. She told me her niece is in an abusive relationship. She and her girlfriend live in Llanview. The girlfriend's family has money and political connections there which has made it hard for Mrs. Holmes' niece to fell like she has anywhere to go for help. She's hoping she can convince her to come back to Pine Valley and to the Center specifically for help. I called Viki Buchanan to get some background on the girlfriend's family and to check on some facts. Viki pretty much confirmed what Mrs. Holmes told me about the family."

Marissa shook her head. Both she and Bianca had suspected something along these lines was behind Mrs. Holmes' intense interest with the Center. "What's the plan?"

"The girlfriend is out of town this weekend so Mrs. Holmes is going there in hopes of convincing her niece to come back here with her with the goal of her coming to the Center for help. Getting her out of the abusive relationship and away from the influences the girlfriend and her family have there is the best thing for her at this point. She'll feel safer, be able to open up more and begin to heal."

"Do you think Mrs. Holmes will be able to convince her?"

"You know that the ultimate decision to leave is up to the niece, but Mrs. Holmes has said the niece has opened up to her. Hopefully, she'll make that decision. I do know that Mrs. Holmes is very determined to help her. I really hope she agrees to get help."

"So do I. You said you talked to Viki. How's she doing? How's Clint?"

"She's good, and he's feeling much better. Viki was sorry they missed the wedding. We agreed to look at all of our schedules to find a day we can get together. She's going to talk to Bo and Nora about joining us too."

"I'll check my schedule and get you the info. I hope Bo and Nora can make it. I would really like to meet them too."

"I think you'll like them, and I know they'll like you." Bianca shifted and did a quick time check and saw they still had a couple of minutes. "How did the interviews go?"

Marissa grinned and tucked a lock of Bianca's hair behind her ear. "They were interesting. One of them was with Meredith who was one of the women I overheard in the ladies' room."

"Really? How'd that go?"

"I'm pretty sure I set her straight on a few things."

"Like whose department it is and who is actually in charge?" Bianca smiled.

"Yeah, like those things. If I was inclined in the slightest to offer her the position which I'm not, I seriously doubt she'd take it now anyway. I don't think she liked the idea of me being pregnant. It really seemed to interfere with her plans for office domination." Marissa smirked.

Bianca placed her hand back on Marissa's belly and stroked it lovingly. It instantly calmed the anger she felt over what she'd just heard. "Well that's just too damn bad now isn't it? I know it's your decision, but I'm glad you're not going to hire her because while I know I haven't met this Meredith, I'm pretty sure I don't like her very much if at all. Make sure to keep her away from me at any functions that the firm has."

Marissa smiled and kissed her wife. "I will. You're really not going to like this next part. She didn't think I should have our wedding picture on my desk."

"What?!"

"Yeah, she thought some clients might be offended by it. She also thought I needed to get rid of some of the personal items on my desk like the frame the kids made for us and my stuffed minion. Don't worry. I set her straight on that too."

"Good! You definitely need to keep her far away from me now. I don't know why she feels she has the right to say those things. Hopefully, the next round of interviews will go better."

"I hope so. I interview Ellie later today."

"Good. I like her. She seems on top of things and genuine."

"You're going to like her even more when I tell you this. She carried some law books from the library to my office for me and scolded me a little for trying to do it myself when she found out I was pregnant. She told me I needed to be careful and have others help me with stuff like that. She then proceeded to tell me that I should look into a case with wheels to transport my laptop, files and law books to and from the office."

Bianca smiled brightly. "You're right. I do like her even more than I did before! She's very smart."

Marissa laughed. "Like I said, I thought you'd feel that way. It's time to get up now, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'm afraid so. The good thing is that it's Friday, and we've got the weekend to take it easy."

"We did promise the kids we would go to the zoo tomorrow."

"True, we did, but we don't have to get up at the crack of dawn in order to do that."

"You're right. That means I can do my morning routine!" Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca sighed happily. "Yes, it does, and I've missed that morning routine this week."

"Me too. I promise to more than make it up to you."

"I look forward to it. Are you free for lunch today?"

Marissa thought for a moment. "Yep, I am. Meet me at Krystal's at noon?"

"Sounds perfect." Bianca smiled and gave her wife a quick kiss before the couple got out of bed to start their day.

/

Marissa was feeling slightly disheartened by how the interviews were going for her secretary. She'd interviewed the woman Meredith had been talking with in the ladies' room. While she also saw this position as a way to gain influence and advance her own agenda at the firm, she wasn't nearly as bad as Meredith. It didn't really matter though. Marissa didn't think she would be a good fit. The interview that followed that one went a little better, but the redhead wasn't sold on that applicant either. She had now interviewed half a dozen people, none of which jumped out at her as being right. Marissa was really hoping this next interview would go well.

The redhead glanced up when she heard a knock on the door and smiled to greet the next applicant. "Hi, Ellie. Please, come in and have a seat."

"Hi, Marissa. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me."

The redhead could see how nervous Ellie was and smiled warmly in an attempt to help calm her nerves and reassure her. "Ellie, it's alright. I don't want you to be nervous, okay?"

The young brunette released a relieved breath and nodded. She'd been awake half the night thinking and worrying about this interview. She really wanted this position. Not only would she get the chance to work for and with Marissa, but she would be doing something more than doing was doing now. She was starting to feel like she was in a rut. Ellie would also be opening herself up, making a difference and helping others. "Thanks. I'm sorry. I guess I am a little nervous."

"It's okay and perfectly normal. Let's get started. I see from your résumé that you have an associate's degree in social work. What made you choose that major?"

"I've always wanted to help others for as long as I can remember. You see, we didn't live in the best of neighborhoods when I was growing up, but our parents kept us out of trouble and on the straight and narrow. Some of the kids I grew up with weren't as lucky as we were. They didn't have the kind of parents that we did. Social Services ended up getting called for them. Some of them had really good social workers and were able to turn their lives around. The others weren't as fortunate and ended up falling through the cracks. Seeing all of that made me want to help them."

"That's very admirable. Have you thought about furthering your education?"

"I'd like to finish what I started but it's not possible at the moment."

Marissa sensed that money was probably a reason for not continuing right now. She remembered all too well how much tuition was when she was in college and knew the cost had only gone up. "Could I ask why you stopped at an associate's degree?"

Ellie nodded. "My mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago when I was in school. I put my studies on hold after getting my associate's degree to help out with things around the house."

"I'm sorry to hear that. How's your mom doing?"

The young brunette smiled. "I'm happy to say that she has been cancer free for two years now. We were lucky. They caught it early."

"That's really good to hear. If you had the opportunity, would you like to go back and finish up your bachelor's degree?"

"I'd like to. I know my parents would really like me to. Hopefully, I will in another year or two."

Marissa nodded and made a mental note to look into the firm's educational reimbursement program. She thought there was a good chance that Ellie would qualify for financial assistance. "Tell me a little bit about your family, if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all. I'm the oldest of three. I have a brother and sister. They both go to PVU. My brother is a sophomore and my sister, a freshman. He wants to go into education, and she wants to go into IT. My mom and dad both work at Chandler in one of the support areas. They were able to get on there several years ago and moved us to a better neighborhood not long after. Again, we were really lucky because they have great insurance which really came in handy when mom got her diagnosis. I moved out and got my own place last year. It's really nice being on my own. We're still pretty close though and see each other a few times a week. We do family dinners a lot, and my mom is an awesome cook."

"My mom was too. Bianca and I both really like to cook as well. What made you decide to come to work here at the firm?"

"Besides social work, I've always had an interest in law. Maybe, it came from watching old episodes of 'Law and Order'." Ellie chuckled. She was a little surprised at how much she was opening up to Marissa, but the redhead was very easy to talk to. "I know it's not really like that in real life, but I guess it piqued my interest. I knew of the firm's reputation, and when there was an opening, I jumped at the chance to work here. I thought that even by being a receptionist I'd be able to learn, and I have, a great deal."

"I can understand that, and it makes sense. Why did you apply for this particular position?"

"To be completely honest, I can only learn so much sitting behind the receptionist desk, and I'd like to learn more. I also like the subject of family law. It falls in with my other interests. Plus, I feel like I could help others more in this role, make more of a contribution."

Marissa nodded thoughtfully. "Given your interest, have you thought about pursuing a law degree?"

Ellie smiled. "I had a feeling you might ask me that considering what I just told you. At this point in time, no. I might in the future but not right now."

"Fair enough. What kind of ideas do you have to help me and the rest of the team be better organized?"

"From what I've observed, you're all actually pretty organized already, but I know something that might help you out a little. There's this app that I've found that helps me out a lot. Could I show you?"

"Yes, by all means. What do you need?"

"I'll pull it up on your laptop if that's alright. If you like it, we can download it to your cellphone."

"Have at it." Marissa smiled as Ellie went to work on her laptop. The redhead happily admitted to herself that this interview was actually going really well.

/

"Well, look who the cat done drug in. It's been a few days since you and the missus have been in."

Bianca chuckled. "Good afternoon, Opal. How are you today?"

"Good afternoon to you too. I'm doing good, not as good as you I'd say. Will a certain someone be joining you for lunch?"

"Yes, Marissa should be here any minute."

"I'm glad to hear that. This place always seems a whole lot brighter with the two of you here. What can I get you to drink?"

"Two lemonades, please."

"Still cutting back on your caffeine along with Marissa, I see."

"Yeah, it's the least I can do. Marissa doesn't mind if I have any, but it doesn't feel right to me to have it when she can't. Besides, it's gotten easier. I am looking forward to having Krystal's iced tea after the baby gets here though. I know Marissa is too."

Opal simply smiled and shook her head. This was just another example of how special this couple was. They were always doing those little things for each other, supporting each other, and when they did, they didn't give it a second thought. It was simply second nature to them. "Alright, let me get your drinks, and I'll be right back."

"Thanks, Opal." No sooner had the older woman stepped away then Bianca heard someone else approaching the table. The brunette smiled brightly when she saw her wife.

Marissa leaned in for a quick kiss before taking a seat and laying her head on the table with a groan.

Bianca raised an eyebrow mildly amused by her wife's antics. "I'm going to go out on a limb, and say something is going on."

"You think?" Marissa sighed heavily.

"Yeah, I do. You're doing your best to hide it, but I do know you pretty well. Plus, I've picked up some of my wife's keen observational skills over time.

A small chuckle escaped from the redhead before she groaned again. "I've been conducting interviews all morning long, and I'm about to scream. I really don't want to do anymore of them."

Bianca snickered slightly observing Marissa's dramatics. She could see her influence on their kids at that moment or maybe it was their influence on her wife. Either way, Bianca loved it. In all seriousness though, the brunette knew how much Marissa hated conducting these interviews, and that she'd much rather be in court or researching a case. These interviews, however, were a necessary evil. If her wife wanted to be able to focus on the legal side of her job, she would need someone she could trust and rely on to handle the administrative side, something Bianca knew all too well.

Marissa lifted her head hearing her wife's snicker and was met with warm chocolate eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, that didn't sound especially sympathetic."

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss. "I'm sorry, but you're kind of adorable when you act like this."

The redhead rolled her eyes and huffed. "Whatever."

"So, is there anyone that you like, that you think might do a good job?"

"Well, hey there strangers. It's good to see the two of you." Krystal smiled as she set the couple's drinks in front of them.

"Thanks, Krystal, and thank you, B, for ordering this for me." Marissa took a grateful sip of her drink.

"You're welcome, and thanks, Krystal."

"You're both very welcome. When Opal told me you were here, I had to come out and see you. How are you feeling, Marissa?"

"I'm feeling pretty good. Our little one's been behaving themselves lately."

"I'm glad to hear that." Krystal chuckled hearing Marissa's stomach growl. "It sounds like both of you are hungry. What can I get you for lunch?"

"I'll just have the club sandwich." Bianca handed over the menu.

"Ooh, I'd like the chili cheese dog. Could I get it with spicy mustard, habanero cheese, jalapeños, onions, and bread & butter pickles?"

Bianca cleared her throat in an effort to stop herself from laughing at the expression on Krystal's face. She was used to Marissa's odd cravings and combinations by now, but it was clear that Krystal was surprised by them.

Krystal regained her composure quickly. "Okay. Anything else?"

"Some onion rings and extra jalapeños please."

The older woman bit back a laugh. "You got it." She was stopped by one more request.

"Could I get a chocolate shake as well?"

"Sure. Extra whipped cream?"

Marissa nodded happily. "Yes, please."

"I'll be right back with the shake."

"Krystal, could you make it two?"

"Of course, Bianca."

The brunette thanked the older woman and turned to see Marissa smiling at her. "What? It sounded good."

"Nothing. I'm just glad you're indulging yourself."

"I like indulging myself, _with you_." Bianca grinned suggestively.

"I quite enjoy it too. In fact, I'm hoping you'll indulge me later and help me work off lunch."

"Mmm, I'll be more than happy to help you with that. In fact, I think it will be my very great pleasure."

"Here you go, two chocolate shakes."

The couple quickly tore their gazes from each other hearing Krystal's voice.

Hazel eyes lit up as Marissa took a sip and moaned.

"Looks like Bianca is at again with making Marissa moan." Greenlee smirked. "Ow! What did you do that for?" The shorter woman asked as she rubbed her arm.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Really? You're really asking me that? I've lost count how many times we've talked about this."

Greenlee shrugged and grinned. "Oh yeah, we have talked about that, haven't we? I guess I forgot that you don't like that topic of discussion."

"Like I really believe you forgot. Remind me again, why are we friends?"

"Because you love me no matter what you say, and I don't let you take things too seriously. I also don't let you get away with any crap. Plus, you know I'll have your back no matter what, just like you'll have mine."

Kendall sighed in defeat. Greenlee was right. The friends had been through way too much together. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. You're right, even though you are a huge pain in my ass."

"Ditto. Besides, that's what friends are for. So, what did we interrupt?"

"I hate to disappoint you, Greenlee, but the moan was for this awesome chocolate shake. Thanks, Krystal. That's not to say that my beautiful wife doesn't know how to make me moan. She's very talented." Marissa responded with a cheeky grin that had the others a little stunned. The redhead shrugged. "Pregnancy hormones."

Greenlee laughed. "Nice save and way to use your current condition. I kind of thought Bianca had it in her." She turned to look at Bianca. "So?"

"I will only say that I have no complaints at all, and I'm extremely happy and satisfied."

"Way to go, Rocky!"

Kendall held up her hands. "Enough! Can we please talk about something else? Those chocolate shakes really do look good."

"You're right. They really do. I'll take one of them, but not that. What the hell are you eating, Marissa?" Greenlee asked as Opal delivered the couple's order to their table.

"What? It's a chili cheese dog."

Kendall eyed the concoction delivered, not quite sure what to make of it. "Are those jalapeños and pickles? Don't you have heartburn?"

Marissa grinned as she took a bite. A small groan escaping as she swallowed. "Oh yeah, this is really good! Thank you so much!"

The friends just shook their heads when they saw the redhead then dip an onion ring in her shake and take a bite.

"What? It's good. Don't knock it until you try it. And yeah, I definitely get heartburn but the antacids help. Besides, this is totally worth the heartburn."

The others chuckled as Marissa was fully embracing her cravings.

"I think I'm just going to take your word for it, Red. I'll have what Bianca is having please."

"Me too." Greenlee said still staring at Marissa's lunch.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Don't pay any attention to them, just enjoy it."

"I will. Thank you. You can have some of my onion rings." Marissa grinned. She had seen her wife eyeing them.

Bianca chuckled, guessing she hadn't been as inconspicuous as she had thought. The brunette opted to not dip it in her shake like her wife had though. "Thank you."

"I'll get your orders." Opal shook her head amused by the couple.

"Thanks, Opal."

"Wait up. I'm coming too. I need to check on my cornbread." Krystal turned to Marissa before she followed Opal back to the kitchen. "Bianca's right, just enjoy yourself. Let me know if you need anything else."

Marissa smirked at Kendall and Greenlee who simply chuckled.

"What's the word on the secretary front, Red?"

"Ugh! I was telling Bianca before you got here that I was in interviews all morning. I know I have to do it, but I'd much rather be working on a case."

Bianca smiled. She really did know her wife very well. "How did they go? Is there anyone that you liked? There weren't any more Meredith's, were there?"

"Who's Meredith?" Greenlee asked.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "She's a secretary for one of the senior associates. She basically thought she would be in charge of me. I also didn't like some of her opinions and views on things. She wasn't particularly thrilled to see our wedding picture on my desk. She thought it might offend some clients."

"Seriously? Where does she get off saying that garbage?" Kendall couldn't believe what her sister-in-law had told her.

"I took care of her. Going back to your questions, B, one of the interviews was a lighter version of what I had with Meredith. There's definitely a couple of them that I don't think would fit. They're competent but just not right for me. A couple of others were okay, but there's one applicant that stood out to me. I have two more interviews this afternoon so I have to see how they go, but at this point, I'm really leaning towards making an offer to someone. The ones later will really have to blow me away to change my mind."

"Can I guess?"

Marissa smiled at her wife. "Guess away, Babe."

"I think it's Ellie."

"The receptionist?" Greenlee asked.

"Ooh, I like her. She seems really nice and on the ball." Kendall chimed in.

"That would be the one. The interview went really well, and she had some great ideas on helping organize things. There was this app that she showed me that I like a lot. I think you will too. I'll show you." Marissa took the final bite of her chili cheese dog and wiped her mouth before fishing out her cellphone.

The other three women looked on as the redhead demonstrated the app. They were all impressed with that and the other details Marissa had shared about the interview. The redhead kept the more personal aspects of Ellie's private life to herself though. While she would tell Bianca all about it later, she didn't feel right about telling the others.

"Wow, I don't think my dad knows what she's capable of doing. If he did, she wouldn't be behind that receptionist desk. I say hire her unless the others can walk on water."

"I agree with Greenlee. She definitely seems like she'd do a good job for you, Red."

Marissa turned to her wife. "What do you think?"

"I do think Ellie sounds right, but you have to be fair and give the others a chance. Do the other interviews. See how you feel about them and their fit. You owe it to them. Of course, you're already planning on doing exactly that, aren't you?"

"Yes, I am, but I still want and value your opinion. Now because you know me so well, you can have the last onion ring."

Bianca grinned. "Thank you!"

Marissa checked the time and gave her wife a quick kiss. "I need to get back and finish these interviews. I'll tell you everything tonight when I get home."

"I'm looking forward to it. Don't worry about dinner. I'll cook tonight. I was thinking of grilling something. Is there anything in particular you want?"

The redhead thought for a moment. "No, I'm good. My cravings are satisfied for now so whatever you have in mind is good with me."

Bianca smiled. "My special grilled chicken it is then."

"That sounds perfect. Kendall, Greenlee, it's always good to see you, and we'll catch up later when we have more time."

"You're on, Marissa." Greenlee nodded.

"See ya, Red, and good luck this afternoon."

"Thanks, Curly. I think I'm going to need it."

"Marissa hold up." Krystal approached with a 'go' cup. "I thought you and the baby might want a refill on the shake."

"Thanks, Krystal! I appreciate it. We both do."

"Rissa."

The redhead turned back to her wife. "What's up?"

"Nothing." Bianca grinned. "I just need another kiss."

Marissa smiled brightly. "You do, huh? As you wish." The couple shared a tender kiss before parting.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Kendall and Greenlee glanced at each other and smiled. The friends definitely had a cynical side to them but couldn't help but smile at and be happy for the couple. They deserved it.

After Marissa left, Kendall picked up the conversation again. "So, what else is going on with the two of you? Is Marissa okay? She looked a little tired."

"Yes, she's okay. I'm making sure she's taking care of herself. There's a case that she's working on that's looking like it could get more complicated, and it's weighing pretty heavily on her." As much as Bianca would like to tell Kendall and Greenlee about Sam's case, she knew she couldn't. It wasn't her place to share what was going on with the Walkers.

"Well, if we can help in any way, just let us know."

"I will. Thanks."

"What else is going on?"

"I talked with Viki Buchanan yesterday."

"You did? How's she doing? I'm sorry she couldn't make it to the wedding. I was looking forward to seeing her again."

"She's good and sends her best. We're hoping to get together soon."

"Why were you talking to her?"

"Ah, that's a long story, and I really can't give you a lot of details. I will tell you that I was getting some information from her on a possible client for the Center."

"Where does Llanview come in?"

"That's where she currently lives, but that could change. I called Viki because I knew she could give me some information that I thought could be helpful. I was right."

"You two have been pretty busy since getting back from your honeymoon." Greenlee stated.

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I guess we have. Hopefully, things will quiet down soon."

"Well, Greenlee and I have started working on ideas for the baby shower. Don't worry. We'll behave ourselves, for the most part." Kendall smirked.

"Alright, I'll trust you because we are talking about your future niece or nephew."

"Are you sure you don't want to find out early what you and Marissa are going to have?" Greenlee asked. She had to admit that her curiosity was killing her.

Bianca nodded. "We're positive. We have an appointment next week with the doctor, and we can get an ultrasound the following appointment. We can't wait." The brunette checked the time. "I'm sorry. I need to go. I want to leave work a little early so I can get the kids and start dinner. I'll see you later."

"Later, Binx."

**/**

**A/N****: I had to give Marissa some cravings and that's what popped into my head. If you have any other ideas on those, feel free to let me know. See you soon!**


	133. Minx Family Night

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! You all are awesome, and I truly appreciate you. This chapter picks up later the same day as the previous one. It turned out differently than I had planned and also longer. I just got caught up in the Minx family which happens sometimes with this story. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

"Honey, I'm home!" Marissa smiled as she entered Minx Manor. She knew it was a cheesy greeting, but both she and Bianca loved saying it to the other when they got home.

Instead of Bianca greeting her though, it was Gabby who rushed from her spot at the kitchen table to greet her redheaded mother. "Mommy!"

"Hey, Monkey!" After depositing her purse and laptop bag on the counter, Marissa scooped up her youngest, already feeling the tension from her workday easing. "What are you doing over there?"

"I'm writing down what we gotta see tomorrow at the zoo!"

Marissa chuckled lightly at her daughter. The little girl's excitement was infectious. "Oh really?"

Gabby nodded happily. "Uh huh! Wanna see?"

"Of course I do!" Marissa carried Gabby over to table and set her down. As soon as the redhead was seated, Gabby climbed up and settled herself on Marissa's lap. "Okay, Monkey, what do _gotta_ see tomorrow? Oh wait. Let me guess one of them, okay?"

"Okay."

"We gotta see the monkeys, don't we?"

A huge grin with dimples fully on display appeared on Gabby's face. "Yep! We just gotta see them, Mommy!"

"I think that can be arranged. What else do you have on your list?"

"AJ likes lions, and Mimo likes giraffes so we gotta see them too."

"Yeah, you're right. We gotta see them too. You know what else we gotta see?"

Gabby shook her head. "What?"

"The manatees because your Mommy really likes those and the petting zoo because I know how much all of you like seeing the animals there."

"Ooh yeah! We gotta see them too! What do you wanna see, Mommy?"

"I like all the different kinds of bears, especially the panda bears the zoo just got."

Gabby nodded and put her head down to get back to work on her list.

Marissa watched as Gabby wrote down the new animals. She was adorable as she concentrated on what she was writing, biting her lip slightly just like Bianca did from time to time. Gabby asked her how to spell manatee for her which the redhead did happily.

"Where is everybody else, Monkey?"

"Mommy's outside. She's workin' in her garden a little before she starts dinner. We're grillin' out tonight. AJ and Mimo are outside too playin' on the jungle gym and with Max."

"Why are you in here then and not outside with them? It's a really nice day outside."

Gabby scowled, clearly irritated by something. "I was, but the wind kept blowin' my paper away."

Marissa had to bite her lip not to bust out laughing. In that moment, Gabby looked exactly like Erica. She could just see her mother-in-law flicking her hair and saying, _How dare the wind blow and disrupt my plans?!_ "Well, I tell you what, let me change my clothes and then I'll help you get something set up so you can sit outside and work on your list without the wind bothering you. Does that sound good?"

Gabby beamed. "I like that, Mommy!"

"Good, I'll be right back."

/

After Marissa changed, she and Gabby went outside where the redhead set the little brunette up at the patio table. Marissa had found an old clipboard and attached Gabby's papers to it. This handled the wind problem quite nicely.

"Thanks, Mommy!"

"You're welcome, Monkey. I'm going to go check on your brother and sister before I go find your Mommy. If you need anything else, just give me a holler, okay?"

"K."

Marissa dropped a kiss on Gabby's head before walking over to the jungle gym. She laughed seeing AJ hanging upside down on the monkey bar. "Hey, Buddy."

"Hi, Ma."

"How was your day?"

"Good. I got an 'A' on my math test!"

Marissa smiled proudly at her son. "That's great, AJ! I'm very proud of you. You studied really hard."

The boy smiled back. "Thanks, Ma!"

Marissa saw Miranda heading her way as she chased after Max.

The golden retriever dropped a tennis ball at the redhead's feet and wagged his tail as he sat waiting patiently to be acknowledged.

Marissa scratched behind the dog's ears, causing his tail to thump wildly against the ground. "Hey, Max. Are you playing keep away from Mimo?"

The dog's tail thumped even faster and barked in way of a response.

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he is. I think that's his favorite game." She glared playfully at the dog who licked her hand.

"How are you, Mimo? How was school?"

"It was good. I got an 'A' on my math test and my book report." While AJ and Miranda had the same math class, they had different teachers for English so they didn't always have the same homework.

"That is great! I told you not to worry about your book report. I'm proud of you. We definitely have the smartest kids around. I'm glad you all live up to all of our bragging."

Miranda giggled. "We try." The girl had no doubt her moms bragged about them and was happy she made them proud.

Marissa gave her oldest daughter a quick hug. "Well, you definitely succeed." The redhead addressed their dog. "Max, I want you to play nice with Mimo, okay?"

The dog barked once and then nudged the ball closer to Marissa.

"Okay, I get the hint." The redhead picked the ball up and flung it a pretty good distance. Max galloped after it happily.

"Whoa, Ma. Nice throw!" AJ said as he dismounted from the monkey bar and landed upright.

Marissa ruffled her son's hair. "Thanks, Buddy. Nice landing."

"Thanks! Can we play catch later?"

"Definitely. We'll do it after dinner."

"Sounds good. I'll get our gloves ready."

"Miranda, I want to take your measurements later. If we don't get to the fabric store tomorrow, we'll definitely go on Sunday. I want to start on your robe soon so it will be ready in plenty of time before Halloween."

The girl nodded and smiled brightly. She had decided to go as Hermione from Harry Potter for Halloween. Miranda had seen a Hogwarts' robe in a gift shop when they were at Universal when they were on vacation this summer and loved it. The problem was that it was pretty expensive and the quality wasn't worth the price. Marissa volunteered to make her one, and Miranda happily jumped at the offer having seen the redhead's sewing prowess on other things. She knew her Ma would do a great job for her. "Okay, I can't wait to get started on it. Could I help? I know I don't know how to sew, but maybe, you could teach me?"

"I would love to teach you." Marissa grinned, touched that Miranda wanted to learn from her.

Max returned and dropped his tennis ball at Miranda's feet before nudging her hand wanting to play with her again.

Miranda smiled at her redheaded mother. "Thanks, Ma!" She picked up the ball. "Come on, Max. Let's see what you got."

/

Marissa walked slowly down the path to Bianca's garden with a smile on her face. This was everything she had always wanted. She had a family, and it meant everything to her. She paused briefly and glanced over her shoulder and watched the kids. Gabby had finished her list and was now playing keep away from Max along with AJ and Miranda. Both Marissa and Bianca made sure to make time for each child. The couple felt it was important to have that one on one time with them so they didn't feel lost in the shuffle. It would be even more important after their little one arrived. After one last look, the redhead turned and continued on her way. Marissa's breath hitched when she reached the edge of the garden. The sun was shining on Bianca as she hummed happily as she worked on a flower bed, lost in her own world. The redhead definitely believed herself to be the luckiest person on the planet to have Bianca as her wife.

"Hey."

Bianca glanced up and smiled brightly. "Hey, yourself. When did you get home?"

Marissa offered a hand to the brunette who took it happily after removing her work gloves and stood. Bianca brushed her jeans off once she was upright. The couple then shared a tender kiss before the redhead answered. "Not long. I would've been here sooner, but Gabby had to share her list of exhibits we _gotta _see at the zoo tomorrow."

The brunette chuckled. "I knew she was working on something earlier. Let me guess, we _gotta_ see the monkeys."

"How did you ever guess?" Marissa feigned surprise.

"Just lucky, I suppose."

"We also have to see the lions, giraffes, manatees, panda bears and the petting zoo."

"You know I love manatees."

"Yep, that's why I told her to add them. I know, I'm awesome."

Bianca laughed. "And modest too. I have to agree with you though, you are kind of awesome."

"Thank you! I have to be to keep up with you. Oh, we have to stop at the fabric store this weekend so I can get material for the girls' costumes. I want to get started on them."

"That shouldn't be a problem. Are you sure you're up for making them? I don't want you to push yourself."

"I'll be just fine. You know that sewing relaxes me like gardening does you. Besides, neither costume looks to be that difficult. Making Gabby's minion costume is pretty straight forward, and we've watched the Harry Potter movies enough times for me to have Hermione's robe memorized."

"You're not upset that AJ didn't want you to make his?"

"Nah, I'm good. Captain America would've been a little harder to make. Plus, some of the ones they have online are pretty cool looking."

"Yeah, they are. He asked me earlier if we could order it tonight. I told him we could."

"You could do that while I'm getting the girls' measurements."

"That sounds like a plan."

"Oh, Miranda wants me to teach her how to sew."

"Really?! That's great, Rissa. I know you have to love that."

Marissa grinned. "I really do. I was a little surprised by it, but yeah, I love that she asked me."

Bianca noted her wife's thoughtful expression. "What's on your mind?

"I was thinking about earlier, you know with my cravings and other things about my pregnancy."

"Yeah?"

"Well, I was thinking about talking to Krystal and seeing what her pregnancies were like. I know it's different from woman to woman, but she is my biological mother. There might be some similarities between us. It could maybe help me plan for what I might go through the further along I get and when I go into labor. What do you think?"

Bianca thought for a moment and squeezed her wife's hand to reassure her. She could see Marissa was nervous about the idea. "It makes sense. Are you sure you're up for that kind of conversation with her?"

Marissa sighed. "That's an excellent question, and one I've been thinking about since this idea popped into my head. I know I could be opening up a can of worms, revisiting a subject that is still a little painful for me, but I think I need to do this. I just have a lot of questions. Did she have any health problems when she was pregnant like high blood pressure or preeclampsia or gestational diabetes? What was her labor like? Was it normal or did she have complications? What about post-partum depression? Did she have any weird cravings? I know that it tasted awesome, but smashing up Cheez-It's and adding them to strawberry ice cream is not something I would've thought to have done prior to this little one."

"Kind of like onion rings dipped in a chocolate shake?" Bianca teased.

"Yeah, like that. Again, it tasted awesome, but not something that was my radar before. Seriously, what do you think? I want your honest opinion."

"I honestly think that's a good idea and makes a lot of sense. You have important questions, and she's the only one who'll have the answers. Just please be careful and make sure you don't get too upset. I know you want and need answers, but I also know that there are a lot of feelings there regarding Krystal and everything that happened. I could come with you, if you want."

Marissa quirked a smile and squeezed Bianca's hand back. Her wife knew that she was nervous but that she also needed to do this. While her presence would always be welcome, this was something she needed to do on her own. "Thank you, but I think I need to do this by myself."

"You don't need to thank me. I'm happy to do it, and I'll do anything to make sure you and our little one are safe. I understand about you wanting to do this on your own though. If you change your mind, just let me know, and I'll be there."

"I will. I promise." The redhead leaned in for a loving kiss and rested her forehead against Bianca's when they separated. "Best wife ever."

A grin spread across Bianca's face. "I know you are, but what am I?"

Marissa burst out laughing, her wife's quip serving its intended purpose and breaking the tension that had crept in. "Wow, your maturity astounds me sometimes. I can see where the kids get theirs from."

"After your dramatics at lunch, I think it's safe to say that they get it from both of us."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Whatever."

Bianca chuckled and gave her wife a quick kiss before standing. "Come on. I need to start on dinner, and we need to make sure the kids aren't running amuck."

The couple headed back to the house smiling and swinging their hands happily.

"How did the rest of the interviews go?"

Before Marissa had a chance to answer, they were met by the squeals and laughter of their children. The game of keep away had changed, and Max now had the ball and was running around with the kids chasing after him. He would stop and drop the ball. Just when the kids thought they had him within their grasp, he'd grab the ball and dash off again.

"Why don't you help them while I get the grill fired up?"

"No, I'll help you." Marissa shook her head.

"I don't have much left to do. I got everything ready when the kids and I got home. I just need to throw it on the grill. Besides, I think they can use your help. Max has them running in circles."

"That could work to our advantage, you know? He can wear them out, and they'll have to go to bed early which means …"

Bianca chuckled. "We can _go to bed_ early. You are an evil genius, _Counselor_."

Marissa shivered feeling a delightful tingle run down her spine with the dip in Bianca's voice. "God, I love when you do that to your voice and call me that."

"I know." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss and winked as she walked away with a distinct sway to her hips as she did. "Why do you think I did it?"

"And you call me an evil genius." Marissa laughed, enjoying the show her wife was putting on for her. "Damn." The redhead shook herself of the thoughts of how an early bedtime could be spent and turned her attention to their kids.

/

The family was in winding down mode. They had enjoyed dinner opting to eat it outside since it was such a nice evening out. After everything was cleaned up and the dishwasher loaded, Marissa and AJ played catch while Bianca and Miranda kicked a soccer ball back and forth. Gabby floated between both pairs, sometimes playing with Marissa and AJ and other times playing with Bianca and Miranda. After about an hour, it was starting to get dark out so the family headed inside. The kids got their baths and changed into their pajamas.

The kids were settled on the sofa and watching a show on the Disney channel. Bianca pulled a step stool over by coffee table while Marissa went back to their office and got her sewing basket.

"Alright, Gabby, you're up first. I need you to take off your slippers and climb up on the coffee table for me. I'm going to take your measurements."

"Okay, Mommy!"

"Miranda, would you do me a favor and write down her numbers for me?"

The young brunette nodded and took the pad and pencil from her redheaded mother. "Sure, Ma."

"Thank you." Marissa took out her measuring tape and began to measure Gabby's arms, legs, waist and height with Miranda carefully jotting down the numbers down as Marissa read them off to her. The redhead explained what she was doing and why as she went along while Miranda listened and watched closely.

/

Bianca and AJ watched the scene for a couple of minutes before she pulled out her laptop.

"Okay, Buddy. Let's look up those Captain America costumes for you."

AJ smiled happily and joined his brunette mother on the loveseat. "Okay, Mom! Could I get the stealthfire shield? It's really cool."

"Well then we have to get it then, don't we?"

The blonde nodded. "Yep."

/

"Okay, Monkey. You're all done." Marissa lifted Gabby and set her back on the floor. "Miranda, you're up next."

Miranda set down the pad and pencil down by Marissa before carefully climbing up onto the coffee table. Marissa made a couple of notes and called Gabby over to her.

"Would you like to help me, Monkey?"

"Really, Mommy?"

"Yep, I really need your help."

"Okay!"

Marissa showed Gabby where to write the numbers that she would read off to her. Gabby settled herself on the sofa and anxiously waited to start.

The redhead turned to Miranda and started measuring. "I was thinking that we might want to get you another wand for the costume and not use the nice one you got at Universal. I know you're a little nervous about something happening to it. What do you think?"

"Really? I can get another one? That would really be good because I really don't want to break it on accident or anything."

"We'll get you another one then. It won't be as fancy as the other though."

"That's okay. I wouldn't want it to be 'cause I would worry about it too."

"Good. We'll add it to the list. We have to get goggles and a few other accessories for your sister's costume. We'll look for that stuff after we get the material for your costumes."

/

"Which one do you like best, Buddy?"

AJ thought for a moment and carefully reviewed his choices. "I like this one best, Mom, but it doesn't come with the shield."

Bianca looked at her son's choice and nodded. "It's pretty cool. Don't worry about the shield. We can order that separately."

"Really?"

"Yeah, Captain America needs his shield." Bianca tapped a few keys and pulled up some shields. "What do you think of this one?"

AJ's eyes grew wide. "That one is awesome! I can really get that one?"

"Sure."

"Thanks, Mom!"

"You're welcome."

"Can I see, Mommy?"

Bianca smiled at Gabby who had finished helping Marissa and Miranda. "Of course you can, Sweetie."

"Hey, Mom, do you think they might have goggles for Gabby's costume on this site and maybe another for Miranda?"

"They might. Would you like to see if they do, Gabby?"

The little guy nodded enthusiastically. "Uh huh!"

As Gabby got herself settled in between her brother and her brunette mother, Bianca glanced over at Marissa and Miranda. The two were fully engaged in conversation with each other. Miranda was peppering Marissa with questions, and the redhead was answering them all as she always did. Marissa then asked Miranda a couple of questions with the young brunette answering them in reply and adding her own input. Bianca had only caught bits and pieces of their conversation over AJ's and Gabby's discussion but could tell both were enjoying it. The brunette couldn't help but smile at the two of them and briefly locked eyes with Marissa before turning her attention back to AJ and Gabby.

/

"Ma, you really like sewing, huh?"

"I do. It's one of my favorite things I learned from my Mom. She was so good and she always looked so peaceful when she was sewing. Mom said it helped her relax and put things into perspective."

"Does it do the same for you?"

"Yeah, it does. It's like gardening for your Mom. When we do stuff like that, it helps us focus on something else which then helps us figure other things out we might have on our minds. Plus, we're creating something and that really feels good."

"Are you gonna make something for the baby?"

Marissa paused for a moment. "I honestly hadn't really thought of it, but now that you mention it, that's a wonderful idea, Mimo. What do you think I should make?"

Miranda smiled proudly at her idea. "You could make them a blanket, kinda like the ones you made us but only smaller."

The redhead grinned. It had taken her some time, but she had made the three kids their own blankets which they loved. They not only coordinated with their rooms but also reflected their personalities. "I like it! You're right about the size. It will have to be smaller. You guys are going to be bigger than this little one for a while. We'll have to keep the colors neutral since we don't know if our little one is a girl or a boy. Plus, we don't know their favorite colors yet like we do yours."

Miranda giggled. "Guess not. What colors could we use?"

"Well, there's green and yellow. Those are the standard neutral colors for babies. Some think orange, brown or white are neutral too."

The girl scrunched her face at the mention of the last colors. "I really don't think it should be brown or white. Those don't seem like baby colors to me. Babies need real colors."

"I agree. What do you think of green?"

"What color green?"

Marissa glanced around for an example. "How about the green on the cover of that book?"

"Ooh, I like that! I think that'll work for either a girl or a boy."

_There's the Kane woman style shining through. _Marissa smiled to herself. "Would you like to help me make it?"

Miranda's eyes grew wide with a combination of excitement and surprise shining in them. "Really, Ma?! You want me to help?"

"Yes, I do. It's your idea after all, and I could use the help. What do you think? Do you want to help?"

Miranda beamed and hugged Marissa. "I do! Thanks, Ma! I'd really like that!"

Marissa glanced over Miranda's head and locked eyes with Bianca with both sharing a smile.

/

Gabby rubbed her eyes and yawned as Bianca pulled her covers around her youngest. "What time are we going to the zoo, Mommy?"

"After we all have a good night's sleep. It's been a long week for everyone, and we all need some sleep. We've got all day to enjoy ourselves at the zoo. Don't worry, we'll see everything on your list."

"Especially the monkeys." Marissa added as she placed a kiss on Gabby's forehead.

The young girl nodded sleepily. "'K. Night, Mommy."

"Goodnight, Monkey."

Bianca also left a kiss on her daughter's forehead. "Goodnight, Sweetie."

"Night, Mommy."

/

"Mom helped me find the most awesome Captain America costume, Ma. It's really cool."

"I have no doubt that it is. You'll have to show it to me on the website tomorrow."

"Okay. What time are we going tomorrow? We don't have to get up early, do we?"

The older they got, the more AJ and Miranda appreciated sleeping late on weekends and days off from school. This was something Gabby still needed to learn. She was definitely an early riser.

Marissa chuckled and gave her son a kiss. "No, Buddy. We don't."

"We get to sleep in this weekend." Bianca ruffled her son's hair and smiled seeing the relief in his eyes.

"Good. Thanks for helping me find my costume, Mom."

"You're welcome, Buddy. Get some sleep, and we'll see you tomorrow." Bianca kissed the blonde goodnight.

"Night, Mom. Night, Ma."

"Goodnight, AJ."

/

"I can't wait to get started on my costume, Ma."

"Me too. Thanks for coming up with the idea for our other project."

"What other project?" Bianca asked.

"We're going to make the baby a blanket like Ma made for us."

"And it was all Miranda's idea."

Bianca smiled brightly. "That's a terrific idea. I love it. With the two of you working on it, I know it's going to be great. You're such an amazing young woman, Mimo, and I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks, Mom." Miranda smiled proudly before a yawn escaped.

"Get some sleep, Mimo. We'll start on things tomorrow night. And thanks again for the awesome idea." Marissa kissed Miranda's cheek.

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Ma. Goodnight, Mom."

"Goodnight, Mimo." Bianca kissed her oldest daughter.

/

With their kids tucked in for the night, the couple settled themselves on the sofa in the family room to catch up on the latest episode of 'Rizzoli and Isles' they had recorded on their DVR.

"I told you the first suspect was a red herring." Marissa grinned.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yes, you did. How did you know she didn't do it?"

"I didn't buy her motive completely. There were a couple of holes there. Besides, there was like half an hour left to fill. Way too much time left for it to be her."

Bianca took one of the pillows on the sofa and tossed it at her wife. "Cute."

Marissa laughed. "Sorry, but I couldn't help it."

"Whatever. I like all the subtext between Maura and Jane. They really are a couple."

"Definitely, they just haven't acknowledged it yet. I guess it just takes some couples longer to realize their feelings than others." Marissa offered with a cheeky grin.

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss. "Very true. Alright, tell me what's going on with Sam."

The couple hadn't had much of a chance to talk privately since their brief conversation earlier in the garden.

Marissa sighed. "Like I said earlier, we found someone who looks to be a blood relative. Sam's paternal grandfather was named Kurt Robinson. He was married before Sam's grandmother. He and his first wife had a son."

"Making this man Sam's uncle.

"Exactly. His name is Russell Payne. He goes by his mother's maiden name. From what we've found, his mother, her name's Jackie by the way, was a real piece of work. She had a history of cheating on him and did a real number on his finances, and this was before she left him which she did when he was deployed overseas while he was in the Marines. When she did leave, she left him deeply in debt after cleaning out his accounts. She also neglected to tell Kurt she was pregnant at the time she filed for divorce. He tried to stay in the boy's and paid child support. This lasted for a little while until she decided to leave again, this time permanently. Kurt tried to find them but couldn't. Eventually, he met and married Rose, Sam's grandmother. He never gave up trying to find his son though."

Bianca was quiet as she absorbed this information. The brunette could most definitely empathize with the man. There was nothing worse than losing a child. Even though she eventually got Miranda back, the pain was still there. She doubted it would ever truly go away.

Marissa sensed where Bianca's mind had wandered and squeezed her hand gently.

Bianca glanced at her wife and smiled softly. "Sorry."

"Don't ever be sorry, especially about that."

"Thank you. Did you ever find out what led to her aunt's addiction?"

"It all goes back to her being seriously injured in a car accident. She broke her back and was prescribed oxycontin, and unfortunately, she got addicted. When she couldn't get any more legally from her doctor, she branched out and tried heroin. From there, well you know the story."

"God, that's so sad."

"Yes, it is."

"What does all of this mean for Sam and the Walkers? What's this man like?"

"He's married but no kids. Mitch said he doesn't appear to have any interest in Sam, but …"

Bianca could tell something about this was nagging her wife. "But you think something else is going on."

"He has a record, mostly for fraud. Given that, I can't but help feel there's more there than we know so Mitch is going to keep digging. I don't know. Maybe I'm being paranoid."

Bianca shook her head. "No, trust your instincts. I don't know anyone else with better instincts than you. You were right about Reese. If it wasn't for you and your instincts, I could've lost the girls. So, trust them."

Marissa nodded. "I will. We are obligated to inform the court about finding him which will immediately put the adoption on hold until this can be investigated further. I'm also going to petition the court to have Sam remain in the Walkers' care during this time."

"What do you think your chances are of that happening?"

"I think we've got a good chance given her age, the stability she has with the Walkers and her history in the foster care system. I spoke with Mike this afternoon, and he's agreed to speak on our behalf."

"Having the district attorney in your corner should help."

"That's what I'm hoping. I may need you to testify as well."

"I will be more than happy to. Whatever you need."

"Thank you, and because of that, I've asked Claudia to help on this case."

"You don't want to give the appearance of impropriety by questioning your wife on the stand."

Marissa grinned. "Look at you with the lawyer speak."

"Well, not only is my wife a kickass lawyer, she's a pretty good teacher. So, I've managed to pick up a few things over time."

"You definitely have." The redhead turned serious again. "Claudia's agreed. I talked to Sam for a few minutes earlier. She's … hanging in there. She's a little depressed but told me she set up an appointment to talk with one of the Center's counselors which I'm happy she's doing."

"Good. I'm happy about that too. Gail mentioned they were thinking about it yesterday. I reassured her the counselors at the Center would keep whatever was discussed private."

"Which they obviously did if you haven't heard anything about it."

"Exactly. Plus, they know Sam and adore her. They'll take especially good care of her."

Marissa nodded, knowing it was true. "I'm going to fight tooth and nail for her. She loves the Walkers and wants to stay with them so I'm going to do everything I can to see that that happens."

"I know, and Sam and the Walkers know too. From everything you've told me about her, Claudia is the best person to help you so please let her. I need you to make sure you take care of yourself when I'm not there to do it myself."

"I promise I will."

"Good. Now, tell me about the rest of your interviews. How'd they go?"

"They went okay. I now know for sure who I want. That's why I was a little late getting home. I ran into Stuart Thompson and wanted to discuss the offer I want to make."

Bianca understood her wife's text from earlier now. "He's the managing partner, right?"

"Yes, he is. I want to offer the position to Ellie."

Bianca grinned. "I knew it!"

"Yeah, you did. We ended up pulling in someone from Human Resources to get their approval."

"What's so special about the offer?"

"Well first of all, they'll need to post for a receptionist if Ellie accepts. Obviously, they'll need training, and Ellie is the best person for that since she currently holds that position."

"That makes since, but what about you? You can't be expected to wait until a new person's hired and trained to have Ellie start working for you."

"No, I can't. I need someone and soon. That's what we were talking about. They are going to make up a schedule and have the other secretaries take turns on covering the receptionist desk. It's something they've had to do in the past, of course they really weren't happy about doing it before. As you can guess, some see it as far beneath them."

"You mean some like Meredith."

"Precisely like Meredith. I'm definitely going to have to keep you away from her for her safety." Marissa chuckled at seeing the gleam in Bianca's eyes. "Anyway, I came up with a solution. It's not much, but while they're covering, they will be compensated for the extra work."

"That should keep morale up."

"That's the goal. So, that was one topic we discussed. The other was the actual offer to Ellie. Obviously, salary and other benefits were discussed. The big thing we talked about was tuition reimbursement."

"Ellie wants to go back to school?"

"I think she does. She has an associate's degree in social work. She was going for her bachelor's degree but had to stop to help with the family when her mom was diagnosed with breast cancer."

"Is she alright?"

"Yes, she is. Ellie told me that she's been cancer free for two years."

"That's really good to hear."

"Yeah, it is. I have a feeling that money is preventing Ellie from going back to school now. To have your tuition reimbursed, you have to study a subject related to your position. Social work isn't related to what she did as a receptionist. HR wasn't really buying that it related to a secretarial position either. I saw it otherwise."

"And you argued for it."

"I wouldn't call it arguing, per se. I consider it more of a debate." Marissa grinned.

Bianca shook her head clearly amused by her wife. She loved a good debate. "Of course you do. Let me guess. You showed them the error of their ways."

The redhead smiled proudly. "Yes, I did. When you think about it, it only makes sense. It's a family law department. The secretary is the first person the client sees. You need someone that will be able to handle them in what is a very stressful situation. Plus, children are involved in a majority of the cases we handle. You need someone who has an idea of what to do in those situations until they can speak with a lawyer and we can understand what they need and what needs to be done to help them."

"You don't have to convince me. I'm sold on it and agree with you completely."

"Sorry, I was …"

"Going over what you told HR. They didn't stand a chance."

"Stuart said the same thing after we were done."

Bianca laughed. "Stuart's a smart man. You, however, are brilliant."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "I wouldn't say brilliant, Babe. I'm far from it."

"I would and did because you are brilliant."

"I think you're a little biased."

"I'm a lot biased, but I'm also right. Give it up, Counselor. This is one argument you're not going to win."

A wicked grin spread across Marissa's face. _Challenge accepted._ "I think I can."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Oh really and just what do you have in mind?"

Marissa slid over to her wife and began to slowly trail kisses along Bianca's bare shoulder and neck. The redhead smiled feeling her wife's pulse quicken. _"Oh, a little of this and a little of that and a lot of something else."_

Bianca shivered as her wife's soft lips continued their delicious torture. The brunette wasn't going down with a fight of her own though. "Bring it, _Counselor_." Bianca quickly got up from the sofa and darted back to their bedroom.

"Babe, it is so on." Marissa smiled brightly as she took off after Bianca. No matter how the debate ended, both women knew they would be winners tonight.

**/**

**A/N: Okay, I mentioned 'Rizzoli and Isles' in this chapter. I don't own it or the show's characters. I just really like the show and happened to have been watching it while working on this chapter. I also had read a recap on the show that was on the 'After Ellen' site (which was hysterical). I highly recommend checking that out along with the recaps they do for 'Grey's Anatomy'. Anyway, with both of those things, I couldn't help myself and had to put in the bit about 'Rizzoli and Isles'. This chapter definitely ended up on the fluffy side. The next one will get back to a couple of the other storylines going on. See you soon! **


	134. Reaching Out

**A/N: Happy Saturday! March Madness has descended upon us again in the States. My bracket was perfect until the first game. So much for winning the billion dollars Warren Buffett was offering. Could've given Minx a proper send off with that. Oh well, I guess I'll have to stick to this story. Thanks for reading, following and reviewing! It feeds the creative beast. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca lay in that semi-conscious state that existed between sleep and wakefulness, not quite sure which she preferred. It was at that precise moment that her body made up her mind for her. Actually, it was her body's response to her wife that decided things for Bianca. The brunette felt an arm draping itself across her belly. Then, she felt Marissa draw closer as she burrowed herself against Bianca's side. Soon after that, a loving hand began to administer soft caresses along her body. Those gentle touches sent a shiver of delight throughout her whole being. It was then that soft and intoxicating lips captured her own for a slow and sensuous kiss. It was only when the need for air overrode the desire to further deepen the kiss did they separate. Bianca slowly opened her eyes and was met with a glorious site, Marissa's dazzling smiled and hazel eyes filled with love and want.

"Good morning, beautiful."

Marissa's smile grew even brighter. "Good morning."

Bianca hummed as soft hands continued their exquisite torture. "Damn, I have missed this routine so much. I don't know of a better way to wake up. This sure as hell beats any alarm clock ever made."

"You're not going to get an argument from me on that. You feel so good and are so beautiful. You never fail to take my breath away."

The brunette felt a hand drifting lower and moaned. "You're killing me."

"I can stop, if you want." Marissa grinned wickedly.

"_Don't you dare."_ Bianca quickly captured Marissa's lips for a kiss so torrid that it left her wife panting when they separated and the brunette smirking.

"Guess you're not sleepy anymore."

"Nope, I'm wide awake now. I think we should we do something with that fact."

Marissa grinned. "I couldn't agree with you more, and I have the perfect idea."

"Oh really? And what would that be, _Counselor_?"

"We never really did settle our debate last night. Up for another round?" Marissa asked coyly.

Warm chocolate eyes darkened with desire. "Oh yeah, I'm definitely up for another round, at the very least."

/

The couple lay in each other's arms, both sated and enjoying the love they shared and the warmth of each other's bodies.

"What do you say we call this particular debate a draw?"

Marissa sighed. Both were spent but neither was going to complain. "Deal."

Bianca slid from her wife's arms and ducked under the covers.

"What are you doing?" Marissa laughed feeling soft lips brush against her belly as she lifted the covers.

"I'm just going to talk to our little one for a minute, if that's okay with you."

"By all means, don't let me stop you." Marissa pulled the covers all the way off of herself so she could observe her wife. Bianca's conversations with their little one were one of Marissa's favorite things to witness.

"Good morning, little one. This is your Mommy. How are you this morning?" Bianca pressed her ear to Marissa's belly and listened. After a moment, she glanced up at her smiling wife. "Our little one is doing very good today."

"I'm very happy to hear that."

"That makes two of us." Bianca turned her attention back to her wife's belly. "Your Mama and I are very happy that you're behaving yourself lately and not making your Mama sick. You're having her eat some … different food combinations. I wouldn't have thought of them, but your Mama says they're good so I'm going to take her word for it. Today, we're going to go the zoo with your brother and sisters. Gabby loves the zoo. So don't worry, once you join us next year, we'll be going a lot, and I know Gabby can't wait to show you everything there. You know what else is going to happen this weekend? Your Mama and your sister Miranda are going to start working on making a special blanket for you. I know it's going be amazing because it will made with so much love."

Marissa's cheeks were hurting from smiling so much, but she couldn't help it. Her wife was just so adorable.

Before Bianca could continue her conversation, there was a knock on the bedroom door. The couple glanced at each other knowing who was on the other side. Bianca quickly kissed Marissa's belly one last time.

"That would be your sister Gabby. I'll talk to you later, little one. I love you." Warm chocolate eyes met hazel. "And I love you, Rissa."

"I love you too." After exchanging a quick kiss with her wife, Marissa covered her belly back up. "Come in, Monkey."

"Morning, Mommies!" Gabby bounded into the room and onto her mothers' bed.

"Good morning, Sweetie." Bianca knew without a doubt what her daughter was going to say next.

"Is it time for us to get ready to go to the zoo?"

/

Marissa walked into Krystal's Monday morning on her way into the office to grab some coffee. It was going to be a busy morning for her and the boost of caffeine would be needed. She had set up a meeting with Ellie first thing and was going to offer her the job. The redhead had also called each of her team members Sunday evening to set up a quick meeting with them after her meeting with Ellie. While this was going on, Human Resources would inform the other applicants of her decision. They would also inform the other secretaries of what would be expected of them during this transition. Marissa had also set some time aside on her schedule later that day to go over Ellie's new responsibilities with her.

There was another reason for this visit besides picking up coffee. She was going to ask Krystal if she had time to meet with her tomorrow to go over some of the questions she had for her.

"Marissa, it's good to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure this morning?"

"Hi, Krystal. I'm on my way into the office and am in desperate need of some coffee. Yours is much better than what we have in the office. And before you ask, this is my first cup of the day."

"I didn't say anything." Krystal chuckled. "How was your weekend?"

"It was good. We went to the zoo on Saturday and spent a good chunk of the day there. The kids pretty much collapsed when we got home. I ran to the fabric store on Sunday with Miranda and started on her and Gabby's Halloween costumes while Bianca kept AJ and Gabby entertained."

"What about Miranda?"

"Oh, she asked if I could teach her to sew so she helped me."

"That's really nice. I'm sure the two of you will enjoy that a great deal."

"Yeah, I think we will." Marissa took the cup of coffee from the older woman and started to reach into her purse to get some money to pay her.

"Keep your money. This one's on the house."

"Thanks. Um, Krystal, would you be free tomorrow to have lunch with me? I'd like to talk."

"Of course."

"Great. I was thinking we could go somewhere else a little more private, maybe the Yacht Club. It's my treat."

"That's not necessary."

"No, I insist."

"Okay, you're sure."

"I am. I'll get with you later on the time. Thanks and thanks for the coffee."

"You're welcome, for both. Have a good day."

"You too."

/

Ellie was fielding a phone call when Marissa arrived at work. The two nodded at each other before the redhead walked by. Once Marissa reached her office, she pulled out her laptop and various files. While she waited for her laptop to finish booting up, she sipped her coffee and pulled out the file containing Ellie's offer, reviewing its contents one final time. She had just finished going through her email when there was a knock on her door.

"Good morning, Marissa. Are you ready for me?"

Marissa glanced over at the door and motioned the young brunette in. "Good morning, Ellie. Yes, I am. You're right on time. Please come in and have a seat."

"Thanks. How was your weekend?"

"It was good. Bianca and I took the kids to the zoo."

"Oh, I always love going there. It makes me feel like a kid again whenever I go."

"Me too. How was your weekend? Did you do anything fun?"

"I got together with some friends to help another friend move. It was a lot of work, but we managed to have fun."

"Let me guess. Were you reimbursed with pizza and beer? That's the standard reimbursement and what Bianca and I did when we moved."

Ellie chuckled. She was nervous but definitely feeling better. Marissa just had a way of making her feel comfortable. "Yeah, we were. It's how I paid them for helping me move."

Marissa could see the young brunette was anxious but doing her best to hide it. "Okay, enough with the small talk. Let's get down to business. Ellie, I was really impressed with you during our interview. Actually, I've been impressed with you for a while. You run that reception area better than anyone I've ever seen and manage to keep everyone in line. It's a tough job, but you do it really well. I have to admit that I was glad to see that you had applied for this position. And you did nothing to change my opinion during our interview. I think you'll be a great fit with this team, and if you're willing, I hope you'll accept the position of becoming my secretary."

"Seriously?! Yes, yes, I accept! Definitely!"

"Great! Would you like to see your new salary and benefits?" Marissa handed the offer sheet over to Ellie.

The brunette's eyes grew wide as she read. "This is my new salary?"

"Yes, it is. You're going to have a bigger role and more responsibilities. Your salary reflects that. There's something else I wanted to talk with you about. You know about the firm's tuition reimbursement program?"

"Yes, I do. I looked into it once but didn't qualify."

"I talked with Human Resources, and they agree with me on this. If you'd like to pursue your bachelor's degree in social work and you meet the grade requirements which I have no doubt that you will, you'll qualify for reimbursement. I know you mentioned an interest in law as well so that's something to keep in mind also."

Ellie was stunned. She had hoped she would be offered the job and was thrilled that she was. This though was more than she could've ever hoped for. "I don't know what to say. Thank you. This is incredible. I … wow. Thank you. I can't believe I'll be able to go back to school. My folks are going to be thrilled. Thank you."

"You're welcome. It honestly makes sense to me, and it's something I see as an asset. When you're ready to start some classes, let me know, and we'll work on a schedule for here."

"I can't thank you enough for this. You know, I honestly thought you might pick someone else. I know there were others that have more experience, you know like Meredith."

"While they might have more experience in one aspect of the position, you had it in others. I also took other factors into consideration. I truly believe you are the best fit and person for this position. I wouldn't have offered it to you if I thought otherwise."

Ellie beamed. "Thank you. That really means a lot to me. Um, when do I start and what about the receptionist position?"

"Well, the receptionist position will be posted immediately, and we're going to ask you to help train the new person. Actually, there's something you'll find interesting. You coming to work for me brought to light a need that has existed for a while and is finally going to be addressed. The firm is actually going to be hiring two receptionists. We saw all the work you did, and you were quite honestly kind of doing the work of two people. What you did was tough, and again, very impressive. So, you may be training two people depending how quickly we fill the positions. You think you're up for it?"

"Yeah, I am." Ellie smiled proudly.

Marissa nodded. She knew she had made the right decision. "Good. So, you are going to be really busy here for a bit. We're going to transition you from the receptionist desk to my secretary over the next two weeks. Human Resources is going to be working on a schedule with the other secretaries to cover the desk for a few hours each day while you're working with me. I know they may not be happy about it, but they will be getting some extra compensation for it as will you. Do you have any questions for me right now?"

"I can't think of anything right now."

"Okay. I know this is a lot for you to take in so if you think of something, please let me know. I want to introduce you to the team so we'll meet back here in half an hour. Oh, I'll be moving to my new office next week. You'll have an office right outside of mine."

Ellie nodded. "That's great. I can't thank you enough for this opportunity. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't. Welcome to the team!"

/

Brian, Lisa, Claudia, Sofia and Brandon along with the latters' paralegals Robin, Mark and Riley filed into Marissa's office exactly 30 minutes later. Upon entering, they were greeted by the redhead and Ellie.

Marissa smiled. "I'd like to thank all of you for meeting on such short notice. I promise to make this quick because I know everyone has a lot of work to get back to. I also know that when a meeting is called at the last minute, 9 times out of 10 it's bad news. That is definitely not the case this time. In fact, it's quite the opposite. As you are all aware and as a result of my new position, I've looking for a secretary. I'm extremely happy to announce that Ellie has agreed to join our team in that role and keep us all in line."

Everyone clapped and laughed.

"Congratulations!"

"Welcome aboard!"

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ellie? I mean keeping Marissa in line is going to be tough." Brandon smirked.

Lisa grinned. "He's got that right. The boss is a real handful."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, considering the sources on that, I think you should take that with a grain of salt."

"I have a feeling you're right. I've seen them in action. I'm pretty sure I can handle them."

Brian laughed. "That's the spirit, Ellie. My money's on you."

Marissa smiled. "Alright. While Ellie is transitioning over to her new role, I'll need you to continue to help me out until she's fully onboard, Lisa, okay?"

"Whatever you need, boss."

"Thank you. Okay, I have two other items to go over real quick. First, Bianca and I would like to invite all of you over to our house for dinner not this Saturday but next Saturday. Significant others and kids are invited as well, and it's completely casual. We just thought it would be nice to get everyone together outside of the office so we can get to know each other better. I really hope you all can make it but will understand if you have other plans. I'll be sending something out later today with the details."

"That sounds like fun. I'm looking forward to it. Do you need us to bring anything?" Sofia offered.

"No, just bring yourselves. If you could let me know by the end of the week if you can make it and how many you will be bringing with you, I would appreciate it. Now, the second thing is a lot more formal. As you know the firm has a big anniversary coming up. While all of us haven't been here that long, the firm in its many configurations has been around for 15 years. The partners have decided to do this anniversary up right and have a celebration. I'm sure you've all heard something was going to happen." Seeing the smiles and nods from her team, Marissa continued. "That's what I thought. I'll give you a few details now. Obviously, you are all invited along with your significant others but no kids for this one. This is a date night, at least that's how Bianca and I are taking it."

"Stef will definitely be happy for a grown-up night out."

Claudia nodded. "So will Rob. I'm guessing it's formal?"

"You guess right. It's going to be held at the Yacht Club, and there will be dinner, dancing and a few other surprises. Expect your invitations sometime this week."

"Is there any truth to the rumor that you will be officially announced as a partner at this shindig?"

Marissa sighed. "You're going to have to tell me your source someday, Brandon, because they're good. Yes, but it will be more of a formal introduction then. There is an article in tomorrow's paper though making an official announcement, and all of you are mentioned in it as well, including Ellie. We called them with your name after you accepted. I won't be the only one being introduced at the party. You all will be as well. Plus, they'll be some other things taking place that night. There will some clients there as well as some politicians and other movers and shakers in Pine Valley and throughout the state. In other words, you need to be on your best behavior, especially you, Brandon."

The others cracked up catching the teasing tone of their boss while Brandon attempted to look offended. "I'm hurt."

"Give it up, Brandon. Nobody's buying it for a minute." Sofia smirked.

Marissa smiled. "Alright, that's it for today. Everybody back to work."

/

"Aya, did you hear from Mrs. Holmes this weekend?" Bianca and her office manager had been missing each other all day. This was the first time they actually were able to talk.

"I'm afraid not, Bianca. There hasn't been any word from her."

"Alright, thanks. Let me know if you hear anything."

"I will. Oh, Sam just got here and wanted to speak with you."

"Send her in please."

"Is she okay? She didn't come in last week and seems a little down."

"She's got a lot on her mind right now. There are some things going on that I can't tell you about. Just be there for her, and when's ready, I know she'll talk to you."

Aya nodded. "Alright. I'll get her."

Bianca glanced up at the knock on her office door a minute later. She smiled softly at the teen standing in the doorway and moved towards her. "Hi, Sam."

The greeting was subdued in its return. "Hi."

"Let's have a seat over here. It's more comfortable." The brunette motioned her inside.

Sam nodded and joined Bianca on the sofa in her office.

"How are you doing?"

The teen took a deep breath. "I … I don't really know. I know Gail and Marissa have told you everything."

"Yes, they have. Are you okay with that?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I told them they could. I mean, you've helped me a whole lot so I don't mind you knowing. Why shouldn't you? I … I just want this all to go away. I'm scared, Bianca. I finally have a family again, and now, it could all go away. I don't want to lose Gail and Alex and Grandma. I can't. I can't lose another family." Sam's voice cracked with emotion as she wiped tears away.

Bianca's heart was breaking for the teen, and she pulled her into a hug. "I know, Sam. Here's the thing though. This time, you don't have to go through all of this alone. You've got Gail, Alex and Carol there for you. You also have me, Marissa, everyone here at the Center especially Jan and Aya and in Marissa's department at the firm along with a whole lot of other people. We're all on your side and fighting for you."

Sam sniffed and nodded once. She did know that.

"I know I don't have to tell you this, but Gail and Alex see you as their daughter. As for Carol, there is not a prouder grandmother out there. They love you. You're part of their family, and they are going to fight tooth and nail for you. Rissa is the same way. She's the best person you can have in your corner. She's definitely a fighter. Do you remember how she fought for you when you met?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I was really scared and didn't want to go back to that foster home. I was really afraid what would happen if I got sent to juvie. I still don't know how she did it, but she stopped that all from happening."

"That's right, and that was when she'd just met you. Now, she knows and loves you. You're part of our family too. There's a couple of things I'll tell you about my wife. First, she's a kickass lawyer. She doesn't give up or back down. She'll fight to the end. Second, she fights for her family harder than anything or anyone I've ever known. You couldn't be in better hands"

"She is pretty good, isn't she?"

"There's nobody better. So, what do you want?"

"I want to stay with the Walkers, more than anything."

"Do you want to get to know him?"

"The guy who might be my uncle?"

Bianca nodded.

"I don't know. From what the investigator found, he knew about my Dad but never tried to see him. He didn't seem all that interested in me so why would I want to know him? I really don't have any connection to him at all. Besides, there's more than blood that makes somebody family."

"Well, that's true. To Rissa, the Taskers are her parents."

"So, you don't think it's wrong if I don't want to know him?"

Bianca had to make sure she chose her words carefully. "I think you should do what you feel is best for you. This is pretty complicated all the way around, and I know it's tough on you. No one can tell you what to do though. You have to make that decision for yourself. Gail mentioned you were thinking about talking to one of the counselors here."

"Yeah, I made an appointment with one of them."

"I think that's a really good idea. It's good to talk things through with someone that's objective."

"It doesn't make me weak?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not at all. I've had some things happen in my life and have needed to talk to someone to help me work things out."

"Really?"

"Yeah and it really helped me. I don't want you to worry about anything you tell a counselor here getting back to me. They are on your side and will keep your discussions with them private. They won't tell anyone, including me, unless you give them your permission, okay?"

Sam breathed a little easier upon hearing those words of reassurance. There wasn't anything wrong with her talking to somebody especially if Bianca had done it. Next to Marissa, the brunette was probably one of the strongest people she knew. Sam respected her, looked up to her. If someone like Bianca had gotten help, then she didn't see anything wrong with her asking for it. She also felt better knowing for sure that whatever she told the counselor would be kept private. "Okay."

"This doesn't mean that you can't talk to us. I'm here if you need me, and you know that Marissa is as well. Aya and Jan are around also. You're special to them, and they'll help you however they can. You just need to ask, but only when you're ready. There's no pressure."

"Thanks, for everything." A slight smile was on Sam's face. She really was feeling better.

"You're welcome and anytime."

/

_The following morning._

"Son of a bitch!" Pete Taylor flung the newspaper he'd been reading across the room. His morning had been going okay so far, not great mind you but at least okay until he'd read the article announcing that Marissa Tasker had been made a partner at the law firm of Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery and Cortlandt. "Of all people, they make Marissa Tasker a partner! What the hell?! She's not half the lawyer I am, and they made her a partner?! Unbelievable!"

Pete thought back to his dealings with the redheaded lawyer. She'd made him look like a fool. It was because of her that he'd been fired from the District Attorney's office. His boss said it was because he wasn't doing his job properly and didn't have the temperament for it, that several complaints had been lodged against him. Pete knew better though. It was because of her, her and Bianca Montgomery and that bratty punk. Montgomery refused to testify against that brat who was one of the people that broke into the Miranda Center. Who the hell does that?! That brat had to have conned her somehow. That was the only rational explanation for it. What the hell was that bratty punk's name anyway? He glanced around the slightly dingy office. It was a far cry from his former office and the one he aspired to have one day when he ousted Mike Jensen as District Attorney. It was because of those three that he was stuck in this hellhole and not living remotely close to the life he'd been used to. His father could've helped him out and used his connections and influence but he refused to and cut him off. He said Pete embarrassed him and was a disgrace to the family name. A knock on the door pulled Pete from his thoughts.

"Mr. Taylor?"

"Yes and you are?" Pete looked at the dark-haired man in front of him. He had a wiry build and looked slightly unkempt, but there was nothing remarkable or memorable about the man, other than the fact that he looked like he didn't have two nickels to rub together.

"Russell Payne." He held out his hand and Pete shook it.

"Have a seat, Mr. Payne. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm in need of a lawyer."

_Beggars can't be choosers._ Pete thought. "What kind of case?"

"It's a custody case."

Pete rolled his eyes internally. _Great, like those pay anything and will get me anywhere. _"I don't really handle custody cases. Sorry."

Russ didn't pay any attention and plowed ahead. "This one's different. It involves my niece. She's my brother's daughter. Him and his wife died a while ago. I just found out about it. It turns out that she's been living with a foster family, and now, they want to adopt her. I don't feel right about it. I mean, she's blood and blood stays together. Do you know what I mean?"

The lawyer would be lying if he said he wasn't a little interested. He wasn't completely sold on it though. "I can see where you're coming from. What's her name?" Pete asked idly as he sipped his cup of coffee.

"My niece? Her name's Samantha Robinson."

Pete's eyes grew wide as he choked on his drink.

**/**

**A/N: My evil side is back! Do you hear her cackling?**


	135. Alliances

**A/N: It's Saturday and time for an update! My bracket is blown all to hell, but my team is still playing so I'm good! Thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! It's definitely appreciated. A couple of you are worried about Sam. Without giving anything away because what fun would that be, I ask that you trust me. Sam's my own creation so I'll make sure she's okay. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

If there was one thing on this earth that Russ Payne knew, it was people. He'd made a living out of studying them. Granted, that living put him on the other side of the law from time to time, but he didn't let that bother him. To date, he hadn't spent any time in jail, and he had every intention of keeping that streak intact. That streak hadn't kept going because of luck either. No, there was hard work behind it and a lot of it. He observed them, studied their reactions and learned their tells. That wasn't all he did though. He researched them in depth. He looked into every aspect of their professional and private lives. By the time Russ was done, he knew them better than they knew themselves. All of this paid off for him in spades, and it helped him determine which persona to adopt to pull them in, to take them into his confidence and to underestimate him. That last one he used effectively time and time again. He considered himself somewhat of a master of his particular craft and loved what he did. Why wouldn't he? It was very lucrative and had forged an unbreakable bond with the person he learned from, his mother Jackie. She was one of the best, and he had studied happily and diligently at her feet. Most would learn the art of the con at the feet of their father, but his wasn't around for the majority of his life so he put any feelings he might have had for the man aside.

That's not to say that Russ didn't know about Kurt Robinson and his other family because he did. He knew all about them, and he also knew when Matt and Hannah had died leaving their daughter an orphan. Quite honestly, he didn't care much about the situation. It had no real bearing on him or his life. That was until recently though. The girl appeared on his radar a few months ago when money got a little tight. The economy was not very kind to those in his profession so he decided to do a little research. It turns out that she had some money. Well, not directly she didn't. There was a trust of some sort that had been established for her. The trust was worth $60,000. The amount didn't quite make sense to him though. After all of their debts had been paid off, she was left with a total of $25,000. Another $10,000 resulted from various investments and interest. Where did the other $25,000 come from? Not that it mattered that much to him. It was just more money that was ripe for him to pick. His research had found the trust was under the control of her guardians which in this case were her foster parents, a couple by the name of Alex and Gail Walker. Russ needed to figure out a way to get control of that trust. That was the puzzle he was working on when he was contacted by a private investigator. It seemed the foster family wanted to adopt her which prompted a thorough investigation and led to him. Russ was now in a perfect position to get his hands on that money. True, he would have to deal with custody of the girl, but it wasn't anything he couldn't handle. He could also handle his wife, Cheryl. She wasn't exactly keen on the idea of getting custody of a teenager. To Russ, it would only be temporary though. They'd have her long enough to get the money. Once he had his hands on it, he'd go back to the courts saying that it just wasn't working out. He guessed she would go back into the system, but given her age, it wouldn't be for very long. Again, he didn't see this as his concern.

All of this is what brought Russ to Pete Taylor's office. He needed a lawyer. Correction, he needed a hungry lawyer, one that would be willing to look the other way if necessary. He'd read about Pete and how he was fired from the D.A.'s office coincidentally not long after handling a case involving Russ's niece. This was where his research had paid off again. A few well-placed questions found that her case was definitely a contributing factor to Pete losing his job. It also turned out that the lawyer handling the adoption also handled her original case, and the word was that Pete was holding a big time grudge against the other lawyer. Yeah, this was definitely something Russ could work with.

Russ had been standing outside of Pete's office when the lawyer had his outburst. _This is going to be easier than I thought. Time to play concerned uncle. _Putting on his best concerned face, he opened the door.

/

"Have a seat, Mr. Payne. What can I do for you?"

"Well, I'm in need of a lawyer."

_Beggars can't be choosers._ Pete thought. "What kind of case are we talking about?"

"It's a custody case."

Pete rolled his eyes internally. _Great, like those pay anything and will get me anywhere. _"I don't really handle custody cases. Sorry."

Russ didn't pay any attention and plowed ahead. "This one's different. It involves my niece. She's my brother's daughter. Him and his wife died a while ago. I just found out about it. It turns out that she's been living with a foster family, and now, they want to adopt her. I don't feel right about it. I mean, she's blood and blood stays together. Do you know what I mean?"

The lawyer would be lying if he said he wasn't a little interested. He wasn't completely sold on it though. "I can see where you're coming from. What's her name?" Pete asked idly as he sipped his cup of coffee.

"My niece? Her name's Samantha Robinson."

Pete's eyes grew wide as he choked on his drink. "Did you say Samantha Robinson?"

"Yeah, I did. Like I said, her father was my brother, well actually my half-brother. We had the same father but didn't grow up together. We never met, never had the chance to know each other. That's something I regret." Russ shook his head and sighed. "I never met my niece either. I was recently contacted by a private investigator who told me about the adoption. That got me to thinking."

"Did this investigator tell you who they work for?"

"Yeah, it was a woman. What was her name? Melissa? That doesn't sound right."

"Marissa Tasker, maybe?"

_Gotcha!_ "Yeah, that's it. She works for some big firm here. Do you know her?"

Pete cleared his throat. "Yes, I know who she is."

"So, is she any good?"

"She's okay. I'm better though."

"Would you be interested in taking my case?"

Pete sat back and thought for a moment. He'd like nothing better than wiping the courtroom floor with Marissa. Something wasn't quite adding up though. "Tell me something, Mr. Payne. Why do you really want custody of your niece?"

"I don't know what you mean. I told you already. She's family and family should stay together."

"That's good. We can use that when we go to court. Now, tell me the real reason because I'm not really buying the concerned uncle routine."

Russ quirked an eyebrow and chuckled. "I guess you can't con a con, huh? I have my reasons. I have to admit that I'm surprised you saw through that act. I mean, I'm pretty good. What gave me away?"

"You are good. I, however, am used to dealing with politicians, and they're pretty much the world's oldest con artists."

"You got me there. So, you want to take this case? It seems like you have an axe to grind with that other lawyer."

"I might have a small one."

"How about you scratch my back, and I scratch yours? We both win."

Pete smiled. He did like the sound of that, but he needed to make sure of one thing. "Before I agree, I need to know what you want out of this. What's your exact interest in this girl? It's nothing of a se …"

Russ held up his hands to cut the lawyer off knowing where he was going with that line of questioning. "Hold up. I don't go for that stuff. She's a girl, so just no." He paused and weighed his options. He was going to have to come clean. This had its advantages however. If Pete took the case, they would be tied together and be partners in crime. "Alright, I'll be straight with you. I'm in this for the money. I found out she's got a trust in her name. If I get custody of her, I get control of the trust and access to that cash. I could give you a small cut. You'd also have the pleasure of taking down that lawyer."

That really did appeal to Pete. He'd be showing everybody that he was the better lawyer. What made this even sweeter, he'd be rubbing it in the face of a newly minted partner of one of Pine Valley's most prestigious law firms. Plus, he'd get to show his father he was wrong about Pete. "You've got yourself a deal. Now, let's get to work."

/

Marissa arrived at the Yacht Club 15 minutes ahead of the time she was scheduled to meet Krystal. The redhead would be lying if she said she wasn't a little nervous. She hoped she could get through this lunch without letting her emotions get the best of her. Marissa had placed her cellphone on the table after she checked the time on it. A moment later, she felt it vibrate and glanced down at it. The redhead smiled as she read the message her wife had just sent.

_You've got this, Rissa. I believe in you. Leave if it gets to be too much for you. Remember, I'm just a call away. I love you. B_

It was both the boost and reassurance she needed. Marissa quickly sent a text back in reply.

_Thank you. You're definitely the best wife ever. I'll let you know how it goes. I love you. M_

"Hi, Marissa."

The redhead glanced up from her cellphone upon hearing her name. "Hi, Krystal. Thanks for coming. I really appreciate it."

"It's no problem at all. I'm more than happy to."

"I guess it's nice to have someone else wait on you for a change, huh?"

Krystal chuckled. "Yes, it is. How are you feeling?"

"I'm feeling pretty good. The morning sickness has calmed down considerably. That's not to say that it still doesn't flare up every once in a while, but it's definitely better."

"I'm very glad to hear that."

They chatted amiably while they looked at the menu.

"So, are you going to tell me about this person you are interested in?"

Krystal blushed slightly. "I thought you forgot about that."

"Oh no, I remember. What's his name? What's he do? Have the two of you gone out? Is everything cool with Tad?"

"You just have a few questions for me then?"

Marissa laughed. "Yeah, just a few."

Krystal shook her head and smiled. "His name is Steve, and he's the electrical contractor working on the expansion of the restaurant."

"An electrician? That's something to keep in mind should something come up." Marissa smirked. "Oh wait, I remember meeting him before. He's really nice and very good looking too."

"Yeah, he is on both counts. We haven't had an official date yet. We've just had coffee during breaks and have talked quite a lot, but we're going out next week. As for Tad, it was awkward at first when I told him about my interest in Steve, but we talked it over and worked things out. He's good with it now and is actually interested in a nurse at the hospital."

"Good for him and good for you."

"Thank you."

After a waiter came over and took their orders, the two women continued their conversation.

Marissa saw the amused look on Krystal's face. "What?"

"Nothing. It's just that you didn't order anything … extra."

The redhead laughed and placed a hand on her belly. "No, I didn't. My little one seems content with the regular menu today. I guess the onion rings and the chocolate shake combination was a little interesting."

"Just a little. How'd it taste though?"

"Pretty darn good if I do say so myself."

"Well, that's all that matters."

"That kind of brings me to some of what I wanted to talk to you about."

Krystal couldn't hide her confusion. "Your cravings?"

"Yeah. Well, that and other things, from when you were pregnant."

"Oh, I see. Okay. I'll be happy to answer any questions you have. What would you like to know?"

There was a brief pause in their conversation when the waiter returned with their orders a few minutes later. While he was busy placing everything on their table, Marissa thought of the best way to approach Krystal with her questions.

Krystal jumped in first. "You know, I really didn't have any cravings that were too unusual or at least I didn't see them that way. I still don't."

"Like I said earlier, my lunch the other day …"

"Was nothing unusual from where I sit."

"You seemed surprised."

"I think I was a little because I hadn't seen you embrace them before. As to my cravings, I had different ones for each pregnancy. With Jenny, it pretty much stayed the same all the way through it, anything chocolate. When I was pregnant with Babe and you, the cravings were different. Usually, it was something sweet but then I would get the need for something spicy. It's funny, but that's when I created my chili recipe. During that time, I also experimented with putting it over fries. I suppose you can take credit for my chili cheese fries."

"I'll have to tell Bianca that." Marissa added with a chuckle before turning serious. The redhead took a deep breath and continued. "Did you have any complications while you were pregnant? Like did you have any medical problems like high blood pressure, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes or anything along those lines? I thought it would be a good idea to know just in case anything comes up for me during this time."

"I think you're right. It is a good idea and part of why you're such a good mother. I didn't have any major complications. There was the normal stuff, some swelling. My back and feet would hurt from time to time. I would also get really tired later in the pregnancies. Oh and heartburn, I had heartburn during both. All of that's normal though."

"How was labor?"

"Again, with Jenny, it was easier, but that was because it was one baby as opposed to twins. I went full term with her but earlier with Babe and you."

"I read that's common with multiples, and before you ask, I'm positive I'm just having one."

Krystal nodded. "You were a little unexpected. Through most of the pregnancy, I thought I was expecting one baby. Because of how you were positioned behind Babe, the doctors only heard one heartbeat. Towards the end, you moved and could clearly be seen and heard." Krystal became lost in her memories. "Babe was delivered first. Three minutes later, you made your appearance, and oh did you ever let us know you had arrived." Krystal's smile faded. It was when she had heard her second daughter's cries that reality came crashing down on her. She couldn't see any way that she'd be able to care for two babies. It was in that moment that she could only see one option. Shortly after that, she'd sold her youngest at the time, and even though she knew the baby girl was much better off with Roy and Lydia, it was something she regretted every day since.

Marissa seemed to sense what Krystal was thinking, and the redhead definitely did _not_ want to go there. It was a discussion they'd had before, and one she knew by heart. Krystal did what she felt she had to do at the time and did regret it. Marissa knew how fortunate she was that the Taskers had been the ones Krystal had chosen to sell her to. That was the thing though. Krystal had _sold_ Marissa and used those funds to support her life with Babe, the daughter she chose to keep, and that still stung, not as much as it did when she first found out about it but it still did sting. That and the thought Marissa had that she somehow wasn't good enough for her biological mother to keep her, and that was why she chose Babe and not her. Marissa definitely did not want to have this conversation, not with her hormones fluctuating because of the pregnancy and with them also being in public. This was reason why she had been so hesitant to have this discussion. Bianca knew this, and it's why she had urged her to be careful and encouraged her to walk away from it if she needed to. She definitely needed to pull back from where this was headed.

Krystal picked up on the shift in her daughter's mood. The conversation was definitely veering towards dangerous territory for both of them. It absolutely killed Krystal the pain and self-doubt she had caused her daughter. She also hated what she had done to Bianca. Krystal had hurt two of the most loving and caring souls, and while she doubted that _she_ could ever forgive someone who had committed the crimes she was guilty of against her, both Bianca and Marissa were doing just that, working to forgive her. Krystal found this both overwhelming and undeserved on her part, but she was determined to keep working until she felt she had truly earned some modicum of their forgiveness. If that point in time ever did actually occur, she would continue to work even harder.

"So, no major health issues I should worry about then?" Marissa asked as she pulled them back from the edge.

"No, and from I recall my mother telling me, she didn't have any issues either. I don't think you have anything to worry about. You're in excellent health and take really good care of yourself. Bianca takes really good care of you too." Krystal breathed a sigh of relief at her daughter shifting the conversation back onto safer ground.

Marissa smiled, in part out of gratitude for Krystal accepting the shift in conversation and in part because her last statement was true. "Yes, she does. She's great. I'm so lucky to be sharing my life with her."

"You're both lucky. What else would you like to know?"

The two continued their conversation for a short while longer before both had to get back to work. Marissa paid the check over Krystal's objections insisting it was her treat. They walked out together with Marissa pausing right before the exit.

"Is everything alright?"

Marissa smiled sheepishly. "Yes, it is. I just need to use the ladies' room, again."

Krystal smiled knowingly. "Ah, I remember that particular _side effect_."

"Yeah, I lose count how many times a day I have to go now."

"I hate to break it to you, but that will only increase the further along you are."

Marissa sighed. "So I've been told. Thanks for meeting and talking with me today."

Krystal hugged her daughter. "You're welcome, and I'm here anytime you need me. All you have to do is call."

/

"Hey, Binx. I'm glad you could switch to a later lunch."

"Hey, Kendall. It's not a problem at all and actually works pretty well for me. It's been crazy at the Center today. Mom's not here yet, huh?"

"Did you really think she would be? We're talking about Erica Kane. She's never met a grand entrance that she didn't like." Kendall smirked.

Bianca laughed. "You've got that right."

Kendall glanced around the bistro. "I like this place. Krystal's is great, but it's nice to try new places every once in a while. How did you find this place?"

"I couldn't agree with you more. Rissa and I both love this place. We found it when we went to the gallery opening a few months ago. They've got a killer onion soup." Bianca had suggested they meet at the bistro when Erica had invited her daughters to lunch the other day. It had been a while since the Kane women had spent some time together, just the three of them. The time had to be changed earlier in the day due to last minute meetings that both Kendall and Erica had. Bianca was able to move things around on her end to accommodate the new time.

"Hmmm, I haven't that in a while and that actually sounds kind of good."

The sisters' conversation was interrupted by a waitress arriving to take their drink orders. Once they were alone again, the two continued to talk about how their days were going so far while they waited for their mother.

/

It was when Marissa was alone in a stall in the ladies' room that the redhead's emotions finally got the best of her. Hazel eyes glistened as tears began to fall. She hated this, hated feeling like this, but damn if there was anything she could do about it. Marissa felt she had no one else to blame but herself. She was the one who called Krystal and suggested they meet. She had tried to pull herself back from the emotional brink of their conversation and thought she had succeeded, but she had been wrong. Her biological mother had _sold_ her and _kept_ her sister and then used that money for the two of them to live. Why? Why didn't she choose Marissa? Was there something wrong with her? Did Krystal pick up on something that said 'pick this one and not that one'? Marissa shook her head. _No, this isn't on me, and Krystal's really tried to be there for me. She was there through the whole mess with JR, and she's accepted my relationship with Bianca without batting an eye. She even helped Kendall try and set us up. Bianca. After everything that Krystal and Babe had done to her, Bianca had somehow managed to forgive them, and she wants me to try and do the same. I told her I would. I was doing pretty well too until today and these damn hormones. _

Marissa took a couple of deep, shaky breaths and wiped her eyes. _I can do this. I have to do this. For me, for Bianca, for the girls, for AJ and for our little one._ The redhead could feel her blood pressure and heartbeat start to lower as she gained control back. She had to focus, go back to work and get through the rest of the day. Tonight, when she and Bianca were alone, Marissa would tell her everything that happened. She'd promised that she would, and the redhead would keep her word to her wife. With another cleansing breath, Marissa left the stall and looked in the mirror over the sink. She shook her head as she took in her reflection and did her best to repair the damage from her breakdown. With that completed, she departed.

/

Erica Kane was not happy. She was meeting with representatives from an advertising agency to discuss the possibility of her being a spokesperson for a luxury automobile sold by one of their top clients. In their initial pitch to the diva, they expressed their desire to establish the car as a status symbol, one of class, elegance and style. To them, no one represented those qualities more than the one and only Erica Kane. The stroking of her ego had been enough for her to agree to a face to face meeting with them but only if it was in Pine Valley. They readily agreed and set it up at the Yacht Club. Their flight out of New York was delayed due to mechanical issues though. That delay pushed the meeting back. When they finally did arrive and made their pitch in earnest, Erica was definitely intrigued, and the meeting went well. The only drawback was that it had run over. Now, she was running late for lunch with her daughters, a lunch she had suggested and had moved the time on once already today. While Bianca might be forgiving, Kendall more than likely would not.

The valet she had given her ticket to a few minutes before approached her cautiously, on foot.

"Ms. Kane."

"Yes. Is there a reason you're here without my car?"

"Yes, ma'am. Uh, it won't start."

"Excuse me?"

"The car's ignition won't turn over. I'm sorry. We'll be more than happy to have someone take a look at it for you, but it could take a little while."

Erica cleared her throat while she cursed herself internally. As much as she would love to place the blame on the nervous young man standing in front of her, she knew this was on her. Jack had warned her the car was due for service and had even offered to take it in for her, but she declined the offer saying she would do it herself and then had gotten too busy to do so. "Thank you. I would appreciate that very much. I need to be somewhere for another appointment. Are you fine with me leaving it here?"

"Of course, but how will you get to your other appointment if I can ask?"

"I'll simply have to call a car service and check back here later, that is if my daughters don't have my head for keeping them waiting."

"Who would possibly have the nerve to threaten Erica Kane?"

The diva turned around to meet the amused expression of her daughter-in-law. "Marissa dear, what a pleasant surprise. What are you doing here?"

"I met Krystal for lunch. So, you didn't answer my question. Who would have the sheer audacity to threaten you? Do I need to have a _talk_ with someone to set them straight?"

Erica laughed. "Thank you for the offer. I'll be sure to keep that in mind in the future. It is, however, not needed this time. You see, I was referring to my daughters."

Marissa grimaced playfully. "Oh, those two. I think you may have to be on your own on this. They're kind of scary, especially that younger one."

"Yes, that's very true. She can be especially when it comes to her family."

"You definitely have that right. The Kane women are definitely a force to be reckoned with. Why on earth would Kendall and Bianca be mad at you?"

"I'm late for lunch with them, a lunch that was my idea."

"Oh, that's right. Bianca said the three of you were going to meet today at the bistro over by the art gallery. We really love that place. Why are you here though?"

"I had a meeting here. It ran over, and now to make matters worse, it would seem I'm having car trouble. I'm calling a car service before I text them."

"I'll take you." Marissa handed her ticket to the valet who dashed off to retrieve her car.

"That's very nice of you, dear, but I wouldn't want to inconvenience you."

"Erica, it's no problem, and I insist. I'm not going to take 'no' for an answer. Bianca can tell you how stubborn I am so you might as well give up."

The diva smiled. "If you're sure."

"I'm positive."

"Then, I accept and thank you."

"You're welcome, and here we are now." Marissa smiled as the valet pulled up in her car.

The valet exited the car and held the door open for Marissa, who gave him a generous tip, while another one opened the door for Erica. Once both women were settled inside and had fastened their seatbelts, they pulled away.

/

Bianca typed out a quick text before addressing her sister. "That was Mom. She's on her way. Her meeting started late and then ran over. When she went to leave, her car wouldn't start."

"Seriously?" Kendall sighed

"Yep. It's not her fault, Kendall."

"Maybe not the car but the meeting is. This was her idea. She does this all the time."

"Give her a chance to explain everything that happened before you rip into her, okay? Do it for me, _please_."

Kendall rolled her eyes. She could never really say 'no' to her baby sister, especially when she was looking at her like she was now. "Fine. I'll do it, _for you._"

"Thank you!"

"How's she getting here if she doesn't have a car? I don't see her calling a cab. You know as well as I do that she sees them as beneath her."

"Ah, it seems that she ran into Rissa who's giving her a ride."

"Red came to the rescue, again."

Bianca grinned. "Yes, she did."

/

After Erica finished her text to Bianca, she glanced over at her daughter-in-law. It was then she noticed that the younger woman's eyes were slightly rimmed with red. "Marissa, is everything alright?"

"Uh, yeah. Why do you ask?"

"Marissa, I can see you've been crying. You did a good job covering it up, but I'm a pro, dear. I can tell. What's wrong? Is everything alright with the baby?"

"The baby's fine. I actually have a check-up tomorrow. I … It's … It's silly."

"I'm sure it's not, dear. That is the last word I would use to describe you." Erica thought for a second. "Did something happen with Krystal?"

Marissa quickly glanced at her mother-in-law, surprised she had guessed it. "Why would you say that?"

"You said you had lunch with her. I suppose you can just call it an educated guess."

"It's all my fault."

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

Marissa sighed but kept her eyes on the road. "I was curious about any health issues she may have had when she was pregnant. I just wanted to know if I needed to be on the lookout for anything, if there was a particular risk I needed to be aware of. So, I invited her to lunch to talk. It was going okay for a while, but then I think my hormones got the best of me and I started thinking about certain things."

Erica nodded in understanding. "How is that your fault?"

"Well, it was my idea to meet and talk about pregnancies. I was a little leery to begin with because I thought it could open up some old wounds. Bianca was worried about it too. It turns out that we were both right. I started thinking about how she didn't pick me and that maybe I wasn't good enough for her."

"May I speak freely?"

"I've never known you to do otherwise." Marissa smiled wryly.

Erica chuckled catching the humor in Marissa's tone. "Very true, dear. Krystal is an idiot. I'm sorry, but it's true." Seeing the redhead fight back a smile at her bluntness, Erica relented, knowing that she couldn't in good conscious go after Krystal too much on this particular point. "Fine, maybe not quite an idiot, but definitely lacking in judgment. She should have known better and exercised more caution when discussing this particular topic with you in your present condition. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you, and your feelings are perfectly understandable. I can't tell you what went through her mind when she made that decision. I'm not justifying her actions by any means, but sometimes you find yourself in an untenable situation. You are literally between a rock and a hard place, and you can only see one way out."

"I understand."

There was something in Marissa's tone that told Erica she knew something more and wasn't just referring to her current predicament. "You know, don't you?"

"I do, and it wasn't Bianca that told me everything."

"Kendall told you?" Erica was a little surprised hearing that. She knew the two were close but had no idea just how close they had gotten.

"Yes, she did. Last year, Bianca was out of town working on the New York Center. Kendall came over one night, and after the kids were in bed, we bonded over some wine and traded war stories, so to speak. That's when she told me. She doesn't blame you anymore, Erica, and hasn't for quite some time."

"Thank you. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make."

"I'm sure it was. It's different with Krystal though."

"It is but it isn't. Again, I'm not justifying her actions. I can only guess that she did what she thought she had to at the time. What I can tell you is that she and Babe struggled and did not have an easy life. There are many things that they did that I honestly don't ever see you doing or even considering. It's not in your character, and that is a very good thing. Remember, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. As for not picking you, I think you should focus on who did. Your parents picked you. From everything I've heard about them, they wanted you, made you their world and gave you a wonderful life."

Marissa smiled softly. "You're right. They did, and I'm beyond grateful that I had them."

"There's someone else that picked you. Bianca. She chose you and loves you so much. I've truly never seen her happier. What you are building together is amazing, and you should be proud of that. Think about that when those old wounds want to open back up."

A beaming smile spread across Marissa's face. "You're right, Erica. Those are the people that count the most to me along with the kids. Thank you so much."

"You're welcome, dear. I'm glad I could help. There's one other thing you should remember."

"What's that?"

"I'm always right." Erica smirked and caused Marissa to laugh, breaking any tension that still had existed.

"Sorry, I forgot. I'll remember next time." Marissa pulled up in front of the bistro.

"Thank you for the ride."

"I should be thanking you, Erica. What you said really helped. Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear. It's time for me to face the firing squad. Have a good day. Let's do lunch soon."

"You're on. I'd love to. Good luck. Tell them I said 'hi' and give them my love."

Erica nodded and exited the vehicle.

Marissa watched as her mother-in-law walked towards the bistro's main entrance. The talk with Erica really did help, and she wanted to do something for her in return, even if it was something small. While the car was still in park, the redhead pulled out her cellphone and sent a text to her wife.

_B, do me a favor. Could you and Kendall not give your Mom a hard time about being late? She really came through for me just now. I promise I'm fine. I'll explain everything tonight. Just cut her some slack, please, for me. I love you. M_

With that accomplished and definitely feeling better, Marissa headed back to work.

**/**

**A/N: I struggled a little bit with the Marissa/Krystal discussion. I know the show had it settled between them, but in my mind, I think Marissa would still have issues with it from time to time. She's trying, but sometimes, it doesn't take much to open an old wound. Throw in increased hormones from her being pregnant, I feel Marissa would get emotional over the conversation. As for the bit with Erica, I can see her bonding with her daughter-in-law. Marissa's proved herself to Erica over time. Plus, Erica is evolving, maybe even growing up. You never know with her. See you soon!**


	136. Heartbeats

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It is truly appreciated. I failed to acknowledge a milestone with this story. I've reached 800+ reviews! That's amazing to me, and for that, I truly am thankful to all of you. Writing this has become a wonderful outlet for me, and to have you tell me that you appreciate what I'm doing means more than you know. So, thank you.**

**This chapter picks up where the last one off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

_B, do me a favor. Could you and Kendall not give your Mom a hard time about being late? She really came through for me just now. I promise I'm fine. I'll explain everything tonight. Just cut her some slack, please, for me. I love you. M_

Bianca had just finished reading her wife's text when she heard her sister.

Kendall huffed. "It's about time she got here."

Following Kendall's gaze, Bianca saw their mother entering the restaurant. "Kendall, remember what you promised me."

"Fine. I'll be good, but she better have a good excuse." Remembering her earlier promise, the older brunette sighed. "Look, I'm just irritated and really hungry. You know that's never a good combination." Kendall noticed the pensive look on her sister's face as she glanced back down at her cellphone. "Is everything okay, Binx?"

"Huh? Sorry. It's this text from Rissa. She asked us not to give Mom a hard time about being late and said that Mom really came through for her."

"What's she mean by that?"

"I don't know, but she said she was okay."

"Then, I'm sure she is. Red wouldn't lie to you. Well, if Mom helped Red out, I'll give her some slack and behave. Scout's honor." Kendall shook her head and smirked. "You two are something else, you know that?"

"Thanks, Kendall." Bianca sent a quick text to Marissa.

_R, we'll be good. I promise. As long as you're sure you're okay, I won't ask what she did for you, for now. We will be talking later though. I love you. B_

"Bianca, Kendall, I am so sorry I'm late."

"It's okay, Mom. Things come up that are out of our control sometimes."

Erica arched an eyebrow, surprised by her oldest daughter's response. "Thank you for understanding, Kendall." The diva caught a glimpse at Bianca's cellphone as her youngest slid it into her purse and instantly knew the reason behind Kendall's response. Her daughter-in-law had done something to help smooth over their ruffled feathers, particularly Kendall's. "Marissa said to tell you hello and sends you her love. That is quite the woman you have, Bianca."

The young brunette's eyes lit up as a proud grin spread across her face at the mention of her wife, something that was pure reflex with her. "Thanks, I couldn't agree with you more! How did your meeting go, Mom?"

"It went very well. Unfortunately, it started late which is part of the reason why I'm late."

"What happened?" Kendall asked.

"Their flight out of New York was delayed due to some mechanical problems."

While Erica was giving her order to their waitress, the sisters held their own silent conversation.

Bianca's glance at Kendall said, "_I told you so."_

Kendall rolled her eyes in response saying, _"Yes, I know. You were right. I was wrong. Happy?"_

The younger brunette's satisfied smirk said it all._ "Actually, yes, I am."_

Erica caught a glimpse of her daughters' antics and shook head, clearly amused. Upon clearing her throat, the younger women broke their gazes and turned to their mother.

"Sorry, Mom. Um, was Rissa okay when you saw her?

"Yes, she was. I wouldn't be in here with you if she wasn't. She's family, and you are there for them if anything is wrong." Erica said earnestly.

Bianca paused for only a moment before nodding. Yes, if something was really wrong with Marissa, she knew that her mother would've either stayed with her and helped herself or called Bianca. She would not have left Marissa alone.

"I have to make sure she's taken care of. Marissa is carrying my grandchild after all."

Kendall's and Bianca's heads snapped up in the direction of their mother in perfect time, both with their jaws hanging open. They slowly turned to look at each other with the same thought in mind. _"Did she say what I thought she said?"_

"Mom?"

"Yes, Kendall."

"Did you say _grandchild_?" Kendall asked. Now that she was over her initial shock, the older sister was clearly amused.

Erica realized her slip and covered quickly. "Of course I didn't. You must not have heard me correctly. I said she was carrying my daughter's child."

Bianca did her best to hide her smile but was failing miserably. Her mother had definitely used the term _grandchild_. This was big for more than one reason. There was the obvious reason first. While Erica loved her grandchildren without question and would move heaven and earth for them, she had refused to accept the title of _grandmother_ or any of its many connotations. In her mind, grandparents were old and boring and she was neither. Bianca and Kendall knew their mother was fighting growing older with a vengeance, and neither considered her remotely close to boring. There wasn't a chance in hell that Erica Kane would ever be boring. No matter how hard they tried to convince her that grandparents were no longer considered old or boring and hadn't been for some time, Erica had yet to budge, and they knew better than to force her even though it would make life easier for them. This was the first time, however, she had wavered in her stance albeit ever so slightly. The other reason this was big was the fact that she had just acknowledged the child Marissa was carrying as her grandchild. To Bianca, this was kind of epic.

Sharing a glance, Kendall and Bianca decided to let it slide, for now.

"So, Mom, how did your meeting go after they finally got there?"

Erica smiled believing she was in the clear. "It went very well. They want me to do a series of commercials for them and would only require me to go to New York a few times." The diva then proceeded to go over the details of her meeting.

/

Marissa was standing watch over the grill, lost in her thoughts. It had definitely been an interesting day, and the redhead was still sorting things out in her mind. She was so caught up in them that she hadn't heard her wife arrive home. It wasn't until she felt a pair of arms encircling her from behind and soft lips dropping a gentle kiss on her neck that she snapped back to reality. Marissa slowly turned around in those warm arms and welcomed Bianca home with a loving kiss.

"Hey."

"Hey yourself." Bianca glanced over her wife's shoulder and saw that the kids were playing happily in the backyard and safely out of earshot. She had a question to ask, and it couldn't wait any longer. Marissa's wellbeing was her first priority. "Alright, how are you really doing?"

Marissa chuckled softly. She wasn't surprised at all that that was Bianca's first question. "I'm fine, honestly."

Bianca eyed the redhead carefully and then nodded. "Okay. What happened? How did Mom help you?"

Marissa checked the hamburgers that were on the grill before turning down the flame and closing the cover. "It was my meeting with Krystal. It … got to me a little."

"Rissa."

"I know."

"You promised."

"I know. Look, before you start, let me explain what happened. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Alright. It started out fine. We chatted about a few things. I found out who she's interested in. His name's Steve, and he's the electrical contractor working on the expansion for her. They're going out next week."

"Really? Well, good for her. How's Tad doing with that?"

"He's actually doing pretty well with it now. It turns out he has his eye on a nurse at the hospital."

"Wow, it's been a while for Tad. I'm happy that he's finally moving on."

"That makes two of us."

Bianca shook her head. "Okay, I know what you're doing. You're trying to distract me. Nice try, Counselor. Time to fess up. What happened?"

Marissa rolled her eyes at the teasing tone in her wife's voice. "Like I said, the conversation was going pretty well. Krystal answered all my questions, and told me she didn't experience any major complications."

"That's good to hear."

"Yeah, it is. It was when she was talking about me and …"

"Your sister." Bianca finished.

Marissa nodded. "That's when it felt a little like things were starting to close in a little on me. I'm not sure but maybe on her too. We were able to switch gears before it got too intense though. I thought I was okay. Before I knew it, it was time for both of us to get back to work, and we walked out together. I, of course, had to stop at the ladies' room for like the 500th time this morning."

Bianca chuckled. "The 500th time, really?"

"Alright, maybe I exaggerated a little, but it sure felt like it. Anyway, we said goodbye, and she left. When I was finally alone in one of the stalls, that's when it hit me, and I broke down a little."

The brunette took Marissa's hand and squeezed. "I'm sorry."

"I know, but we knew that might happen. After a few minutes, I was able to get myself together and left. As I was leaving, I ran into your mom at the valet station. It seems there was a problem with her car so I offered to give her a lift. While I thought I did a good job of covering up, she could tell I'd been crying and asked me what happened. I tried to brush it off, but you know your mom. Erica wasn't having any of it. So, we talked on the drive over to the bistro. She really helped me. She helped me put things in the proper perspective."

"How so?"

"She told me I needed to focus on the people who did choose me and the ones that mattered the most, my parents and you."

Bianca smiled. "She's right."

"Yeah, I know. She also pointed that out too." Marissa grinned.

"Of course she did." Bianca chuckled. "That's why you asked us to take it easy on her."

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, it is. She was pretty amazing, and I figured it was the very least I could do for her."

"I'm sure she would appreciate it if she knew what you did. And you're sure you're okay?"

"I'm positive."

"Good. Oh, I have some interesting news for you. Mom said the 'g' word over lunch." Bianca continued after seeing her wife's confused look. "She said 'grandchild'."

"Get out! Erica said 'grandchild'?! I never thought I'd live to see the day."

"You're not the only one."

"What brought that on?"

"Actually, you."

"Me?"

"You and our little one. She referred to our little one as her grandchild. When Kendall asked her what she said, Mom tried to cover and said Kendall didn't hear her correctly, that she actually said 'her daughter's child', but we heard her. She said grandchild. We let it slide though. It was a big enough move for her. There was no need to press it."

"Yeah, I guess it was bigger than a baby step, huh?"

Bianca groaned at her wife's pun. "That was bad. You're lucky I love you so much."

Marissa grinned. "Yes, I am."

"So, what else happened to make your day so interesting?"

"Ah, you know how I have an investigator keeping an eye on Sam's alleged uncle?"

"Yeah. Did he find something?"

"Yep. He's in town."

"He's here in Pine Valley? What's he doing here?"

"I'm not 100% sure of everything he's doing here, but I think whatever he's up to involves the lawyer he paid a visit to today."

"I don't like the sound of that. Who's the lawyer?"

"That's the fun part. He visited our old friend Pete Taylor."

"You can't be serious."

"I'm afraid I am."

"Well, that can't be good. You know how I feel about Pete and what I'd like to do to him. I hold him responsible for what happened to you."

"I know. Believe me, I know. I trust him about as far as I can throw him. The two of them together can't be good. At least, I know they're working together and won't be blindsided by that fact. It also tells me there is something else going on with the uncle. Out of all of the lawyers in Pine Valley, he picks Pete to represent him? There is no way you'll ever be able to convince me that's a coincidence. He's up to something, and you can damn well be sure that I'm going to find out what it is because there's not a snowball's chance in hell I'm going to let either of them hurt Sam."

Bianca saw the fiery determination in Marissa's eyes and knew Pete and Russ didn't stand a chance. "I'm with you all the way. Did I ever tell you how hot you are when you get the lawyer in you all fired up?"

"And you tell me I'm not right." Marissa shook her head amused and gave her wife a quick kiss before going back over to the grill.

/

The couple was in Dr. Abbott's waiting room early the next morning. Marissa's appointments were scheduled to be among the first ones of the day. Those were the times that worked best for both Marissa and Bianca. A nurse walked to the edge of the waiting room. "Marissa Tasker-Montgomery?"

Marissa and Bianca glanced over at the nurse before standing up and joining her at the door.

"Good morning. If you'll follow me, Dr. Abbott will see you now."

The couple was escorted to an examination room where Marissa changed into a gown while Bianca carefully folded her wife's clothes to avoid them from wrinkling.

Dr. Abbott and a nurse joined them a few minutes later.

"Good morning, Marissa, Bianca." The doctor smiled. "Or should I say Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery to you both?"

Both women beamed at the greeting with Marissa speaking up. "Good morning, doctor. I'm pretty sure we like the last one a whole lot."

Bianca nodded. "We do, but we'll let you use our first names."

The doctor laughed. "Thank you. How are you feeling, Marissa?"

"I'm doing good. I'm having some odd cravings, but Bianca's been very good at indulging me. She's also making sure I get plenty of rest and not overdoing."

"Very good. I wish the partners of all of my patients were as attentive as you, Bianca."

"Rissa and our little one are too important and special to me to take any chances."

Marissa squeezed her wife's hand. "Ditto."

"Okay, Marissa, let's see how the two of you are doing."

After the physical exam, the doctor lifted a small handheld device off a tray. "Marissa, this is a fetal Doppler. Bianca, I'm sure this has changed a little since you were pregnant, but judging from your expression, you remember it. We're going to use this to hear your little one's heartbeat. You ready?"

Marissa shared a quick glance with Bianca before nodding. Her excitement was only matched by her wife's. "I'm more than ready."

Dr. Abbott applied some gel and began to move the device around on Marissa's belly.

Clutching each other's hands, both women held their breath as they waited for what seemed like an eternity but in all actuality was only a second or two. Suddenly, there it was.

"Is that … It sounds like the herd of wild horses racing." Hazel eyes glistened as the doctor nodded.

"Yes, that's it. That's your little one's heartbeat. Oh, and it's strong too. Let's see. It's 150 beats a minute. That's good, really good. I'm very happy with that."

Marissa clutched Bianca's hand tighter, and the brunette kissed her wife tenderly as tears escaped from warm chocolate eyes. Bianca knew she would never forget the smile on Marissa's face and the look of wonder as her wife heard their little one's heartbeat. It was the definition of beautiful. Bianca herself would never forget this sound. She found her own heart racing in time with their little one's. Yes, this was her child in every way that mattered, and hearing that precious beating heart meant just as much to her as hearing Miranda's and Gabby's did.

"That's our little one, B." Marissa's smile was blinding. She had never heard anything like it before. It was beautiful, incredible and amazing and all of the countless words she could ever think of to describe this indescribable moment and sound. It was the sound of life growing in her, a life that she and Bianca had created together. Yes, she know that while it was Marissa's egg and a donor's sperm, this baby was just as much Bianca's as it was Marissa's, and nothing or no one or would ever convince her otherwise. No, they created this baby together.

Bianca's smile matched her wife's. "Yes, it is, Rissa. It's … I don't even know the words. Wait! I have an idea." The brunette reluctantly let go of Marissa's hand to retrieve both her and her wife's cellphones. "Dr. Abbott, would it be alright if we recorded it?"

"Of course."

Bianca quickly showed the nurse how to record their little one's heartbeat on their cellphones. While the nurse was doing that, Bianca went back to holding Marissa's hand. "Our little one. Oh, I love you so much, Rissa."

"I love you too, B. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For loving me and for making this dream come true, making all of my dreams come true."

Bianca kissed her wife tenderly. "You've made all of mine come true, and loving you is the easiest thing I've ever done."

Dr. Abbott and her nurse exchanged a glance. This definitely was one of the best parts of their jobs.

"Alright, you're doing great, Marissa. I'll see you both at your next appointment, and we'll do an ultrasound then. We'll give you a picture to go with your recording. Sound good?"

"Sounds perfect. Thank you, doctor."

/

Bianca walked into the Miranda Center with the biggest of smiles on her face. "Good morning, Jan."

"Good morning, Bianca. You're in a really good mood today. Oh wait, you had Marissa's doctor's appointment today. I take it that it went well."

"It went great, and we got to hear our little one's heartbeat.

Jan smiled widely. Her boss's mood was definitely infectious. "You did? That had to be so amazing."

"What had to have been amazing? Something I did, right? Because let's face it, we are talking about me, and I've been told by many people that I am quite amazing." Aya gave a cheeky smile as she joined the other too women.

"While you're as amazing as you are modest," Jan teased her best friend, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to burst your bubble. Bianca and Marissa got to hear the baby's heartbeat today."

"Seriously?! Okay, you win. That's got me beat by a mile. What a great way to start off your day."

Bianca nodded happily. "Definitely one of the best. Would you guys like to hear it?"

"YES!"

Bianca pulled up the recording and beamed while Jan and Aya were captivated by the beating heart of the child that had already captured theirs.

/

Marissa found she couldn't stop smiling. She was sure she looked like a grinning fool, but she couldn't bring herself to give a damn. The smile had been plastered on her face ever since she heard the heartbeat of her and Bianca's little one, and it was going nowhere anytime soon.

On her drive to the office, Marissa only heard that sound and instantly knew from the moment she heard it that it was one of her favorite ones. It was in a tie for first place with sounds that were etched in her memory and made her heart soar: her Mom's laugh and calming voice, her Dad singing, the first time AJ called her 'Mom', the first time Miranda called her 'Ma', the first time Gabby called her 'Mommy', the happy laughter of the four current members of her immediate family, the happy sighs Bianca gave after they had just made love or were just sitting contentedly, the first time Bianca said 'I love you'. Yes, their little one's heartbeat was equally moving and meant everything to her. Hearing it today made it all so real, and she was ready for it all.

Marissa's smile was still firmly in place as she entered the law firm's offices and met Ellie's smiling face. The young woman was covering the receptionist desk and on the phone making it unable for them to talk so the two women simply shared a small wave before Marissa headed towards her office.

"Hey, boss. What's got you in such a good mood this morning?" Lisa asked as she fell into step with the redhead.

"I just came from my doctor's appointment, and Bianca and I heard our little one's heartbeat."

"Oh wow! Really?! That had to have been so incredible."

"It was. Would you like to hear it? Bianca had the nurse record it for us."

"Seriously?! Heck yeah, I would!"

"You would what, Lisa? Hey, Marissa."

"Morning, Brian."

"Hey, Brian, Marissa and Bianca got to hear the baby's heartbeat today and recorded it. She's going to let me hear it."

Brian's eyes lit up hopefully. "Could I hear too? I remember when I heard Jamie's. It gave me chills. I still can't really say how incredible it was."

Marissa smiled. "Of course you can. Let's go to my office."

Lisa and Brian nodded and followed her. Once they were settled, Marissa started the recording. The brightest of smiles graced the redhead's lips as she heard that tiny yet strong heartbeat again. Lisa sat in awe having never heard anything like it while Brian gave Marissa a knowing smile. It truly was one of the most incredible sounds and was almost as amazing to him as when he'd heard his son's heartbeat.

/

Bianca was still smiling later that afternoon, still buzzing from the morning's doctor's appointment. She'd listened to the recording of their little one's heartbeat several times throughout the day. Each time made her smile even more and felt just like the first time. Bianca traded texts and phone calls with Marissa a couple of times, and the redhead had been doing the same thing as she had. During one their calls, Marissa had told her that she had shared the recording with Lisa and Brian after getting in and gave detailed descriptions of their reactions. Bianca then relayed Aya's and Jan's reactions. Both women were on a high and couldn't wait to share what they'd heard with everyone they knew, especially their family.

A knock on her door snapped the brunette back to the present.

Aya was standing in the doorway with a serious look on her face. "Bianca, there's some people here you need to meet."

"Okay, send them in."

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief at the appearance of two women, one older and one younger. There was a definite family resemblance between them. The younger one was blonde like the older one but taller by a few inches. Around her right eye, there was signs of bruising. An attempt had been made to conceal it with makeup, but unfortunately, Bianca had seen this too many times in too many others to not see it.

The brunette stood and welcomed them. "Diana, it's good to see you again. You must be Kirsten. Please, come in and have a seat."

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, I **_**had**_** to leave it there. You know by now that I get like that. Oh, I'll be a year older with the next update! I've got a few activities planned with friends to celebrate, but they shouldn't cause any interruption with the story. See you soon!**


	137. Kirsten's Story

**A/N: Howdy, fellow Minx lovers! Thanks for the continued support of this story be it by reviewing, reading or following! It's appreciated. I had a pretty good birthday. As to the NCAA tournament, my team lost in the finals. I'm still proud of them though. I'm getting ready to go help my sister move so I'll try and make this quick, but I feel I need to say a little something about this chapter which takes place right after the last one.**

**This chapter is personal to me. I'll explain that in the author's notes at the end. The subject matter might be a trigger for some because of the sensitive nature of what's discussed. Hope you enjoy this update. **

**/**

Bianca breathed a sigh of relief at the appearance of two women, one older and one younger. There was a definite family resemblance between them. The younger one was blonde like the older one but taller by a few inches. Around her right eye, there were signs of bruising. An attempt had been made to conceal it with makeup, but unfortunately, Bianca had seen this too many times in too many others to not see it.

The brunette stood and welcomed them. "Diana, it's good to see you again. You must be Kirsten. Please, come in and have a seat." Bianca led the two women to the sofa while she took a seat in a nearby chair. Aya hung back for the moment. Diana Holmes had specifically requested to see Bianca if she was available. Because she was, Aya respected her wishes and did as requested because she knew that Bianca was anxious to hear from them and would definitely make the time for the two women.

Bianca noticed Diana wince slightly as she took her seat. Her niece was quick to help her get settled and comfortable. Bianca and Aya shared a quick glance and knew something was definitely wrong with the older woman.

"Diana, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Bianca. Thank you."

Kirsten shook her head. "No, you're not, Aunt Diana. We should've gone to the hospital. You need to have a doctor check you out."

"No, Kirsten. I'll be fine, and I'll get looked at later. Right now, I need to make sure that you're safe. I can wait."

"I think I have a compromise." Bianca looked at Aya. "Who's here today?"

"Angie."

"Could you ask her to join us here? I'd like her to examine Mrs. Holmes."

Aya nodded. "I'm on my way."

Bianca turned back to the other women. "The Center has doctors that volunteer time each day on our premises. Dr. Angela Hubbard is here today. She's an excellent doctor and on staff at Pine Valley Hospital. She can exam you, Diana, and without either of you having to leave just yet. While she's doing that, it will give us a chance to talk, Kirsten, if you'd like."

"I'm willing if you're willing, Kirsten."

"Aunt Diana?"

"You promised me that you were willing to do this. Please, Kirsten, don't back out now."

The younger blonde took a deep breath and nodded. "I won't. I gave you my word, but I want that doctor to look at you, and you have to promise to do what she says. We're also going to call Uncle Jay. I know he's worried about you."

Diana looked at her niece. She knew Kirsten was right. Her husband was most likely worried about her since she hadn't actually talked with him in over 24 hours. She had sent him a quick text but that was all she had been able to do. "Deal. We'll also call your mother to let her know where you are."

Kirsten nodded. It had been far too long since she had really talked with her mom or dad.

"Bianca, I was told there was someone you needed me to examine."

"Hi, Angie. Yes, there is. Dr. Angela Hubbard, this is Diana Holmes and her niece Kirsten Tanner."

The doctor and the two women in question exchanged greetings.

"I need you to examine Diana."

Angie quickly assessed the situation and saw the women clutching each other's' hands. She knew from her experience working at the Center that she should keep the aunt and niece together. "Bianca, is it alright with you if I examine her here?"

Bianca could see relief flood the two blondes and agreed with Angie's suggestion. They needed to remain together for the immediate time being. "I'm fine with that. I'll pull the blinds so you can have some more privacy. Kirsten, why don't we have a seat over by my desk so they have a little more room?"

Diana gave her niece a reassuring smile. "I'll be fine." With that, Kirsten followed Bianca and took a seat near the brunette's desk but kept her eyes peeled on her aunt.

/

Angie opened her medical bag and looked at the older blonde. "So, Diana, where do you hurt exactly?"

"It's right around here." Diana indicated the rib area.

"Alright, let me take a look." As Angie began her exam, she questioned the other woman about her injuries. "Have you experienced any shortness of breath?"

"No, it's just really sore and hurts when I move a certain way."

"Okay. Can you tell me what happened? How did you get hurt?"

Diana winced as Angie touched a particular tender spot. "I was pushed into a counter."

"By who?"

/

"This is all my fault. Aunt Diana's hurt and in pain, and it's all because of me. I did this."

Bianca remained quiet. Sometimes, the best way to something was to actually not say anything. The brunette had learned this over time, and for the moment, Bianca let Kirsten ramble. She'd eventually reveal the truth because Bianca knew that the blonde was not actually responsible for whatever injuries her aunt had suffered. She was just blaming herself.

"She wouldn't be hurt if it wasn't for me. She got hurt trying to protect, trying to make me see reason." Kirsten took a tissue that was offered by Bianca. She hadn't even realized she was crying until now. All of the emotions that she had kept inside for the last 24 hours were finally bursting through the wall she had created around them. "Aunt Diana came to Llanview last Friday and checked into a hotel. Amelia left early Saturday morning. Once I was sure the coast was clear, I called Aunt Diana, and she came over. We thought it'd be easier to talk without Amelia around. She really doesn't like my family, especially Aunt Diana and especially after our trip back here on the 4th of July. Amelia thought Aunt Diana was badmouthing her to me when we were alone. The thing is we were only alone for like five minutes if that and didn't really have a chance to talk about anything before Amelia busted in and interrupted us. On the drive back to Llanview, she gave me the third degree. I thought she had finally let things go, but boy was I wrong. About a week later, she completely lost it."

"What happened?"

Not wanting her aunt to hear this part and feel any guilt about what happened, Kirsten lowered her voice. "I got an invitation to a surprise anniversary party for Aunt Diana and Uncle Jay from my Mom. When Amelia saw it, it just set her off, and she was screaming at the top of her lungs. The back door was open and needed to be closed so the neighbors couldn't hear what was going on. I tried to get past her to close it, but she grabbed my arm and just kept twisting." Kirsten made a face that reflected the revulsion she still felt at the memory of what happened next. "I heard something pop. The next thing I knew, I was on the floor in pain, and the police were there. It turns out a neighbor did overhear and called them."

Kirsten paused and glanced over at her aunt when she heard a hiss of pain coming from her. "Aunt Diana?"

"I'm fine, dear. Dr. Hubbard is just doing her job."

The younger blonde nodded and continued her story. The look of concern she had for her aunt was replaced with one of disgust. "The police didn't take anything seriously, not anything they saw and not anything they heard. No, the only thing they got out of it was that two women were fighting. I heard one of them say they thought it was _hot_, and the other one just smirked and agreed with him. The neighbor who called them asked them if they were going to do anything. The police rolled their eyes and acted like it was a big imposition, but they whipped out their notebooks and asked for our names. When Amelia gave them hers, they recognized it right away. I swear I thought one of them was going to pass out he was so scared. They couldn't get out of there fast enough and kept apologizing to her for the interruption. Amelia practically threw the neighbor out as soon as the police were gone. After she did that and we were alone, she called her mom and dad. They rushed over and took me to the hospital. Everything was done quietly and off the books. Amelia apologized a few times while her father threatened me. He said he would ruin me and come after my family if I said anything to anyone. And as he so rightfully pointed out, who would believe me? There were no records, no paper trail. I had nothing to back up my story while they had everything on their side. Amelia's mother then told me not to even think about leaving. I asked her why she cared if I stayed or not. She said it wouldn't be good for appearances, and that I would just have to learn to live with it.

So, I kept quiet. Who would believe me anyway, and how could I tell them? I could just never do anything right for her, and it was my fault that she would get upset. I couldn't really blame her. I look at everybody else's relationships in my family, and they seem perfect. They don't have any major problems and are so happy. I just want that. I had to keep trying. And then, Amelia kept apologizing and buying me flowers and all kinds of gifts, and things did seem to get a little better. I thought she was truly remorseful. I talked to Aunt Diana off and on, in private of course. Finally, I told her what was happening after another blowup from Amelia. It felt so good to tell someone and have them believe me. She kept telling me I had to leave, but I was so scared. Aunt Diana said she had a plan and would help me get away and get someplace safe. I told her I wasn't sure about leaving, but I was willing to listen. That's when she came to Llanview. She was right. I needed to leave so I started to pack a few things while Aunt Diana went back to the hotel to check out. When she was done there, she was coming back to my place to pick me up. The plan was to make a quick and clean getaway. What's the saying by Robert Burns? The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray."

"I'm all too familiar with that saying. What happened?"

"Amelia. She got home early and saw my bags packed. She started pleading and begging me to stay. She'd cry and then yell and then cry some more. While all of this was going on, my cellphone kept ringing. It was sitting on the counter, and Amelia was in between it and me. I had a feeling it was Aunt Diana but wasn't sure. Obviously, I couldn't answer it to find out since I couldn't get to it. I also couldn't get a word in edgewise with Amelia because she kept going on and on about how much she loved and was willing to change for me. She promised to get help and work on our relationship. She was willing to do whatever she needed to keep me. After a while, she accused me of just walking away and giving up without even trying. Me not trying? I have the bruises and scars that prove otherwise."

/

"I'm sorry, Diana. I know this hurts, but I'm almost done."

Diana nodded. She knew the doctor was just doing her job, but it still hurt.

Angie thought it would be a good idea to take the blonde's mind off of what she was doing. "How did this happen?"

"I got Kirsten to agree to leave her girlfriend. While she was packing, I went back to my hotel to check out. I wanted to get her away from Llanview before Amelia got back."

"She's the girlfriend?"

"Yes. I tried calling Kirsten repeatedly to tell her I was on my way, but she didn't answer. I had a feeling that something bad happened so I rushed back over to get her. When I pulled up to the house, I saw Amelia's car in the driveway. I don't know that I've ever been so scared in my life, but I had to do something. She's my niece. I love her and would do anything for her. I got out of my car and walked to the door. I thought about having my cellphone ready to call the police if I needed to, but then, I remembered where I was and what they did the last time they were called there."

"What did they do?"

"Nothing. Oh no, wait. Sorry. They did do something. They apologized to Amelia for bothering her. You see, her family has pretty strong connections in Llanview."

Angie shook her head in disgust. She knew from Jesse that some police departments would bow to outside pressures and influences. He did his very best to make sure his department was not like that. "That's awful. I'm sorry. I can promise you that it's not like that in Pine Valley."

"So Bianca has assured me." Diana was hit with a sudden realization. "Hubbard. Are you related to Chief Hubbard?"

"He's my husband."

"I didn't make the connection until just now. I have heard good things about him and not just from Bianca."

Angie smiled proudly. "They're all true. So, what happened next?"

"The door was open slightly, and I could hear Amelia carrying on. So, I went in. I had no other choice and really didn't give it a second thought. When Amelia saw me, she completely lost it. She started screaming at me, blaming me for everything. She rushed over, but Kirsten jumped in the way to protect me. Amelia punched her."

"The black eye?"

"Yes. Amelia then went after me. She slammed me into a counter. I couldn't breathe. Kirsten got back on her feet and pushed Amelia away. She told her to get the hell out of there before she called the police. Amelia brought up what happened the last time, but my niece didn't back down this time. She told her she wasn't talking the Llanview police. She was talking the state police. That seemed to do it, at least for a few minutes. As soon as she left, we grabbed Kirsten's bags and got the hell out of there. Kirsten wanted to stop at a hospital and get me checked out, but I didn't want to take the chance and stop. We had no way of knowing if Amelia was going to change her mind and come after us or send the police after us. We needed to keep going and get out of Llanview. We needed to get someplace safe. I knew this place would be safe."

"You're right. The Miranda Center is a very safe place."

/

"I wanted to stop and have someone look at Diana, but she wouldn't have it. She insisted we drive straight here. She wanted us to get someplace safe."

"Given your last experience with the Llanview police, I can understand her concern."

"Yeah. It's funny, you know? I thought the police were supposed to help, but the two that showed up were pathetic. How can I trust them? It was all one big joke to them. I knew they were thinking there was no way a woman could abuse another woman like that. You don't hear about it happening on the news."

"What the police did was wrong, and they very well might have been thinking that. I can assure you though that they don't reflect the entire police department."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I know the police commissioner as well as the district attorney. They would be furious if they knew what happened. If you happen to remember the names of the officers involved, I can pass them along to Bo and Nora."

"I'll never forget them." Kirsten stated bitterly as she wrote down their names. After she handed the paper back to Bianca, the blonde continued. "You believe me? I mean you don't have a problem with my sexual orientation?"

"Yes, I believe you. As I told your aunt, abuse doesn't discriminate, and it crosses all boundaries: race, gender, age, religion, economic, sexual orientation. The Miranda Center doesn't discriminate either. It doesn't matter to us. Our only goal is to help."

As Kirsten was trying to process what Bianca said, a picture on the brunette's desk caught her eye. It was a wedding featuring two brides, one of which was Bianca. The other bride, a redhead, and Bianca were gazing at each and absolutely beaming. Seeing that gave the blonde a glimmer of hope and belief. "Aunt Diana says you can help. Is that true?"

"Do you really want help?"

Kirsten nodded. "I do. When I saw her hurt Aunt Diana, I knew. I have to get away. I can't live like this anymore. I've known that for a while. It's just that I'm so embarrassed. How do I face people, my friends and family? What will they think of me? They all think Amelia's perfect and could never do anything like this. She wouldn't be capable of doing this."

"Abusers, by and large, are charming and engaging individuals. They show one face to the world and another to those they abuse. That's how they get away with it."

"That's definitely Amelia."

"You're forgetting one important fact. Not everyone thinks she's perfect. Not everyone buys her act."

Kirsten's eyes darted to her aunt. "Aunt Diana."

"Yeah, your aunt. As to what others are going to think, those that know you and care about you will first be thankful that you're safe and out of that situation. Then, they'll think you're brave."

Kirsten scoffed. "Brave? Me? Hardly. If I was brave, I would've gotten out of there a long time ago. If I was brave, this wouldn't have happened at all."

"That's not how abuse works. While it's true that some people leave the first time something happens, other times, it doesn't happen like that. It builds up over time, so slowly that you don't realize how wrong things are. You feel trapped, like there's no way out, no escape. That isn't true though. There is a way out, but it takes courage to take that first step, to ask for help and break the cycle of abuse. It takes someone who's brave. You're not the first, nor will you be the last, to feel the way you are. I know a woman who helps people for a living. She's a therapist. She's smart and funny and is really good at what she does. She was married and was, for all appearances, happy. What no one else knew was that her husband was abusing her. Something happened that made her realize that she needed to leave him. The thing that she was so worried about was how other people were going to see her, what they were going to think about her. How could someone that does what she does for a living allow that to happen to her. I'll tell you what I told her. If she didn't want to tell anybody what happened, she didn't have to. If she did though, people would understand. They wouldn't look down on her, think any less of her. She had to think about herself, getting herself safe and healthy. That's all that those who care about her would want. That's what was important and what really mattered. Everything else would work out, but for that to happen, she needed to get help."

"What happened to her?"

"She left him, got help in the form of counseling and joined a support group. It's taken her some time, but she met a really good guy who treats her like she deserves to be treated. They're getting married next year. She's broken that cycle."

"You mentioned it being a cycle."

"Abuse is a cycle. Some abusers were themselves abused as children or witnessed it in their families. You said something earlier that has me wondering. Amelia's mother told you that you had to get used to what was happening. I can't help but wonder if she was abused by her husband. Amelia could've witnessed that and thought that was just the way things were in a relationship. I'm by no means justifying what she's done to you. She shouldn't have done it plain and simple, and there's no getting away from that. It's wrong and there are no excuses or justifications."

"If she saw that though, wouldn't she see how wrong it is? Wouldn't she want to spare someone else that pain?"

"You would think that, but that's not how it goes sometimes. It's about power and control. By perpetuating that cycle and becoming the abuser, they take that power back, gain control of the situation and of their life. There's someone else I know who was abused as a child as were her sisters. Their father took great delight in causing physical and emotional pain. When they became adults and moved away, he couldn't do that anymore. One day though, he tried again she was visiting her mother. The woman commented on his behavior. She told me that he was ill and on oxygen full-time. Her mother wasn't getting his breathing treatment ready fast enough for him so he threw it across the room. The woman told me she made a smartass comment of some sort. She said she couldn't help it. It just slipped right out. After a lifetime of witnessing these kinds of scenes and not saying anything, she figured it was bound to happen. Of course, she didn't stop to think of where she was standing at the time. She was literally trapped in a corner. Her father stalked over to her. He was coming after her. There wasn't a doubt in her mind that he was going to try and hurt her. She had a moment of clarity in that instant. He may get a punch in, but she wasn't going to back down. She was going to defend herself, no matter what it took. He was going down. She wasn't that scared little girl anymore."

"Did he?"

"No, he didn't hit her. Her mother finally did something after all of those years. She stepped in between them. That was enough to stop him. After all of this happened and she was alone, the woman thought her legs were going to give out on her. She didn't think her knees had ever shaken that much before or since, but she felt so empowered for finally taking that stand. What's sad though is that to this day, she doesn't know who her mom was protecting."

"What do you mean? Surely, she was protecting her daughter."

"She can't say that for sure. Her mom denies what happened to the woman and her sisters, and she never tried to stop it when they were children. So, the woman can't help but think that her mother was protecting him."

"That's awful. Does she see them?"

"Her father passed away about a year later. She said it was the biggest weight lifted off of her shoulders when she found out he died. As to her mother, the relationship is strained. Her mother still denies things, and now, she's showing early signs of dementia."

"I can't believe that she went through that. It's so sad."

"It is. No child should have to feel that way. There's something that's amazing though. After everything they went through as children, they have happy and productive lives. Their children have never been abused. They somehow found the strength to break that cycle. They didn't want anyone else to go through what they did. That's what they're most proud of."

Kirsten shook her head. "They were really brave."

"If you asked them, they wouldn't say that, just like you. They did what they had to do to survive. She told me once that while she can't change the past, she can choose to not let it define her."

"What do I need to do?"

"Are you going to get help, dear?"

Kirsten glanced up and saw her aunt and the doctor standing by them. "How's my aunt, doctor?"

"She has some bruised ribs but will be okay."

"You didn't answer my question, Kirsten."

"Yes, Aunt Diana. I'm going to get help. Whatever you need me to do, Bianca, I'm ready. I'm done with all of this. I want my life back."

The older blonde sighed in relief. "Oh, dear, I know it's hard, but it's the right thing to do. You deserve better. You deserve happiness, and that's all I've ever wanted for you."

"I know. Thank you for not giving up on me and helping me finally see what I couldn't, what I wasn't willing to. I know it's going to be a lot of work, but I'm ready."

"And your family will be there every step of the way to help you."

Kirsten hugged her aunt lightly, not wanting to aggravate her injuries. "Thank you. So, Bianca, where do I start?"

"By letting Dr. Hubbard exam you. I'd really like her to take a look at the eye as well as give you a complete exam. I'm guessing it's been a while since you've had one?"

"Yes, it has. I really didn't think I could because they would see what I was trying to hide."

Bianca nodded. "I understand. After that, we'll get started on having you transferred to a safe house. Would you like us to call your parents or any other family members and have them meet you here? We can't tell them where you are once you're in a safe house. We do that for everyone's safety."

Kirsten's cellphone rang, and the blonde and her aunt froze. Everyone knew who it was without even looking at the caller id. "It's Amelia. What do I do?"

Aya glanced at Bianca who nodded. The office manager was quite adept at handling these types of situations. "You want us to handle it?"

"Yeah, I do. I can't talk to her."

"I'll need your cellphone."

Kirsten handed it over to Aya. She immediately ignored the call and began scrolling through the phone's apps. Aya shook her head when she found what she suspected might be on there. The phone began ringing again. The office manager turned it over and removed the battery which rendered the phone silent and unusable. "You would've had to have turned it over before going to a safe house. Now, she won't be able to track you."

"Track me?"

"There was an app on the phone that would allow another phone to know your location. Parents use it to keep track of their kids, and …"

"People like Amelia would use it to keep track of people like me." Kirsten nodded in understanding. "I had no idea that was on there. That explains a lot. I always thought it was odd how she'd show up at different places that I happened to be at. She said it was just coincidence, but it always bothered me. I really do need to go to a safe house, don't I? She's not just going to give up easily, is she?"

Aya shook her head sadly. "No, I don't think she is if she was tracking your cellphone. There's no shame in going to a safe house. It is exactly what it says it is. It's someplace safe for you to heal and regroup."

Kirsten nodded again and turned to Bianca. "I would like to see my mom and dad."

"Your aunt can call them then while you go back to the exam room with Dr. Hubbard. Aya will get everything started on our end. Tonight, you'll be someplace where you'll feel safe. Are you ready?"

The younger blonde could feel a huge weight being lifted from her shoulders. There were people that believed her and would help her. She knew it wouldn't be easy, but she knew she was taking the first vital step she needed to take in order to heal, gain her freedom, and find herself again. "Yeah, I am."

Diana hugged her niece. "I'm so proud of you, and I love you. You're not alone."

"I love you too, Aunt Diana. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you or thank you enough."

"You don't owe me anything, Kirsten, just take care of yourself."

Angie stepped forward. "Are you ready for me to exam you?"

"Yeah, let's go. Oh, Bianca, could you make sure she calls my uncle? I know he's worried about her."

Bianca nodded. "I'll make sure, and I'll send her back to you as soon as we've talked to your parents."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

**/**

**A/N: I mention the stories of two other women in this chapter. They are based on real life events and involve people I know and care about. I didn't give all of the details but enough that I hope that I added some validity to story. I also hope that they showed there is hope for those that are abused. The cycles they were in have been broken, and they are living good lives. The scars are still there where you really can't see them, but they don't define them. It's part of who they are but not all that they are. I hope you take the positives away from this chapter. See you soon!**


	138. Getting to Know the Players

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. Sorry for posting late. I was having problems uploading to the site. This chapter picks up where the last one left off and then jumps a few days. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

It was late by the time Bianca got home. Between everything that had happened at the Miranda Center earlier that day with Kirsten as well as the day to day activities of the Center itself and then class, it had been a very long day. The brunette sighed. While Bianca enjoyed her class, she didn't like the fact that it took time away from her family, especially with Marissa being pregnant. _I only have four more classes this semester and then I'm done and am taking a break. I really want to focus on Rissa and kids and enjoy this time. I don't want to miss any of it. I know she wants me to finish my degree, and I want that too. It's just that this is such a special time. School will be there later. What's going on with my family now is what matters the most to me._ With that, Bianca got out of her car and headed inside knowing that her family was asleep, well at least the kids were. Her wife was probably doing her best to wait up for her. Bianca was immediately met at the door leading from the garage to the kitchen by Max. As soon as the golden retriever saw who was coming inside, his tail started wagging happily. The brunette placed her purse and bag on the counter and bent down to pet him.

"Hey, boy. How ya doin'? Good boy for keeping an eye on everybody for me."

Max responded with a soft bark before leaving the kitchen. His job of making sure there wasn't an intruder was done.

Bianca's stomach growled reminding her that she had been so busy during the day that she had skipped dinner. The brunette opened the refrigerator to see what she could quickly scrounge up. The results of her search caused her to smile and shake her head, not surprised at all by what she found. Inside she found a microwaveable container with a post-it note attached reading, _'B, In case you didn't a chance to have dinner. Love, M'_. Bianca opened the container and found her wife's specialty, Pasta a 'la Tasker, which also happened to be a family favorite. The brunette popped the dish in the microwave and headed upstairs to check on the kids. After giving each of them a kiss covering them back up with the blankets that had been tossed aside, Bianca headed back downstairs to the kitchen. It was then that she noticed something on one of the counter's in the room, a wine glass, bottle of wine and corkscrew along with another post-it note that read, '_B, I thought you might enjoy this. I talked with Jan earlier, and she told me a little about what happened at the Center. I'm pretty sure you earned it. If I'm asleep when you get home, wake me up. Love, M'_. Bianca grinned as she opened the wine and poured herself a glass. She replaced the cork and took a gratifying sip. Next, Bianca grabbed a tray and placed a couple of forks, some napkins, a glass of water and her wine glass on it before adding the dish containing her dinner to it. The brunette then padded down the hallway to the master bedroom.

/

"Hey. It took you long enough to get back here." Marissa teased in greeting to her wife as she removed her glasses and placed them along with the book she had been reading on her nightstand.

"Hey yourself. I thought you'd be asleep. That's why it took me so long. If I knew you were still awake, I definitely would've come back here first." Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss before handing her wife the tray. The brunette quickly removed her shoes, got settled onto their bed and took the tray back.

"I see you found my notes."

"I did. Thank you. You know me too well. I didn't get a chance to eat anything. When I saw you wanted me to wake you up if you were asleep, I thought you might want to join me in a late snack."

Marissa chuckled and took the fork Bianca offered her. "_You_ know _me_ too well. I'll just have a couple of bites."

"So, you talked to Jan, huh?"

"Yep. I had a question for her on a previous case, and she told me a little bit about what happened. How'd it go?"

"Diana was slightly injured when she went to pick up Kirsten and Amelia got home earlier."

"Is she okay?"

"Yes, Angie was there today and checked her out. Thankfully, it's just bruised ribs and nothing more serious. While Angie was taking care of her, I talked with Kirsten."

"Tell me everything."

And that's exactly what Bianca did. Talking with Marissa always helped her decompress and feel better after a long, hard day. It was the same for Marissa. The support and understanding they received from each other was something they had never received from another partner before, and it was just one of the many things that made their relationship so special and strong.

/

_Saturday – Dinner at Minx Manor with Marissa's team_

Marissa was on her way back outside to take Bianca some tongs for the grill when she heard someone at the front door. She turned to Miranda who was helping them prepare for their guests by making some lemonade. "Mimo, could you take these out to your Mom for me please? I need to see who's at the door."

"Sure, Ma."

"Thank you."

/

The redhead smiled as she opened the door to their first guests, the Douglas family.

"Issa!" Jamie lunged forward from his mother's arms towards Marissa.

"Hi, Jamie! How's my godson?" Marissa laughed as she happily took the struggling, curly-haired toddler from his mother.

"Sorry, Marissa. He just gets so excited to see you." Stef chuckled.

"It's no problem. I'm excited to see him too. Come on in."

"Is anyone else here yet? I didn't see any other cars." Brian asked.

"No, you guys are the first ones here."

"How are you feeling?" Stef asked as she smiled watching her son lay his head on Marissa's shoulder. Jamie absolutely adored the redhead, and she could tell the feeling was definitely mutual.

"Pretty good. The morning sickness has let up a lot, and I really like the bursts of energy I get. They come in pretty handy."

"Brian told me you got to hear the baby's heartbeat."

Marissa smiled brightly and nodded. "We did. It was one of the most amazing things I've ever heard."

"Yeah, it really is. When's the ultrasound?"

"Our next appointment. I can't wait and neither can Bianca." Marissa led them into the kitchen.

"What can't I wait for? Hi, Jamie." Bianca, having just come in from outside, smiled as she tickled the toddler in her wife's arms.

"Banca!" Jamie giggled and reached for Bianca.

The brunette bounced the toddler happily. "Hi, Stef, Brian. How are you guys doing?"

"We're good, Bianca."

"Marissa was just telling Brian and me that you both can't wait for the ultrasound."

"She's right. We can't."

"Where's the rest of your brood?"

"Our minions are outside with Max." Marissa answered as she scooped Jamie, who was already reaching for her again, back up from her wife.

Jamie's eyes lit up at the mention of the dog's name. "Max?!"

Marissa chuckled and quickly glanced at his parents who nodded. "Do you want to see Max, Jamie?"

The toddler grinned and bobbed his head up and down excitedly. "Uh huh!"

"Let's go. We'll be right outside."

Bianca smiled as she watched her wife with the kids and their dog. "I'm surprised he let me hold him as long as I did with Rissa around."

Brian laughed along with the brunette. "Yeah, Marissa is definitely one of his favorite people, but he likes an awful lot too. He gets so excited when he hears we're coming to visit."

Stef nodded. "She's a natural. I know I don't have to worry about him when he's with either of you. I can't even begin to tell you how happy we are for both of you."

"Thank you."

A squeal from Jamie had the three adults glancing outside. The toddler was throwing a ball for Max to chase.

"Look at that arm! That's my boy!" Brian puffed out his chest in pride.

Stef shot her husband an amused look. "Excuse me, but I think I had a little something to do with that, thank you very much."

Brian smiled sheepishly at his wife. "All the best qualities come from you, darlin'."

"Nice save. Let's go see _our_ boy."

Bianca laughed at the couple and led them outside.

/

"This looks like the right place. Hey, boss."

Marissa glanced up and smiled at the trio joining them in the backyard led by her former paralegal. "Hey, Lisa, Ellie, Brandon. You all decided to come together, huh?"

"Yeah, it was easier since we're all without partners at the moment. Brandon even let me drive."

"Hey, I have no problem with a woman driving. I grew up in a house full of you so I'm good with it. It helps that you knew how to get here too."

Marissa waved Bianca over. "Brandon, I don't know think you've met my wife yet. Bianca, this is Brandon Casanas. Brandon, this is Bianca."

The lawyer extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Bianca smiled and the offered hand. "It's nice to meet you too, Brandon. I've heard a lot about you."

"All good I hope."

Marissa laughed. "Well …"

"She's kidding. Of course it was all good. I have to say I'm curious about all of the contacts you have and how plugged in you are to the rumor mill."

"I know. Explain that to me. I work at the front desk, and he hears more than I do." Ellie joked.

Lisa chimed in. "Yeah, they talk about women being gossips. They've got nothing on him."

Brandon rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous."

"Keep telling yourself that, law boy, and maybe you'll believe it." Lisa patted him on the shoulder while Ellie snorted.

Lisa saw another group of three make their way to the backyard and waved them over. "Over here, guys."

Marissa greeted the latest arrivals. "I'm glad you all could make it. Bianca, this is Mark, Robin and Riley. Mark is Claudia's paralegal, Robin is with Sofia, and Riley is with Brandon."

"Yeah, Riley drew the short straw." Lisa chuckled.

Brandon threw a playful glare her way. "I'm a great boss, aren't I, Riley?"

The young man paused before finally cracking up. "Sorry, I couldn't help it. You're good, not as good as Marissa though."

"Well, that goes without saying." Brandon grinned.

"It's nice to meet all of you and to see that you're sucking up to my wife properly."

Marissa laughed at the shocked expressions on the others' faces at Bianca's deadpan delivery.

"Wow, we all just got burned." Brandon shook his head.

"Yes, you did, but don't feel bad. You got burned by Erica Kane's daughter. Consider it a badge of honor." Marissa smirked before welcoming their latest guests who were making their way around the side of the house. "Sofia, come on over."

"Hi, everybody. This is my partner, Rebecca Dermott. Rebecca, this is everybody. You know Robin already."

"Hi, Rebecca. Good to see you again."

"Hi, Robin. It's good to see you too. Hi, everybody else."

"Don't pay attention to the rest of them. They don't matter." Sofia teased. "These are the two that matter. This is Marissa and Bianca."

"Hey, wait a minute." Brandon protested.

Marissa laughed. "This is why I picked her to be on the team. She's a very smart woman. It's nice to meet you, Rebecca."

"You're going to be impossible to live with for a while, aren't you?" Bianca sighed dramatically looking at her wife.

"Yep, I guess I am. Just remember, she said you mattered too."

"Oh, that's right she did. She is very smart." Bianca grinned. "It's nice to meet you, Rebecca."

The other woman laughed at the playfulness of the couple. "It's nice to meet both of you. It's nice to meet all of you despite what Sofia says."

"Is Sofia causing problems again?" Claudia joked as she joined the others with her husband and daughter.

"Ah, you know me too well, Claudia."

"Everyone, this is my husband Rob and our daughter Andrea, Andi for short."

Brian and Stef joined the others bringing all of the kids with them and introductions were completed.

"Who would like a tour of the house?" Bianca offered.

"I'd love to see the place."

"So would I."

"Count me in."

Marissa smiled. "Do you want to lead the tour while I get drinks and check on dinner?"

"I'll help Marissa." Stef offered.

Brian chimed in. "I'll keep an eye on the kids while you guys are doing that."

"I'll help Brian. He won't be outnumbered as badly." Lisa added with a grin.

Bianca nodded. "Thanks. That sounds good to me. Everyone who wants a tour follow me."

/

After the tour, the group reassembled for dinner. The food was setup buffet-style, and since the weather was still mild, it was decided they would dine outside on the patio. Once everyone was settled and enjoying dinner, conversation began in earnest.

"Okay, I have to ask. Why is this place called Minx Manor?" Brandon inquired.

Those who knew the story laughed. Bianca was the exception, and she rolled her eyes. The brunette was getting better at accepting the name in large part because she realized a while ago that she was fighting a losing battle.

"Minx is our Moms' ship name!" Miranda happily proclaimed.

"Their ship name?" Rob asked confused.

"Oh, you mean like Calzona for Callie and Arizona on 'Grey's Anatomy'." Sofia offered.

"Or Rizzles for Jane and Maura on 'Rizzoli and Isles'." Claudia added.

Rebecca supplied another name. "Or Caskett for Castle and Beckett on 'Castle'."

"Exactly." Marissa nodded.

"It's a name given to a pairing or couple." Lisa explained.

"No offense, but how did you get a ship name and why?" Brandon was curious.

"Greenlee." Bianca smirked.

"Greenlee? As in Jack's daughter?" Sofia asked.

Marissa laughed at her wife's reaction. "One in the same. She gave it to us a while ago kind of as somewhat of a joke, and it stuck."

"It's the name of my monkey too! Greenlee helped me name him." Gabby added proudly.

"Yep, it sure is, Monkey. When we moved in here, Greenlee couldn't help herself and got us the plaque. Since it was a gift, I felt we had to display it. Thus, Minx Manor was born."

"We didn't _have_ to display it." Bianca muttered to her wife's amusement.

"I told Ma they should brand the name and apply for a trademark."

The eyes of all of the adults focused on Miranda, shocked that a young girl would know about branding and trademarks. The only ones not surprised were her mothers who were smiling proudly.

"Tr … trademark? How are old are you, Miranda?"

"I'm 9 ½." Miranda shrugged.

Marissa winked at her oldest daughter. "I'm looking into it."

Bianca chuckled at the scene in front of her. "Miranda wants to be a lawyer someday and likes to read Rissa's law books from time to time."

Miranda nodded happily. "I wanna work with Ma when I'm older."

"I'll have a place for you whenever you're ready, Mimo."

"Wow. I think I better keep my eye out on you, Miranda."

Brandon's remark made the young brunette giggle and tease back. "Yeah, you probably should."

Marissa laughed. "Ah, the Kane woman is strong in that one."

"It most definitely is." Bianca grinned.

"So, do you want to be a lawyer when you're older, AJ?" Sofia asked.

"Nah, I wanna be an architect."

"AJ's likes designing and building things. He's got a really good eye." Bianca stated proudly causing the boy to grin in reply.

Claudia looked at the current youngest member of the Tasker-Montgomery family. "What about you, Gabby?"

"I don't know. My Mommies say I've got lots of time so I don't have to pick something yet if I don't want to."

"Well, your Mommies are very smart."

All three of the couple's children nodded in agreement.

"Did you decorate this place yourselves?" Rebecca asked.

Bianca shook her head. "No, we hired a decorator. Her name's Trish Moore."

"Oh, she's very good. I love her use of color and light."

"Rebecca is an artist." Sofia stated with a bit of pride.

"Rebecca Dermott! I knew that name sounded familiar. Bianca, we saw her work at that gallery in New York last year."

"That's right! We did! We love your work."

"Thank you. It's always nice to hear."

"She's brilliant, and it's not bragging if it's true. I would brag about her more if she'd let me. So, I'm going to take the chance while I've got it. She's going to have a show here in December at the Churchill Gallery." Sofia smiled.

Rebecca simply shook her head mildly embarrassed by her partner's boasts but also loving it at the same time.

Marissa eyed the artist. "Well now, you have to keep us in the loop because Bianca and I will definitely want to see it."

Rebecca nodded in acknowledgement and then shifted the attention onto someone else. She didn't want anyone she knew to feel obligated to compliment or buy any of her work. "What do you do, Rob?"

"I teach."

Stef perked up. "So do I. I teach high school math."

Rob shivered. "You brave soul, teaching math to hormonal teenagers. You have my respect. I teach history at PVU."

"Ah, your students are a little older and present their own challenges. How do you keep all of those dates and events straight?"

"I could ask you the same thing with all of those equations and theorems. Math was never my strong suit."

"Oh my gosh, you're Professor Robert Stein. I thought you looked familiar. I've seen you around campus."

"You go to PVU?"

"I'm taking a class."

"Really? What?"

"Bianca is working on her master's degree in social work." Marissa added.

"That's admirable that you're going back and doing that. I forgot what you did for a living. Claudia says you founded and run the Miranda Center."

Marissa saw the questioning looks on several of the others putting the name of the facility together with the name of their oldest daughter. A sharp shake of her head stopped any questions in their tracks.

"Yes, that would be me. It's very special to me."

"You do a lot of good work there from what I hear."

"It sounds very impressive from what Sofia has told me." Rebecca added.

"I'm just being honest, and your staff is phenomenal." Sofia offered.

"Countless lives have been changed forever because of the work they do there. It's been such a positive influence on their lives as well as the community as a whole. It's all because of Bianca." Marissa smiled proudly at her wife.

"You give me way too much credit. I honestly think I get more out of it than I give, and the staff would say the same thing."

"Mommy, can we go play?"

"May we go play?" Bianca corrected her youngest.

Gabby sighed but resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Her brother and sister had put her up to the question and now she was having her grammar being corrected. From where she sat, this was their fault, and she'd figure a way to make them pay. "_May_ we go play?"

"Have you all finished eating?"

Heads bobbed up and down.

"I can keep an eye on Andi, Mr. and Mrs. Stein." Miranda volunteered.

It was easy to see their four year old daughter had taken a shine to Miranda and that the young girl was sincere and serious about her offer. If you added that with the fact that both parents would be nearby, the decision was easy.

Claudia smiled. "Thank you, Miranda. That's very nice of you, and you can call us Rob and Claudia."

"You're welcome and thanks."

"Andi, you be good for Miranda."

"K!" The four year old smiled happily and followed Miranda and Gabby.

"You want me to keep an eye on Jamie? We'll just be on the swings like we were earlier, and I promise I won't swing him hard." AJ asked as he looked between Brian and Stef.

"What do you say, Jamie? Do you want to go with AJ?"

Jamie grinned at his mother and nodded excitedly. "Uh huh!"

"Alright then. Go with AJ and be good. Thanks, AJ!"

"You're welcome."

"Your kids are great." Brandon watched as they all played on the jungle gym.

"We're pretty proud of them. They have their moments though." Bianca smiled.

"Yes, they do. I saw the way Gabby was looking at AJ and Miranda. I have a feeling she's plotting something against them. It's got to be the Kane woman in her." Marissa was clearly amused.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Oh please, like you don't plot."

"Sorry, boss, but I've got to agree with Bianca. You are good at plotting." Lisa grinned.

Claudia nodded. "I have a feeling we're really going to need that for Sam's case. The more we find out about her uncle, the more I don't like."

"You're not going to get any argument from me on that. I've got Mitch following him and digging into his past. If there's a skeleton in his closet, we'll find it." All those present saw the glint in those hazel eyes and knew she meant every word.

"I've got a couple of ideas I'd like to run by you regarding the case but only if it's okay. I know we're outside of office hours so ..." Claudia looked between their hosts.

Bianca smiled and nodded. She knew Marissa had come up with some ideas herself earlier today and had used Bianca as a sounding board. The brunette, however, knew her limits when it came to legal issues. Marissa needed to talk them through with people that would fully grasp all of the complexities involved with the legal system. What she appreciated though was the fact that Marissa didn't go into work mode and was leaving the decision of whether or not this discussion would continue now up to Bianca. The brunette could tell from the expression on her wife's face that she would be fine with whatever Bianca decided. "It's for Sam so why not take advantage of all of these great legal minds while you're all here together. Don't worry about us. I think we'll manage to entertain ourselves just fine."

"Thank you." Marissa gave a grateful smile to her wife before turning to her team. "Tell me what you've come up with, and I'll share a couple of ideas I came up with."

Bianca stood and started to clear the table. "I just want to put some of this away. I'll be right back."

"Let me help you. It'll go quicker that way." Stef offered.

Rob shook his head, amused by his wife. This was something he was familiar with. "I'll help too."

"Count me in as well." Rebecca added. "That look on Sofia's face? I recognize it all too well."

Stef sighed. "The same with Brian. We've lost them for a while, but it's for an extremely good cause." Stef knew how important the case was to her friends and how much they cared about Sam. She really liked the teen herself, so much so that Sam had babysat for her and Brian, and their son was pretty crazy about her.

"Yes, it is." Bianca glanced at her wife who was now in full _lawyer mode_. The other lawyers had shifted their chairs and were now gathered around her wife. Ellie had somehow found a pad of paper and pen and was taking notes.

Bianca and the others couldn't help but chuckle at their other halves.

"So, Rebecca, tell me about your show here."

/

_The following Monday_

"Don't' forget to ask if you can sleep over Friday night after we get back from the movie."

Sam smiled at her best friend Molly. The teen had taken Sam under her wing from her first day at Pine Valley High School. Since that time, the two were pretty much inseparable. "I won't, Molly. I'll ask as soon as I get home and text you right away."

"Are you going to the Center now?"

"Yeah, Aya has some big project that she wants me to start on for her. I'll probably get home around 6:30, maybe a little after."

"Sounds good. It's gonna be so much fun." Molly stopped in her tracks. "Um, Sam, who's that guy by your car?"

Sam glanced over to where Molly was looking and saw a man she didn't know leaning against her beloved blue Honda Civic, the used car the Walkers had given her for her birthday. Sam had no idea who he was but didn't like the way he was looking at her. It was definitely creeping her out. "I don't know, but I'm going to find out."

The teens approached the car warily. Molly was right with Sam. There was no way she was going to let her best friend confront this guy alone.

"Who are you and why are you leaning on my car?"

The man smiled widely and extended his hand. "Hi, Samantha. My name is Russ Payne, and I'm your uncle. I thought we could talk and get to know each other."

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, my evil side made me leave it there. She's really hard to deal with sometimes. If you celebrate the holiday, Happy Easter! See you soon!**


	139. Ambush

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! As always, your continued support of this story is greatly appreciated. This is chapter is a little bit longer. I kind of got on a roll with it, and then, I couldn't find a good place to stop and break it up. This picks up where the last one left off. Oh, I'm not a lawyer. So, any legal proceedings or processes mentioned are the results of what I've picked up from television and movies. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Russ saw Sam talking with another girl and watched. Thanks to diligent research on his part, he knew exactly what Sam looked like. He also knew which car in the school parking lot was hers. Russ staked himself out by her car so there would be no possible way she could avoid him. He wanted to get moving on all of this. He'd waited long enough. The sooner it started, the sooner it would be over and he could get his money. The other girl, a brunette who looked to be Sam's age, had spotted him as he observed them. She said something to Sam, and the blonde glanced his way. _Time to get this show on the road._ He put on his most charming of smiles and flashed it to the teens as they drew near.

"Who are you and why are you leaning on my car?"

He extended his hand and began speaking with sincerity oozing from his mouth. "Hi, Samantha. My name is Russ Payne, and I'm your uncle. I thought we could talk and get to know each other."

Sam's blood ran cold and alarm bells started going off in her head. Her short stint on the streets had taught her a few things, and while she had had it nice for a while now living with the Walkers, she hadn't forgotten those lessons. Sam didn't like anything about this situation in the least bit. First, she didn't know this guy at all. From what they had learned, his side of the family had a history of messing with her side. Maybe he wasn't like his mother, but he might be. If he was, he was a definite threat to her family. That's exactly what the Walkers were to her. They were her family. They may not share DNA like she was to supposed to with the man in front of her, but that didn't matter to her. The Walkers were there for her when she needed them the most giving her a home, and she loved them and wanted to stay with them. This all led to her second reason. Marissa had advised her that if she was approached by anyone regarding her family, custody, whatever, and she was uncomfortable the least little bit, to leave, get to someplace where she felt safe and contact her right away. She told her not to worry about doing that either. Marissa would take care of whatever might happen afterwards. What mattered most to the redhead was that Sam was safe.

Molly saw her friend tense up and didn't like it one bit. "Her name's Sam not Samantha."

Russ knew she went by Sam. He called her Samantha on purpose. By calling her that, he was showing her that _he_ was in charge and had control, not her. Russ eyed the brunette and had a feeling that she was going to be a problem. He needed to get Sam away from her. She'd be easier to manipulate on her own. Russ took a step forward and took hold of the blonde's elbow to guide her away from her friend. "Samantha, let's talk in private. This is a discussion for family only and doesn't concern anyone else."

That did trick. Sam snapped out of the momentary fog and jerked her arm back. "First, like Molly told you, I go by Sam, and _nobody_ calls me Samantha. Second, I don't know you so I'm not going anywhere with you. Third, we may be family as you say, but that doesn't change anything. Molly's not going anywhere. So anything you wanna say to me, you can say in front of her."

Holding up his arms in mock surrender, Russ gave a contrite smile to the teen. He might have overplayed his hand a little, but he was still in control. He just needed to dial it back a little. "I'm sorry, Samantha. I mean, Sam. I just want to talk and get to know you. We are family, and eventually, you're going to be living with me."

"What?!"

_Why the hell is she questioning everything? _"Well, think about it. Now that your foster parents know you have a real family, I don't see them wanting to keep you. Why would they? I mean, sure, they'll miss the money they get from the state for taking care of you, but I'm sure that will be offset by relief and the fact that they don't have to be responsible for you anymore. They'll have their lives back. I'm sure they'll be happy." _Russ, you're a genius. Plant those seeds of doubt in her mind about the Walkers. It'll make it easier to bring her over to my side. It's already working. She's starting to tear up._

Sam's eyes welled up with tears. She knew what he was saying was nothing but lies, but it still really hurt. "I'm leaving."

"I don't think so. My lawyer says that you _have_ to talk me. Sorry, but you're not going anywhere."

"Yeah, I am."

"I'm afraid not. You'll be breaking the law if you do and will probably end up back in juvenile detention. You don't have a choice."

Sam tensed up even more than she had earlier. Fear and anger replaced hurt. "You're wrong because _my lawyer_ said I don't have to talk to you if I don't want to, and I don't want to. So, move."

"I'm not going anywhere and neither are you."

At that moment, Stef was leaving the school building and saw Sam and Molly with a man she hadn't seen around the school before. The girls looked upset, Sam in particular. Something was off, and she knew she needed to do something. "Girls, is everything alright?"

Molly felt a wave of relief wash over her at the teacher's appearance. "Mrs. Douglas, this man is stopping Sam from leaving. He won't get out of her way."

Russ smiled smoothly. "She's mistaken. I'm Sam's uncle and have every right to talk to her. I've been instructed by my lawyer that I'm well within my rights. If she refuses, I could call the police, and she could get in serious legal trouble as a result."

Stef stared blankly at the man. Did he honestly think she was a moron? She had to maintain her calm though and make sure Sam was safe. "Go ahead. Call the police. Better yet, I'll do it for you." Stef took out her cellphone.

"There's no need to do that. I'm not looking to get Samantha in trouble."

"If that's the case, then move and let her leave, _now_."

Russ held up his hands again and moved. "Fine."

"Sam, are you okay to drive?"

"Yes, Mrs. Douglas. I'll be fine."

"I'll go with her." Molly volunteered.

"Good. Do you know where to go, Sam?" Stef remembered what Marissa had said after dinner the other night. If something happened to upset Sam, the girl was to go someplace safe. While the school was closer, the Miranda Center was better equipped to handle this situation and was only a few blocks away.

Sam nodded. "Yeah, I do, and I promise I'm okay to get there."

"Alright, go on. I know what to do on my end." And Stef did. That had been imparted to her the other night as well.

As Sam got into her car, Russ leaned in and whispered so no one else could hear. "Don't think this is over. I'll be seeing you soon, _Samantha_."

"Let go of her door."

The steely edge to Stef's voice had Russ move away from the car.

"I was just saying goodbye."

Stef didn't buy that for a minute, especially when she saw how pale Sam had gotten. In good conscious, Stef couldn't let the girl drive in her current condition. It would also be safer for Sam and Molly if Stef was driving. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind that Russ would follow the girls when they drove away. It was better for them if they were with Stef. She knew she was better equipped to handle whatever this man might throw at them.

"On second thought, Sam, Molly, grab your things. You're coming with me."

"But I'm supposed to …"

"I know, and I'll drive you. It's better if I do. Do you trust me?"

Sam nodded, relieved by the support and by the fact that she wouldn't have to drive. The last words Russ had said to her had definitely left her a little shaky. "I trust you. Come on, Molly."

Both girls grabbed their backpacks and scrambled ahead of the teacher.

Stef was right behind them and could feel the man's eyes bore into her back. She honestly didn't give a damn and threw a comment over her shoulder to him. "Feel free to the police. In fact, I might just do that myself."

Russ glared after the teacher. She had really screwed up his plans. Now, he had no other option than to hurry to his car and follow them. He couldn't afford to let Sam out of his sight. Russ was in damage control now. The three of them had made him lose his cool some, and he couldn't have that.

For her part, Stef knew they weren't out of the woods by a long shot, and she really needed to make an important phone call, one that was part of Marissa's plan. It would have to wait though. She didn't want to be on her cellphone while driving the girls and being followed by Russ. Once she and the girls were settled in the car with their seatbelts fastened, Stef handed her cellphone to Sam. "Call Bianca. Tell her what's going on and that we're on our way.

Sam nodded and did as instructed.

/

Bianca was on a conference call with the Center's New York branch when her cellphone began to ring. She quickly glanced down at the caller id and saw Stef's name. It was unusual for her to be calling this time of day so the brunette was somewhat concerned. "I'm sorry. Could you give me a minute? I have another call I need to take."

"_No problem."_

After putting her office line on hold, Bianca answered her cellphone. "Hi, Stef. What's up?"

"_It's not Mrs. Douglas."_

"Sam?! What's wrong?" Bianca could tell by the sound of the girl's voice that she was upset.

"_We're … we're on our way to the Center. That guy that says he's my uncle stopped … stopped by school and tried … tried to make me go with him. He … he threatened me, said he was … was going to call the police and that I was going to be sent back to ju… ju … juvie."_

"He what?! Okay, calm down. You're with Stef?"

"_Yeah and Molly."_

"Okay. I need you to do exactly what Stef tells you to, alright?"

"_Alright, I will."_

"Good. Do you know where Russ is right now?" Bianca was already on the move and standing next to Jan's desk.

"_He's right … right behind us. He's following us."_

"I know you're scared, but Stef won't let anything happen to you or Molly. Okay?"

"_Okay."_

"Hold on one second. I need to talk to Jan about security."

The assistant's hand was on the phone and dialing security as soon as the words left Bianca's mouth.

"Jan, call security and tell them that Stefanie Douglas is on her way here with Sam and her friend Molly. Tell them to let her pull all the way up to the front doors and park there. They're being followed by Russell Payne so have them stop him. I don't want him on this property."

"You got it."

"Okay, Sam, tell Stef to pull right up to the front. Security knows that you're coming. When you get here, I want the three of you to head straight back to my office. Understand?"

"_Yeah."_

"Alright, I'm going to call Marissa now, and then, I'll call Gail. I'll see in just a few minutes."

"_Okay."_

Bianca disconnected the call as she made her way back to her office. She paused for just a second to take a deep breath and collect herself. She then picked up her office phone and took her line off hold. "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have drop. We've got an emergency case coming in."

"_We understand, and we'll reschedule. Good luck."_

With that call taken care of, she dialed her wife's cellphone.

/

Marissa was in a conference room with her team for their weekly meeting. The agenda included discussing the status of their current cases, potential cases and overall plans for the team going forward. They were also discussing office moves. There had been a delay with Marissa's new office which meant Ellie's and Lisa's moves were also delayed. When in any meetings, Marissa always put her cellphone on silent but did keep it on vibrate in case there was an emergency with Bianca or the kids. The redhead was standing by a white board making a few notes on it while Ellie sat nearby taking minutes of the meeting. She was the first to hear the cellphone's vibration and glanced at the caller id.

"Marissa, it's Bianca."

"Sorry, guys. I better take this." The others nodded in understanding. They knew it was most likely something extremely important for Bianca to be calling Marissa's cellphone. If it wasn't, she would've sent Marissa a text.

"Hey. Is everything alright?"

"_No, it's not. Russ approached Sam at school."_

"What?! Where is she?"

"_She's with Stef. I'm not sure how they ended up together, but I'm glad they are. Sam sounded pretty upset. Molly's with them, and they're on their way here now. Sam said Russ is following them. Rissa, he threatened her and said he could send her back to juvenile detention."_

"Son of a …"

"_Yeah, those are pretty much my thoughts. I had Jan call security so they know what's going on. What's next?"_

"Next, you call the police, and tell them what's going on. The fact that he approached her at school will help us. We'll get everything moving on our side. I'm on my way. Be safe."

"_I will. See you soon. Drive safe."_

"Always." Once the call was disconnected, Marissa turned to face her team. "Alright, it's all hands on deck. Russell Payne approached Sam after school today."

"How is she?" Sofia asked.

"Bianca said she was pretty upset from what she could tell. He threatened to have her thrown back into juvenile detention."

Claudia was disgusted by the man's threats. "That would do it."

"Yes, it would. She's on her way to the Center right now."

"She's not driving herself, is she?"

Marissa shook her head and turned to Brian. "No, she isn't. Stef is driving her and a friend there. Payne is following them."

Brian's jaw immediately clenched at the thought his wife could be in danger. He had no doubt that she would do everything in her power to keep everyone involved safe. "She'll be alright." He was doing his best to convince himself that what he said was right.

"Are you okay?" Marissa could see the concern in her friend's eyes.

"As okay as I'm going to be until I know she's safe. She's strong and stubborn and doesn't like it when someone messes with one of her kids. That's what she calls the students there. If I were to guess, I'd say she's royally pissed off at Payne and would love nothing better than to give him a piece of her mind. She'll wait to do that though until she knows everyone is safe. Payne definitely picked the wrong person to mess with."

"Yes, he did." Marissa knew how fierce Stef was when it came to her students. "Alright, does everyone remember what they have to do?"

Brandon nodded. "Brian and I are calling clerks and locating judges that will be friendly to our requests."

"Lisa and I will be at the courthouse and will divide the judges up that Brandon and Brian have identified for us. Whoever signs the orders first is who we go with."

"After we get it signed, Sofia and I will head over to the Miranda Center."

Marissa nodded. "Good. Ellie, you're running point here and keeping everyone informed. Use my office. We don't have to worry about the receptionist desk, do we?"

Ellie shook her head. "No, I'm scheduled to work with the team this afternoon so it's covered."

"That's good. Robin and Riley, you're working with Brian and Brandon. Mark, you're helping Ellie."

The three paralegals nodded.

"Claudia, you're with me."

"Are you driving?"

"Yes, the security guards know my car. Alright, gang. Let's get to work."

Sofia and Lisa headed to Sofia's office so she could grab her car keys and copies of the orders they needed to be signed. They only needed one set of them signed but had made copies so whoever found a judge to sign them didn't have to wait for the other one to show up with them. "I don't think Stef is the only wrong person that Payne pissed off."

Lisa nodded. "You've definitely got that right. I haven't seen that look in Marissa's eyes since Bianca's ex-wife came to town and was making noises about taking the girls."

"I can't even imagine how mad she must have been."

/

Stef pulled up to the front doors of the Miranda Center and found a security guard waiting for them. While the girls grabbed their backpacks, she glanced over her shoulder and saw Russ pull up to the guard's station located at the entrance to the parking lot. The teacher turned to the guard waiting at the front door for them. "That's the man who was following us."

The guard nodded. "I'll take care of it. You all go inside." He looked at Sam. "Don't worry about a thing, Sam. You're safe. I got this."

"Thanks, Charlie." Sam smiled weakly and hustled inside, leaving the burly guard to handle her uncle.

/

Bianca was standing by Jan's desk. As soon as Sam saw her, the teen rushed into the brunette's arms instantly and finally feeling safe.

"How about we all go into my office? It will be quieter there."

Stef nodded. "I think that's a great idea."

Once inside the office, Sam settled herself next to Bianca on the sofa with the brunette putting an arm around her. Tears finally escaped from the teen's eyes. Sam had been holding herself together pretty well, but now that she was safe, she couldn't hold them back any longer. Bianca comforted her and reassured that she was safe and that Russ was not going to get to her as best as she could.

"I called Marissa, and she's on her way. I talked to Gail too. Alex is picking up Carol and her. They'll be here really soon."

"He's right outside, Bianca. He could get in here."

"Sam, he's not going to get in here. There is no way that Charlie and the rest of the guards are going to let him set one foot in here."

"He could get to me at school or home."

"What do you think Marissa is working on right now? She's got a plan in place, and her team is putting everything in motion to stop something like that from happening."

"She is?"

"Yeah, she is. I know you're scared, but you are definitely not alone. I think Stef and Molly are good examples of that."

/

"May I help you?"

Russ rolled down his window and smiled at the guard. From his position on the other side of the gate, he could see Sam rush into the Center. He had to get inside. To do that, he needed to convince the guard to raise the gate and let him through. He knew about the Miranda Center and was hoping he could put the bleeding hearts of the staff to good use for him. "Oh, I sure hope you can. You see, it's my niece. She's not in a very healthy relationship, and I was hoping I could get some information here that might help her."

The guard's radio sounded.

"_Bruce."_

"Excuse me a minute, sir." The guard took a step away to answer his radio in private. "What's up, Charlie?"

"_The guy at the gate?"_

"Yeah, what about him?"

"_Don't let him in. He's the guy that Jan told us about."_

"The one bothering Sam?"

"_Yeah, that's him."_

"Got it. He won't get by me."

"_Jerry's on his way out to help you and the police have been called. I'll be here at the door just in case. Watch your back."_

"You too." Bruce walked back to his station, a hand now resting on his Taser. He would use that first, and then if necessary, he would draw his gun. He, like everyone else at the Center, cared a great deal for Sam. No one was going to get to her if he had anything to do about it, and he did. "I'm sorry, but I can't let you in. I'm going to have to ask you to leave the premises."

"I don't understand. What seems to be the problem? I just want to get some help for my niece."

"I'm sorry, sir, but I've been instructed not to let you onto the premises. You need to leave, now. If you refuse, I'm authorized to use force if necessary. I also have to tell you that the police have been called and are on their way."

Russ didn't know what to say. All of his plans were blowing up right before his eyes. Yeah, he could probably get by this guard, but he could tell there were others he'd have to get by. Plus, the police were coming, and that would completely derail his plan. No, it was better to walk away now and regroup. He needed some help which meant he needed to make a phone call. "Fine. I'll leave, but I don't understand what's going on. I don't want to cause any trouble. Just so you know, this is wrong. I thought the Center was all about helping people and not turning them away."

Bruce was unmoved and simply gave the man a stony stare. Russ finally relented and backed out of the lot. He parked his car across the street just down the block from the Center and pulled out his cellphone. "Pete, it's Russ. We've got a problem."

/

Marissa pulled into the Center's parking lot and rolled down her window. "Hi, Bruce. Hi, Jerry. Is everything alright?"

"Hi, Marissa. Everything's good. Sam's inside. That guy tried to get in, but we stopped him. Kind of a shame I didn't get to use my Taser on him. I was really tempted to because of him scaring Sam." Bruce scowled.

"I'm sorry you didn't get to, but it's probably better if you didn't right now. This is Claudia Stein. She's working on Sam's case with me."

"Nice to meet you, ma'am."

"It's nice to meet you."

"In case you didn't know, he's still out there. We spotted him across the street, just down the block a little bit."

"Thanks for the heads up, Marissa. Since he's not on the Center's property, we can't ask him to move."

"Unfortunately, I know. We're going to go in and check on Sam. Oh, Lisa and Sofia should be along shortly."

Bruce nodded. "We'll make sure they go right in."

"Thanks, guys."

/

"I know. I don't know what I would've done without them earlier. Molly was great. Mrs. Douglas was too. Oh no, Molly. You're mom doesn't know where you are. I don't want you getting in trouble."

"Sam, don't worry. I'll call her and explain everything. She'll understand. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, and you'd do exactly the same for me."

"I would, in a heartbeat."

Bianca smiled at the girls. She was very glad that Sam had found such a good friend. Molly had tagged along from time to time when Sam came to the Center to work. As a result, everyone there got to know her and liked the girl. "You really should call your mom, Molly. Why don't you use the phone on my desk? Someone here can take you home if need, or if she wants to pick you up, we'll let them know at the gate."

"Thanks, Bianca."

"You're welcome. Stef, you should probably call Brian."

"Oh, I left your phone in the car, Mrs. Douglas."

"That's alright, Sam. I'll just use Bianca's phone when Molly's done."

"I can do you one better. Use mine and call him as soon as you can." Marissa gave her friend a quick nod as she handed her cellphone to Stef before turning to Sam and giving the teen a reassuring smile.

"Marissa!" Sam jumped up and hugged the redhead tightly. Relief flooded through her. Having both Bianca and Marissa here with her right now helped give her strength and faith that things might just work out, and god, she hoped she was right.

The redhead hugged Sam for a few minutes before taking a step back and eyeing the teen carefully. She could see Sam had been crying and that made her blood boil. It was a good thing for Payne that he wasn't here right now. "Are you up for talking about what happened?" Marissa sensed the teen's hesitance. "I'm sure you'd rather not talk it, but I really need to know what happened."

Sam nodded slowly. "Okay."

"Thank you. Let's sit down." They joined Bianca on the sofa, and Marissa smiled at her wife. She was extremely relieved to see that Bianca was safe and hadn't tried to confront Payne.

For her part, Bianca was equally relieved to see Marissa. It meant that she had gotten by Payne without any confrontation for the time being. She also knew that her wife had a calming influence on Sam, and the teen definitely needed that right now.

The couple knew they would talk later once they were alone. For now though, this was all about Sam.

"Sam, I want you to meet someone. This is Claudia Stein. We work together, and she's an excellent lawyer. Claudia is going to be helping me on your case. Actually, there are a lot of really good people working on your case, including Brian."

Stef looked up from Marissa's phone hearing her husband's name and smiled softly at her friend before returning her attention back to the cellphone. She had opted to text Brian to let him know she was okay. Given the situation, Stef thought this was best for the moment. She knew Brian would be working to help Marissa locate a judge to help them. The teacher also knew that Marissa would be needing to talk to her about what happened at the school.

"It's nice to meet you, Sam." Claudia gave the teen a reassuring smile.

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Okay, Sam, what happened at school?"

Sam took a deep breath and felt both Marissa and Bianca squeeze the hand they were holding. "Molly and me were talking after school was out when we saw this guy standing by my car. He told me who he was and that he wanted to talk. He didn't like that Molly was there and wouldn't leave. So, he wanted me to go somewhere to talk with him in private. That's when he grabbed my arm and tried to pull me away."

"I just want to be clear about this. Russell Payne grabbed you and tried to take you with him against your will?" Marissa asked evenly. On the outside, she appeared calm. She had to for Sam. On the inside though, it was a whole other matter.

Claudia sat nearby taking notes. Her jaw clenched tightly hearing what Sam went through.

"Yeah, he did."

Molly nodded. "He really did, Marissa. I witnessed the whole thing. And when Sam told him she wouldn't go anywhere with him, he got mean, really mean."

"How so?"

"He said I was gonna be living with him soon. He said … He said that the Walkers would be relieved to get rid of me. That they could have their lives back and not worry about having to be responsible for me or take care of me. He said they might miss the money they get from the state for taking care of me, but they'd be okay with it since I wouldn't be around."

Marissa, Bianca, Claudia and Stef all remained quiet while Sam spoke. They all knew if they opened their mouths right now, they would lose it completely over the man's vile, hurtful words.

"I told him I wanted to leave, and he said I couldn't, that I'd be breaking the law and would get sent back to juvie."

Stef spoke up. "This is where I came in. Molly told me that he was preventing Sam from leaving. Payne pretty much called them liars."

"What did he say exactly?" Claudia asked.

"He said they were 'mistaken'. He was Sam's uncle and had been instructed by his lawyer that he was within his rights. If Sam didn't talk to him, he could call the police and get her in serious legal trouble."

At the lawyer's raised eyebrow, Stef smirked. "Yeah, I know. He had no way of knowing that I'm married to a lawyer and know it was a crock."

"He didn't show you any type of paper, did he, Sam?" Marissa asked.

"No, he didn't."

"Then, Stef's right. It's a crock. Unless there is some sort of order in place, and I don't know of any, you don't have to talk to anyone you don't want to."

"An order?"

"Yes, it would be issued by the court and have to be presented to either you or your attorneys."

Claudia looked at Marissa. "I'll have Mark check on that right now."

"Good idea."

/

The lawyer stood and walked to the other side of the room before pulling out her cellphone and calling the firm. "Hi, Ellie. It's Claudia. I need to talk to Mark."

/

Marissa turned back to Stef. "What happened next?"

"I told him to go ahead and call the police. I actually volunteered to do it myself. Then, wonder of wonders, he backed off."

Bianca smiled. "No big surprise there. Most bullies do back off when you call them out."

"Don't I know it, and that's exactly what he is, a bully. A grown man scaring a teenaged girl? Pick on someone your own size, you jack." Stef paused mid-rant as she remembered something. "Sam, what did he say to you when you were getting into your car?"

Sam swallowed hard. "He said it wasn't over and that he'd be seeing me again real soon."

"That son of a … I knew he said something awful. That's why I told you to get in my car."

"Thanks for doing that, Mrs. Douglas. I don't know if I could've driven after that, especially if he followed me like he did you. Thank you again."

"There's no need for you to thank me, Sam. There was absolutely no way I was going to let him hurt you or Molly. I'm just glad I was there."

"He followed you all the way here?"

"Yes, he did."

"According to the guards here, he tried to pull in just a few minutes after they got here." Bianca added. "He told them he was trying to get help for his niece because she was in an unhealthy relationship."

"Hmmm, interesting."

Claudia returned to the group. "There is no record of an order being issued for visitation rights."

"Anything interesting that we should know about?"

"Just what you thought."

The redhead sighed. "I was really hoping I would be wrong. Any word from Lisa and Sofia?"

"They're on their way here."

Sam had been lost in her own thoughts and missed the exchange between the lawyers. Something was on her mind. "Marissa, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Sam, you can ask me anything."

"What he said about the money and the Walkers …"

Marissa knew where Sam was going with her question and decided to stop her. "Foster parents do receive a stipend from the state which is supposed to be used for the foster child's care. Yes, Gail and Alex are receiving that money, but they haven't used it since they're doing pretty well and cover any expenses you might have on their own. Would you like to know what they've been doing with that money?"

Sam nodded. She was curious.

"They've been depositing it into your trust fund."

"Really?"

"Yep. They consider it your money and are investing it for you to have for college and after. Sam, I want you to listen to me, okay?"

"Okay."

"Gail, Alex and Carol didn't want you for any money they might get. That was never on their radar. If it was up to them, they would've returned the money once they found out about it, but legally, they can't. That's why they're putting it in your trust fund. The Walkers brought you into their lives and home because they love you. It's as simple as that. You make their family complete. You're the daughter and granddaughter they always wanted. If they lost you, they would be crushed and would be left with a huge hole in their hearts and home that they could never fill."

Sam took a shaky breath. Marissa gave her the reassurance she needed. It wasn't that Sam doubted the Walkers. It was just that she needed to hear those words. "I knew he was lying. Why would he say that though?"

"My guess? He wanted to scare you, trick you, try and manipulate you."

"But why?"

"I'm starting to get an idea about that, but I don't want to say anything until I know for sure. Just know that the Walkers love you and want you, and they aren't going to give you up without a fight."

"That's why they have you, huh?" Sam smiled, starting to feel better.

"Exactly!"

Bianca chuckled. "And you know how much Marissa loves a good fight."

/

Pete slammed his car door and stalked over to his client. "What the hell were you thinking?

Russ glared back. "I was thinking I hadn't seen my lawyer doing jackshit on my case so I decided to get the ball rolling."

"I was looking to find the right equipment and making sure we have all of our bases covered. Now, we have to move everything up. It's a good thing I was at the courthouse today. Tell me everything that happened."

/

Jan knocked on the door to Bianca's office. When she heard someone say 'come in', she ducked her head inside. "Hey, the Walkers are here. Is it okay to send them in?"

Bianca looked at Sam. "Are you okay to see them?"

"Yeah, I really want to."

"Send them in, Jan."

A moment later, Gail, Alex and Carol hurried into the room.

Sam rushed over to them and was engulfed in hugs instantly.

Chairs were rearranged while others were added to make room for the newest arrivals. Once things calmed down, Marissa introduced Claudia and told the Walkers everything that had happened.

"There's something else I want you to brace yourselves for. Payne has filed for custody of Sam."

Carol hugged Sam tighter. "You told us this might happen."

"When did this happen?" Gail asked as she squeezed Sam's hand.

"Today. One of our paralegals found a suit had been filed."

Alex looked at Sam who was sandwiched between his wife and mother. "How are you holding up, Sam? It's okay if you're scared."

"I am a little scared. I don't wanna lose you guys."

"And you're not going to, Sam." Carol stated firmly. She'd waited so long for a grandchild. Now that she finally had one, she would be damned if some stranger took her away.

"Does this mean I'm gonna have to see him?"

"That's what we're working on."

/

"Dammit, Russ. You just made this a whole lot harder."

"Maybe, I need another lawyer."

"No. This is my chance to stick it to all of them, and I'm sure as hell going to do it. We've still got something up our sleeves so it won't matter what you did. Plus, we have the element of surprise for today's little bombshell. Alright, let's get the fun started. Come on."

The men crossed the street and walked up to the guard station.

Bruce eyed the men carefully. "May I help you, gentlemen?"

"Yes, I'm Pete Taylor, and this is my client, Russell Payne. We have business inside so I'd appreciate it if you let us pass through."

"One minute please." Bruce dialed Aya's number.

"_Hi, Bruce. What's up?"_

"Hi, Aya. There's a Pete Taylor and Russell Payne out here that say they have business inside."

"_We've been expecting them. You can send Taylor back, but Payne is not allowed on the property. If they give you a hard, tell them this is private property, and we have the right to deny access to whomever we wish particularly if they are deemed a threat."_

Bruce smiled. "Got it. Thank you." The guard disconnected the call. "You can go in Mr. Taylor, but Mr. Payne isn't allowed on the premises."

"Why the hell not?" Pete was incensed.

"It's private property, sir, and we have the right to deny access to anyone we see as a threat."

"You see my client as a threat? You know what? Forget it. Russ you stay out here. I'll take care of this. I won't be long."

Russ rolled his eyes. "Fine. Just get this over with."

/

Aya joined the others. "Pete is on his way in."

Marissa nodded and stood. "Alright. Sam, Molly, I want you to hang back here."

"I'll wait with them." Carol stated.

"I wanna watch." Sam looked at Marissa.

"We'll watch from the doorway. There's no reason for you to get close to that man."

Sam accepted this compromise. "Okay."

The others walked out of the office and into the area by Jan's desk. Marissa and Claudia stood in front of the group.

/

Pete walked into the Center like he owned the place, confident that he would have the element of surprise on his side.

"Marissa, it's been a while. How have you been?" Pete really didn't give a damn but felt he needed to say something before jumping into it.

Aya and Jan stood on either side of Bianca to keep her from ripping Pete's head off. It made her blood boil seeing the man whose incompetence almost got Marissa killed.

Marissa smiled. "Pete. I've never been better. How about you?"

Pete's fake smile dropped. It was because of her that his political aspirations were derailed and permanently on hold while she had everything. He was going to savor this moment and really enjoy taking her down. "I'm doing okay." He took out some papers and held them out for her. "This is for you."

Marissa glanced down at the papers. She knew full well what it was, but she just wasn't in the mood to make this easy for him so she chose not to reach for them. Was she baiting him a little? Yeah, but like Bianca had said earlier, she loved a good fight and was gearing up for it.

"I said these are for you."

"I know."

"Take them." Pete was getting more and more irritated the longer the redhead refused his order. "I said take them." He shoved the documents into Marissa's chest. They fell to the floor when she still didn't move to accept them.

Bianca attempted to surge forward but was held in place by Aya and Jan, just barely though. It wouldn't look good if the founder of the Miranda Center punched someone but damn if she didn't want to. No one did that to her wife.

"My client is filing for full custody of his niece. You can make it easier on everyone concerned if you just have her leave with me."

A slow smile crept across Marissa's face. Anyone that knew her knew things were going to get unpleasant for Pete. It was that smile that had Bianca relaxing some. "Yeah, that's not going to happen so you should just go ahead and leave."

Pete laughed. "Why would I do that? My client has rights, and I'm here to fight for them. You're going to lose. So, you'll make things easier if you let them spend some time together."

"My client has rights too, and she doesn't want to spend time with your client."

"Well, she has too." He pointed to the documents still lying on the floor. "Those say she does."

"No, no, she doesn't."

"Yes, she does! Didn't you hear me or are you so stupid that you don't know any better?" Pete smirked.

Aya and Jan glanced at Bianca when they heard a low growl coming from her. They weren't sure how much longer they could hold her back.

"No, she doesn't." Marissa nodded for Lisa to come closer. She had seen her and Sofia along with Brot enter the Center. Marissa motioned to Lisa to hand the documents she had in her hand to Pete. Lisa then deftly picked up the papers he had tried to give the redhead.

"What the hell is this?" Pete asked as he unconsciously took the papers and glanced at them. He kicked himself after realizing what he'd done. This ambush he had planned was not going the way he planned.

"That is a restraining order. Your client is not allowed within 500 feet of my client. If he violates the order, he will be arrested. The other document calls for an expedited hearing on your custody request. Now, it's time for you to go."

"What the hell? I'm not leaving. I don't have to."

"Yes, you do. Because as of this moment, you're trespassing."

"No, I'm not!"

Bianca cleared her throat. "Yes, you are. This is private property, and as CEO of the Miranda Center, I want you off of it."

"Yeah? Who's going to make me leave? You?"

Brot stepped forwarded. "No, I will. They've asked you nicely. If you don't leave on your own, I'll help you. If I have to do that, I'll be asking Ms. Tasker if she would like to press assault charges against you for that little stunt with the papers."

Pete glanced around at the others. He was beyond furious. How the hell did she turn this around? He was the one that was supposed to have the upper hand not her. He was the one who was supposed to have ambushed her, but somehow, she had managed to do it to him. He didn't want to leave, but knew the officer meant business if he didn't. "I'll leave, but this isn't over!"

"I figured you'd say that. I'll see you in court."

The others sighed in relief as they watched him leave.

Marissa turned and winked at Sam who grinned watching the show her lawyer had just put on for her.

Gail turned to Sam, her mother-in-law and Molly. "Let's go home. Molly, we talked to your mom and will drop you off. Marissa, thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll call you later to check on things."

"Damn, I enjoyed that." Sofia smiled as everyone began filing out.

"So did I." Lisa grinned.

"Marissa, I'll be just outside and ready to leave whenever you are." Claudia added. She knew why Marissa had refused to take the papers. Claudia had seen the arrogant look on Pete's face when he walked into the Center. He thought he was in control and had all the cards. That was far from the truth. Marissa was just letting him know. Plus, she was also seeing just how short of a fuse the other lawyer had. It was information that could come in handy down the road when they went to trial. Claudia loved the move. She'd have to remember that.

"Okay. I'll be there in a minute." Marissa followed Bianca into her office. The couple needed a minute or two to themselves.

/

"Are you okay?" Marissa asked as she wrapped her arms around her wife.

"I'm fine. What about you? He didn't hurt you, did he? Because if he did?"

"Nope, not a scratch on me. Feel free to check that out for yourself later. If he did, I know no one would've been able to hold you back. No one can hold a Kane woman back once their wrath is unleashed."

Bianca shook her head. "You enjoyed that confrontation with him, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did a little. I know I was baiting him some, but I couldn't help it. He deserved it. Plus, it gave me some information that I might be able to use later."

"He deserved a whole hell of a lot more if you ask me."

Marissa grinned. "I heard you growl at him. It's kind of sexy when you do that."

Bianca laughed. "You're not right."

"I know, but you love me anyway."

"Yes, I do." Bianca leaned in and rewarded her wife with a loving kiss.

Marissa sighed. She didn't want to, but she knew she had to leave. There would be time at home tonight for them. "I need to get back to the office. I know Pete's going to appeal so I need to be ready for that. Are you sure you're alright?"

Bianca gave the redhead a quick kiss. "Yes, I'm sure. I'll see you at home. Love you."

"Love you too." Marissa stopped at the door when she heard her wife call her name again.

"Rissa, you were pretty sexy yourself earlier. You know what your _lawyer _mode does to me, and I will be conducting a thorough search of your body for any scratches." Bianca flashed a wicked grin.

Marissa groaned. "I'm going to remember that later tonight."

"I'm counting on it, _Counselor_."


	140. Round One

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's really appreciated, and I'm glad you liked the last chapter! It was a fun one to write. This one was pretty fun to write too. I think you'll be able to figure out which section I really enjoyed writing. I'm sorry for posting a little later today. I went to see 'Phantom of the Opera' with some friends. It was a re-staging of the original play and was really good. I didn't have time to proofread this before the show, and it needed to be reviewed. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca woke up early, actually a full 30 minutes before the alarm was set to go off. She smiled softly at her sleeping wife. Marissa had stayed late at work the last two nights preparing for what was coming. As the redhead had expected, Pete had filed an appeal of the restraining order and the expedited custody hearing as well as filing a motion of his own that asked for Sam's immediate removal from the Walkers' home and for her to be placed in his client's care. Her wife had told her she really wasn't surprised at all by that last motion and had actually half expected it. Marissa and Claudia had been putting in long hours over the last two days as a result of the motions that were filed by Pete and had enlisted Lisa to help them. They wanted to make sure they were covered for every possible contingency, both legal and illegal. Marissa didn't trust either Pete or his client, and the reports she was receiving from Mitch were proving her right. Bianca didn't know everything that was going on, but she did know that her wife wasn't putting anything past her opposing counsel. Desperate people often resorted to desperate measures. This was something Marissa was all too familiar with because of JR. She was going to do everything she could legally to make sure Sam didn't fall victim to the desperate actions of Pete and Russ. To do this, she had to be prepared for any underhanded tactics they may employ.

Today, a hearing was set on the various motions that had been filed. This was the reason why Bianca had woken up early. While Marissa didn't seem nervous, Bianca was and probably enough for both of them. She knew there was no way she was going to be able to get back to sleep at this point so she carefully got out of bed, making a point not to disturb Marissa. The brunette grabbed her robe and padded down the hallway to the kitchen. While she wouldn't be able to argue against what she saw as frivolous motions, Bianca did plan on being there to give not only Marissa her support but also Sam and the rest of the Walker family. Bianca quickly decided that she would begin today's support of her wife with making breakfast, one where Marissa could sit back and relax before heading into battle. It wasn't a lot, but it was something. The brunette only wished she could do more.

With the coffee starting to brew, Bianca set about getting the ingredients together for pancakes after she had gotten the bacon started. The brunette hummed quietly to herself as she worked. She was startled momentarily by a pair of soft arms encircling her waist from behind.

A low chuckle escaped from Marissa at her wife's reaction. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

Bianca turned around to face the redhead while remaining in her embrace. She sighed happily and gave her wife a quick kiss. "What are you doing up? You still have a few minutes to sleep. You need the rest."

Marissa shrugged. "I woke up, and the bed was cold and lonely. It was because you weren't there, and you know I don't sleep very well without you next to me."

"That makes two of us. I'm sorry. I woke up early and couldn't get back to sleep. My brain started going, and I couldn't turn it off. I didn't want to wake you. Then, I got the idea of fixing you and the kids breakfast. I know it's your turn to do it, but I know you have a lot on your mind today. I thought I could take one thing off your plate so you could relax a little before court. This was supposed to be a surprise."

"Hmmm, it still is and very thoughtful of you like always. Thank you. There's one thing missing though."

The brunette's brow furrowed in confusion. "What's that?"

Marissa grinned. "Our proper good morning kiss."

"But I just kissed you."

"Yes, and while I enjoyed it like I do all of your kisses, it wasn't our_ proper_ good morning kiss."

Warm chocolate eyes sparkled with amusement and more than a hint of lust. "Oh, I'm sorry. Will you give me a chance to make it up to you?"

"I suppose I can. I mean you are making me chocolate chip pancakes after all."

"Thank you." Bianca then captured Marissa's lips. It started slow, and soon, both women became lost in each other.

The couple reluctantly separated when the kiss became heated. Neither wanted to start something they couldn't finish, and there just really wasn't enough time to finish right now, at least not the way they would want. The only thing that would be accomplished if they continued would be that both women would be left frustrated.

"Much better. Good morning, beautiful."

The goofy grin that made Marissa's heart skip a beat spread across Bianca's face. "I couldn't agree more, and dang it, you beat me to it. I don't care though. I'm still going to say it. Good morning yourself, beautiful." Bianca then bent down and placed a loving kiss on Marissa's belly. "Good morning, little one."

Marissa sighed happily. "I love you so much."

"No more than I love you."

"What can I do to help?"

"Nothing. Scratch that. You can go sit down and relax. I've got things under control." Bianca shooed her wife towards the kitchen table. "Go ahead and sit. I'll bring you some coffee."

"Fine. You know, you can be bossy sometimes. I like it." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "So you've told me. How did you sleep?"

"Not bad, once I was able to turn my brain off. I didn't keep you up, did I?"

"No, you didn't." The brunette set a mug of coffee in front of her wife. "Are you ready for today?"

Marissa groaned appreciatively after taking a sip. "I love you even more than I did a few minutes ago."

Bianca laughed. "Nice to know that coffee enhances your feelings for me. Now, answer the question."

"As ready as I'm ever going to be."

"Morning, Mommies!"

The couple turned to see their youngest standing in the doorway clutching Minx.

"Good morning, Monkey!"

"Good morning, Baby!"

Gabby's eyes widened in delight. "We're having chocolate chip pancakes?!"

"Yep, I thought it'd be a nice treat for everyone. Have a seat, and I'll get you some milk." Usually, pancakes were reserved for the weekend or special occasions because there wasn't enough time to fix them and to really enjoy them during the week when they were rushing around getting ready for work and school.

Marissa helped Gabby get settled in her seat while Bianca went to retrieve her daughter's drink.

"Mornin'. Is that bacon?" AJ mumbled right before a huge yawn escaped.

"Good morning, Buddy, and yes, it is. Your Mom is making pancakes and bacon for us."

"Chocolate chip pancakes?" Miranda asked hopefully as she rubbed her eyes joining the others.

"Are there any other kind for this family?" Bianca smiled as she brought glasses of milk for all three children. "Good morning, AJ. Good morning, Mimo." She dropped a kiss on top of each of their heads.

"Morning, Mom. Morning, Ma."

"Good morning, Mimo. Why are all three of you up so early today?"

AJ and Gabby glanced at Miranda, the trio's appointed spokesperson.

"We know you have Sam's hearing today. We wanted to wish you good luck and tell you that we know you'll do good."

Marissa somehow managed to keep herself from crying at the children's thoughtfulness. "Thank you. We really do have amazing kids, B."

Bianca nodded and struggled to contain her own tears. "Yes, we do."

"Do you think the judge will let Sam stay with the Walkers?"

"I sure hope so, Mimo. I'm going to do my best to make sure that happens."

"If anyone can do it, Ma, it's you." AJ said with a confident smile.

Gabby nodded. "Yep, you can do it, Mommy. You're the bestest lawyer."

"Yes, she definitely is." Bianca added lovingly.

"I don't know if I'm the best, but I know I'm the luckiest with all of you behind me." Marissa said as she looked at her family. _I hope I don't let them down. _She needed to change the subject before her pregnancy hormone fueled emotions got the better of her. "Are you all ready for Halloween tomorrow?"

The kids all nodded excitedly, and soon, they were chattering away about their plan for trick or treating as they ate. They were really looking forward to the zoo's trick or treat event, especially Gabby.

Bianca sensed the reason behind her wife's change of subject. As she brought their plates over to the table, she whispered in the redhead's ear. "You could never let us down or disappoint us. We believe in you and always will no matter what."

Marissa beamed instantly, not really surprised though that Bianca knew what was going through her mind. It was just the boost of confidence that she needed. "Thank you."

/

After making a stop at her office, Marissa made her way to the courthouse. The redhead found Claudia and Lisa outside the courtroom waiting for her and looking a little anxious. "Good morning. What's up?"

Claudia spoke up first. "Morning. We're not quite sure, but something's going on. We were inside getting things ready when one of the clerks asked us to leave."

"Do you think Pete's behind it?"

Lisa shook her head. "No, I don't think so. We haven't seen him yet."

A clerk that Marissa knew and had a friendly relationship with caught her eye. She signaled for the redhead to follow her into the ladies' room.

"I'll be back. I need to make a pit stop."

"Leave your briefcase. I'll keep an eye on it." Lisa volunteered having seen the exchange.

/

"Good morning, Russ!"

Russ eyed his lawyer. Pete was wearing what could only be described as a shit-eating grin. "Morning. I'm hoping the look on your face means you have good news for me."

"That I do, my good man. That I do. I found out late last night who the judge hearing our case is going to be. It helps having good contacts in the clerks' office."

"I'm guessing it's good news then."

"It's great news. The judge is the honorable Nathan Taylor."

"Taylor? Any relation?"

"He sure is. He's my uncle, and _I _am his favorite nephew! You can consider that restraining order as good as gone. With that out of the way, you can clean up the mess you made a few days ago and start charming your niece while I work my legal magic by having my Uncle Nate order Sam to spend time with you. I'm also thinking of asking for some sanctions against Tasker and her crew. Oh, the look on her face is going to be priceless when she hears my uncle is presiding."

"Hmmm, pretty handy having an uncle on the bench. Isn't that some sort of conflict? Won't the other lawyer object or something?"

"Here's the thing about that. Tasker wants an expedited hearing on the restraining order and custody. I'm more than happy to oblige because I want an expedited hearing too. For that to happen though, we're going to have to go with the judge that's been assigned to our case. If she objects, that will cause a delay, one that I will vigorously object to in the interest of your rights. You are entitled to that."

Russ smiled. "Maybe you're earning your fee after all, Petey."

"Don't call me that!" Pete snapped. "We won't have to go with plan B now."

"Plan B is still on the table."

Pete really didn't want to hear that. He knew he had always walked a fine line when it came to legal ethics. When he first heard Russ's plan, he was all for it and had even suggested a change in the target his client had proposed. The lawyer knew it would be too big of a stretch to target who Russ wanted. No one would buy it for a second. But who Pete proposed? It would make perfect sense and be the perfect frame job. The more Pete thought about it now though, the more he was starting to realize that what Russ proposed was definitely crossing that line. Yes, Pete was desperate but not _that_ desperate, at least not yet.

/

After seeing they were alone, Marissa greeted the clerk. "Hey, Paige. How are you doing?"

The blonde smiled. "I'm good. It's been a while since I've seen you around here."

"Yeah, it's been way too long since I've been able to argue a case. I've really missed it, but I've been busy."

"I've heard. Congratulations! You've hit the trifecta with getting married, being made partner and the baby. You deserve all of it."

"Thank you, and thank you for the flowers. Bianca and I loved them. I plan on thanking the other clerks while I'm here today."

"You're welcome. They'll be happy to see you." Paige was being completely honest. The clerks really did like her. Marissa was always nice to them and treated them all with respect. She never looked down on them like some other attorneys did. Plus, she always made sure everything she filed with the clerks was completed in full and done correctly. That made their jobs so much easier. "You look great by the way."

Marissa smiled. "Thanks. Now that the morning sickness has waned, I'm feeling a lot better."

"Good. So, you're probably wondering why no one's allowed in the courtroom yet this morning."

"It's crossed my mind."

"Okay, you didn't hear this from me, but there's been a change in the judge hearing your case."

This bit of news definitely had Marissa's attention. As of last night, the case was still unassigned. Judge Voss was originally assigned but had an emergency appendectomy earlier in the week. As a result, court dockets had to be rearranged with the other judges picking up the slack in his absence.

"I didn't want you to be blindsided."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it, and I didn't hear anything from you about it."

/

Lisa saw the clerk exit the ladies' room and nudged Claudia. A few minutes later, Marissa appeared with her best poker face firmly in place. Before either lawyer could question her, the Walkers and Sam showed up.

"Good morning." Marissa offered a reassuring smile to the nervous family. "How are you holding up, Sam?"

"Okay, I guess. I really just want all of this to be …" Sam's voice trailed off when she saw Russ. The man smiled and began to approach her.

Marissa stepped in front of Sam, effectively blocking Russ. Without taking her eyes off the man, she addressed his lawyer. "You might want to remind your client of the restraining order against him, Pete. No contact means no contact, even in here."

Russ sighed dramatically. "I just want to talk to my niece and get to know her. This is all one big misunderstanding. I would never do anything to hurt her. She's family. We're family, the only family that each of us has left."

The redhead was unmoved. This was the first time she and Russ had met face to face, and Marissa did not like what she saw. The man was smooth and sounding sincere, but it was just not ringing true to her. There was something in his eyes that set her edge and put her on high alert. She remembered her Dad telling her to trust her instincts, and her instincts were telling her not to trust the man in front of her as far as she could throw him. "I'll call a guard over if I need to."

Russ blinked first, unable to maintain the staring contest with the redhead.

Pete pulled his client away slightly when he saw one of the courthouse's guards eyeing them. "There's no reason to get nasty, Marissa, especially when we all know the order is going to be rescinded in a few minutes." Pete stated smugly.

"Yeah, we know nothing of the sort, and if it's alright with you, I think I'll let the judge decide."

Claudia was suspicious of Pete. He was either up to something or knew something. Either way, she didn't like it. "You seem awfully confident."

"I've just got a very good case and the experience to back it up. I'm surprised you're all out here. Why aren't you inside?"

Paige appeared. "The judge is ready for you now."

Pete waved his arm out in front of him motioning for the others to go ahead of him. "After you."

Claudia shook her head. "Thanks, but you can go first." She observed how Payne was eyeing the Walkers. Gail and Alex each had an arm around Sam doing their best to shield her while Carol stared daggers at the man. She really wasn't of the mind to turn their backs on either man.

Pete shrugged and guided his client inside.

"Hey, sorry I'm late." Bianca was a little out of breath.

Marissa turned and saw her wife. "Hey. You're just in time."

"Bianca, thank you for coming." Gail said gratefully.

"You're welcome, but there's no need to thank me. I'm exactly where I need to be."

Sam smiled softly. "Thanks, Bianca. I'm really glad you're here."

Marissa watched the two exchange a quick hug. "Alright, we need to get inside. You ready, Sam?"

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

The redhead chuckled. "That's our girl! I'm more than ready. Let's go kick some butt."

The family smiled and nodded before following the lawyers inside.

/

Team Sam entered the courtroom. While Lisa and Claudia set up things on their table, Marissa turned to the others and lowered her voice so the other side couldn't hear her. She wanted to go over things with them one more time.

"Remember what we talked about. Keep calm and don't lose your temper. They're going to say and do things to try and get under your skin, provoke you and make you lose your temper. Don't let them. It gives them control over the situation and could put you in a negative light with the judge."

Carol shook her head. "I hate all of this. I hate what she's doing to my son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter. I also don't like all of those shots he's taking at you."

"Neither do I." Bianca muttered.

Marissa simply smiled and shrugged. "Well, that makes it unanimous. Here's the thing. I do my best to make sure it doesn't get to me. If he does manage to get one in, I don't let him know because I know what he's doing, and by not giving him the reaction he wants or the satisfaction he's looking for, it ends up really hacking him off and makes him lose his temper."

"You take control from him." Alex nodded in understanding.

"Yep and people like him, both of them actually, absolutely hate that." Marissa grinned. "Okay, remember to let me do the talking unless you're on the stand. I don't think you'll have to testify this time though, but if you do and I make an objection, stop your answer until the judge makes a ruling on it. If the judge addresses you directly, be respectful and address them accordingly."

"We remember. Address them as 'your honor'." Gail answered.

"Perfect, and …"

"Above all, don't respond to anything the other guy says when he's on the stand." Sam finished.

Marissa smiled. "Exactly. Okay, we're going to get started. I got this. Trust me."

Carol nodded. "We do, dear."

"Good luck." Bianca whispered to her wife before taking her seat next to Carol. The brunette recognized the gleam in hazel eyes before Marissa turned towards the front of the courtroom and knew all too well what it meant. _Oh, this is going to be very unpleasant for someone, and I'm not going to be the least bit sorry about it either._

/

"So, that's Marissa Tasker and Bianca Montgomery. Their pictures don't do them justice. They're together, huh?" Russ flashed a lecherous smile at the couple.

Pete shook his head in disgust. "Focus, Russ."

/

The court officer addressed the courtroom. "All rise. Family Court Part 2 is now in session. The Honorable Sonya Kagan presiding."

Judge Kagan entered and took her seat. "Please be seated."

Claudia and Lisa glanced at Marissa who was giving nothing away. Pete, on the other hand, was nothing short of stunned and remained standing while the others sat as instructed. It was clear he was not expecting to see this particular judge.

"I must first apologize for …" Judge Kagan glanced up from her notes and saw Pete still standing. "Is there something I can help you with, Mr. Taylor?"

"Huh? Oh, no, your honor." The flummoxed lawyer quickly took his seat.

"As I was saying, I apologize for the late start. As you are no doubt aware, Judge Voss was scheduled to hear this case, but due to a health emergency, he will be unable to. I am happy to say that he is on the mend and will be back on the bench in approximately one month. In the meantime, his caseload is being divided between myself and another judge."

Russ leaned over to his lawyer. "I thought you said we were supposed to have your uncle handling this. _She _doesn't look like an uncle to me."

"We were. I don't understand."

The judge looked over to the men's table. "Am I interrupting you gentlemen?" Judge Kagan demanded the attention of all those in her courtroom and frowned upon those that did not give her that courtesy and respect.

Her tone had both men straighten up immediately while Lisa had to bite the inside of her cheek to prevent her from busting out laughing at the chastised men. She knew if she did, she would first hear it from the judge, then Claudia and finally Marissa. It was that last person she didn't want to disappoint the most.

Pete sputtered. "No, no, your honor."

Judge Kagan sighed. "Spit it out, Mr. Taylor. There is obviously something on your mind, and I would rather hear it now then to keep dealing with your disruptions which I will only tolerate for so long."

The lawyer swallowed hard and stood. "I apologize, your honor, but I was under the impression that another judge would be hearing this case."

Claudia raised an eyebrow and glanced at her co-counsel. Marissa's expression hadn't changed. _Note to self, never play poker with Marissa._

The judge removed her glasses and eyed the man. _Of course he was expecting someone else. Marissa doesn't seem surprised one way or the other. It just goes to show you that the courthouse grapevine is only as good as your source. _"Ah yes, Judge Nathan Taylor was going to hear this case, but when he found out who would be arguing it, he recused himself. He obviously saw a conflict since you are his nephew."

Lisa and Claudia exchanged a knowing look. Pete's reaction made perfect sense to them now. It was clear he'd been counting on that when he saw them in the hallway.

When Pete made no move to sit, the judge continued. "Is there another problem, Mr. Taylor?"

"Well, your honor, I believe you know opposing counsel personally. That could be seen as a conflict."

He was pushing her, but Judge Kagan's expression remained passive. "That is true. The same could also be said for you because I know you outside of the courtroom. Plus, I'm friends with both of your parents as well as your uncle. Ms. Tasker, do you have a problem with me hearing this case? Do you see a conflict?"

"No, your honor. I trust your judgment."

"Since I know both of you personally and neither Ms. Tasker nor I see a conflict, I am not inclined to recuse myself. You are free to appeal, Mr. Taylor, but this hearing would then be delayed for at least a month. Most likely, it would be longer than that. During this time, the restraining order would remain in place since we're dealing with the welfare of a child. What would you like to do, Mr. Taylor?"

"Could I have a moment to confer with my client?"

The judge waved her hand. "By all means."

/

Marissa turned and gave a reassuring smile to Sam and the Walkers who in turn nodded.

Bianca locked eyes with her wife, and the couple shared a silent exchange. The brunette communicating her suspicions that her wife knew about this change. Marissa gave a small shrug and tilted her head acknowledging the fact before she turned back to face the judge.

Claudia leaned in and whispered. "Why do I have the feeling that you're not surprised by this at all?"

"Beats me." Marissa replied with her poker face firmly back in place. She was thankful that Paige had given her the heads up on what had been going on with the judges. Marissa knew Judge Taylor. He had presided over her custody fight with JR over AJ. He was smart, fair and ethical. She wasn't really surprised that he recused himself. What his nephew lacked in ethics, he more than made up for.

/

"A month?! I don't want to wait a month just for this issue to be decided. I mean that doesn't count the issue of permanent custody at all, does it?"

"No, it doesn't."

"I don't have that kind of time. Is this judge on the up and up? She won't lean towards the other side, will she?"

Pete sighed. He knew the answer all too well. The only thing Judge Kagan would ensure was a level playing field. She wouldn't and couldn't be swayed by personal connections. He could appeal but knew he would lose. No, he'd have to play the hand he was dealt, and he still believed that Marissa Tasker was not half the lawyer he was. "No, she won't. We should just keep going."

Russ studied the lawyer for a brief moment. "Fine."

Pete stood and faced the judge with a smile plastered on his face.

"Am I to take it that you have a decision for me, Mr. Taylor?"

"Yes, your honor. My client and I have every faith in your discretion and ability to render and fair and just decision."

The judge wasn't impressed with Pete's backtracking and sucking up but didn't let it show. She had a job to do and would do it fairly. "Let's get started then, shall we?"

/

"From what I've read, Mr. Taylor, your client states that he is the biological uncle of the minor Samantha Robinson and is seeking full custody." Judge Kagan paused as she read the case notes. She read where the girl had lost both of her parents and was placed into the system where she promptly fell through the cracks. After falling in with the wrong crowd, she ended up in serious trouble. That is when Bianca Montgomery stepped into the picture and enlisted Marissa Tasker in her cause. They were able to broker a deal with the district attorney and helped find her find a new home.

"Yes, your honor. My client and his wife would like to get to know the niece that he's never had the chance to know and didn't even know existed until recently. Opposing counsel has filed a restraining order that is egregious and over the top. It's based on a complete misunderstanding and overreaction. It's not needed, and to keep family apart like this is simply an abuse of the law."

"We're not to summations yet, counselor."

"I'm sorry, your honor. I just get emotional when I see an injustice." Pete quickly sat seeing the judge was not impressed.

"Ms. Tasker."

Marissa stood. "Yes, your honor."

"Since Mr. Taylor gave me his opinion, would you care to give yours?"

"I would. The order is not frivolous. Mr. Payne approached my client at school."

"I just wanted to talk to her. I just want to get to know you, Samantha."

Judge Kagan rapped her gavel. "Mr. Taylor, I suggest you advise your client to remain seated and to be quiet."

"Of course, your honor. He's very emotional and heartsick about this whole affair. It's hard to be separated from family."

"Ms. Tasker, please continue."

"At that time, Mr. Payne stated that he wanted to talk. Sam said she didn't want to."

"I'm sorry. Your client goes by Sam?"

"Yes, your honor. She prefers Sam."

"I'll make a note of it. Please go on."

Marissa nodded. "Things escalated when Sam refused."

"Oh please."

The judge rapped her gavel again and eyed Taylor and Payne.

Marissa shook her head. She knew what they were trying to do. By constantly interrupting her, they believed it would throw her off her rhythm causing her to not present a cohesive argument. _Bring it._ "Mr. Payne threatened my client."

Pete jumped to his feet. "Objection! I cannot sit by while counsel slanders my client! This is simply outrageous. I would argue that this lawsuit is nothing but part of Ms. Tasker's agenda."

"Enough! Objection is overruled. Now, sit down, Mr. Taylor. Any further interruptions by either you or your client, and I'll cite you for contempt. This is _my _courtroom and not _yours_, and I will not have it turned into a circus. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, your honor." Pete muttered and took his seat.

"Ms. Tasker, do you have any evidence of this threat?"

"I do, your honor. I have several affidavits from witnesses."

"I doubt that your client and an associate's wife are hardly objective." Pete mumbled.

"That's $100. Would you care to continue and make it more?" Judge Kagan was getting irritated.

"No, your honor."

"You were saying you have affidavits?"

"Yes, we do." Marissa motioned to Lisa who handed them to the bailiff. "In addition to that of my client, we have statements from a friend of hers, Molly Sampson and a teacher, Stefanie Douglas."

"What was the nature of the threat?"

"Mr. Payne threatened to call the police and stated that he would make sure that she was sent back to juvenile detention. Given Sam's history, she was understandably frightened."

"Your honor, I'm sorry, but I must object. Mrs. Douglas's husband works for Ms. Tasker. And as to the other girl, this Molly Sampson, I would hardly say that she's objective."

"You've got that right. She's Samantha's _friend._ Probably because of the influence of those two." Russ smirked.

The judge raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me? What do you mean by that exactly?"

Pete jumped in and answered for his client. He didn't need him to go there. "He didn't mean anything, your honor. He's just …"

"Emotional. Yeah, so I've been told repeatedly, and for that emotional outburst, that's $100 for you, Mr. Payne."

"Are you serious?"

"We can make it $200 if you'd like."

Pete shook his head at his client before turning back to the judge. "No, your honor. We're good."

Sam, who was seated between Carol and Gail, whispered to Carol. "What's he trying to say?"

"Don't worry right now. We'll talk about it when we get home."

Bianca overheard the two while keeping her eyes on Marissa. She knew what the men were implying, and she could tell her wife knew as well. Bianca saw the slightest of shifts in her posture. No one else would've noticed it because they didn't know the redhead like she did. It was brief, and she quickly regained her composure. The only thing the men had accomplished was to add fuel to the fire.

"Where were we? Affidavits."

"Yes, your honor. As I was saying, we have affidavits stating Mr. Payne threatened my client with the claim that he could send her back to juvenile detention and subsequently back into the foster care system." Marissa nodded again to Lisa who withdrew another file and handed it to the bailiff. "She was understandably frightened given what she experienced before. What you have now is documentation of that experience along with a sworn affidavit from Michael Jensen, the district attorney." The last statement was a pointed dig at Pete, and the wince everyone saw was proof that it hit its mark. "In addition to the statements from Mrs. Douglas and Miss Sampson, we also have statements from three teachers and 10 other students who witnessed this confrontation which included Mr. Payne attempting to physically remove my client from school property against her will."

Judge Kagan raised an eyebrow hearing this.

"He only wanted to talk to her, and she was being unreasonable and uncooperative."

Marissa didn't take the bait to address Pete directly and instead spoke to the judge. "A 16 year old girl was confronted by a middle aged man that she didn't know. He threatened her verbally. He tried to physically remove her from a place where she felt safe. I believe she was acting in a perfectly reasonable manner. No one in their right mind would think differently. Children are instructed after all to not go off with strangers. This is something that is unfortunately backed up by tragic accounts on the news. After Mrs. Douglas intervened and had Sam and her friend get into her car, she drove them to the Miranda Center. Because of the nature of what the Center does, it has excellent security systems in place, and they knew that Sam would feel safe there. It was at this point that Mr. Payne followed them which obviously added to the fear that my client was experiencing. Once they arrived at the Center, Mr. Payne tried to enter as well under false pretenses. We also have affidavits from the Center's security guards testifying to that fact. This is why we requested a restraining order. Given the circumstances, we felt it was necessary for not only for Sam's safety but her piece of mind."

Judge Kagan reviewed the statements while Marissa spoke. "It seems you've been busy, Mr. Payne."

"I wasn't threatening her, judge. She's family, and I want to get to know her. Family should stay together."

"That is why we are applying for custody. We believe it is in Samantha's best interests for her to be placed in my client's custody immediately."

"What do you say to that, Ms. Tasker? And by the way, Mr. Taylor, Mr. Payne, she prefers Sam."

Marissa nodded slightly to acknowledge the judge's words. "I couldn't disagree more with opposing counsel, your honor. Sam is in a stable and loving home. She is an honors student at her school and volunteers at the Miranda Center."

"It's not volunteering if it's part of a plea deal."

"Mr. Taylor, that is now $200 you owe the court."

_Son of a bitch._ Pete winced.

"According to Mr. Jensen, Sam completed that part of her plea deal several months ago and did so ahead of schedule." The judge noted. "She still volunteers?"

"Yes, your honor. I have an affidavit from Ms. Bianca Montgomery who is the founder and CEO of the Miranda Center stating that fact. She's here today to attest to that if needed."

"I believe her statement will be fine for today's hearing. Please have a seat, Ms. Tasker. I'm curious, Mr. Taylor, why do you and your client think it's such a good idea to remove this girl from her home and place her with someone she doesn't know, someone that's she scared of?"

Pete stood. "If they could talk without the undue influence of others being around, they could get to know each other. I'm confident they could establish a loving relationship and any doubts that she has of my client's intentions would disappear."

Marissa stood. "Your honor, if I may, I have included a statement from a counselor that Sam reached out to along with everything else we've provided to you. It offers her professional opinion of this situation. I also have an affidavit from the social worker assigned to Sam's case as well as reports from her investigation of the Walkers. It is our belief that Sam should remain in the custody of the Walkers while this issue is being resolved. Under their care, she has not only thrived but has flourished. She has a stable and loving home and is happy and feels secure and safe there."

Judge Kagan pulled out the statements and read. "I have to say that after hearing what Ms. Tasker related and reading these statements that what Sam is experiencing is more than doubts, Mr. Taylor. She has some very real concerns and fears, all of which are the result of your client's actions. To that end, I am denying your petition for immediate custody as well as visitation at this time. I am also granting Ms. Tasker's petition for a restraining order against your client. He is to remain a distance of at least 500 feet away from Sam. This order will be extended an additional 30 days effective immediately. I'm also going to extend that to you, Mr. Taylor."

"Excuse me, your honor. Why? How can I do my job if I can't have access to her?"

"Let me finish. I'm including you based on your actions at the Miranda Center that have been documented by the statement of Officer Brot Monroe. If you wish to question Sam regarding this case, you will contact Ms. Tasker first to set it up, and it will be conducted in her presence or that of a designated representative. I will not tolerate the intimidation of a minor child by anyone. I am also granting the petition for Sam to remain in the Walkers' home. As Ms. Tasker stated, it is obvious by all reports that it is in her best interest to remain there until the issue of permanent custody is resolved. Before you ask, Mr. Taylor, your client will make himself available to a designated social worker to be interviewed and investigated. If, and only if, they deem it appropriate, will your client be able to have supervised visitation with Sam. We will meet again to revisit this topic." The judge pulled out her calendar. "How does three weeks from today sound?"

Marissa reviewed her calendar before glancing at the Walkers who nodded. "That's fine with us, your honor."

Pete nodded, clearly unhappy. "With us too, your honor."

"Good. I will see you all then." Judge Kagan rapped her gavel and stepped down from her seat before disappearing out a side door.

Pete angrily gathered his things and stalked out of the room with Russ.

/

Team Sam released a collective, relieved breath. Marissa turned to her clients and was immediately engulfed in hugs from each of the Walkers as well as Sam.

"Thanks, Marissa! You were awesome! So, I don't have to see him and he has to stay away from me?"

"Yes, and you're welcome."

"Thank you." Gail said gratefully.

"Yeah, I can't thank you enough for this." Alex added.

Carol nodded. "They're right, dear. Thank you. We owe you a great deal."

"You're welcome, but I didn't do this on my own. It was a team effort, and it's not over. This was round one. We have a lot of work to do still, but we'll get it done. Now, get out of here and give yourselves a break for today."

The family happily obliged after thanking Lisa, Claudia and Bianca.

"That was impressive, Boss."

"Lisa's right. It was. You knew about the judges being switched, didn't you?"

"I might have heard something about it somewhere, but I can't remember where." Marissa replied with a grin.

Claudia shook her head and chuckled. "Come on, Lisa. I'll buy you lunch."

"You're on!" Lisa responded happily as she finished packing up their files.

"I'll see you later." Marissa then looked at her wife.

Bianca was leaning against the railing separating the lawyers from the gallery. The brunette smiled brightly. "You were amazing."

"Thanks. I couldn't let them down."

"You didn't, and I knew you wouldn't. Did I ever tell you how sexy you are when you're in _lawyer_ mode?"

Marissa laughed. "You might have mentioned it before. I'll tell you what. Let me buy you lunch. Our little one is hungry and wants chili chees fries. Maybe afterwards, we can both make it an early day."

Bianca grinned mischievously at her wife's none too subtle hint. "I do love your ideas, _Counselor_."

"God, I love when you call me that. I knew the chili cheese fries would get you too."

"You know me all too well."

/

Pete and Russ were leaving the clerks' offices after paying their fines when Russ spotted the Walkers leaving the courthouse. One person in particular caught his eye. He remembered the countless glares she had thrown his way during the hearing. Yeah, she was the perfect mark. He was going to enjoy taking her down.

"She's the one we're going to use."

"Who?"

"The wannabe grandmother, Carol Walker. She's perfect for plan B. She doesn't know it yet, but granny is going to help me get my big payday."


	141. Speedbump

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It's greatly appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Marissa arrived at Krystal's a couple of minutes before Bianca. Instead of going in right away, she opted to wait for her wife so they could go in together. When the redhead saw her pull up and park, she walked over and opened the car door for her with a bright smile on her face.

"You waited for me."

"Always."

The couple shared a tender kiss before separating and heading inside. As they took their seats at _their_ table, they waved to Krystal and Opal who were behind the counter. Krystal was talking to a dark-haired man with flecks of gray in it and going over what looked to be blueprints. Opal was talking to a customer. Both women smiled and indicated they would be over shortly. Just a minute or two later, the Dynamic Duo made their way into the restaurant. A smile crossed both of their faces when they saw the couple. It had been a few days since they had seen each other, and they were eager to catch up.

"Hey, Binx, Red. Long time no see."

"It's good to see you're both coming up for air."

"Really, Greenlee? How many times do we have to go over this?" Kendall rolled her eyes.

Greenlee grinned. "Oh yeah, I keep forgetting."

Kendall muttered. "The hell you do. You just enjoy torturing me. And why do you always think they're doing that?"

"Well, they are newlyweds. I mean you remember what it was like when you and Zach were first married. Plus, Marissa's got pregnancy hormones going on. That always adds to the fun."

"Hi, Kendall. Hi, Greenlee. How are the two of you doing?" Bianca asked while her sister and cousin continued their discussion.

Marissa chuckled and answered for the friends. "We're good. How are you?"

"We're good too. It's nice to see you."

"It's nice to both of you too. What have you been up to?"

Kendall and Greenlee stopped their bickering and watched the couple's exchange. The friends shook their heads, clearly amused and getting the hint.

"The two of you are really cute." Greenlee rolled her eyes as she took a seat.

"Sorry, ladies." Kendall nodded in her best friend's direction. "Trouble over here just loves to torment me."

"She's right. I do. In all fairness, she does the same to me too."

Bianca laughed. "You're both right. It is good to see you both though."

Kendall smiled at her sister. "It's really good to see both of you as well, especially you, Red. You've been putting in a lot of hours lately at work."

"Yeah, I have. I've been working on Sam's case. There was a hearing today."

"Oh, that's right. How'd it go?"

"It went pretty well."

"Pretty well?" Bianca scoffed. "Oh please, she was amazing. She kicked Pete Taylor's ass."

Kendall and Greenlee burst out laughing while Marissa smiled at her wife and shook her head.

"Not that you're biased or anything, B."

"Oh, I'm completely biased, but I'm also right."

"Tell us all about this ass kicking then." Kendall asked.

"It wasn't anything special. I was just doing my job."

"Let us be the judge of that, Rocky." Greenlee smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes before wincing slightly.

"Are you okay, Rissa?"

"I'm fine, B. I think I just need something to eat."

"You really didn't eat much at breakfast."

"Yes, I know. You told me that earlier, but like I told you at the time, I didn't feel like it." Marissa answered mildly irritated. She knew Bianca meant well, but sometimes, it could be a little much. Maybe though, she was letting her hormones get the better of her right now so she shook off the feeling as best as she could.

Bianca backed off some but did motion for a server to come over.

"So, what happened in court?"

Before either Marissa or Bianca could answer, Sam and Carol entered and headed for the counter. Seeing the foursome though, they made a detour and stopped at their table.

"What are you two doing here?" Bianca asked. "We thought you'd be home by now."

"Gail and Alex are home. None of us felt like cooking after this morning. So, we're picking up some carryout." Carol looked at Kendall and Greenlee. "I hope they've told you how amazing Marissa was."

"My sister was just getting ready to tell us that."

"Marissa."

"Yeah, Sam. What's up?"

"Could I talk to you alone for a minute?"

"Sure." The redhead turned to the others. "I'll be back."

"Take your time. I'll help Bianca tell them what happened." Carol knew what Sam wanted talk about. She'd planned on calling Marissa later, but seeing her now gave Sam the perfect opportunity to talk to her in person.

/

"I talked to Grandma and Gail after we left court. There was something those guys said earlier that bothered me, and I wanted to talk to you about it."

"Okay. We can talk about whatever you want. You know that though already."

Sam smiled. "Yeah, I do. You've been great. I want to say this, and I really hope you don't get mad or disappointed in me. They kept talking about how you were influencing me and saying some things about me and Molly that I didn't like. I wasn't exactly sure what they we're trying to say but had a pretty good idea the more I thought about it. Grandma pretty much confirmed it for me. They were trying to say that you and Bianca were …" Sam paused trying to find the right word without offending Marissa. No matter what she said, it was going to sound bad.

"Go on. I promise I won't get mad."

"They were trying to say you and Bianca were trying to convert me, trying to make me gay. You're trying to take advantage of me because of everything I'm going through right now and am confused. Am I right?"

Marissa nodded. "Yes, I think you are. That's the exact impression I got from them. You know that I would never try and influence you or take advantage of or manipulate you. You are your own person and more than capable of making your own decisions. Just because I'm in love with a woman doesn't mean for one minute that I'm out to have you be the same."

"I know, and I don't care that you and Bianca are together. It doesn't matter to me that you're both women. I mean, love is love to me, and the other stuff doesn't matter."

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Sam." Marissa smiled. She could tell something was still bothering the teen. "Something else is on your mind though. What is it?"

"I didn't like what they were saying. I'm not gay. Molly is just my friend. Well, she's more than my friend. We're like sisters." Sam paused.

It was suddenly clear to Marissa. "You're not gay, but Molly is, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is. She hasn't come out to anybody else besides her family and me. If she has to come to court and testify, then …"

"Then, her sexual orientation could come out."

"Yeah, it could, and I don't want her to get hurt just because of me."

"I understand. Her sexual orientation has nothing whatsoever to do with this case, but I can easily see the other side attempting to make an issue out of it. I'll do my best to stop that from happening, but I can't promise that it won't come up. Have you talked to her about this yet?"

"No, I haven't. I'm going to talk to her tonight."

"If you want and think it might help, I'll be happy to talk to her after you've told her what's going on."

To say Marissa's offer was a big relief for Sam would be an understatement. "That'd be so great if you could. I'm sure she'll have some questions."

"It's not a problem. Call my office and make an appointment with Ellie. That way we'll have some time blocked off. You guys can just swing by after school one day."

"Thanks, Marissa!"

/

"That snake kept trying to bait Marissa and make her lose her temper, but she wouldn't do it." Carol smiled. "If it was me, I'm sure I would've let him have it with both barrels."

"That's the thing about Rissa. People think they can do that. She's not that easy to bait though. Yeah, she has a temper, but who doesn't? I know I do."

Kendall nodded as sister spoke. "I think it's the red hair. I'm serious about this. There's a stereotype about redheads being short tempered. Whether or not that's fair, I don't know. I can only say that my sister-in-law isn't like that."

"What aren't I like?" Marissa asked as she and Sam rejoined the others. The redhead placed the glass of iced tea she had ordered while talking with Sam on the table. She saw Bianca eye the beverage with a look of disapproval.

"Carol was just telling us how Payne was trying to bait you, but you weren't falling for it. He probably thought it would be easy since redheads are notorious for short fuses." Greenlee explained.

"Ah."

Carol looked at Sam. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep, let's get our lunch and go home. I'll see you later this week, Marissa."

"I'll see you, Sam. I would like to speak with Gail, Alex and you as well, Carol. We'll set something up, okay?"

"We'll be ready whenever you need us, dear. Thank you again for today." With that, Carol and Sam headed to the counter to pick up their order.

Kendall grinned at her sister-in-law. "From what Carol told us, it sounds like you really did kick some ass today, Red."

Marissa shrugged. "I try my best."

"I ordered your chili cheese fries." Bianca said.

"Thanks, I'm starving."

"I also got you a lemonade. You know you need to watch the caffeine."

"Please, don't start. I really needed it. It helped settle my stomach."

"You're not feeling well?" Krystal asked as she joined the group.

"I'm fine. My stomach's bothering me a little. I just need to eat something. Once I do, I'll be good to go."

"You're drinking iced tea? Who brought you that? I told them not to unless they checked with Bianca first. All that caffeine isn't good for you. I'll get you some ginger ale. That always helped Babe when her stomach bothered her, especially when she was pregnant with AJ. I'll be right back."

Marissa sat quietly as she tried to calm herself down while the others watched unsure of what to say. They could all plainly see that she was upset by what the older woman had just said.

Bianca spoke first. "Rissa, you know she didn't mean anything by it."

Marissa glared at her wife. "Don't. I need to go."

"But you haven't eaten yet."

"I'm not very hungry anymore."

"Rissa."

"No. Just don't. I'll see you at home. I need to stop by the office and pick something up. I won't be long though."

Bianca bristled slightly. "I thought you were done working for the day."

"I am. I just need to pick something up. Like I said, it won't take long. We'll still have time to ourselves before the kids get home. Oh, we have to help AJ and Miranda out on their school projects. They're not due for another week, but they want to get started on them."

Bianca realized she'd forgotten something. "Oh, I can't tonight. I forgot that I'm meeting Brittney tonight to work on our project for class."

Marissa stared at her wife. What had started out as a good day had progressively gotten worse. This latest piece of news was just the icing on the cake. "Will _Brittney_ be coming to the house again?"

"No, we're going to meet here. I'm sorry. I forgot all about it until you mentioned the kids' projects."

"So much for celebrating." Marissa saw Krystal approaching and just couldn't deal with her right now, especially after the attempted comparison to the sister she never knew. "I need to go. I'll see you later." The redhead grabbed her purse and left.

Kendall and Greenlee exchanged a glance with both wondering what the hell was going on. Bianca and Marissa always shared a quick kiss whenever one would leave without the other. It was something the friends had teased them about. That didn't happen this time, and both women looked fairly upset. The friends hoped they resolved whatever was going on between them quickly.

Seeing her sister was upset, Kendall tried to talk to her. "Binx."

Bianca took a deep breath. "I need to go."

"What about lunch? You haven't eaten anything either."

"You know, I'm not all that hungry myself right now. I'll see you later."

Krystal looked on confused after seeing both Marissa and Bianca leave suddenly. "Is everything alright with them? I hope it wasn't anything I said." The last statement was made jokingly.

Kendall and Greenlee were at a loss for words because, well, what she'd said, intentional or not, was somewhat to blame for the couple's abrupt departure. They could see that realization dawn on her.

Krystal was instantly kicking herself. She really hadn't meant to hurt her daughter. She just wasn't thinking, and because of her carelessness, she had done exactly that. Krystal only hoped that Marissa would be able to forgive her.

/

Bianca was sitting in the kitchen mulling over what had happened at Krystal's earlier. She didn't hear the garage door so she was surprised to see Marissa walk through the door leading from the garage and into the kitchen.

"Hi."

"Hi. I'm a little surprised to see you so soon. I thought you were going to work."

Marissa sighed. "I told you I was just going to pick something up and that it wouldn't take long. Didn't you believe me?"

"It's just that you've been working a lot recently."

"On Sam's case, yes. You said you understood."

"I know I did. It's just that …"

"You thought I was putting work ahead of our family."

"That's not what I was going to say."

"I'm not Reese! I would never do that. I thought you knew that. Besides, this, me working on this particular case, all started because of you."

"So, this is my fault?"

"I didn't mean it that way. You asked me to listen to Sam so I did, and after I did, I had to help to her. You were good with that, at least you told me you were. Now, she needs my help again. The Walkers need my help. After everything Sam's been through and after everything Carol's done for me, I have to do this."

"I get that, but Claudia and Lisa should be helping you more."

"They are helping me. They're back at the office working so I could come home early like I said I would. I was hoping we'd be able to spend the evening together since we haven't been able to the last few days. Except now, we can't. Besides, I'm not the one that has someone following me around like a lost puppy."

"What are you talking about?"

"Brittney."

"She's a fellow student. We're in class together."

"She has the hots for you. She practically drools over you, and you brought her here into our home."

"First, you encouraged me to go back to school, and second, you're wrong. It's not like that. She doesn't think of me that way."

"You're the one who's wrong because she does, and I don't want her around here."

"She was only over here once, and it was just for a few minutes. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course, I trust you. I don't trust her, and having someone looking at you like she does around the kids gives them the wrong idea and could confuse them."

"Rissa, there's nothing going on. It's just your hor…"

"Don't blame it on my hormones. I have eyes and can see. And speaking of my pregnancy, you need to stop treating me like I'm made of glass."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh please, you watch me like a hawk. Today, when I had the iced tea at Krystal's, you would've thought I committed a mortal sin the way you looked at me. I'm not going to put our baby in jeopardy."

"I know that."

"Do you? Because you sure don't act like it sometimes. You're constantly reminding me that I should do this or I should do that, or that I can't do this or I can't do that. You never ask why I may be doing something, and now, I have to get your permission when we're out on what I'm allowed to drink?! How the hell is that supposed to make me feel? I'm 30 not 3! I had enough of decisions being made for me before. I don't need that again, ever!"

"I am not JR! Don't even go there! I always ask for and value your opinions! We make decisions together!"

"Except for when it comes to decisions now regarding how well I'm taking care of myself and the baby. Don't think I didn't notice you not denying what Krystal said at the restaurant earlier! And by the way, I didn't say you were like JR. He would've just bribed them not to serve me what I want."

"I'm just trying to make sure you're taking care of yourself, especially since you're working so much."

"Seriously?! Who is taking the rest of the day off and who isn't?"

Bianca had no answer for that, and Marissa knew it.

"Yeah, exactly. Just go meet _Brittney_. I need to start on dinner."

"We're not done with this conversation."

"Oh, I know. Do me a favor while you're out. Watch _Brittney_ closely. I mean really close. See how many times she touches your arm, leans in a little too close, laughs a little too loud or stares a little too long. Then, come back and tell me it's all in my mind or just my hormones working overtime. And don't worry, I'll make sure I only eat and drink what's on the approved list. I won't dare deviate from it. If you don't believe me, I'm sure you can ask the kids when you see them." Marissa snapped.

"Do _me_ a favor then too. You may be home and off work but actually take the night off. Don't read a file or a report. Let's see if you can do that. And maybe you'll be calmed down and rational when I get back home! Maybe then we can actually talk about something other than your unfounded jealousy." Bianca snapped back before storming out of the kitchen and slamming the door behind her.

/

At that moment, Marissa wanted to do nothing more than to curl up into a ball and cry her eyes out, but that was out of the question since the kids would be home soon. She willed herself not to cry because if she did right now there would be no way she would be done in time to hide any traces of her breakdown from the kids. The redhead also knew there was no way she would be up to answering their questions about what was wrong, especially when she herself wasn't sure why and how the day had gone to hell in a hand-basket. Marissa took a deep breath and headed back to the couple's bedroom to change from her suit into something more comfortable.

Her jeans were a little tighter when she pulled them on. She stopped and noticed her baby bump had grown, a sure sign that she would be needing larger-sized clothes soon. All of a sudden, she felt huge especially when she thought of Bianca's study partner, _Brittney._ The girl looked like she could be blown away by a good stiff breeze. Was she seeing things? Were her hormones making her imagine the girl crushing on her wife? No, she was sure of what she had seen, and she knew Bianca would never cheat on her. She trusted her. The redhead didn't trust Brittney, but she did trust her wife without question, even if Marissa was starting to get as big as a house. _Dammit all to hell. I hate feeling like this._

/

Bianca sat in the parking lot at Krystal's. She was hurt, upset, angry, worried and a whole host of other emotions. No matter how hard she thought about it, she still couldn't figure out what the hell happened at home. The morning had started off pretty good. Marissa had done a great job in court and really had kicked Pete's ass. That was not an exaggeration. And Bianca had loved seeing her wife in action. They had been looking forward to having lunch together and then spending some alone time with each other before the kids came home from school. So what happened to change things?

_The iced tea. Rissa had order a glass, and I thought she shouldn't have. She knows caffeine isn't good for the baby. That's why she had cut back on it. I was just reminding her of that which she didn't seem very happy about but was taking it in stride until … until Krystal gave her a hard time about it too and said she had talked to her servers and told them to check with me first._ Bianca recalled the discussion she'd had with Krystal about it. The brunette didn't necessarily agree with what the older woman had proposed, but she also hadn't vetoed it outright either. Bianca remembered the look on her wife's face. The offhand remark did more than irritate her. Then, Bianca remembered something else. Marissa had said that for some strange reason iced tea always settled her stomach. _Oh my god, I'm such an idiot. Her mom used to give that to her when she was growing up._ It was something Marissa had told her some time ago. The redhead had commented that she knew it was a little odd but that's what worked for her. Today, her feelings had been disregarded, ignored, and Krystal, although not meaning to, was treating her like a child who was simply being disobedient for the sake of being that way while Bianca had stood by and said and did nothing.

_Have I been treating her like that this whole pregnancy? No. That's something JR would do, and I am not like him. I meant it when I said I respected her opinions. That son of a bitch never did and never would. Marissa and I are equals, and that's how I treat her. Have I really lately though?_ Bianca could feel doubt starting to seep in. If she hadn't been, it was only because she didn't want anything to happen to her wife and child. That concern was born out of love and nothing else.

Bianca then thought back to her words regarding Marissa's work. Had she gone overboard? She honestly hadn't compared her to Reese, but she could see where Marissa might see it was being inferred. Yes, Marissa was working a lot lately, but it was for someone she cared about, someone they both cared about. Her wife hadn't been in a courtroom for a little while. Bianca could sense she was anxious about maybe being rusty, but Marissa didn't volunteer anything further. _And I didn't ask. I wonder if I had asked her would I have been able to do it a way so she didn't think I was doubting her abilities?_

The brunette sighed. She wanted nothing more than to race home and work things out, but she couldn't. Bianca had to meet up with Brittney and finish up this last assignment for class. Maybe by delaying going home, they would both be cooled off by the time she did go back there. That led her to another train of thought. Brittney. In her mind, there was no way she could be interested in Bianca. The brunette was married with three kids and a fourth on the way. Plus, Brittney was probably 19 so Bianca had a good 10 years on her. Given all of that, there was absolutely no way she could be interested in Bianca. But Marissa had been so sure. _No, she was just being jealous and emotional_. Bianca shook the thought from her mind and went inside the restaurant.

She found an empty table and pulled out her notes. The brunette was a few minutes early so Brittney wasn't there yet. There were two other people not there either, and Bianca was grateful for their absence that evening. The first was Krystal, and the second was Opal. Both women were off which meant she wouldn't have to deal with any questions from either of them. Krystal had hopefully realized what she had done earlier. If she had and was there, she would be asking Bianca for advice and apologizing to her when the one she should be apologizing to was Marissa. As for Opal, she'd be interrogating the brunette about what had happened because Krystal would most likely have mentioned something but not everything to her. When it came to gossip and digging for answers, Opal was relentless. _Maybe Jesse should consider putting her on the PVPD's payroll and have her question suspects he couldn't get to crack._ Bianca glanced around the room. That's when she saw Greenlee who was there with Ryan and Emma. They shared a friendly nod to acknowledge each other's presence. Bianca couldn't help but wonder if Greenlee's being there was merely a coincidence or something else.

/

Marissa had just finished taking the casserole out of the oven and was getting ready to call the kids for dinner when she heard someone at the front door. When she saw Kendall on the other side, she both was and wasn't surprised to see her sister-in-law.

"Hey, Kendall. What brings you here?"

"I got kicked out."

"What?"

"Zach and the boys are having a _guys' night_, no girls allowed. That leaves me with no place to go for a couple of hours, and it is dinner time. A good home-cooked meal would really be nice and appreciated a great deal."

Marissa chuckled at Kendall's overly dramatic sigh. "You can come in on one condition."

"What is it?" Kendall eyed the redhead suspiciously.

"You have to help me with AJ's and Miranda's projects for school."

"You've got a deal, Red!"

Marissa held the door open wide. "Then come on in. Dinner is ready."

**/**

**A/N: Okay, I hope you don't hate me for this chapter. It wasn't planned at all, but it has been mentioned a couple of times to add some conflict (for lack of a better word) between our girls. This popped into head and wouldn't let go until I wrote it down. Life can't be all rainbows and butterflies all the time. Trust me and don't worry about Minx too much. I think Dynamic Duo might have something up their sleeves. See you soon! **


	142. Venting

**A/N: Whew! I'm glad you all seemed to be okay with the last chapter and the speed bump our girls are experiencing. A guest reviewer called it right when they said it couldn't be easy coming up with some sort of conflict between them. It was hard. I wanted to make it realistic but nothing extreme like one of them cheating. That's just something I don't see either of them doing because of the pain they experienced in the past. So, thanks for reading, following and reviewing! It's very much appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca glanced around the room. That's when she saw Greenlee who was there with Ryan and Emma. They shared a friendly nod to acknowledge each other's presence. Bianca couldn't help but wonder if Greenlee's being there was merely a coincidence or something else.

/

Marissa chuckled at Kendall's overly dramatic sigh. "You can come in on one condition."

"What is it?" Kendall eyed the redhead suspiciously.

"You have to help me with AJ's and Miranda's projects for school."

"You've got a deal, Red!"

Marissa held the door open wide. "Then come on in. Dinner is ready."

/

_Earlier that day at Krystal's_

_Kendall and Greenlee watched as Krystal realized what she'd said and done. Without meaning to, Krystal had hurt Marissa, and she knew it._

"_I really screwed up. I just totally ignored her feelings like they didn't matter. And I mentioned Babe. Why do I keep doing this? What do I do to fix this?"_

_Greenlee shook her head. "I'm not really sure what to tell you."_

"_Krystal, I think right now, the best thing you can do is to give Marissa some space, some time to cool down. Once she's had that chance, then you can talk to her, but only when she's ready. I know her. I'm pretty sure she'll forgive you. She has a great capacity for forgiveness. Marissa's a lot like Bianca in that respect. You need to be patient though." Kendall advised._

"_Thank you, both of you. I think I'll take your advice. Let me go check on your orders."_

_The pair watched Krystal walk away with both feeling they dodged a bullet._

"_I'm glad you were able to stop Krystal from going after Marissa."_

"_You and me both. Red does not need to deal with her right now. There's something going on between her and Bianca."_

"_Yeah, I noticed. It was kind of hard not to. It got a little tense with them snapping at each other like they were. What do you think was behind it?"_

"_I'd say a number of things. Red does have the extra hormones going on right now, but you didn't hear me say that."_

"_Hear you say what?" Greenlee grinned._

"_Exactly. She's been working a lot on Sam's case and doesn't want to let anyone down. That has to add some stress to her. Plus, Bianca has been hovering a bit. I can completely understand why, but …"_

"_Yeah, that can get on your nerves after a while. I do remember that. So, you've got the working thing striking a sour note with Bianca because of whatsherface, and the feeling of not having any control or thoughts of your own that are of any worth reminding Marissa of dipshit. That's a recipe for one hell of a fight."_

"_Pretty much."_

"_We should check on them, make sure they're alright."_

"_We really should. They are family after all, and it's the right thing to do. They would do the same thing for us. They have done the same thing for us.'_

"_True, very true. We probably should let them both cool down a little before we do that though, kind of like the advice you gave Krystal."_

"_I suppose, but I feel our situation is different. We wouldn't be doing anything out of guilt. We would be doing it to help them."_

"_You do make a pretty compelling argument."_

"_Well, my mother is Erica Kane, and we both know she can justify anything. Plus, my sister-in-law is a kickass lawyer. You pick things up over time."_

"_So, we're going to butt in and talk to them." It wasn't a question, just merely a statement of fact._

"_I wouldn't call it butting in. We're merely showing our concern for them in a highly constructive way." _

_Greenlee raised an eyebrow, not buying what her friend was selling for a single moment. _

_Kendall knew that look all too well. She'd given her own rendition of that look to Greenlee many times. The taller woman simply shrugged. "Yeah, of course we're going to butt in."_

"_Good, that's what I thought. I really don't like it when they fight. They've both been through so much and deserve to be happy. They have that with each other. You know how much Ryan and I fight. I look at them, and they give me hope that we'll be able to work things out. They give me something to aspire to in my own relationship."_

_Kendall knew all too well about the fights Greenlee alluded to. She worried about her friend and Ryan sometimes and wished they were more stable. A lot of the issues between them had to deal with Annie. Ryan's ex-wife was still in Oak Haven and probably would be for quite some time. In Greenlee's mind, she deserved to be there not only for trying to kill Marissa but also for kidnapping Emma. Ryan didn't disagree with that. The problem was Emma. She had a hard time understanding all of it which made it hard on Ryan and in turn on Greenlee and caused conflicts between the couple. She hoped the fact that they were starting to see a marriage counselor would help them. Kendall sensed her friend needed a break in the tension that had crept in so she gave it to her. "If I didn't know you better, I'd swear you were going soft on me."_

_Greenlee rolled her eyes in attempt to feign annoyance that wasn't really there. She was grateful that Kendall knew her so well. "Yeah, yeah, yeah whatever. If you tell anybody, I'll deny it to the bitter end. Besides, you're not as tough as you claim to be."_

"_Alright. I won't say anything if you don't."_

"_Deal. So, I'll take Marissa and you take your sister?"_

"_Actually, I think we need to switch it up this time. You take Binx, and I'll take Red."_

"_I like it. From what they were saying earlier, Bianca will be here later. I'll tell Ryan we need to come here for dinner. He'll be good with that if I give him a little heads up on the why. He loves Bianca."_

"_Sounds good. Since Bianca will be here, we know that Marissa will be home. I'll explain to Zach what's going on and go talk to her. It will give him and the boys some male bonding time. When you get an idea of what's going on with Bianca, text me. I'll do the same with Marissa."_

_Greenlee nodded. "We can compare notes that way. I have another idea that could help them some if you're up for it."_

_Kendall smiled. "I've seen that look in your eyes before. What do you got up your sleeve?"_

/

Greenlee whispered to Ryan who nodded in reply before she headed over to Bianca's table.

"Hi, Bianca. How are you doing?"

Bianca glanced up from her notes. "Hi, Greenlee. I … I was going to say I'm fine, but that would be a lie because I'm not, not by a longshot. I'll just say that I've been better."

"I'm sorry to hear that, honestly. Is there anything I can do? I am a pretty good listener."

"Thanks, but I don't have the time. I'm meeting someone here in just a minute."

"Oh, the girl from your class, right?"

"Yeah, her name is Brittney. We're working on an assignment together." Bianca's phone buzzed signaling an incoming text. The brunette read the message and tapped out a quick reply. "Speak of the devil. That was her. It looks like she's running a few minutes late."

"Well now, that give us time to talk. What's going on between you and Marissa?"

"You're being here isn't a coincidence, is it? Did Marissa put you up to this, ask you to spy on me?"

Greenlee was a little taken aback by that question. "Of course not. I haven't heard from her since she left here earlier. Do you honestly believe Marissa would ask me, or anyone else for that matter, to do something like that?"

Bianca sighed heavily. She knew the answer. The question was just a knee-jerk reaction and her being defensive. "No, no, she wouldn't."

"What's going on, Bianca?"

"Honestly, Greenlee, I'm not sure. We had a fight when we got home. We've fought before but not like this. Some of things I said were pretty awful. I just couldn't help myself. Of course, she got in some shots of her own. It felt like she was implying that I was acting like JR."

"Ouch. I know damn well and so do you that she doesn't think you're like him."

"You're right. I do know that. In that moment though, it kind of felt like it."

Greenlee could tell there was something Bianca wasn't saying. "What?"

"Marissa thought I was implying that she was like Reese."

"Damn, when you two fight, neither of you pull any punches."

"That's what she _thought_ I was saying, but I don't see her like that. I know she's not like Reese."

"Why would she think you thought that?"

"She's been working a lot lately, and I brought up that fact."

"Wow. So, why do you think she thought you were like Dipshit?"

"Because of what Krystal said about …"

"The servers asking you what she could have to drink." Greenlee just shook her head. "I can see where that would set her off."

Bianca held up a hand. "Before you ask, yes, Krystal did tell me that she wanted to do something like that, but I didn't agree with her. I also didn't try very hard to stop her. Marissa figured that last part out."

"Oh, Bianca."

"I know. I know. I could kick myself for that. It doesn't help that she thinks that I've been hovering too much and treating her like she's fragile and doesn't know what she's doing when it comes to taking care of herself or the baby." Bianca saw the look on Greenlee's face. "Judging by your expression, you agree with her, don't you?"

"A little. I know you're coming at it from love and concern, but sometimes, it can be a little much. You have to remember that Marissa is a strong and independent woman. JR tried to manipulate her every way possible, and it was all to get what he wanted. As a result of that, I'm sure she's very sensitive about it. I also know, however, and I know I'm repeating myself here, that she doesn't see you as being the same as him."

Bianca remembered the conversation she'd had with Brian not long ago. He had given her good advice which she had completely forgotten about due to fears of something happening to her wife and their unborn child. "Wow, I really screwed up. It's just that I don't want anything to happen to her or our baby and that means she has to take care of herself. And she has been getting wrapped up at work a lot lately."

"On anything in particular?"

"She's been putting a lot of time in on Sam's case."

"Weren't you the one who kind of introduced her to Sam and asked her to help?"

"Yes. I did. I know. I know. Trust me. I know. That's pretty much exactly what Marissa said. I did ask her to help Sam, but she can't do it all. She has people to help her, and she needs to let them, to use them. I know it's hard for her, but that's what she needs to do."

"You're right. She does."

Bianca rolled her eyes about what Greenlee wasn't saying. "I should've found a much better way to say that to her though. It's just hard right now. Her hormones are kind of all over the place right now. Can you believe that she thinks that Brittney, someone 10 years younger than me, would be interested in me? There's no way that's possible. I know the hormones are behind all of that."

"You know, I honestly can't say. I've never met this Brittney."

"Well trust me, it's not possible and utterly ridiculous."

"I don't think it could be all that ridiculous. I'm going to be completely honest with you. You're a beautiful woman. You're also smart, kind, funny and filthy rich. Um, the last time I checked, that's a lethal combination. It would be hard for someone looking not to be interested in someone with all of those qualities, to not be interested in you."

Bianca was at a loss for words. Yes, her relationship with Greenlee was a vast improvement over it had been just a few years ago. They were friends now and would help the other out whenever it was needed, but they weren't really too touchy feely. That just wasn't the nature of their relationship. Greenlee's words just blew her away and touched her deeply. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Of course if you repeat any of what I just said to anyone, I'll deny it."

"I'd expect no less." Bianca smirked before turning serious. "You know what I think bothered her the most about today?"

"What?"

"The other thing Krystal said."

"About Babe?"

"Yeah, I know she was really upset by that, but I didn't get the chance to talk with her about it because we were fighting about everything else."

"You're right. I could tell that bothered her. You really need …"

"Hi, Bianca. Sorry I'm late." A young bubbly, brunette with short curly hair suddenly appeared and turned to Greenlee. "Hi, I'm Brittney."

/

"Aunt K!" Gabby shouted as she rushed to greet her aunt.

Kendall scooped up her niece. "Gabster! How are you?"

"Pretty good. I've got a new joke!"

Marissa smiled. "Aunt Kendall is going to have dinner with us. Would you help set a place for her while I get your brother and sister? You can tell her your joke while you're doing that. It's a good one, Kendall."

"Okay, Mommy. Come on, Aunt K." After Kendall had set her down, Gabby grabbed her aunt's hand and pulled her towards the kitchen.

AJ and Miranda were as excited to see their aunt as their sister was and happily chatted away with her along with Gabby during dinner.

Kendall could tell Marissa was a little distracted, that her mind was elsewhere. The redhead tried keep up with the conversations as best she could, but when she did engage, her smile never quite reached her eyes. While Kendall noticed it, she didn't think the kids did. After dinner, Kendall helped Marissa clean up the kitchen while AJ and Miranda hurried back to their rooms to gather the supplies that would be needed for their art projects. While the older children worked with their redheaded mother and aunt, Gabby split her time playing outside with Max and watching the others work. When she was outside, Gabby made sure to stay close to the house though. The girl knew she wasn't allowed to wander off into the woods surrounding their home by herself. After a while, Gabby fetched some paper and crayons and started creating her own art project. It was decided that after working on the projects for almost two hours that they had made excellent progress on them and a well-deserved break was called for. They would pick up where they left off for the day over the weekend. The kids headed to the family room to watch a little TV.

Once again, Kendall offered to help Marissa clean up the kitchen. The time alone together would give her the perfect opportunity to talk with her sister-in-law. "Thanks again for dinner, Red."

"You're welcome." Marissa folded the dish towel she was holding and laid it on the counter before turning back to the brunette. "So, Kendall, were you really kicked out or are you just checking up on me?"

Kendall laughed. She should've known better than to think she could fool Marissa into thinking this was an innocent visit especially after what had happened earlier. "Alright, you got me. It's more like a combination of both. Zach and the boys are having a _boys' night_ and didn't want me around. I also wanted to check on you though, and no, I'm not here because Bianca asked me. I was worried about you. I could see something was going on between the two of you earlier. I'm here if you want to talk. I know Bianca's my sister, but you're like my sister too. I love you, and I'm here for you. You can talk to me, and I honestly think you need to talk to someone right now."

Marissa sighed. She knew her sister-in-law was right. She couldn't keep this bottled up much longer. It wasn't good for her, and it definitely wasn't good for the baby. "I love you too. You're like the big sister I never had. Okay, I guess we should probably sit."

"That bad, huh? On a scale of 1 to 10?"

"I'd say about a 7 or 8." Once they were settled, Marissa began. "First, I love your sister with all of my heart. She is everything to me."

"I know. I can see it every time you look at her and every time she looks at you. She feels exactly the same way about you."

Marissa smiled softly. "I know she loves me. It's just that … there's no nice way to say this. She's driving me nuts with her overprotectiveness. I feel like I'm suffocating sometimes because of it. I know she means well but …"

"It's too much sometimes? Yeah, I know. Binx can be like that. Let's face it, she's had to be. Out of her, Mom and me, she's been the responsible one. I mean, Kane women aren't the most rational when it comes to protecting their families. We tend to be …"

"A little heavy-handed, overly dramatic …"

"Hey, I don't need any help with that list." Kendall smirked.

Marissa laughed. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"You obviously get what I'm saying. Bianca means well. It's just that she's never been on the other side, the one not pregnant, so she's going into overdrive. Plus, her pregnancies weren't the smoothest so I think she's over-compensating for that fact and wanting yours to be as smooth as possible." Kendall lowered her voice. "You know everything that went on with Miranda."

"Yes. I'm not sure how she got through all of it. She really is the strongest person I know."

"I couldn't agree with you more. Even Gabby's wasn't easy, and I'm not just talking about her birth. Bianca wasn't in Pine Valley for most of it. She was back in Paris. During that time, well that's when whatsherface started working long hours and not around as much."

"She accused me of working too much lately. While she didn't say it outright, it felt a little like she was comparing me to whatsherface."

"Wow, you know she doesn't really see you like that, don't you? You've shown time and time again how much family means to you, that it comes first."

"I know. It didn't help matters when she thought I was comparing her to JR."

"Whoa, you didn't …"

"No, no, no, I didn't say that and don't think that. They're like night and day. It's just that thing with Krystal telling the servers they needed to get Bianca's approval on what I order there really pissed me off. I was trying to explain why I was drinking what I was, but no one was listening to me or seemed to care about what I was saying or wanting. They just seemed intent on scolding me and treating me like a child. I had enough of that with JR to last me a lifetime. I'm not some helpless invalid."

"I'm sure she didn't know what Krystal had done."

"That's where you're wrong. When I brought it up, Bianca didn't deny knowing about it."

"You're kidding me, right?"

"I wish I was. I don't think it was her idea, but …"

"She didn't stop it." Kendall shook her head. "If it helps any, I could honestly see that Bianca was upset by it and knew it was wrong."

Marissa sighed. "Yeah, it does help some. It also bothered me to think she might think I would do something to jeopardize our baby because I wouldn't. I've been doing everything possible to keep myself and our little one healthy. That includes drinking some alleged _healthy_ concoction that Lisa found after a good deal of research. I honestly have my doubts about, but Bianca looked it up too and said Lisa was right."

"I don't believe for one second that Bianca believes you would jeopardize yourself or Sparky."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "Sparky?"

Kendall grinned. "I have to call the baby something. Since you're not going to find out what you're having before said baby is here, my choices are kind of limited. I refuse to call my future niece or nephew 'it', and I don't know, saying 'the baby' all the time seems a little boring. If there's one thing I know, it's that this kid will be anything but boring. It's not in the realm of possibilities given their mothers and the rest of this crazy family. The name Sparky just came to me and seems to fit since I have a feeling they will be a spark plug kind of like you."

The redhead laughed. "I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Bianca and Erica don't know this nickname yet."

"Nope, you are the very first to know."

"I'm honored, and thank you. I needed that. The last few days have been a little hard. I suppose Bianca's right to some extent. I have been working a lot, but it's Sam. How can I not? The girl has been through so much."

"Some of which you can relate to."

"Yeah, I can to a certain degree. Plus, the Walkers are involved. Carol was there for me when JR tried his best to make me homeless."

"I remember. I would've loved to have heard that conversation. She strikes me as someone you don't mess with."

"You've got that right. Did you know that she thought Bianca and I were a couple when I first met her?"

"Really? Let's be honest, Red. You and Bianca were the only ones who didn't think you were." Kendall deadpanned.

Marissa rolled her eyes at the playful jab. "Whatever. The thing is, because of all that, I can't let them down, and also work, right now at least, helps me feel like I have some sense of control over what's going on."

"How so?"

"My damn hormones make me feel like I'm all over the place. I'm crying over greeting card commercials for god's sake. Even so, I still don't appreciate what Bianca said."

"What did she say?"

"That it was my hormones making me see things regarding _Brittney_ her study partner. I'm not imaging that. The woman is interested in her, and Bianca is oblivious about it. It's funny in a way. She calls me clueless when someone is interested in me and I don't see it when she's just as dense."

Kendall had to keep herself from laughing because both women were a little slow on the uptake when it came to others being interested in them. "Bianca really shouldn't have played the hormone card. She knows better because she's been there. What makes you think the she's interested in your wife?"

"She touches her arms and hands all the time, gives her yearning looks when she thinks no one is looking and laughs too loud and too much at her jokes. She reminds me of that one waitress we had at Mitchell's."

The brunette remembered that incident. She, Zach, Bianca and Marissa had gone out to dinner together on a double date a few months back, and they'd had a nice time at the upscale seafood restaurant Kendall had found. Their server had instantly been taken with Bianca and fawned over her a large portion of the evening. It had been mildly amusing to the others how clueless she had been to it all. Kendall had to hand it to Marissa. The redhead had handled the situation better than she would have if it had been Zach on the other end of such attention. Bianca had been embarrassed once she had finally realized what was going on. Kendall then remembered Marissa excusing herself to go to the ladies' room. She spotted the redhead cornering the server. Kendall couldn't catch what was being said, but she notice the server paling to the point where Kendall thought she might pass out. Marissa returned to the table with a shit-eating, triumphant grin that would have made Erica proud. The server spent the rest of the evening after that avoiding any and all eye contact with both Bianca and Marissa.

"Oh, I remember her. Wow. That's bad. Hopefully, Binx will get it now that you've pointed it out and put a stop to it. Is there anything else bothering you, maybe?"

Marissa sighed. "Yeah, there is. Krystal."

/

Greenlee looked at the girl, because that's what she was to her, and nodded. "Hi, I'm Greenlee. Bianca, I need to get back to my table. We'll talk some more." As she joined her family again, one thought was prevalent in her mind. _Yeah, I don't like her. She's too happy, chipper, too whatever. I just don't like her. I'm going to keep an eye on her._

Bianca decided it was best to get straight to work. Brittney, it seemed, had other ideas and kept trying to pull discussions about class back to personal matters. It didn't help that Bianca could feel the stares of both Greenlee and Ryan from across the room.

"Have you eaten dinner yet?"

"What? Um, no, I haven't." Bianca realized she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and was starting to feel a little light-headed.

"Perfect! Let's get something. We can eat and work that way. We could share something if you want. Ooh, I've heard the chili cheese fries are really good. What do you say?" Brittney placed her hand on Bianca's forearm.

Bianca felt a small pang of guilt remembering Marissa had been looking forward to that particular dish earlier. There was no way she could bring herself to share them with someone else. Bianca moved her arm not feeling comfortable with its presence and waved a server over. "I think I'll just get the chicken sandwich."

"Hey, Bianca. How are you doing?"

"Okay, Sandy. How about you?"

"I can't complain. Where's Marissa this evening?"

"She's home with the kids." Bianca chanced a glance at Brittney who seemed to be in her own world at the moment perusing the menu and not listening to what she had just said to the server.

"Well, tell her I said 'hi'. What can I get you?"

The two placed their orders after Brittney finally decided what to get. She then continued to pull the conversation from their assignment.

Bianca started to pick up on the things Marissa had pointed out earlier as her wife's words rang in her ears. Could this young woman really be interested in her? She felt her cellphone vibrate and glanced at the text message Greenlee had sent.

"_Took a poll at our table, and all three of us think she's into you."_

There was another buzz. _"No, I didn't mention our conversation. They brought it up themselves."_

Another buzz followed immediately. _"I know you don't want to hear this, but I think Marissa was right."_

Greenlee was right. She didn't want to hear it or admit it, but it was looking like her wife right about the younger woman. She had been touching Bianca's arm a lot, smiling, laughing and doing what felt an awful lot like flirting. When she thought about it, she was reminded of the waitress at Mitchell's. _Oh my god, I'm a complete idiot. I've got to do something about this now._

"Maybe, we can grab dinner sometime and leave the books behind. I know this quiet little place …"

"Brittney, you know I'm married, don't you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we can't spend some time together. They are very discreet."

"Why would you think I would want to go someplace with you where people would need to be discreet?"

Brittney smiled coyly. "Well, we've been spending time together, gone out on a date or two …"

"Whoa! Stop right there!" Bianca quickly lowered her voice. "We have _never_ gone out on a date."

"Okay, maybe not a traditional date. What would you call it then?"

"Uh, I don't know, maybe studying and working on an assignment for class. That's _all_ it is."

"It doesn't have to be that way." Brittney skimmed her hand along Bianca's arm.

_I must have been deaf, dumb and blind._ Bianca whipped her arm away. "Yes, it does. Did you miss the part where I said I'm married, happily married? I have a wife and three children with a fourth on the way."

Brittney shrugged. "My cousin is married, and her and her wife see other women. She has a whole circle of friends that are gay and feel the same way."

Bianca eyed the younger woman. "Are you …"

"I don't know. I'm more curious than anything else, and I thought you would be a good candidate to satisfy that curiosity, be a good teacher."

"Okay, first of all, whatever your cousin, her wife and their friends have going on is not limited to gay people. It's offensive for you to think that. It's called an open relationship, and straight people have them too, and while it may be what they are into, it most definitely is not something I am. I love my wife. I have no need or desire to be with anyone else. I want her and only her. That's why I married her. I believe in monogamy and could never cheat on her."

"Then why are you here with me?"

Bianca shook her head. Brittney just wasn't getting it. "We're here to study and work on a project for class. Nothing else."

"But …"

"No, there is no 'but'. There is nothing else going on and nothing else that will go on. I'm not interested in you that way, and I'm certainly not interested in being someone's experiment or a way to satisfy their curiosity. If you are trying to discover something about yourself, then you need to find someone else to help you with that because I won't be."

"Oh, I thought …"

"You thought wrong. My wife and children are the most important people in my life, and I will not jeopardize my relationships with them for anything or anyone. Look, this is our last assignment for class, and we're almost done with it. Are you able to understand and accept what I've said and work together to complete this or …"

"I don't know."

"How about this? You finish this section, and I'll finish mine. You can email me your part when it's done, and I'll put everything together and send it back to you to review."

Brittney nodded, her embarrassment over misreading the situation rising. "That sounds good. I'll have it to you by the beginning of next week." She started to reach for her wallet to pay for her dinner, anxious to get out of there.

"I've got this."

"Thank you." Brittney gathered her belongings and hurried out of the restaurant.

Bianca sunk back in her seat, kicking herself for being so clueless. She glanced over to Greenlee's table and picked up her cellphone to send a quick text. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment.

"_Please, don't say anything."_

The reply was quick and to the point. _"I won't. Are you okay?"_

"_Yes. Thanks."_

"_Anytime."_

Bianca attempted to calm herself down. She knew she'd have to eat some crow when she saw Marissa. The thought of her wife made her realize she was wrong before. There was someone she wanted to talk to, needed to talk to. It was Marissa. Bianca grabbed the check and headed to the counter to pay it before going home.

/

Bianca pulled into the garage and noted the time. The kids would be in bed by now. She only hoped Marissa might still be up so they could talk. She didn't want to go to bed feeling like this and didn't want this to fester between them. Bianca walked inside and caught a glimpse of her wife sitting outside absently petting Max. The brunette headed upstairs to quickly give each of the kids a kiss goodnight before facing the music. With that accomplished, Bianca grabbed a blanket because it was starting to get cool and a carryout container she had brought with her from Krystal's before heading outside.

Marissa's head turned around hearing the door open.

Bianca smiled nervously. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

"We need to talk."

Marissa nodded. "Yes. Yes, we do."

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, I left it there. My evil side is cackling again. See you soon!**


	143. Peace Offerings and Promises

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! You all are the best! This week's installment is a little early. It's a holiday weekend here, and I'll be running around most of the day tomorrow. I didn't want you to have to wait for the update. Side note: As you all probably know, Pine Valley (yes, I know it's a fictional city) is located in Pennsylvania here in the states. A federal judge just struck down Pennsylvania's same sex marriage ban! Think life is imitating art? Anyway, I hope this reads okay. I had a cold the first part of the week. Being whacked out on cough medicine makes for interesting writing. I'm feeling much better now though. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa's head turned around hearing the door open.

Bianca smiled nervously. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

"We need to talk."

Marissa nodded. "Yes. Yes, we do."

Bianca set the container down on the table and lifted the blanket up in offering for her wife. "It's getting cool out. I wasn't sure if you would want this."

It was then that Marissa felt the slight chill in the air. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the temperature drop. The redhead smiled softly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The brunette unfolded the blanket and helped her wife cover herself with it.

"Are you warm enough?" Marissa asked.

"I've got my jacket so I'm good. I brought you something else that might help keep you warm." Bianca handed the container to her wife and chewed on her bottom lip nervously as she watched her open it.

"You got me chili cheese fries with jalapeños." Marissa smiled again at her wife's peace offering. It was what she had planned to have at lunch, but those plans had been cast aside because of what had happened at the restaurant. Marissa realized she hadn't really eaten much at all since breakfast. Yes, she'd eaten some dinner earlier but not much. It had still been too hard for her to eat much because of how upset she had been. Smelling the chili had her stomach growling and her earlier craving kicked back in. "Thank you. These smell so good. Will you have some?"

Bianca nodded and took the seat next to her wife relieved she had accepted the small token of her apology. "You know I can't resist them. You can have the jalapeños though."

"I'll take them. You should try them though. It gives the fries a nice little kick, and you know me, I like spicy. I did marry a Kane woman after all."

"Yes, you did. Alright, I'll try it." Bianca took a bite and found she was pleasantly surprised. "This is really good. I'll only have a couple though. I know how much you love them."

"Told ya. You should listen to me more often."

Bianca sighed. "You're right. I should."

Hazel eyes locked with warm chocolate ones, and both women spoke at the same time.

"I'm sorry."

Bianca held up her hands. "Could I go first please, with no interruptions?"

Marissa wanted to protest but gave in seeing how much it to Bianca. "Okay. What I said about you listening to me? That didn't quite come out the way I meant it too."

"Thank you. I know you didn't mean it that way, but you're right. Rissa, I am so sorry. I should have listened to you and respected your wishes. You're everything to me, and I _know_ you would never do anything to jeopardize our little one. I mean, you even let Lisa convince you to drink that health-thing she found. While it may be good for you and our little one, I gotta admit that it smells disgusting."

"Yeah, it tastes that way too at first."

"At first? You mean it tastes better over time?"

"That or it killed my taste buds. It's hard to say." Marissa quipped.

Bianca smiled at her wife's comment. "Okay, I know you don't need my permission on this, but you can stop drinking that if you want. I don't want you doing anything you don't want to. Your happiness means everything to me, and I'm sorry if I've made you feel like it doesn't."

"I did agree to drink it of my own free will, you know. You didn't twist my arm. I just didn't realize how gross it was going to be."

"But maybe some pressure from me didn't help, now did it? I'm just worried about you and our little one." Bianca paused. She knew she had to be honest and explain the overriding part of her fear. "I almost lost you last year. When I think about that, I … I … I just get scared, terrified. I remember you lying in that hospital bed and me wanting you to wake up so badly. Praying that you would, that you would be okay and that I'd made the right decisions when it came to how the doctors were going to treat you." Marissa took Bianca's hand in hers and gave it a gentle squeeze. "I don't ever want to go through that again. I don't think I could because I don't know what I would do if I lost you. I know this isn't the same as that, but I just can't help it sometimes. I also know how much you want this baby, and I just want to do everything I can to make sure every goes right, to have it be as perfect as possible because I want this for you more than anything. I want to make all of your dreams come true as much as I can. I think all of that combined to make me go overboard with my protectiveness. You are one of the strongest women, no individuals, I know. It's not you that I doubt, because I don't, not for a second. I doubt me."

"You? What would you doubt about yourself?"

"That I can be there for you like you need me to be. I know you're not some helpless invalid. It's just that I haven't been on this side before, and I feel useless and helpless sometimes. I don't know what I can do to make things easier for you and that's all I want to do."

"And my hormones haven't helped you with that."

Bianca winced. "I'm sorry about that too. I shouldn't have said that. You would think I would know better than to say something like that."

Marissa shook her head. "I didn't say that to throw it in your face. I said it because it's true. My hormones do get the best of me sometimes so I know I haven't made it easy on you. It's gotta be hard for you to walk on eggshells around me."

"I've been there and understand. I promise that I'll do a better job with that. I'm going to be more understanding about what you're doing for Sam too. She needs you right now, and if that means you putting in some longer hours, then so be it. I'm good with it. And you were right, you did start helping her because of me. There's no way I could ask you to stop, not now when she needs you more than ever. I didn't mean to imply that you are anything like Reese because you're not, and I'm sorry that if you thought that I did. I know that without a single doubt that you are nothing like her. Trust me. There is no comparison between the two of you. You have _always_ put our family first, _always_. I will try my damnedest to never do that to you again."

"I did overreact a little on that."

Bianca shook her head. "You were right to, and it's perfectly understandable."

"Is it my turn yet?"

"Not yet. I owe you one final apology, and it's a really, really big one." Bianca gave her a sheepish look. "You were right about Brittney."

Marissa eyed her wife. "What happened? Did she try something?"

"Before I tell you, please let me get it all out and just listen without getting too upset. Please?"

The redhead sighed. She had a feeling she wasn't going to like this, but she agreed. "Okay. I promise. I'll do my best."

"Thank you. Yeah, she tried, **but** I stopped it and set her straight. I made it clear in no uncertain terms that I love you and only you."

"Would you like to share some details of what she did?"

Bianca sighed. She knew she was going to be asked for details, and given everything that had happened, she owed her wife that much. "I started thinking about what you had said when she got to the restaurant, and well, you were right. She really does touch my arm a lot. I just didn't notice it until tonight. There's more. She suggested we could go someplace more discreet the next time we met up."

Marissa clenched her jaw. "Are you kidding me?! What the hell, Bianca?!"

"I know. Trust me, I know. Please let me finish."

"Fine."

"It seems she's _curious_." She could tell by her wife's expression that she understood what Bianca was alluding to. "Yeah, that kind of curious. She has a cousin who is gay, and her and her wife have an open relationship. They also have a circle of friends that are the same way, and so, they all share partners. She thought that was normal behavior for gay couples to share."

"Wow. I can't even …" Marissa found it hard to believe the girl was that naïve and clueless.

"Yeah. I told her that I wasn't interested in her and didn't see her that way. I'm definitely not going to be someone's experiment or be used to satisfy their curiosity. If she wants to figure out her sexuality, it's going to be without me. More importantly, I reminded her _again_ that I am happily married. I also made it clear to her, in no uncertain terms, that I don't want anyone else. I only want my wife. I only want you. Our project is almost done, and it's the last one. We're going to finish it separately. She's going to work on her piece of it and send it to me when she's done. Then, I'll put it together with mine and send it back to her to review it before we turn it in. We won't have to deal with out hardly at all that way. Look, I can't tell enough how sorry I am. I honestly didn't see it. She's 10 years younger than me. I'm married with kids. I mean when you think about it, we have nothing in common."

Marissa shook her head. Sometimes, it amazed her how her wife couldn't see how truly incredible she was. "Bianca, you're smart, funny, kind, loving and as beautiful on the outside as you are on the inside. I can't believe you don't see that. It doesn't surprise me when someone is interested in you, and you give me a hard time about that."

"I know I do, but it's because you don't see how remarkable and beautiful you are."

"That's how I see you, and it doesn't matter to me what anyone else thinks about me. Their opinions mean squat to me."

"That makes two of us. I don't care how anyone else looks at me because I'm not looking at them. I'm only looking at you."

Marissa shook her head at the somewhat cheesy line, but she could easily see the truth behind the words. "Good answer. My turn now?"

"One final thing. I'm not perfect. We both know that. I promise I'll try and do better though. I give you my word on that. Okay. Now, I'm done."

"I know you're not perfect, B. Neither am I, far from it. I think life would be pretty boring if we were."

Bianca snorted. "Yes, it would."

"I don't want boring. I want you. I knew what I was signing up for when we got together. You are a Kane woman after all. It's been widely established that all of you can definitely be quite the handfuls, and I know I've said this before and meant it when I did. I'm more than happy with mine. I think I just forgot how protective the Kane women are when it comes to family."

"Yeah, we do tend to do that." Bianca smiled sheepishly.

"And that's fine, as long as it's within reason, and you remember I'm part of this and get a say it all of it too. You and the kids are everything to me. I won't do anything to put any of you or the life that we have at risk. I've been sitting here thinking. I know you were being overprotective of me because you love me and aren't trying to control me like JR. I'm sorry if you thought I was comparing you to him because nothing could be further from the truth. It was all about power and control with him. With you, it's about love, plain and simple, and I love you for loving me so much and wanting everything to be perfect for me. I appreciate it more than you know, but I'm afraid that's not possible. Nothing is perfect, especially in Pine Valley. Let's go with as close as we can within reason."

"I think I can do that."

"I also know this is new not just for me but for you too. That being said, I gotta be honest, you were starting to drive me a little nuts. If I see that happening again, I won't keep it inside, and I won't hesitate to let you know."

"I don't doubt that for a minute, and I want you to."

"We'll muddle our way through this together. We're a team and a damn good one at that. Deal?" Marissa held out her hand.

Bianca took the offered hand, and the two shook. "Deal, and we are a damn good team, the best."

"I didn't realize how scared you were and that you were thinking about last year. I wish you would've told me earlier. We could've talked about it and worked through it together. Maybe, we could've saved ourselves some grief."

"I realize that now."

"It explains some things. I can't guarantee that nothing is going to happen to me, but I won't do anything to put myself in harm's way. I promise."

"Thank you."

"I think that's something we're both guilty of, the not talking to each other about what's scaring us lately." Marissa admitted.

"What's scaring you, Rissa? Is it about the baby?"

"A little. I want our little one to be healthy, and I want to do my best to help that happen. To be honest, there's more. It's Sam's case. I don't want to let her or the Walkers down. I can't let them down. They're so happy together as a family, and Sam has thrived with them. When I think that she could be thrown back into a similar situation like she was in before, I just can't let that happen. I'm afraid that if I screw this up that's exactly what's going to happen."

"That's why you've been working so much." It wasn't a question because Bianca knew the answer.

"Yes. What if my best isn't good enough?"

"I wish I could tell you that everything will work out, but I can't. There are no guarantees. I know you though and have faith in you. You are good enough. You'll find some way to help them, and I will be there to help you however I can. You aren't doing this alone, and you don't have to shoulder all of this yourself. You've got a great team. Trust them to do their jobs."

Marissa chuckled. "That sounds vaguely familiar."

"It should because it was very good advice given to me by a wise woman when I was trying to do too much all by myself."

"I'm not sure how wise she is."

Bianca eyed the redhead. "Don't talk about my wife like that."

"Sorry. Thank you for that." Marissa turned serious. "You know I really am sorry. You're right. I have been working a lot lately, and I promise that I will do a better job delegating to Claudia and Lisa. They are extremely capable, and I trust them to do a good job. But …"

"You're still lead on her case. I know and understand and would expect no less. She is family after all."

"Yes, she is. I'm also sorry for how I've been acting. My hormones are a little out of whack, and I'm trying to control them. It's just …"

"Really hard to. Trust me, I understand. Sometimes, you can't control them. We'll get through it, okay?"

"Okay. If I start acting like a crazy bitch though, let me know."

"I'll try and phrase it better than that though, be more diplomatic." Bianca gave a wry smile.

"Probably a good idea. There's one more thing. I took it out on you and shouldn't have. It was wrong, and I'm sorry."

"What is it?"

"Krystal."

That confirmed Bianca's suspicions. She had a feeling this had been eating away at Marissa and knew that she needed to vent. So, she kept quiet and let her get it all out.

"What she said earlier? It really bothered me and brought up a lot of old feelings. I'm sure she didn't mean anything by it and wasn't thinking, but damn, Bianca, she treated me like I was a child, like she was scolding me. I haven't been a child for quite some time, and I don't need her to try and raise me now. It's too late for that. She gave up that right when she sold me. Lydia Tasker is my Mom and Roy Tasker is my Dad. They raised me, taught me right from wrong, and I think they did a good job."

"They did a damn good job."

"When she mentioned Babe and what she used to do for her when she was sick, it just opened up an old wound. I guess it's always going to be there, and me being more emotional right now doesn't help, but still. Do you know how that made me feel? Basically, she chose to keep Babe, the perfect blonde haired, blue eyed girl while I was like the runt of the litter that she threw away. Actually, no, she didn't throw me out. She sold me so she could support herself and Babe, the daughter she decided to keep. I don't think I will ever completely understand that. You know what? I don't want to. I don't want to understand that type of thinking. Sometimes, it just makes me feel like I wasn't good enough for her to keep or to bother with, and I _hate_ feeling that way. Yes, I know how lucky, how blessed I was to have my Mom and Dad pick me, choose me, want me, love me. _They_ would be allowed to scold me because _they_ earned that right. It's not hers. Does that make sense? Do you understand?"

Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand. "It does, and I do. It's perfectly understandable. You have every right to feel that way, and I'm sorry. I didn't tell her to talk to the staff, but I didn't stop her. I should have, and I can never apologize enough for that. The one thing you really need to know is that you are more than good enough. Don't ever think that you aren't. I can't explain why she did what she did, but I know she does regret it. I also know that doesn't help sometimes though. Her loss was your Mom and Dad's gain. They loved you and wanted you so much. I remember your home movies, and from what I saw, you completed their family and made them so happy. You were their world, Rissa. For them, you were more than enough. For me and the kids, you are more than enough. Don't ever forget that or ever doubt it."

Hazel eyes glistened with tears. "I won't. Thank you. You're more than enough for me, more than I could ever want or hope for."

"Are we okay?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah, we are. What do you think?"

"Definitely which is good because I really need to kiss you now."

Marissa smiled. "I think I can make that happen."

The couple shared a loving kiss, and the earlier tension between them faded away as they melted into each other. Both were smiling brightly when they separated.

"I promise that I'll do a better job of listening and pull back my overprotective Kane side. I was thinking too that maybe we take a break from Krystal's for a few days."

"That's probably a good idea. I'm in no condition to deal with her right now. Since we're making some more promises, I'm really going to keep an eye on how much I'm working and make sure I get enough rest. That little burst of energy I had, well, it's faded some. I was thinking while I was waiting for you to get home that I could use a day off. I know the weekend is coming up, but the kids are here keeping us busy. I'm talking about a day to either do nothing or whatever feels fun. Basically, a day to play hooky. So, I'm going to take tomorrow off." Marissa checked the time. "Well, I guess it's more like today now."

"I like it and think it's a great idea."

"Would you want to play hooky with me?" Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca grinned. "I would love to play hooky with you. We should get to bed. Because while we may be off, the kids aren't, and we still have to get them ready for school. I also don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. This has been a long day."

"Yes, it has, and I'm really glad it's over."

Marissa stood and held her hand out for Bianca which the brunette happily took before grabbing the blanket with her other hand. Max followed the couple inside and trotted into the family room to settle on his bed. After locking up, the couple padded down the hallway to their bedroom. Both settled into bed after changing into their pajamas. They would love nothing better at that moment than to make love, but the day had taken an emotional toll on both of them. If they did something now, neither would fully enjoy it, and both Bianca and Marissa loved nothing more than to give pleasure to the other. They knew there would be time, most likely tomorrow.

"So, anything in particular you want to do tomorrow?" Bianca asked after turning off the light and facing her wife again.

"Well, we have to take the kids to school. After we do that, we could come back here and take a _nap_."

"I do like how you think. Anything else besides _napping_?"

"We could maybe go shopping if you're not too tired. I noticed earlier that my jeans were getting a little ti …"

Bianca grew concerned seeing her wife's expression change suddenly. "Rissa? Is something wrong?"

Marissa said nothing. It was like she was frozen with her focus somewhere else. Hazel eyes began to grow wide as a blinding smile spread across her face. "Give me your hand, B! Give me your hand!"

"Rissa, you're scaring me."

"Just give me your hand, B."

Bianca relented and did as asked. Marissa placed her wife's hand on her belly. The brunette finally understood her wife's excitement. Neither woman said anything for a few beats. Their focus was firmly on Marissa's belly. Suddenly, Bianca's head snapped up. Her gaze met Marissa's, and their smiles lit up the darkened room.

"Is that what I think it is, B?" Marissa wasn't completely sure since this was the first time she felt movement, but she was hopeful her instincts were right.

"Oh my gosh, it is! Our little one is kicking, Rissa!" Bianca kissed her wife tenderly before lifting the top of Marissa's pajamas and kissing her belly. "Hi, little one. This is the best surprise for your Mama and me."

Marissa laughed as their baby kicked in response to Bianca's voice.

The goofy grin that the redhead loved so much appeared on her wife's face before she kissed Marissa's belly again and continued to talk to their little one. Bianca rested her head on her wife's belly while Marissa stroked silken chocolate locks. A look of wonder was on the redhead's face. She had never felt anything as amazing, as incredible as she was feeling now. Feeling their little one move inside her was simply indescribable, and she knew she would cherish this moment for the rest of her life. To share this moment with Bianca made it perfect.

**/**

**A/N: Now, I could have kept writing and added more to this chapter. If I did that though, I wouldn't have been able to update until Sunday or Monday. So, I decided to split this up. I hope you're all good with that. See you soon!**


	144. Playing Hooky

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, following and reviewing! It means a lot that you're still hanging in there with me on what's become a not so little tale. I've got still got plotlines buzzing around in my head so I'll be continuing for a while longer. Feel free to drop a suggestion on something you might want to see though because you never know what it might set off in my head. The last couple of chapters are the result of that. Thanks to the reviewers for planting that seed! This chapter picks up where the last one left off, and I'll just say the couple takes care of some **_**unfinished**_** business about midway through. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

When the music from the alarm clock sounded the next morning, the couple found themselves in the same positions they were in when they fell asleep. Marissa felt a weight on her belly. She quickly realized what it was. It was her wife. Bianca had fallen asleep talking to their little one. Marissa smiled at both the memory of the night before and of the sight before her now. Bianca always managed to take her breath away, but today, it seemed to be the case even more so.

A radiant smile graced Bianca's face as she raised her head and her gaze met Marissa's. "Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning yourself."

"Good morning, little one." Bianca placed a gentle kiss on her wife's belly before sitting up.

Marissa sighed happily before looking at the clock and shutting off the music. They had set it to go off a little later than they normally would since they were both taking the day off. The time needed to get themselves ready for the office in addition to getting the kids ready was considerably more than the time needed to only take care of the kids. This allowed the couple to sleep a little later which was needed because they had been up late working through their disagreement. The latest development with their little one kicking for the first time was also a factor in them being up late.

"I hate to say this, but we need to get up and start getting the kids ready."

"You're right. Which would you like, the kids or breakfast?" Bianca asked.

"I'll start on breakfast. Our little one is in the mood for French toast."

"Oh really? Our little one is, huh?"

"Yep!" Marissa gave a cheeky grin.

Bianca chuckled. "Well okay then. I'll start getting the kids ready, but only after I take care of this." The brunette leaned in and captured Marissa's lips.

Marissa hummed in approval. "Much better."

"I couldn't agree more. There will be more of that later. I promise. Okay, time to get moving."

"Oh, I need to make a couple of quick calls. I have to let Ellie know I won't be in today so she can move my appointments around. I also have to call Claudia and go over something with her. I promise neither one will take long. After that, I'm all yours."

"Okay. That reminds me. I need to let Jan know that I won't be in today. I'll call her after I get the kids moving."

The couple washed up quickly and brushed their teeth before each threw on jeans and a t-shirt, no business attire would be needed today. While Bianca headed upstairs to wake up the kids and get them started on their days, Marissa headed to the kitchen to start on breakfast.

/

"Yes, I've gone over things with Mitch. He still has someone keeping an eye on both Payne and Pete and will be stopping by today with an update. I really appreciate you handling this, Claudia."

"_It's not a problem. If anything major comes up, I'll leave a message. Don't worry about anything here though. We'll hold down the fort for you. Take care of yourself and the baby. I'll see you Monday."_

"Thanks. Have a good weekend." Marissa disconnected the call and exhaled. It was a little hard to take a step back right now, but she needed to. The break would be good for her and Bianca, show Claudia that she trusted her and give Marissa some fresh eyes when she picked things back up on Monday. There was more to this case than what Payne and Pete were claiming. She just couldn't see it at the moment. Maybe by not thinking about it, it might reveal itself to her.

"Is everything okay?"

Marissa turned and saw Bianca entering with Gabby.

"Morning, Mommy!"

"Good morning, Monkey." Marissa kissed her youngest after scooping her up and sitting on the counter. The redhead met Bianca's gaze. "Everything's good. Claudia's more than happy to cover for me today. The other two still getting ready?"

"Yeah, they just move a little slower in the morning than Gabby. I'll be right back. I need to call Jan and tell her I won't be in today."

"Take your time."

"Mommy says we're having French toast."

"Yep, we sure are. Do you want to help?"

Gabby nodded. "Uh huh."

"Do you remember how we showed you to crack an egg?"

"Yep, I sure do." Gabby answered proudly.

"Okay then. You're in charge of doing that." Marissa pulled a chair over to the counter and had Gabby kneel on the seat. She then pulled over a large bowl and handed an egg to her daughter.

"Alright. Go for it."

Bianca returned from her short conversation with Jan in time to watch mother and daughter working together. Gabby had her tongue partially stuck out as she concentrated on the task at hand while Marissa carefully supervised and encouraged.

After successfully cracking the last egg, Gabby glanced up and beamed at her brunette mother. "I did it, Mommy!"

"You sure did, Sweetie! Good job!"

"She's a great helper. Thank you, Monkey." Marissa kissed the top of her daughter's head and helped her off the chair. "Go ahead and have a seat at the table, and I'll finish this up."

While Gabby took a seat, Bianca got her something to drink.

"How'd it go with Jan?"

"It went good. She said she would handle things for me today. I'm all yours too."

Marissa smiled. "I love how that sounds."

"Me too." Bianca responded with a quick kiss.

The kitchen door opened and AJ and Miranda joined the rest of the family.

"Good morning, AJ. Good morning, Miranda."

"Morning, Ma."

As the family ate, Miranda turned to her mothers. "What time are we going out tonight?"

"What's tonight?" Bianca asked. "Is there something happening tonight, Rissa?"

All three children looked at her in disbelief with their mouths hanging open.

Marissa saw the mischievous glint in her wife's eyes and played along. "Not that I can think of."

The three Tasker-Montgomery children gaped at their redheaded mother now. How was it possible that both of their mothers could forget that tonight was Halloween? This was a kid's second best holiday next to Christmas. They got to dress up in great costumes and get candy. What was there not to love about that?

"It's Halloween. We're going trick-or-treating tonight." Miranda answered still finding this all hard to believe.

AJ nodded. "I'm gonna be Captain America. Miranda's gonna be Hermione from Harry Potter, and Gabby's gonna be a minion. Remember?"

"We're goin' to the zoo too." Gabby added with panic starting to set in. She had been looking forward to the event at the zoo all week.

"Oh, that's right, B. Today's Halloween."

"I can't believe we forgot."

Miranda was the first one to catch on. Their mothers were teasing them. She huffed in pure Kane style. "Not funny. Not funny at all."

AJ rolled his eyes when he saw their moms starting to laugh. "Not cool."

Gabby looked at her brother and sister. "What?"

"They know, Gabs. They're just teasing us." Miranda informed her little sister.

The youngest family member breathed a huge sigh of relief. "So, we're still going to the zoo?"

"Yes, Monkey, we're still going to the zoo."

Bianca chuckled. "We're leaving here at 4:30 to go to the zoo. Then, we'll go out trick-or-treating. Your Ma and I were thinking of picking up pizza at Pasquales on our way home. Do you all think you might be up for that?"

Three heads bobbed up and down excitedly. "Yeah!"

"Talk about a no-brainer." Marissa smirked. "Okay, it's almost time to go, minions. Go get your backpacks."

The kids headed off without any of their usual grumbling due to their excitement for that evening.

Looks of concern were exchanged between the couple when they heard someone at the front door. It was entirely too early to be expecting anyone.

"I'll go check it out." Bianca volunteered.

Marissa nodded. "I'll let Max out."

/

"Kendall? What are you doing here? Is everything okay?"

"Good morning to you too, Binx." Kendall grinned.

"Sorry. Good morning. Come on in. We just finished breakfast and will be heading out soon. Is everything alright?"

"Relax. Everything's fine."

"Okay. Would you like some coffee?"

"I would love some coffee."

Bianca poured her sister a cup of coffee once they entered the kitchen.

"How are things with you and Marissa today?"

There it was, the real reason her sister had stopped by. She wanted to check on her and Marissa.

"Better, much better. We talked and got a lot of things out in the open last night. It felt really good and was definitely something we needed to do."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Morning, Kendall." Marissa opened the back door with Max trotting in behind her and greeted her sister-in-law.

"Morning, Red." Kendall grinned and addressed Marissa's belly. "Morning, Sparky."

Bianca raised an eyebrow while Marissa just laughed.

"Who's Sparky, Aunt K?" AJ asked as he and the girls returned with their backpacks.

"Aunt K!" Gabby rushed over to her aunt.

"Morning, Aunt K."

"Morning, gang! Sparky is my nickname for the baby."

The response had the kids cracking up and loving the nickname.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Really? Do I want to know why?"

"I kind of see this baby being a bit of a spark plug, like Red."

"Mom's going to love that."

"I like it, Aunt K." Miranda smiled.

AJ nodded. "Me too."

"Me three!" Gabby giggled.

"I think you're outnumbered, Binx." Kendall smirked.

"Whatever."

Marissa laughed. "So, what brings you here so early?"

"I thought I'd give the two of you a little break and take the kids to school." It was then that Kendall noticed how the couple was dressed. Obviously, something was up.

Bianca and Marissa glanced at each other and grinned. This would give them a little more time together.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive, Binx. Zach is taking the boys to school this morning. So, I have an empty car. Plus, this gives me a chance to spend a little time with my awesome nieces and nephew."

"If you're sure, that would be great."

"Good! Alright, gang. Let's load up and head out."

Everyone headed outside to Kendall's car.

"I'll help you guys get settled in the car. Say goodbye to your Ma."

Marissa hugged and kissed all three children. As they were being led away by their brunette mother, AJ, Miranda and Gabby stopped and looked at each other before turning back to Marissa. "Bye, Sparky!"

The kids were cracking up as they ran back to the car with Bianca following behind shaking her head. Marissa and Kendall laughed at the kids' antics.

Kendall nudged her sister-in-law. "How are you doing, Red? Binx said the two of you talked last night."

"We did, and it was really good. It was something we really needed to do. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being here for me last night, letting me vent. It meant a lot and helped me calm down and put things in the proper perspective so that when Bianca got home, I was ready to talk about everything with her."

"I'm glad I could be here for you then. And just so you know, I didn't have any doubts that the two of you would work things out."

"I really didn't either. Oh, give me your hand."

Kendall was confused but did as asked. Her eyes grew wide as Marissa placed her hand on her belly, and she felt the baby kick.

"Oh my gosh! Hey, Sparky. I'm your Aunt Kendall, and we are going to have so much fun when you get here. I am going to spoil you rotten, just like you brother and sisters." She glanced up at Marissa and was met with a blinding smile. "When did this start?"

"Last night. I'm just so glad that Bianca was there when it happened."

"Little one's kicking again?"

Kendall turned to her sister whose smile matched Marissa's. "Yep, Sparky's kicking for Aunt Kendall. Hey, what's with you guys and the jeans and t-shirts?"

Marissa wrapped an arm around Bianca. "We're playing hooky today."

"Good for you! Oh, Zach and I are going to watch the kids for you tomorrow night. We'd do it tonight, but with it being Halloween, we know you all have plans."

"Kendall, that's too much. You don't have to do that."

"I know we don't have to, Binx, but we want to. The two of you haven't had much time to yourselves since your honeymoon. Besides, Zach seems to think he's got a chance of beating AJ and Miranda in Mario Kart and some other new game he has. My money's on them. I'll call you later, and we'll work on the details."

"Thanks, and thank Zach for us too. We'll tell the kids to go a little easy on him." Marissa added.

"Not too easy though. Have a fun day and enjoy yourselves. I'll see the two of you later."

"Bye, Kendall, and thanks for everything." Bianca hugged her sister.

After watching Kendall and the kids drive away, Bianca looked at her wife. "So, we have some extra time. Any thoughts on what you would like to do with it?"

"I have some very definite thoughts on that. I could tell you, but I'd much rather show you." Marissa winked and headed inside.

Bianca watched as her wife walked away with a deliberate sway in her hips and groaned as she hurried after the redhead. "Yeah, I'm all for showing instead of telling. I'm a big fan, huge fan actually of the hands on approach."

/

Bianca closed and locked the front door once she was back inside, but her wife was nowhere in sight. A quick scan of the family room found the shirt Marissa had been wearing discarded and lying on the floor. Bianca grinned at the thought of her wife stripping on her way back to their bedroom. It had been a while since the couple had had the entire house to themselves and were able to do something like this. Obviously, Marissa was taking full advantage of this fact, and Bianca couldn't find a damn thing wrong with that. The brunette decided to follow her wife's lead, leaving articles of her clothing next to Marissa's en route to their bedroom. Bianca found her wife just sitting down in the middle of their bed.

Marissa's breath caught as Bianca entered the room without a stitch of clothing on.

"See something you like, _Counselor_?"

"No, I see something I love."

"That makes two of us. God, you are so beautiful."

Bianca captured Marissa's lips for a searing kiss. Tongues engaged in a loving duel as they were eagerly granted access. Marissa laid back on the bed, pulling a more than willing Bianca on top of her, their bodies melding together, causing both women to moan at the contact. Bianca's lips began to roam and soon found the one spot that she knew drove Marissa crazy causing the redhead to moan loudly. The brunette smiled as she felt Marissa's hands gripping her back pulling her closer. Bianca's lips travelled to her wife's breasts where she began to feast on one causing Marissa to arch her back, straining and urging Bianca to take more. After completely ravishing the one, Bianca eagerly paid equal attention to the other before moving downward. Marissa whimpered at the loss at first before feeling soft lips continue their loving path further along her body causing her arousal to grow by the second. Bianca kissed and caressed her wife's growing baby bump, and again smiled at the sounds she was eliciting from Marissa, and they spurred her on.

"Please, B. I … I need you. More. Please." The growing ache between her legs had Marissa urging her wife lower where she desperately needed her the most.

Bianca obliged and slid her tongue past soaked outer folds where she began her exquisite torture of Marissa in earnest. The brunette ran her tongue up the full length of Marissa's slit before taking the sensitive bundle of nerves into her mouth and sucking hard. The redhead jerked and bowed her back encouraging Bianca to take more. Bianca teased more and released the now throbbing clit before she plunged her tongue into Marissa's core. Silken locks were pulled tighter as the redhead begged for more. Fingers replaced the brunette's tongue as she returned to claim her wife's lips. Marissa moaned as she tasted herself on Bianca's tongue. Bianca began to thrust and build a rhythm as Marissa ground down on the fingers working their magic. The brunette could feel her wife getting closer to climax as inner walls began to clench. Bianca curled her fingers and thrust again finding that spot that had Marissa scream her name. A wave of ecstasy crashed over the redhead, and Bianca helped her ride out her orgasm. Marissa went limp, and her wife gave her a loving kiss before pulling her into her arms and holding her. To Bianca, Marissa never looked more beautiful than when she was coming down the high of an orgasm.

As her breathing slowed, Marissa finally managed enough strength to open her eyes and found warm chocolate orbs gazing at her. "That is definitely a bad habit you have."

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, I'm afraid it is. I guess I'm a lost cause. I've said it before and I'll say it again. God, you're so beautiful."

"Hmmm, you make me feel that way. Is it bad that I'm glad we waited until this morning to do this? There's no way I could have made it last night. As it was, I think I almost blacked out."

Bianca grinned proudly. "It's good to know I've still got it."

Marissa laughed. "Babe, trust me, you do, and I don't ever see you losing it."

"I guess we'll just have to keep it up so we don't get rusty."

"I'm all for that."

Bianca yelped as Marissa flipped positions. "Looks like someone's recovered."

"Yes, I am! Now, it's my turn. I don't want to get rusty either. Besides, I still have to show you some of my ideas of what we can do with our extra time courtesy of my amazing sister-in-law. I also want to hear you scream my name." Marissa grinned wickedly before crashing her lips into Bianca's.

/

Three hours later, the couple lay sated with limbs entwined and blissful smiles on their faces.

"Can I just state for the record how much I love your idea to play hooky and the activities you've come up with for us so far?" Bianca sighed as she stroked her wife's back.

"Ooh, I love when you talk lawyer and your comments are noted for the record. I have to admit that this was one of my better ideas, and playing hooky with you has definitely made it even more memorable, enjoyable, pleasurable, delectable ..."

Bianca chuckled as her wife started spouting adjectives and found she couldn't disagree with any of them. The brunette silenced her momentarily with a tender kiss. "I do aim to please."

Marissa laughed. "You do way more than that."

"The same can be said for you. So, do you have any other ideas on how we can spend the rest of our day? Not that I'm complaining about how we've spent the morning so far or am adverse to continuing to stay here because trust me, I'm not. If that's what you want to do, I'm all for it." Bianca grinned.

"I'm not adverse to it either, but I was thinking we could partake in one of your other favorite activities."

"You mean something other than ravishing you and making you scream over and over again?"

Marissa playfully swatted her wife. "Someone's awfully full of themselves."

"If you've got it, flaunt it." Bianca smirked.

"Wow. Talk about cocky. I'm just glad you're able to back it up. You know, I'm glad the kids weren't home because I seem to recall you being pretty loud a few times yourself and some of the words you were shouting are definitely not ones we want them repeating."

"Well, I have to admit that it's pretty hard not to be with that magical tongue of yours, Skippy."

"Skippy?! Where the hell did that come from?"

Bianca giggled. "I have no idea. Maybe it's from when I blacked out because said tongue. I _really _love the things you do with it."

Marissa laughed. She loved the goofy side of Bianca. "If you play your cards right, I'll do some of those things again later."

"Yay me! So, what's this other idea of yours?"

"Shopping."

"Ooh, I do love shopping!" Bianca's eyes lit up. "Are we looking for anything in particular or just shopping in general?"

"I've noticed some of my clothes are getting a little tighter thanks to Sparky."

"Seriously? You're on the Sparky bandwagon?"

"Yep! I have to say I really like it!"

Bianca sighed. She knew as soon as she'd heard Kendall call their little one by that name that it would stick. "So, clothes for you then. By the way, you are by no means big. You're just right, and I love your baby bump."

"I do too, but I am getting a little uncomfortable in some of them. It's not just because of the baby bump either. My chest is getting bigger too."

"Hmmm, I've noticed and am not complaining about that either."

"Sex fiend."

"Don't you know it and love it."

Marissa chuckled. "True, on both counts. We also need to look for dresses for the firm's celebration."

"Oh, that's right. It's just around the corner, and you know my Mom. She will not be happy if we show up in something we've worn before especially on your big night where the paparazzi will be out in force."

"Exactly my thoughts. So you're on board?"

"Hell yes. I'm a Kane woman after all! We can go shopping and then stop by the bistro for lunch."

"That sounds perfect. So, am I forgiven for being bitchy?"

"Yes, but I didn't think you were bitchy. I more than understand. Remember how I was when I had my appendix out and couldn't work or really do anything else for a couple of weeks? Neither of us likes not having some control, not that we're control freaks mind you, over the decisions being made in our lives. We just need to not lose sight of that fact. Am I forgiven for how I acted?"

"Definitely. Like I said, you weren't trying to control me, just protect me. I love you for that. I am a grown woman though and fully capable."

"I know, and I'll do better, promise. Might I say that I am fully aware and thankful of the fact that you are a grown woman?" Bianca waggled her eyebrows.

Marissa chuckled and gave her wife a quick kiss as she untangled herself and got up. "Time for a shower. Want to help me _conserve_ some water?"

Bianca grinned and happily followed the redhead into the bathroom. They never conserved water when they showered together, and neither would ever complain about that fact. "You are full of all kinds of great ideas today!"

/

After a successful shopping spree and leisurely lunch, the couple arrived home with enough time to put away their purchases, clean up the kitchen and get the kids' costumes out and ready for them to put on when they got home from school. Susan dropped the kids off, and once everyone was dressed and pictures were taken, the family headed to the car. The kids were practically vibrating with excitement as they got inside and buckled themselves in. "First stop, Pine Valley Zoo!"

/

The family returned home a few hours later with trick-or-treat bags overflowing with candy as well as takeout from their favorite pizza place. After eating dinner with only a minimal amount of fussing because they really wanted their candy, AJ, Miranda and Gabby got down to the serious business of checking out their Halloween loot, after it had been inspected by Bianca and Marissa first of course. Marissa let Max out while the kids spread their candy out on the family room floor to avoid the possibility of the dog getting into any chocolate. Judging by their candy haul, it had been a very successful night for the Tasker-Montgomery children. The hardest part was convincing them that they didn't _have_ to eat it all that night and to accept the limit on the amount they were allowed to have without arguing too much.

Marissa put the remaining candy up while Bianca let Max back inside. The kids put on their pajamas and settled in for a story from their redheaded mother. An original story had been requested by AJ, and after thinking about it for a few moments, Marissa came up with an exciting Halloween tale that featured all three children.

With the kids tucked in, the couple settled on the sofa in the family room to watch the black and white version of Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho'. Watching a suspenseful movie, their first Halloween movie had been 'Silence of the Lambs', was something they had started doing a few years prior when they were still just friends, and it was a tradition they continued after things changed between them.

"What's this?" Marissa asked as she looked at the candy bar Bianca handed her before the movie started.

"What's it look like?"

"It looks like you pilfered candy from our children."

"And?"

"And nothing. Good job and thanks. I wasn't able to sneak one earlier. Sparky's been jonesing for a Reese Cup all night." Marissa grinned.

Bianca snorted. "Well, I'm glad to help Sparky out."

The baby kicked as Marissa took a bite causing Bianca's eyes to widen in shocked amusement.

"I guess you weren't kidding."

"Told ya." Marissa smirked as she pulled Bianca into her arms and handed her a Twix.

Bianca smiled brightly. "You pilfered a Twix for me!"

"Yeah, I couldn't get mine but was able to sneak one for you. What kind of mothers are we dipping into our kids' Halloween stash?" Marissa chuckled.

"I'd say normal ones. I think it would be against the 'mom-code' if we didn't." Bianca quipped as she took a bite of her pilfered treat.

/

"Rocky, Bianca. Oh and there go your minions." Greenlee greeted the family as she answered their knock on Kendall and Zach's door.

The kids threw a quick 'hi' to her as they scampered inside.

"Greenlee, why am I not surprised to see you here?" Bianca asked as she entered the home.

"That makes two of us. I think the Dynamic Duo sprang into action again, B."

"I have no idea what the two of you are talking about."

Greenlee feigned innocence, but neither of the other women were buying it. They did, however, let the subject drop.

"How's Sparky?" Greenlee grinned.

"Sparky's doing very well. Thank you. I see Kendall told you about the nickname she came up with."

"Yes, she did. I have to say I like it. I'm a little disappointed in myself that I didn't come up with it."

"Don't feel too bad. After all, you did come up with Minx, and that's pretty damn good." Kendall smirked as she joined the others.

"True, I did, and it is pretty awesome."

"Hey, Red, Binx. Where are the two of you going tonight?"

"Dinner and a movie." Bianca answered with a smile.

"I know it sounds boring, but we both decided it's what we want to do."

"I can't tell you the last time Rissa and I went out to a movie theatre and saw something that wasn't animated or rated G."

"Yeah, we're not even sure what's out right now. We're just going to show up at the theatre and see what looks interesting."

Kendall sighed. "That actually sounds really good. Let me know what you end up seeing and if it's any good."

"Deal. Rissa and I were talking earlier. We're taking the kids off your hands next Saturday. You too Greenlee. We'll watch Emma."

"Yep, we thought the four of you deserve a night out."

"Seriously?! I love you, both of you! Binx, you are my favorite sister, and Red, you are my favorite sister-in-law!"

"Wow! Thanks! You don't need to do that, but I'll take it! I don't know the last time Ryan and I had a date."

"You're welcome."

Bianca shrugged. "We figured it's the least we could do for our fairy godmothers."

Kendall shook her head at her sister's nickname for her and Greenlee. "So, where are you going for dinner?"

"Rissa hasn't told me yet."

"I wanted to see Kendall's face when I told you. Greenlee being here makes it even better. It's a new Italian place Sofia told me about. You're going to love the name. It's called 'Casa Bianca'."

Kendall and Greenlee cracked up.

"No way! I love it!"

"Oh, it's perfect!"

Bianca looked at Marissa and saw the huge grin on her face. "You just think you're so cute sometimes."

"Maybe."

"You're lucky I love you so much. I'm sure it's going to be good."

"With a name like that, I know it's going to be awesome. How could it not be? We better go. We don't want to miss our reservation."

Bianca nodded. "See you guys later. Tell Zach and Ryan we said 'hi', and thanks again for this."

"Have a great time."

/

Carol and Sam walked down the baking aisle of the grocery store. They had decided to do some baking to take their minds off of the custody issue for a couple of days. In all honesty, they needed the break.

"What next, Grandma?"

"We need chocolate chips, walnuts, oatmeal and raisins."

As Sam walked down the aisle to retrieve the requested items, Carol's cellphone began to ring. She didn't recognize the number.

"Hello."

"Carol, hello! It's Russell Payne. How are you doing?"

"What do you want, Mr. Payne?" Carol spat out through gritted teeth. She kept her voice as low as possible not wanting to upset Sam with this unwelcomed intrusion.

"Now, you're not being very friendly."

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Uh uh, I think you might change your tune when you hear what I have to say. Meet me tomorrow in the park by that little lake at 2:00. Don't be late. Oh, don't tell anyone else, especially your lawyer. It won't be good for you or Sam if you do."

Payne disconnected the call before Carol could even respond, and she was left to wonder what he was up to and whether or not she should ignore his ominous warning and call Marissa.


	145. A Twisted Plan Revealed

**A/N: Happy Saturday! Oh wait, it's not Saturday, is it? It's the middle of the week, and I'm updating! Surprise! I hope you're good with me updating early. Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It's appreciated! This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Russ watched as the elder woman paced back and forth anxiously by the lake. It was 2:15, fifteen minutes past the time he had told her to meet him there, and he was making her wait, making her squirm. Russ had been there thirty minutes early to scope out the area. He wanted to find a good hiding place where he could watch Carol Walker without being observed himself. He also wanted to make sure she hadn't been followed and had come alone as he had instructed. His plan would blow up in his face otherwise. For it to work, it had to be just the two of them. Well technically, that wasn't an accurate statement. They weren't alone. Russ was wearing a wire, and Pete was staked out nearby in a car listening and more importantly, recording. If all went as planned, Russ would have his money and then some, and Pete would have his revenge.

After waiting a few more minutes, Russ decided it was finally time to make himself known, especially since it looked like Carol had had enough and was getting ready to leave.

"Carol, good of you to meet me!"

"You're late, Mr. Payne."

"Please call me Russ. Sorry about being late. It couldn't be helped though."

"How did you get my number?"

"Ah, let's just say that I have my ways." There was no way that he was going to tell her that Pete had used a contact to get her cellphone number. "Would you like to have a seat?" Russ indicated a nearby park bench.

"I'm fine and don't plan on being here that long. What do you want, Mr. Payne?"

He had to admit the old broad was tough, nothing he couldn't more than handle though. "First things first. You didn't tell anyone about this meeting, did you? You didn't tell your lawyer?"

"You told me not to."

Russ smiled. He knew the answer because they had been tracking the calls she had been making from her cellphone for the last week. She didn't need to know that either though. It was probably best that she didn't because it wasn't legal. What they had done to coerce the customer service representative into cooperating with them wasn't legal either. "Excellent! Now, we can get down to business. I have a proposition for you, one that I think you'll find more than fair to all interested parties."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about my dear niece Samantha."

Carol's jaw clenched at the mention of the girl she considered to be her granddaughter.

"I thought that might get your attention. From where I stand, I have something that you so desperately want, a true familial connection."

"_We are Sam's family_."

"Not really. You see, Samantha and I are related by blood. We share DNA. Now granted, I don't really know her, and she's been living with you and your family. The courts, however, _really_ like that whole DNA thing, and it gives me an edge in the whole custody fight. Judges like to keep biological families together. It pulls on their heartstrings to be able to reconcile families, and I am an expert on playing those strings like no one else."

"Like you said, you don't even know Sam. Why would you want custody? We love her and want her."

"Here's the thing, I don't want her and don't really care anything about her. To me, she's the means to an end."

"And what end is that?"

"In a word, money."

"If you're saying what I think you are, I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed. My family does not have a lot of money, Mr. Payne. You're sorely mistaken if you think otherwise."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Of course I am. What do you mean?"

"I believe if you think hard enough, you might just come up with something."

Carol's eyes widened in shock when she realized what he was referring to. "Her trust fund! You want her trust fund!"

Russ grinned. "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner, ladies and gentlemen! I figure it's the least her side of the family owes me."

"The least they owe you?! Are you insane? Do you have any idea of what Sam has been through? She lost her parents and her home. She was put into a foster family that abused her over and over again, and you have the nerve, the gall to say she owes _you_?! She's a girl and owes you nothing!"

"Whatever. It's obvious we're not going to agree. We've all had our struggles. You don't see me whining about it, do you? No, I'm doing something about it. I'm taking control of the situation. I'm taking my lemons and making lemonade with the help of my dear, sweet niece and that nice little pile of cash she's sitting on."

"We can't touch that money. It's in a trust and administered …"

"Yeah, that's not really my concern or problem. It's yours. If you want to keep her, you'll find a way to get that money."

"And if we don't?"

"It's simple. I'll still get the money, and you can kiss Samantha goodbye because you're going to lose her. My way at least, you get to keep her."

"What are you going to do if you get custody of her? Like you said before, you don't want her."

"Short term, I'll keep her. Long term, I'll only have her for a couple of months, just until I get my hands on the money. Then, I'll turn her back over to the state because I just don't see it working out for us. She strikes me as a moody kid, a little on the depressed side. My wife and I will try to help her as best we can, but Samantha does have a record. So, it's been established that she is troubled."

"Do you know what that would do to her?"

"Yeah, don't really know and don't really care."

"You're despicable. What's to stop me from going to my lawyer and telling her everything?"

"It will be your word against mine. I have nothing to lose whereas you have everything to lose. Who do you think the court will believe? Me, the long lost uncle trying to connect with my only remaining family or you, the desperate, old woman clinging to a girl you're not related to in any way to complete the family your son wasn't man enough to give you?"

Carol slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you?"

Russ simply smirked as he rubbed his jaw. Did he push a little too hard? Maybe. Did he care? Not really. Frankly, he was done playing around with these people and just wanted to get the hell out of Pine Valley. "I'm in a charitable mood today so I'll let you have that one. Do something like that again though, and the price will go up. You know what? I'm not feeling all that generous now that I think about it. Add $5,000 to it. Get me my money, or I'm taking your 'granddaughter'. Got it?"

"When do you want it by?" Carol gritted out. Her hand stung badly, but she wouldn't give this vile man the satisfaction of knowing that.

"We're back in court in 2 ½ weeks. I'll give you until the day before to get it to me. If you don't, all bets are off. Do you understand? Am I making myself clear?"

"Crystal. There is no way in hell that I'm letting Sam live with the likes of you."

Russ smiled. "Great. We're both on the same page then. It's a pleasure doing business with you. Was that so hard?" When no answer was forthcoming, he simply continued. "See you soon, Carol."

/

After watching Carol walk away defeated, Russ hoofed it back to the car where his lawyer was waiting.

Pete eyed his client. "How's the jaw?"

"The old girl packs a wallop. Did you get it?"

"I did."

"Do you think we have enough?"

"Definitely. I got a guy who can work wonders with recordings. By the time he gets done with this, he'll make it seem like she was bribing you with the full knowledge of her attorney. So …"

"Even if they don't get me the money, the court will rule against them and grant me custody which will give me control of it, and you …"

"Will get to report this breech of ethics and misconduct to the state bar and get Marissa Tasker disbarred." Pete laughed. He may have been hesitant about this plan earlier, but he was all in now. He had to admit that he was hoping the Walkers couldn't get the money because he really liked the idea of his nemesis getting disbarred and experiencing the disgrace that would come with that. _Maybe a copy of the doctored recording might still make its way into the hands of the head of the state bar._

"What do you think the odds are of her contacting her lawyer about any of this?" Russ asked as he interrupted Pete's daydream of impending revenge against Marissa.

"I think you gave her a pretty good scare. You definitely got under her skin. Given both things, I don't she'll tell her. We'll know soon enough though thanks to your trip to the Walker household."

Both men smiled remembering their adventure a couple of days earlier. They had come to the conclusion that just tracking Carol's cellphone wasn't enough insurance for them. They needed more and decided it was better to be safe than sorry. So while Pete kept watch, Russ broke into the Walkers' home and planted a bug in their family room. It was easy to do because they had absolutely no security system in place unlike Marissa. The men had discussed bugging the lawyer's home but quickly dismissed the idea when Pete remembered hearing about the redhead getting extra security around the time of the Brennan incident. He was fairly certain she would have had the same amount of security installed in her new home. The last thing the men needed was to be caught breaking into and bugging the lawyer's home.

"Yeah, I think that was a very good move on our part. This recording equipment was definitely worth the investment."

/

Bianca opened the front door and smiled. "Hi, Susan."

"Hi, Bianca. If I could say, you look beautiful." The trusted babysitter offered as she followed the brunette inside.

"Yeah? Thank you. When Rissa and I went shopping for something to wear tonight, I saw this and fell in love with it. You should see Rissa's. She's just … wow."

Susan laughed. She loved how much the couple gushed over each other. It was clear to anyone that they loved each and were perfect together. From what she'd picked up about their history in the time that she knew them, both had been through a great deal, and if anyone deserved to be happy, it was them. They gave her hope that she'd find her own special someone one day.

"Thanks for watching the kids for us."

The babysitter adored AJ, Miranda and Gabby as well as their mothers and was always happy to help, and as a grad student, she could always use the extra income. "It's no problem at all. They're great kids, and I love 'em. So, this shindig is at the Yacht Club?"

"Yep. My beautiful, charming and brilliant wife will be formally introduced as a full partner of the newly minted law firm of Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker."

"We're also celebrating the firm's anniversary, B. Don't forget that. It's not all about me no matter how much you keep insisting it is." Marissa smirked as she entered the room. "Hi, Susan. How are you doing?"

"I beg to differ, Rissa. You are definitely the star of this evening's festivities, and you are absolutely gorgeous and glowing. There is no way anyone will be able to take their eyes off of you." Bianca gave her wife a chaste kiss.

"Hi, Marissa. I'm good." Susan chuckled at seeing the redhead blush. "I have to agree with Bianca. That dress is amazing on you, and you really do have a glow about you."

"Thank you, Susan. And B, you are the only person I have eyes for tonight, tomorrow, the day after, the day after that …"

Bianca chuckled and rewarded her wife with another kiss. "Smooth talker. See, Susan, I was right about the charming part, wasn't I?"

"I think you both are good with the charming part."

"Susan!" AJ exclaimed happily as he jumped down from the last step from the stairway.

Miranda and Gabby quickly joined him in greeting their babysitter.

"Hey, munchkins! You're Moms look very pretty tonight, don't they?"

"Yep, they really do. Mom says they are going to dance tonight." Miranda loved to dance and had danced the night away at their wedding reception.

"We are, and I'm really looking forward to it. I do love dancing with your Ma."

"That makes two of us." Marissa agreed. "And I will be dancing with the most beautiful woman there."

The couple had been looking forward to this night out for quite some time. While they loved the date night they'd had recently, tonight was different. The firm was pulling out all the stops for this black-tie affair, and the couple followed suit when they went shopping for their dresses. Both laughed when they noted that they believed Erica would approve of what they had decided on, that they were up to her standards. While they loved the idea of dressing up, what they were looking forward to the most was dancing with each other. It was something they didn't get to do all that much. So when they had the chance, they grabbed it with both hands. Another perk of the evening would be meeting up with the Buchanans. Viki and Clint as well as Bo and Nora would be in town to attend tonight's function. Bianca was looking forward to catching up with Viki and introducing all four to her wife. Marissa couldn't wait to finally meet them either. She'd heard nothing but good things about all of them. She was probably the most anxious to meet Nora though. The woman had an excellent reputation as a prosecutor, and Marissa couldn't wait to pick her brain.

"While they're doing that, we're going to have fun of our own."

"We're still having our movie marathon?" AJ asked.

"Yep, and you're Moms said we can make our own pizza."

"Popcorn too?" To Gabby, having popcorn while watching a movie was an absolute must.

"Duh? Of course you can have popcorn. It wouldn't be a movie marathon if you didn't, Monkey." Marissa kissed her youngest on the top of her head.

"Okay, your Ma and I need to go. We can't have the guest of honor be late. Be good for Susan."

The kids nodded as hugs and kisses were exchanged with their mothers.

"Susan, call either of us if anything comes up." Marissa offered as she grabbed her purse and followed Bianca to the car.

"I will. Have fun."

/

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Phil? While this is the firm's anniversary, it's also announcing Marissa Tasker as a partner, and you know how Pete feels about her."

Phil waved off his brother. "Yes, Nate, I'm more than aware of his feelings for her. He's shared them with me repeatedly. He blames her for being let go from the D.A.'s office."

"Yes, he does, and it's completely unfounded. That young woman is no more responsible for that than his mother. Your son was fired because of his own actions or should I say inactions. You'll never be able to convince him of that though. I can't help but think that he's going to cause a scene of some sort tonight."

"I'm afraid of that as well, but Barbara insisted that we bring him. She believes he'll be able to use this as an opportunity to network. If you ask me, I think he played the sympathy card with her yet again. He knows how to play his mother."

Pete was standing outside in the hallway and smiled as he overheard his father and uncle talk. _Yes, I do know how to play her, and I'm going to keep on doing it for as long as I can._ He decided it was time to join the other men. "Uncle Nate, it's good to see you. Where's Aunt Val?"

"She's talking with your mother about the fundraiser they are working on together. She had something she wanted to discuss with her that just couldn't wait. So, she had me stop on our way to the Yacht Club."

"I have to admit that I'm a little surprised that you're going tonight. I would think there would be a conflict of interest for you."

Judge Nathan Taylor eyed his nephew, not missing his sarcasm. "The other judges will be there as well. This isn't the first function of this type that we've attended. As you know, we've gone to similar gatherings for other firms as well as the District Attorney's office. We make sure there is no conflict of interest. I know what you're getting at, and you and I have gone over this before, Pete, several times actually. There was absolutely no way I could hear your case."

"Your uncle's right. If he hadn't recused himself, any ruling he made could have easily been overturned on appeal because of his relationship with you. For you to actually think he would remain on it is absurd. You know him better than that."

"Of course I do. Why would I expect anyone in this family to give me a break?" Pete muttered as he walked to the bar and fixed himself a stiff drink.

"Enough! I have had my fill of your whining. Nate had no other option and did the right thing. I don't want to hear any more from you on this subject. I also want you to remember you promised your mother you wouldn't cause any scenes this evening."

"Yes, I remember, _Dad_. I'll be good. Scout's honor." Pete threw back the whiskey and quickly fixed himself another, feeling the glare of both his father and uncle as he did. _This is going to be one helluva night._

/

Bianca pulled up to the valet stand in front of the Yacht Club. Her experienced eye easily spied the paparazzi milling about the entrance. As Erica Kane's daughter, she had gotten extremely good over the years at spotting them quickly. Before she could point them out to her wife, two valets hurried over to open the car doors for both her and Marissa. The brunette placed the ticket she had been given in her purse before joining her wife on the other side of the car.

Photographers suddenly realized who had arrived and started snapping away. Bianca held out her hand for Marissa. "Are you ready?"

Marissa took a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself. The redhead was more anxious than anything else. Despite what she had said earlier, she knew the spotlight would be on her for a huge chunk of the evening. If it was a courtroom, Marissa had no doubt that she would be fine, but this was an entirely different venue and being anxious was to be expected. Marissa entwined her hand with Bianca's and smiled brightly, feeling calm and reassured almost instantly. "Yes, I am. Let's get this show on the road."

**/**

**A/N: Now, I know this was a little shorter than my usual updates, but I had to cut it off here because if I kept writing who knows how long it would be. The next chapter will be focused on the firm's anniversary celebration. I know this was a little light on regular characters, but it had to be to set things up going forward. Oh yeah, I'm sorry. My evil side has kind of taken over. I'm trying to rein her in, but it's proving to be really hard. I'll do my best though. See you soon!**


	146. The Gala

**A/N: Okay! Now, it's Saturday and time for my regular update! Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's truly appreciated! There are a few things to go over before we start. I mention a song in this chapter. I don't own it. I just like it and thought it fit for our girls. There is some rough language in a section of this chapter. I didn't like writing it, but felt it was something this person would say at this point in time when they feel they don't really have a lot left to lose. Finally, some of you sent me some ideas for this not too little story. Thank you! I had a couple of them in mind but not some others. That, of course, got my grey matter going some. I'll give you a shout out when I get to them. Now, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Photographers were vying for the couple's attention and shouting for them to look their way to get a 'money' shot. Given that she was more well known, most were shouting for Bianca.

"Ms. Tasker, look this way!"

"Ms. Montgomery!"

"Bianca Montgomery!"

"Over here, Bianca!"

Bianca paused briefly. "It's Bianca Tasker-Montgomery tonight. This evening is all about my brilliant wife and the firm."

Marissa grinned and gave her wife a quick kiss. "Am I lucky or what?"

Flashes exploded in a blinding frenzy before the couple was able to head inside. As the spots finally faded, they heard more shouts from their vantage point. The couple glanced at each other knowing it could only mean one thing. Erica Kane had arrived.

"Erica! Erica! Over here, Erica!"

"Who are you wearing?"

"You look stunning, Erica!"

"How do you do it? What's your secret to staying so young and beautiful?"

Marissa chuckled. "It's more like a Hollywood premiere than a law firm's anniversary."

"It's my Mom. That tends to happen no matter where we go."

"Well, you are talking about the one and only Erica Kane, who also happens to be the most beautiful woman in the world, not counting present company of course." Jack added smoothly. He had made a discreet exit after escorting Erica to the main entrance of the club, leaving her to bask in the adoration of her fans and photographers. The feeding frenzy that always occurred when they attended public functions was not his particular cup of tea. Erica, on the other hand, loved it. So over the years, they came to a compromise. He would stay for a few pictures with her before exiting. Erica remained until she had her fill of the attention.

"Nice save, Jack." Marissa smirked.

"Given all of the beautiful women in my life, I've had to learn to be fast on my feet. You both do look exceptionally beautiful this evening. Marissa, you really are glowing."

"Hi, Uncle Jack. You look rather dashing yourself. Maybe Rissa will believe you about her glowing. I've told her that a few times already, but she's not it coming from me."

Jack smiled at his niece. "Hi, Princess, or should I say Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"

"You caught that, huh? Good. I wanted to make it clear that tonight is all about her and not me. I'm just here to support her and provide arm candy of course."

Marissa and Jack burst out laughing at the brunette's quip and mischievous grin.

"Babe, you are so much more than arm candy, although you are absolutely killing it in that role. Everyone will be jealous of me to have such a gorgeous woman by my side."

"I agree, on both counts." Jack nodded.

"Thank you all. You are much too kind. Now if you'll excuse me, I must get inside. As my daughter stated earlier, tonight is about celebrating the anniversary of Pine Valley's premiere law firm and my daughter-in-law being made partner. I know I speak for my entire family when I say we couldn't be more proud of and more thrilled for Marissa."

Flashes and questions continued, but Erica paid them no mind. She was done with them for now. The diva was greeted inside by Jack and a beaming Bianca and Marissa.

"Thank you, Erica."

"You are than welcome, Marissa dear."

"Thanks, Mom. That was very sweet of you."

"You're welcome, sweetheart. I've been known to have my moments. Besides, I meant every word."

Marissa knew her mother-in-law well enough to know that she was done with the subject and wanted to drop it. "Erica, wow, you look amazing."

"Thank you, dear. Vera made this for me. I do love her work. Might I say that the two of you look marvelous. Are those dresses new?"

"Yes, Rissa and I went shopping the other week at this wonderful boutique on Mifflin."

"Oh, I believe I've heard of it. It just opened, didn't it?"

"Yes, it's been open about a month."

"If these are examples of what they have there, I might just have to investigate it."

"Your patronage would definitely be a boon for them. Bianca and I saw a few things we think you might like."

"Rissa's right, Mom. They would love to have you there."

"I'll definitely keep them in mind then. Marissa dear, you are positively glowing tonight." Erica noted as she reached for Jack's arm. "Let's not keep everyone waiting, shall we?"

Marissa stood there dumbfounded by her mother-in-law's compliment while Bianca gave her wife a quick peck and pulled her close so they could follow the others inside the main hall.

"Told ya!"

/

Once inside, the firm's partners and their significant others met up and introductions were made. This was the first time the other two partners, Bryce Stevens and Geoff Thompson, and their wives had met Bianca, and more importantly, the first time said wives had met Marissa even though they had been told a great deal about the couple. Had Marissa been made partner prior to the wedding, the others would have been invited, and they would've met there. That wasn't the case, however, and this celebration was the first opportunity for everyone to meet.

Caleb was attending tonight's festivities with Liza, and he was smiling like a proud father as the others complimented Marissa. He, more so than Jack, had taken the redhead under his wing and served as her mentor in her early days at the firm. Caleb had seen something, a fire, in the redhead and had a feeling she would do wonderful things. Marissa had proven him right. She was a valuable asset to the firm and represented them well. Plus, she paid forward to others the help and guidance she had received. Caleb also had a soft spot in his heart for Bianca and was more than pleased that she and Marissa had found well-deserved happiness together.

"I hear that the two of you are newlyweds." Lynn Thompson noted.

"Yes, we are. It's been almost two months." Bianca answered happily.

Martha Stevens sighed wistfully. "I remember that time although it's been quite a few years."

"You will always be my bride." Bryce Stevens replied as he kissed his wife's hand.

Caleb chuckled. "Nice save."

Bryce whispered back. "Tell me about it."

"You have three children?" Lynn asked.

Marissa smiled and placed a protective hand on her small bump. "Technically, 3 ½. Two from Bianca, one from my first marriage and now, our little one."

Lynn and Martha eyed their husbands. Both had obviously failed to pass this piece of information on.

"Congratulations! When are you due?"

"Right now, the doctor says March 30th."

"Ah yes, that date could move on you. Do you know if you're having a boy or a girl?"

"Bianca and I want to wait to find out. We'll get our first look when we go in for a sonogram in two weeks."

"We were able to hear the heartbeat during our last visit and had the nurse record it for us. We're going to do the same thing with the sonogram." Bianca added beaming.

"You're able to do that now? I wish we would've been able to do that, but it's been a few years." Geoff looked at his wife.

Lynn nodded. "Yes, it has. I don't suppose you have pictures of your three."

Bianca grinned and pulled out some school pictures of the kids. "Of course I do! Do you have any pictures you want to share?"

"As a matter of fact, I do! Our oldest is graduating from high school next year and our youngest is right behind her."

"I believe we've got you beat. Go ahead, Martha. I know you're itching to show them pictures of our granddaughter."

The woman rolled her eyes but was already reaching for her pictures. Everyone exchanged photos and compliments.

"I hear excellent things about you, Marissa. I'm glad Bryce and the other boys have finally seen the light, and you were able to shatter the glass ceiling there."

Caleb nodded. "I couldn't agree with you more, Martha. Marissa is more than up to the task of handling the work as well as all of us."

"And you all are quite the handful." Liza smirked.

It was at this time that Evelyn Foster, the owner of the Yacht Club approached the group. She knew that at the moment only the firm's partners were there and other guests would be arriving soon. She was on her way out when a member of her staff had informed her of the arrival of two special people, and she wanted to say a quick hello while she had the chance.

"Excuse me for me interrupting. I just wanted to say hello to these two lovely, young women."

Bianca smiled and hugged the older woman. "Evelyn, it's good to see you."

"It is, but why are you still here? I thought you were cutting back on your hours." Marissa scolded playfully as she hugged the other woman as well.

Evelyn chuckled. "I'm on my way home, and I'll have you know that I have cut back quite a lot. My daughter has picked up many of my responsibilities, but I still like to stay involved. We know what happened the last time I didn't."

The couple nodded. "Yes, we do."

"Besides, I heard who was going to be here tonight so I stuck around hoping I would get a chance to see you. I'm so sorry I missed your wedding."

"We are too, but we're just happy you're feeling better."

"Thank you. I hear congratulations are in order on two fronts."

Bianca smiled. "You've heard correctly. Marissa had been made partner, and we're expecting."

"That's wonderful news. I'm so happy for both of you. While I miss working with both of you on the planning of the Center's fundraiser, you should know that Jan and Aya are doing a very good job in your stead. This year's event is shaping up to be something quite special."

A young man approached. "Mrs. Foster, your driver's here."

"Thank you, Steven." Evelyn turned to the group. "This is Steven. If there is anything you need that hasn't been taken care of yet, please let him know, and he'll see to it. Enjoy your evening. Bianca, Marissa, I hope to see you soon."

"Good night, Evelyn."

"Thank you for everything."

After Evelyn left, Geoff glanced at the couple impressed. "You know the owner?"

Marissa nodded. "Yes, Bianca has had the annual fundraiser for the Miranda Center here for the last two years. Mrs. Foster has been gracious enough to donate the facilities."

"Something that Marissa is responsible for." Jack added before Bianca could.

Lynn finally remembered why Bianca's name was so familiar to her other than being Erica's daughter. "You founded the Miranda Center. Could we talk sometime tonight? I've heard very good things about the Center and would love to know more about it, maybe even volunteer some time."

"I'll be happy to talk with you, and we are always happy for volunteers."

/

Ellie walked into the main hall with her parents. She knew that most of the other guests had dates, but since she wasn't seeing anyone at the time, Ellie asked her parents if they would like to come. It wasn't often they were treated to a night out like this so they happily accepted. Their only concern had been the number of people she would be bringing. Ellie assured them she had cleared it with Marissa first, and that her boss was more than on board with the idea. After everything they had been through, Marissa knew it would be impossible for the secretary to choose only one of them to accompany her so the redhead was definitely okay with both of them coming.

Tom and Rhonda Parker took in the crowded room and shook their heads in awe as they noted some of the high profile guests in attendance.

Rhonda grabbed her daughter's arm. "Is that Erica Kane?"

Ellie nodded. "Yes, it is. She's engaged to Mr. Montgomery and is Marissa's mother-in-law." While the young woman knew Erica and the diva had never done anything to her, she still found her intimidating as most people did. Ellie scanned the room. "I don't see either Marissa or Bianca, but I know they're here. I think you're really going to like them."

"If they are anything like you've said, then I'm sure we will." Tom reassured. He knew his daughter was anxious for them to meet her boss. Truth be told, they were anxious too. They were grateful she had seen the potential they had always known their daughter possessed.

"Hey, Ellie. You look great."

"So do you, Lisa."

"This is Jimmy Roberts. Jimmy, this is Ellie Parker."

"It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. These are my parents Tom and Rhonda."

Pleasantries were exchanged, and they were soon joined by the others from Marissa's team.

"Has anyone seen Marissa?" Sofia asked.

"Not yet. I'm not surprised though. There are a ton of people here." Brian noted.

"Oh, I see her." Stef pointed out the redhead. "She's over there talking to the governor."

"You can tell they're already working their magic on him. The man doesn't stand a chance against their charm." Brandon cracked.

"Well, this looks like a group that can be up to no good." Kendall smirked.

"If that's not the pot calling the kettle black, I don't know what is." Stef volleyed back. "To those of you who haven't had the pleasure, Kendall and Zach Slater."

"Otherwise known as the in-laws of the woman of the hour." Zach interjected.

"Exactly! This is everyone associated with your sister-in-law's team." Introductions were then made in full.

"I know this is a couple of months away … wait. Jimmy?! Oh my god, I just made the connection. It's good to see you again."

"Good to see you again too, Kendall, Zach." Jimmy grinned. "Will your partner in crime be here tonight too?"

Kendall laughed. "Yes, Greenlee will be here."

Zach nodded. "Jimmy, thanks again for taking care of them and getting them home safely. I'm sure you had your hands full."

"My pleasure, and they weren't any trouble. It was definitely a highlight for me though."

"Any way." Kendall continued, not wanting to revisit the events that happened in Shamokin in mixed company. "Greenlee and I are planning a baby shower for Marissa, Bianca and Sparky. It will be at the end of February so keep your calendars clear."

Lisa raised an eyebrow. "Sparky? Who's Sparky?"

"That's my nickname for my future niece or nephew." Kendall smirked.

"That is too good. I love it." Stef laughed.

"I thought so. Uh oh, Zach, Mom's giving me the eye."

"That's definitely our cue then."

"Yes, it is. Nice meeting all of you. I'm sure we'll run into each other again tonight."

"So, Jimmy, what was that about before?" Brandon queried.

"I got it! I remember where I've seen you before. Stef has a picture of you with everyone that went out for Bianca and Marissa's bachelorette party. Spill it. What happened? No matter what I've tried, I haven't been able to break Stef."

"And you never will." Stef added with a smile.

Jimmy cleared his throat under the mild glares of Lisa and Stef. He and the lawyer had started dating a few weeks after that weekend. Jimmy was absolutely crazy about her, and there was no way he was going to say anything that would make her upset. Besides that, he had been sworn to secrecy by all of the women he drove that night. "Sorry, Brian. I have to claim chauffer/client privilege."

Lisa patted his arm and gave him a quick peck on his cheek. "Excellent answer."

/

A short while later, Marissa and Bianca made their way over to where the redhead's team was gathered.

"Wow, for a motley group, you all clean up very nicely." Marissa smirked.

"Marissa! Bianca!"

"We're just trying to live up to your expectations, boss." Lisa quipped.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Are you all having a good time?"

"Definitely! The firm went all out tonight. I felt like a celebrity walking in." Claudia joked.

"So did I. It was very nice." Sofia added.

"Hey, Jimmy. How are you?" Marissa greeted her one-time driver.

Bianca and Marissa did a double-take.

"Jimmy?!"

"Hi, Bianca. Hi, Marissa. Good to see the both of you. Don't worry. I've already invoked chauffer/client privilege."

Bianca laughed. "It seems I'm not the only non-lawyer picking up on the legalese."

"I guess not." Marissa motioned between Jimmy and Lisa. "So, how long has this been going on? I have to make sure Lisa is being taken care of properly."

Lisa blushed. "We started dating a couple of weeks after that weekend."

"Wow. I think that's the first time I've ever seen you blush."

"I do believe you're right, Marissa. I'm marking this day down." Brian smirked before receiving smacks on both arms, one from his wife and the other from Lisa. "Ow! What the heck?!"

"Be nice." Stef playfully scolded.

"She always starts it!"

"Great. I guess this is what I have to look forward to when Jamie gets older."

Bianca laughed. "Yes, and it only gets worse."

"How are classes going, Jimmy?"

"How do you know about his classes, Marissa?" Lisa was surprised her boss knew about him going to college. Her boyfriend worked as a driver to supplement his income to pay for continuing his education. Jimmy had an entry level position at Cortlandt in their IT department and was working on completing his master's degree.

"As the only two people not drinking that night, Jimmy and I bonded."

"Yes, we did. The classes are going well. Congratulations on being made partner and on the baby. I have to say that a lot of things made sense after Lisa told me you were expecting."

"I suppose they would." Marissa turned to the Parkers and held out her hand. "You must be Ellie's parents. I'm Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."

"Oh, sorry. I didn't want to interrupt. Mom, Dad, this is Marissa and Bianca Tasker-Montgomery. Marissa, Bianca, this is my Mom and Dad, Rhonda and Tom Parker."

The couples shook each other's hands.

"It's nice to finally meet you. Ellie's told me all about you which I've passed on to Bianca. You should be very proud of her. I don't know what I would do without her."

"Marissa's right. She's always been pretty organized, but now with Ellie, she's even better. Ellie's also taking charge of setting up Marissa's new office. I know she appreciates it, but I think I might appreciate it even more. It's one less thing for her to worry about right now."

Rhonda smiled proudly. "Thank you. I can't tell you how much, as a parent, that means to hear. I guess we did something right, Tom."

"I guess so. She's told us a lot about both of you. Rhonda and I can't tell you how grateful we are to you for giving her this opportunity."

Marissa shook her head. "Ellie earned this. I wouldn't have hired her if she wasn't qualified. Ellie, cover your ears. I don't want this going to your head. Your daughter was far and away the most qualified for the position. There were some that applied that have been with the firm for years who I didn't feel were as qualified as her. Ellie was also the right fit for our team. She's able to keep us all in line, and some of them can be quite a handful if you haven't guessed."

Ellie blushed. "Thanks, Marissa. I owe a lot to Lisa for convincing me to go ahead and apply."

"What can I say? I just have an eye for talent."

/

As the social hour continued, the couple continued to make the rounds and found themselves running into the Buchanan clan.

"Good evening, Bianca."

The brunette glanced up quickly and smiled brightly. "Viki! It is so good to see you! I'd like to introduce you to my wife Marissa. Rissa, this is Viki, Clint, Bo and Nora Buchanan."

Marissa smiled and greeted the visitors from Llanview. "It's so nice to finally meet all of you. I'm glad you could make it tonight and hope you're having a good time."

Viki nodded. "It's nice to finally meet you as well. Bianca has told us all a great deal about you. We are definitely having a good time. Your firm has done a wonderful job with everything here."

"That's good to hear. You should probably only believe about half of what Bianca has told you about me. She's a little biased."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "All of you are settled in your rooms?"

"We are and thank you for arranging them for us although you didn't have to." Nora added.

"Rissa and I didn't want you to worry about driving back tonight. This way you can stay as long as you want."

"Well, we appreciate it. My only problem is that I saw we're seated with the governor. I know he's going to talk my ear off all night while he's also hitting me up for a sizeable contribution to his reelection campaign." Clint commented wryly.

"You weren't supposed to be sitting at his table. Bianca told me that he always seems to track you down at events like this so I specifically asked he not be seated with you."

"It looks like the governor trumps you. Don't worry about it. Clint's not happy unless he has something to complain about." Bo cracked.

Bianca recognized the look in her wife's eye. Marissa wasn't going to let this go. She knew there was still time enough to make some seating changes.

"We'll see about that. There's Steven. Let me go talk to him. I'll be right back." Marissa winked at her wife and stepped away.

"Is she really going to do what I think she is?" Viki couldn't help but be amused by the prospect of the governor's plans being derailed.

"Yes, she is. You'll be moved to another table, trust me. You see, the governor may have used his clout to frighten some server to switch things up, but Marissa knows the owner. Mrs. Foster adores her and has told the staff to do anything she needs. Besides, my wife can be very persuasive."

"It must be a common trait with redheaded lawyers."

"What can I say? We're just that good." Nora smirked at her husband before turning to watch Marissa work her magic. "I like her, Bianca. I've heard a lot of good things about her besides what you've told us. She's built up quite the reputation in the legal community."

"I'm thinking she must have been successful because she's smiling." Viki nodded towards the approaching redhead.

"It's all taken care of. You're being moved to a different table. I hope you don't mind sitting with Bianca's sister and brother-in-law."

Viki smiled. "Kendall and Zach? Not at all. Both of them are charming and highly entertaining."

"You're definitely going to be entertained then because you'll also be sitting with Greenlee and Ryan Lavery."

"We are definitely in for a treat then sitting with the four of them. There's not a chance we'll be bored. I hope this wasn't too much trouble."

"None whatsoever. I just asked him to move Adam and Brooke and the Regans."

"Adam as in Adam Chandler?" Clint asked.

"Yep, he'll love it and so will the Regans. When I saw them earlier tonight, they mentioned they were hoping to talk to the governor."

"Bill Regan is here?"

"Yes, he's a client of the firm's."

"I told you she would take care of it." Bianca's pride in her wife's ability was evident for all to see.

"Hey, Marissa, while you're taking care of things, is there any way you can do something about the music? Red and I love to dance."

Marissa smiled. "So I've heard. There's nothing to worry about. There's going to be plenty of music after dinner. I'm looking forward to dancing with this one. I doubt we'll be on par with the two of you because from I've heard you're pretty good. We'll do our best though."

There was a twinkle in Bo's eyes hearing that news. "You'll both have to save me a dance, and we'll see what you've got."

Bianca nodded. "You're on."

"Nora, I was wondering if we could talk later. There's something I'd like to get your opinion on."

"I'm intrigued and would love to help. Hunt me down later, and we'll talk."

"Perhaps while they're talking, Bianca, you could give me an update on a hypothetical situation we discussed a few weeks ago."

The brunette knew exactly what Viki was talking about. She was hoping for an update on the Kirsten/Amelia situation. "We can do that."

/

Downing another shot of whiskey, Pete watched from the bar as Marissa made the rounds. He was seething inside as he watched everyone fawning over her. She didn't deserve this, any of this, and he'd had his fill.

"Bartender, let me have another one."

The lawyer had been stationed at the bar since he'd gotten there, and the bartender knew it was time to cut the man off. He couldn't put the club at risk for over-serving a guest. "I'm sorry, sir, but I need to decline to serve you anymore. I will be happy to get you some coffee or something else non-alcoholic."

Pete scoffed at the bartender and stumbled slightly before catching himself. "Whatever. I don't need you." Little did the man know that Pete had a flask in the pocket of his jacket. He made his way across the room in the direction of the redhead.

"Whoa, watch where you're walking." Brian held out an arm to prevent the man from running into Stef.

"Oh look, if it isn't 'Team Tasker'. You should enjoy your jobs while you've got them. Your boss is going down in flames. When I get done with her, all these people falling all over her won't have anything to do with her, not like she deserves their attention anyway. Her being made partner is a complete joke and everyone here knows it."

Lisa took a step forward. "What the hell are you talking about? Of course she deserves this. You are nothing but a bitter loser."

/

Marissa and Bianca had been several feet away from the redhead's team talking with Adam and Brooke when they had been pulled away by Geoff Thompson to talk with a Congresswoman. From their new position across the room, they witnessed a little of what was unfolding between members of Marissa's team and Pete.

"What do you think is going on over there?" Bianca whispered.

"I'm not sure, probably Pete going on about how he was wronged in some way."

"How did he get in anyway?"

"His parents. Judge Taylor talked to me when he got here. He said Pete convinced his mother that he would be using tonight to network and promised her that he wouldn't cause any trouble."

"You're not buying that, are you?"

"Nope, not for one minute. Jack, Caleb and the other partners said they would keep an eye on him. I have to say that Pete looks like he's had too much to drink."

"I think we should avoid him if we can." Bianca suggested.

"I think you're right. I'd probably just antagonize him more, and while he may not have a problem causing a scene here tonight, I do. I'm not going to ruin this for everyone."

/

"Hardly. She's nothing but a token. She was only made a partner because she's a minority, and it looks good for the firm. Think about it. It's good PR. You got a woman who's pregnant and is a lesbian. They hit the trifecta with her. I mean even where she got her degree is a joke. Pine Valley Law School? Really?! The instructors there are nothing but corporate rejects. She wouldn't have any made it through a semester where I went."

"Where did you go again?" Brian asked before snapping his fingers. "That's right. You went to Harvard."

Pete puffed out his chest. "Yes, I did. It's a real law school, and your boss would've flunked out."

"You mean like you almost did?"

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about. I didn't almost flunk out."

"My bad. You're right. It was a cheating scandal that had you with one foot out the door until your dad stepped in to buy your way out of it, and even then, you were near the bottom of your class. It's like you can't even cheat right." Brian knew he was pushing it, but the man pissed him off. "Marissa, on the other hand, earned her degree and graduated at the top of her class. True, the law school here may not have the same pedigree as Harvard, but she earned it all on her own and didn't need anyone buying it for her. Besides, it was good enough for her to kick your ass."

Pete saw red. He'd been careful to make sure the Harvard incident had been buried so he didn't have any idea how Brian knew about it. He wasn't going to take this lying down. "If she'd played fair, things would've turned out differently. Did she do that though? No, she used the Montgomery name because she knew she'd lose if she went up against me, a real lawyer. If it wasn't for her _wife_, she'd be just another dyke with a law degree from a third rate law school." Pete sneered, the venom clear in his tone.

Every member of Marissa's team took a step forward, ready to pound this poor excuse for a human being into the ground. Brian was the closest, and there was no way in hell he was going to let Pete get away with what he'd said. Looking at him made him sick to his stomach, and he wanted nothing more than to smash his face in. Brian wasn't going to do that though. It would cause a scene and reflect poorly on not only the firm but Marissa, and he wasn't going to do that. What he would do was get Pete out of there and make sure he didn't come back.

"You need to leave, _now_. Walk away on your own power while you still can."

"You can't throw me out. You're nothing at the firm. I have an idea. Why don't you get your boss over here and have her try and throw me out? I'd love to see her try that."

"Ah, Mr. Taylor, it would appear you're wrong on both of those counts. Mr. Douglas is a valuable associate at our firm, and he's more than capable of throwing you out. He might even get a bonus for it." Bryce Young stepped next to the Pete. While he was the senior partner at the firm and was several years older than his counterparts, Bryce was very fit and took excellent care of himself. He wouldn't have any problem taking care of this younger man. Like the other partners, he was aware of Pete's irrational vendetta against Marissa and had been keeping an eye on him to make sure he didn't cause any problems that evening. Bryce and his wife had been talking with Jack and Erica when they saw things starting to escalate. The four of them walked over to handle the situation. "You really should leave. We'll call you a cab and inform your parents that you've gone and why."

"What are you going to do, old man? Throw me out yourself?"

Jack spoke now. "Not that Bryce couldn't do it all on his own, because he could trust me, I'll help. I also have a feeling all of these other people would help as well. You're not welcome here any longer."

"Oh, you're wrong about something else. Marissa earned her position and is more than qualified. We're lucky to have her." Bryce added.

Two of the Yacht Club's security guards were now positioned on either side of Pete, and he knew he had no other choice but to leave.

"We'll see who's having the last laugh next week. When I'm done with her, she won't be able to practice anywhere in the country." Pete spat out as he was escorted away.

Erica, however, wasn't going to let him go without a parting shot of her own and stopped the guards briefly. Like the others, she'd overheard most of what was said. "Mr. Taylor, if you know what is good for you, I would advise you to leave Marissa alone. From all of the accounts I've heard, my daughter-in-law, I believe the phrase of choice is, kicked your ass into the next year the last time you tangled with her, and that was without her even trying. I'd hate to see what she would do to you if she put any effort into it."

Bryce and Jack exchanged looks. They knew what was a simple custody case was going to be very ugly.

Jack clapped Brian on the shoulder. "Well done, Mr. Douglas, well done."

"Thank you."

"I suppose we should let Phil know what happened to his son."

"You're right, Bryce." Jack sighed. "We should. Let's get it over with so we can enjoy the rest of the night."

"We need to let Marissa know what happened." Sofia stated.

Claudia nodded. "Yes, we do. I don't want her going into court on Monday and be blindsided by him."

"Let Rissa know what?" Bianca had made her way back over to the others while Marissa was talking with Nora Buchanan and Pine Valley's D.A. Mike Jensen. While Marissa and Nora were talking, Bianca had given Viki an update on Kirsten as best she could without violating any confidentiality. Mike Jensen happened to be walking by and was quickly pulled into whatever Marissa and Nora were discussing. Bianca decided to mingle a bit and let her wife continue with what she was doing.

Everyone looked at Erica who nodded, giving them permission to recount what had happened. After Bianca had heard everything, Lisa spoke up.

"Do you think we should tell her all of it? A lot of what he'd said about her was disgusting. I know you don't want to get her upset right now."

Bianca shook her head. "No, I don't, but she needs to know all of it and as quickly as possible. I'll take care of it."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go with you." Brian volunteered.

"Okay, I think that's a good idea. I'll go get her and meet you on the balcony. It's quiet there and will give us some privacy."

/

Marissa, Bianca and Brian were gone for a while. As expected, the redhead was angry over what had happened. She refused, however, to let Pete's hate ruin their evening. Everyone had been working hard and deserved this break. Marissa assured Bianca that she was okay and would deal with Pete very soon. The redhead knew Bianca was fighting her protective instincts. Instead of giving into them though and hiding what happened from her, she was honest with Marissa and told her everything that had occurred. For that, the redhead was beyond grateful and could see how hard her wife was trying. Soon, dinner was served, and the incident put to rest for the time being.

When it looked like the majority of the guests had finished their meals, the partners gathered to address the crowd.

Geoff Thompson picked up the microphone and began to speak. "Good evening and welcome. Don't worry. I'm not here to give a long or boring speech. I save the long ones for the courtroom and the long and boring ones for staff meetings." The crowd laughed. "I'm just here to thank for helping our firm celebrate 15 very successful years. It amazes me that what Bryce and I started that long ago has grown into what we have now. Thank you for your support." He continued after the crowd's applause had died down. "We're also here tonight to celebrate and recognize an addition to our partnership team. We kicked around the idea of adding another partner for some time as well as the idea of expanding a portion of our firm's business, family law to be exact. Once the latter decision was made, the former became a no-brainer for us. While we have an extremely qualified staff and one that is second to none, one name came to mind when it was time for us to decide who would run it. I think you'll all agree that she has the intelligence, talent and dedication needed to oversee this endeavor. More importantly, she has the heart. She's also very good in the courtroom. Family law is not easy, and the needs of these clients are unique. It takes someone special to handle them, to reassure them. So who could we turn to for this? Like I said before, the answer was simple, and we made an offer. Thankfully for us, she agreed. Without further ado, it is my honor to introduce the newest partner to Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Marissa Tasker."

The crowd burst into applause as the redhead stepped forward and took the microphone. Bianca beamed proudly and clapped so hard her hands were starting to sting. Marissa's team was just an enthusiastic as her wife and in-laws.

"Thank you for that, and thank you, Geoff, for that introduction. They wanted me to speak for a few minutes so I will keep this pretty short. Like Geoff said, this isn't the time for long speeches. Although, I personally like to think none of my speeches are boring especially those in staff meetings. I know my team will agree those are particularly riveting."

The crowd laughed as Marissa's team began to look around attempting to suggest otherwise.

"Thanks for the backup on that, guys." Marissa shook her head with a smile getting their joke before continuing. "I'd also like to thank the partners, Bryce, Geoff, Jack and Caleb, for having the faith in me to take on this challenge and entrusting me with it. I promise that I will do my best to show that your faith was well-placed. Now, I can't do this alone. If you'll indulge me for just a minute, I'd like to introduce you to my team. They are bright and talented, and I'm lucky to have to them. The members of the family law department are Brian Douglas, Lisa Walsh, Claudia Stein, Sofia Jackson, Brandon Casanas, Ellie Parker, Mark Ross, Robin Kelley and Riley Scott."

The members of her team nodded in acknowledgement as everyone clapped for them.

"I'd also like to thank my family. Some are here tonight and some aren't. Their support means a lot. Finally, I saved the best for last. I'd like to thank my wife Bianca and our three children AJ, Miranda and Gabby. I have no doubt that the kids have managed to talk the babysitter into letting them stay up past their bedtime. I'm sure this is a skill they've gotten from my wife."

The crowd laughed when Kendall could be overheard saying "hardly, that's all on you".

Marissa chuckled. "Without the four of them, none of this would mean as much as it does. They are my life and mean everything to me and keep me grounded. Bianca, you make my life complete. You've given me so much, and I will never be able to thank you enough for the love, light and life you've brought to me."

Bianca wiped away the tears that had spilled from chocolate eyes as a result of her wife's heartfelt words. The brunette kept her gaze locked onto her wife's as the crowd clapped.

The redhead cleared her throat in order to continue. "On behalf of my fellow partners, I would like to thank our entire staff for their hard work and dedication. Without you, none of the success we've achieved is possible. Simply put, we couldn't do it without you. This evening is for you. We would also like to thank our clients. We will continue to do our utmost for you and hope you know how important you are to us. I hope you will all join me in raising a glass. To Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker and to another successful 15 years."

Everyone raised a glass and joined in the toast.

"The bar is open, please be responsible, and the band is ready to start. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to dance with my amazing wife. Please enjoy yourselves." Marissa handed to microphone over to a member of the wait staff and made her way to a still beaming Bianca.

"May I have this dance?"

Bianca gave Marissa a chaste kiss. "Yes, you may. I love you."

"I love you too."

Marissa and Bianca, along with several other couples, made their way to the dance floor as the band started playing "All of Me" by John Legend.


	147. Sam's Hearing - The Setup

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! As always, it's appreciated. I just looked at the word count for this story, and it's passed the milestone of over 750,000 words! Holy crap! Sorry, I just never imagined I would've written that much. I guess the only thing left for me to do is aim for 1 million! LOL! I'm not sure if I'll hit that, but as long as all of you are sticking with me and enjoying, I'll try dammit! This chapter picks up two days later from where the last one left off. It's the day of Sam's custody hearing. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa was up early that Monday. Today was the first day of Sam's custody hearing. The redhead would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. There was a lot riding on this.

First, there was Sam. The teen was in a real home. She was loved, wanted and safe. Sam thrived under the care of Alex and Gail. She had a family with them, caring parents and a grandmother who thought the sun rose and set on her. The Walkers gave her structure and a sense of belonging and the feeling that she mattered. Her grades had improved to the point that she was now an honor student and had real plans for her future which looked bright. Sam had friends and was well liked by almost everyone. The teen didn't take any of this for granted either because she remembered what it was like to have nothing, to lose everything in the blink of an eye. Marissa remembered what Sam was like when they first met. The difference between then and now was like the difference between day and night. If Sam had to leave the Walkers and live with Payne, Marissa shuddered to think what would happen to her.

Second, there were the Walkers. Gail and Alex had tried for years to have a child, and it just didn't work out. They were beginning to explore the possibility of adoption when Sam came along. Carol met her first, and the two immediately clicked. Sam was the grandchild that Carol had always wanted, and the woman felt younger than she had in years. For Gail and Alex, Sam was their daughter, no ifs, ands or buts about it. They didn't need a piece of paper to tell them that, but they did need it in order for Sam to stay with them.

Finally, there was Marissa herself. This was the first case she was arguing as a partner. She had to admit that it wouldn't look good if she lost, especially to someone like Pete. The man definitely had it out for her and seemed to think that she was responsible for everything bad that had happened in his life instead of looking in the mirror and accepting responsibility for himself. She couldn't let him and Payne win. They were up to something, and it was something she felt in her bones. There was something else at play with them. Marissa hadn't been able to shake that feeling since Payne first appeared in Pine Valley and picked Pete of all people to represent him. She didn't trust either of them as far as she could throw them.

Marissa shook her head in an effort to push those last thoughts aside as she brushed her teeth. This wasn't about her. This was about Sam and the Walkers and doing what was right for them. She needed to concentrate and focus on what needed to be done for Sam and how best to do it. The redhead would deal with whatever might happen to her later because that wasn't as important as the family she was trying to preserve. Marissa thought about the day ahead and what was planned, and the redhead knew it was going to be long and ugly. Court started at 9:00, and Marissa needed to stop by the office first to take care of something so she was up early.

The redhead finished getting ready and quietly left the bedroom, pausing only briefly to look at her wife. Marissa would save her goodbye for Bianca last. First, she let Max out and started the coffee brewing before heading upstairs to the kids' bedrooms. She gave each one a kiss and headed back downstairs to fill up Max's food and water bowls. The dog was let back inside and started eating his breakfast while Marissa fixed a bagel for herself along with a travel mug of coffee. Once she had everything ready to go, the redhead padded back down the hall.

Marissa chuckled softly as she approached the bed. Bianca was snuggled under the covers with her arms wrapped around the redhead's pillow. The redhead sat down and brushed a lock of Bianca's hair to the side.

Bianca felt her wife's gentle touch and stirred awake to find Marissa smiling down on her.

"Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning. You're all ready to go?"

"Yeah, I am."

"I wish I could be there this morning, but …"

"Shh, I know. You've got an important meeting with some big donors. I'll see you when you get there and fill you in on everything you might have missed later. It might have to wait until tonight when I get home, and it could be late."

"That's okay. You do what you need to do, and I'll take care of things here."

"Thank you. I need to go, and you need to start get ready."

"Good luck, and no matter what happens, I'm proud of you, and I love you, always."

"I love you too, always." Marissa kissed Bianca tenderly and headed out.

/

When Carol, Gail and Alex Walker entered the courtroom, Marissa, Claudia and Lisa were already there and in place. Only those three members of the Walker family would be there today. Judge Kagan had previously ruled that Sam didn't need to be present until it was time for her to testify. Pete had argued vehemently that if his client had to be there then the teen should be there too. Marissa knew what he was doing. He was trying to tear Sam down, weaken her resolve, scare her from testifying about what she really wanted. Marissa didn't say that of course. She argued that it served no real purpose for the teen to be there and that it would do more harm than good, which was true. It was better for Sam to be in school and maintain some normalcy as long as possible. Marissa had the counselor that Sam had been seeing back her up, and Judge Kagan agreed. When quizzed by the family about this, Marissa was honest with them as she always was. Granted, it was debatable how much Sam would be able to concentrate, but the redhead thought it was important for her to go about her normal, daily routine so the family took her advice and sent Sam to school.

Just as Marissa was about to speak to the family, Pete and Russ sauntered into the courtroom like they owned it. Carol immediately looked away which caused the men to smirk even more. The exchange wasn't lost on Marissa, and she decided to quiz her client about it.

"Is there something I should know?"

Carol shook her head. "No, dear, everything is fine."

Payne overheard the exchange and grinned. Carol had called him last night to inform him that they were unable to access the trust fund. In fact, they were unable to get any of the money he had demanded. This was something he already knew thanks to the bug that was planted in the Walker home.

/

"_We can't get that money. There's just no way. I talked to the fund's manager, and it's just not possible to access it until Sam is 18. Mom, what were you thinking? You should've called Marissa as soon as he called you." Alex could be heard saying. "Who knows what the hell they're going to do now?"_

"_Alex, calm down. Your mother was scared and did what she thought was right at the time. Face it, she was between a rock and a hard place. I might have done exactly what she did if I was put in that situation. We just have to hope he changes his mind, that he sees that Sam is better off here and drops his suit._

"_Or at the very least, he doesn't bring Marissa into this. She didn't know anything about this. If she did, she would've told us to report this to the police immediately because she could lose her license."_

_/_

"_Please tell me you got that last part." Pete begged Payne. For him, that was the phrase that would pay, and the reason why he had his guy on standby that night. Tweaked the right way, those words would be the final nail in Marissa's coffin._

"_I got it all. Don't worry. This call from her is going to be interesting." Payne sat back in one of chairs in Pete's office and waited for his cellphone to ring._

_/_

"_I don't know what he'll do. Hopefully, he'll do what you're thinking, Gail, and let it drop. I just don't know. And you're right, Alex, I should've called Marissa, but I just got scared. I'm afraid it's too late now."_

"_I know, Mom. I just don't know what we're going to tell Sam."_

"_I don't either. I better make this call before she gets home."_

_/_

_About a minute later, Payne's cellphone began to ring. "I wonder who it could be."_

_Pete cracked up. "It's showtime."_

_Payne put on a straight face and answered. "Russell Payne."_

"_Mr. Payne, it's Carol Walker."_

"_Carol! How nice to hear from you. How are you tonight?"_

"_I'm calling to tell you that we were unable to get the money you wanted."_

"_Right down to business. A woman after my own heart. I see, that's a real shame, Carol."_

"_Please, Mr. Payne, is there any way you would consider dropping this case? Sam is happy here, and we love her."_

"_Did you ever hear the phrase that love ain't free? You know the terms. No money, no Samantha."_

"_Please, think about Sam. It would crush her to go into the system."_

"_Yeah, not that I really care about that. Why couldn't you get the money?"_

"_The trust fund isn't accessible until she turns 18."_

"_Hmmm, do I want to deal with her for another two years? I mean is she really worth it?" Payne sighed dramatically, laying it on thick. "I'll have to get back to you on that because I just don't know. Let's see how court goes tomorrow morning and how generous I'm feeling. See you then. Oh, and you might want to give her a kiss tonight in case she doesn't come back there tomorrow." With that, Payne ended the call. "So, what do you think?"_

"_I think that was perfect. String them along for a little longer, give them a little glimmer of hope, and then tomorrow, bam! You get what you want, and I get what I want. It's going to be epic."_

_The men clinked glasses and downed their shots of whiskey._

_/_

"All rise. Family Court Part 2 is now in session. The Honorable Sonya Kagan presiding."

Judge Kagan took her seat behind the bench and rapped her gavel. "Be seated. Let's get started, shall we? Mr. Taylor, please call your first witness."

Pete stood. "I call Russell Payne to the stand."

Russ straightened his jacket as he stood and walked to the stand.

The bailiff addressed him. "Place your left hand on the bible and raise your right hand. Do you promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth so help you god?"

"I do."

"Please be seated." The bailiff walked away.

Pete approached his client. "Would state your name for the record?"

"Russell Payne."

"Thank you. Mr. Payne, what is your relationship to the minor Samantha Robinson?"

"She's my niece, my brother's child. Well, my half-brother's child to be exact."

"And why are you here today?"

"I want custody of my niece. I didn't know my brother growing up. We're half-brothers, same father but different mothers. Now, he's gone, and I'll never get the chance to know him. Samantha is my only living family member, besides my wife that is. I want to get to know her, raise her like I think my brother would. By doing that, it'll kind of be like I'm getting to know him. I think it's important to keep family together. That's what I want. I don't make a lot of money, but my wife and I can give her a good home, a stable home. I know that's important, and I want that for her. I only want the best for her."

This line of questioning and answering went on for several minutes. Russ was giving his best performance as the humble and loving uncle who simply wanted to connect with his last remaining biological family member.

The Walkers looked like they were going to be ill listening to the man. They knew every word he was saying was a lie and weren't sure how long they would be able to stomach it.

"Thank you, Mr. Payne." Pete turned and smirked at Marissa. "Your witness."

Marissa stood. "Mr. Payne, where is your wife?"

"What?" Russ clearly wasn't expecting that question. His wife wasn't on board with his plan. She didn't want children, let alone one she had no connection with. She also didn't like what he was doing to his niece, ripping her away from her home for money. It just didn't sit right with her. They decided that it was best if she stayed home in Pittsburgh and far away from the questioning of Marissa Tasker.

"Your wife, where is she?"

"I object, your honor. Why is that relevant?"

"Mr. Payne stated that he and his wife would be providing a home for Sam. I think her lack of presence is relevant."

Judge Kagan considered this for just a moment. "I'll allow it. Please answer the question."

"Pam, my wife, is back home in Pittsburgh. She would've been here today but couldn't get off work. She's anxious to meet Samantha and have her live with us."

Marissa nodded as Claudia jotted something down. "You say you want Sam to live with you and that you'll provide her with a good home."

"Yes, I will."

"You know that Sam has been living with the Walkers for quite some time. Why would you want to take her from her home, her friends and her school and move her hundreds of miles away from all of that? Given what she's experienced in her short life, you must know that that would be traumatic for her. Why would you want to put her through that?"

"She's family. _We_ are family, the only family we have left. I honestly believe that it's best for her if we stay together and build on that. Look, I appreciate everything the Walkers have done for her. I really do, but they're not her family. I am, and I want to take care of her."

Marissa had to admit that Payne was good. She would poke a small hole in his story which he would quickly plug. After several minutes, she gave up on this line of questioning. "No further questions at this time, but I reserve the right to recall this witness."

"Redirect, your honor." Pete was chomping at the bit for this next start.

"Go ahead, Mr. Taylor."

"Mr. Payne, I know there's something that's been bothering you, something you're reluctant to bring up, but we really need to. It's the right thing to do, and as an officer of the court, I'm required by law to bring this up."

Marissa, Claudia and Lisa wore identical confused expressions while the Walkers appeared to pale and dropped their heads. Pete was downright giddy. This was it, the moment he dropped the hammer on the redhead.

Payne looked uneasy. "You're sure we have to do this, Mr. Taylor? I'd rather just kinda drop it if we could."

"I'm positive, Mr. Payne. I know you don't want to cause anyone any problems because you're a good, honest man, but this is just too big of an issue to ignore. As I stated before, I'm obligated to report this breech of ethics."

Judge Kagan raised an eyebrow and glanced from Marissa to Pete before addressing the latter. "I think you need to explain yourself, Mr. Taylor. These are serious allegations if you're implying what I think you are."

Pete nodded solemnly. "I'm aware, your honor, and believe me, I'm as disturbed by this as you are. Mr. Payne, please tell the court what you told me."

Russ sighed dramatically as if the revelation he was about to make pained him immensely. "A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from Mrs. Carol Walker. She said she wanted to talk to me and to meet her in the park. I was a little hesitant to do it but did it. Well, she said they would give me my niece, drop the case, if I would sign over my niece's trust fund to her, her son and his wife."

Marissa was on her feet in a flash. "I object. Your honor, these allegations are ridiculous and unfounded. My clients love Sam and are fighting to keep her. To accuse them of trying to sell her is beyond the pale."

"You might want to save your self-righteous indignation, counselor." Pete smirked.

"What are you talking about?"

"You see, my client thought he should protect himself, just in case, so he recorded their conversation. I have that recording between one of your clients and mine discussing this very topic."

Marissa whipped her head around in the direction of her clients, their downturned eyes and guilty expressions indicating that at least part of what the other lawyer was saying was true.

"The recording also indicates that you knew and even advised them to do it."

"What?! That is a blatant lie. I would never do anything like that. Your honor, I can tell you that while I don't know what's on that recording such a conversation never took place because I have never advised the Walkers or any other client for that matter to break the law. This is the first I'm hearing about this."

"The recording says otherwise. We can clear this all up by listening to it."

"I object, your honor. I haven't had a chance to have an expert examine this recording and must question its validity."

Judge Kagan held up her hands. She didn't want to make the following ruling but knew she had to. "We should listen to it. I will allow you some time to have it examined afterwards, Ms. Tasker."

Pete struggled to keep a straight face as he handed the copy he had made on a cd to the bailiff who started setting things up. The lawyer sat back down and glanced at Marissa who looked shell-shocked. It brought a smile to his face that he couldn't suppress, and it was a smile that would grow the more everyone listened. He glanced around the courtroom and saw a disappointed look on the judge's face when she heard Carol say that Marissa knew all about it because it was her idea. _I've got you now, bitch._ Pete had to admit his guy had done an excellent job with doctoring the recording and was positive it would stand up under any scrutiny. _Maybe I'll give him a little bonus._

When the recording finished playing, Judge Kagan addressed Marissa. "I have to tell you, Ms. Tasker, this recording is damning. If these allegations are proven true, I will have no other recourse than to report you to the state bar."

Marissa looked contrite. "I understand, your honor. I'm aware of how it looks. I can only tell you it's not true. Obviously, we need to have our expert examine this recording."

"Obviously."

"Your honor, since Ms. Tasker plans on having an expert testify, I will too. I had a feeling she would want to do that. Arthur Simons will be ready to testify on my client's behalf."

Judge Kagan nodded. "Given the time, we will recess until 1:00 at which time we will revisit this subject again. Hopefully, that will give you enough time to talk with your clients, Ms. Tasker, as well as have someone review this recording. I assume, Mr. Taylor, you have another copy."

"I do, your honor."

"Please provide it to Ms. Tasker. This court is in recess." Judge Kagan rapped her gavel and quickly left the courtroom on her way out she could hear Pete gloating.

"Oh look, someone's not that squeaky clean after all. You're going down, counselor, and I'm going to enjoy every minute of watching you lose everything for what you did to me. How's it feel? No answer, huh? It's too bad your _wife_ isn't here. I'd love to see her expression right now. Your partners will be disappointed by this too. This is the best damn day of my life and worth every bit of the wait and planning." Pete flung the cd on the table and turned to his client. "Come on, Russ, let's go take an early lunch."

/

Pete hung around just outside the courtroom door, cracking it open so he could overhear. He wasn't disappointed.

Marissa slammed a folder down on the table. "Would one of you like to tell me what the hell is going on?! Did you meet with him?"

"Yes. Yes, I did. I should have told you."

"You're damn right you should have! What's with this recording?!"

"I don't know! I swear I don't! I didn't say any of that! He twisted everything around. _He_ called _me. He _demanded money. He said if we didn't pay that he would take Sam. We would never do what they're saying we did. We love Sam. I guess because we couldn't pay him, he decided to do this."

"You should've called me the minute he called you. Now, it's highly likely that not only could you lose Sam, but I could lose my license and be disbarred. Dammit, Carol!"

Russ pulled his lawyer from the door. "Come on, Pete. Let's get out of here before somebody sees us hanging around out here."

"You're right. Let's go celebrate. That money is as good as yours. You were great on the stand by the way. She tried, but she couldn't break you. It was like pulling teeth to get you to talk about Carol's so-called demands."

"You weren't so bad yourself. I loved your bit about having an obligation as an officer of the court to report this breech of ethics. Priceless."

The men exchanged a fist bump as they left.

/

Inside, Marissa looked to the back of the courtroom where Mitch, her investigator, was stationed. He nodded to her. Receiving his signal, Marissa nodded in return sending Mitch on his way.

"Lisa, go see Bill. He's waiting on you and take that with you." Marissa pointed to the cd on the table.

"On my way, boss."

"Okay, we don't have much time so let's get to work. Claudia, call Brian and tell him 1:00. I want him here no later than 12:30."

Claudia nodded. "There's a small conference room we can use. A clerk is holding it for us."

/

A little before 1:00, people started filing back into the courtroom. Russ and Pete were grinning like they had just won the lottery. They watched as Bianca entered and approached her wife.

"Hey, sorry I'm late. Did I miss anything?"

"Just your wife getting her ass kicked." Pete muttered as Russ burst out laughing.

Marissa shook her head and whispered so only Bianca could hear her. "No, you're just in time."

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss and took a seat next to the Walkers.

Lisa and Brian entered together. Brian gave the redhead a discreet thumbs up and took a seat behind Bianca. Lisa handed a folder to her boss and another to Claudia. Both women read their respective files and nodded.

Judge Kagan entered and took her seat. "Ms. Tasker, have you had enough time to review the recording?"

"We have, your honor, and are ready to proceed. We have rebuttal witnesses."

The judge raised an eyebrow. She had to admit she was a little surprised that the redhead had said witnesses but nodded. "Alright, please call your first witness."

Marissa, poker face firmly in place, addressed the court. "I call Rachel Michaels."

Pete's head snapped up as an attractive brunette walked through the courtroom door being held open by an officer and made her way to the stand.

**/**

**A/N: Muwahahahahahaha! Damn evil side made me leave it there! That was her laughing by the way. She's a little out of control right now if you couldn't tell. I'll see what I can do about her. In the meantime, I'm working hard on the next chapter. See you soon!**


	148. Sam's Hearing - The Rebuttal

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! You all are the best! My evil side is still cackling from last chapter's cliffhanger. I think I really should check into that employee assistance program at work before she gets too out of hand. Anyway, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. We're still in court, but now, it's Marissa's turn. Oh, the courtroom is going to get a little crowded with some special guests. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa, poker face firmly in place, addressed the court. "I call Rachel Michaels."

Pete's head snapped up as an attractive brunette stepped forward and made her way to the stand.

Kendall and Greenlee slipped into the courtroom and sat next to Brian.

"Hey, you're just in time. Marissa called her first witness." Brian whispered.

Kendall whispered back. "Perfect! Thanks for the text."

Bianca had asked Brian to text Kendall for her so she could be there to watch this afternoon's fireworks. She knew that her sister would want to be there. Kendall was almost as big of a fan of Marissa's as she was, _almost_. Obviously, she had told Greenlee.

"Damn, I wish I could have popcorn right about now." Greenlee smirked.

"Hey."

Kendall turned and smiled at her husband as he gave her a quick kiss. She had also told Zach. "You made it."

Zach nodded and slid into next to his wife as Brian scooted down. "Are you kidding? I wasn't going to miss this if I could help it. I've always wanted to see Red in her element, watch her work."

"Did we miss anything?" Jack whispered to his daughter as he, Caleb and the firm's other two partners sat in the row behind Greenlee. The partners had every faith in Marissa and were there to simply offer their support to their newest partner. Marissa had kept them informed of everything that was occurring with this case so the partners were well aware of Pete's shenanigans. They had a feeling they were going to enjoy the show Marissa had planned for this afternoon.

"No, they're just getting started. Where's Erica?"

"Here she comes now."

Erica entered as discreetly as it was possible for the diva to and took a seat next to Bianca. She was going to have a front row seat for this.

Bianca smiled as her mother slid in next to her. It meant the world to her that Marissa had her mother's support. In all honesty, the two had a mutual admiration society going. It surprised some, but not everyone. As Kendall so aptly pointed out once, Erica and Marissa had a common cause/goal. It was to see Bianca happy. With that as the foundation for their relationship, the rest was fairly easy. They may not always agree on the how it should be accomplished, but they always agreed on the why and respected each other's roles in Bianca's life.

"You're just in time. It's about to get really good."

"Excellent. Thank you for calling me. I've been waiting for this for a long time, almost as long as you. In fact, I have a gift for Mr. Taylor." Erica viewed the man as a gnat who had grown increasingly annoying as time went on. It was high time that he was swatted away once and for all.

Bianca raised an eyebrow and looked inside the bag Erica had brought in with her. The brunette had to quickly stifle a laugh. "It's perfect. Rissa will love it. I somehow don't think Pete will though."

Erica smiled. "And that is precisely my goal."

/

As she shifted to make herself more comfortable, Judge Kagan paused mid-motion. What had once been an almost empty courtroom was now almost full. She recognized most of those in the gallery and knew the ones she did know were connected to Marissa in some way. What the judge didn't know was why they were there. Was it to offer support to the redhead after the morning session, or was it for another reason? Judging by a certain diva's presence and interaction with her youngest daughter, she had a feeling it was the latter, and Judge Kagan found herself eager to see how things would unfold this afternoon.

/

"I object, your honor!" Pete shouted, practically screaming to be honest. "This so-called witness is not on any list that we've been given and could in no way offer any insight into opposing counsel's actions."

"Your honor, if I may?" Marissa asked calmly.

"Go ahead, Ms. Tasker."

"Thank you. First of all, Ms. Michaels is a rebuttal witness. She's being called to refute opposing counsel's claims from this morning. As such, there was no time to provide her name along with several other witnesses I intend to call since I didn't know that Mr. Taylor and Mr. Payne were going to present evidence of alleged wrongdoing on my side. Second, I'm curious how Mr. Taylor knows, without hearing any testimony from her, that Ms. Michaels won't be able to provide any insight into the _allegations_ lodged against me. Unless he knows something that he has yet to share with the court or has developed psychic abilities."

Judge Kagan held back a smile and rapped her gavel to silence the chuckles from the gallery caused by Marissa's quip. "Order. Ms. Tasker makes valid points, with the exception of the psychic comment."

Marissa knew the judge would scold her for her last remark. It was _so_ worth it though. "I apologize to the court, your honor."

The judge nodded. "As a rebuttal witness, Ms. Tasker is not required to provide her name given the timing of the _allegations_ made only hours ago. I will remind you again, Mr. Taylor, that they are only allegations at this point, nothing has been proven. Continuing to state otherwise will have you in contempt of court. Objection overruled. Please proceed, Ms. Tasker."

"Thank you."

The young woman was sworn in and took her seat on the witness stand.

/

Greenlee whispered to Kendall. "What's her role in all of this?"

"I don't know. Bianca didn't know a lot of the particulars because Marissa couldn't tell her everything."

"Couldn't or wouldn't?"

"Probably both. Red was probably protecting her to some degree. Pete doesn't look happy to see her though."

"No, he sure doesn't. He looks like he needs a new change of pants."

/

"Would you state your name for the record, please?" Marissa asked.

"Rachel Michaels."

"Your honor, I must object again. It's obvious this woman can't provide any insight into this case."

"Is it now, Mr. Taylor? I find it odd how you can know that given that she has only given us her name. Overruled. Continue with the witness."

Marissa nodded. "Thank you. Ms. Michaels, could you please tell us what you do for a living?"

"I'm a customer service supervisor at the AT&T call center located here in Pine Valley."

"Thank you. Now …"

"Objection!"

"Overruled."

"Now, Ms. Michaels, are you familiar with this case?"

"Yes."

"How so?"

"I was contacted by Mr. Taylor a few weeks ago."

"Objection, relevance!"

"I'm getting to that, your honor."

"I'll allow it."

"Mr. Taylor contacted you about this case?"

"Yes, but I didn't know it at the time."

"Objection!"

"Overruled. I want to hear what she has to say."

"Could you please explain?"

"Pete, Mr. Taylor, called me and said he needed a favor. He had a big case and said I could help him with it."

"Go on."

"He wanted me to track the incoming and outgoing calls for one of our customers."

"Did he say why?"

"Yes, he did, but he wasn't very nice about why. He called someone something that I'm not sure I can repeat, especially here."

The judge nodded. "It's fine, Ms. Michaels. Go ahead, and before you object, Mr. Taylor, don't. I want to hear from this witness."

Pete sank into his chair, and his client didn't look very happy at the moment either.

"Okay, He said he had a big case, huge, and he said if I helped him, he could take down, and this is a quote from him, 'a redheaded bitch lawyer'. He said this, and using his words again, 'dyke had fucked up my life', meaning his life. He also mentioned your name. I'm sorry."

Marissa shook her head. "It's fine. I've been called worse." _Especially by Pete_. Marissa didn't say the last part out loud. "What else did he say?"

/

Those seated in the gallery shifted uncomfortably at the hate-filled words, and the judge struggled to hide her disgust, reminding herself there was no exact proof at the moment that Pete had actually said those things.

Bianca's back stiffened as she shifted her focus onto Pete. The Kane death glare was at maximum strength, and the man seemed to visibly shrink under its weight.

/

"He said with my help he could 'destroy' you, that it was something he wanted to do for over a year because it was your fault he lost his job, and he couldn't wait to make you pay."

"What did you say?"

"I told him I couldn't do it because it was illegal for me to do something like that unless there was a subpoena. He said he didn't give a damn about that, and that I was going to help him if I knew what was good for me. He said I 'owed' him."

"Alright, let's back up for a minute. How do you know, Mr. Taylor?"

"I really have to tell you?"

"Yes, you do."

Rachel sighed, her reluctance to discuss the particulars was evident. "Okay. This definitely wasn't my finest or proudest moment. It was actually one of the worst of both of those. I met him in a bar about nine months ago. My boyfriend at the time and I had just broken up, and some friends took me out to try and get my mind off of it. I started drinking, a lot, and Mr. Taylor approached me. He was_ okay_ looking, not George Clooney or Brad Pitt or …" Rachel blushed when she realized she had gotten off track. "Sorry. I was lonely and drunk, and he kept buying me drinks. One thing led to another, and we hooked up. Like I said, not my finest or proudest moment. We went back to his place, and I don't remember most of what happened there. I woke up the next morning with a massive hangover. I made my walk of shame out of there and haven't had a drop to drink since."

/

Those in the gallery were highly amused by the woman's story, her mortification over the likelihood of having been with Pete and his embarrassment over her feelings on the matter. No one was more amused than Kendall and Greenlee who wore matching smirks.

"It looks like Pete thought it was more memorable than she did. He seems to be somewhat lacking." Greenlee cracked.

"Yeah, I think she's glad she blacked out so she doesn't have to live with certain mental images for the rest of her life. Big time coping mechanism. Been there, done that myself."

"Who hasn't?!"

"I wish Red would turn around. I'd love to see her expression right now." Kendall could only see Marissa's back at the moment. The redhead was half sitting on the table that was her base of operations for the hearing and looking perfectly at ease from what Kendall could tell. This was the first time she had seen her sister-in-law in action in her element, the courtroom. Bianca had seen her at work before and told her sister about it. She had thought her little sister was exaggerating a bit, but now, it didn't look like she was. Kendall was definitely impressed. She shot a quick glance in her sister's direction. Bianca wore an expression that was equal parts enthralled and proud.

/

Judge Kagan was amused by the witness's candor but couldn't show it. "Please keep your comments limited to this case, Ms. Michaels."

"I'm sorry, your honor."

Marissa schooled her features. As much as she wanted to laugh, she knew that now was neither the time nor the place to do so. "Did you see Mr. Taylor after that or were you in contact with him?"

"Technically, no."

"What do you mean by that?"

"He kept calling me. It was like several times a day, every day for a month. I kept ignoring the calls because I didn't want anything to do with him."

/

"Can you say 'stalker'?"

"Desperate much, Pete?"

"You'd think the first dozen ignored calls would've gotten the point across."

"Hooking up with him really wasn't her finest moment."

"Or proudest."

"Pete's definitely lacking."

"Definitely."

"Ooh, you know what it is?"

The women glanced and each other and at the said time said, "Overcompensating".

Brian coughed to disguise the laugh he was struggling to keep in. Kendall and Greenlee were putting on a show almost as good as Marissa's and reminded him of Statler and Waldorf, the famous balcony hecklers from the Muppets. He decided he would keep that comparison to himself and share it later with Stef. Although, he might tell Marissa because she would get a kick out of it. No way though would he tell either of the women in question that they reminded him of Muppets of old men. He valued his life too much.

/

"The calls finally stopped, and I didn't hear from him until two weeks ago."

"Could you please tell us what happened at that time?"

"I must have told him where I worked that night at the bar because he called me there and said he needed my help."

"With a big case?" Marissa asked, successfully bringing them back to the point where they had taken a brief but necessary detour from.

"Yes."

"You said earlier he told you that you 'owed' him and would help him 'if you knew what was good for you'. Did you find out what was meant by that?"

"Yes. He said if I didn't help him that he had some pictures of me that he had taken on his cellphone from our night together that he would make sure would be spread all over the internet."

"He blackmailed you."

"Yes."

"Objection! There is no proof of any of this ever happening. It's her word against mine, and I still fail to see the relevance."

"I'm getting there, your honor, and there is proof."

"I'll allow it. Overruled. Please continue."

"What did you do next?"

"I told him I needed to think about it first. He gave me a day to make up my mind. As soon as we were done, I went to my supervisor and reported the incident. The two of us reviewed the recording of the call."

"There's a recording?"

"Well, yeah. He called me at work. He didn't have my direct line there so he called a help line and asked for me. All calls received on our help lines are automatically recorded, and there's a warning stating that at the beginning of each call. I brought an authorized copy of it with me."

Russ glared at a dumbfounded Pete. "You stupid son of a …"

"Order, Mr. Payne. Could I have that recording, Ms. Michaels?"

Rachel nodded and hand over a cd stamped with AT&T printed on it along with the distinctive AT&T logo to the judge. "We also have a secure intranet site with all of our recordings. I have permission to access that site for you."

"This will do for now, but I'll keep the site in mind. Do you wish to play the recording now, Ms. Tasker?"

Marissa shook her head. She was building her rebuttal piece by piece and would have the recording played when it was time. That time was not quite yet. "Not at this time, your honor, but we do intend on having it played."

Judge Kagan nodded. She could tell Marissa was on to something and would let her choose her pace, within reason. So far, the redhead was doing just fine. "Please continue then, Ms. Tasker."

"Thank you. What course of action did you and your supervisor come up with?"

"After talking with our regional manager, it was decided to go along with Mr. Taylor's request until we could get more information such as the customer's name. So, that's what I did. All of the conversations I had with him were recorded and are on that cd as well."

"He gave you the customer's name then when you agreed to his demands?"

"Yes, it was Carol Walker. He came back the next day and wanted me to also track Alex and Gail Walker and Samantha Robinson."

That revelation had the courtroom buzzing.

"What did you do then?"

"I went to the police along with my supervisor. Not only was his request illegal, we found it also involved a minor child. That threw up a huge red flag for us."

"Please continue."

"We talked to an Officer Brot Monroe. As soon as he heard the names of everyone involved, he excused himself to talk to Chief Hubbard. He came back several minutes later and escorted us back to the chief's office, and then I didn't see Officer Monroe for a while. We told the chief everything and then gave him the recordings. Officer Monroe came back in around that time and whispered something to Chief Hubbard who then excused himself for several minutes. Then, he came back with you and another man who introduced himself as the district attorney, Mike Jensen."

Pete was now a ghostly shade of white and his hand shook as he raised a glass of water to his parched mouth. He now understood why his former employer was in the courtroom this afternoon. When he had first spotted him, Pete thought maybe that word had gotten back to him about his successful morning and that he had come to beg Pete to come back to the D.A.'s office. Now, he knew he couldn't have more wrong.

"That was the first time we ever met?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What happened then?"

"We repeated the story again, this time to you and Mr. Jensen. Both of you asked me some questions and then my supervisor. Mr. Jensen looked a little surprised, but I have to say that you really didn't. Anyway, Mr. Jensen asked us to make ourselves available for any further questions and told us to call him the next time Mr. Taylor contacted me."

"And did you do this?"

"Yes, he called the following day and asked if you were a customer and for me to track your calls along with those of Bianca Montgomery."

The majority of eyes focused on Bianca with this news. The brunette gave nothing away save for the clenching of her jaw. Erica could tell her daughter knew about this. It made sense that she would. Erica knew that there was no way that Marissa would keep this information from her wife. Not only was it an invasion of Bianca's privacy, but it was also one of the Miranda Center's. Given the clients they served, this would be an enormous breach of security for them. Lives would literally be at stake. Knowing her daughter-in-law like she did, Erica had no doubt Marissa would not stand for that and sit idly by and do nothing about it. No, she would tell Bianca and then report it. The redhead would also come up with some way to make the guilty party pay. Granted, it would be within the law, not exactly Erica's first choice mind you, but they _would_ pay. That was definitely one of the many reasons Erica liked her so much.

/

Greenlee glanced over her shoulder at her father. "Isn't that going against attorney/client privileges of some sort? I mean, police can't listen in on conversations between attorneys and their clients. So, Pete doing that would be way out of bounds."

"Not to mention the Miranda Center and their clients." Kendall added.

Jack nodded as he leaned forward. "You're both right on all counts. What Pete was requesting was breaking several tenants of law. Both Mike and Marissa know that, and I can tell you, they acted accordingly."

The friends glanced at each other and then at Jack who stopped them before they could ask anything further. "No, I'm not going to say anything else at this time. It's not my story to tell. It's Marissa's, and she deserves to be the one to tell you and everyone else. Keep watching."

Kendall and Greenlee wanted to argue but decided against it given where they were so they shrugged and did as suggested. They had to admit that things were pretty entertaining so far, and from what they could see Marissa hadn't really even gotten started.

/

"Do you know Bianca Montgomery?"

"No, I don't, other than the fact that she founded and runs the Miranda Center, and oh, that she's one of Erica Kane's daughters."

"Have you or anyone that you know used any of the Center's services?" Marissa needed to establish that Rachel had no connection to Bianca and therefore nothing to gain by her testimony.

"Thankfully, no."

"Did you contact Mr. Jensen?"

"Yes, I did."

"What happened?"

"We were presented with affidavits from Carol, Alex and Gail Walker, Samantha Robinson, Bianca Montgomery and yourself allowing us to turn over their cellphone records to the District Attorney's office as well as your office."

"Did you do so?"

"Yes, we did."

"I have no further questions at this time." Marissa, with her poker face still firmly in place, turned to take her seat and glanced at Pete. "Your witness, Mr. Taylor."

Pete glared at Marissa. He had to come up with something quick to downplay Rachel's testimony and turn it to his advantage.

"Mr. Taylor?"

The lawyer's head snapped back up to look at the judge, not realizing she had been calling his name for a minute or two. "Yes, your honor?"

Judge Kagan was getting impatient. "Do you have any questions for this witness?"

"Yes, yes, I do."

"Please proceed."

"Sorry. Rachel, do you mind if I call you Rachel?"

"Actually, yes, I do."

"Rachel …"

"Excuse me, but she just said she minded you calling her by her first name, Mr. Taylor. Please respect that. Actually, let me put it this way. You _will_ respect that in my courtroom. Do I make myself clear?"

"Y … Yes, your honor."

"Good. Proceed."

"Ms. Michaels, you testified that we know each other intimately. Is that correct?"

Through gritted teeth, Rachel replied. "Yes."

"I must remind you that it is against the law to lie under oath. It's perjury."

"I'm aware of that."

Marissa stood. "Objection, your honor. Mr. Taylor is basically calling this witness a liar when there is no foundation or proof of that claim."

"Mr. Taylor, would you care to explain yourself?"

"Of course, your honor. I recall that evening and the days that followed differently. It was Ms. Michaels who pursued me because of how I ended the relationship, and most certainly not the other way around."

Rachel shot a look of pure contempt at Pete and swore an oath to herself that she would never drink that much again. If that was what she ended up with, no amount of alcohol in the world was worth it. She then looked at Marissa who nodded. "Your honor, I have my cellphone records to prove that _I received_ calls from him instead of making them."

"Please give them to the court officer."

The young woman did as instructed, and the judge scanned them quickly before speaking.

"Before you continue to pursue this line of questioning, I would strongly advise against it." Judge Kagan stated as she tapped the phone records she had just reviewed.

Pete wanted to protest but thought better of it seeing the judge's expression. At that point, he couldn't think of anything else to ask given that Rachel had produced records that backed up her story. "No further questions." Pete mumbled as he sat back down.

"Oh, Mr. Taylor, how long have you had the cellphone you have now?"

"About a year. Why?" Pete had no idea where the judge was going with that question.

"Very good. Please give your cellphone to the bailiff."

"What? Why?"

"Because I asked you to, Mr. Taylor, and because there is an allegation of certain photographs being stored on it. That claim needs to be investigated."

"What if I refuse?"

"Then, I'll find you in contempt of court, levy a substantial fine against you and have you cool your heels in a holding cell downstairs at which point I'll still have your phone. _Now, Mr. Taylor_."

Pete grumbled and reluctantly handed the cellphone to the bailiff who then turned it over the judge.

Judge Kagan turned to Marissa. "Redirect, Ms. Tasker?"

"No, your honor."

"The witness may step down. Ms. Tasker, call your next witness."

"I call Mitch Reardon to the stand."

/

A middle-aged man with sandy brown hair came forward and was sworn in.

Russ eyed the man as he was taking his oath. He looked familiar, but Russ couldn't quite place him. He leaned in and whispered to Pete. "Who's he?"

"I don't know. Why?"

"He looks familiar." Then, it hit him. "Oh, he's the investigator that told me about Sam. Why's he testifying?"

/

"Would you state your name for the record please?"

"Mitchell Reardon."

"Mr. Reardon, where are you employed?"

"I'm an investigator for the law firm of Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker."

"Do you work for any department in particular?"

"I work for you in the family law department."

"Thank you. How are you acquainted with this case?"

"You called me in for a meeting and told me that the Walkers wanted to adopt Sam. For that to happen, a thorough background check would be needed. You asked me to investigate if Sam had any living relatives."

"What did you find?"

"Through the course of our investigation, we found an uncle, the half-brother of Sam's father. At that point, we informed the court. I continued to investigate per your instructions."

"Did you do anything else for me at this time?"

"Yes, I did. After an incident at Sam's school …"

"Objection! The characterization of what happened is completely false and not proved."

Marissa rolled her eyes internally. _Really? You really want to go there, Pete? Fine with me. _"The events are on the record and clearly documented with the Pine Valley Police Department as well as with this court. I'm not sure how opposing counsel would describe what his client did by scaring a teenage girl with threats of turning her into the police for not wanting to talk to him, sending her back into the foster care system where she was abused and then following her and two others until they were able to get to safety inside the Miranda Center at which time his client lied in an attempt to gain entry there. I think calling it an 'incident' is being extremely generous."

Judge Kagan cleared her throat in an attempt not to laugh at Marissa's summary and the absurdity of Pete's statement. "Overruled."

"Please continue, Mr. Reardon."

"After the incident at Sam's school, you asked me to have one of investigators keep an eye on Sam to ensure her safety. You also asked me to have a state-of-the-art security system installed at the Walkers' home."

Pete and Russ quickly glanced at each other with both thinking the same thought, _Oh shit! When did he install it?_

"And you monitored that system?"

"Yes, I had members of my team undertake that assignment."

"Did I ask you to do anything else?"

"Yes, you had us review security footage of your home and surrounding property."

"Did you find anything?"

"Objection, relevance. I fail to see how Ms. Tasker's home security is pertinent to this case."

"I'm getting there, your honor."

"Hurry it up, Ms. Tasker. Overruled."

"Did you notice anything after reviewing the footage?"

"Yes, we saw a male on your property when you, your wife and children were not at home. He walked around the entire perimeter of your home, looked in the windows, and tried the front and back doors as well as your garage doors. While we were watching the tapes, it looked like he was startled when he heard your dog and took off."

_Damn dog scared the hell out of me. Probably a pit bull or some other vicious breed._ Russ thought. He could feel Pete's eyes on him. He didn't tell his lawyer about his little side trip to the Tasker-Montgomery home. Russ was hoping they couldn't tell it was him. He was wearing a hoodie that day in an attempt to hide his identity.

Bianca smiled thinking of Max scaring anyone. The golden retriever was nowhere near a guard dog. In fact, he would probably open the door for you if he could. That Max somehow managed to scare someone off was pretty funny. The retriever never met anyone he didn't like. Pete and Russ would probably be the exceptions to that.

"This was in line with the eyewitness account from one of our investigators keeping an eye on your property."

"Was there a time after installing the security system at the Walkers' home, that you were alerted to anything there?"

"Yes, we received an alert that someone was trying to break into their home. We dispatched a security team over there as well as contacted the police department. By the time the police and our team arrived on the scene, no one was there."

Pete and Russ released a sigh of relief hearing that news. It was short lived.

"What happened next?"

"We reviewed the footage from a camera stationed outside the home as well as one inside. We observed two men. One stayed outside assuming the role of lookout while the other went inside. The one inside stayed in the family room. His focus was on a mantel above the fireplace. We saw him remove a clock and then put it back in place before leaving."

"Did you investigate this?"

"Yes, we did along with Officers Brot Monroe and Greg Hall who responded to the call. We found a bug, better known as a listening device, placed underneath the clock."

"Were you able to trace this device?"

"Yes, we were. It was purchased at Anderson Electronics, and we were able to determine who was behind the purchase."

"What else did you do?"

"After consulting with you and the District Attorney, we left the bug in place and continued to monitor its signal and what it was recording."

"Were there any similarities between what happened at my home and the break-in at the Walkers?"

"Yes, there was the one. The same man that attempted to enter your home was the same man who broke into the Walkers' home and placed the bug. We know this because we got excellent shots of him at both scenes."

"What about the other man at the Walkers? Were you able to identify him?"

"Yes, we were. He was the same man who purchased the listening device."

"Are you able to tell us who they are and provide any proof as to their identities?"

Mitch smiled for the first time. This was one of the things he had been looking forward to. "Yes, we were. The men in question were Peter Taylor and Russell Payne, and I have the security footage along with affidavits from the security company and Officer Hall as to their authenticity."

"Your honor, at this time, I would like to submit these recordings and affidavits. Officer Hall could not make it today to testify due to a family commitment, thus his affidavit. Officer Monroe is here and will be called to testify after this witness."

Several in the gallery exchanged looks, surprised hearing that both men had been so bold as to break into the Walkers' and attempt to break into Marissa and Bianca's.

/

For her part, Bianca knew about the attempted break in. Marissa had told her right after it had happened.

"_Hey." Bianca smiled seeing her wife show up at her office. It was an unexpected but very pleasant surprise. She could immediately tell something was up though because of Marissa's expression. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"_

"_I'm okay, just really pissed off right now. Let's sit down, and I'll explain everything."_

_After they were settled on the sofa in Bianca's office, Marissa continued. "Okay, don't freak out."_

"_You do know that saying that has the exact opposite effect, right?"_

_Marissa chuckled lightly. "Yeah, you're right. Sorry. Someone was spotted trying to break into our house."_

"_What?! Who?! When?! The kids weren't home, were they?"_

"_No, the kids weren't home. It happened this morning, after we were all gone. He didn't get inside. In fact, I think Max scared him off from what I could tell."_

"_You saw the footage?"_

"_Yes, I did. I brought a copy of it here for you to watch too."_

"_You said 'he'. Who do you mean? You recognized him?"_

"_Oh yeah, I did. It was Russ Payne."_

"_What?! What the hell? He tried to break into our home?! That son of a bitch. Did you call the police?"_

"_He tried, but again, he didn't get in. I didn't call the police, but there's a reason."_

"_It better be a damn good one, Marissa."_

"_Even though we have the security footage, it doesn't exactly show him attempting to break in. You can see him looking in windows and trying doors, but that's all."_

"_That's all?! That's more than enough if you ask me."_

"_Trust me, I understand, but it's not enough to charge him because he didn't enter. Knowing Payne and how slick he is, he'd come up with some sort of excuse and would skate."_

"_So, we just let him try again?"_

"_No, I didn't say that. I've already contacted the security firm and told them to increase their monitoring, and they will make hourly sweeps of the property when we're not there. Mitch is also going to have someone keeping an eye on things when we're not there."_

"_Wait, __you__ said you contacted the security firm. They didn't contact you?"_

"_No, I found out about it because of Mitch. I've had him have someone following Payne for me ever since he came to Pine Valley."_

"_You have?"_

"_Yeah, I don't trust him, never have. There's something there that I just haven't been able to put my finger on yet, but I'm going to. In the meantime, I'm having Mitch keep an eye on him. This way if he tries something again with Sam, we'll be able to stop it right away."_

"_So, whoever was tailing Payne saw him go to our house."_

"_Yep. If he set one foot inside, they were going to be all over him. I have to admit that I was surprised he went to our house, and when I think about him trying that for whatever reason, it makes my blood boil."_

"_Rissa."_

"_I know. You don't have to say it. I can't let myself get worked up too much because it's not good for our little one or me."_

"_No, it isn't, and I know you realize it so I won't say anything else."_

_Marissa smiled. "Thank you, and I know how much you want to. I really appreciate it. So, back to Payne."_

"_Okay. What's the plan?"_

"_Still keeping an eye on him and Pete."_

"_You think they might try something with the Walkers?"_

"_Oh, I'm positive they will especially after today, but I'll let you in on a little secret."_

_Bianca leaned in closer. "What?"_

"_I'm ready for them. I'll tell you something else. I don't if Pete knew about his client's little side trip, and I really don't care if he did or not. I'm done playing. He wants a fight? He's got one. The gloves are coming off."_

"_He doesn't know what's going to hit him, does he?" Bianca saw that glint in Marissa's eyes. _

"_Nope! I survived dipshit and all of his little games. By doing so, I learned a lot so Pete will be the recipient of all of those lessons." _

"_I almost feel sorry for him. Nah, I don't feel sorry for him at all. He deserves everything he's got coming to him and then some. I can't wait to see it. I'll let you in on a little secret."_

"_What?"_

"_You're really hot in kickass lawyer mode."_

_Marissa laughed and kissed Bianca. "You haven't seen anything yet."_

/

"If it pleases, the court, I would like to play these recordings now."

Judge Kagan nodded and had the bailiff set things up. The courtroom sat in stunned silence as they watched Russ, clear as could be, wander around the outside of Bianca and Marissa's home. There were a few chuckles that were quickly stifled when they saw him stumble away presumably when he heard Max barking inside. When that recording was over, they saw Russ again appear on screen. This time he was accompanied by Pete, and they were at the Walkers'. Heads shook when they saw Russ enter the home and the scene play out exactly as Mitch had described it. There was no disputing what they were seeing, and Pete didn't object once. How could he?

When the second recording finished, the judge took a deep breath to calm herself down. She was not happy at all by this development and made a few notes.

Marissa paused for a moment before breaking the silence that permeated the courtroom. "I have no further questions at this time."

The judge nodded as both she and Marissa waited for a response from Pete. When none came, Judge Kagan prompted him. "Any questions of this witness, Mr. Taylor?"

Pete cleared his throat. "Not at this time, your honor." His brain was in overdrive trying to come up with some explanation for what had been captured for all to see. He still had the audio recording and his witness that would testify to its authenticity. Pete knew he was going to have rely more on that than he wanted to.

"Call your next witness, Ms. Tasker."

"I call Officer Brot Monroe."

/

As Brot approached the stand and was sworn in, Marissa turned and traded legal pads with Claudia. The new pad contained the set of questions she had not only for this witness for two others as well. Marissa had the questions pretty much memorized, but the legal pad provided a good prompt for her just in case. She didn't look up as she scanned the questions. If she had, she would have found a now nearly packed courtroom. Krystal and David had snuck in halfway through Mitch's testimony. Both were curious to see their daughter in action. Jan and Aya were there as well, lending their support not only to Marissa but also to the Walkers. The two women loved Sam seeing her as a kid sister and knew she had found a home with the Walkers. Their hope was that she would be able to stay with them. Next to them were Brandon and Sofia. Their afternoon schedules had freed up, and they decided to pop in to see their boss and coworkers in action. So far, they had yet to be disappointed. Ellie and the paralegals were holding down the fort back at the office, and the two lawyers had promised to give them a complete play by play accounting of everything when they returned. Jesse Hubbard was sitting next to the district attorney for Pine Valley and Nora Buchanan. Marissa had the men on standby as witnesses should she need them. Nora was there for support and to catch the show. At the gala, Marissa and told the visiting lawyer all about the case and what she had in mind. She also picked her brain on a few things. For her part, Nora was impressed and offered a couple of suggestions to the younger lawyer, although she thought Marissa had an excellent game plan and asked if it was okay if she came to watch. Marissa was more than happy to have her there. So, Nora drove up that morning from Llanview to observe. Judging by the expression on Pete's face when he heard the name of Marissa's first witness, it looked to be an entertaining day. This would be especially true if things went the way Marissa planned. The latest arrival was Phillip Taylor, Pete's father. He had been alerted by Geoff Thompson, one of the firm's partners, that he might want to attend the proceedings. Phil arrived just in time to see and hear about his son's involvement in the break-in at the Walkers'. From his seat in the back row the disappointment etched across his face was clearly evident, and his son had yet to notice his presence.

/

"Officer Monroe, how are you acquainted with the particulars of this case?"

"I was on duty at the station when Rachel Michaels and Michelle Fuller came in to report an incident."

Marissa looked at the judge. "Michelle Fuller is Ms. Michaels' supervisor. Please continue, officer."

"Ms. Michaels had received a call from Pete Taylor demanding she track the cellphone calls for Carol Walker. If she refused, he threatened her with extortion."

"He threatened to blackmail her?"

"Yes, he had told her he had pictures of an intimate nature of her and would publish them on the internet if she didn't do what he wanted."

"What did you do?"

"I recognized the names of those involved so I thought it best to inform Chief Hubbard of the situation, which I did. He had me escort Ms. Michaels and Ms. Fuller back to his office and then call you and District Attorney Jensen to inform you both of what was happening." Brot then recounted what had occurred with his version falling in line with Rachel's.

"Did the occasion arise where you were brought in again?"

"Yes, you came to the station to report that Mrs. Carol Walker had been contacted by Russell Payne. He wanted to meet with her the following day and had instructed her not to contact you or anyone else and tell them that he had. Mr. Jensen arrived shortly after you. You had called him after getting off the phone with Mrs. Walker. We went back to the chief's office and had an interesting conversation."

Judge Kagan was clearly irritated hearing of Payne's contact with Carol. It was becoming more and more evident that Pete was guilty of numerous ethical violations. Both he and Payne also had a couple of criminal violations that would have to be dealt with. Now, she had to add tampering with a witness to the growing list.

Bianca's eyes glowed with a mixture of love and pride as she watched her wife in action. The brunette knew most of what happened by this point and was enjoying Marissa unfold the truth, and Bianca loved watching her work. Kendall and Greenlee leaned forward in their seats. They knew they were missing something but weren't sure what yet. Zach leaned back impressed and curious about where the redhead was going. Claudia and Lisa wanted to smile so bad it hurt, but they knew they need to keep their expressions neutral and not give anything away. Brian caught Sofia's and Brandon's eyes, and the three shared a knowing grin. Erica admired the work on display from her daughter-in-law and was anxious to see how things tied together. Jan and Aya were a little lost at first but were quickly putting the pieces together. Jesse, Mike, Nora and Mitch wore their best poker faces. The partners nodded their approval, and Krystal and David shook their heads in wonder at their daughter.

Pete and Russ glanced at each other before gaping at Carol. Both were wondering the same thing. _How the hell did she get a hold of Marissa? We would have heard her if she called Marissa from the house because it was bugged, and we also would've known because of the cellphone records we had. Unless they gave us bogus records, but there wasn't enough time for that. What the hell happened?_

Alex and Gail had to turn their heads away from Pete and Payne or else they would have burst out laughing which they were pretty sure the judge wouldn't appreciate. Carol, for her part, kept a relatively straight face. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the two men glaring at her and trying to figure out what happened. It was for that reason that a small, satisfied smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. They had no idea of who they were dealing with.

"Officer Monroe, could you tell the court what the result of that meeting was?"

**/**

**A/N: Damn if my evil side hasn't struck again! I tried my best, but she wouldn't listen and made me leave it there. As **_**BSwifty1997**_** put it last chapter, dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn. So, here's the deal. I've started the next chapter and am already about 3,000 words in. I'm only partially through it so this chapter would've been well over 10,000 words if I didn't break it up when I did. There's also another reason I broke it here (not just blaming my evil side). I'm in training all next week and will be out every night with some out of town co-workers which cuts into my writing time. Next Friday, I leave on vacation. I'm going to do my damnedest to get a chapter up before I leave and wrap up this storyline. No promises, but I'm going to try. See you soon! **


	149. Sam's Hearing - The Verdict

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It is truly appreciated. I can't tell you how happy I am that I got this done today and am able to post before I head out on vacation. A couple of you were wondering how long I plan on writing. I'm not really sure. I have several story ideas left to explore. We still have to get Sparky here after all! So, who knows? I can only say that it won't be in the foreseeable future. As I stated before, I'm heading out on vacation. I don't know if I'll get a chance to write much while I'm gone, but I'll see what I can do. Because of this, there might not be an update next week. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Oh, there is a decent size section in **_**italics**_** that is a flashback. I've separated it by /\. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Pete and Russ glanced at each other before gaping at Carol. Both were wondering the same thing. _How the hell did she get a hold of Marissa? We would have heard her if she called Marissa from the house because it was bugged, and we also would've known because of the cellphone records we had. Unless they gave us bogus records, but there wasn't enough time for that. What the hell happened?_

Alex and Gail had to turn their heads away from Pete and Payne or else they would have burst out laughing which they were pretty sure the judge wouldn't appreciate. Carol, for her part, kept a relatively straight face. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the two men glaring at her and trying to figure out what happened. It was for that reason that a small, satisfied smile tugged on the corners of her mouth. They had no idea of who they were dealing with.

"Officer Monroe, could you tell the court what the result of that meeting was?"

Brot nodded. "You requested and the D.A. agreed to authorize a wire for Mrs. Walker to wear during her meeting with Mr. Payne."

"Son of a bitch. She was wired."

Judge Kagan rapped her gavel loudly. "Mr. Payne, I will have order in my court. If you cannot control yourself, I will have you removed. Do I make myself clear?"

Payne nodded and mumbled. "Yes, your honor."

The courtroom was abuzz over Brot's revelation. The vast majority of those present were impressed that a) Marissa had the foresight to have her client wired and b) Carol had worn a wire. It was risky but obviously the older woman had no reservations doing what needed to be done. Her outward appearance belied her fierceness and steely resolve.

Pete was still struggling to keep his client quiet. They certainly didn't need a contempt charge at this point, and the lawyer had no doubt that Judge Kagan would be as good as her word. "We still have our recording to go up against theirs. It'll be our expert against their expert, and my guy is rock solid. We're still good." Pete whispered to Russ. The lawyer was trying to convince himself as much as his client. Their once 'slam-dunk, sure thing, can't lose case' now had more holes than the Titanic, and there wasn't a lifeboat in sight.

"Is there something you would like to share with us, Mr. Taylor?"

"Objection?"

"Are you telling or asking me?"

"Objection." Pete stated with a little more conviction.

"On what grounds?"

"We haven't had a chance to review the recording."

"As with your recording from this morning, I'm going to allow it. I will also allow you time to have your expert review it, but for now, we're going to listen to it. Although, the fact that it has been made by the police weighs heavily in their favor. Objection is overruled. Continue, Ms. Tasker."

"Thank you, your honor. What happened next, Officer Monroe?"

"An hour before she was to meet Mr. Payne, Officer Hall stationed himself in the park close to where they were to meet in order to observe them. He wanted to get there early so no one would see him. While Officer Hall was doing that, Chief Hubbard, Mr. Jensen, you and I met at the Walkers' residence."

Marissa could almost smell the smoke coming from the wheels in Pete's and Payne's brains working overtime trying to figure out how they missed that conversation. They couldn't ask though because that would basically mean admitting knowledge of the bug that had been planted inside the Walkers' home. Despite being captured on video camera, they were still clinging to their denials of them knowing anything about it. At that moment in time, Marissa just didn't feel like sharing that bit of information with them. If they wanted to know, they were going to have to work for it.

"We fitted Mrs. Walker with the wire and tested it to make sure it was in proper working order, which it was. We then had Mrs. Walker drive to the park while we stationed ourselves in a surveillance vehicle nearby."

"Did you notice anything before the meeting?"

"Yes, we saw Mr. Taylor sitting in a car a few spots over from where we were. He was wearing headphones and concentrating on something that was sitting either on or near the front passenger seat. Shortly after arriving there, Officer Hall reported in stating that Mr. Payne had arrived and was concealed in some undergrowth near where the meeting was to take place. He remained there, looking around the area, until well after the scheduled meeting time. The meeting finally started just as we were getting to tell Mrs. Walker to leave. At that point, Mr. Payne made himself known, and we recorded the entire conversation."

"Do you have that recording with you today?"

"Yes, I do." Brot handed a cd over to the bailiff to set up to play.

"Officer Monroe, what did you do with the cd after recording it that day?"

"I logged it into evidence at the police station. The seal that the bailiff just broke was the one I applied that day."

"Just to be clear, that cd has never been in either my possession or in the possession of anyone working on this case for me?"

"That is correct. It has not."

"It has only been in the possession of the Pine Valley Police?"

"Correct."

"Thank you. At this time, your honor, I would like to play that recording."

"Go ahead."

The recording could not have been more different from the one Pete played earlier. Not only was the content different but so was the quality. Where parts of Pete's recording were muffled and had small clicks, pauses and interruptions, this one was clear and crisp. All those in the courtroom appeared to be sitting on the edge of their seats listening to every word exchanged, well everyone except Pete and Payne. They knew all too well exactly what had been said. Judge Kagan was making numerous notes on what she was hearing. There were several passages she would be playing again later in her chambers. Everyone winced hearing the slap that Carol had leveled against Payne. That blow had not been planned, but it could not be denied by anyone that it wasn't well deserved. Gail and Alex were fuming. Not only was Payne belittling their struggle to have a child but he was purposefully goading Carol and trying to hurt her. It took every ounce of strength Alex had to not go over and beat both men senseless.

Marissa let silence fill the courtroom for a few moments after the recording finished for dramatic effect. It also allowed Judge Kagan to finish her notes. The redhead then began again. "Did you notice anything after the meeting was over?"

"Yes, I saw Russell Payne join Mr. Taylor in his car where he removed a wire of his own. The two spoke for a few minutes before attempting to high-five each other and then drive off."

/

"Attempting to high-five?"

"They screwed up a high-five when they were sitting right next to each other? Wow."

"I know. Max can high-five. The kids taught him that trick a few months ago. He's pretty good at it. Obviously, he's a lot better than those two."

Zach cleared his throat to keep himself from laughing. Not only was Marissa's performance entertaining, Kendall and Greenlee's play by play commentary was as well.

/

"Do you know Arthur Simons?"

Brot half smiled knowing the name and the man all too well. "Yes, I do."

"Could you tell the court how?"

_No! No, no, no, no, no._ Pete jumped to his feet. "Objection, your honor! Relevance!"

"Mr. Taylor stated earlier that he would have Mr. Simons testify on the authenticity of his recording. Since we have a police officer here, under oath, why not ask him about the man?"

"Are you going to ask him about your so-called expert?"

Judge Kagan rapped her gavel loudly. "That will be enough, Mr. Taylor. You will address me with any questions and not Ms. Tasker. I will not tolerate childish behavior from the adults in my courtroom. Am I clear?"

"Yes, your honor." Pete mumbled.

"Good. You will be calling your own expert, Ms. Tasker?"

"Yes, your honor, I will. He is next after Officer Monroe, and I plan on asking the officer about him."

"Very good. Objection overruled. The witness will answer the question."

"Yes, I know Artie Simons. He goes by Arthur now, but until a few months ago, he went by Artie."

"How do you know him?" Marissa didn't have much of a chance to speak with Brot about Simons before now. When they learned who Pete's expert was right before the recess, Claudia called Brot to tell him he would be needed that afternoon. She also mentioned Simons and asked if he could do a background check on the man. Because of how tight things were timing-wise, they didn't get the chance to debrief him about Simons before he was called to testify. Marissa knew she was taking a chance with this line of questioning, but her gut was telling her it was the right move.

"He has a pretty long rap sheet. He's been arrested well over a dozen times for fraud, perjury, illegal wire-tapping, impersonating a police officer. In fact, he has an outstanding warrant against him."

"For what?"

"He did some creative editing of a recording for a client of his that's involved in a nasty divorce."

"Creative editing?"

"Yeah, he doctored it so it sounded like the wife admitted to having an affair. What actually happened was she was accusing the husband of having one."

Marissa couldn't have asked for better news. "Your honor, I will be calling Bill Reed to testify for us as an expert witness. Officer Monroe, do you know Bill Reed?"

"Yes, I do. He does a lot of work for the police. He's very good at voice analysis and has an impeccable reputation and credentials. He served in Army intelligence and is extremely qualified."

"Thank you. I have no further questions at this time."

_Great. Artie didn't mention all of that when I hired him. It would've been nice to know. She's got a damn war hero and I've got a wanted felon. Perfect. I don't know how much more this day could suck._

"Mr. Taylor, do you have any questions for this witness?"

Pete scrambled to think of anything he could ask but kept coming up empty. The D.A. had authorized things on the other side. He was still clinging to the extremely slim hope that his recording would hold up, but that prospect was looking bleaker by the moment. _Maybe I can portray Russ as caring so much about his niece that his actions were more an act of temporary insanity! Yeah, I can work with that!_ "No questions at this time."

"Please call your next witness, Ms. Tasker."

"I call Bill Reed."

Marissa's expert witness was a lawyer's dream. Not only were his credentials solid and above reproach, he broke things down perfectly and didn't talk over anyone's head. He testified that Pete's recording had in fact been doctored. Words and phrases had been pieced together to form the content they had heard that morning. The flaws were glaring when Bill pointed them out and explained what had been done to create the resulting bogus recording. It was damning testimony and left Pete stunned with no idea of what to ask. The hole he had started digging himself that morning kept getting deeper and deeper with each witness Marissa called. Her next witness was no exception.

"I call Pamela Payne."

Russ's eyes grew wide hearing the name and he grabbed Pete. "Do something! She can't testify! Isn't there some sort of rule that says a wife can't testify against her husband?"

"Alright. Calm down. I'm on it." Pete stood. "Objection, your honor."

"On what grounds?"

"Spousal privilege. A spouse can't be compelled to testify against another spouse."

"Ms. Tasker?"

"Mrs. Payne is a rebuttal witness, your honor, and volunteered to testify. Mr. Payne testified earlier that he plans on having Sam live with him and his wife and that they would provide a stable home for her. I think it only right we hear from the wife who could become Sam's new mother if he is granted custody."

"I'll allow it."

"But, your honor …"

"No, Mr. Taylor. Ms. Tasker is correct. If they are granted custody and Mrs. Payne is going to be caring for Sam, we need to hear from her. Objection overruled."

Pete sat back down and whispered to his client. "What the hell is she going to say?"

"Nothing. She won't say anything."

"Mrs. Payne …"

"Please don't call me that."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't call me Mrs. Payne. That was my mother-in-law, and I'd rather not get confused with her. She was a bit … bit much to deal with."

"Okay. What should I call you?"

"You can call me Pam."

"Alright, Pam, you're married to Russell, correct?"

"For now, yes."

/

"Damn, I'm really feeling the love there."

"Yeah, I have a feeling 'Divorce Court' is going to be Pam's next stop."

/

"Your husband testified earlier that you were unable to get off work to testify."

"Yeah, that's not right. I'm a nurse at a hospital in Pittsburgh. I work so many days on and so many days off. I had my schedule over a month ago and told Russ what it was so he knew I was off. He just didn't want me to testify."

"Why would you say that?"

"Because I've made it perfectly clear to him how I feel about this."

"How is that?"

"Objection."

"Goes to state of mind, your honor."

"Overruled. The witness may answer."

Pam nodded. "I don't want children. I have nothing against them. It's just that I had a really lousy childhood and have serious questions about my ability to be a good mother. I'm just not equipped for it. Russ knew this when we got married. He told me he felt the same way. Then a few months ago, he tells me he has a niece, a teenaged niece, and he's going to go for custody of her."

"That had to be a surprise for you. Had he given any indication of changing his opinion on wanting children?"

"No, he hadn't, and I'll tell you right now that I haven't changed mine. I told him that too. I asked him how he even found out about her and where she came from. From what I knew, he was an only child."

"What did he say?"

"Russ said she was the daughter of his half-brother who died. There was a family in Pine Valley that wanted to adopt her, and he wanted to stop it."

"Why?"

"That's what I asked, especially when he said the family was nice, and she had a good home and was happy. I mean why would he want to take that away from her? The girl already lost her family once. Why have her go through that again? That seemed really cruel to me, and I didn't want any part of that. I told him that if he insisted on going through with this not to come back home, and I meant it. Don't come home, Russ, because the locks are already changed."

"I just want to be clear on this. When your husband testified that if he wins custody of Sam that she would be raised by both of you …"

"He lied. That's not happening, and he knows it."

"So, he would, if given custody, be raising Sam by himself?"

"That's right, and it would be a huge mistake."

Marissa saw Judge Kagan make a note of this. She knew that many judges weren't comfortable with having a single man raise a teenaged girl by themselves. Even if nothing would happen between them, it was still extremely awkward. The fact that Sam was scared of Payne after the incident at school didn't bode well for him either.

"There's something else involved with all of this too." Pam volunteered.

"What is it?"

"In a word, money."

"Objection."

"Goes to motive, your honor."

"I'll allow it. Overruled."

"Why do you think he's doing this for money?" Later the same day as the attempted break in at Minx Manor, Marissa finally figured out the real motive behind all of this. It hit her out of the blue on her way home. Payne was after Sam's trust fund.

/\

_Marissa had just left the Miranda Center and was headed home when she finally figured out the last piece of the puzzle. Payne wanted Sam's money. The redhead knew there was over $60,000 in her trust fund at the moment. That would be a nice chunk of change. Given Payne's background as a con artist, she could see where he would think this would be an easy score for him. The thing was, the money couldn't be touched until Sam was 18, and the fund wasn't administered by the Walkers. Someone else was in charge of it, someone with no personal involvement with Sam. This insured there was no conflict of interest involved and was suggested by the Walkers. They didn't want anyone to think they wanted Sam for her money. They wanted Sam because they loved her. Besides, it was her money, a nest egg to help her get her future started. To the Walkers, Sam was their responsibility, and they would take care of her and provide for her current needs. _

_Russ's motive was confirmed when he called Carol and offered to 'sell' Sam to them for the money in the trust fund. Marissa and Bianca were enjoying a very nice weekend with the kids. The couple had made up from their fight, and the redhead was determined to spend the weekend concentrating only on her family and not work. She'd been doing just that until she received a frantic call from Carol._

_Bianca was manning the grill while Marissa was setting the patio table. The weather was still nice enough for the family to enjoy dining outside. AJ had been sent inside to retrieve some napkins and was returning with them and a message. They had heard the phone ring inside and heard Miranda answer it. "Ma, Mimo says Mrs. Walker's on the phone for you."_

"_Okay, thanks, Buddy." The redhead turned to her wife. "I won't be long, promise."_

"_Go ahead. Tell her I said 'hi'."_

_The call took a little longer than she thought, and when she returned outside, Marissa was unusually quiet. Bianca could tell something was on her wife's mind and could see the wheels turning in Marissa's head. The brunette decided to wait until after lunch was over to quiz her on it. While the kids and Max ran around the backyard, Bianca decided it was time for them to talk. _

"_Okay. Are you going to tell me what's going on? What did Carol want?"_

_Marissa looked at Bianca trying to decide what she could tell her. The Walkers had given the redhead leave to discuss the entire case with Bianca, but Marissa wanted to be careful and not tell her wife something that could put her in an awkward position. "Alright. You know how I've been wracking my brain trying to find that one piece to all of this that I've been missing?"_

"_Yeah, I know. It's been bothering you. Wait. Did you figure it out?"_

"_I did, and I don't know how I missed it. Russ is in this for the money, Sam's money to be exact."_

"_Sam doesn't have any money."_

"_Yes, she does. She's got her trust fund, and it's worth over $60,000."_

"_That's right. I forgot all about it. No, you don't think he would go after that, do you? Even if he does want that money, those funds can't be accessed until she's 18. The Walkers wanted it set up that way."_

"_I know they did. I also think he wants that money. I've had Mitch continue to dig into Payne's past. It seems that he's racked up some debt. He's got a bit of a gambling problem and owes a bookie $25,000."_

"_Seriously? Wow. That would definitely give him motive then, but he still can't get to that money."_

"_I know that. You know that. The Walkers know that. I don't know if Russ knows that or even cares. I don't it matters where the money comes from as long as he gets it."_

"_What do you mean by that?"_

"_Carol told me he called her while she and Sam were out shopping."_

"_He what?! Did he say what he wanted?"_

"_No. He only said he wanted her to meet him tomorrow at 2:00 in the park. He wants her to come alone and not tell anyone, especially me."_

"_He said that? He told her not to tell you? Did he say anything else?"_

"_He told her that it wouldn't be good for her or Sam if she called me."_

"_He threatened her? That son of a bitch. What the hell is he up to?"_

"_My opinion? I think he's about to make his move."_

"_Which is?"_

"_Offer to drop the case in exchange for some money."_

"_That's illegal, and they would never go for that. You would never allow them to even consider it. Even on the off chance that they did think about it, they don't have that kind of money."_

"_Again, I know that. You know that. The Walkers know that, and Payne doesn't give a damn."_

"_Wait a minute. How did she call you? The house is bugged, and he's monitoring her calls. Did you get her a burner phone? No, that can't be right. The kids know not to answer the phone unless they recognize the name on caller id. So, Miranda would only have answered if she knew it was one of the Walkers." Bianca saw the smirk on her wife's face and knew she had something up her sleeve, something no one else had thought of. "Okay, spill it, Counselor."_

"_You know how Alex has that workshop in back of their house?"_

"_Yeah, that's where he does all of his woodworking stuff."_

"_Yep. He also has a landline in there, and there aren't any listening devices in there."_

_Bianca realized her wife's cleverness and chuckled. "You went old school! Oh my god, that's brilliant. You're brilliant! They were so focused on cellphones that they never even thought of a traditional phone. Some people don't even have them anymore. The Walkers have a safe place to talk and to use to call you, and Pete and Payne have no idea. That is so deviously clever. I love it!"_

"_Thank you. I thought it was pretty good myself." _

"_So, what now?"_

_Marissa turned serious. "Well, that kind of depends on you. This has to be dealt with. There's no way I can have Carol do this on her own, and it really needs to be reported to the police as well as Mike."_

_Bianca nodded. "Yes, it does, and I agree. Carol cannot face him by herself. We don't really know what he's capable of. Tell me what you want to do."_

"_I want to go to the station and talk to Jesse and Mike. If I can get Mike to go along with this, and I think I can, I want Carol to wear a wire to her meeting."_

"_You want them to record the meeting."_

"_Yeah, I do. It's the only way I can be assured that we have an accurate accounting of what's said."_

"_That makes sense. I wouldn't put it past either of them to doctor what's said and try and use it to their advantage. I suppose you plan on being nearby when this is going on?"_

"_I can't let her do this by herself. Besides, I'm pretty sure I won't be the only one who wants to be there. Jesse and Mike will be there. I won't do anything to jeopardize Sparky."_

_Bianca thought for a moment. "You don't need my permission."_

"_No, but I want you to be okay with this."_

"_I am, and I trust you. You need to go talk to Jesse now."_

"_I do. Are you okay with that? I know we were going to spend the weekend free from work."_

"_We were, but this, this is something else. You have to go. This is the Walkers and Sam we're talking about. You have to do what needs to be done to keep Sam safe and away from that bastard. He can't win, Rissa. It would crush Sam as well as the Walkers. Go, I understand and am completely on board. We'll be okay here and waiting for you."_

_Marissa smiled and cupped her wife's face. "I'm so lucky to have you. Thank you for understanding and being you. I love you and will be back as soon as I can."_

"_I love you too. Now, go." _

_The couple exchanged a tender kiss before Marissa headed inside to grab her keys. The redhead paused when she heard her name._

"_Rissa, I'm still not on board with calling our little one Sparky. That's a debate we still need to have." Bianca grinned._

"_I look forward to it. You know how much I love a good debate."_

_/_

_Marissa got home late from work the next evening. Bianca had received a text from her wife letting her know, and the brunette was fine with it and understood. She was a little anxious though. Bianca really wanted to know what had happened at the park and was hoping Marissa would fill her in on things._

_The family was just sitting down for dinner when the redhead got home. Bianca could tell her wife was wound up but doing her best to keep calm and not let the kids know anything was going on. After they finished eating and the kids were in the family room, the couple finally got their chance to talk._

"_So, what happened? Are you okay? Did something go wrong because you look upset? Is Carol okay?"_

"_It went perfect for us. The recording is crisp, clear and clean. I was right. They're making their move. Pete was there, and they were making their own recording. Although, I seriously doubt it will match ours. Carol's okay. Actually, she's amazing. She didn't give anything away and handled it perfectly. There was one thing I wish she wouldn't have done, but I can't blame her one bit. I would've done the exact same thing if I was in her position. It's what has me upset. Payne said some awful things, B."_

"_He wants money and not Sam."_

"_Yeah, he doesn't give a damn about her, never has. He doesn't care at all about what could happen to her. To him, it's a payday."_

"_Damn, I was afraid of that. So, what's next?"_

"_Now that I know exactly what they have in mind, I'm going after them with everything I've got. Pete wanted a fight. Well, he's got one now. Claudia was working on a few things for me while I was out. Namely, she was working on Payne's wife. Mitch is working on something big for me too. If that pans out, it's going to change everything."_

_/\_

"Russ owes a bookie a lot of money, about $25 grand to be exact. He got all excited about this girl when he heard she had a trust fund. He said it would solve all of his problems. It still doesn't change anything for me. I don't think she should be taken away from her family, and I still don't want kids. Russ asked me if I would be willing to stick it out for a little while. He said he just needed a little time and wouldn't keep her all that long."

"Did he explain himself?"

"Yeah, he did. He said he was first going to try and basically sell her to the family that wants to adopt her. He'd offer to drop the case if they paid him. If they didn't, him and his lawyer had a couple of options. You see, he said they were sure they could still get the family to fork over some big bucks if he won. He said they would be begging to get her back and pay anything at that point. If that didn't work, they had a plan C."

"Did he say what plan C was?"

"Oh yeah, he said his lawyer really liked that plan. It actually involved you. He said they were going to make some sort of recording that would incriminate you of wrongdoing and then basically blackmail you, your wife or both of you with it. He said she was loaded and you weren't doing so bad either. Apparently, his lawyer really has it out for you. Russ said he hated you, blamed you for everything wrong in his life, and was going to use this case to take you down."

/

Erica glanced over at Bianca and again found that she didn't look surprised by this news. Her daughter was angry. That much was obvious by her knuckles turning white from her fists being clenched so tightly. She was not, however, surprised. Erica was sure this was because Marissa had known about this and told Bianca in order to prepare her.

Kendall was pissed off too, as well as surprised. "That son of a bitch."

"Which one?"

"Both. They better hope I'm not left alone with them."

Greenlee agreed and was more than willing to help. "Let me know if you need any help."

/

Marissa nodded. "Thank you. I have no further questions for this witness."

Pete was glaring at Russ. The man had exposed their entire plan to his wife for nothing. Again, Pete couldn't think of any questions, and the witness was excused.

Judge Kagan looked at her notes and shook her head. Marissa had successfully picked apart Pete's entire case, and in the process, exposed many illegal activities on their side. "Call your next witness, Ms. Tasker."

"I'm done with my rebuttal witnesses, your honor. I would like to present my case now."

"Go ahead."

"I call Anita Parnell."

"Objection."

The judge sighed. "Really, Mr. Taylor. You're objecting to the social worker assigned to this case? Overruled. Let me handle the questioning for this witness, Ms. Tasker."

A middle aged blonde made her way to the stand and was sworn in. At this point, Marissa didn't really need her testimony. Mitch came through for her and proved her hunch right. That would be enough to secure her winning this case, but Marissa wanted the social worker's testimony on the record so there would be no doubt of where Sam belonged.

Marissa nodded and took her seat.

"Mrs. Parnell, you are the social worker assigned to this case?"

"Yes, I am, your honor."

"And you interviewed Russell Payne and Gail, Alex and Carol Walker."

"Yes, and I also interviewed Sam Robinson Pamela Payne."

"Very good. With regards to the Walker family, what did you find?"

"As you know, they have been Sam's foster family for some time. I found they are providing Sam with a loving, stable home. Sam is doing well in school. When she was first placed with the Walkers, she was behind in her studies due to the circumstances of her previous foster home. She worked closely with Gail Walker to get caught up. As a result of their work, Sam is in fact now an honor student and near the top of her class. She has completed her court ordered community service ahead of schedule and continues to volunteer at the Miranda Center. I believe this is good for her."

"Why do you say that?"

"Her previous living situation was reprehensible to put it mildly. Sam was abused and that abuse led to legal trouble for her. It also made it hard for her to trust outsiders. This is common with victims of abuse. When it came to the Walkers, she just clicked with them. They, however, wanted to ensure her emotional wellbeing so they took the extra step themselves and had her go to therapy. I asked why they did this. Alex Walker told me that although the physical injuries healed, they were worried about the emotional and psychological wounds, the ones you couldn't see and the ones that could have a more lasting impact. I was pleased to see them so invested in her healing and future, and I completely agreed with them. I was going to strongly suggest this to the court but didn't need to because they took that step themselves. The change in Sam is remarkable. She is happy, physically and emotionally healthy, outgoing and looking forward to the future. In Gail and Alex, she has found that stabilizing influence that she needed before. With Carol, she has a grandmother who dotes on her but doesn't let her get away with too much. With that family, Sam has found love and safety."

Judge Kagan listened carefully to the social worker's glowing report of the Walkers. Putting all of the mounting evidence aside against Russell Payne, this report would be extremely important in her decision. "What about Russell Payne?"

Mrs. Parnell sighed. "I found no emotional connection between Sam and Mr. Payne, on either side."

"Objection, your honor. My client is this girl's only remaining biological family member. What more of a connection is there?"

"I've found biology doesn't always make a family."

The judge nodded. "Overruled. Please continue, Mrs. Parnell."

"I'll start with the living situation. Mr. Payne had stated to me in our interview that both he and his wife would be taking care of Sam. She would have her own room and a stable family life. His wife, when I interviewed her, told me something else. She would not be taking part in any way of the caring for Sam. If custody is awarded to Mr. Payne, he would be the sole provider. He does not have steady employment nor the prospect of any at the present time. His wife expressed serious concerns about his ability to care for Sam. She didn't like the idea of removing Sam from a loving home. I found that very telling. There is one overriding concern that I have. Sam is scared of him. He approached her at school and threatened her with going back into the foster system. Given her previous experience, that's a very real fear for Sam. As a result, she doesn't trust him. When I asked him why he would make such a threat to a young girl, Mr. Payne was not able to answer that question to my satisfaction."

"You said you spoke with Sam. Where would she like to live?"

"Objection, your honor. You're going to leave this decision up to a girl who has a track record of making poor decisions?"

"The final decision will be mine, Mr. Taylor. Have no doubt about that. I will, however, take Sam's feelings into account given that it is her future we're deciding. Sam is also 16 years old and fully capable of contributing to this decision. Overruled. Mrs. Parnell, where would Sam like to live?"

"Sam was very clear about what she wants. She would like to remain with the Walkers and have their petition for adoption granted. She loves them. She trusts them and feels safe. They've given her a home. To Sam, that means everything."

"What is your expert opinion?"

"I agree with Sam. She should remain with the Walkers, and their petition should be granted. They may not be related by blood, but they are a family in every way that matters."

"Mr. Taylor, any questions?"

_God dammit. I don't even know what the hell I'm supposed to do now._ "No."

"Any questions, Ms. Tasker?"

Marissa had a feeling that would be the social worker's findings and was very pleased with what she heard. "No, your honor. I have no questions of this witness."

"Thank you, Mrs. Parnell. You may step down." Judge Kagan looked down at the files she had in front of her along with the pages of notes she had taken and the various audio and video recordings. She had several things she wanted to review before rendering her decision.

The Walkers had agreed to give depositions earlier in this process, before bugging of houses and tracking of phone calls. Pete had grilled them, hammering them with the same questions repeatedly. He wasn't happy with their answers and was hoping to trip them up. Marissa had to step in several times in order to have him move on. The Walkers held their own and never once faltered. Marissa was proud of them and didn't doubt that they would be able to handle things. It was emotionally draining for them, but they made it through with flying colors. Because the Walkers had given depositions, they really didn't need to testify today unless Judge Kagan had any questions for them. The judge also had the social worker's findings, and Sam had communicated her position and hopes clearly to Mrs. Parnell.

Payne was a different story. He didn't give a deposition. Part of his and Pete's master plan was to withhold his testimony until the day of the hearing, springing it Marissa at the very last minute in hopes of catching the redheaded lawyer off balance. They thought his testimony coupled with the incriminating recordings would have her scrambling. That wasn't the case. They didn't count on her being several steps ahead of them.

From where the judge sat, she honestly couldn't think of anyone else Marissa or Pete could call.

"If there are no further witnesses …"

Marissa stood. "Actually, your honor, I have at least one more witness."

The judge would be lying if she said she wasn't curious who the redhead had in mind, and she did say at least one more witness. "Very well. Please proceed."

"Thank you. I recall Russell Payne."

Payne had a moment of panic wondering want Marissa had in mind. He had already testified, and she couldn't crack him. Did she have something up her sleeve?

Pete was on his feet and beginning his rant. "Objection! Ms. Tasker has already had her chance to question my client. There is no purpose to recalling him. She's basically been there, done that."

"Your honor, if I may?"

"Go ahead."

"Since questioning Mr. Payne this morning, I have received new information involving him that is pertinent to this case. I also would like to remind opposing counsel that I reserved the right to recall his client."

"Yes, you did. Objection overruled. Mr. Payne, please retake the stand. I remind you that you are still under oath." When Russ was seated, the judge turned to Marissa. "Please proceed, Ms. Tasker."

/

Bianca leaned forward. She knew Marissa had been working on something big that she hoped would slam the door on Payne and his custody request, but she didn't know what it was. A quick glance to her right told her that the Walkers didn't know what it was either. Her wife must have found what she had wanted. _Rissa has that look in her eyes, and damn if it isn't sexy as hell. God, I love watching her in action. _Bianca shook her head to clear certain thoughts from her mind. She needed to focus on what was going on.

/

"Why in the hell is she recalling Payne?"

Kendall shook her head. "I have no idea." She leaned forward slightly to catch Brian's attention. "Do you know what she's up to?"

The lawyer shook his head. "Not really. I know she had Mitch checking on something and thought it was huge. She didn't want to say what it was though because she didn't want to jinx herself. I guess we're about to find out."

/

"Mr. Payne, you testified earlier that you are the half-brother of Matt Robinson who is Sam's biological father. Is that correct?"

"Yes."

"You and Matt shared the same father?"

"Yes."

"What was your father's name?"

Pete wore a mask of confusion as Marissa questioned his client about his parentage. He really didn't know where she was going with this line of questioning. It just didn't make any sense. He was happy at least that his client was giving her minimal answers.

"His name was Kurt Robinson."

"And your mother's name?"

"Jackie Payne."

"And you kept her name instead of his. Why is that?"

"Because she raised me. He didn't have anything to do with me."

"That's the only reason?"

_She couldn't know. There's no way in hell she could know._ "Yes, it is."

"You also testified that you believe that you should have custody of Sam because she is, in your words, 'blood' and you believe 'blood should stay together'. Is this correct?"

"Objection. These questions have been asked and answered."

"I'm almost there, your honor."

"Very well. Overruled. Please hurry it up, Ms. Tasker. The witness will answer the question."

"Yes, that's what I said and believe."

"Thank you." Marissa turned back to Claudia who handed her two pieces of paper. The redhead chanced a glance at Bianca and winked. "Mr. Payne, could you explain to the court why there are two different records of your birth? One has your father listed as Kurt Robinson and another has your father listed as Carl Peterson."

Payne froze, unable to utter a single syllable.

Marissa handed the certificates to the judge. "As you can see, your honor, the birth certificate listing Mr. Robinson as the birth father is from the county clerk's office and filed two months after Mr. Payne's birth. The birth certificate listing Mr. Peterson as the birth father is from the state office of vital statistics and filed within the standard time of one week."

Judge Kagan noted the differences. "That is quite the discrepancy."

"I thought so as well." Marissa walked back and was handed another paper. "This is an affidavit from Dr. Miles Boone. He is the doctor who delivered Mr. Payne and swears he filed the birth certificate stating Mr. Peterson as the birth father. He also goes on to state that he was approached by Mr. Payne six months ago and asked to testify if needed that Mr. Robinson was the birth father."

Claudia handed the redhead another paper."

"This is a DNA test."

"I didn't give my DNA to anyone!"

"Objection! We have no way of knowing if this is actually my client's DNA."

"You don't even know what the results are, and you're objecting?" Judge Kagan asked.

"Opposing counsel has a track record of …"

"I wouldn't finish that statement if I were you, Mr. Taylor. If anyone's track record is suspect in this court, it's yours. I have found no indication of wrongdoing on Ms. Tasker's part. Objection is overruled. I trust you can verify the authenticity of these results, Ms. Tasker?"

"Yes, your honor, I can. You see, Mr. Payne's DNA is in the state's database from a previous arrest. With an order from the District Attorney's office, we had it run against Sam Robinson's. I have an affidavit from Mr. Jensen to these facts. He's also here to testify today if needed. The results of this test state that Mr. Payne is in no way, shape or form related biologically to Sam Robinson."

/

"Holy crap. I did not see that coming."

"Damn, me either. This is like an episode of Jerry Springer or Maury Povich."

Zach smiled. "I couldn't agree with either of you more. Nice work, Red."

The partners all sat back, clearly impressed by the tenacity of their newest partner. She had the case won, but they could tell she wanted there to be no doubt about who should have custody.

The Walkers stared at each other in disbelief. Their faith in Marissa was proving to be well-placed and deserved, not that they ever doubted her.

Erica smiled. She wondered if her daughter-in-law would ever cease to surprise her. She had played this well.

Bianca beamed with pride. _That's what she was working on. Yep, they never saw it coming and had no clue of who they were dealing with. My wife is brilliant._

/

Judge Kagan reviewed the results and looked at Pete. He looked like death warmed over. It was clear to see that the lawyer had no idea about this. He wasn't that good of an actor.

"Exactly how long have you known that you are not Sam's uncle?" Marissa pressed.

Payne refused to answer, and Marissa continued to hammer him with questions. She was relentless, and finally was rewarded with Payne snapping.

"I needed the money alright?! Why the hell should she have it? She hasn't done anything to deserve it. It's about time she learns what the real world is like."

The courtroom sat in stunned silence. Anger began to seep in and soon replaced shock. Sharp looks from Gail and Carol kept Alex in place along with each woman placing a hand on an arm. The women were having a hard enough time restraining themselves. The last thing they needed was for Alex to lose his temper and pound Payne into submission because they had no doubt that the man would press charges and complicate their lives even more and longer than he already had. The reassuring touch seemed to ground all three of them and managed to give them a small measure of calm.

Marissa was seething on the inside but gave no indication of this. She couldn't afford to now when she was this close to the finish line.

"I hate to break this to you, Mr. Payne, but this isn't about money. It never has been, at least not to my clients."

"Really?" Payne mocked. "What's it about then?"

"Obviously two things you know nothing about, family and love. My clients love Sam and want to make her a permanent part of their family, make her their daughter and become her parents. They don't care about the money. If they did, why would they have set the trust fund up the way they did? That money is Sam's and is for her future. It's not for the Walkers' benefit. Any money they've been given as foster parents has been added to that trust fund. And as for knowing what the real world is like, trust me, she does. None of that, however, has anything to do with what you were trying to do. You were willing to destroy a young girl's life, rip her away from a family for the second time in her life with no regard of what it would do to her, for money."

"Oh please, you only care about what it would've done to you if you lost."

Marissa gave the man a glare that was on par with the Kane death glare. "Believe it or not, I don't care what would've happened to me. I'm an adult and can take care of myself. Unlike you, I'm not looking for handouts or the easy way out of things. I don't think anyone owes me anything, and I've worked hard for everything that I have." She threw the man a look of utter distain. "I have no further questions for this witness."

Payne started to get up but stopped when he heard the judge.

"Not so fast, Mr. Payne. Where do you think you're going?"

"I was going back to my seat."

"The only place you're going now is jail. I'm finding you in contempt of court and have a nice jail cell for you to cool your heels in while the chief of police and district attorney decide on all of the charges they are going to file against you. Am I correct in that assumption, Mr. Jensen and Chief Hubbard?"

Both men nodded with smiles on their faces. "Yes, your honor. You would be right."

"Before I have the bailiff take you away, I have a bit of business I have to take care of. It's a formality, given the long list of offenses you've committed plus the strong case Ms. Tasker presented on behalf of the Walkers. Your petition for custody of the minor child Samantha Robinson is dismissed. Bailiff, please take him away and get him out of my sight. I can't stand to look at him any longer."

Judge Kagan turned her attention to Pete and sighed. "Mr. Taylor, where do I even begin with you? You have shown nothing but contempt for this court and the laws of this state. As an officer of the court, you are held to a higher standard because you are supposed to know better. Yet, you were a willing participate in the illegal activities committed by your client. You showed a reckless disregard for the truth, ethics and morals you were sworn to uphold. Those actions could have cost a young woman her family and her future. And for what? From the testimony I've heard today, it was for revenge. Now, you face disbarment and serious prison time. One has to ask if it was worth it. You should know that the transcripts of these proceedings are going to the state bar as well as the Pine Valley District Attorney's office. Also, you should know that despite your efforts, the case presented by Ms. Tasker was strong enough on its own merits for your petition to be denied. Your actions only serve to increase the confidence in my decision. The only thing left for me to decide with regards to you is whether you'll be sharing a holding cell with your client or one next to it. I'll let you know my decision on that shortly."

Brian had crept over to Lisa and passed her a note while the judge was speaking. After she finished reading it, she passed it on to Marissa who glanced at it. When the judge was done, the redhead spoke up.

"Your honor, I've just been informed that Sam is here and would like to come in."

"I think that's a very good idea, Ms. Tasker. Have her come in."

Brian went outside and returned a moment later with Sam.

The teen looked nervous, anxious. Her future was being determined after all.

"Miss Robinson, would you please join your lawyers?"

Sam nodded and stood in between Marissa and Claudia.

"Now, Miss Robinson. Could I call you Sam?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Thank you. Sam, I have a couple of questions for you. I need you to answer them honestly so I'm going to have the bailiff swear you in, alright?"

"Okay."

After Sam was sworn in, the judge began to speak again. "According to Mrs. Parnell, you told her that you wanted to live with the Walkers. Is that correct?"

"Yes, your honor, it is."

"Is it true that you want them to adopt you?"

"Yes, it is."

"Thank you. That's all I need. I'm ready …"

Sam looked at Marissa who knew what the teen had on her mind. The redhead nodded and gave the teen the shot of courage she needed.

"Your honor, could I say something please?"

The judge nodded. "Alright. This is about you. Go ahead."

"Thank you." Sam cleared her throat. "I love Gail and Alex and Grandma, Carol. They gave me something I didn't think I'd ever have the chance to have again. They gave me a home and a family. When I lost my Mom and Dad, I lost me too. They helped me get my head back on straight and figure out what I want to do with my life. I still miss my Mom and Dad. I always will, but Marissa told me that it was okay to and that it'd get a little better with time. She was right. She also told me that they'd be okay with me opening myself up and finding another home, another family. They'd understand that I wasn't forgetting them and that they'd want me to be happy and someone to take care of me. I thought about for a while, and I think Marissa's right about that too." Sam glanced over her shoulder at the Walkers and flashed them a smile before turning back to the judge. "I think. No, I know that my Mom and Dad would like them and would trust them to take care of me. I trust them and love them. I'd really like them to be able to adopt me. I don't need them to though because they already are my family. It'd just be nice for it to be legal. That's all I have. Thanks for listening."

Judge Kagan smiled. "You're welcome, Sam. Usually, this would be the time for your lawyer to give her closing arguments. Ms. Tasker, do you have anything else?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, your honor. I don't think there is anything I could add to what Sam just said."

"Very well. I think you're right. I'm ready to give you my decision. This has been an interesting case to say the least, and it's definitely had more than its share of unpleasant moments. Throughout these proceedings though, I've noticed a few things. You, Sam, have quite a few people looking out for you. Chiefly among them is that woman standing next to you. She's an excellent lawyer and did some pretty amazing work on your behalf. The other people looking out for you are the Walkers. It's easy to see how much they love you, and after listening to you just now, it's easy to see how much you love them. I am therefore granting the Walkers petition for custody and approving their request to adopt you. Have a good life, Sam. You deserve it. Court is adjourned."

The teen quickly glanced at Marissa. "It's over? I'm their daughter?"

Marissa nodded happily. "Yes, it's over. You are officially Sam Robinson Walker."

Sam jumped up and down and hugged the redhead before spinning around and practically leaping into the waiting arms of Gail, Alex and Carol. The four hugged each other tightly as happy tears flowed from the eyes of practically everyone in the courtroom, and the spectators applauded the happy outcome.

The judge was speaking quietly to the bailiff who nodded and turned towards Pete.

Marissa stepped forward, wanting to give the man a small piece of her mind. "I'm curious, Pete. What's the answer to the judge's question? Was it worth it?" Getting no answer, she continued. "You're pathetic. I'm curious about something else. Did bullying a teenaged girl make you feel like a man? You were going to destroy an innocent girl's future because you couldn't accept the truth. You're a lot like Robert Brennan. You remember him, don't you? He's the guy who was running around free and tried to beat his wife to death because you didn't do your job. He also tried to kill me because, unlike you, I was doing mine. You did all this because you couldn't accept the fact that that you have no one else to blame for what's happened in your life but you. Hopefully, you'll get a clue this time because if you ever go after the people I care about again, this will all look like a day in park." The redhead turned and saw a beaming Bianca and pleased Erica.

The diva stepped forward and handed the gift bag to the disgraced lawyer. "I have something for you, Mr. Taylor. You don't deserve it because I know you wouldn't be able to cut it there without outside help. I couldn't help myself though."

Pete was confused and pulled out a sweatshirt. On the front of it was the logo for Pine Valley University. It seemed Erica remembered the dig he had made about Marissa's education. The man threw the sweatshirt on the floor in disgust and was about to speak when he was pulled away by the bailiff. "Where the hell are you taking me?"

The bailiff wore a slightly amused look. "You remember what the judge said. I'm taking you to a holding cell because you're in contempt of court. Come on, it's time to go. Oh, it's kind of crowded down there so you will be sharing a cell with your client."

Bianca gave her wife a chaste kiss. "You were brilliant."

"Binx is right, Red. That was great." Kendall grinned as she, Zach and Greenlee joined them.

Zach nodded. "I have to agree with Kendall. You're going to have tell us about everything and how you set all of this up. It sounds like it's probably a pretty good story."

"Thanks, but I couldn't have done it without my team and Bianca. The Walkers were pretty impressive too."

"Speaking of impressive, I loved the sweatshirt, Erica. Very nice." Greenlee grinned.

"Thank you. I rather liked it myself. I do have a question, Marissa."

"What's that, Erica?"

"You knew the Walkers' home was bugged but those conversations …"

"Were scripted."

"What?" Kendall couldn't quite believe her ears.

"Yeah, Claudia and Lisa worked on the scripts, and the Walkers were reading what we had written down for them. We were all there at the house for their various performances. That might have been my favorite part."

Bianca shook her head and kissed her wife again. "Brilliant and kickass."

Marissa gazed at her favorite brunette. "Thank you for all of your support during this. I couldn't have done any of this without it and you."

"Excuse me. Marissa, thank you so much." Carol was wearing a smile so bright that it could power all of Pine Valley. "We'll never be able to repay you for this. Thank you."

Marissa hugged the older woman. "You are most certainly welcome, and you don't owe me anything. This was right, and I'm glad I could help."

"You did more than that. Carol's right. We can't thank you enough." Gail and then Alex hugged the redhead tightly.

"If you ever need anything, you let us know, and we'll be there."

"Thanks, Alex."

"Thanks again, Marissa. You too, Bianca. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for both of you." Sam hugged the couple. The teen was on cloud nine.

"You're welcome, Sam."

"Hey, it's a weeknight and Sam's got school tomorrow. So, everyone's invited over to the house on Saturday to celebrate." Gail stated happily. The family didn't want to jinx anything by planning a party before the verdict was given.

"We'll be there."

Marissa caught the eye of her fellow partners who nodded their approval before leaving. They were impressed with her performance and knew without a doubt that they had made the right decision in making her a partner. They would all meet tomorrow for a debriefing.

The courtroom began to clear after congratulations were shared with the now four member of the Walker family as well as Marissa and her team.

"We should go too, Rissa. The kids will be waiting for us and wanting to know what happened today."

Marissa nodded and began to gather her belongings. An older man stepped forward in the now empty courtroom.

"Ms. Tasker, could I have a word, please?"

The redhead recognized him immediately as Phillip Taylor, Pete's father. "Of course, Mr. Taylor. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to apologize for my son's actions. They were reprehensible, and there is simply no excuse for them. When I think of what could've happened to that girl if he had succeeded, it makes me sick. He won't be getting any further help from me or my wife until he accepts responsibility for what he's done. We've coddled him for far too long. It ends today." He reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out an envelope and handed it to the redhead. "I know this doesn't make up for what he's done to her and her family, but I do hope they'll accept it as maybe a start. If there is anything I can do for you or them, please don't hesitate to call." Phillip handed her his card.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. I trust you'll know who to make it out to. Good day, and excellent work today."

The couple watched as the man left.

"What'd he give you to give to Sam?"

Marissa opened the envelope and gasped. "It's a check for $50,000."

"Seriously? Wow. Pete is definitely nothing like his father."

"You've got that right. I'll tell them about it tomorrow and give it to them Saturday, and you know they'll be putting it straight into her trust fund. Let's go home."

"That sounds perfect. Maybe later and the kids are in bed, we can celebrate your win because I've got to say that you were sexy as hell today, and I do love watching you work." Bianca grinned mischievously as she kissed her wife, leaving no doubt as to the type of celebration she had in mind.

Marissa hummed in approval when they separated. "I do love how you think."

**/**

**A/N: I managed to lock my evil side up for a little bit. Oh to those in the States, I know this is a week early, but Happy Independence Day!**


	150. A Picture is Worth 1,000 Words

**A/N: I'm back and only a day off my normal posting schedule! Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. This is a shorter chapter and more fluffy filler than anything else. It's helping me get myself back into the writing swing. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Saturday finally arrived, and it was time for the party to celebrate Sam's adoption. Since the court hearing that Monday, obligations for work, school and other aspects of life in general had prevented everyone from sitting down and savoring the oh so sweet victory. Marissa and Gail had only spoken once briefly when the redhead called to inform the newly minted mother of the check from Phillip Taylor. Gail was speechless upon hearing this news, and that was without knowing the amount of the check. Marissa thought it best to give her that news in person. It was during this quick call that Gail had asked Marissa if the Tasker-Montgomery family could come over a little early the day of the party. The Walkers wanted a few minutes in private with them before everyone else arrived. Marissa readily agreed to this request. It was the perfect opportunity to give them the check. She knew they wouldn't want it advertised.

The day following her conversation with Gail, Marissa received the notarized documents they'd all been waiting for. As she carefully reviewed the paperwork, the redhead could easily picture the expressions on the faces of the four members of the Walker family and couldn't wait to deliver the papers in person to see them. There was no doubt whatsoever that these papers were much more important to them than any check would ever be. These documents made everything official in the eyes of the law and were what this whole custody fight was all about, to the Walkers and their lawyer at least. Marissa also had an update for them on both Pete and Payne. A great deal had happened in the handful of days following the hearing, and Marissa had made sure she had been kept in the loop on everything involving the men.

/

Carol smiled warmly as she greeted the Tasker-Montgomery family.

"Come in. Come in. It is so wonderful to see all of you."

The kids smiled and hurried inside when Carol told them there were fresh baked cookies waiting in the kitchen for them.

"You're going to spoil them, Carol." Bianca clearly amused more than anything else.

"Eh, maybe I am and maybe I'm not. I figure I'm allowed though. Grandmothers are expected to spoil grandchildren whether or not they are theirs. It's a universal truth."

"I can't argue with that logic." Marissa smirked. "How are you doing, Carol?"

The older woman smiled even more. "I'm doing so much better now that the hearing is behind us, and we've been able to get rid of all of those bugs. I hated the idea of them listening to us and not being able to relax in our own home."

"That makes four of us." Gail added wryly as she joined the women. She eyed the large manila envelope in the lawyer's hands.

Marissa followed Gail's gaze. "I have just a bit of business we need to take care of and then no more work today. I promise. You can check with Bianca on that."

The brunette nodded. "Rissa promised."

"Good. Because this is a party and no work is allowed."

"I think you'll be happy about this exception. If we can get the other two members of your family in here, we can take care of it now."

"Take care of what now?" Alex asked as he and Sam came into the room with AJ, Miranda and Gabby following behind happily munching on fresh baked chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookies.

"Hi, Marissa. Hi, Bianca." Sam's smile lit up the room as she greeted the couple.

"Hey, Sam. Hi, Alex. I just have two pieces of unfinished business. First, this is from Phillip Taylor, Pete's father."

Sam took the envelope from Marissa, but didn't open it right away. "Why did he give me something?"

"He felt awful about everything Pete put you through, all of you through, and wanted to do something for you. He knows it doesn't make up for what his son did, but he really wanted to do this."

"It's not his fault." The teen's mouth hung open as she looked at the check. "Seriously?!"

"Sam, is everything alright?" Gail asked, her concern evident. She knew about the check but not the amount. Sam's reaction had her a little worried.

Sam nodded numbly as she handed it over to Gail.

The woman gasped. "Oh my god! $50,000?! This can't be right."

Marissa smiled. "It is. I double-checked with him the day after he gave this to me, and he confirmed the amount."

"Oh my word! That is too much. We can't accept that." Carol protested.

Bianca chuckled. "Rissa knew you would say that and told him as much."

"Yes, I did, and Mr. Taylor insisted you take it. He won't take 'no' for an answer. He was really impressed with you, Sam, with what you told the judge, and he also wanted me to tell you that if you ever needed anything to just let him know. His business card is in there."

"Well, I'm definitely putting this up, and it's going straight into the trust fund first thing Monday morning."

Sam shook her head vigorously. She didn't want that much money lying around. It made her nervous. The teen had to admit though that it felt really good not having to worry about tuition for college and that the Gail and Alex wouldn't have to dip into their retirement savings to finance it like they had discussed in private. This check coupled with what was already in the trust assured that wouldn't be necessary. Sam was narrowing down what she wanted to study, and she and the Walkers were starting to look into places she could attend. The teen still had time to decide, but considering she was now a junior, it was good to start the process. Now that the issue of her custody was settled, the family could devote themselves to it fully and enjoy the process without anything hanging over their heads.

Marissa grinned as she opened the large envelope and pulled out the legal documents. "I think this is what you've all really been looking forward to."

Sam took the papers and beamed. "It's official! I mean really official now, isn't it?"

"Yep, it sure is. Those are your copies of the official documents finalizing the adoption. The originals are now on file with the state."

"What about my driver's license? Could I change my name on it?" Sam bit her lip nervously.

"If that's what you want to do, yes, you can. You'll have to go to the county clerk's office to do that. I've got some other forms in there that will need to be filled out. Do the one for Social Security first. After that one is done, the others will be a lot easier to do."

Gail looked at lawyer and shook her head. "Marissa, we will never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done for us. Are you sure you won't let us pay you? I mean, you've gone above and beyond for us."

Marissa shook her head. "I'm positive. I couldn't take your money. This? This was the right thing to do, and the smiles on your faces really are payment enough for me."

"Alright, we had a feeling you'd say that, and Bianca confirmed it for us. So, we decided on something else in the way of payment, and _we're_ not going to take 'no' for an answer. Give me a minute, and I'll be right back." Alex grinned and hurried out.

"I don't have any idea of what they're up to." Bianca offered when her wife looked at her.

"Um, you really didn't have to do or get me anything."

Sam grinned. "We know, but we wanted to. Think of it as something for you and Sparky."

Bianca sighed. "Not you too."

The kids cracked up at their brunette mother's reaction.

"I think you need to give it up, Mom. Everybody's pretty much on board with Sparky as the baby's nickname." Miranda noted.

Bianca rolled her eyes and knew full well that her oldest daughter was right. The only ones not using that nickname were her and Erica, and Bianca had to catch herself sometimes from not using it. "Whatever."

The others laughed while they waited for Alex to return. When he returned a few minutes later, there was no hiding the excitement of Carol, Gail and Sam when he placed a large covered item in the family room.

"We'll let you do the honors, Marissa." Alex smiled in anticipation.

Bianca and the kids gathered around the redhead as she lifted the blanket.

Marissa gasped when she revealed a beautifully, hand-carved rocking chair. "Oh wow, it's beautiful! You made this, Alex?"

Gail answered for her husband seeing him shrug nervously. "Yes, he did. He put a lot of work into it. Try it out."

Marissa took a seat and grinned. "This is amazing and really comfortable. Come on over, kids, and help me break it in."

AJ, Miranda and Gabby each took turns rocking briefly with their redheaded mother.

"Rissa's right, Alex. This is beautiful. I knew you did stuff like this, but this is amazing. The quality is unreal. I have a feeling this is going to be put to good use."

"Definitely. Try it out, B." Marissa stood up and made room for her wife while the redhead hugged Alex. "Thank you so much, Alex. This is truly wonderful, and I love it."

"I'm glad. I'll bring it over to your place tomorrow so you won't have to worry about moving it yourselves."

"Oh my gosh, I love this. Now, we just need another one, and we'll have our rockers for when we're old and grey, Rissa."

Marissa laughed. "True, very true."

"Funny you should mention that. I've already started on one for you too, Bianca, and it should be done by the time Sparky comes along."

"Seriously? I was kidding, Alex."

"Well, I'm not, and I really want to do this. You've done a lot for this family. If it wasn't for you taking that chance and seeing the real Sam, we wouldn't be here today."

Marissa nodded proudly when her wife started to protest. The redhead knew Bianca was going to downplay her role so she stopped her before she had a chance. "He's right. You started all of this by asking me to talk to Sam."

"There aren't many if any other people that would've done what you did after what I did. You had faith in me when I didn't have faith in myself. Thank you."

Bianca hugged the teen. "You're welcome."

"I'm going to put all of this away." Gail stated as she gathered the papers and check.

"When you get back, I'll give you an update on Pete and Payne."

"Oh, I'll be right back. Don't you dare start without me."

"I wouldn't dream of it."

"How about I get you and Bianca something to drink?" Alex offered.

/

Once Gail had returned and drinks were distributed, everyone settled down in the family room. Marissa was in her new rocking chair with Gabby situated carefully on her lap.

"Who would you like to hear about first?"

"I would like to hear about Payne." It was clear that Carol disliked him more than Pete. He was the one who started all of this and said those vile things about her son, and his actions towards Sam were even more callous than Pete's in her mind.

"Alright. Where to start with him? Jesse and Mike have charged him with a whole slew of things, namely fraud, wire fraud, breaking and entering, and extortion. He's looking at some very serious time and has been denied bail. His wife has also filed for divorce. He has a public defender, and Mike said Payne has reached out to him in hopes of a deal of some sort. It seems he's wanting to get a reduction of charges for testifying against Pete."

"Really? What's Pete have to say about that?" Gail asked.

"Pete's trying to do the same thing against Payne. It didn't take long at all for them to turn on each other. Pete is facing a number of charges too. Judge Kagan already contacted the state bar, and they are starting their own investigation. He will in all likelihood lose his license. Of course, that's the least of his worries. The criminal charges are the most serious, and his father has kept his word about not helping him because Pete still isn't taking any responsibility for what he's done. For now, Mike isn't interested in a deal with either of them. Given the evidence against them, he doesn't need to be."

"If you ask me, neither of them deserves any kind of deal if they don't acknowledge that what they did was wrong. They both should pay, and they are both equally guilty." Carol stated.

"I agree. They're both so busy pointing fingers that they won't accept responsibility." Bianca noted.

"Enough about them. How are you feeling, Marissa? All of this hasn't been too much for you, has it?" Gail asked.

"Honestly? I'm doing really good."

Bianca chuckled seeing the skeptical look on Gail's face. "Believe me, she's telling the truth. Rissa enjoys a good fight every now and then, especially when she's fighting for something she believes in with her whole heart."

"It helped that I have an amazing team and could delegate some things to them, and they were more than up to the task. Plus, Bianca takes excellent care of me and makes sure that I don't do too much."

"You've been very good about letting others help you. Like Ellie. She's in charge of the whole office move."

"You're finally moving into your new office?" Sam asked. She knew it had been delayed and was glad it was finally happening for the redhead.

"Yep, finally is right! I move in Monday. Ellie moves into her office then too. Lisa will finally get to start moving her things as well into her new office/my old office."

"When will we get to see it, Ma?" AJ asked.

"We're going to make a quick run there tomorrow, Buddy."

AJ traded a grin with Miranda but said nothing else. They, along with Gabby, had been working on something for their redheaded mother's new office.

"Oh, we have an ultrasound next week. This will be our first peek of Sparky. I can't wait."

Bianca nodded happily. "I can't either."

"Mommy! Sparky moved!" Gabby squealed.

"I guess Sparky knew we were talking about them, huh Monkey?"

"Yep!"

"You can feel the baby moving?" Sam asked.

"Yeah. Would you like to feel, Sam?"

"Could I?"

"Of course, you can."

Gabby shifted a little to allow Sam access. Marissa took the teen's hand and placed it on her belly.

Sam's eyes grew wide when she felt something. "Is that the baby?"

"Yes." Marissa beamed at Sam's reaction. It amazed the redhead every time she felt the movement inside of her, and the fact that she was carrying their little one was indescribable.

"That's just so … wow. Let me know when you need a babysitter because I'll definitely be up for it." Sam nodded towards AJ, Miranda and Gabby. "These guys aren't any problem, and I love watching them. I can only imagine what Sparky will be like."

Carol cleared her throat. "Don't forget me. I believe the kids like it when I watch them."

Miranda nodded. "Carol is really fun and always bakes cookies for us."

"She tells good stories too, almost as good as Mommy's."

"Hey, what about me?" Sam feigned hurt.

"Sam's really good at video games. She showed us some pretty good tricks." AJ offered with a grin.

Bianca chuckled. "Sounds like a pretty good tag team to me. How about the two of you watch them all together when our little one gets here?"

Carol and Sam exchanged looks and nodded.

"I'm good with that." Sam grinned.

"I am too."

"My wife is a brilliant negotiator." Marissa smiled. "Oh, we have something for you."

"Yes, we do." Bianca grabbed the brightly wrapped package and handed it to Carol. "This is actually for the whole Walker family."

Gail, Alex and Sam gathered around Carol as she opened the present. She revealed a beautiful framed photograph of all four of them from the day of Bianca and Marissa's wedding.

"This is lovely. Thank you!"

"I couldn't agree more."

"I love it. Is there any way we could order copies of this?"

"This is great."

"We're glad you like it. Yes, I'll give you the website for the photographer, and you can order whatever you want. We'll have our photos in about a week."

"Bianca and I would've had our wedding photos earlier, but things have been really busy since the wedding. We'll have everything together to show everyone in another week during Thanksgiving. The photographer got some really great shots."

"She really did. Plus, we have copies of the pictures that everyone else took."

"I can't wait to see all of them." Gail stated.

The doorbell rang and indicated other party guests were beginning to arrive. While Sam went to answer the door, Gail picked up the wrapping paper to throw away and placed their family photo on the mantel. Soon, the party was in full force with everyone celebrating the Walker family.

/

AJ looked around the law firm's offices. "It's kinda weird being here when nobody else is, Ma."

"It is a little strange, Buddy, but there's usually someone else around when I'm here especially if I'm working late. My new office is down this way."

Marissa led her family down the hallway and came to an abrupt stop outside her office. "What's this?"

A streamer with a big bow tied in the middle was attached to the sides of the doorframe barring entrance. Inside were a few balloons and a single red rose in the small crystal vase she kept in her office.

Wide smiles were spread across the faces of the kids and Bianca.

"The kids were inspired by the grand opening of that new ice cream shop on Main, and they thought you should have something similar for your new office." Bianca pulled a pair of scissors out of her purse and handed them to her wife. "The honor is yours, Counselor."

Marissa laughed and took the scissors. "This so thoughtful, and I love it, almost as much as I love all of you." The redhead looked at Miranda who was holding a camera ready to take pictures. After the two shared a smile and nod, Marissa opened the scissors and prepared to cut the ribbon. "Thank you for your love and support. Having you here means everything to me. It is my pleasure and honor to welcome the most important people in my life to my new office."

With that, Marissa cut the ribbon while Miranda snapped away and the others cheered. They walked inside, and the kids marveled at the size of the office compared to her old one and checked everything out. Marissa picked up the card next to the rose and read.

_Rissa,  
>K is for kickass which you are in so many ways. I love you more and more each day, and am so proud to be your wife. I love you.<br>Always,  
>Bianca<em>

Marissa turned to her wife with a huge smile on her face. "I can't believe all of you. How did you do this?"

Bianca shrugged and grinned. "I might have had a little inside help from Ellie and Lisa. I hope this is okay?"

"This is more than okay. It's perfect, and I really do love it." Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca and kissed her. "I love you and am proud to be _your _wife." She was rewarded with the goofy grin of Bianca's that always stopped her heart and a tender kiss.

"Okay, show me around this place. We've got cake waiting for us at home. The kids insisted."

Marissa laughed again. "You got it."

/

"Hey, you okay?" Bianca could see her wife was nervous.

Marissa took a deep breath and nodded. The couple was sitting in the waiting room of Dr. Abbott's office. Today was the day of the ultrasound and when they would finally get to take a look at their little one.

"Yeah, I'm just nervous and excited and a whole bunch of other emotions."

"Me too, but everything's going to be great." Bianca squeezed her wife's hand and could see her relaxing a little.

"Marissa Tasker-Montgomery?"

The couple glanced over to the doorway hearing the nurse call Marissa's name. They stood and followed her down the hall to an exam room where Marissa changed into a hospital gown and sat on the examination table. A few minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and the nurse came back in and took Marissa's vital signs.

"The doctor will be with you shortly."

Bianca leaned in and whispered in Marissa's ear. "Relax, please."

"Okay."

A minute later, their doctor appeared and greeted the couple.

"Good morning, ladies. How are you today?"

"We're okay." Marissa offered weakly.

Dr. Abbott smiled at the redhead's reply. "Enough small talk for now, huh? Let me do the exam and then we'll do the ultrasound."

Marissa nodded and leaned back on the table. When the doctor finished, she addressed the redhead.

"Everything looks good. You can sit up now. I'll get the machine set up. Linda, could you adjust the table for her?"

The nurse nodded and did as asked. Marissa was now in a semi-reclined position, making it easier for her to see the monitor. Bianca was right by her side holding her hand.

"Okay. What we're going to do now is get a sneak peek of the baby. I have one quick but important question for the two of you. Are you sure you don't want to know the sex of the baby?"

The couple glanced at each other and nodded.

Marissa answered for them. "We're sure. We want to wait."

"That's all I need to know. I want to make sure I don't give it away. We'll get started. Marissa, I'm going to raise your gown a little and then apply this gel. It's going to be a little cool. Oh, Bianca, if you want to give Linda your phone, she'll record this."

Bianca smiled and handed her cellphone to the nurse. "Thank you."

Dr. Abbott took the transducer and began to glide it across Marissa's growing baby bump. The room was silent until the doctor spoke.

"There's your little one."

The couple gasped as they first heard the baby's strong heartbeat and then saw an image appear on the monitor screen.

"That's Sparky?!"

"Sparky?"

"It's the nickname my sister has given the baby, and it seems to be sticking."

The doctor and nurse chuckled.

"Yes, that is Sparky. Here's the head." Dr. Abbott began showing the couple exactly what they were looking at.

Marissa was in awe and tears glistened in hazel eyes. Bianca was speechless. She had experienced this before when she was pregnant, but being here with Marissa and seeing this together was special. The brunette wipe a tear away and beamed.

"That's our little one, Rissa."

"I've never seen anything more incredible in my life. We did this, B. That's our baby!"

Bianca kissed Marissa tenderly before they both returned their attention back to the monitor. The couple was completely captivated by the image of their child.

"Well, it's a good thing you don't want to know the baby's sex. It seems Sparky is being a little stubborn and not turning around enough to give me a good view of that."

"We're not tempted that way."

"Very true. Everything looks good. The development is right on schedule, and the baby looks to be average size. Judging by everything I see, I'm going to adjust your due date slightly to April 5th."

"It looks like our little one won't have to share a birthday with you, Rissa. They'll miss it by almost a week."

"It'll be nice if Sparky has their own birthday, but I wouldn't mind sharing as long as Sparky's healthy. That's all I want. Everything looks good then, doctor?"

"Everything looks good. You're blood pressure and weight are good so I'm very happy about that. Like I said before, the baby looks to be right on track with their development. I'm going to print you both copies of shots of the baby." As the pictures printed, the doctor continued to chat with the couple. "Have you thought about childbirth classes?"

"Yes, we have. I know Bianca's gone through this before, but I haven't. I think it'll be for me to get an idea of what to expect. Plus, it'll help her know what to do for me."

"You've got that right. This is a different experience for me being on this side. I'm also hoping for a nice, quiet delivery in a hospital." Bianca remembered the delivery of their three other children vividly and did not want to go through any of that again.

"Me too. I do want to try and go natural with no drugs, if possible."

Dr. Abbott nodded. "I can understand that. Don't limit yourself though. There's no shame in getting an epidural if you need it. Childbirth is a very stressful time for both mother and child. The hospital offers some excellent classes if you'd like to check them out."

"We'll do that. Thank you, doctor."

"You're more than welcome. Do you have any other questions for me right now?"

"I think I asked them all during the exam so I can't think of anything more at the moment." Marissa glanced at her wife.

Bianca shook her head. "I can't think of anything either."

Dr. Abbott finished wiping the gel off Marissa's belly. "Well if you do think of something, just call. You can get dressed now. I'll see you in a month. Oh, here are your pictures."

"Thank you!"

The smiles on the couple's faces as they looked at the pictures they were just given were blinding. Both would cherish them forever.

"Yeah, I'm totally going to be worse than Brian showing off pictures because I can't wait to show these to everyone." Marissa grinned.

"I'm going to be pretty obnoxious myself. I love you so much." Bianca leaned in for a short but sweet kiss.

"I love you too."


	151. Making Progress

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It's appreciated, and I'm glad you're all still hanging in there with me. I have to admit that it was a little hard to get back in the writing groove after vacation which was awesome. Also, this was my first week back at work, and I was slammed. You end up paying for vacation in more ways than one. I made it through the week though and got this for you all. It's a little shorter than normal, but hopefully, you'll be good with that. We're moving forward a little bit in time with this chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Thanksgiving arrived and was held at Kendall and Zach's. Thankfully this year, there were no fires or other unexpected mishaps so it could take place as planned. More importantly, there were no fights, well no major ones at least. By Kane family standards, it was downright tame. No gravy or blood was spilled. It helped that Erica and Krystal didn't spend the day together. While their relationship had improved, especially after having had worked on their respective daughters' wedding a few months earlier, no one had the illusion that they would ever be BFF's. Instead of risking a repeat of last year's Thanksgiving, Bianca and Marissa decided to spend the day with Bianca's side of the family and stop over Krystal and Tad's that Saturday. This allowed Tad's family to spend the day with Joe and Ruth were visiting from out of town. The Tasker-Montgomery family spent a few hours that weekend with the Walkers as well. Bianca and Marissa were finally able to share their wedding pictures with everyone, and all loved them. Copies of certain photos were given to Erica & Jack, Kendall & Zach, Greenlee & Ryan, and Krystal as gifts. Sam loved the photo the couple gave her of Aya and her performing during the ceremony. Other photos would be ordered by the others as well, but they were all very happy with the ones they were given. That Sunday was quiet for the Tasker-Montgomery's and spent at home. Monday, everyone went back to work and school.

/

After the Thanksgiving holiday, plans for the Miranda Center's annual fundraising gala ramped up. Now in its third year, the gala had become quite the event in Pine Valley. The Center's agreement with the Yacht Club to hold the event there was extremely beneficial for all concerned, and it made the Yacht Club _the_ place to ring in the New Year. Bianca had turned the main planning of the gala over to Aya and Jan. The pair had done a very good job with their duties last year regarding it and were more than ready and capable of taking on more responsibility for it this year. With everything Bianca had going on in her life right now, they were a godsend. Besides the day to day operations of the Pine Valley Center, the brunette was interviewing prospects for the soon to be vacated office manager position at the New York branch. The current one was leaving for an outside position, and her position needed to be filled as soon as possible. Bianca had also just finished her last paper for her class and turned it in the day before Thanksgiving. In addition to those things, she and Marissa had started discussing how they wanted to decorate the baby's room. They weren't going to actually decorate just yet because they didn't want to jinx anything, but they would be in a couple of months. She also had Christmas to plan for. By turning over the fundraiser to Aya and Jan, Bianca was practicing what she was preaching to Marissa about delegating and not taking too much on. This also gave her a chance to sit back and enjoy the pregnancy. Bianca hadn't had too much of a chance for some of that because of school. Now that that was off her plate, she could relax and really fully help around the house again, and she knew Marissa would need her around more the further along she got. Plus, the couple would be taking childbirth classes after the New Year. Bianca didn't want to overdo now and be exhausted by the time those classes started.

/

Today, Bianca had a follow up meeting with Kirsten Tanner. She had been living in a safe house since coming to Pine Valley. Her physical injuries had healed, and the Center's counselors reported that she had been doing well in therapy. Kirsten put her teaching skills to good use by volunteering time teaching some of the children that were staying in the safe house. It was a win-win situation. The kids loved her, she was helping the staff out, and it gave Kirsten something to do, a sense of purpose and helped her focus. Sometimes, it helped someone when they were helping others. All in all, Kirsten was making good progress, and everyone working with her was trying to determine if she was ready to take the next step and move out of the safe house. Meeting with Bianca was part of this process.

Bianca was reviewing Kirsten's file when Jan knocked on her office door. The brunette glanced up and saw her assistant.

"Hey, Jan."

"Hey, Bianca. Kirsten Tanner is here."

"Send her in please." Bianca closed the file and smiled when the woman in question entered.

"Kirsten, how are you?"

The blonde woman gave a small smile and shook Bianca's hand. "I'm … I'm doing okay. How are you?"

"I'm good. Please, have a seat, and let's talk." Once they were settled, Bianca started again. "Are you really okay? I need you to be honest with me."

Kirsten sighed. "Yeah, I think I really am. I know I'm better than I was when I first came here, and I'm not just talking physically. Trust me, I know I have a long way to go emotionally, but it's getting a little better for me each day."

"I'm very glad to hear that. Now, I know you haven't heard from Amelia, but what about your family? Have they heard from her?"

"No, they haven't. It seems a little weird to me that they haven't. I'm glad though, especially after she hurt Aunt Diana. It's just … I don't know. It's like Amelia dropped off the face of the earth, and to be honest, that kind of worries me a little. You don't know her. It's not like her to just give up. For example, one time we were out to dinner and were accidentally overcharged by $1. You should've seen her. She gave them so much hell that you would've thought it was $1,000. She read them the riot act, kept hammering them and was trying to get the poor server fired when it wasn't her fault at all. I thought they might call the police on her. It was really embarrassing and a complete overreaction. She did get them to give us our meal for free though. So this? It just doesn't feel right, doesn't feel like it's over."

Bianca had listened attentively and found she had to agree with Kirsten. Given what she had learned about Amelia from Kirsten, her aunt, and Viki Buchanan coupled with what she knew of abusers from her experience at the Miranda Center, Amelia's current behavior seemed off, out of character. It felt like they were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Bianca could see Kirsten was anxious about it. "I have to admit that it does seem a little odd. I have to ask if you would feel more comfortable staying in the safe house for a little longer. There is no set time table for when someone is ready to leave. Everyone is different, and we're not going to rush you."

Kirsten gave this some thought. There definitely was some anxiety in leaving, but she also knew she couldn't stay there forever. She would have to leave eventually, but maybe staying a little longer might not be such a bad idea. "Maybe, I could stay another week. There's this feeling that I just can't shake that something is going to happen soon. Another week might help me figure out what it is."

"We can do that. Again, I want you to feel comfortable with your decision. We can meet again next week and talk some more. If you change your mind and want to stay longer, you can do that. If you decide to leave, you won't be left alone. The Center has programs to help you outside. There is no pressure either way."

"Good. Let's do that." Kirsten's relief was evident. She definitely felt better after talking with Bianca. The brunette had a way about her that put her at ease. Kirsten had a feeling there was a lot more to the Center's founder than met the eye. There were things she didn't reveal to them for obvious reasons, but she could relate to them. That meant a lot. It also was good to see that whatever she had been through didn't stop her from living and from giving love another chance. Kirsten could see she was happy with her life, and that gave the blonde hope which was something that had been missing from her life for far too long.

/

Amelia Mears sat in a diner just outside of Pine Valley waiting for the private detective her family had hired to track down her girlfriend. She'd had no word from Kirsten since she'd left Llanview. Amelia thought for sure Kirsten would've caved by now, come to her senses and come crawling back to her. That hadn't happened yet for some reason, and Amelia didn't like it one bit. She found herself having to come up with excuses to explain her girlfriend's absence to others, and her father was putting pressure on her to resolve this quickly. He had reluctantly accepted Amelia's sexual orientation when she came out to her parents several years ago. Despite his personal distain and misgivings with his daughter's lifestyle, Anthony Mears managed to spin it as a political asset for himself. He was as happy as he could be, which wasn't very happy at all, when Amelia brought Kirsten home to meet him and his wife, and now that she was gone, he was pissed. He'd given her direct orders to 'bring the girl back home and keep her in line'. Anthony was not going to be embarrassed by his daughter's inability to control her partner. This was why a private detective was hired. Her father believed the detective could do what his daughter had not been able to and find Kirsten.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Mears. I'm Doug Curtis."

"Mr. Curtis, have a seat."

A waitress walked over, took the detective's order of coffee and hurried away under Amelia's glare.

Amelia got straight down to business. "Have you found Kirsten?"

The detective shook his head. "I've had glimpses of her but haven't been able to track down where she's staying."

"I don't understand what you're saying. Why not? I thought you were supposed to be one of the best. Is that wrong, and you're just incompetent?"

Curtis paused, biting back the comment he really wanted to throw her way. He's dealt with the father before so it wasn't much of a surprise to him that the daughter was as much of a bitch as the father was a prick. "Considering I didn't have much to work with other than her probably being somewhere in Pine Valley, I'd say this is good."

Amelia glared at the man. "Go on. Where did you see her? Her parents' home? Her bitch of an aunt's home?"

The Mears weren't exactly forthcoming when it came to providing the detective with details regarding the true nature of their pressing need to find Kirsten. They had downplayed the entire situation. According to them, Amelia and Kirsten had had a minor lovers' quarrel, and that was the reason she had left Llanview and headed back to Pine Valley. In their version, Amelia, for her part, was desperate to apologize and work things out. She had tried any and every thing to get ahold of her girlfriend, but her efforts were being thwarted by Kirsten's family. The Mears' tale portrayed Amelia as the victim, and Kirsten's family were cast as the villains doing their best to keep the lovers apart. Curtis had been around long enough to know his employers were hiding something and that their story wasn't exactly kosher, but they were also paying him _a lot_ so he would do his job and keep his reservations to himself.

"No, she's not staying with any of her family. I caught glimpses of her going into a place called the Miranda Center." When the detective researched the Center, he found out its purpose. Alarm bells went off for him again, but there wasn't any evidence pointing to whether Kirsten was a victim in need of the Center's services or simply a volunteer there. History had taught him not to cross Anthony Mears. So again, Curtis kept his mouth shut and his concerns to himself.

"Didn't you follow her? God, do I have to think of everything?"

Curtis took a deep breath. "Yes, I tried to follow her. She wasn't driving though. Someone else was, and they knew what they were doing. It seemed like whoever she was with _did not_ want to be followed."

"So basically, you're useless. Remind me again why my father's paying you?"

"If you'd let me finish, I could give you some information."

"_Fine. Enlighten me, please."_

"From what I've seen, there is some sort of contact going on between the aunt and Kirsten, and it's happening at the Center."

"_Gee, that really helps me a lot._" Sarcasm dripped from the woman's lips yet again. "You know what, just go. I'll figure this out myself. And don't worry, you'll get paid for all of your _help_."

Curtis was about to reply but decided it wasn't worth it. He was glad to be done with this particular assignment. The sooner he got away from Amelia, the better because he couldn't stand to be around her any longer. He couldn't help but think that the girlfriend was lucky to be away from her and hoped that it stayed that way. Curtis simply nodded and took his leave.

Amelia watched him leave and started thinking. The detective was basically useless. How good was he really if he couldn't follow her girlfriend to see where she was living? It wasn't like Kirsten was an expert in defensive driving or could pick up a tail, and Amelia seriously doubted that whoever she was with would be able to as well. _Dammit! I didn't ask him if she was with a man or a woman. She better not be cheating on me if she knows what's good for her. If she is, I swear to god she'll regret it. I already need to put her in her place for embarrassing me like she has. She's going to pay for that, big time. And if she's cheating on me, I swear I will hunt her down, and it will be one of the last things she does. I'll make it so no one else will want her __ever__. They won't even want to look at her. I need to find her. Hmm, maybe that idiot detective was on to something. Maybe, I should check out that center. _

/

"So, _Counselor_, how would you feel about going on a date?"

"_That could be fun. Do you have any one in particular in mind?"_

Bianca could hear her wife smiling over the phone line. "You know you're real cute sometimes. How would feel about going out on a date with me tomorrow night?"

Marissa laughed. _"I would love nothing better. What are the odds I might get lucky on this date?"_

"I'd say they're pretty good."

"_Just pretty good? What if I did that one thing where I take …"_

"I'd say your chances just increased and are pretty damn good."

"_Ooh, I like hearing that. Are we celebrating anything in particular?"_

"Nope. I just feel like taking my gorgeous wife out for a romantic dinner."

"_What did I do to deserve you?"_

"Just lucky I guess." Bianca grinned. "Aya has volunteered to babysit."

"_She has, has she?"_

"Yes, I mentioned wanting to take you out, and she volunteered. Kate's out of town so …"

"_Aya won't be missing her as much if she has the kids to keep her busy."_

"Yeah, pretty much."

"_Well, we know the kids love her and will be excited to have Aunt Aya watch them. Do I get to know where we're going?"_

"Nope. It's a surprise."

"_Hmmm. So let me get this straight. An incredibly smart, beautiful and sexy as all get out woman is taking me out for a romantic dinner and afterwards is going to have her way with me. Yep. I'm totally down with that!"_

The brunette loved how Marissa summarized things. "So am I, especially that last part. Oh, I hate to say this, but I should go. I'm meeting with Diana Holmes in a few minutes."

"_Yeah, I've got a new client coming in so it's probably a good idea to get off of here. Besides, I'm starting to get all kinds of ideas of how you can have your way with me and how I can have my way with you."_

Bianca laughed so hard she snorted. The brunette could just picture her wife waggling her eyebrows. "You're so not right."

"_You wouldn't change a thing, and you know it."_ Marissa grinned.

"No, I wouldn't, not for anything. Love you."

"_Love you too." _

/

Amelia followed Diana from the older woman's home to the Miranda Center. As expected, it was fairly easy for her to do which added to her belief that the private detective the family had hired was truly incompetent. Amelia would have to rethink her position on payment of his work on this case. Unknown to those outside of the Miranda Center staff and board members was the fact that those escorting safe house residents were actually trained in defensive driving, and they never drove directly from the Center to a safe house. They always took long routes with multiple turns designed to throw anyone that might be following them off their track and which also helped ensure the safety of the residents. Amelia now found herself sitting across the street from the Center waiting. She watched Diana enter the building. Thirty minutes later, there was still no sign of Kirsten. Amelia weighed her options and decided to go all in. She hadn't gotten to where she was now without making bold moves and taking chances. Surely she'd be able to bluff and charm her way into gaining the information she needed. Amelia started her car back up and drove into the parking lot. At the present time, there weren't any alerts out on her so the guards let her in. The woman parked and strode confidently into the building with a quickly conceived cover story in place.

_You can do this. Just keep calm, smile and don't show any weakness._

"Hello, I'm Julie. Welcome to the Miranda Center. Can I help you?"

Amelia plastered a smile on her face and addressed the woman greeting her. "Hello, Julie. I'm a blogger, and one of my many followers suggested I do a story on the Center and all of the wonderful things you do here. I was hoping to speak to a current resident of your safe house, off the record of course, and get their story on what they're going through. You know what would really be good? If I could tour your safe house. You know, see how everyone lives and works together there. It would be great PR for this place."

Julie gave the woman a pleasant smile but was immediately on alert. A couple of things about her story seemed off to her. Chiefly among them was the fact that they had multiple safe houses. While their locations weren't know, the fact that there was more than one was. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name."

"My name's Amy."

"Nice to meet you, Amy. I'm sorry, but the Miranda Center has policy of keeping the identity as well as the location of those seeking our assistance private. Their safety and privacy are our utmost concerns. I can give you some material that you can use for your blog though. Anything else, I'm sorry, but we'll have to decline your request."

"But the publicity."

"While that would be nice, it's not our priority. The safety of those needing our help always has been and always will be our first priority. If you have some general questions, I'll be happy to answer them for you."

Amelia was not expecting to be stonewalled like this. She was positive it would be simple for her to get the location of the safe house, but this twit was being difficult. It was then that she caught sight of Diana with a brunette. She needed to get out of there quickly to maintain her cover for future use.

Diana spotted Amelia across the room and pointed her out to Bianca. "Amelia's here."

Bianca turned and looked straight at the other woman. The brunette began to wave someone over, and Amelia reacted by rushing the women. Maybe, she could scare the information out of Diana.

"Where is she? Where is Kirsten? Where are you keeping her dammit?"

"Why the hell would you think I would tell you? You want to beat her up again? That's not going to happen. She's knows exactly who you are, and you are out of her life. She's safe, and she's going to stay that way."

"I've never hurt her. I love her. Why can't you understand that? Anything that I've ever done has been for her own good and to help her."

"Beating her is for own good?! Sending her to hospital with broken bones is for her own good?! Those things are helping her? Are you insane?"

"Diana, please calm down. Ms. Mears, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Bianca stated as calmly as possible. She could see two security guards making their way over to them after having been alerted by Jan. Bianca didn't want Amelia to know though because she thought it could spook her and who knows what the woman would do then.

"Who the hell are you?! I'm not going anywhere, not without Kirsten. Wait, you're sleeping with her, aren't you?! You whore. She's mine. You're not going to keep me away from her." Amelia could feel her rage bubble up and lunged at Bianca before anyone could react.

Bianca wasn't able to move quite fast enough to fend off the attack. She felt blinding pain and only had one thought before everything went black. _Marissa._

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, guess who's back? My evil side got back from vacation and was so well rested that I couldn't stop her from that ending. Like I said, she's really evil sometimes. See you soon!**


	152. Pulling Together

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It's much appreciated. The reaction to the last chapter was pretty much what I thought it would be. My evil side loves the attention. She's like that. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"You're in an awfully good mood. What's up?" Sofia noted the huge grin on the face of her boss. She didn't know if she had ever seen anyone with a smile that big and bright before.

"My brilliant and beyond beautiful wife is taking me out to dinner tomorrow night."

"Lucky you! Any particular reason?"

"Nope. She's doing it just because. What can I say? She's Bianca, and I am one lucky woman!"

"You won't get any argument from me on that. She's pretty lucky too though."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Do you know where you're going?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, I don't. She's not telling and wants it to be a surprise. I'm good with that. In a few months, we won't have the luxury of going out as much or probably won't feel like it."

"I thought you had a long list of people aching to babysit Sparky and the rest of your brood."

"We do, but neither of us wants to take advantage of everyone. Plus, I don't know. I just …"

Sofia smiled knowingly. "You trust each and every one of them, but it's your baby and you don't want to miss anything. I get it. My sister was like that when she had my niece. It's normal. Don't worry about it. They'll understand."

"Thanks." Marissa sighed. "Okay, let's get to work."

/

Jesse stood outside the law offices of Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker. He really didn't like making this type of visit. In fact, he downright hated them. Brot had offered to do this notification for him, but Jesse turned him down. It was something that he had to do. Bianca and Marissa were special and good friends. He had to be the one to do it, and it needed to be done in person. Jesse believed that he owed it to them. The chief took a deep breath to brace himself and went inside. The receptionist recognized his name when he gave it to her and directed him to Marissa's new office when he asked to speak with the redhead. Once there, he was greeted by Ellie.

"Good afternoon. How can I help you?"

"Hello, I'm Jesse Hubbard, Pine Valley police chief. I'd like to see Ms. Tasker please."

Ellie was a little concerned that the chief of police was asking to see her boss. It wasn't that she thought Marissa had done anything wrong. It's just that it was disconcerting that the police chief was here wanting to talk to her, and it didn't look like it was a social visit. "I'm sorry, but she's in a meeting right now. It should be over shortly if you'd like to wait."

"This can't wait. It's important that I talk with her now. I'm going to need you to interrupt her meeting for me."

The secretary nodded getting his message loud and clear. Ellie picked up her phone and buzzed her boss. "Marissa, I'm sorry to interrupt, but Chief Hubbard is here and needs to speak with you."

"_Send him in."_

Ellie disconnected the call and addressed Jesse. "You can go right in, Chief."

"Thank you." Jesse nodded and headed towards the office.

/

Marissa was high alert the instant Ellie told her Jesse was outside and needed to talk to her. Something was definitely wrong. "I'm sorry, Sofia, but we need to cut this short. Jesse Hubbard needs to talk to me."

"Is everything alright?"

"I have no idea, but I don't have a good feeling about this."

A brief knock on the door announced Jesse's arrival. The chief opened the door and walked inside.

"Marissa, I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to talk."

"Is everything okay, Jesse?"

The chief glanced at Sofia and nodded in recognition. He remembered her from the firm's celebration and knew that she worked for Marissa and wasn't a client.

"There's been an incident."

"What kind of incident? Did something happen to Bianca? Is she alright?"

"I need you to calm down and have a seat. I'll tell you what I know."

Marissa didn't budge one inch. "Jesse, just tell me what happened. Is Bianca alright? Has she been hurt?"

"A woman by the name of Amelia Mears came to the Center earlier and was looking for her former girlfriend, a woman by the name of …"

"Kirsten Tanner. Yeah, I know all about that relationship. Kirsten's been staying in a safe house because of Amelia's abuse. Dammit, Jesse. What about Bianca?"

"This woman, Amelia, attacked Bianca. She's been taken to the hospital. I don't know the extent of her injuries at this time, but I was told by paramedics that they weren't life threatening. I'll take you to the hospital if you'd like."

Marissa was already pulling her purse out of her desk drawer and disconnecting her cellphone from its charger. "Let's go. Sofia, I really need to have Ellie call Susan and see if she can watch the kids for us, and tell her I'll call her later to check on them. Then, I need to have Ellie cancel all of my appointments for the rest of the day."

Sofia nodded. "Don't worry about the kids or anything here. I'll make sure everything's taken care of. Bianca's going to be fine. Just go."

"Thank you. Jesse, please, let's go."

Jesse had to scramble to keep up with Marissa. He may have had several inches on her, but with the redhead was practically flying down the hallway, not that he could blame her one bit, the police chief had to run to keep pace with her. Jesse was a little surprised she was holding it together as well as she was but suspected that could very easily change if they didn't get to Bianca quickly.

They reached the police cruiser Jesse was driving and got in. Once they were belted in, Jesse chanced a quick glance at Marissa. The redhead was pale and quiet, and it had the chief a little concerned over her condition. He knew she was pregnant and that stress like this wasn't good for her or the baby. Jesse flipped on the cruiser's lights and siren and pulled out, racing to the hospital as fast and as safely as he could.

Marissa was sending up silent prayers and willing Jesse to drive faster. Bianca had to be alright. She just had to be. The redhead didn't know what she would do if she wasn't. What was she going to tell the kids? What was she going to tell Erica and Kendall? _Please let Bianca be alright. I need her so much. I don't know that I can do this without her. I love her so much. We're supposed to spend our lives together. I can't lose her. Please. No, I can't go there. Please, God, please let her be okay._

/

Ellie watched as Marissa dashed by her with Jesse on her heels. Whatever happened wasn't good. The secretary glanced at Sofia who had left the redhead's office after her.

Sofia was making a quick mental list of what needed to be done and then went into action. "Ellie, I need you to do a few things for me right away."

"What do you need?"

"I need you to get our team together as soon as possible. We'll meet here."

"Okay. That's easy enough to do. What else?"

"See if Caleb is available. I need to speak with him privately." Sofia knew that, out of the four other partners. Marissa was closest with Jack and Caleb. She also knew Jack was offsite today meeting with one of their largest clients. If he was free, Sofia knew that Caleb would be the one she would need to talk to about what was going on. "After that, I need you to get me Susan Lester's number and then I'll need you to cancel the rest of Marissa's appointments for today."

"Anything else?"

"That should do it for now."

"Is everything alright, Sofia? I know Susan is the kids' babysitter."

"I'll explain everything as soon as the rest of the team is here." It was then that she saw Caleb walking by and flagged him down.

"Sofia, what can I do for you?"

"Could we speak for a minute in private? We can use Marissa's office."

"Lead the way."

Ellie began making the necessary calls as the two lawyers met behind closed doors.

/

"And Jesse gave no indication of how badly Bianca was hurt?" Caleb asked after they were seated in the guest chairs in Marissa's office and Sofia had told him about Jesse's visit.

"No, he didn't. The only thing he said was that the paramedics didn't believe her injuries were life threatening."

"How was Marissa?"

"She was holding it together somehow. She just really needed to get to Bianca. That was her main focus, understandably. Well, that and making sure the kids were taken care of. She asked us to contact their babysitter. Ellie's getting me her number, and I'll tell her what I know and make sure she's good with watching the kids until we know more. I don't feel it's our decision to make as to what to tell the kids. That's something for Marissa to decide. I'm sure Susan will agree."

Caleb nodded. "I think you're right. Erica or Kendall might have some insight on that as well. Marissa most likely hasn't had a chance to inform them of what's happened since she just found out herself. I know she'll be calling them as soon as she can. Alright, I'll let the other partners know what's going on, and I'll also make sure Jack knows what's happened. Bianca is just like a daughter to him."

"I know. I'm going to inform the team. There's no doubt in my mind they'll want to know. We'll make sure everything is taken care of here for her."

"Good. Marissa was very smart when she picked her team. She believes in you and that's good enough for me. If any of you need anything at all, let me know. Alright, I'll go inform Geoff and Bryce. Between the three of us, we'll get ahold of Jack. If you hear anything more, let me know."

"I will. I have a feeling that Brian will want to go over to the hospital and be there for Marissa. I'll make sure he keeps all of us informed."

/

"What's going on, Ellie? What's with the last minute meeting? You know that no good ever comes from them." Brandon noted.

"I honestly don't know exactly what's going on. Marissa and Sofia were meeting when Chief Hubbard arrived and asked to speak with Marissa. The next thing I know, the two of them are leaving and Sofia's wanting me to call all of you to meet. She's in there talking with Caleb right now."

"There's a valid reason for all of this then. Sofia wouldn't do any of this without good cause." Claudia stated.

Just then, the door to Marissa's office opened and Caleb stepped out. He nodded to the assembled group and left to make his calls.

Sofia had followed Caleb to the door. When she saw the team was already there, she motioned them inside. Everyone found a seat, but Marissa's chair was left empty. Sofia leaned against the redhead's desk and addressed the group.

/

"Okay. I'm sure Ellie told you that Chief Hubbard was here earlier and spoke with Marissa. Soon after, the two of them left." Seeing the others nod, Sofia continued. "There was an incident at the Miranda Center."

"What kind of incident?" Claudia asked.

"He didn't give a lot of detail, but he did say that the ex-girlfriend of one of the Center's clients was there trying to see her. I'm not sure what happened exactly, but the woman attacked Bianca."

A collective gasp was released by the group.

"Oh my god. Is Bianca alright?" Lisa knew how much the couple loved each other and knew that Marissa has to be beside herself.

"Chief Hubbard didn't know for sure. The paramedics that responded reported that they didn't believe her injuries were life threatening. Marissa left to go to the hospital and be with her. Don't worry. She didn't drive. Chief Hubbard took her. Obviously, Marissa needs to concentrate on Bianca and the kids. I told her we would take care of everything of here. Ellie's working on clearing her schedule for today. I let Caleb know what's going on, and he's going to inform the other partners, including Jack. He said to let him know if we need anything. As to the kids …"

"I've got Susan's number for you." Ellie handed Sofia a slip of paper.

"Thanks."

Brian had sat listening to everything and turned to face Lisa. The two held a silent conversation, and the blonde nodded. Brian stood. "I'm going to go to the hospital. Marissa shouldn't be alone right."

Sofia had expected this. The two were close and were jokingly referred to as each other's work spouse around the office. "I think that's a good idea. Someone should be with her. Keep us informed?"

"I'll take the rest of your appointments for today. My schedule's free because I was moving offices." Lisa offered.

"Thanks. I'll let you know as soon as I know something." Brian said before heading out.

Lisa turned to Sofia. "If you'd like, I could call Susan. I know her a little."

"If you're sure, that would be great. Thank you." Sofia handed the paper with the babysitter's number on it to Lisa before continuing. "Claudia, we all know Marissa's plans for when she goes on maternity leave. She plans on having you take the lead here with me handling the Miranda Center. I think this might be a good time for somewhat of a test run of that."

"I suppose you're right. You've handled everything today perfectly. I honestly can't think of anything that you've missed. That being said, we should think about tomorrow. I'm going to assume the best case scenario here that Bianca's injuries aren't serious. I really hope that's the case. Even with that, I don't see Marissa back here tomorrow or Bianca back at the Center. I could be wrong and hope I am, but if Bianca had to be taken to the hospital, it's probably a pretty safe assumption."

Brandon nodded. "I think you're right. What do you need?"

"Let's do this. Sofia, why don't you contact the Center? See what is going on over there. Maybe they can give you some more information about what happened today. No matter what though, I think they may need our help, and Marissa would want us to make sure the Center was okay."

"I agree. I can shift my remaining meetings around today and take care of what they need. That leads us to tomorrow."

"Yes, it does. I think the best way to tackle this is for us to review our schedules for tomorrow. Ellie, I'll need you to pull up Marissa's. We can determine what absolutely needs to be covered. Then, we can shift things around as needed. Does that sound good to everyone?"

The other nodded in agreement.

"I'll go pull up everyone's calendars and get copies for us to review." Ellie volunteered.

"While she's doing that, I'm going to go call Susan. We don't want to wait too long to do that."

"You're right, Lisa. We don't. Thanks."

"Let me try and get ahold of the Center now."

"Hey, Sofia. If by chance they don't answer, I do have Jan's and Aya's phone numbers."

"I didn't think about that, Lisa. They may not answer. Marissa said they have procedures in place for emergencies where they might have to lock down the Center temporarily. Let me try the main number, but I may need theirs."

/

Jesse pulled up to the hospital's entrance knowing that parking the car and expecting Marissa to walk back was out of the question since he knew she would want to get to Bianca as soon as possible. Marissa was out of the car like a shot and raced into the emergency room. She was desperate in her need to find Bianca, to see her, to know that she was okay. The redhead was barely holding on to her emotions by a thread that was fraying quickly. If she didn't find something out about her wife soon, she was pretty sure she was going to lose it.

Marissa scanned the room for someone she might know that would be able to help her. It was then she spotted Frankie Hubbard.

"Frankie!"

"Hey, Marissa." The doctor's easy smile quickly faded when he saw her near frantic expression. "Is everything alright?"

"I don't know, but I hope so. God, I hope. Bianca was brought in. Your dad didn't know how serious her injuries were."

"My Dad? Where is he?"

Marissa froze briefly. She honestly had no idea. The last time she saw him was when he pulled up out front and she got out of the car. "I don't know. Frankie, Bianca was attacked at the Center. I _need_ to know how she is. Please help me."

"Alright. Alright, I will. Have a seat, try and be calm, and I'll see what I can find out for you. Stay here."

"I'm not going anywhere." Marissa took a seat. One of her legs started bouncing nervously. She needed to do something. She reached for her cellphone and made a call she was dreading. It needed to be made though and quickly.

/

"_Hey, Red. What's up?"_

"Kendall, uh."

"_Marissa, what's wrong?" _ Kendall's easy tone disappeared immediately. She knew by the shaky response from her sister-in-law that something was wrong.

"It's Bianca. She was attacked earlier at the Center."

"_What?! Is she alright?"_

"I don't … I don't know, Kendall. I just got here. Frankie's trying to find out for me now. The only thing Jesse was able to tell me was that a paramedic told him that he didn't think her injuries were life threatening. I …"

Kendall felt slightly relieved hearing that and was already gathering her things to leave. _"What about the kids?"_

"Sofia is going to get ahold of Susan for me and ask her to watch them until she hears from me."

"_Have you called Mom yet?"_

"No, I haven't. You're my first call. To be honest, I don't know what to tell her."

"_Okay, don't worry about that. I'll take care of calling her. I'm on my way. Hang in there, Marissa."_

"I'm trying. I could really use you here though."

"_I'm leaving right now."_

/

Marissa disconnected the call and took a shaky breath. She said another prayer. _Please don't take her away her from me and the kids. It's taken us both so long to find our other halves. I need her. The kids need her. Our little one needs her. I can't imagine my life without her. Please, please let her be okay. I haven't asked for a lot in my life, but I'm asking now. Please._

"Hey."

"Brian." Marissa's tear filled eyes met those of her friend.

"Any word?" Brian asked as he took a seat next to the redhead. He'd broken a few speeding laws on his way to the hospital, but he needed to there for his friend. Brian new that she'd do exactly the same thing for him.

"Not yet. Frankie Hubbard is trying to find something out for me."

"I'm glad you didn't try and drive yourself here and let Jesse bring you. Where is he?"

Marissa nodded to the other side of the room where she had spotted Jesse appear a few minutes earlier taking to one of his officers. "He over there."

"How are you holding up?"

"Honestly, I'm going a little nuts here. I don't know what's taking them so long to let me know how she's doing, what her condition is, something. Dammit, Brian. She's got to be alright. She just has to be."

"She will be, Marissa. Bianca is one of the strongest people I know, and she loves you more than anything. The two of you have a long and happy life ahead of you. Plus, you've got Sparky joining your terrific family in a few months. There's no way she's not going to be around for that. She's going to fight like hell. No, Bianca's way too stubborn. She comes by it honestly. Look at her Mom. Look at her sister."

"What about me?"

Brian glanced up and saw Kendall eyeing him. He knew he could play this one of three ways, back off his statement, plow forward or a playful combination. The first would get him out of hot water with Kendall. The other two might help distract Marissa a little. Brian decided to take one for the team. "I'm merely pointing out to your sister-in-law that the Kane women are known far and wide as strong, fierce women who aren't afraid to take on all-comers. They are unyielding and unwavering and a little ruthless sometimes, except for Bianca. The Kane women fight and refuse to lose. They are …"

Kendall knew immediately what Brian was doing for his friend, and she was grateful for it. She decided to play along a little bit hoping it would help Marissa. "You're using a lot of words, counselor, to say we're stubborn."

"Well, if the shoe fits …"

"Isn't that considered slander?"

"Not if it's the truth." Brian quipped.

"Hmmm, you seem to be forgetting one important fact there, Brian."

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"My sister-in-law, your boss, is a kickass attorney who loves a good fight. I have a feeling she might enjoy sparring with you and defending the honor of her favorite in-laws. Oh yeah, we also made her an honorary Kane woman."

A small smile made its way across Marissa's face as she listened to her sister-in-law and her best friend banter. She knew what they were doing and why, and the redhead loved them for it. "Kendall may have you there, Brian. You really don't want to be on Erica's bad side. Besides, don't you know that all Kane women have each other's backs?"

"Yeah, you make some pretty valid points. I have nothing but the utmost respect for the Kane women, and if we're being honest here, you all kinda scare me a little."

Kendall smiled. "Smart man. Nice to know we still have it."

Marissa was out of chair in the blink of an eye when she saw Frankie finally return. "Frankie, how's Bianca? Where is she? I need to see her."

The doctor knew it was useless to have her sit down. She'd been waiting for a while now. "She was in x-ray before. That's why it took me so long to get back here. Jake's taking care of her right now and so is Dr. Torres."

Marissa recognized the doctor's name from her stay in the hospital. "She needs a neurologist? Stop beating around the bush and trying to sugarcoat things for me, Frankie. Just tell me."

"Sorry. She's in serious but stable condition. We're listing her as serious because she has a concussion. Protocol requires us to list all patients with concussions or other types of head injuries as being in serious condition until they have been fully evaluated. Dr. Torres is examining her now, and her preliminary exam points to this being a mild concussion. Bianca did not lose consciousness so that is a very good sign. She has some other minor injuries that Jake is treating. She's going to be alright."

To say Marissa was relieved would be a huge understatement. A tremendous weight was lifted off of her shoulders hearing that Bianca was going to be okay. Kendall was equally relieved. Bianca was the glue that kept their family together, that kept Erica and Kendall from tearing each other apart sometimes that kept them out of trouble for the most part. She was their heart and soul.

"Would you like to see her?"

Marissa raised an eyebrow at the no-brainer of a question. "Seriously? You really have to ask? Of course I want to see her." Marissa glanced over at Kendall and saw her sister-in-law equally relieved and eager. "We both do. Let's go."

Frankie smiled. "Sorry. Forgot who I was talking to for a minute. Follow me."

Marissa looked at Brian. "Are you coming?"

"I'll be right behind you. I'm just going to give the folks back at the office the good news."

"Come up to the 3rd floor when you're done." Frankie said as he led an immensely relieved Marissa and Kendall away.

Brian sighed in relief and was very happy and grateful to be able to pass along this news.

/

Marissa paced in the waiting room while she and Kendall waited for either of Bianca's doctors to make an appearance to give them an update on her condition and the all-clear to see her. Kendall was keeping a close eye on the redhead. She knew Bianca would want her to. To be honest, Marissa was like a sister to Kendall, and she loved her dearly. While she could see her sister-in-law was relieved with the early prognosis given to them by Frankie, Kendall knew Marissa wouldn't relax until she saw Bianca, spoke with Dr. Torres and had Bianca home. Kendall also knew this stress wasn't good for either Marissa or the baby. The brunette was trying to figure out the best way to say 'calm down' without actually saying it. She couldn't think of many other things that were worse to say to someone with fraying nerves than that. If anything, those words only served to have the exact opposite effect, and that was something she wanted to avoid. No, the only thing Marissa truly needed right now was to know that Bianca would be alright. Kendall had to admit that she needed the exact same thing. The brunette was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized Marissa had stopped pacing and had taken the seat next to hers.

"Were you able to get ahold of Erica?"

"What? Sorry, I kind of zoned out there for a minute. Yes, I talked to her on the way over, and I expect her here any minute."

"Maybe she'll be able to get them to give us an update." Marissa was frustrated she still hadn't spoken with either Jake or Dr. Torres. Part of her understood they were examining Bianca and that was causing the delay, but the other part of her didn't understand why they couldn't send someone out to give her a damn update.

"How did Erica take the news?"

Erica was worried beyond words when she heard Bianca was injured. Rage followed when she heard that her youngest daughter was attacked. Erica would be on the warpath as soon as she was assured of Bianca's condition. Come to think of it, Erica wouldn't be the only one on that path. Kendall would be joining her, and they would actually be behind Marissa. She also knew that there would be a long line of people behind the three of them. Erica was called 'Pine Valley's Favorite Daughter', but that wasn't exactly true. That title really belonged to Bianca, and everyone knew it. Kendall was about to respond to the redhead's question when the women saw Jake heading their way.

Marissa darted from her seat and met the doctor halfway. Kendall was right on her heels.

"How's Bianca? Can I see her?"

Jake was about to ask both women to have a seat, but judging by their expressions which were mixtures of worry, frustration and exhaustion, he decided against it. "I'm sorry for the delay. I had finished my examination of Bianca and was with another patient while Dr. Torres was finishing running some tests on her. She just gave me an update and confirmed Bianca sustained a mild concussion, and there is no permanent damage."

"Thank God!"

"She has a sprained wrist and some bruises, but that along with her concussion is the extent of her injuries. She will be sore for a few days, but we expect her to make a complete recovery."

Marissa and Kendall hugged each other and wiped away tears of joy and relief.

"Can I see her, please?" Marissa pleaded.

"Of course. She's been asking for you."

"Knowing her, she's probably been wanting them to check on you to make sure you're okay and not stressed out." Kendall smiled.

"I wouldn't put it past her." Marissa saw the amused look on Jake's face. "Oh my god, she has been, hasn't she?"

"Yeah, she has. Come on. I'll take you back."

"You two go ahead. I'll wait here for Mom to keep her from storming the place and scaring the staff."

"Are you sure, Kendall? I know you want to see her."

"I'm sure, Red." Kendall knew the couple would both want and need a few minutes alone before they became inundated with visitors. "Tell Binx I love her and will be back to see her shortly."

Marissa squeezed her sister-in-law's hand. She knew exactly what Kendall was doing and why, and she was beyond grateful. "I will. Thank you."

The redhead paused briefly. There was a question that had been nagging her since Jake greeted them, and she had to ask it.

"Jake, that other patient you were seeing? Her name wouldn't happen to be Amelia Mears, would it?"

The doctor's expression said it all and confirmed Marissa's suspicions.

"I can't …"

Marissa stopped him. "I'm sorry. I know you can't tell me, and that it would be a HIPPA violation if you did. I understand."

"Who is Amelia Mears, Red?"

"The woman who attacked Bianca and put her in here. Do me a favor, Kendall?"

"Anything." The brunette had an idea of what it was Marissa wanted after hearing her answer.

"Let Jesse know she's here if he doesn't already know."

"My pleasure."

The two women shared a look that would have sent shivers down the spine of anyone caught in its path. Both were on the same page. Amelia Mears would _not_ be going anywhere anytime soon if they had anything to say about it, and they were going to make damn sure they did. Marissa and Kendall nodded in understanding to each other. First, they would make sure Bianca truly was okay. She was their main priority. After they were assured of her condition, Amelia would be dealt with.

**/**

**A/N: No actual Bianca in this chapter (blame my evil side for that), but I promise she'll be in the next one.**


	153. Storm Clouds

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I know I sound like a broken record, but I really do appreciate it! It's hard to believe I'm approaching 900 reviews! That just blows me away. I never could've imagined that, so thank you. Okay, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. There is a large section in _italics_ which is a flashback. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

"_That's great news, Brian. Marissa has to be relieved."_

"She is, Lisa, but she'll be even more so when she actually sees Bianca. I think having Kendall with her is helping her a lot."

"_I'm sure you're right. It's probably good for Kendall too. I know how close she and Bianca are. Have you seen Erica yet?"_

"Not yet, but I know she's on her way. Kendall called her and let her know what was going on. Was Caleb able to get ahold of Jack?"

"_Yes, he was. Bryce is going to finish up the negotiations with the client while Jack goes to the hospital. You'll be seeing him soon."_

"Were you able to get ahold of Susan? If she can't watch the kids, I know Stef won't have a problem watching them."

"_I talked to her, and Susan said it's not a problem. She'll pick them up from school and stay there as long as they need her to. She figures she can keep them distracted for a while. I'll call her with an update when we're done."_

"That's good to hear. I'll let Marissa know that. What about the Center?"

"_It was on lockdown because of what happened, but we were able to get through to Jan. Sofia is over there now helping them sort through everything. The police are questioning everyone about what happened. Once they finish giving their statements, I have no doubt that you'll have some more company over there."_

"I don't doubt that at all. They love Bianca. Okay, I better go. I want to call Stef real quick and let her know what's going on and that I might be late getting home. Then, I want to get back to Marissa."

"_I'll let everyone here know what you told me, and then, I'll call Sofia. She can pass on the news to everyone at the Center. Give Marissa and Bianca my love. I'll stop by when I'm done here."_

"I'll let them know. See you later."

Brian disconnected the call and then dialed his wife. The call went to her voicemail since she was still in class.

"Hey, it's me. I might be a little late tonight. There was an incident at the Miranda Center, and Bianca was attacked. She's in the hospital. That's where I am now. The initial diagnosis the doctor gave Marissa is that Bianca's going to okay. She and Kendall just went up to see her. I'm going to go up there now and see how things are. I want to stick around here for a little longer just to make sure that Marissa's alright and doesn't need anything. She's hanging in there as well as can be expected. Give me a call when you get this, and hopefully, I'll be able to give you some really good news. Oh, don't worry about the kids. They've got it covered. Susan's going to be watching them. Okay, I'm going to go. I love you, Stef."

/

Brian saw Erica rush in as he ended his call. The diva looked fit to be tied and was giving the nurse manning the admissions desk an earful. He figured it was best for everyone if he stepped in.

"Where is my daughter? I demand to know her condition this instant. Who are her doctors? She's to get the best care possible. I know the chief of staff, and if she doesn't, heads will roll."

"I might be able to help out, Erica."

The diva whipped around and saw Brian standing behind her. Erica was glad to see her daughter-in-law's best friend. His presence told her that Marissa hadn't been there alone. He would also be able to help Erica locate her family. "Brian. Where is Bianca, and is she alright? Is Marissa with her? Is Kendall there too?"

Brian nodded. "Frankie took Marissa and Kendall up to see Bianca. They are on the 3rd floor. I was just heading up there now. I'll tell you everything I know on the way up."

Erica felt some of her anxiety ease by his calm demeanor and took the arm Brian offered her. "Thank you."

The two made their way to the elevator, and Brian began to relate all he knew.

/

"Her initial diagnosis according to Frankie is a mild concussion, and she hasn't lost consciousness this whole time. Her doctor is the same one Marissa had."

"Dr. Torres. She's very good." Erica remembered the doctor and had been extremely pleased with her care and treatment of her daughter-in-law.

"Yes, she is. Jake is treating her other injuries which Frankie said were minor."

Erica closed her eyes and released a relieved sigh. The diva had had a brief flashback to the time Bianca was in a coma when Kendall had called to tell her she was injured and in the hospital. The fact that she hadn't lost consciousness was a good sign indeed. "How is Marissa holding up?"

"As well as can be expected. Kendall's with her so you know she's looking out for her. I think once she sees Bianca she'll be a lot better though."

"I'm sure you're right. What happened? Kendall didn't have many details when she called me."

"From what I've been told, there was an incident at the Center. A woman by the name of Amelia Mears was looking for her ex-girlfriend. Her name is Kirsten Tanner. Amelia had been abusing her, and Kirsten finally left and is staying in one of the Center's shelters. It seems that when Amelia showed up, she wasn't happy that no one would tell her where Kirsten was, and she went after Bianca. The only other thing I know is that Amelia's family has money and is pretty well connected in Llanview."

"Well, this isn't Llanview, now is it?" Erica huffed. "If this woman and her family believe they can get away with hurting my daughter, they are sorely mistaken."

"I couldn't agree more. Oh, I've heard that Jack is on his way here."

"Yes, he is. You'll have to thank your team for me for getting ahold of him."

The two stepped out of the elevator and walked to the waiting room where Kendall was seated.

/

Kendall glanced up and saw her mother and Brian walking her way. She answered Erica's question before her mother had a chance to ask it. "Bianca's going to be okay."

"Oh thank goodness!" Erica hugged her oldest daughter and felt relief flooding through her. "You've spoken with the doctor then?"

"Jake came out and talked to us. Dr. Torres was still back with Bianca wrapping up a few things. She has a mild concussion, but there's no permanent damage. She also has a sprained wrist and some bruises. Jake said she's going to be sore for a few days, but they expect a full recovery."

"The only better news would be that she wasn't here at all. Is Marissa back with her?"

"Yes, she is. I thought they could use a little time alone before everyone descended on them."

Erica nodded. "I believe that was the right decision as well. How is Marissa holding up?"

Kendall pondered the question for a moment. "I think she's doing okay. Better now than she was since we know that Bianca is going to be okay. She definitely was stressed earlier but was holding it together. I have a feeling things could change slightly though when she is able to think more about what happened."

"What do you mean?"

"It seems the woman who attacked Bianca was injured somehow and is a patient here as well."

Brian couldn't believe what he'd just heard. He'd had no indication of this from Lisa when he'd talked with her. Odds were she didn't know. If she did, Brian was positive she would've said something to him. "Seriously? Do you know why?"

Kendall shook her head. "I don't have any specific details about anything. All Jake said was that he had treated her. Well actually, he didn't say he treated _her_ specifically. Marissa guessed for some reason. I guess she just had a feeling. Jake was surprised but did not deny it. Before she went back to see Bianca, Marissa wanted me to make sure Jesse knew she was here."

This was news to Erica. If the woman that had hurt her daughter was there, Erica was going to make damn sure she didn't just walk out. No, she was going to pay. "That _woman_ is here? Where is Jesse?"

The elevator doors opened to reveal the chief of police and Greenlee. The smaller brunette had headed over to the hospital as soon as she wrapped up a meeting. She and Jesse had exchanged a few words on the way up. While Jesse had an idea of what had happened, Greenlee didn't. That changed however when she saw the other three looking their way.

"I could have this wrong, but I seriously doubt it. I'm pretty sure that those three are talking about you. What's going on, Jesse?"

/

"Please, Bianca, we're almost done. Just a few more minutes."

"I told you I'm fine, Dr. Torres. There's no need for me to be here. The only thing I need right now is to see my wife and make sure _she's_ okay. She's pregnant, and her worrying about me unnecessarily is not good for her or our little one."

"Given the fact that you're in a hospital right now, I don't see it as worrying unnecessarily about you." Marissa said as she stood in the doorway of Bianca's room. Hazel eyes scanned her wife, and while she was alarmed to see the brunette hooked up to several machines and some obvious bruising on her arms, Marissa was relieved to see Bianca and hear her attempting to dismiss her own condition in favor of the redhead's. This meant that Bianca was, well, Bianca.

"Rissa!"

"Hey." Marissa had to restrain herself from running over to her wife's side when she saw the doctor. The last thing she wanted to do was something that might further harm Bianca. "Hello, Dr. Torres."

The doctor smiled in acknowledgment. "Hello, Marissa. It's fine. Come on in. Maybe with you here, your wife will cooperate."

Marissa kissed her wife tenderly and took one of Bianca's hands in her own. "Are you giving the doctors a hard time?"

Bianca made a face. "No, I was just worried about you. I'm not hurt that bad, and you don't need to be worrying about me and stressing out. It's not good for you and our little one."

The redhead shook her head. Sometimes, her wife could be so stubborn. "So you said. Bianca, you have a concussion. That's not something to be taken lightly. It's serious, and you are going to do what Dr. Torres says understand? This is about you and making sure that you're okay. Sparky and I are good. Got it?"

"Yes, I got it." Bianca pouted.

"Good. Thank you, and I love you." Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss.

"I love you too."

Marissa turned to the doctor. "Dr. Torres, I think she'll behave for you now."

Dr. Torres chuckled. The couple hadn't changed since she had seen them last year. "Thank you, Marissa. If you're willing to stand over to the side, I'm good with you staying."

The redhead did as asked and watched carefully as Bianca followed the doctor's instructions. Marissa wanted nothing more than to take Bianca in her arms, but this exam was important.

"Very good. We're all finished." Dr. Torres motioned Marissa back over, and the redhead immediately took her place by Bianca's side with their hands entwining immediately.

"As I told you earlier, Bianca, you have a mild concussion. The MRI we performed shows no signs of brain swelling. Your cognitive functions are good as well. You do have some sensitivity to light, some dizziness, nausea and a hellacious headache, but those are all normal symptoms with a concussion. Now that I've finished your tests and thoroughly assessed your condition, I can give you something for the pain. This will help not only with your headache but with the pain you're experiencing with your wrist. As Dr. Martin told you earlier, you need to keep that brace on it for a week, and the only time you can take it off is when you bathe. He'll reevaluate your condition next week. What I told you regarding Marissa's treatment when she was my patient applies to you as well. You need to take it easy and rest. That means no physical or mental exertion, and I'm ordering you to stay home from work the rest of the week."

"When you say 'stay home from work', Dr. Torres, does that mean no work at all for her? In other words, no reading reports, reviewing budgets, conference calls with the office or donors, interviewing candidates for open positions and planning events?" Marissa asked the doctor while clearly making a point to Bianca.

"That's exactly what I mean. No work, Bianca. Your brain needs to rest."

Bianca scowled. There was a lot to do at the Center, and she really didn't think she could afford to take the time off.

"I know what you're thinking, B. You heard the doctor though, and don't think I'm not going to tell Jan and Aya all of this. Between them and your Mom and Kendall, I've got all the help I need to keep you in line. For good measure, I could tell the kids to make sure you're behaving. You _know_ the three of them will keep an eye on you." Marissa grinned.

"You don't play fair." Bianca's scowl increased.

"When it comes to your health, you're right, I don't. You don't with mine. So, why should I with yours?"

Bianca knew when she was beaten. "Fine, no work until next week. So, Dr. Torres, when can I go home?"

Marissa's gaze quickly flew to the doctor. More than anything, she wanted Bianca home but only if it was what was best for her wife.

Dr. Torres eyed the couple and paused. She knew this question was coming and had been giving it careful thought as she reviewed Bianca's test results. "I want you to stay here for a couple of more hours. This pain medication will be kicking in soon so you'll nod off for a little while. I'm trying to keep things as calm as possible for you right now. When you wake up after your nap, I'll check you out one more time, and then, you can go home."

The couple smiled in relief.

"There are a few things I want to go over with both of you. Marissa, if you see any of Bianca's symptoms increase, I want you to call me right away and bring her back here immediately."

"I will."

"Also, for tonight, I'll need you to check on her every four hours just to make sure there are no changes in her condition."

"I can do that."

"Rissa, you need your rest."

"It's not a problem. I'll sleep when you do. We'll both be off tomorrow and can rest then while the kids are in school." Marissa noted the expression on her wife's face. "What? You really didn't expect me to go to work tomorrow did you?"

"No, you're right. I guess I didn't."

"Alright, I'm going to leave you two alone for a few minutes to grab some information for Marissa, but I'll be back to check on you." Dr. Torres left the couple alone.

Bianca shifted in her bed to make room for Marissa. "Join me?"

Marissa smiled and slid in next to her wife taking her in her arms. "Always. How are you feeling?"

"Better. The stuff Dr. Torres gave me seems to be working." Bianca sighed as rested in Marissa's arms. "What about the kids?"

"What about them? Do you mean what are we going to tell them?"

"Yeah. I don't want them to be worried or scared."

"I don't want to go into too many details because that could scare them and make them think you did something wrong, which you didn't. I figure we can tell them you were helping someone, and somebody else didn't like it. You got hurt in the process, but you're going to be okay. The person who hurt you is going to face the consequences for doing so."

"That should work for now. I'm sure they'll have more questions tomorrow. We have to get them to school."

"I'm going to call Susan with an update in a few minutes, tell her not to tell them anything since we can tell them when we get home, and ask her if she can drop them off at school tomorrow."

"Okay. I don't want you driving if you're up all night with me."

"Are you up for telling me what happened?"

"Yeah, I am. I know I'm going to have to give a statement to the police."

"Yes, you are because I meant what I said about the person who hurt you facing the consequences for it." Marissa stated seriously.

Bianca knew there was no dissuading her wife from that opinion, and she wouldn't be deterred either if this had happened to her. Actually, she hadn't been. Bianca had made sure that Brennan paid for almost killing Marissa. The brunette nodded and related what happened. "From what I could piece together Amelia followed Diana to the Center. She came inside and introduced herself to Julie as a blogger by the name of Amy who wanted to do a write-up on the Center. She said she wanted to interview one of our clients and visit a shelter, which would never happen. Diana was leaving my office and spotted her. That's when everything went all to hell."

/

"_Where is she?! Where is Kirsten?! Where are you keeping her dammit?!" Amelia screamed._

"_Why the hell would you think I would tell you? You want to beat her up again? That's not going to happen. She's knows exactly who you are, and you are out of her life, permanently. She's safe, and she's going to stay that way." Diana fired back._

"_I've never hurt her. I love her. Why can't you understand that? Anything that I've ever done has been for her own good and to help her."_

"_Are you listening to yourself? Beating her is for her own good?! Sending her to hospital with broken bones is for her own good?! Those things are helping her? Are you insane?"_

"_Diana, please calm down. Ms. Mears, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." Bianca stated as calmly as possible, trying to diffuse the situation. She could see two security guards making their way over to them after having been alerted by Jan. Bianca didn't want Amelia to know this though because she thought it could spook her and who knows what the woman would do then._

"_Who the hell are you?! I'm not going anywhere, not without Kirsten. Wait, you're sleeping with her, aren't you?! You whore! She's mine. You're not going to keep me away from her." Amelia could feel her rage bubble up and lunged at Bianca before anyone could react._

_Bianca wasn't able to move quite fast enough to fend off the attack. Amelia grabbed the brunette and shoved her hard into a nearby wall. Bianca's head slammed into the concrete causing waves of blinding pain and a moment of nothingness. Bianca then felt the woman grab fistfuls of hair and sling her towards the floor. The brunette was able to put her right hand out at the last minute stopping her head from hitting a desk. While this saved her from further head trauma, it caused her hand to bend back awkwardly and absorb her entire weight. Bianca crumpled to the ground in pain and could feel more than see Amelia gearing up for another attack. It was then that Bianca heard Jan next to her, the assistant's worried voice creeping in. The next person the brunette heard was Aya shouting._

"_Get the hell away from Bianca!"_

"_What are you going to about it, bitch?"_

"_I'm giving you one last warning."_

"_Right, like you're going to be able to stop me." Amelia spat as she began to charge._

"_Hell no!" Aya shouted and fired the Taser gun. It was a direct hit and caused the woman to drop to the ground immediately and spasm. "I warned her. Get some restraints on her now, and oh, watch out for the mess she just made on the floor."_

"_Bianca, Bianca, stay with me." Jan pleaded._

_The brunette tried to focus on her assistant. _

"_Thata girl. Hang in there for me, alright?"_

"_I'll try. Is, is everyone okay?"_

"_She only got you. Aya had to tase her."_

"_Let's get her secured. Move her to one of the huddle rooms until the police get here and deal with her. The Center is in lockdown, no one in or out." Aya started directing everyone and threw a worried glance in Jan's direction. "How's Bianca?"_

"_Okay, I think. Her head hit that wall pretty hard. I really don't think we should move her."_

"_I think you're right. We don't want to risk further injuring her. Hang in there for us, Bianca." Aya turned to the concerned crowd beginning to form around their boss. "I know you're all worried about Bianca, but she needs some air so let's give that to her please. You know that Jan is taking good care of her. Who called the police?"_

"_I did. They're on their way and so is an ambulance."_

"_Good." Aya saw two guards, Bruce and Charlie, lifting Amelia, who was starting to come around, off the floor. "Julie, go with them and help them keep an eye on her." Given the nature of their business and the clientele they served, part of their normal protocol was to always have a female with another female. This helped them avoid any possible issues, complaints or appearance of impropriety._

"_What the hell did you do to me? You're gonna pay. You don't know who you're dealing with." Amelia slurred and tried to kick at Julie. This caused the guards to lose their grip and drop her. Her knees slammed into the floor and had her howling in pain. The guards pulled her back up and carried her away with Julie following behind._

_Sirens could be heard growing closer, and soon, paramedics and police rushed in. _

_Aya called over to the paramedics. "Over here."_

_They immediately began examining Bianca while the police, led by Brot, began questioning the staff about what happened. Brot was not happy to see Bianca injured and knew there would be hell to pay for it. He quickly called Jesse to report the incident._

"_We need to get you to the hospital, ma'am. I think you're going to be just fine, but we want to be positive. Your head took a pretty nasty blow, and you need to get it checked out."_

"_Alright. I need someone to call Marissa."_

"_Who's Marissa?"_

"_She's her wife." Brot supplied. "Bianca, I just talked to Jesse, and he's going tell her. Don't worry, okay?"_

"_Okay, okay. Tell her that I love her."_

"_We will, but you're going to be telling her that yourself really soon." Brot looked at a paramedic. "Could one of you give the chief a quick update?"_

"_I'll do it while we're taking her to the ambulance." _

_Bianca was carefully placed on a backboard and her neck safely secured to prevent possible further injury. She was then lifted onto a gurney and then taken to the ambulance. One paramedic spoke briefly with Jesse telling him that Bianca's injuries did not appear life threatening. _

_Brot returned inside and found Aya. "Was anyone else injured?"_

"_Yes, the woman who attacked Bianca. I had to fire a Taser at her because she kept trying to attack. We restrained her after that. Guards were pulling her off the floor when she tried to kick someone, and they dropped her. She hit her knees pretty hard. We have her back in one of our huddle rooms."_

"_Alright, let me go check her out. I'll probably need to take her to the hospital and have them take a look at her. I'll need you to pull the security tapes, and I would suggest contacting an attorney just to stay ahead of everything."_

"_Thanks. I'll call Sofia after I get you the tapes."_

"_This is all my fault." Diana Holmes said as she watched Bianca being taken away._

"_Diana, this isn't your fault." Jan assured the shaken woman. "This is all on Amelia, not you. I'm not telling you anything Bianca wouldn't. Trust me on that. I overheard the paramedics talking to Brot, and she's going to be okay. Focus on that, alright?"_

"_I'll try. Do you think I should say anything to Kirsten about any of this?"_

"_I would hold off on that until we have a better handle on things."_

_Diana nodded._

_/_

_Bianca was wheeled into the emergency room and quickly examined by Jake who was working there that morning. He immediately called for Dr. Torres when he saw she had a head injury. _

_Amelia Mears was brought to the hospital a short while later by Brot, and threatened and complained the entire way there from the Center. According to her, she was a victim who felt threatened by Bianca and was attacked unnecessarily. She was going to sue everyone connected to the Center. Brot just let her rant and kept quiet about the fact that the Center had security tapes that he was positive would back up the witness accounts from those present at the time of the incident. _

/

"Things are kind of a blur after I got here with all of the tests they were performing. I'm feeling better now that everything has quieted down, and I'm not having to move around as much. Did you feel like this?" The brunette turned and asked her wife.

"Yeah, I did. Don't push yourself and just take it slow. If you start to feel dizzy or any of the other symptoms Dr. Torres mentioned, stop whatever you're doing, take a break and let me know. That's the important thing. If you start to feel worse, you _have_ to tell me right away. I'm not kidding about this, B. We're not going to take any chances when it comes to your health. Head injuries are serious, and you don't mess around with them. I want you around for a very long time. You promised me old and gray, and I intend to hold you to that. The kids and I need you. Your Mom and Kendall need you too. Promise me you'll follow the doctor's orders and not fight me on this."

Bianca knew there was no way she could refuse Marissa's fervent pleas, especially when she looked at her like she was now. "I promise. What about you? Are you okay? Be honest, please."

Marissa sighed. "I'm okay now that I know you're okay. I was scared to death earlier though when all I knew was that you were hurt. I couldn't get to you fast enough, and no one was telling me anything. The thoughts that were going through my head …" Marissa didn't finish the sentence because she couldn't allow herself to go there.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault. I can't tell you how relieved I am that you're going to be okay and that I can take you home tonight."

Bianca settled back in Marissa's arms. "Me too. I think I'd probably go nuts if I had to stay here tonight."

"Luckily, you don't have to worry about that, and I don't have to worry about you being near that woman."

"What do you mean?"

"Amelia is here, somewhere. I don't know where exactly, but she's in the hospital. It seems Jake treated her after he took care of you. I can't believe she said those things to you, called you those things and attacked you." Marissa tightened her arms protectively around Bianca. She wanted nothing more than to beat the snot out of the other woman. "I meant what I said before. She's going to pay for what she did. She may think she's going to get away with it …"

"Rissa."

"Don't_ Rissa_ me. This is no different than when I was here because of Brennan. Amelia's family may have money and connections, but that's in Llanview. Here, she's going to have to deal with me, Kendall and your Mom, plus a whole bunch of other people. None of whatever they have matters to us."

"Okay." Bianca knew she was fighting a losing battle and that Marissa was right. This really wasn't any different than when Marissa was injured.

"Okay? Just like that?"

"Just like that. You're right. I just need you to promise me something though."

The redhead eyed her suspiciously. "What is it?"

"Promise me you won't let yourself get too worked up or get yourself in trouble."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "I'll do my best. That's all I can promise."

"I'll take what I can get. Now about my Mom and Kendall …"

"Oh no, I make no such promises for them. There's no way in hell I'm doing that. I know better than to get in the way of a Kane woman when she's seeking vengeance. I will promise to represent them should they need legal assistance though." Marissa grinned.

Bianca half-laughed and half-yawned in reply. Despite the quip, the brunette knew that Marissa would never let Erica or Kendall do anything that would get them in trouble.

"The pain medication kicking in for you?"

Bianca nodded sleepily. "Yeah. Don't go though, not yet?"

Marissa smiled and kissed the top of her wife's head. "I'm not going anywhere. I will have to call Susan in a little while, but that can wait for now. I know Kendall and your Mom will come back soon. So, I don't have anywhere else I need to be or even want to be. You just rest. I'll be here, _always_."

"You should rest some too. You and Sparky need it." With a hand placed protectively on Marissa's belly, Bianca sighed contentedly and drifted off.

Marissa had to stop herself from laughing at Bianca's slip. She was going to have to tease her wife about that when she was feeling better.

/

Erica squared off against the chief of police. "So, Jesse, what are _you_ going to do about this Mears woman?"

**/**

**A/N: Did you really think my evil side wouldn't leave you with a cliffhanger? You should know her better by now. I have an important question for all of you. We're not there yet, **_**but**_** when Marissa has Sparky (and I'm not revealing the baby's sex but feel free to guess that and name as well if you want), do you want a weather incident like with the other three? No deaths or kidnappings would be involved though. I'm thinking more of a snowstorm or flood or something like that, OR it could just be semi-normal incidents surrounding the birth. My sister had some interesting things happen with hers, and it could be something along those lines. I appreciate any ideas you have! See you soon! **


	154. Sleight of Hand

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I'd also like to give a big thank you for your input on Sparky and the delivery! You definitely had me cracking up with some of the comments. I do have more drama planned so hang in there with me. I'm working my way through my notes/ideas. I will tell you that I do plan the reappearance of some characters from earlier chapters. I'll leave that up to you to guess who they are. Now, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Erica squared off against the chief of police. "So, Jesse, what are _you_ going to do about this Mears woman?"

Jesse sighed. Of course Erica would already know who attacked Bianca. He was about to respond when the diva cut him off.

"Did you know _she's_ here? She could possibly get to Bianca again, and I _will not_ allow that to happen. Do you understand? I want that woman arrested for assaulting my daughter. I want a guard outside her room and her in handcuffs. I don't her to have the chance to get anywhere near Bianca. Am I making myself clear?"

Kendall jumped in. "Mom's right, Jesse. You know she is. That woman needs to be in jail. I know her family has connections, but I don't give a damn about that. I want her in jail for what she did to my sister. I don't want her walking free. You know that if she attacked Bianca once that she'll do it again, and that's not going to happen."

"They're both right. She will go after Bianca again. There's not a doubt in my mind about that." Greenlee had quickly figured out what was going on between what Kendall had told her earlier when she left Fusion and what Erica and her friend were saying now.

"Since Marissa's busy taking care of Bianca, I'll be filing for a restraining order against Amelia Mears. I will also want to be present or have someone from my firm be present when you question Bianca. She has a head injury, and I won't take the risk of having anything she may say in her current condition be taken out of context." Brian jumped into lawyer mode immediately. It wasn't that he doubted Marissa's ability to handle things, far from it. It was just that he knew that she would be worried about Bianca and didn't want to take the chance of her judgment or objectivity being called into question. Brian knew that Marissa would do the same exact thing for him if their roles were reversed.

Jesse held up his hands hoping to get a word in edgewise. That was easier said than done with this group. He had expected this to some degree. They were talking about Bianca after all, and Jesse couldn't blame them one bit for their reactions. "People, please, I need you all to take a breath, alright?"

Erica raised an eyebrow. "I highly suggest you don't tell me to _chill_ right now."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Erica. I will answer all of your questions. First though, how is Bianca?"

Kendall stepped forward. "Jake told us she's going to be okay. She has a mild concussion, sprained wrist and bruises, but they expect her to make a full recovery."

"That's good news." Jesse turned to Brian. "I think filing a restraining order is an excellent idea. I wouldn't be surprised if Ms. Mears tries to file for one of her own. Don't worry about me questioning Bianca. I will need to talk to her, but I won't do anything until I get the all clear from her doctor. Even after that I _know_ Marissa will want to be present. Where is she by the way?"

"Marissa is back with Bianca. What did you mean about Ms. Mears filing an order of her own?" Kendall asked.

"Surely, she can't be trying to put this on Bianca! My daughter is the victim here!" Erica was furious.

Jesse couldn't blame Erica for feeling this way. "Look, I don't know what the woman has planned. I only know she was complaining to and threatening Brot on her way here from the Center."

"Erica, how's Bianca?"

"Jack." Erica embraced her worried fiancée. "She's going to be okay."

"Thank god. Have you seen her?"

"Not yet. Marissa is back with her. We have another issue we have to deal with right now. Her safety."

"Her safety? What do you mean?"

"It seems that the woman who attacked her is here and may be trying to put this all on Bianca."

Jack turned to Jesse. "I hope you're not giving those claims any credence. You should have a guard on that room and makes sure she stays away from Bianca. I'll be filing for a restraining order."

Jesse pointed to Brian. "I believe Mr. Douglas over there is already on the order."

Hearing his name, Brian glanced over while still on his cellphone. "Alright. Thanks, Claudia. Everyone will feel better once we have that in place. The chief's over here right now. So, you can bring the order over here once the judge signs it. See you soon." Brian disconnected the call and shook hands with Jack. "Claudia's found a judge who'll sign the restraining order against Amelia Mears and her family. They won't be allowed within 200 feet of Bianca. She'll bring it over here to you Jesse when she has it signed."

"Good work, Brian. I wouldn't have thought about her family."

"That was Claudia's idea. She thought it advisable given all of the things we've been hearing."

/

Marissa carefully eased out of bed, not wanting to wake Bianca. There were several things on the redhead's mind, chiefly among them talking to Susan about the kids, wondering why Kendall and Erica hadn't shown up at Bianca's room yet and what needed to be done about Amelia Mears. Marissa placed a gentle kiss on Bianca's forehead and slipped out of the hospital room. She pulled out her cellphone and called their babysitter.

"Hi, Susan."

"_Marissa, how's Bianca?"_

"She's going to be okay."

"_Thank god! How are you holding up?"_

"I'm doing okay, thankful that she's okay but mad as hell that this happened."

"_I understand that. Don't worry about the kids. I'll pick them up and stay as long as you need me to."_

"Thanks. I really appreciate it. I will be bringing her home tonight. I'm just not sure exactly when. We'll talk to the kids about what happened when we get there."

"_Got it. I won't say anything about her being hurt. I'll just say you both were running late and needed me to watch them. Again, don't worry. I've got the kids covered. You focus on Bianca and getting her home."_

"I don't know what we would do without you. I'll call you when we're on our way."

When the call was disconnected, Marissa could hear voices being raised. It sounded like it was coming from the waiting room. Having a feeling as to the source of the commotion, Marissa headed in that direction.

/

Erica turned to Jesse. "So, what are you going to be doing to keep my daughter safe?"

"I have an officer outside Ms. Mears room. For now, she's a suspect until we get corroborating evidence."

At the word 'suspect', the others erupted and began protesting loudly, drawing attention to the group from others on the floor. A nurse on duty started in the group's direction but was stopped.

"I'll take care of this."

The nurse nodded. "Thank you. Otherwise, I'll have to ask them to leave."

/

"Enough!" A loud voice had everyone stop and stare at the source, Marissa.

The redhead continued in a calm voice now that she had everyone's attention. "Thank you. Do I need to remind all of you that you're in a hospital? There are people trying to recover, and they need the quiet."

"How's Binx?" Kendall asked.

Marissa looked between her mother-in-law and sister-in-law and gave them a reassuring smile. "Stubborn. She was giving the doctor a hard time when I went because she was worrying more about me than she was herself."

Erica shook her head. "That's Bianca. She's really alright?"

"Yes, she's really alright. She's asleep now. The doctor gave her something for her pain, and Bianca nodded off. I can take her home later today. I was expecting you and Kendall back there a little while ago. I wanted to see what was keeping the two of you. Now, will someone tell me what the hell is going on out here, and please, do it quietly."

"We would have been back before now, but it seems the woman behind Bianca being here is a patient as well. We're trying to make sure Bianca is safe by making sure that abhorrent woman does not get close to her." Erica answered.

Marissa glanced the other two lawyers in the group. "Restraining order?"

Brian nodded. "Claudia is on her way to get a judge to sign it. She's bringing it here as soon as that's done."

The redhead smiled gratefully at her friend before focusing on Jesse. "Do you have someone on her?"

"Amelia Mears? Yes, I have an officer outside of her door. I put him in place so Brot could go back to the Center and question witnesses. We haven't filed any charges yet because …"

"File them. I want her arrested for assault. Bianca told me what happened. That woman attacked her, and it was unprovoked. I'm sure you have a number of witness statements backing that up by now. If you're worried about them being biased, pull the security tapes. I'm positive they'll corroborate Bianca's statement. In the meantime, I want that woman in handcuffs for as long as she's here. I won't have her hurting Bianca again." Marissa paused and sighed. "I really don't like doing this, but I'm going to contact Mike."

"You're going over my head and calling the D.A.?"

"I'm not going over your head, Jesse. Believe me when I say that I trust you to do your job and what's right. Who I don't trust is Amelia and her family. They have money, and I can see her trying to skip out on this. That's going to happen over my dead body. She's going to pay for what she did. By calling Mike, I'm just simply going to make him aware of a few things he may not know about her and her family. Mike's still going to do what he thinks is right because he doesn't trade favors. I wouldn't ask him to, but he does need to know certain details."

Marissa typed out a quick text while everyone mulled over what she said. They could hear a disturbance down the hall.

/

"Stop! Police! Stop! Ma'am, you have to stop!"

"What are you going to do? Arrest me? I dare you! I'm leaving, and you can't keep me here. So, get the hell away from me before I have your badge!"

Amelia, still wearing her hospital gown, rushed into the waiting room and smack into Jesse.

"Are you going somewhere?"

"Yes, I am. I'm getting out of here and this backwater town. Now, whoever the hell you are, get your damn hands off me!"

Jesse glanced at Officer Turner, the officer who had been tasked with standing guard at her door, and made a mental note that he was wiping some blood away from his mouth. "Who I am is the chief of police of this 'backwater town'."

Amelia's attitude changed immediately as she tried to play victim. "Oh, I'm sorry, chief. Your officer over there was manhandling me, and after my assault from earlier, my nerves are pretty much shot."

Marissa raised an eyebrow and took a few steps toward the woman. Everyone was on guard. "Oh, you were assaulted earlier? Where?"

"At some so-called women's shelter. If you ask me, it's poorly run, and all they are doing is keeping families apart based on unfounded charges and allegations. The woman who runs that place is the worst. How she got that position is beyond me."

"That's interesting because the Miranda Center has won numerous awards and received countless praise not only through this state but across the country."

"Who are you, their PR director?" Amelia smirked.

Marissa's smile matched her glare in its steeliness. "I'm Marissa Tasker-Montgomery, and the 'director' of the Center is my wife. By the way, she founded the Center, and it's been used as a model for women's centers across the country. In case you need a reminder of who she is, she's the woman _you_ assaulted. You're no victim. In fact, I'm going to make sure you go to jail for what you did. So, don't think for a second that any charges are going to be dropped."

"Oh please, I'm not scared of you. You don't know who my family is. There's no way I'm going to be arrested, and you can't touch me."

"You seem to forget where you are. You're not in Llanview. You're in Pine Valley, my turf, and no one here gives a damn who your parents are or their connections. You assaulted an innocent woman and are going to pay for it."

"Innocent woman?!" Amelia scoffed. "I hate to break it to you, especially in your _delicate_ condition, but your wife is a slut. She's keeping my girlfriend away from me so she can toy with her and use her. She's abusing her authority, and I'm going to put a stop to it and her _women's center_."

Marissa's anger began to bubble over. There was a movement to her left that caught her eye, and it had her starting in Amelia's direction.

"Crap!" Brian saw the redhead's sudden movement, and he and the others moved to intercept Marissa from making what they saw as a huge mistake.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud that had everyone turning.

/

Amelia lie in a heap on the floor. Kendall and Greenlee were standing the closest, but the pair looked equally confused as to what had happened to her.

"I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm not going to do anything stupid. I'm good. Promise." Marissa said calmly as she eyed the groggy woman.

"Wha, what happened?" Amelia speech was slightly slurred.

Jesse shrugged. "I don't know. I'm hoping you can tell us."

Amelia struggled to her feet with the help of Officer Turner who she quickly tried, unsuccessfully, to swat away. She jabbed a finger in Marissa's direction and screamed. "It was her! She did it!"

"Did what? You don't even know what happened or else you wouldn't have asked so don't be pointing a finger at me. As much as I might want to, I didn't lay one finger on you, and I have a roomful of witnesses to back me up."

"She's right. Marissa didn't do anything to you because she never got close enough to." Jesse confirmed.

"I don't give a damn what you say. She did this, and I want to press charges."

Jesse sighed. Sometimes, it really felt like he was getting to old to deal with people like this. "That's not going to happen. The only thing that will, if you insist on pursuing that, is that you'll be charged with filing a false police report."

"Where is she? Where is my daughter? I demand to see her now!" Anthony Mears burst out of the elevator with his wife on his heels. He spotted his daughter and headed to the waiting room.

"Daddy!" Amelia cried out and struggled to get free of the grip Officer Turner had on her. "Let me go!"

"I can't do that, ma'am. You need to calm down or else we'll have to restrain you."

"You calm the fuck down!" Amelia shouted as she swung at the officer and clipped him.

"Dammit."

"That's it. You were warned." Jesse easily subdued the woman and clapped handcuffs on her.

"What in the hell do you think you're doing to my daughter?! Get those off of her now! You don't know who you're dealing with! I will slap a police brutality suit on you that will bankrupt you and this city."

Jesse sighed heavily. Yeah, he was definitely getting too old for these people. "And you are?"

"Anthony Mears." When the name didn't register with Jesse, he repeated it again. "I'm Anthony Mears, and I'm friends with the mayor of Llanview."

Pine Valley's police chief was not the least bit impressed. "Well, you're not in Llanview anymore. This is Pine Valley, and assaulting a police officer is frowned upon here. There's even a law against it in case you didn't know. Your daughter just broke that law so now she's under arrest. That's why she's in handcuffs and is going to stay that way. Turner, are you okay?"

The officer grimaced and wiped more blood from his lip. The cut on it was reopened by the woman's latest assault. "Yeah, I'll live."

"I didn't do anything. They're lying. They …"

"Be quiet! I'll handle this, Amelia, like I always do." Anthony turned back to Jesse. "I don't believe you, and why is my daughter in the hospital to begin with? It's obvious that she is a victim here."

Kendall, Marissa and Greenlee rolled their eyes while Erica kept her eyes on them. The three of them were up to something. Marissa had calmed down way too quickly before. Her outburst, while completely justified, was convenient in its timing to Amelia's collapse. Erica wasn't buying it as just a coincidence.

/

"Chief."

Jesse smiled seeing Mike Jensen arrive. "District Attorney Jensen. Good to see you. It didn't take you very long to get here."

"I was in the neighborhood when I got Marissa's text." He turned to the redhead. "How is Bianca?"

"She's resting now and is thankfully going to be okay."

"Why are you asking about some other woman? My daughter has been injured, and they have her in handcuffs. I demand that she be released this instant."

"And you are?"

"Anthony Mears."

"He knows the mayor of Llanview." Greenlee cracked with an impressive eye roll/smirk combination that caused Kendall to chuckle.

Mike furrowed his brow. _I'm supposed to be impressed by that?_ "Okay. Jesse?"

"Amelia Mears is under arrest for assaulting Officer Turner. She is also under suspicion for the assault of Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

"Who the hell is this Bianca?!" Anthony thundered.

"She's the whore who is hiding Kirsten, keeping her away from me. She's taking advantage of her and sleeping with her."

"I swear to god if you don't shut your mouth about my sister …"

Marissa pulled Kendall back with Greenlee's help.

Erica had somehow gotten right next to Amelia and whispered in her ear so that no one else could hear. "If you call my daughter something like that ever again, you will know what pain truly is. Do I make myself clear?"

Amelia's head snapped in the diva's direction. When her gaze was trapped in the Kane death glare, a shiver ran up her spine, and she visibly gulped. She nodded and shifted uncomfortably.

Erica deftly moved back with no one the wiser, with the exception of Marissa, Kendall and Greenlee. The three women smirked having a very good idea of what was said. Erica responded with her trademark hair flip before turning her attention to the others.

Brot and another officer appeared and walked over. A few words were exchanged.

"Murray, help Turner keep an eye on Ms. Mears. No matter what anybody else says, she is to stay handcuffed." Jesse advised before walking away with Brot and Mike.

After a minute, the district attorney summoned Marissa to join them.

/

"What do you think is going on?" Greenlee asked.

"No clue." Kendall sighed.

"My guess is that Brot found something, and they need Marissa's permission as Bianca's wife to deal with it." Jack stated.

When the four of them finished their conversation, they made their ways back to the others.

"Well, that didn't take long."

/

"Go ahead, Officer Monroe." Mike stated calmly.

"Amelia Mears, you are under arrest for the assault of Bianca Tasker-Montgomery and Officer John Turner. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?"

"What? You're arresting my daughter?! What proof do you have of these charges? I insist on proof!"

"Chief Hubbard."

/

Jesse turned hearing his name and saw Bo and Nora Buchanan. "Hello. What's brings the Llanview Police Commissioner and District Attorney here? I could probably take a wild guess, but go ahead. Maybe, I'll be surprised."

Bo chuckled. "We were asked as a favor to the mayor to come and see if we could help."

It was pretty clear to most of those present that neither of them were happy about the request.

Nora nodded to Mike. The two lawyers knew each other fairly well and respected the other's work. "I have a feeling we missed something."

"Yeah, we just placed Ms. Mears under arrest."

"Couldn't you give me a heads up, Jesse? Did you have to arrest her?" Bo asked even though he knew the police chief would've only made the arrest with ample probable cause.

"Sorry, I would've if I could've, but things got out of hand quickly. And yeah, I did have to arrest her. She assaulted a police officer _right in front of me _after she had assaulted someone else."

"Who?"

"Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

"Bianca?!" Nora glanced over to Marissa. "Is she alright?"

Marissa nodded. "She's going to be okay."

Nora was relieved to hear that. "Thank goodness. So, what happened?"

Jesse gave the visitors a quick rundown of everything that had occurred.

"Any witnesses?" Bo asked.

"For Bianca's assault, how about the entire staff of the Miranda Center, and for Officer Turner's, almost everyone here. We also have security footage from the Miranda Center showing the assault."

"If my daughter is so guilty, how is it that she herself is in the hospital?"

"The footage shows that your daughter had to be tased because she was going to attack Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery again. Witnesses state it was the only way to get her stop."

Anthony scoffed. "That footage can be doctored and witnesses bought. I'm going to call my friend, the mayor. A well-placed call from him to the mayor here, and I'll have your badges, my daughter released and her girlfriend returned. Oh, you can expect a hefty lawsuit filed against all of you as well."

"Go ahead."

"Excuse me?" Anthony Mears turned to Marissa. He would've thought his threat would be met with fear and compliance. Instead, there was no fear in the redhead's eyes, only defiance.

"You heard me. Go ahead and call your 'friend, the mayor of Llanview'. I dare you. You see, as it's been pointed out several times, this is Pine Valley and not Llanview. Your 'friendship' with the mayor of your city means squat here. So, go ahead and call. I have to admit that I am curious to hear how you spin this to him."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I want to hear how you justify your daughter attacking a woman known for her charitable work throughout this country, a woman who has made it her life's work to help others who are in abusive relationships rebuild their lives and regain the dignity stripped from them by those who feel entitled to berate, belittle and abuse them. People like your daughter. Her ex-girlfriend, Kirsten, is in hiding because she was beaten by your daughter and feared for her life if she stayed with her. When her aunt came to help her, your daughter attacked her too. She had to be treated for several injuries once she was here. Yeah, I want to hear you explain all of that to your 'good friend' and see how just how long he sticks around, especially when this gets out. Oh, and it will get out. I'll make sure of it. That's a promise. You won't be shutting me up or sweeping any of this under the rug. The press will love this story, especially when my mother-in-law steps forward and throws her clout behind it. You have heard of my mother-in-law, Erica Kane, haven't you?"

Erica smiled with pride at her daughter-in-law. "You just tell me what you need, Marissa dear, and I'll take care of it."

Rage started to build up in Anthony Mears. He was not used to being spoken to in such a disrespectful way. "_You_ need to be taught some manners. I will not be spoken to like this."

"Anthony, she's pregnant." Julia Mears finally spoke. You could hear the fear in her voice for what her husband might do to the redhead.

His eyes flashed to his wife. "She still needs to be taught manners. Obviously, you need a refresher as well. I'll take care of you later. Now, it's time to take care of her."

Brian moved quickly to get Marissa out of the way when he realized what the man was going to do.

Anthony raised his hand to strike Marissa, but the blow never came. His forearm was caught mid-motion in a vice-like grip.

"That's not going to happen." Bo quickly wrenched Anthony's arm behind his back, causing the man to cry out. "Jesse, you have some cuffs I can borrow?"

Jesse nodded and took a pair quickly produced by Brot and handed them to Bo. "Good reflexes for an old man."

Bo shook his head and smiled while placing the handcuffs on Anthony. "I'd watch it if I were you. You're not that far behind me. I'll let you do the honors of placing him under arrest."

"Arrest? For what?"

"Attempted assault." Bo and Jesse offered at the same time.

Anthony looked at Nora. "Do something!"

Nora shook her head. "Sorry, you're on your own. I don't work for _you_. Besides, I'm a witness so I can't help you. I wouldn't if I could anyway." She turned to the other district attorney. "Mike, Bo and I will make ourselves available for whenever you need us."

"The mayor's not going to be happy about that."

"Screw the mayor. We're only here so he would shut up about us coming."

Mike laughed. "I have a feeling my morning is going to be busy. How's tomorrow afternoon sound?"

Nora looked at Bo who nodded. "Sounds good to us. I'll give the Yacht Club a call and get us a room."

"Oh, there you are Ms. Mears. You're free to go." Jake noted the handcuffs on his now former patient and another man as well as the crowd in the waiting room.

Greenlee noted the doctor's confused expression. "I'll explain everything to you later. It's really too long of a story to into now."

Jake simply nodded and left.

"Since we've been given the all clear from the hospital, I'll get a female officer over here to help Ms. Mears get dressed. Then, we'll take her down to the station and book her. Murray, you're babysitting her. Brot, Turner, take Mr. Mears down to the station."

Brot and Turner towed a sputtering Anthony away. "Julia, do something right for a change and call my lawyer. Tell him to get here now."

Julia Mears nodded weakly, but the only move she made was to sit down in the farthest corner of the waiting room.

With father and daughter no longer present, the room was now quiet.

"Marissa, if Bianca's up to it, I'd like to get her statement tomorrow. I don't want to bother her tonight. I'll get yours tomorrow too."

"Thanks, Jesse. I'll let you know how she's feeling. If you don't need anything else right now, I really want to get back to Bianca."

Jesse nodded. "Go ahead. Tell her I said 'hi' and that I'm glad she's okay."

"I will." Marissa turned to her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Kendall grabbed her purse. "I'm definitely coming."

"Yes, I need to see Bianca." Erica nodded.

"Could I come?" Greenlee asked.

Marissa smiled. "Of course. Brian, could I ask a huge favor?"

"Name it."

"I know people are going to want to come and visit today, but …"

"You don't have to say anything else. I'll make a couple of calls, fill them in on everything and ask if they'll wait a day or two. They'll understand. Everyone just wants Bianca to be okay. Don't worry. I got this. Tell Bianca I said 'hey'. I'll check in with you tomorrow. If you need anything else in the meantime though, don't hesitate to call."

The friends hugged.

"Thank you, for everything."

"You're welcome."

"Are you coming, Jack?"

"The four of you go ahead. I'll help Brian with those calls and be back in a few minutes."

Erica gave Jack a quick kiss before following the three younger women down the hall. The diva was just able to overhear their whispered conversation.

/

"How's the hand, Curly?"

"Not too bad, Red."

"You should put some ice on it as soon as you can. I can ask Jake for an ice pack if you want."

"Thanks, Greenlee. That's probably a good idea."

"That was so slick of the two of you. It was a nice punch, Curly, and Greenlee, way to cover it up. I really owe you for shutting her up. She was really pissing me off."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. You almost had me thinking you were going to attack her, Red. You provided a nice diversion for us. I'm really glad you didn't get hurt. Binx would skin me alive if either you or Sparky got hurt on my watch. I gotta tell you, it felt really good to punch that bitch and shut her up."

"I bet it did. I'm just upset about two things."

"What's that, Greenlee?" Marissa asked.

"That I didn't get a turn to punch her myself, and that I didn't get a chance to record Kendall doing it. It would've been a great addition to the DVD I'm making, _Greatest Hits of the Kane Women_." Greenlee grinned.

The three cracked up. No one, with the exception of Erica, saw the fist bumps they gave each other as they continued down the hall. It was just as Erica had thought, and she had to admit that she was impressed. As she watched the three younger women laugh, Erica noted the unspoken decision not to mention what happened with Anthony Mears until Bianca was home and better. She had to agree with them on that. Knowing that if Bianca knew that the man almost assaulted Marissa, the only thing it would do is upset her, and she did not need that now.

/

They paused outside Bianca's room to gather themselves. Marissa carefully opened the door and smiled when she saw that Bianca was still asleep. The redhead placed a finger to her lips signaling for the others to keep their voices down before she led them inside.


	155. While You Were Sleeping

**A/N: Happy Saturday! Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It means a lot and gives me ideas for things to add to this not so little story! This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy you this update! **

**/**

Erica, Marissa, Kendall and Greenlee paused outside Bianca's room to gather themselves. Marissa carefully opened the door and smiled when she saw that Bianca was still asleep. The redhead placed a finger to her lips signaling for the others to keep their voices down before she led them inside. The four felt instant relief when they saw the brunette resting comfortably. Erica was alarmed when she spotted some of the bruises on her youngest daughter's arms. Kendall saw them as well and her jaw clenched in response. One good solid punch to the woman who did this to her little sister was not nearly enough. She really wanted another shot at her.

Seeing their reactions, Marissa did her best to reassure them. "I know it looks bad, but it's really not. The doctor assured me she's okay. I'm going to need all of your help with something though. We have to make sure she behaves herself and doesn't try and do too much too soon. She's not allowed to work the rest of the week and has restrictions on what she can do so don't let her try and trick you."

The others chuckled softly knowing that would be exactly something the sleeping brunette would try to do.

"Do you have a list of what she can and can't do, Red?"

"Yes, I do, Kendall. I'll make sure you each get a copy." Marissa quietly filled them in on the extent of Bianca's injuries and what they planned on telling the kids about what happened. The others agreed with their approach.

Greenlee stood after a few minutes. "I'm going to go get an ice pack for your hand, Kendall." She cut her friend off before she could voice her protest. "Don't tell me that you're okay and that it doesn't hurt because I know you're lying. I've seen you trying to flex it and wincing every time you do."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Greenlee is right." Erica huffed seeing the incredulous expressions on the others' faces. "Contrary to popular belief, I can admit when I'm wrong. It's just not something that happens all that often."

It was a pretty big struggle for the younger women not to bust out laughing. The only thing that stopped them was that they didn't want to wake up Bianca.

"Uh huh." It was obvious that Kendall wasn't buying her mother's last statement.

Erica rolled her eyes. "Fine, believe what you want about that, but you should get your hand checked. It looks like it is a bit swollen. I know you don't think you need to, but I'm sure your sister would feel bad if she found out you were seriously injured protecting her."

"Wow, pulling out the Bianca card, Mom. You don't fight fair at all, do you?"

"I thought you would've learned that by now, Kendall dear." Erica smiled sweetly.

Greenlee chuckled. "Come on, Kendall. I owe Jake an explanation about what happened earlier. I can give it to him while he's examining your hand." She turned to Marissa. "When was the last time you ate something, Rocky?"

Marissa froze at the abrupt change in conversation. "Um, this morning?"

The other three women looked at her and shook their heads.

"What? I had a nice breakfast, and I just haven't had a chance to eat anything because I was waiting to find out about Bianca and then we had to deal with the mess out there. I haven't had time, and I'm not that hungry. Don't think for one second that I'm leaving either. I'll grab something when I get her home."

Greenlee sighed dramatically. "Do you know how lame Bianca's going to think those excuses are? Do you know how messed up it is that _I_ have to be the voice of reason here? I'm not suicidal enough to try and make you leave. We'll get Kendall's hand checked, and then, I'll stop at the cafeteria and pick something up for you. It won't be all that great, but it'll be something. Bianca would want you to eat and to take care of yourself and Sparky. You know I'm right."

"This family definitely does not fight fair. Fine, grab me something. I don't care what it is. And if you wouldn't mind, could you get something for Bianca? She probably hasn't eaten since this morning either and probably should have a little something before I take her home."

"You got it."

"Thanks, Greenlee."

"You're welcome. Do you want me to grab you something too, Erica?"

"Yes, thank you. That would be very nice. The two of you should eat something as well."

"We will. I'll make Kendall come with me and help carry everything back."

"What? I have a broken hand!"

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "Oh please, it's not broken. Even if it is, you can carry a bag with your other hand. Don't be such a drama queen. A minute ago it was just fine."

"Me? A drama queen? You're seriously calling me that? You of all people? That's the pot calling the kettle black. You Google drama queen, and you're the first result." Kendall smirked as the two left the room.

/

Erica sighed as she watched Kendall and Greenlee leave bickering and bantering the entire way. They really were the best of friends. There was a time when she didn't think that possible and was sure they would kill each other. Now, they would die for each other if it ever came to that. Erica turned back to her youngest daughter and found Marissa seated next to her bed gently stroking her hand. The diva smiled at seeing someone so devoted to Bianca. Again, there was a time when she didn't think _that_ was possible, but the proof of it was right in front of her and staring her in the face. It was then that she noticed a single tear falling from her daughter-in-law's eyes.

"Marissa, is everything alright?"

The redhead nodded and quickly wiped the tear away. "Yeah, yeah, it is."

Erica eyed the younger woman. "Why don't I believe you?"

Marissa noted her mother-in-law's expression and knew it would be useless to deny that she was right. "Because you're Erica Kane and are hardly ever wrong?"

The diva chuckled at Marissa's quick and somewhat snarky comeback. "Precisely. I'm glad you've learned that. Maybe you could help my oldest daughter realize that."

Marissa snorted, grateful that Erica was trying to ease her into revealing what was bothering her. "I know Bianca may not think so, but there is a limit to my gift of gab."

Erica smiled and waited.

"I could've lost her."

"But you didn't."

"I could have."

"_But you didn't."_ Erica emphasized.

"I don't know what I would do without her. I don't know that I could do this without her. I don't know that I'm strong enough."

"You're not going to have to do any of this without her. Bianca is not going anywhere. The doctor has told you that she is going to be okay so you don't have to worry about that. You are not alone anymore, Marissa. You have a family that loves you very much, and I'm not just talking about the children. Kendall sees you as another sister. Zach does as well, and both would do anything for you. As for myself, I view you as a daughter. I know that you miss your mother. That's a void I'm not sure that will ever be filled." Erica paused, thinking about her own mother and the huge void Mona's passing left for her.

Marissa nodded. "I think about her and my dad every day. They would've loved Bianca. She's such an amazing person. You should be proud of her."

"Thank you, and I am. I know your relationship with Krystal is complicated, and I know why. I hope that if you would ever need anything, you know that you can come to me, and that I will do everything in my power to help you."

"I do know that, and thank you for saying that. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me." Marissa squeezed her mother-in-law's hand gratefully.

"You're very welcome. Now, I'd like to give you some motherly advice if I may."

"I have a feeling you're going to give it to me whether I want it or not." Marissa grinned.

Erica chuckled at the cheekiness of the redhead. "You would be right. Now, time for the motherly advice. Don't second guess or doubt yourself and what you are capable of. You are a strong, independent woman. Don't ever think otherwise. Look at everything that you've accomplished. A weak person would not have been able to survive everything you've been through and come out on the other side with the success that you have, and I'm not just talking about your career. You should be proud of yourself, and from what I've heard of your parents, they would be extremely proud of you."

Marissa, feeling a little overwhelmed by emotion, could only nod.

"As for Bianca, yes, she … her injuries could have been more … serious, but they aren't, and she will heal. Both of my daughters are fighters. I honestly believe that even if she was hurt more seriously that Bianca would still be alright. She has been through a lot to get to where she is now, to have what she does now with you. She will not give any of that up without one hell of a fight. Bianca is married to someone who simply adores her and would move heaven and earth for her." Erica smiled at Marissa who blushed slightly and nodded.

"I do, and I would."

"You have three wonderful children with a fourth on the way, and I see nothing but a long and happy life for all of you. Believe in that. Trust in that. Trust in yourself because I have no doubt whatsoever that you are strong enough. Need I remind you of how hard you fought when you were injured last year?"

"No, you don't need to remind me. I wasn't leaving Bianca and our family if I had any say in the matter."

"That is exactly how hard Bianca will fight."

"Thank you, Erica." Marissa had to admit that she felt a great deal better after this chat.

"You're welcome. Now, what do you need me to do to help you with Bianca?"

"I was thinking for tonight it would be best if we didn't have anyone over. She needs the rest, and if anyone stops by ..."

"She will feel the need to entertain them. I understand and believe you are correct. I'm also not offended. I will stop by tomorrow."

The redhead breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, because the last thing I want to do is to offend you."

"Will you be able to get her home by yourself without any problems?"

Marissa suddenly remembered she didn't have her car. "My car's not here. It's back at the office since I came here with Jesse, and Bianca's is back at the Center."

/

"We can help with that." Kendall offered as she and Greenlee quietly slipped back into the room.

Greenlee nodded. "Give me your keys, and we'll get your car over here so you can take Bianca home, and we'll deal with hers tomorrow."

"Thank you! That would be great." Marissa handed over her keys after fishing them out of her purse. She noted that Kendall was now sporting an icepack on her hand, and Greenlee had bags from Krystal's. "How's the hand?"

"It's just bruised and a little sore. I'll live. I have to admit though that it's worth it."

"While I don't like the image of either of my daughters engaging in what might appear to some to be a bar room brawl, I'm extremely proud of what you did. That horrid woman deserved that and a great deal more. I'm just sorry that you were injured in the process, dear. Is there anything you need?"

The three younger women froze at Erica's mention of a bar room brawl. Their collective memories flew straight to Bianca and the incident at Shamokin Joe's. They knew that Erica didn't know what happened because the vow they had all taken after that weekend remained intact. Somehow, Kendall, Marissa and Greenlee managed to maintain straight faces while thinking 'if only Erica knew'.

"I'm good, Mom, but thank you."

"You guys weren't gone that long. How did you manage to get Kendall's hand examined and go to Krystal's?" Marissa asked.

Greenlee placed the bags on a table and started unpacking them. "Word of what happened today at the Center has gotten out. I'm not really surprised given how fast word travels in this town. Kendall and I were headed down to the cafeteria after Jake examined her hand, which isn't broken, when we ran into Krystal who was bearing food. She thought we might need something to eat and wanted to spare us from having to deal with the cafeteria. She asked if there was anything else she could do, and we suggested maybe bringing dinner over to your house later. We're not sure when you'll be able to take Bianca home and didn't think you would feel like cooking when you did get there. I hope you don't mind."

Marissa simply smiled and waved off Greenlee's concern. "No, I don't mind. That actually helps out a lot. Thanks. I owe you all so much."

"It's what family is for, Red."

"Where's Jack? I thought he would be back here by now." Erica knew that whatever was keeping Jack had to have been an emergency of some sort because that was the only thing that would keep him from checking on Bianca.

"Yeah, remember when Greenlee said word had gotten out about what happened?"

"Yes."

"Well, the waiting room is a little crowded. There are reporters out there interviewing any and every one that is willing to talk. Jesse has some more officers here trying to keep them in line. Plus, you have a large number of friends that want to make sure Bianca's okay and want to know if you need anything. Brian and Jack are in the middle of all of that trying to keep it under control and answer any questions that they can. Oh, Claudia brought the restraining order over, and Brot served it to that lying sack of …"

"Kendall."

"Oh, sorry, but she is. Anyway, she's been served _and_ hauled away to jail."

Marissa sighed in relief. "Good. I didn't like her being this close to Bianca."

"Don't blame you. So, what's the plan after you get Binx home?"

"Well, I'm definitely taking tomorrow off, and I'd like to take off the rest of the week. If I can't swing that, then I at least plan on working from home. I might need some help getting the kids to and from school and running some other errands. Susan will be willing to help, but she does have other obligations that I can't ask her to put off."

"We'll help however you need. Bianca can be a handful at times." Erica chuckled softly.

/

The woman in question stirred and slowly opened her eyes. The first person Bianca saw was her wife. "Rissa?"

Marissa smiled brightly. "Hey. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired and a little off."

"That's normal. Anything else?"

"No."

"Do you want something to drink?"

"Yes, please."

Marissa poured her a cup of water and held it and the straw steady while Bianca drank.

When she had enough for the moment, she looked around trying to get some sense of time. "How long was I asleep?"

"A couple of hours. It's the best thing for you right now. You have a little company though."

"Bianca sweetheart, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you awake."

"Hi, Mom. Sorry."

"For what?"

"Worrying everybody …"

"You have nothing to be sorry for. None of this is your fault, and I will worry about you no matter what you may want or say. I love you."

"I love you too, Mom. Hey, Kendall, Greenlee."

"Hi, Bianca."

"Hey, Binx. You gave us a scare, but Red says you're going to be okay."

"Yeah, I am. Are you taking care of her for me?"

Greenlee grinned. "You know we are. We're even making sure she eats. We've got something for you too if you're up for it. Krystal dropped some stuff off."

Marissa looked at her wife. "It's probably not good to eat something heavy. Do you feel up for some soup?"

"I think I could try some, on one condition."

"What?"

"You eat too."

"Fine. I've got a sandwich."

"Oh, Krystal said she owes you some chili cheese fries when you get out of here." Kendall said knowing her sister's weakness.

"That's sounds good. What happened to your hand, Kendall?"

"Ah, yeah, that's a long story. How about I tell you tomorrow?"

"Am I going to like it?"

"You might like parts of it." Kendall smirked.

"Hmmm, okay. I'll wait until tomorrow. It seems like I'm going to have lots of babysitters the next few days whether I like it or not."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "You heard some of our conversation, huh?"

"A little. I guess I don't really have any say in this?"

"Nope. It's part of doctor's orders, and we're going to make sure you follow them."

Bianca sighed. She really didn't feel like arguing about it at the moment. Hopefully, that would change tomorrow after she was home and had a chance to sleep in her own bed. "Okay. When can I go home?"

The others chuckled hearing an uncharacteristic whine in Bianca's voice.

Kendall got up and kissed her sister on the forehead. "I'll track down your doctor and have her come check you out."

"I'll come too. We have to get Marissa's car. I'll see if Brian is willing to drive me over to their office to pick it up."

"Good idea. I'll make sure Jack knows you're awake too."

"Thanks."

"Anytime, but I'd really like it if you two would not make a habit out of coming here." Kendall was half joking and half serious.

"Yes, I couldn't agree with you more, dear." Erica eyed the women in question.

"We'll try our best, but you will need to come back in a few months when I have Sparky." Marissa grinned.

"That's acceptable. Can we try and make that a normal delivery though, please?" Kendall asked.

Bianca looked at Marissa and sighed. "That would be different for a change and kinda nice. If I have to choose though, I'll settle for healthy."

"I'll see what I can do, but it's all kind of up to Sparky."

/

Not long after Greenlee returned to the hospital with her car, Marissa drove Bianca home with promises to call the others if they needed anything. When the kids saw Bianca with a brace on her wrist and being helped into the house by Marissa, they were immediately alarmed. Susan, having made sure their homework was done, that they had eaten dinner thanks to Krystal's delivery of said meal and that the kitchen was cleaned up, ducked out with the promise to swing by the next morning to pick up the kids and drop them off at school.

When the family was finally alone, they settled together in the family room, and the couple explained Bianca's injuries and touched briefly upon what happened. Neither mother saw the need to go into the ugly details of what had actually occurred. The only thing that would accomplish would be to scare the children even more than they were when they first saw Bianca, and that was the last thing they wanted. Bianca assured them that she was okay, just tired and sore. Marissa then told them that the doctors had said that Bianca would alright and back to normal in a few days after she got some rest and took it easy. The redhead asked the kids to be mindful of extra loud noises while Bianca recovered from the effects of the concussion. Marissa also asked them to help her keep an eye on their brunette mother to make sure she was behaving herself and following doctor's orders. This request drew a scowl from Bianca. The interaction between their mothers was just what was needed to break the tension and ease the kids' fears. The request elicited giggles from all three children and ready agreement. With that done, the family settled in for the rest of the evening as close to Bianca as they could get, including Max. Their faithful dog had sensed something was different and claimed a spot at the brunette's feet.

/

The next morning found the couple slightly groggy due to the frequent but necessary disruptions in sleep during the night to check on Bianca's condition. Marissa had wanted Bianca to stay in bed while she took care of the family's normal morning routine, but Bianca was stubborn and insisted she could help. A compromise was reached. While Marissa got the kids up and ready, Bianca let Max out and refilled his food and water bowls before sitting down at the kitchen table. She wanted to do more but knew it was the best she was going to get out of Marissa, and if the truth be told, it was about all she could handle at the moment. Her whole body ached, and being right-handed and having that hand injured, certain tasks were difficult for her to perform.

It turns out that was all she had time for anyway. The kids woke up and began getting ready with no fussing at all which made Marissa's job a great deal easier. Miranda, in particular, was a big help. After quickly getting herself ready, she took over for her redheaded mother and finished helping Gabby out. Marissa was then able to start on breakfast. When they were done, AJ helped load the dishwasher, and Gabby took care of Max. Susan arrived, and after hugs and kisses were exchanged between mothers and children, the kids loaded into the babysitter's car and headed out.

/

"Why don't you go back to bed? I know you have to be exhausted." Marissa suggested.

"To be honest, I'm a little wired after being with the kids so I don't know if I could get back to sleep right now. I also really want to take a shower and get the hospital smell off of me. What about you? You were up more than me."

"I need to call Claudia and talk to her about a few things. After that, I got nothing on my agenda other than a nap with you. Go ahead and take your shower, but please be careful. I know you're still having some balance issues which should go away in a couple of days."

"I will. Meet you back in bed for that nap." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss before slowly making her way back to their bedroom.

/

Marissa's call didn't take long at all. Claudia and the rest of the redhead's team had a firm handle on things, easily splitting up roles and responsibilities. It turns out that this was a good test run for when Marissa would be on maternity leave. Things were covered so well, it allowed the redhead to take a couple of days off to take care of Bianca without worrying about work. Claudia and Marissa decided that the redhead would stop by the office in two days to review things and take care of anything that needed her attention.

With her call over, the kitchen clean and Bianca taking a shower, she found herself at loose ends. That was when Marissa was struck with what she thought was an excellent idea.

/

Bianca was struggling a little in the shower. She had taken the brace off of her wrist so it wouldn't get wet which had been easy enough to do. What she didn't count on though was how sore her body was and how awkward it was to actually bathe herself.

"Dammit."

"Do you need some help?"

Bianca glanced up and saw her wife entering their shower. Marissa always managed to take her breath away but even more so now with her ever growing baby bump. The redhead simply glowed and didn't know the full effect that she had on Bianca.

Marissa seemed to sense where her wife's thoughts had gone to and didn't try and hide her amusement. "Not that kind of help, babe. You're still recovering and your hand is hurt."

"I'm not against building up my left hand. I can already do quite a few things with it. Maybe I could become ambidextrous. Think of what we could do then." Bianca waggled her eyebrows.

The redhead laughed. "While there's not a doubt in my mind that I would enjoy that particular skill immensely, the kind of exertion you're talking about is against doctor's orders for a couple of days. So, you have to behave yourself."

"You're evil and making it impossible for me to behave myself."

"Well, you're just going to have to try harder. It kind of reminds me of how I had to last year when I was hurt and you were helping me."

Bianca made a face. "Guess I had that coming, huh?"

Marissa smiled and took the washcloth from Bianca. "Yep. Turn around and let me get your back."

Placing her left hand on Marissa's belly, Bianca spoke to their little one. "Your Mama can be very bossy sometimes."

Sparky kicked in reply.

"See, our little one agrees with me." Bianca grinned.

"I'm only that way because your Mommy can be very stubborn sometimes."

Another kick was given in reply.

"Looks like Sparky agrees with me too." Marissa chuckled.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She turned and glanced over her shoulder. "And we're not calling the baby Sparky."

Marissa shuddered when she saw the bruises on her wife's back and arms from the attack. They weren't as visible the night before, but now, in the light of day, the redhead could clearly see what Amelia had done to Bianca. Marissa could feel her anger rising.

"Rissa?"

Hazel eyes snapped up to meet warm chocolate, and Bianca could tell exactly what her wife was thinking and feeling. "Rissa, I'm okay."

"But …"

"I know. Trust me, I know, but I'm here, and I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere either. Okay?"

Marissa released the breath she'd been holding and gave into her wife's unspoken request. "Okay." The redhead began to gently wash her wife's back. She smiled as Bianca leaned into her touch. "I think I should probably tell you that you called our little one Sparky yesterday."

Bianca turned around. "I did not. You're making that up."

"Nope. I'm telling the truth."

"Obviously, I was under the influence of pain medication."

"Yeah, obviously. If you ask me, I think the name is growing on you." Marissa knelt down and began washing Bianca's legs, making her way up slowly.

Heat began to build in Bianca, and a shiver made its way down her spine.

Marissa glanced up and saw her wife's eyes begin to darken. "Not happening, babe."

"You're an evil temptress, and just plain mean."

"What if I promise to make it up to you after you're given the all clear for strenuous activities by the doctor? I'll leave the exact details of how I can make it up to you and redeem myself."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Anything?"

"Anything." Marissa grinned.

"Alright, I'll let you off the hook."

"Thank you. Now, let's you rinse you off. I've got another surprise."

/

"Lay down on your stomach."

"Exactly what are you going to do?" Bianca asked but did as requested.

"I'm going to give you a massage."

"Really?"

"Yes, really. I picked up a few things working at that parlor. Some of the girls that worked there would talk to me on their breaks and give me some tips."

"What kind of tips?" Bianca couldn't help but smile seeing her wife blush.

"That's for me to know and you to find out. I will tell you that I've never practiced those tips on anyone else. You're my first and only. Of course, I can only show you a few of them now. I'll save the other ones for when you can handle them." Marissa winked.

"You are _killing_ me. I'm going to start working on my list of things you're going to have to do for me."

"I'll be happy to do each and every single one of them."

Marissa began to work the muscles on Bianca's back and could feel the brunette start to relax.

"Are you going to tell me how Kendall hurt her hand?"

"That's really Kendall's story to tell. She said she would stop by later today so maybe you'll hear it then."

Bianca could feel herself succumbing to sleep as she relaxed more and more thanks to Marissa's magical touch.

Marissa smiled softly when she saw that her wife was asleep. She placed a kiss on Bianca's back between her shoulder blades before covering them both up and curling into the brunette's side and drifting off herself.

/

The couple woke from their early morning nap with both feeling a little more refreshed. They each changed into sweatpants and t-shirts and padded to the living room settling on the sofa and catching up on some of the unwatched episodes of 'Rizzoli and Isles' currently residing on their DVR. Bianca spoke with both her mother and sister during this time as well. After lunch, they had their first visitor.

Nora Buchanan had called earlier asking how Bianca was doing. When she received a positive answer from Marissa, she asked if it would be okay if she stopped by. She had news that needed to be shared with the couple as soon as possible. This piqued their curiosity, and they quickly agreed to her visit.

"You're sure it's okay? I'm not keeping her up? I don't want to do anything that would interfere with her recovery."

Marissa smiled as she led the other lawyer inside. "I'm sure."

"So am I. Hi, Nora. I had a nice nap earlier, and thanks to my beautiful and talented wife, I'm not nearly as sore as I was when I got up."

"Hi, Bianca. I'm so glad to hear that. Now when I talk to Viki later, I'll be able to give her a good report, and you can expect a call from her tomorrow. We talked last night and filled her in on everything. Like a lot of other people, she was worried about you. She made me promise to check on you before Bo and I left here."

"Where is Bo?"

"He's at the police station with Jesse and helping him sort this mess out. He sends his best and was sorry he couldn't come with me, but with the charges both Anthony and Amelia are facing now …"

"Wait. Her father is facing charges? What did he do?"

Marissa looked at Nora. "I haven't had a chance to tell her about everything that happened while she was sleeping."

Nora nodded, grateful she hadn't said more. "Gotcha."

"You are going to be telling me everything later." It wasn't a question coming from Bianca, merely a statement of fact that left no room for discussion.

"Yes, I promised I would, and I will keep that promise. So, Nora, what's this news you have to tell us?"

"After everything calmed down, Bo and I decided to grab some dinner at the Yacht Club. While we were eating, Julia Mears stopped by and asked if we could talk."

"Seriously? Why would she do that?" Bianca asked.

"It's because of everything that happened yesterday and quite frankly over the last 30 plus years."

Bianca glanced at her wife. "Yeah, you _really_ need to tell me what happened yesterday."

Marissa nodded. She understood Bianca's feeling lost right now. "So, what did she say?"

"She apologized to me and Bo for getting us involved in all of this in the first place."

"How did the two of you get involved?"

"Ah, the mayor asked us to tag along. He and Anthony are friends."

"Yeah, a fact that Anthony mentioned yesterday _repeatedly_." Marissa smirked while Nora laughed.

"Oh yes, he did. I have a strong feeling that might not be the case much longer. Anyway, Julia asked if I would pass along her sincerest apologies to the both of you for everything. She wanted me to tell you that she knows she bears responsibility because she was never able to stop Amelia or get her help. By staying with her husband all of these years, Julia believes she was, in effect, telling Amelia that what Anthony did to her, how he treated her, was okay. As a result, Amelia modeled her relationships after what she saw in her parents'. Julia admitted that she just didn't see a way out after years of being broken basically. She said that she knows that she'll never be able to apologize enough to the two of you as well as Kirsten and her family, but she hopes what she's doing now will at least be a first step of making amends."

Marissa addressed Bianca. "From what little I witnessed yesterday, your assessment of Julia was spot on. She was abused and kept it quiet and hidden. She wasn't able to yesterday though. The way he spoke to her and treated her was awful."

"Sometimes, it really sucks to be right. Is she going to get help? It sounds like she's reached that point where she might be ready to. She's welcome to come to the Center."

"That was my first thought, but she quickly dismissed it. I have to admit that she has a very compelling reason for it too. Anthony is going to be on the warpath when he finds out what she's been up to, and she doesn't want any of it to blow back on you or the Center more than it already has."

"What has she done?"

"First, she wanted me to give you this." Nora handed over a cashier's check.

The couple's eyes bulged when they saw the amount.

"This can't be right, Nora! This is for, this is for one million dollars! How? What?"

"Yeah, I thought that might be your reaction, Bianca, and before you ask, Marissa, the money is perfectly clean even though some of Anthony's dealings may be questionable. Anthony opened up several accounts in her name at other banks without her knowledge, and over the years, he funneled a lot of money into them. This makes it look like on paper that he doesn't have that much money. So you might be wondering why he would have accounts at other banks when he has one of his own. This kept him off the radar of bank regulators and the SEC. Julia didn't know any of this until late last year when she stumbled onto them by accident, and that's when she started planning."

"Planning what?"

"Her escape. She's cleaned out all of the accounts with her name on them, single and joint. Those funds have been transferred to I don't know where, and _I really don't want to know where_. You have a cashier's check because that money came from a joint account, and he won't be able to stop payment on that type of check because her name is on the account as well as his. She also wanted me to give you this to pass on to Kirsten. Again, it doesn't make up for Amelia put Kirsten through, but she hopes it will help her get back on her feet."

Bianca took the second cashier's check. "Wow. This is for $500,000. I'll make sure this gets to her along with what Julia said. What's Julia going to do now? She has to know that Anthony's going to come after her."

"She does. That's why she won't be coming to the Miranda Center. She is going to get help, but it's going to be far away from the state of Pennsylvania. To do that, she's going to go into hiding."

"Really?"

"Yeah, that was pretty much our reaction. Like I said, she's been planning all of this for a while, and now with the cash, evidence that she's gathered over time and Anthony distracted briefly with his current legal issues, she saw her chance and took it. She does feel she's abandoning her daughter, but she realizes she can't help her right now. She's just not in the position to right now, at least not psychologically."

"She didn't tell you where she was going, did she?" Marissa asked.

"No, she didn't. Neither Bo nor I know."

Marissa smiled. "Smart. You can't help him if you don't know. Since her name is on the accounts, she hasn't done anything illegal by making the withdrawals. She's getting help for herself with the added bonus of helping others with her donation and using his money to do it."

"There's kind of a poetic justice to that if you ask me. The man is a real son of a bitch." Nora offered.

Bianca couldn't agree more. "It sounds like she's on the road to recovery. Hopefully, she'll be able to help Amelia once she's helped herself. Of course, Amelia will have to accept responsibility for her own actions first."

"Maybe prison will be the wakeup call she needs." Marissa remembered something Nora had said. "Wait. You said she collected evidence. What's she doing with that?"

"I thought you would catch that. It turns out that not all of Anthony's dealings have been on the up and up. Julia's turning that evidence over to the state attorney general, bank regulators and the Securities and Exchange Commission. I have a feeling they are going to have a field day with that."

"The state attorney general because you recused yourself, huh?"

"You know it, Marissa. I'll be sure to keep you both posted on everything. Alright, I need to pick up Bo and head back to Llanview. This trip has certainly been interesting."

"Yeah, you can't say that Pine Valley is boring." Bianca smirked.

"No, you definitely can't. I'm really glad you're okay, and like I said, expect a call from Viki."

After Nora was gone, Bianca made a quick call to Jan to have her pick up the checks so they could be deposited by the Miranda Center and Kirsten as soon as possible. Marissa took them and locked them up until Jan could make it over.

/

Kendall pulled up in front of Minx Manor. As she got out of the car, she suddenly felt dizzy and short of breath, and she had to hold onto the car door to steady herself. The episode was brief only lasting a moment. Kendall quickly recovered, and as a result, dismissed it. She'd been running around a lot lately getting Fusion ready for the holiday season and was probably just tired. Plus, she hadn't eaten all day. She promised herself that after Christmas she was going to take some well-deserved time off. Kendall saw the mail had been delivered and grabbed it for the couple before making her way to the front door.

Marissa smiled brightly when she saw her sister-in-law. "Hey, Curly. Come on in. Are you okay? You look a little pale."

"Hey, Red. Here's your mail."

"Thanks!"

"How's the patient?"

"The patient is fine." Bianca called from the family room having overheard her sister. "You could ask her, you know?"

Kendall laughed. "Sorry, Binx. You're feeling better?"

"Yes, I am. Rissa's taking good care of me, and I haven't done anything all day. I've been a model patient."

"Has she, Red?"

Marissa chuckled. "Yes, she really has."

"Alright, you still haven't answered her question. Are you okay? Rissa's right you do look a little pale."

Kendall sighed and sat in a nearby recliner. "I'm okay, just a little tired. It's been nuts at Fusion. With Christmas coming up and Valentine's Day not long after, we've been really busy filling all of the orders that seem to be pouring in. I haven't even had time to eat."

"That's not good. Rissa?"

Marissa smiled. "I'm on it. I'll fix you something."

"I don't want you to go to any trouble."

"It's no trouble. Krystal brought over enough food to feed a small army last night. I'll get us all something to drink, and you something to eat, Kendall. Why don't you tell her about Nora's visit, B? I have a feeling she's going to like that story a lot."

"You're right, she will. Oh and then, you two can tell me what I missed yesterday."

The sister-in-laws looked at each other and knew they were going to have to come clean.

"Alright, we will. I'll be right back."

/

While Bianca filled Kendall in on what Nora had told them, Marissa sorted through the mail. One piece in particular caught her attention, and she immediately opened it.

"Wow. I wasn't expecting this."

Bianca glanced at her wife. "What is it, Rissa?"

"An invitation to my high school reunion."

"Which one?" Kendall asked.

"We didn't have a 10 year reunion. It looks like they're combining several classes together for one big one."

"When is it, Rissa?"

"Next month."

"Do you want to go?"

"I'm not sure. I really haven't seen or been in touch with anyone since my parents died, and I moved here."

"It could be fun, Red."

"She's right. It could."

"Would you come with me, B?" For some reason, Marissa felt nervous about making the trip back to her hometown. She had both good and bad memories there.

Bianca smiled. "I would love to."

Marissa gave her a quick kiss. "Okay, I guess we're going to Devon."


	156. Skipping Ahead

**A/N: As always, thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it, and it really keeps me going with this story. A few of you definitely got me thinking about something. I'll have to see what I can do with that. On to this chapter, we're skipping ahead just a little bit. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca was soon healed enough to return to work but not before a promise was given to Marissa to take it easy. As much as she disliked being waited on and fussed over, the brunette agreed to it because to do otherwise would add to any stress she had already put Marissa under by being hurt, at least that was the conclusion Bianca arrived at in her mind. Christmas followed in Pine Valley soon after Bianca's return to work, and the holiday had passed without any major incident occurring. It was now the day after Christmas, and the Miranda Center was closed for the day. Even though the Center's annual fundraiser was in less than a week, Bianca had them close up so her staff could spend a couple of days off with their families. If there was an emergency, there were procedures in place to handle it. As for the Tasker-Montgomery's, they were taking full advantage of the time off by spending the day at home relaxing and staying away from the hordes of shoppers taking advantage of the day after Christmas sales.

It would have been a perfect day except for a certain call taking place.

JR didn't return to Pine Valley for the holidays since he was still _working_ on himself. There were many who really weren't sure what that exactly meant but were grateful he wasn't causing any problems. As a result of his continued absence, he and AJ communicated via Skype. These sessions were primarily monitored by Bianca, and sometimes by Marissa but only if the brunette wasn't available. As much as they wanted to, the couple still couldn't completely trust JR, and to be honest, they probably never would. There was just too much history there. Bianca, for her part, did not want JR anywhere close to her wife if she could help it. As much as she said it didn't, Bianca could tell having anything to do with JR grated on Marissa. The redhead was able to hide it from AJ but not her wife. Bianca resolved that she would do everything possible to limit the amount of time Marissa had to deal with JR.

The day after Christmas had been arranged as a day for JR and AJ to talk since he wasn't available on the actual day.

/

"Hi, Dad! Merry Christmas!"

"_Merry Christmas, AJ. Did you have a good one?"_

"Yep, I sure did! The Moms got me and Miranda our own iPads. I can do a lot of cool designs with it. We're not allowed to use them without them around though. Oh, thanks for the jersey! I'm wearing it now. Can you see it?" AJ was using Bianca's laptop for the conversation, and he moved it some to show JR that he was wearing the replica Cincinnati Reds jersey of his favorite player he had sent to him as a Christmas present.

"_Yeah, I can. It looks great on you, and you're welcome. I'm glad it got there in time. I'm sorry I couldn't be there."_

AJ shrugged. "It's okay. I understand. Ma said you were really busy and couldn't make it, that you would if you could. You weren't alone, were you?"

JR felt an odd mixture of gratitude and anger at his ex-wife for providing an excuse. Marissa had only done it so AJ wouldn't be hurt and wasn't waiting all day for his father to call him. JR, for his part, didn't want to acknowledge his real reason for staying away. _"No, I wasn't. There were lots of people around here. So, I was good."_

"That's good. You shouldn't be alone on Christmas. Oh, I'm supposed to say thank you for sending the soccer ball for Miranda and basketball for Gabby. They really liked them and said thank you."

The gifts in question had been shipped to Bianca's office with good intentions. Usually, the couple would have had their children thank the gift-giver in person, but this was a different circumstance. Miranda remembered the day JR showed up at school and knew he had tried to take her brother a couple of times before. She suspected he would've tried again that day if he had had the chance so she didn't trust him, and no amount of gifts that he might give her would change that. Like her mothers, she couldn't be bought. Gabby didn't quite grasp everything that surrounded her brother's dad but could tell that the others were leery of him. That was good enough for her and she followed suit in not quite trusting the man. AJ was torn. He remembered how his father used to be what felt like a long time ago, and he missed him, missed how he used to be. The boy also knew how his father was in recent times and didn't like that version of him at all. Part of him wanted his dad around, but the other part of him, the larger part, didn't want that if it meant losing his family. To AJ, that was both of his mothers, his sisters and the others that were in his life that loved him without question or condition. AJ talked to his Moms about what he was thinking and feeling. He didn't want them to be mad at or disappointed in him. They assured him they understood and would support his decision no matter what it was. That was what made AJ okay with talking to his dad.

Bianca had had a heads up regarding the gifts. JR had called Tad and asked him to see if it was alright with Bianca and Marissa to send the girls something along with his gift for AJ. The couple had to admit that they were surprised by the gesture and agreed as long as they were sent to the Miranda Center so they could be checked out first. Basically, the couple wanted to sure there were any hidden notes in what was being sent. While the women appreciated the gestured, they weren't allowing themselves to be lulled into trusting him.

"_I'm glad they liked them, and I'm really glad you liked the jersey. I gotta admit Phillips had a good year."_

AJ nodded happily. The boy had Brandon Phillips' stats memorized and followed his favorite player avidly during the baseball season. "Yeah, he was awesome."

"_Thanks for my present. That's a great picture of you, son."_

A knock on the door had Marissa going to answer it while Bianca continued to monitor the conversation.

/

"Aya, Kate! What a nice surprise. Merry Christmas! Come on in."

"Hi, Marissa. Is Bianca around?"

The lawyer could see the normally calm and collected office manager was a mix of emotions, excited and beyond happy chiefly among them. "Yeah, she's in the family room."

"Oh, Merry Christmas!"

Marissa laughed. Something was definitely up with the couple. Smiles were plastered on their faces.

"B, we've got company."

Bianca glanced up and smiled. "Hey, you two. What's up?"

Kate and Aya exchanged glances before Kate happily thrust out her left hand. "Aya asked me to marry her yesterday, and I said yes!"

"That is fantastic! Congratulations!" Bianca hugged the newly engaged couple as did Marissa.

"She's right! That is just the best news. We need details!"

/

JR heard a commotion on the other end of the Skype session. _"What's going on there, AJ?"_

"One of Mom's friends came over and just said she's gonna get married."

"_Oh, you've got a bunch of women over there squealing and giggling. I bet that has to get old."_

AJ shrugged. "Not really. They're just happy, and Aya's really cool. She sang in the Moms' wedding and was really good."

JR bristled slightly. He failed yet again to gain points with his son. _"Oh, that's nice."_

"You have five more minutes, Buddy." Bianca noted as she kept an eye on the Skype conversation. The couple had put time limits on the sessions for the time being because they didn't want AJ hanging out on the computer all the time. Plus, AJ had promised Gabby he'd play one of her new games with her.

"Okay, Mom"

AJ jostled the laptop as he answered Bianca. This allowed JR a glimpse of Marissa. It had been a couple of months since he had seen her. Bianca usually handled setting up the Skype sessions. At first glance, it appeared to him that his ex-wife had gained some weight, and JR had to admit that made him happy. He briefly thought this fact would make her less desirable for some reason to Bianca since she wouldn't be the picture perfect wife. Just as fast as that thought came, it was dismissed. He knew that wouldn't make a difference to Bianca. She always saw beyond a person's exterior. No, a little weight wouldn't change the brunette's feelings. She wasn't like that. That's when he noticed something. He noticed how Marissa was standing as she talked to a woman he didn't recognized. JR noticed she had one of her hands resting protectively on her now slightly expanding belly. Finally, he noticed her smile. JR had never seen her happier. Marissa was practically glowing, and he just knew.

"Dad?"

"_Oh sorry, AJ. Hey, is your mom, I mean your ma feeling okay?"_

"Huh? Yeah, she is now. She wasn't for a little while, but Mom said it was, um, morning something."

"_Morning sickness?"_

"Yeah, that's it! It's just 'cause of the baby. She's better now though and doesn't get sick like she did a while ago."

"_She's having a baby." _

"Uh huh! I'm gonna be a big brother again! I can't wait! It's kinda exciting. I'd really like it if I had a brother but another sister would be okay too. The Moms are really happy. They say it doesn't matter to them if it's a boy or girl. They just want Sparky to be healthy. Oh, Sparky's the nickname that Aunt K gave the baby. Ma really likes it, but Mom says she doesn't. We think she really does though."

There was only one thought running through JR's mind. _She wouldn't have a baby with me, but she'll have one with Bianca._

"Isn't it exciting, Dad?!"

"_Huh? Oh yeah, AJ, it's … it's great."_

"I gotta go, Dad. I told Gabby I'd play a game with her. I'll talk to you soon. Merry Christmas!"

"_Uh, yeah. Talk to you soon. Merry Christmas."_

/

"And then, she asked me to marry her." Kate beamed.

"Very romantic, Aya." Bianca was happy for the couple. They really were made for each other.

"Well, I try." Aya grinned.

"You definitely succeeded." Kate squeezed her now fiancée's hand.

"Kate and I have something we want to run by the two of you."

"Sure. What is it?" Marissa asked.

"Well, neither of us have any younger family members, and your kids are like the best. So, we were wondering if it would be okay with you if we asked them to be in the wedding."

Bianca glanced over to Marissa who nodded. "It's fine with us, and I think the kids will be thrilled."

"They're old hands at it now." Marissa chuckled. "I'll go get them so you can ask."

"Thanks!"

/

The Miranda Center's New Year's Gala was a huge success, even more than the previous year's. Since turning over more of the fundraiser's responsibilities to her extremely capable and talented staff, particularly Jan and Aya, Bianca was able to mingle more and simply enjoy ringing in the New Year with Marissa by her side. Sam volunteered to babysit for them which allowed the couple to enjoy the evening out. In the back of their minds was the thought that they might not be making next year's gala considering that this time next year they would have a wonderful new addition to their family.

With Sam volunteering to watch the kids, Bianca and Marissa were able to give Susan two tickets to the gala as part of their Christmas present to her. The babysitter was thrilled and went with a friend to celebrate ringing in the New Year. Marissa also gifted tickets to the gala to her team as part of her Christmas gift to them. It gave them and their significant others a fun evening out, and the gift was truly appreciated by them. Bianca, on the other hand, wasn't able to do the same thing for her team since they were busy running the event. Her replacement gift of two extra days off with pay was much appreciated.

By the time they got back home after the gala, the kids had been tucked in for a couple of hours, and Sam was asleep in the guest room. Part of the agreement to having her babysit was that she would stay over. Neither Bianca nor Marissa wanted her driving that late and especially with the added likelihood of drunk drivers out there. The Walkers were onboard with this condition as well, and Sam herself was good with it too.

/

It was two days before Marissa's high school reunion. She and Bianca were seated at _their_ table at Krystal's along with Kendall and Greenlee. After a short break and a conversation between Krystal and Marissa to sort through their issues, the couple resumed meeting there for lunch, just not quite as often as they had been in part because of work schedules and them trying out new places because of Marissa's cravings.

"So, Red, are you looking forward to the reunion?"

"Yeah, but I've got to admit I'm a little nervous too."

"Why?" Greenlee asked. "I would think you had a lot of friends."

"I did, but we really haven't stayed in touch. You know how it is. Life just happens, and people get busy. Plus, Devon is pretty small, and quite a few people I went to school with couldn't wait to get out of there and explore the world."

Kendall nodded. "I suppose I can see that. Do you know anyone that's going?"

"No, I don't, and that's partly why I'm nervous. With every class, you had your cliques. Devon High was no different, and some of them could be downright mean. Those are the ones I'm not looking forward to seeing."

"Somehow, I think you can hold your own with them. Think of all of the people you've had to deal with here starting with the Chandlers, a certain obnoxious reporter, Brennan and Prussell.

"Prussell?"

"Pete and Russell. Yeah, now that I hear it out loud, I'm not all that crazy about that name. I'll see if I can come up with something else. My point is that some snarky cheerleaders or other types of stuck up idiots are nothing after all of that." Greenlee smirked.

Marissa laughed. "I'll keep that in mind. I do know for a fact though that I will have the most beautiful and amazing wife there."

Bianca blushed. "Talk like that will get you anywhere, _Counselor_."

"I think you can give it a rest, Bianca. I mean you already got her knocked up."

Kendall spit out her drink. "You have to give me some warning next time if you're going to say something like that. Wow."

Greenlee shrugged. "You'd think you would know better by now."

Bianca shook her head and checked the time. "We better go. It's almost time for our appointment with Dr. Abbott."

"Ooh, you're right. We don't want to be late."

"Just a regular checkup, Red?"

"Yep, just checking on Sparky."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "We're not using that nickname."

Marissa just grinned and whispered to the other two amused women. "No matter she says, I think it's growing on her. We'll see you later."

"We want a full report of the reunion when you get back."

"You got it."

Greenlee sighed as the couple left holding hands. "They're never going to stop doing that, are they?"

"Probably not."

"Alright, let me go pay our check, and we'll head back to the office. We've got a meeting with a buyer."

Kendall gathered her things while Greenlee headed to the counter to pay. As she stood, she was hit with a wave of dizziness and had to grab the table to steady herself. A moment later, she was fine and dismissed it quickly. _I just got up too fast._

"You ready?" Greenlee asked as she returned.

"Yeah, let's go."

/

It was a somewhat milder than normal winter in Pine Valley. The night before they were to head to Devon, there was a light snow falling. Bianca padded into the their bedroom and found Marissa bathed in moonlight as she sat on the window seat of the bay window gazing out at the small pond and woods behind their home while she lovingly stroked her baby bump. Bianca's breathed hitched at the sight.

_Beautiful, simply beautiful._ Bianca thought to herself.

Marissa turned and smiled lovingly when she heard her wife come in. "Hey. All locked up?"

"Yep, we're all in for the night. How's it looking out there?"

"It's already slowing down. I don't think it will amount to more than a dusting so the roads should be clear tomorrow."

Bianca settled herself behind Marissa on the window seat, wrapping her arms around the redhead and resting her chin on her wife's shoulder. The brunette could tell something was on her wife's mind. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just a little anxious. My recent visits have only consisted of visiting my Mom and Dad, and I didn't see anyone else when I was there. The last time any of them saw me was probably on the news when the massage parlor was raided. Not exactly a shining moment for me."

"The charges against you were dropped. You didn't have anything to do with any of the illegal activities there, and you were just working there to earn money for school and just to survive."

"I know that. You know that. That's really not going to matter to some of them though. They're just going to focus on the fact that I worked at a massage parlor. They won't even give it a second thought as to who the customers were, and let me tell you, the ones pointing their fingers and yelling the loudest shouldn't be. Stones and glass houses come to mind." Marissa paused. "There is one other thing."

"Let me take a guess. Me?"

Marissa turned around to face Bianca. "Yes. To the best of my knowledge, no one knows that we're married. We've managed to stay off the tabloids' radar despite who your Mom is. When you think about it, that's a huge accomplishment."

"Yeah, it really is. It's made our life a lot simpler too."

"You can say that again. I haven't told any of them because I haven't really talked to any of them to tell them. I'm not embarrassed to be with you, far from it. I am so proud to be your wife, and I meant what I said earlier. I'm going to be the luckiest person there because I'm married to you."

"That makes two of us, and I know you're not embarrassed. I'm guessing you're a little anxious because you don't how they're going to react."

"Yeah, it is a small town after all. A lot of the town's activities were centered around the various churches. Some of them were progressive. Others, not so much. It's pretty much going to be the same way with some of the people at the reunion. Some are really open minded, and it won't matter to them. Some of them though can be pretty judgmental, and they'll probably go on and on about how disappointed my parents would be in me. Here's the thing though. If they believe that, they really didn't know my parents as well as they think they do because there is not a doubt in my mind about how my Mom and Dad would feel about me, about us."

"How's that, Rissa?"

"They'd be happy for me, happy that I found someone like you, someone who loves me with her whole being and would do absolutely anything for me. They wouldn't be disappointed by the fact that I'm in love with a woman. As long as I'm happy, they would be happy. We would have their full support and blessing. No one would dare say anything derogatory about us around them, not if they didn't want to face the wrath of Roy and Lydia Tasker." Marissa chuckled at the thought of her Mom and Dad taking on all comers before turning serious again. "The truth is that I don't care what those others might say about me. I just don't want them giving _you_ a hard time."

Bianca smiled softly, not really surprised that Marissa was worried about her. "Well, I can handle it. I have before and can again if I need to."

"You shouldn't have to."

"Neither should you, but that's how some people are. It's sad but true. My main concern is that _I_ don't want them giving _you_ a hard time."

"You know what? If they do, screw 'em. I have everything that I've always dreamt of. I'm happy with my life, even if I am starting to look like a beached whale."

"Hey, you're talking about my wife, and you are no beached whale, far from it. You're carrying our child and are so beautiful that I'm completely serious when I say that you take my breath away. I think you're the perfect size. I know I'm completely biased when it comes to you, but that doesn't mean it's not true."

Marissa leaned in and kissed her wife. "Thank you."

Bianca smiled brightly. "My pleasure. So, is there anyone that you're hoping might be there?"

"Well, Tommy Finnegan might be there."

"Who's he?"

"My first real boyfriend."

"Not Jimmy, the boy your Dad scared off after your first date?"

Marissa laughed. "No, his family moved to California our sophomore year so I very seriously doubt he would be there."

"So, this Finnegan guy, am I going to have to worry about him, keep an eye on him, maybe fight him?" Bianca asked with a smile.

"No, you have nothing to worry about. We dated for a couple of months and discovered we were better friends than boyfriend and girlfriend."

"Anyone else?"

"My best friend, Josephine Shelton, or Jo for short. Her parents were huge Josephine Baker fans, hence the name. She _hated_ it growing up. That's why she shortened it to Jo. Her grandmother still called her Josephine though. I did sometimes too just to give her some grief."

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, I can see you doing that. When was the last time you saw her?"

"Not long after Mom and Dad's funeral. She went away to college in Chicago, Northwestern to be exact. Her dream was to be a doctor. She came back when she heard what happened from her folks. It meant so much."

Bianca pulled Marissa close and hugged her. "You haven't seen her since then?"

"No, she had school, and I was struggling to just stay above water. We lost touch after a while. I regret that we did. I really hope she's there. It would be so great to see her again. I think you'd like her."

"I'm sure you're right. Who else?"

The couple spent the next hour or so talking about Marissa's classmates, some friends and some not.

"Thank you." Marissa leaned back into Bianca's embrace.

"For what?"

"For making me feel better about going. I'm looking forward to it now." The redhead checked the time. "We should probably get some sleep."

"Yeah, we do have a bit of a drive and a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Bianca stood and held her hand out for Marissa. "Susan said she'll be here by 8:00."

"Yes, we do. Good. Maybe we can stop at that diner for lunch on the way there." Marissa gave her wife a loving kiss. "Yep, I am _so_ going to show you off, and everyone will be green with envy."

Bianca laughed. "You're bad. Come on. Let's go to bed. If you're going to show me off, I need my beauty sleep."

"You have the beauty part covered already." Marissa grinned.

"Wow. You're good. If it wasn't so late, I'd let you have your way with me."

"Oh, you would huh?"

"Yep." Bianca kissed her wife tenderly. "I'll definitely let you have it tomorrow."


	157. Class Reunion - Part I

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's really appreciated. Sorry, I'm a little later posting today. I've been busy at work and had to help my niece with something so my writing time was cut into somewhat. For this chapter, we are now at the class reunion. I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

It was early afternoon by the time Bianca and Marissa rolled into Devon. Only a dusting of snow fell overnight, and the roads were perfectly clear by the time they left Pine Valley. The reunion festivities were scheduled to begin early that evening. This left the couple plenty of time to make an important stop before checking into the bed & breakfast where they had reservations.

Marissa was surprised by what she found on her parents' graves. Fresh flowers rested by their headstones. The redhead knew exactly who was responsible for the simple but extremely thoughtful and touching gesture.

"You did this, didn't you?"

Bianca nodded. She had arranged for flowers to be delivered to the Taskers' plots once a month. Being a few hours away, it was one of the ways she came up with of honoring Marissa's parents. Bianca didn't know the florist would be delivering them around the time of their visit though.

"I wanted to do something for them, for you. I hope you don't mind."

Marissa kissed her wife tenderly. "Why would I mind? Thank you." The redhead placed the bouquet she had brought next to the other one already present and stood. Holding Bianca's hand, she began to speak. "Mom, Dad, this is Bianca, my wife, the mother of my children, your daughter-in-law and my best friend. She is quite simply the love of my life. B, my parents, Roy and Lydia Tasker, the ones who helped make me who I am. Yes, I know this introduction is totally unnecessary and might seem silly to some, but it feels right to me."

Bianca smiled at her wife, knowing in her heart that Marissa wished desperately that her parents were still there and that they and Bianca could have met. "Hello. I should tell you, although I'm positive you already know, that you have a beautiful and brilliant daughter. She is very special and someone that I am so proud and happy to be married to. I know you're as proud of her as I am. I also want you to know that I cherish her and will do everything in my power to keep her safe and to let her know every day how much she is loved."

"See. What did I tell you? She's amazing. It's not hard to figure out why I fell in love with her. Now as you probably know, I'm pregnant! As you would say, Mom, your baby is having a baby. So far, so good. I'm due near the beginning of April, and we don't know what we're having yet. We want it to be a surprise. Bianca has been great dealing with my morning sickness, mood swings and odd cravings."

"She has had some weird cravings. I didn't think you could put jalapeños on that many things, but it turns out I was wrong. No matter how much she tries to convince me how great it tastes, I am not going to try a peanut butter, jelly and jalapeño sandwich." Bianca faked a shiver.

"You don't know what you're missing, B."

"I'm more than happy to take your word for that."

Marissa chuckled. "You're probably wondering why we're here, especially in the winter. We're here for my high school reunion. Well, it's not just mine. It's several classes. Thanks to Bianca, I'm going to brave it and see what everybody's been doing since I left. I'm not sure how it's going to go and what they may think of me given what happened before I left, but we decided that we don't care."

"Exactly. You're going to be great, Rissa, and will knock their socks off."

"See. I told you. I have an amazing wife." The redhead turned thoughtful. "We need to go. I'll stop back by tomorrow before we leave. I love you, Mom and Dad." Marissa touched her fingers to her lips before touching them to her parents' headstones.

The couple slowly made their way to their car, walking hand in hand the entire way.

"Are you okay, Rissa?"

"Yeah, I am. I just feel a little closer to them here. I know they're not actually here, but it's hard to explain."

"I get it. It's like that with my Grandma Mona and when I visit her. Do you want to take some time before we head over to the reunion? We have plenty of time after we check in at the B&B."

"No, I really am okay. Let's go."

/

The class reunions were being held at Devon High School. It was the one venue in town that could accommodate the crowd expected for the ten classes celebrating their respective class reunions. Bianca and Marissa parked in the school's lot and walked to the school's main entrance. They paused at the base of the steps and read the sign above the doors, _Welcome Devon High School Class Reunions_.

Bianca glanced at her wife. "Are you ready?"

Marissa nodded confidently and took the brunette's hand. "Yes, let's do this."

They walked inside and stopped at the table set up for checking in manned by two women. One was engaged in conversation with another Devon High returnee leaving the other to greet the couple. Marissa couldn't quite place her and quickly deduced that she didn't attend high school with her.

"Hi, I'm Dana and welcome to the Devon High School reunion. Are you both graduates?"

"No, just me."

"Alright. What is your name?"

"When I was a student, it was Marissa Tasker. Now, I'm Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."

"Welcome back, Marissa. Let me just get your name tag, and your guest is?"

Marissa glanced at the brunette by her side. "This is my wife, Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

Dana hesitated for just the briefest of moments. "Welcome, Bianca."

The brunette nodded. "Thank you."

"Here are your name tags. As indicated on your invitation, there will be buffet which will open in an hour. There is dancing throughout the evening, and we have a photo booth available if you would like to take pictures any time tonight. Seats are not assigned so feel free to sit wherever you'd like. There are programs listing tonight's activities at each seat. I hope you both have a good time."

"Thanks, Dana." Marissa affixed her name tag and waited for Bianca to do the same before they walked into the gym.

/

Not a moment after the couple had set foot inside, someone called out for redhead.

"Marissa? Marissa Tasker?"

The redhead turned and smiled widely. "Cory? Oh my gosh! You look great!"

"Me? You look fantastic! And, oh my god, are you?"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant."

"Wow! Congratulations! You will be a great mom."

"I don't know about great, but I already am a Mom." Marissa turned for Bianca to join her.

"You are? What do you have?"

"Well first, this is my wife Bianca, and this is Cory Miller. Somebody had the bright idea to have us as lab partners in science class. Despite that fact, we somehow managed to pass."

"Oh, hi, Bianca. Nice to meet you." There was only a slight hesitation, but Cory was always the type of person who was very open-minded and accepting regardless of whatever the situation.

"Hi. Nice to meet you too. And you're right. She's a great Mom."

Cory smiled. "I knew it."

"Between us, Bianca and I have three children, four counting this one. Bianca has two daughters, Miranda and Gabby. I have a son I adopted during my first marriage. His name is AJ."

"Do you have pictures?"

"Of course we do!" Marissa pulled out her phone and showed off pictures of the kids.

"They are so cute. Your girls look just like you Bianca."

"Thank you. We're pretty proud of all three."

"What about you, Cory?"

"Do you remember Chris Jacobs?"

"Yeah, you dated back in high school."

"We're married now and have a son."

"Congratulations! Pictures?"

Cory rolled her eyes. "Uh, yeah. Chris is around here somewhere."

"He's a cutie, and I can't wait to see Chris."

"So, where are you now and what do you do? Please tell me you didn't go into medicine."

"We live in Pine Valley." Marissa laughed. "No, I didn't. I'm a lawyer."

"Whew. I'm sure the medical profession heaved a huge sigh of relief when you made that decision." Cory joked.

"Hey, I wasn't one who cut out the squid's eye."

"Do I want to know, Rissa?" Bianca smirked.

"We were dissecting a small squid and were supposed to be focusing on the reproductive organs. Somehow, Cory pulled out one of its eyes instead."

"Yeah, I still don't know how I managed to do that."

"I think Mrs. McChristian probably is too. What about you? Where are you and Chris living? You better not be a doctor either."

"We're still here in Devon. Chris is in IT, and I'm a teacher. So, it seems we've saved countless lives."

"It would appear so. All we had to do was not to become doctors." Marissa cracked.

"Yep. You know, I'm not surprised that you're a lawyer." Cory looked at Bianca. "She always loved a good fight. I remember when we did moot court in political science class. Marissa was the prosecutor, and Shelly Griffin was the defense attorney. Shelly was the stereotypical head cheerleader who dated the quarterback and was the queen bee of the school. She thought she'd be able to just breeze through the trial and win because the majority of the jurors were either absolutely drooling over her or scared to death of her."

"Ah, you must be talking about Shelly and Devon High's 'trial of the century'."

"Jo! It's so good to see you!" Marissa sprang up from her seat and hugged the newest arrival who had a big smile on her face as well.

Bianca saw a beautiful and extremely fit African-American woman who was slightly taller than Marissa. The women beamed at each other, their happiness at seeing the other clearly evident.

"I was really hoping you were going to be here. You look great."

"That makes two of us, Rissa. You're looking pretty damn fine yourself. Hey, Cory."

"Hey, Jo. Looking good."

"You too."

"Jo, I'd like you to meet someone. This is my wife, Bianca. Bianca, this is Josephine Shelton."

"Nice to meet you." Bianca smiled.

Jo glared playfully at Marissa, knowing exactly what her friend was doing. "Please call me Jo. It's widely known I don't like that name. It's nice to meet you too. Wait." Jo's eyes grew wide as what Marissa had just said sunk in, and she read the nametags the women were wearing. "Your _wife_?"

Marissa nodded as her old friend processed this newly revealed information. "Yep, _my wife._"

"I'm so sorry. I just … I just didn't know. Um, wow. I'm making this really awkward right now, aren't I? Okay. Nice to meet you, Bianca." Jo offered her hand for Bianca to shake which she did. "Am I safe in assuming then that you are the Montgomery in this relationship?"

Bianca chuckled. "Yes, you are."

"Wait a minute." Realization dawned on Jo. "Bianca Montgomery as in _Bianca Montgomery_?"

Marissa laughed at her friend. "That would be her name. I thought we already established that."

Jo scowled at her friend. "Shut up, Tasker. I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to your wife. Are you the same Bianca Montgomery that founded the Miranda Center?"

Bianca was a little surprised by the name recognition. "Yes, I am. You've heard of it?"

"Yes, I have, and you shouldn't be surprised. It has a stellar reputation in my line of work."

"What is it you do?"

"I'm a psychologist."

Marissa grinned. "So, it's Dr. Shelton now, huh? I'm proud of you for keeping at it, Jo. I always knew you could do it."

Jo smiled back at her friend. The redhead knew of the doctor's early struggles growing up and had always been supportive of her. "Thank you. Yeah, you always told me that, especially when I didn't believe it myself. So," Jo motioned between the couple. "This makes complete sense now. Only someone like you, Bianca, would be good enough for her. You done good, Rissa. I'm happy for you."

The friends hugged again and Jo whispered to the redhead. "Your parents would be too."

"Thank you."

"Oh, what was that?" Jo took a step back.

Marissa laughed again having felt the baby kick. "That would be Sparky. Just wants to say 'hi' I suppose."

"Oh my gosh, I didn't even notice! How could I not notice?! You're having a baby! Congratulations! That is just the best news! So that would make Bianca …"

"Yep, Bianca's my baby mama!"

Cory snorted not surprised by the friends at all.

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Great. There are two of you. I thought I'd have a little break since Kendall and Greenlee aren't here."

"Who's Sparky?" Cory asked.

"Who are Kendall and Greenlee? It sounds like I might like them."

"Kendall is Bianca's sister, and Greenlee is Kendall's best friend and business partner. They own Fusion, and yeah, you'd love them. Kendall nicknamed our little one Sparky."

"Fusion Cosmetics? Get out! I love their stuff and was thrilled when Macy's started carrying their line. Why Sparky?"

"It seems my sister thinks that the baby will be a lot like Rissa, kind of a spark plug, and it just kind of spun from there. I'm still not agreeing to that nickname by the way."

Marissa grinned. "I'm wearing her down on it."

Bianca sighed. "Was she always like this?"

"Yes." Cory and Jo answered in unison and laughed.

"I thought so. As for Fusion being at Macy's, you can thank Rissa for that. She helped negotiate the deal for them. My wife is a kickass attorney."

Jo laughed again seeing the pride in the brunette's expression. "You're a lawyer, huh? Yeah, I can totally see that. You always loved a good fight."

"She still does."

"This is why you were talking about moot court, Cory."

"Yep. God, I remember Shelly's expression when they announced the verdict, and she found out she lost. It was priceless and probably one of the best moments senior year."

Jo nodded. "Yeah, I have to agree with you on that."

"What was this trial about?"

"You mean you never told her about the trial, Rissa?" Jo was shocked.

"No, it never really came up."

"I can't believe that. Well sit back, Bianca, you're in for a treat. You want to tell to it, Cory, since you started it?"

"Nah, you'll tell it much better than me."

"Tell what?"

"Paul!" The three classmates greeted another friend.

"Ladies, all I can say is wow. I didn't think it was possible, but you look even better now than you did in school."

"Glad to see some things haven't changed. You can still shovel it with the best of them." Cory smirked.

They were soon joined by other former classmates and their significant others, and after introductions were over, someone asked what they had been talking about.

"The trial." Cory answered simply.

"Ooh, I love this story. Who's telling it?"

"Jo."

Paul rubbed his hands together. "Well, get on with it!"

"Alright, hold your horses. Bianca needs a little background. It seems Marissa has never told her about it."

"She's being modest, not that I'm surprised." Cory offered.

"It wasn't that big of a deal." Marissa shrugged.

"Shush! We've got a whole group that says otherwise. Shelly Griffin was the head cheerleader, homecoming queen our junior year, class president our freshman through senior years and overall queen bee of the school."

"Queen bitch is more like it." Someone in the crowd muttered. Those in the crowd that knew her agreed.

"If she was so bad, why was she your class president 4 years running?"

"She was a bully, and people were scared of her." Jo answered.

"Correction, most people were scared of her."

"I stand corrected, Cory. You're right. Most people were scared of her. Your wife wasn't. She never backed down from her, and Shelly couldn't stand it." She was so used to everybody jumping when she said to but not Marissa. She refused and intervened would Shelly would find a new target to pick on. If you haven't realized it, your wife is very stubborn."

"Oh, I know, trust me on that. Wait. Shelly?" Bianca put 2 and 2 together. "Is that the same Shelly who tried to bully you when you were a little girl by pushing you in that race?"

Marissa could feel all eyes shift to her. She grinned at her wife. The redhead wasn't surprised at all that she had put the pieces together. "Yes, that would be her."

"I'm sensing a story that we somehow don't know. When did this happen?" Cory was intrigued by this revelation and could tell the others were too.

"When we were five, Shelly challenged me to a race. I was a lot smaller than her at the time but was winning. She didn't like it, big surprise. So, she pushed me from behind and knocked me down."

"Her Dad was recording the race, and you could see that when that other girl pushed her that Rissa's knees were skinned up pretty bad."

"Oh, I know your Mom and Dad were royally ticked off by that." Jo added.

"Yeah, they were. They talked to her parents and told them what happened. She got grounded as a result. I don't think she ever really got over it."

"Ya think?" Jo chuckled. "Shelly tried her damnedest to make your life a living hell in school. Now, it's pretty clear why. Talk about holding a grudge. Wait a minute. There's something else to this, isn't there? Bianca, you're going to have to tell us because this one obviously holds things back."

Bianca sighed. "Yes, she does that sometimes. Once Rissa's knees healed, she challenged this Shelly to another race and kicked her ass, fair and square."

Everyone burst out laughed, and Jo noted again the look of pride on Bianca's face with that pronouncement.

"Way to go, Tasker!"

"The grudge thing makes perfect sense now. Shelly absolutely hated to lose, and to have Marissa challenge her like that and beat her, you know that pushed her over the edge. As for our girl Marissa here, that explains a lot too."

"Yes, it sure does, Cory. As someone trained in understanding the motives of people and what makes them tick, I would say that young Ms. Tasker took that as an early cue to fight for the underdog, to …"

"Shut it, Josephine." Marissa's amusement clearly evident in hazel eyes and was matched by that in her friend's eyes.

The others present cracked up again at the friends' exchange. They all knew Marissa was the only one present who could get away with using Jo's full given name.

Jo huffed. "I think someone is deflecting."

"I think someone should make sure they're up to date on their malpractice insurance."

"Fine. Back to the story. Where was I?"

"Shelly's a bitch and Marissa's stubborn."

"Thanks, Callie! Senior year, everyone takes political science. The big project for that class is moot court, and everyone participates in it together no matter which period you take it. It's just one big murder trial. The defendant is completely chosen at random by a simple drawing. Everyone signs up for the other roles. Our senior year, Chad Hines was picked as the defendant. Shelly let it be known that she was going to be the defense attorney, no if's, and's or but's. You see, Chad was Shelly's boyfriend, and they were the 'it' couple. When she made that announcement, no one wanted to go up against her, no one except Marissa that is. They had gathered all of the seniors together to talk about the assignment since word had gotten back to the teacher that there might be trouble finding someone to be prosecutor. Right in the middle of the assembly, Marissa stood up and volunteered like it was no big deal when the entire senior class, hell the entire school, knew otherwise. Shelly was less than pleased."

Cory snorted. "Seriously? 'Less than pleased.' That's putting it mildly. She was _pissed_ and started shouting that Marissa was going down and there was no way she could beat her."

"I think the exact quote was that she was 'going to wipe the floor with Marissa and crush her'." Callie added.

"Let me guess. Rissa didn't even flinch." Bianca knew her wife wouldn't blink in the face of such threats.

"Exactly! Which made Shelly even madder."

Jo picked up the thread. "Yeah, there were rumors that Shelly planted a spy on the prosecution's side for info and even broke into Marissa's locker looking for her notes. She didn't find anything though."

Bianca smiled. "She wouldn't. Rissa doesn't keep her notes in obvious places."

"Of course she doesn't." Jo wasn't surprised by this information at all. It was just like her friend to try and think ahead. "Shelly and a couple of her followers started trying to intimidate other students so they wouldn't help Marissa."

"Why was she going to all of this trouble?"

"Other than the established fact that she hated Marissa? It was for the grade. The winning side was locked in for an 'A' for the project which was ½ of our grade for the year in that class. Shelly needed that 'A' to be valedictorian. She wanted to be that so bad she could taste it."

"Did she end up with it?" Seeing the others shake their head no, Bianca asked the obvious question. "Who did then?"

Marissa grinned. "Jo, and it helped her get a full ride to Northwestern."

"That made me public enemy #2 right after Marissa. I probably would have replaced her if Shelly hadn't finished 3rd to Marissa's 2nd place."

"Let me take a wild stab at this. Political Science class was the difference."

Jo snickered. "Yes, it was. For some reason, the fact that someone stood up to Shelly made a huge difference around school. It also helped that it was Marissa, and everyone, well almost everyone, liked her."

"Jo and Cory were the first ones to sign up to help me. Meet my medical examiner and lead detective."

"Given what I know about the two of you, I can totally see that."

"Thank you. Pretty soon, we weren't alone. Almost everybody wanted to be on Marissa's side." Cory stated.

"Can you really blame us? I don't want to give you a big head, Marissa, but you were smarter and nicer than her. You treated us like human beings and not like something you found on the bottom of your shoe, which is exactly what Shelly did." Callie volunteered.

"I just treated you like I would want to be treated."

Bianca smiled at her wife's matter of fact response. Her circumstances may have changed, but Marissa's attitude hadn't. She was still following the golden rule impressed upon her by her parents.

"The trial itself got a little ugly. Shelly kept trying to sling mud and distort facts, but Marissa built her case brick by brick until there was no denying the facts. The jury had to find in her favor. I could tell Mr. Scott, our teacher and judge, was worried what they might do though because he knew how a number of them felt about Shelly. They came through though and did the right thing."

"The verdict was announced in front of the whole school, and it was nuts. The majority were cheering their heads off because it felt like this major coup had taken place." Cory noted.

"Shelly lost it and started crying and saying that Marissa cheated. It got a little ugly. Shelly would just not let it go until …" Jo paused.

"Until?" Bianca noticed the somewhat evil grins on those assembled around them. She then saw a glint in hazel eyes that she was all too familiar with.

"It was senior week which came right after the trial and before graduation. We were all at the public pool as part of our graduation activities. We didn't do a senior class trip. Shelly was at it again and was hammering everyone, ripping them to shreds. Marissa finally had enough and told her to back off. She'd been an extremely gracious winner and was taking everything in stride, trying to take the high road."

"Then she went after Jo." Cory picked up for her friend who she could tell was getting slightly emotional remembering the incident. "Shelly was particularly vicious, and Marissa snapped. Now, what happened next is up for debate. All I can say is that somehow Shelly ended up in the pool with a bloodied lip."

Bianca could tell Cory knew exactly what happened as did the others, but they weren't talking even after all these years. "A pool, huh?"

Marissa laughed. "Purely coincidental."

The brunette simply smiled and caught the quick look between Marissa and Jo. There was more to the story. She was sure of it, and Bianca felt the slightest pang of jealousy which she quickly brushed aside. There was no doubt in her mind that if she asked her, Marissa would tell her the untold story.

"Did that shut her up?"

"Eventually, once she realized she didn't have any witnesses, and it was her word against everybody else that was there."

/

"I can't believe you had the nerve to show up here, and that all of you are fawning over someone who was basically a prostitute."

All eyes fell on a tall blonde with a sneer on her face. Marissa instantly grasped Bianca's hand hoping to calm her wife and prevent her from doing anything she might regret later.

"Marissa isn't a prostitute and never was. That's some delusion you came up with in your twisted mind." Cory defended her friend immediately.

"Oh please, she was arrested at 'Heavenly Hands', and we all know what went on there. And look at who she _married._ The marriage itself is an abomination, but then her _wife_ is loaded. The poor little orphan who was barely scraping by is now living on easy street, and all she has to do is spread her legs."

"You don't know the first thing about me or my wife and our lives together. Everything I've heard about you tonight is right. You are nothing but a bitch who is unhappy with her life. Say one more word …" Bianca's temper was escalating fast.

Jo flew out of her seat and stood to her full height of 5' 10" and towered over the blonde. She'd heard enough and now was her chance to repay her friend. "Let's get something straight, shall we? The charges against Marissa were dropped when the police realized that she was innocent so she's not now nor was she ever a prostitute. She was working there to support herself after she lost her parents. You say anything like that again about her and I will knock all of the bitch out of you. I know it's a helluva job because you're 100% bitch, but I'll do it and enjoy it. You of all people would know what happened at that place considering your dear old daddy was one of ones busted there, and word has it that he was one of their best clients. What does that make him? Now as to what you term Marissa's 'abomination', Marissa and Bianca are married. It's legal, and there's not a damn thing you can do about it so get your head out of your ass and join this century. There is nothing wrong with them being in love and married. Love is love so get the hell over it. You've always been so damn jealous of Marissa, and for what? She's always worked for everything that she's gotten. She's earned it. Unlike you who has had everything handed to them all on a silver platter. Have you appreciated any of it? No, you lord it over everyone, rub it in their faces and treat them like dirt. Let me tell you something, honey. _You _are not one bit better than _anyone _here. You can take your hate, small-mindedness and prejudice and shove them up your ass. And if you _ever_ say one word about Marissa again, I promise you that you will feel pain that you haven't felt before because a broken jaw and no teeth are not fun." Jo could tell by the glare on Shelly's face that she wanted to hit her. "Bring it. I _dare_ you."

Shelly knew she was outmatched and backed down immediately. "This isn't over."

"Yeah, it is. I suggest you get a life of your own so you have something else to focus on."

The blonde stalked away, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

/

"Been saving that up for a while, Josephine?" Marissa knew exactly what to say to dispel the tension.

Jo burst out laughing. "I guess I was. Sorry for interrupting you, Bianca, but I owed her."

"It's okay. I understand, and thank you."

"You're welcome. It was my pleasure."

"Thank you as well, Cory."

"Happy to do it. I don't know about anybody else, but I could sure as hell use a drink."

Everyone else agreed and started to head towards the bar.

"What are you drinking, Jo? My treat." Cory offered.

"Whiskey sour sounds good."

Bianca could tell the friends needed a moment alone. "I'll get you something, Rissa."

"Thanks, B."

/

"Wow. When you let it go, you really let it go."

"She deserved it and more. No one talks to you like that and gets away with it. Besides, I owed you one."

"You really didn't, but thanks. You were channeling Granny Morgan."

Jo laughed. Her maternal grandmother was definitely a force to be reckoned with so she took this as the compliment it was meant to be. "Thanks."

"So, Dr. Shelton, where are you living now? How's your Mom? What are the other particulars in your life? Are you involved with anyone? Any kids?"

"Mom is good. She said to tell you 'hi' if I saw you. I'm in New York now and practicing at New York Presbyterian Hospital. Mom moved there with me when she realized I wasn't coming back here to live, and there wasn't much left for her here anyway. She did go back to school and is finally pursuing photography full time. She never remarried but dates some. No kids for me yet. I'm seeing a really nice guy. He's a professor at NYU. Mom loves him."

"Well, that's settled. Jessica Shelton does not give her blessing to just anybody."

"No, she definitely does not."

"That's great about your Mom. I know it was hard for her here."

"Yeah. After Dad, it took her awhile to get back on her feet. She did her best for me though."

"That's because she loves you. I can't even imagine everything she went through. You were the reason she was able to get through it."

"That's partially true. Your parents helped out a lot, and you were a big reason _I_ was able to get through it. I can never repay you."

"There's no need. I can't believe you're in New York. We're definitely going to have to meet up. I'd love to see your Mom again and for you to meet the kids."

"Don't I know it. I'm not losing touch with you again. I'm sorry I did the first time."

"I'm sorry too and am just as guilty. There was some stuff that happened that I just didn't know how to tell you."

"Will you now?"

"I will but not here. It's definitely a conversation that should be held in private."

"Good enough. I promise not to analyze you." Jo cracked.

"Glad to hear that. I will tell you that this is my second marriage."

"Your second? Do I want to know what happened during the first?

"Oh, Jo, there's not enough time right now for that, and before you ask, it was a man. Bianca is the only woman I've ever been with. There was one good thing that came out of that marriage though, my son AJ. He is such a great kid. He's my ex's biological son, but I adopted him and have full custody. Speaking of adoption, my biological parents are alive and well and living in Pine Valley."

Jo's eyes grew wide at this revelation. "What? Do you have a relationship with them?"

"Eh, I'm trying, but it's hard and complicated. It turns out I had a twin sister, fraternal twin. She was kept, and I wasn't. I never met her. She's AJ's biological mother and died in a tornado that ripped through Pine Valley. Being adopted couldn't have worked out better for me though because I had the best parents I could ever hope for."

"Roy and Lydia adored you. I should've been there more for you. I'm sorry." The brief synopsis Marissa had given her would've made her head spin if she had stopped to think about, but that was something she would do later.

"The feeling was mutual about Mom and Dad. You were there the way that I needed you to be. It got kind of crazy there for a bit, and I couldn't make sense of a lot of it myself. There's no way anyone else could have at the time. Well, maybe Bianca. She gets me in a way that no one else has. That's something that makes her special." Seeing her friend's confusion, Marissa continued. "My biological family did something beyond the pale to her. I can't tell you here, and I won't tell you without her permission, but I can't even imagine what they were thinking. Bianca forgave them though."

"I understand." Jo did understand because she knew her friend would give her the same courtesy. Some stories weren't yours to tell. "But you still have a hard time with it."

"Yeah, I do because the thought of anyone doing what they did to her. I can't even begin to tell you how it makes me feel. I'm trying though because of her, because she asked. I tell you, they could make a soap opera out of my life."

Jo chuckled and then became thoughtful. "Could I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything, Jo. You know that."

"I do. I just …"

"Go ahead."

"When did you know you were gay or bi?"

"That's the thing. I don't know that I would necessarily say I'm either. You know I don't like labels. I'm just in love with Bianca. I didn't fall in love with a gender. I fell in love with a person who so happens to be a woman."

Jo nodded. "A very special woman from everything that I've heard."

"You've heard right. She is. I've never met anyone like her and know that I never will. She is smart, funny, kind, caring, and as beautiful on the inside as she is out. She's also the strongest and bravest person I know. A lesser person wouldn't have made it through everything that she has."

"That makes me happy to hear because you deserve the very best, my friend. I meant what I told her earlier. I can't tell you how happy I am for you. And I'm sorry about earlier if it seemed like I wasn't okay with the two of you being together because as long as you're happy, I'm good with it. That's all that matters to me. I was just surprised."

Marissa laughed. "No problem, and I think I have you beat on that one. I was never attracted to a woman before so imagine my surprise. Things changed with her though. We started as just friends. The friendship deepened, and before I knew it, I was in love with her. It was the best damn thing that's ever happened to me."

"How is it having Erica Kane as a mother-in-law?"

"Definitely an adventure and never boring. We actually get along pretty well, and I like her. The public sees her one way, and some of that holds true in private. There's a great deal more to her though, and I'm glad she's on my side. I wouldn't trade what I have for anything in this world."

"Judging by that smile, I can see that. And now, you have Sparky on the way."

/

"Seriously? Our little one is not going to be called Sparky." Bianca sighed as she and Cory joined the other two.

Marissa grinned. "You keep telling yourself that, Babe, but I just don't think you're right." The redhead saw the plate of appetizers her wife had brought back with her, a clear indication that the buffet was now open. Leave it to Bianca to be looking out for her. Marissa had to admit that she was getting hungry, and her eyes lit up when she saw there were jalapeño poppers. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome." Bianca could tell Marissa's mood was lighter and had a feeling it was a result of the conversation with her friend. She was glad. The brunette also saw the delight in hazel eyes as she bit into a certain appetizer.

The four women talked for a while as they ate, enjoying their time together. Bianca really did like the other two women and was glad Marissa had had them in her life growing up. She was also happy for their return and knew they wouldn't let themselves drift apart again.

"Okay, we can't have you all sitting here. Who wants to join me on the dance floor?" Callie asked as she joined the others.

"I'll come!" Cory hopped up.

"Count me in too." Marissa looked at wife. "What about you, B?"

"You go ahead. I'll be there in a few minutes."

"Okay. What about you, Jo?"

"The same."

Marissa looked between the two. It seemed that the two women had come to an unspoken understanding of some sort. "Got it. You're going to talk about me now. I'm cool with that. I just ask that you keep the number of embarrassing stories to a minimum."

"We'll try, but that's going to be hard. You gave me a lot to work with growing up." Jo cracked and watched as the redhead rolled her eyes before giving Bianca a quick kiss and heading to the dance floor.

/

Bianca turned to Jo. "So, is this where you grill me and tell me I better not hurt Marissa?"

**/**

**A/N: I was going to do the reunion in one chapter, but it was getting pretty long as you can tell. I wouldn't have been able to post an update today if I continued with what I have in mind. I hope you liked the new characters I added. There just wasn't a lot of history with Marissa, and I wanted to give her some. See you soon!**


	158. Class Reunion - Part II

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! It means a lot. I'm glad you liked the new characters. There is one more in this chapter that I'm introducing, and I hope you like her as well. Okay, it is thankfully a 3 day weekend here in the States, and I couldn't be happier. I don't really have any big plans other than resting. Back to the story. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca turned to Jo. "So, is this where you grill me and tell me I better not hurt Marissa?"

Jo smiled. She really liked her friend's wife. "Normally, I would, but I have a feeling I don't need to tell you that. I've seen how you look at her, and I see the smile on her face and in her eyes when she's looking at you. I don't have to worry about you hurting her. Plus, there's also the fact that you were ready to rip Shelly a new one. I'm sorry if I stepped on your toes there."

"Yes, I was. People can say anything they want to about me, and they have. I won't let them do that to Marissa though. She's been through too much. I don't think I have to tell you that not a word of what that woman said was true."

"You're right, you don't. I know Marissa. She's not like that. Everyone here knows that, despite what Shelly says to the contrary."

"Like I said before, there's no need to apologize. You did one hell of a job ripping Shelly up. I'm very impressed."

"Coming from the daughter of Erica Kane, I will take that as a huge compliment."

"Good because it is one."

Jo grew thoughtful. "I owed Marissa."

"From that time at the pool?"

"Yeah. My Dad had _issues_ when I was growing up. He had these massive mood swings that made it hard for me to have a lot friends. One day, he'd be up and the life of the party. The next, he couldn't make it out of bed and just stayed in the dark all day. Today, we would diagnose him as having a bipolar disorder and that he was suffering through manic and depressive episodes. Back then, there really wasn't a name for it, and as a result, it wasn't treated properly. Today, there's medication that helps regulate it. A lot of kids stayed away and made fun of him and me. Not Marissa though. She was my rock and helped me get through the worst of it. Dad finally couldn't handle it anymore and killed himself. Mom found him." Jo paused to collect herself as she recalled that painful time in her life. Her voice cracked when she started again. "It was when we were in 8th grade and was without a doubt the worst time in my life."

"I'm so sorry."

"Thank you. The Taskers were there for me, my Mom and my grandma whenever we needed them. Marissa became my personal protector. No one said anything about my Dad around me. If they did, they'd have to deal with her, and I'm sure you know what the wrath of that redhead is like."

Bianca smiled. "I do. She stepped in when my ex-wife tried to take my girls, and that was before our relationship turned romantic. You can imagine what Rissa was like after we were together and my ex came back thinking she had a chance with me and thought she could do it by going through the girls."

"Wow. Is she still alive?"

"Barely, and that's only because Rissa showed a tremendous amount of restraint. So, that day at the pool …"

Jo nodded. She couldn't get over how easy it was to talk to Bianca. The brunette definitely had a way about her that made opening up about her Dad easy, something she'd only been able to do with her mother and Marissa. "Shelly went after me, partly because she didn't like me and partly because she knew it would get to Marissa. Cory was right. Shelly was downright vicious. I've never been through anything like that before, and it tore me up inside. I just wanted to curl up in ball and cry. Marissa laid into her. Shelly had a couple inches on her, but that didn't matter to our girl." Jo glanced around to see if anyone was listening. "After administering a verbal beat down, she gave her a real one. Marissa hauled off and decked her. Shelly got spun around and fell into the pool. We all knew what happened, and more importantly, we all knew what would happen if any of the teachers or administrators found out. Marissa would either have been suspended or expelled. It was a week before graduation. There was no way we could let that happen. I mean, Marissa was just protecting a friend, me. If she got kicked out, Shelly would win and who knows what would've happened to Marissa. So, we formed a wall of silence of sorts. Marissa didn't ask us to do it. It was all our idea. She was willing to face the consequences, but we couldn't let that happen. We _weren't_ going to let that happen. So, Shelly went to a teacher and told them what happened. Of course in her version, she was completely blameless, and Marissa attacked her without cause."

"Your version?"

"From what we saw, Shelly slipped and fell into the pool. I think they probably knew the truth, but they couldn't do anything because there were no witnesses to back up Shelly's account. To this day, that wall is still in place. It's not that Shelly could do anything to Marissa about it now. It's more a matter a principle. What I said to Shelly, I meant. There's not much I wouldn't do for your wife. It kills me that we lost touch, and I don't want that to happen again. I can't tell you how much I wish I could've been there more for her after her parents died. She said it was kind of nuts for a bit."

Bianca could tell that Marissa hadn't gone into her story fully. This wasn't really the place for her to do it. "From the parts I witnessed after she came to Pine Valley, it was. She got through it though. She's stronger than she gives herself credit for."

"Don't I know it."

"Rissa understands and knows that you would've been there more for her if you could have."

"Thank you for that. She seems really happy now, at peace. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For being there for her, appreciating her, understanding her, loving her."

"How could I not? She's remarkable, and I'm very lucky to have her in my life. There's nothing I wouldn't do for her. You know, she actually represented me in my divorce."

"Really? She didn't get the chance to tell me that yet."

"That was the real start of our friendship, and that's all it was while she was my lawyer."

"Yeah, Marissa isn't the type to cross that line. She wouldn't have wanted to give any appearance of impropriety which could've damaged your case."

"Exactly. Rissa helped keep me together during that time, and because of her, I was able to keep my girls. After the divorce was final, we would get together and talk, and before I knew it, I was in love with her. I have to admit that I was terrified when I realized that."

"Why?"

"She was straight."

Jo simply grinned. "Oh yeah, that. Well, it would seem maybe not so much."

Bianca laughed. "Very true, but I was still scared. Rissa had become my best friend, and I didn't want to lose her. I was afraid that if I told her how I felt that I would."

"Obviously, something changed. What happened?" Jo was curious how the couple gotten passed their fears to get to where they were now.

"Fortunately for us, we had some help and were nudged into taking that leap of faith and confessing our feelings for each other. I've never been so happy to have my sister pester me." Bianca laughed.

"Marissa said that she and your mom get along."

"They do, and I can tell you that that is something that has never happened with any of my former partners. It's very gratifying. Are you seeing anyone?"

"I am, and my Mom likes him. So, I know what you mean. I'd really like Marissa to meet him."

"I'm sure she would like that. For what it's worth, I'm glad you're back in her life."

"Thank you. That really does mean a lot to me."

"Now, I have to give my sister just a little dirt on Marissa when I get back. What have you got?"

"Her and your sister get along?"

"Oh yeah. It's scary sometimes how much they do along with Greenlee. When the three of them get together, I never know what's going to happen. Rissa gives as good as she gets. They respect her and truly like her. Don't worry though. I'll give Rissa some dirt on Kendall in return."

Jo laughed. "Alright, I have a few stories I can share."

/

"And how she didn't break her neck, I'll never know."

Bianca laughed. "So, I'm going to need to keep an eye our little one climbing, huh?"

"What's going on?" Marissa eyed the two women suspiciously.

"Nothing. Just sharing a few stories with your lovely wife." Jo answered innocently.

Marissa shook her head not buying her friend's innocent act for one second.

"I didn't know you were such a good climber. How did you manage to get to the top of the water tower and not break your neck?

"Ah, it's a talent. We're not sharing that story with the kids."

"Oh no, we definitely aren't. We don't need them getting any ideas."

"If you don't mind, Jo, I'm going to steal my wife for a few minutes because I really want to dance with her. What do you say, B? Will you do me the honor of this dance?" Marissa held out her hand. "I have it on very good authority that the next song will be a slow one."

Bianca grinned. "Oh, you do, do you?"

"I do."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Throughout the evening, Bianca had seen the looks and heard the whispers directed their way. While those actions were in the minority, it did confirm that Shelly wasn't the only one who didn't view their relationship in a favorable light. Bianca didn't care about herself because she'd been through it many times before, but she care about Marissa and didn't want her time in Devon ruined.

Marissa simply smiled brightly. "I'm positive, and I don't give a damn what anyone else says or thinks."

Bianca sighed happily. "Well then, I would love to dance with you."

"Good. We'll be back, Jo."

"Have fun. Don't mind me." Jo chuckled as she watched her friend lead the brunette to the dance floor, the couple only having eyes for each other. The doctor then quickly scanned the room for anyone who might give the couple a hard time. Jo noted that Cory and her husband Chris were headed to the dance floor themselves and knew they would keep an eye on things out there.

/

Bianca couldn't hold back the smile on her face as 'A Thousand Years' began to play. She knew Marissa had requested the song because it was one of Bianca's favorites. In fact, it was a close second as the song for their first dance at their wedding.

_Heart beats fast  
>Colors and promises<br>How to be brave?  
>How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?<br>But watching you stand alone,  
>All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.<em>

One step closer

"I love this song."

"I know."

"Not as much as I love you though."

"I know that too."

_I have died every day waiting for you_  
><em>Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you<em>  
><em>For a thousand years<em>  
><em>I'll love you for a thousand more<em>

_Time stands still_  
><em>Beauty in all she is<em>  
><em>I will be brave<em>  
><em>I will not let anything take away<em>  
><em>What's standing in front of me<em>  
><em>Every breath<em>  
><em>Every hour has come to this<em>

_One step closer_

"Are you having a good time?"

"Yeah, I really am. What about you?"

"I am too. Cory is really nice, and I like her." Bianca paused knowing that Marissa wanted to know what she thought about Jo. "As for Jo, you don't have anything to worry about. I think she's great."

"You do?" Marissa couldn't hide her relief.

"Yep. She really let Shelly have it. You girls from Devon are tough. Seriously, she cares about you a lot, and I'm grateful for that. She told me how you were there for her when she was going through everything with her dad. That just confirmed for me how incredible you are."

"I just did what any friend would do. Wow, she told you about her dad. She must really like you. That doesn't really surprise me though. You are likeable and loveable."

Bianca chuckled and pulled Marissa closer. "Right back at ya, _Counselor_."

The couple continued their dance, only having eyes for each other, a common occurrence those back home in Pine Valley were all too familiar with.

_I have died every day waiting for you  
>Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you<br>For a thousand years  
>I'll love you for a thousand more<em>

_And all along I believed I would find you_  
><em>Time has brought your heart to me<em>  
><em>I have loved you for a thousand years<em>  
><em>I'll love you for a thousand more<em>

_One step closer_  
><em>One step closer<em>

_I have died every day waiting for you_  
><em>Darling don't be afraid I have loved you<em>  
><em>For a thousand years<em>  
><em>I'll love you for a thousand more<em>

_And all along I believed I would find you_  
><em>Time has brought your heart to me<em>  
><em>I have loved you for a thousand years<em>  
><em>I'll love you for a thousand more<em>

When the song ended and the couple separated, Bianca caught some movement out of the corner of her eye. "I see they're putting out the desserts."

Marissa followed Bianca's gaze. "Ooh those look pretty good, especially the triple chocolate layer cake, and while our little one is definitely interested, Sparky is resting on my bladder right now."

Bianca offered her wife a sympathetic smile. She remembered that side effect of pregnancy all too well. "How about you take care of our little one, and I'll get us something? Yes, it will include that cake."

"Sounds perfect, and thank you." Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss before heading off to the ladies' room.

/

"I can't believe anyone thinks that relationship is anything but sick and disgusting. Did you see how they were hanging all over each other out there? It made me want to throw up. It's unnatural, and now, they are bringing a child into it. Given Marissa's past, you know how she got pregnant, probably a 'client'."

"I don't know why you have such a problem with them, Shelly. They were just dancing. Hell, there were others that I thought were just going to do it right there on the dance floor, ones that are married to other people."

"Ain't that the truth?! Besides, Jo and Cory were right. The charges against Marissa were dropped. They wouldn't have done that if they thought she had done something illegal, and she was only working there to earn money for school."

"You can believe that if you want, but I don't buy it for one second. And now, all of a sudden, she's into women? Please, give me a break. She's only after all of that Montgomery money, and her wife is so stupid she can't see it." Shelly only paused when she noticed the eyes of the women she had been talking to grow wide. The blonde whipped around and found Bianca standing behind her with the Kane death glare on full blast. Shelly gulped and tried to lessen the damning words she had just uttered. She wouldn't admit it out loud, but the brunette was intimidating.

"I didn't see you there."

"Obviously."

"It's not what you think. You're not getting the entire picture and didn't understand what I meant."

"Please, enlighten me then. What part did I misinterpret? Was it the part where you accused Marissa of being a whore when she lived here? Or was it the part where you said that there was something wrong about our marriage? I believe you used the words 'sick and disgusting' and that it made you 'want to throw up'. Or was it my personal favorite where you called me stupid, my wife still a whore because she married me for my money making our marriage a sham and that we're harming our children? Please tell me what I got wrong."

"Uh …"

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Let me see if I can clear this up for you one last time. Marissa was innocent. She did nothing wrong. The fact that the charges against her were dropped bears that out. I know all about her past, everything that she's been through and survived. She hasn't hidden anything from me. I know who she is, the type of person she is and trust her completely. Not that I have to justify to someone as small-minded and prejudiced as you, but our marriage is built on love and there is _nothing_ wrong or sick or disgusting about it. That's your problem. Our children are happy, healthy and well-adjusted. Now, I understand that a narcissistic bitch like you might not understand any of that, and quite frankly, I don't give a damn if you do or not. In the grand scheme of things, you mean absolutely zero to me. If I hear you talk about my wife like that again though, you will regret it. That's not a threat. That is a promise. I hope I'm making myself perfectly clear because I won't be saying any of this again to you. You get one warning, and frankly, you're lucky I'm even giving you that. Any questions?"

Shelly shook her head.

"Good." Bianca gave her a tight smile and walked over to the table holding the desserts along with Cory's husband Chris who was trying his best not to bust out laughing.

/

Shelly cleared her throat and turned back to her friends and tried to play off the incident like it was nothing. "Well, she's just lucky that I didn't feel like causing a big scene."

The others were clearing not buying it. They saw the fear in her eyes. If it came down to it, their money would be on the brunette, and if the truth be told, they enjoyed the verbal tongue lashing Shelly had been given. They'd grown tired of her antics over the years. That's why they didn't stop Shelly from digging a new hole for herself by warning her of what they could see coming.

"Trust me, I was about to let her have it. Who does she think she is coming here and talking to me like that? If I had half a mind, I'd show her who rules here."

Cory had observed what had happened. She was impressed with her friend's wife. When she heard Shelly going off again as soon as Bianca's back was turned, she just couldn't help herself, especially since she knew the brunette had overheard what was being said again. "Hey, Bianca."

Shelly stammered and whipped around again. This time, however, she walked straight into one of the pies that was to be cut and served. She shrieked as the front of her shirt was covered in a bright red, sticky confection.

"Look at what you did! This blouse is an original Stella McCartney! It's worth thousands! You will pay dearly for this!"

Bianca was not bothered in the least bit. Erica Kane's daughter was on full display. "Yeah, I don't think so. First, you can't prove it wasn't an accident. Second, unlike you, I know fashion, and what is and isn't an original. That is a clear knockoff. There's nothing wrong with that, but it's still a knockoff and not worth thousands. I'd say you got it for $50 at a department store."

Shelly lunged at Bianca who sidestepped the attack causing the blonde to crash into a server holding another pie. This time, her face took the brunt of the dessert. She screamed and rushed off towards the ladies' room but not before having a large glass of punch splashed on her.

"AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" With that, she ran out of the gym.

/

Bianca glanced over and saw a smirking redhead holding an empty glass.

Jo was laughing along with many others.

"I guess that was an accident too, huh?" Jo asked her friend.

Marissa shrugged. "Sure, we'll go with that."

Bianca walked over to her wife. "I seem to recall you not liking punch right now."

"I was thirsty and willing to drink it no matter how much I don't like it?"

"Okay, like you said, we'll go with that."

"Strawberry or cherry?"

"I think it was both. I had strawberry, and the server had cherry. That reminds me." Bianca turned and handed the servers some cash to make up for the ruined desserts.

Jo shook her head and grinned. "I just have to say that I have really missed you, Marissa, and Bianca, it is so good to know you. The two of you are perfect for each other and definitely not boring."

Bianca returned the grin. "Thanks! Likewise, Jo." The brunette then held out a plate containing a large piece of chocolate cake for her wife.

"Thank you. I'm glad the chocolate cake was saved!" Marissa plucked two forks from the table and grabbed Bianca's free hand. "Let's go eat this. Sparky really wants some cake."

"Yeah, I don't think the baby is the only one."

/

The night wore on, and the mood of all was lightened considerably by a certain blonde's absence. Bianca and Marissa hit the dance floor a few more times and good conversations took place with old friends reconnecting. The reunion was drawing to a close, and some didn't want to see the evening end.

Callie and Paul popped back over to the couple's table.

"Hey, some of us were talking, and we're going to head over to The Pub after this. Anyone interested?"

Cory and Chris looked at each other and nodded. "We're in. We've got a babysitter all night, and we're going to take advantage of it."

Jo shrugged. "I'm up for going for a little while."

Bianca looked at her wife to gauge her interest. The decision was hers.

Marissa sighed. She wanted to go to the local hangout, but the redhead was exhausted. The further along she got in her pregnancy, the easier she tired. "I think we're going to pass. I'm beat, guys. I hope you don't hold it against me or think I'm old."

Cory smiled. "I remember what it was like when I was pregnant with Matt so don't worry about it. You just have to make sure you take care of yourself."

"Thanks. I've got an idea. Do you all want to meet up tomorrow morning for breakfast?"

"Pancake Pantry?" Jo asked hopefully.

"Is there any place else?"

Jo's eyes lit up. "I'm in then dammit. I don't know the last time I was there. I can just taste those pancakes now. Hmm, I wonder which ones I'll get tomorrow."

"We're in." Chris chimed in. "I know Cory and I live here, but we really don't go as much as we could. It's probably a good thing. I'd be as big as a house, and my wife might not think I'm as hot."

"You're assuming I think you're hot now." Cory deadpanned.

Chris just grinned at her in reply, and she cracked. "Alright, you're a little hot. We'll definitely be there."

"Callie and I will spread the word. See you tomorrow." Paul and Callie left the group to tell others of the next day's plans.

"The Pancake Pantry?" Bianca asked.

"They have the best pancakes around. You, my dear wife, are in for a treat. They have Swiss chocolate chip pancakes that you are going to love."

Bianca smiled brightly. "Who am I to say no to those?"

Marissa laughed. "I thought as much." The redhead turned to her friends. "We're going to head out. See you tomorrow morning."

Hugs were exchanged, and Cory and Chris went to gather their things.

Jo smiled. "Get some rest, and I'll see you both tomorrow. We've got a lot of catching up to do."

"Yes, we do. See you tomorrow, Jo." With one last hug, Marissa and Bianca left for the bed & breakfast.

/

Marissa and Bianca were seated at a large table perusing the menu when Jo joined them the next morning.

"Good morning, you two."

Bianca smiled warmly. "Good morning."

"Morning, Jo. So, what happened after we left?" Marissa asked.

"I only stayed for like half an hour, but let's see." Before she could continue, Jo's phone rang. The doctor smiled when she read the caller id and handed the phone to her friend. "Why don't you answer this for me, Marissa?"

The redhead looked at the name showing on the screen and grinned. "My pleasure. Good morning. Josephine Shelton's phone."

There was a pause on the other end of the line. The woman on the other end could count on one hand the number of people who called the owner of the phone Josephine. _"Who is this?"_

"Wow. Has it been that long that you don't recognize my voice?"

"_Oh my goodness! Marissa! I could never forget you. How are you?"_

"I'm really good, Mrs. Shelton."

"_Oh, I know you did not call me 'Mrs. Shelton'! That is my former mother-in-law and not me! You know better."_

Marissa laughed. "That I do. How are you, Jessica?"

"_I am much better now that I'm talking to you. It has been way too long."_

"Yes, it has."

"Good morning, Mom!" Jo called out.

"_Tell my daughter I said good morning, and I'll talk to her later. Right now, I'm going to talk to you."_

Marissa put the phone on speaker. "Your Mom said she likes me better and wants to talk to me now."

Jessica let out a hearty laugh and could tell she was on speaker. _"Now, that is supposed to be just between us. You're not supposed to tell her that."_

"Gee thanks, Mom. Nice to see some things haven't changed." Jo smirked.

"_Oh hush, Josephine. You know I love you."_

"Yes, I do. Talk to your other daughter."

"_Alright, Marissa, what is new in your life?"_

Others started filtering in, and Marissa glanced at Bianca who simply smiled knowing what her wife was thinking. The redhead wanted a few minutes to talk to her friend's mom, a woman who meant a great deal to her.

"Go ahead. I know what to order for you."

"Thank you!" Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss and patted her friend on the shoulder.

Jo nodded. She knew how much it meant for both women to talk.

"Well, Jessica, I have 3 wonderful kids with a 4th on the way: two girls, a boy and we're waiting to find out what I'm having. The two girls are my wife's, and the boy is my son, adopted from my first marriage." Marissa began as she stepped away from the table.

/

"_Hold on a minute. You're divorced?"_

"Yes. My ex-husband is AJ's, that my son, biological father. I have full custody though."

"_What happened?"_

"With the marriage?"

"_Yes."_

"It's a very long story which I will be more than happy to share with both you and Jo when we have more time. I'll just say that his former mistress is locked up as a result of everything that happened."

"_Oh my. You're okay though?"_

"I am. I'm tough. You know that."

"_Yes, I do. Alright. We'll just say good riddance to bad rubbish. Now, you currently have three children?"_

Marissa smiled. She knew the other woman was slowly making her way to the big question she had for the redhead. "Yes, AJ, Miranda and Gabby. They are great kids. I know they're not perfect, but we think they're pretty darn close. Miranda and AJ will be 10 in two months. Wow, that's hard to believe. They share the same birthday and call themselves the 'birthday twins'. And before you ask, yes, there is a long story there as well. Gabby will be six in a few months and started kindergarten last fall. That was tough."

Jessica chuckled. _"Yes, it always is. I still remember Jo's first day. It's a wonder I made it through. So, you're expecting?! How are you feeling? When are you due? Do you know what you're having?"_

"I am! I'm feeling okay and definitely glad the morning sickness has eased up. I'm due at the beginning of April. Bianca and I went to a clinic in New York, chose a donor and underwent artificial insemination. It took a couple of tries before it happened. We don't know what we're having. We want to be surprised, and it doesn't matter to us what we have as long as the baby is healthy."

"_I definitely understand that."_ Jessica paused. _"Your wife, her name is Bianca? Tell me about her."_

"Yes. Her name is Bianca Montgomery. Actually, it's Tasker-Montgomery. We hyphenate in our personal lives. Professionally, it's easier for us to go by our maiden names since we were already established in our careers. She's incredible, Jessica. She's smart, funny, beautiful, caring and kind. I've never met anybody like her. I know it's a shock that I'm with a woman, and I'll be honest with you. I was pretty surprised myself, but I didn't see it. It was so easy, and our friendship just grew and before I knew it I was in love with her." Marissa held her breath.

"_Does she treat you well?"_

"She treats me _very_ well. Bianca lets me know every day how much she loves me. It's something I never doubt. I also never doubt how much I love her. I've never been happier, and I know in my heart that Mom and Dad would love her."

"_That's all I need to know then."_ Jessica cleared her throat overwhelmed by emotion. _"If she makes you happy, that's good enough for me. That's all I've ever wanted for you, baby."_

Marissa nodded and swallowed the lump that had formed in throat. "Thank you. That means so much to me. I'd really like for you to meet her."

"_I'd like that myself. Wait. So, she's Bianca Montgomery?!"_

"Jo had the same reaction." Marissa laughed.

"_From everything I've read, she is everything you've said."_

"She really is. She's all that and more. I really don't have enough words to describe her."

Jessica laughed. _"You not have enough words?! That is something because you were never speechless. You're not going to believe this, but I have some free time and wanted to do something meaningful with it. So yesterday, I signed up to volunteer at the Miranda Center here in New York. I was going to tell Jo about it when she got home."_

"You're kidding me? Wow. They do wonderful work there, and you will fit in perfectly. You have a lot to offer them, and they are lucky to have you. I won't say a word about it to her."

"_Thank you. I wish there would have been some place like that for me to go to years ago, but they weren't really around."_

"No, they weren't unfortunately. I think it would have been helpful for both of you. Jo told me that you're pursuing photography full time. I think it's great."

"_I do too. It helps me get centered and get through a great many things. What about you?"_

"I'm a lawyer. I was made partner a few months ago. My firm is now called Thompson, Stevens, Montgomery, Cortlandt and Tasker. I specialize in family law."

"_Good for you! Your Mom and Dad would be so proud of you."_

"I'd like to think so. I'd love to keep talking, but I really should get back. A group of us are having breakfast at the Pancake Pantry."

"_Oh, I miss that place. You're right you should go. Promise me that we won't lose touch again."_

"I promise. Jo and I already traded numbers and email addresses, and I'll get your number from her before she leaves. I'm definitely not losing touch with either of you again. I love you both."

"_Good. We love you too, Marissa. Now, tell Josephine to drive carefully, and I expect her to fill me in on everything that happened there when she gets home."_

"I will, and I'm going to talk to you soon."

/

"Josephine, your Mom told me to tell you to drive carefully and that she expects a full report of everything that happened when you get home."

Jo rolled her eyes. She could tell by Marissa's cheeky grin that her mother had said exactly that. "Thanks to you, I'm going to have a lot to tell her."

"Don't forget your part in all of it." Marissa reminded her friend. "Thanks for letting me talk to her."

"Are you kidding me? If she found out you were here and I didn't have you talk to her, she'd have my hide. You're welcome."

"So, I promised your mom that we would stay in touch, and I have every intention of keeping that promise."

"Me too."

"Good. When you get home, check your calendar, and let me know when you're free. We'll figure something out."

"Sounds good to me."

"That includes you too, Cory."

"I'm in. Maybe we can do a road trip to Pine Valley?"

Jo nodded. "I like it."

/

A short while later, after breakfast was finished, friends reluctantly said goodbye. Cory hugged Jo and Marissa and made them promise to drive carefully and to stay in touch.

"It was nice meeting you, Bianca. I hope to see you again soon."

"It was nice meeting you too, Cory. Same here."

Finally, it was just Marissa, Bianca and Jo.

"Oh, Marissa, it was so good seeing you. I'm really glad I came. I almost didn't. Mom told me I would probably regret it if I didn't. I hate when she's right."

Marissa laughed. "She's right a lot. I had some encouragement myself, and I'm glad I listened. Be careful driving home and stop if you get too tired."

"I will. You definitely have that mom-thing down." Jo turned to Bianca, and the two exchanged a hug. "It was really great meeting you. I'm glad you and Marissa found each other. I can tell you make her happy, and I'm forever grateful for that because she deserves it. Take care of our girl."

"I'm really glad I got to meet you too and not just for all of the stories you gave me about her. I can't tell you how grateful I am that she had you growing up and that you're back in her life. I promise that I will do my best to continue to make her as happy as she makes me and that I'll take care of her. If you get tired on the drive home, do what Marissa said. I hope to see you again very soon." Bianca turned to her wife. "Take your time."

"Thank you." Marissa watched as Bianca walked over to their car. "Somebody up there must really like me to have given me her."

"I think they must like her too. So, listen. You take care of yourself and don't overdo. I want to meet Sparky, and I want you around for a very long time."

"The same goes for me with you. I also can't wait to see your mom again. You're both family, and we can't have too much family. You call me when you get home so I know you got there okay. If you don't, you know I'm going to call your mom since I have her number now. She'll probably ground you for making me worry."

Jo laughed. "She'll try. I promise I'll call. Alright, I need to go before I start bawling my eyes out. You and Bianca be careful, and I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Love you too."

The friends hugged tightly before Marissa walked over to where Bianca was waiting for her. The couple waved while Jo gave a quick honk of her horn as she drove by.

"Are you okay?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I am. Let's go home."

Bianca gave her a quick kiss and opened the door for her.

After they were both settled in with seatbelts on, Bianca pulled out of the lot and headed back to Pine Valley.

"Oh, it seems you have a new volunteer at the New York center."

"I do?"

"Yep, Jo's mom told me that she signed up to volunteer there yesterday."

"Wow, small world. From what Jo told me about her, she's a strong woman. I can see her being a big help there."

/

Monday rolled around, and the couple was meeting Kendall and Greenlee for lunch. The friends wanted a rundown on what had happened at the reunion. Marissa knew it would be useless to resist so she decided to get it over with and gave in to them.

Bianca was the last to join their group. "Sorry, I'm late."

"Don't worry, Binx. Red hasn't told us anything yet. She was waiting for you."

"Are you okay, Kendall?"

"Yeah, I just think I'm coming down with a bug of some sort. I'm going to run to the ladies' room for a minute. I'll be back. Don't start without me."

The room started spinning as soon as she stood up. Things then went black as Kendall collapsed.

**/**

**A/N: If you can hear above my evil side's cackling, I have a couple of disclaimers. I don't own **_**A Thousand Years**_**. That is owned by Christina Perri. I just really like the song and have wanted to use it for our girls for some time. The opportunity presented itself with this chapter, and I just couldn't resist. 'The Pancake Pantry' is a real restaurant, and I don't own it either. I've been to the one in Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and it's really good. If you're ever down that way, stop in because you won't regret it. One last disclaimer, 'The Pub' is a local place where I live (also don't own it).**

**Yeah, I did leave it there. My evil side's been kinda quiet lately. I think she's been resting. She's wide awake now though, obviously! See you soon!**


	159. Unexpected Results

**A/N: Howdy, all! Thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! It means a lot. I have to tell you that this has been a weird week for me. One of my sisters knows how to bring the drama and make everything about her, and she was really on a roll this week. A co-worker passed away unexpectedly from a brief fight with cancer that she kept private. Work itself was a bitch. I'm ending the week on a good note though. One of my best friends is getting married tonight, and I couldn't be happier for her. Enough about me, I hope you all have had a good week. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Please read the author's notes at the end for a shout out. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The room started spinning as soon as she stood up. Things then went black as Kendall collapsed.

Bianca lunged forward and managed to catch her sister right before she hit the floor. "Kendall! Kendall! Please, Kendall, wake up!"

Greenlee was on the side of her friend, desperately calling her name as well. "Dammit, Kendall! Don't this to me. Wake up!"

Due to her condition, Marissa was moving a little slower than the other two. She grabbed her cellphone though and immediately called 911.

"_911. What's your emergency?"_

"Yes, we need an ambulance at Krystal's restaurant, 748 Main Street. A woman who is a heart transplant recipient has passed out, and we can't wake her up."

"_Is she breathing?"_

Marissa glanced over to the fallen woman and could see her chest rising and falling. It looked labored, but she was breathing and that's what mattered. "Yes, she is."

"_Alright, an ambulance is on the way. Is she exhibiting any other symptoms?"_

"No, she isn't."

"_Do you know CPR in case it's needed?"_

"I do."

"_Good. Keep an eye on her. The ambulance will be there in just a matter of minutes."_

"Thank you." Marissa disconnected the call and saw a crowd gathering around Kendall. It was then that she took control of the situation. "I need everyone to back up please. She needs air. Bianca, an ambulance will be here in a few minutes. Let me know if her condition changes in anyway. Krystal, Opal, I need you to make sure that the paramedics have a clear path to Kendall when they get here." Marissa tried to call Zach as she instructed the others, but there was no answer. "Greenlee, we need to get ahold of Zach, but he's not answering."

"Uh, Kendall said he had a meeting of some sort today. He'll only answer if Kendall's calling." Greenlee struggled to keep her panic at bay as she fumbled through her friend's purse to find her cellphone. Her hands were shaking as she searched for his name in Kendall's contact list.

Marissa placed a hand over Greenlee's. "I'll call him. You help Bianca keep an eye on Kendall."

Greenlee nodded gratefully. "Okay. I can do that."

The paramedics burst through the doors and made their way immediately over to Kendall.

"I'm sorry, but we need you to step back so we can examine her." A paramedic addressed both Bianca and Greenlee, neither of which moved.

"Bianca, Greenlee." Marissa spoke gently to both women. "I need you to move so they can help Kendall."

Both nodded numbly and moved a few steps back.

Marissa then turned back to her original task of calling Zach.

"_What's up, sweetheart?"_

"Zach, it's Marissa."

"_What's wrong, Marissa?"_ Zach had immediately snapped to attention hearing his sister-in-law's voice instead of his wife's.

The redhead watched as the paramedics checked her sister-in-law's vital signs and began to load her onto a gurney. "It's Kendall. We're at Krystal's, and she passed out. The paramedics are here and are going to be taking her to the hospital."

"_Is there anything else I should know?"_

"No, she's breathing on her own."

"_Okay, I'm on my way to the hospital. I'll see you there."_

The call was disconnected just as the women were giving the paramedics a hard time.

"I'm sorry, but there's no room in the ambulance to take either of you."

"But …"

"You need to let them go and do their jobs. I'll drive you, and we'll be right behind them, okay?"

Bianca took a shaky breath and nodded. "You're right. You're right. Greenlee, let them take her, and we'll go with Marissa."

"Fine." Greenlee finally backed off and began to gather Kendall's things.

"Do you need us to do anything else?" Krystal asked.

Marissa glanced at Opal and Krystal. Neither one seemed like a good option to call Erica. Opal would be too emotional and get Erica even more upset than she was going to be, and Krystal was, well Krystal. The redhead just didn't know how Erica would take the news coming from her. She quickly decided to make the call herself from her car on the way to the hospital.

"I can't think of anything right now. We'll take care of calling Erica. I'll call you when we get there and know something."

The older women nodded as Bianca, Marissa and Greenlee followed the paramedics and Kendall out of the restaurant.

/

Once in her car, Marissa flipped on her Bluetooth to call Erica while Bianca and Greenlee buckled themselves in.

"_Erica Kane's line."_

Marissa sighed. The call had been answered by Andrea, Erica's assistant. "Hi, Andrea. It's Marissa. I need to talk to Erica please. It's important."

"_I'm sorry, but she's in the middle of an interview and can't be disturbed."_

The redhead didn't like having to deal with Andrea sometimes. She understood the woman had a job to do, but she was a little heavy handed sometimes. "Again, it's important. I really need to talk to her."

"_So is this interview. She's been named as one of Barbara Walter's most fascinating people, and as you may have heard, Ms. Walters is retiring so this is one of her final interviews. It's a great honor. It's obvious you don't understand. If you want to leave me a message, I'll get it to her, but I don't know when she'll be able to get back with you. Her afternoon is booked solid."_

"I'm not going to leave a message with you, and I don't have the time for her to free up. I need to speak with her now. It's a family issue."

"_I'm sorry, but I won't interrupt not even for a family issue."_

Marissa's voice took on a hard edge. "You don't understand. This isn't a request. I need to speak with Erica _now._ You're going to interrupt that interview because if you don't, you're not going to like what happens when Erica finds out you didn't let me speak with her. Now, get Erica for me."

Andrea huffed slightly but did as asked. There was something in Marissa's tone that told her not to argue further.

Erica was soon on the other end of the line. _"Marissa dear, is everything alright?"_

Marissa took a deep breath. She knew her mother-in-law would not want this sugarcoated. "Erica, Kendall passed out while we were having lunch at Krystal's. She was breathing on her though and is now on her way to the hospital. I called Zach and told him what happened. He's on his way there. I've got Bianca and Greenlee with me, and we're also headed there now. Unfortunately, I don't have any other information to give you."

There was silence on the other side of conversation while Erica processed everything she'd just been told. _"Alright. I'm leaving now and will meet you at the hospital. If anything changes before I get there, please let me know."_

"You know that I will. Are you okay to get there?"

"_Yes, I have a driver with me today, dear. Don't worry about me. Drive safely, and I will see you soon."_

/

The call was disconnected, and Marissa quickly glanced at a pale Bianca before turning her eyes back to the road.

"Your Mom is going to meet us at the hospital. She's leaving now. You don't have to worry about her driving herself. Erica said she has a driver with her today. Okay? Talk to me, B. You okay?" Marissa reached over and squeezed her wife's hand.

Bianca sighed. "I don't know. I don't know how I am. Kendall _has_ to be okay. She's my big sister. I need her, Rissa."

"I know, B. Don't go there. Keep thinking positive. She's going to okay. We're almost there."

The brunette nodded. She knew Marissa was right and was thankful she was there with her. Her thoughts turned briefly to her mother, and with that, another thought crossed her mind. "Oh, we need to call Uncle Jack."

Greenlee, who was sitting in the backseat and lost in her own thoughts and worry over her best friend, snapped out of her daze at the mention of her father. "I'll call him and Ryan too."

Marissa glanced in the rearview mirror to address her friend. "How are you doing, Greenlee?"

"I'm okay, I guess. I don't know what happened. Kendall was fine earlier. This just doesn't make any sense." Greenlee's worried look over the health of her best friend matched that of Bianca's.

/

Marissa found the closest parking spot to the emergency room entrance, and she, Bianca and Greenlee rushed inside. They quickly found the admitting nurse and asked for an update on Kendall.

"Kendall Slater? Are you family?"

"Yes, I'm her sister, Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

"Ms. Slater is being examined by Dr. Angela Hubbard. I'm sorry, but there is no other information on her condition at the moment. As soon as Dr. Hubbard is done with her examination of your sister, I'll let her know where you are."

"Thank you."

The three women found a quiet spot in the waiting area and sat.

/

"Bianca! How's Kendall?" Zach was slightly out of breath as he ran in a few moments later.

"Angie's examining her right now. That's all we know. Zach, Angie's good. She's really good. Kendall is in the best hands." Bianca was trying to convince herself as well as her brother-in-law. She did trust Angie, but she wouldn't feel better until she actually saw her sister.

Zach nodded letting Bianca's words sink in. "You're right. What the hell happened?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure. She said she wasn't feeling well, that she thought she was coming down with a bug of some sort and got up to go to the ladies' room. When she did that, she just passed out, and we couldn't wake her up. Kendall was breathing on own though."

Erica soon stormed into the emergency room and spotted her family immediately. "How is Kendall? Is there any word?"

"Not yet, Mom. Angie's still examining her."

Bianca had a tight grip on Marissa's hand as the redhead finished calls to her office, the Miranda Center and Fusion letting each place know that she, Bianca and Greenlee would not be returning to their places of work that afternoon. The brunette was beyond thankful that Marissa was there and helping take charge. Her clear head was the reason Kendall had gotten help as quickly as she did. She was also the reason that Bianca was holding on as well as she was. There was no doubt that Bianca could handle this if need be, but that was the thing. She didn't need to. The brunette had Marissa beside her and that made all the difference in the world to Bianca.

/

An excruciating 45 minutes passed with still no word on Kendall's condition. Jack had arrived and was the probably the only reason Erica hadn't hunted Angie down and demanded an update on her oldest daughter. Zach remained stoic with his eyes focused on the doors that led back to the exam rooms where Kendall currently was, his gaze rarely straying. Greenlee alternated between pacing about the room and pestering the staff for an update. She had called Ryan, but he was unable to get to the hospital for at least another hour. Bianca held onto Marissa like a lifeline and forced herself not to think of the worst case scenario. She was usually optimistic but something was different this time. It felt different, and Bianca just couldn't shake that ominous feeling.

"Zach, Erica, Bianca."

Everyone's head snapped to attention as Angie suddenly appeared.

"Angie, how's Kendall?" Zach asked.

"She's awake. Her blood pressure was extremely low, her pulse thready and her breathing labored when she was brought in. We've gotten her stabilized and comfortable now. Given her medical history, I do want to admit her overnight to run some tests and for observation."

A collective sigh of relief was released.

Before any of them could ask, Angie continued. "You can all see her, but only for a few minutes. She needs her rest. Follow me."

/

To say Zach was relieved seeing his wife awake and alert would be an understatement.

Kendall smiled weakly as her family made their presence known. "Hey."

Zach placed a tender kiss on his wife's forehead. "I have to tell you, sweetheart, you had me scared."

"I'm sorry."

Erica kissed her oldest daughter's cheek. "It's fine, dear, just don't do it again. Between you and your sister, it's a wonder I don't have a headful of gray hair."

The others shared a look that said they knew her hair stylist was the reason for the diva's hair color remaining unchanged after all these years, but they silently all agreed that it was best not to go down that path.

"How are you feeling, Kendall?" Bianca asked as she kissed her sister's cheek. Relief flooded through her when she saw Kendall smile.

"Tired and embarrassed. Nothing like taking a header at Krystal's during the lunch rush to keep you humble and grounded. What I can't figure out is why I'm not really hurt, especially my head."

Greenlee stepped forward and followed suit in kissing her friend's cheek. "That's because it seems there is another dynamic duo. Your little sister sprang into action and caught you before you actually hit the floor and could hurt yourself. Marissa waddled right in too and called 911 to get you help, and then she took control of the situation and ordered everyone around making sure you were okay and that nobody freaked out, like me and Bianca."

Marissa rolled her eyes at Greenlee. "Hey, Curly. You sure know how to draw a crowd. And I don't waddle quite yet, Greenlee."

Kendall laughed and squeezed Marissa's hand. "I try my best, Red. I try my best. You have to admit that you're getting close on the waddling." She glanced at her future step-father. "Hi, Jack."

"Kendall, it's good to see you. How are you holding up?"

"I actually feel okay except for being a little tired and the whole wounded pride thing. In fact, I think I feel well enough that I should be able to go home."

Zach shook his head. "That's not happening. Angie wants to keep you here overnight and do some tests so we can figure out what happened."

"What's to figure out? I got up a little too fast and was dizzy. I just passed out this time."

"This time?! This has happened before?! Yeah, you're staying. I'm not going to argue with you over this, and I'm not taking any chances. Understand?"

Kendall scowled, cursing herself internally for the slip up. She knew it was useless to fight with him about this now. Kendall knew she couldn't win against him, her mother, her sister and her best friend. "Fine."

"How many times have you had similar episodes?" Angie asked.

"Three or four times. Zach, what about the boys? We'll need to get them soon."

Bianca and Marissa whispered to each other quickly.

"I'll do whatever you need me to do, B."

"I'd really like you here with me, but the boys. I know Kendall and Zach will feel better if they're with someone they know and trust, with family"

Marissa nodded in understanding and spoke up. "I'll pick them up and take them back to our place. They can stay overnight if you want."

"Thanks, Red, but I couldn't ask you guys to do that. It's too much."

Bianca spoke up. "First of all, Kendall, you didn't ask. We offered. I don't even know how many times you and Zach have done the same for us."

"Exactly. And it's not too much. Spike is so easygoing, and he'll be hanging out with AJ and Miranda. As for Ian, he's no problem at all, and Max can help him run off some of that excess energy of his." Marissa added.

"Are you sure?" Seeing his sister-in-laws nod, Zach continued. "That would be great and let me stay here with her. Don't argue with me, Kendall."

Marissa grinned seeing Kendall pout before checking the time. "Speaking of the kids, I better go pick them up." She leaned over and gave Kendall a kiss on the cheek. "Behave yourself. I like having you around giving me a hard time and helping me keep your sister in line. I'll run by your place and pack a bag for the boys."

"Thanks, Red, and don't think this means you're in the clear about the whole class reunion. We're owed some stories." Kendall smirked.

"I haven't forgotten, trust me on that. Zach, if you need me to do anything else, let me know."

Zach nodded gratefully and hugged the redhead. "Thanks, Marissa."

Bianca stepped aside with Marissa for a private moment. "Are you sure you're going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Are _you_ okay? I know you're worried, and I don't like leaving you."

"I know, but we're doing the right thing. I'm much better now that I see her awake and joking. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I'm always going to worry about you." Marissa turned to the others. "Could one of you give Bianca a ride back to her car? It's still at Krystal's."

Jack nodded. "I'd be happy to."

"Thanks, Jack. Okay, I'm going to go. Call …"

Bianca smiled. "I'll call when we find something out. I love you."

"I love you too."

/

Marissa was loading the last of the dishes from dinner into the dishwasher when Bianca got home. "Hey."

Bianca sighed contentedly as she fell into her wife's embrace. "Hey. How are the kids? What did you tell the boys?"

"They're doing just fine. AJ's a little quiet, but he seemed happy that Spike was staying over. Everyone's homework is all done, and they're watching a movie. It was Gabby's choice. Care to guess what she picked?"

"Hmmm, 'Frozen'?"

"Yep, for only like the 1000th time. It's a good thing I like it. As for the boys, I told them their mom wasn't feeling well, was getting checked out by the doctor and their dad was making sure she behaved herself."

"I bet they liked that last part."

"They did."

"Kendall and Zach said they would be calling before the boys went to bed."

"Good. Did you eat anything?"

Bianca made a face. "No, I didn't."

"That's what I thought. I made you a plate. Why don't you go see the kids while I warm it up for you?"

"Thank you." Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss before going into the family room.

/

The couple was settled at the kitchen while Bianca ate.

"Any update on Kendall?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not really. Angie's going to run some more tests tomorrow. Her blood pressure is back to normal, and they took her off oxygen."

"Those are good signs. Is Angie worried about her heart?"

"Yes. Thankfully, it's not showing signs of rejection, but she's going to be doing more tests around it tomorrow. The results of her blood work will be back tomorrow too. You're right about AJ. He did seem quiet. Think we should talk to him about it?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, let's talk with him after we know what's going on with Kendall."

"Sounds good." Bianca's cellphone rang. "It's Kendall."

"You finish eating, and I'll take the phone out to the boys." Marissa connected the call as she began walking out of the kitchen. "Hey, Kendall."

/

The next morning, Marissa headed into work. She had a deposition she had to take for an upcoming trial. Marissa offered to move it so she could be there for Bianca, but her wife assured her that she would be okay and sent a very reluctant redhead off to work. While Marissa did that, Bianca dropped the five kids off at school before heading to the hospital.

When she entered Kendall's hospital room, Bianca found her brother-in-law was the only one present. "Morning, Zach."

"Morning. Before you ask, Angie has already taken Kendall for some tests."

"Wow, that's early. How'd it go last night?"

"Not bad. Kendall was able to get some rest after we talked with the boys and slept pretty much straight through the night."

"That's good. What about you?"

"I did okay." Zach chuckled seeing his sister-in-law raise her eyebrow questioning the truthfulness of his answer. "I really did."

Bianca decided to accept his answer. "What time will Greenlee be in?"

"Around 11:00. There were a few things that needed to be taken care of at the office, and Kendall made Greenlee promise that she would go in and handle them before she came here. You know your sister is going to give you grief for skipping out on work to be here."

"I know. Let her. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. You know that I can be just as stubborn as her."

"Oh, I'm aware of that fact. It is a Kane woman trait I'm all too familiar with."

Bianca and Zach both laughed at his matter of fact attitude, enjoying the brief break in the tension that hung in the air due to their concern over Kendall.

"Any problems with the boys?"

"None whatsoever." Before she could answer further, Bianca was interrupted by another arrival.

"Oh, did they already take Kendall for her tests?" Erica asked as she suddenly appeared carrying a takeout tray with several coffees.

Bianca took the tray from her mother and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before handing out the drinks. "Morning, Mom."

"Morning, sweetheart."

Zach accepted his mother-in-law's hug and then groaned taking an appreciative sip of coffee. "Thank you for this, Erica. Now, I know why you're my favorite mother-in-law." The response earned him an eye roll. "Yes, they took her up about an hour ago, and it will be at least another hour before she's back here. So, make yourself comfortable."

/

Almost two hours later, Kendall finally appeared. As the orderly helped her from the wheelchair and into bed, it was clear she was exhausted from the morning's activities. She looked at her mother and sister and wasn't surprised that they were there despite what she had told them last night. "I told you two that you didn't need to be here today. I know you both have busy schedules."

"We know, but you didn't seriously think we would listen, did you?" Bianca smirked.

"No, I didn't. Are the boys okay? They didn't give you any problems last night, did they?"

"They're fine, except for missing both of you. We didn't have any problems with them last night. Marissa entertained everyone with an original bedtime story per her favorite nephews' request. She sends her love by the way. She didn't want to go into work, but I made her."

"Thanks, and give her mine back. You know when she does that on the stories that she sets the bar impossibly high for us. A regular story from a book just doesn't cut it after an 'Aunt Marissa original'."

Bianca grinned. "Yeah, I do. I think it's like an added bonus for her."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Of course it is."

"Did I miss anything?" Greenlee asked as she burst into the room slightly out of breath.

"I think I can answer that question." Angie offered as she joined the others.

All eyes flew to the doctor and family friend.

/

"I have some of your test results back. Would you like to speak in private or …"

Kendall and Zach shared a quick glance before she shook her head. "It's fine. We're just going to turn around and tell them anyway so you can speak in front of them. Now, is this where you tell me that I'm perfectly healthy and can go home?" Kendall's smile faltered somewhat at Angie's silence.

"That answer is a little complicated given your medical history."

"You mean given the fact that she has a heart transplant." Zach stated as he held his wife's hand.

"Yes. I won't beat around the bush. Kendall, you're pregnant."

**/**

**A/N: This storyline is going to be a combination of ideas given to me by a guest reviewer, Huskermania, and AMCGL7. I hope you all like what I'm going to do with this. There's more planned. Remember, nothing is ever easy in Pine Valley (or with my evil side when she gets going). Thanks for the ideas! See you soon! **


	160. Getting Some Answers

**A/N: Happy Saturday! Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! As always, it's truly appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"I won't beat around the bush. Kendall, you're pregnant."

Angie's words seemed to hang in the air as everyone tried to absorb them and exactly what they meant.

"Are you sure, Angie?" Zach was the first to recover from the shock of the doctor's announcement.

"Yes, I am. I had them run the test twice. There is no doubt about it, Kendall, you're pregnant."

"Wow. I was not expecting that." Kendall couldn't help but smile. She and Zach had discussed having another child but thought that maybe they shouldn't given her heart. That was why she and Zach were taking precautions. Of course, they weren't always foolproof, a fact glaringly obvious given what Angie had just told her. She had also been so stressed lately with the Christmas and Valentine's Day lines for Fusion that she hadn't realized she had missed periods. "Is the baby alright? The medications I take for my heart, could they affect the baby?"

"What about her heart?" Erica asked. Normally, she would be ecstatic at the thought of her daughter expecting another child, but these were not normal circumstances. A pregnancy could put a strain on Kendall's heart which could in turn jeopardize her life.

Zach's thoughts ran in the same direction as Erica's. While he was thrilled at the thought of having another child with Kendall, he didn't want it to be at the expense of losing his wife. He and Kendall had been through a lot. He needed her. Spike and Ian needed her.

Bianca was equally torn. She knew how much her sister wanted another child. It was obvious when they found out that Marissa was pregnant. The sisters had talked privately, and the thoughts and feelings were shared. So, part of Bianca was happy that Kendall was having a long held dream realized. At the same time, part of her worried. Bianca knew this pregnancy would be risky for Kendall without having Angie tell them so.

Greenlee was in shock. Like the others, she knew Kendall wanted another child, and she knew the risks involved. Greenlee was not ready to lose her best friend, her partner in crime, the woman who was like a sister to her.

"That is what makes this complicated." Angie paused. "I'm going to be completely honest. There are not many studies dealing with the effects of anti-rejection drugs on fetuses. So, we don't know at this point. A lot of factors are going to be in play and your condition will need to be monitored very closely. As you know, I've been consulting with your cardiologist, Dr. Rivera. Our first concern is your heart, Kendall. So far, there is no sign of rejection."

There was a collective sigh of relief and more than one muttered 'thank god'.

"You will need to consult an obstetrician immediately. I know this is all sudden, but do you have one in mind? If not, I can recommend one for you if you'd like."

Kendall looked at her sister. "You like Marissa's doctor, right?"

"Very much. She's excellent. I'm sure she'll see you if you'd like."

"Could I ask who it is?"

"Dr. Maura Abbott."

Angie nodded. "I know Maura. She's very good and has experience with high risk pregnancies."

"Which is what this is." Kendall acknowledged.

"Yes, it is. Again, you and the baby will be monitored closely. Your OB and cardiologist will go over all of your options regarding your care and condition."

Options. They knew what was meant by that word. Kendall's hands flew to her belly instantly as if trying to protect the baby from the word and its implications.

"I'm not …"

Zach stopped Kendall from finishing what she was going to say. "Kendall, we're not making any decisions right now. We'll talk to the doctors and get their opinions, and then, we will make any decisions _together_. I want this baby just as much as you do. I'd love nothing more than a miniature you. That being said, I also want and need my wife, and Spike and Ian want and need their mother."

Kendall closed her eyes briefly as the truth behind Zach's words sunk in. He was right. They would need to talk and make this decision together. "You're right. Binx, do you have Dr. Abbott's number?"

Bianca pulled out her cellphone and scrolled through her contacts to find the doctor in question's name. "I do, and you'll really like her. She's good. I wouldn't trust my wife and sister to just anybody, you know. Whatever you decide, I'm with you. Whatever you need, I'll do. I know the same goes for Marissa. I love you."

"I know, and thank you. I love you too."

/

Kendall had been released from the hospital a few hours later after a discussion with cardiologist, and the boys had gone back home after school, happy to see that their mom was okay. Angie had instructed her to take a couple of days off, and Kendall had complied. An appointment with Dr. Abbott had been made for the next day.

/

"Wow. Kendall's pregnant. How is she handling all of this? How's Zach handling all of this?" Marissa asked as she settled next to Bianca on the sofa in the family room. The couple finally had a chance to talk after putting the kids to bed.

"They are handling this as well as can be expected. It's a lot to absorb and think about. They're seeing Dr. Abbott tomorrow."

"How are you?"

Bianca could see the concern in hazel eyes. "I'm still trying to wrap my head around this. I'm happy for her because I know how much Kendall would love another child, but I'm also scared. Odds are that this won't be an easy pregnancy for her. It could put strain on her heart and jeopardize her life. I don't know what I would do without her."

Marissa pulled her wife into her arms. "Don't go there yet, okay? Let's see what the doctor says, and whatever they decide or need, we'll be there for them. I'm right here for you as well. You're not carrying this burden alone. Got it?"

"Got it. Thank you."

"There is no need to thank me. We're a team, no matter what comes our way."

Bianca smiled and kissed the redhead. "You're right. We are. There's nothing we can't handle or get through together."

Marissa grinned. "That's my girl. Now, how's Erica?"

"She's holding it together. I could see her wheels turning though. She's going to want the best doctors for Kendall, and she's not alone with that. I'm pretty sure Greenlee is burning up the internet looking for information and gathering a list of experts. And before you ask, she's hanging in there."

The redhead was relieved to hear that. Greenlee and Kendall were more than best friends. They were family. If the roles were reversed, Kendall would be beside herself with worry over Greenlee. As for the statement, Marissa knew what Bianca was saying without her saying it. "Do you need me to talk to David?"

Since the wedding, Marissa had met David a few times for lunch. Their relationship was tenuous at best and most likely always would be, but they were at least talking. David had been successful in getting his medical license reinstated and had been granted limited privileges at Pine Valley Hospital. He was still hoping and fighting for more such as a permanent position on staff and the hospital's board itself.

Bianca shook her head. While Marissa would most likely eventually have to get involved, the brunette was reluctant to bring her wife in just yet. Bianca didn't want to put her in an awkward position. "Not yet. I think it's on her mind to talk with him, but she's not there just yet. We won't do anything without clearing it with Kendall and Zach."

"Alright. I have no problem talking to him about this if you need me to. Kendall's my family too, and I'll do whatever I can to help."

"I know, and I love you for it. For now, we'll wait and see what Dr. Abbott says. After she sees her, Kendall will be meeting with Dr. Rivera. Zach has promised to let me know what they say."

"Because Kendall was so forthcoming about her dizzy spells to begin with." Marissa smirked.

"Exactly." Bianca sighed contentedly as she relaxed further into Marissa's arms. They provided the respite, strength and love she needed right now. As if on cue, Bianca felt a small kick making her smile. "Hey, little one. Are you being good for your Mama?"

"Of course, Sparky's good. You don't expect anything different, do you?"

"No, I don't." Bianca turned to face her wife. "That reminds me. We need to talk about this 'Sparky' nickname thing. I've never agreed to it, you know? I don't know why you insist on using it."

Marissa simply smiled as she leaned forward and began placing gentle kisses along Bianca's neck. In between those oh so persuasive kisses, the lawyer started stating her case. "Well since we don't know what we're having, I don't really feel right calling the baby 'he' or 'she', and I definitely don't want to call the baby 'it'. Does any of that seem right to you?"

Bianca had closed her eyes and leaned her head back to give her wife better access. "Wh … What?"

"I said it doesn't feel right to call our little one 'he' or 'she' since we don't know what we're having, and 'it' is out of the question. Don't you agree?" Marissa smiled and continued her assault. She knew the effect she was having on her wife, and she was going to use it to her full advantage.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I … I agree with that. It … it … it doesn't seem right, but why Sp … Spar … Sparky?"

"Kendall came up with it, and it's cute. It's grown on me. Nothing else seems to fit as well."

Bianca moaned as soft lips found that sensitive spot that made all resistance futile and rational thought vanish. "You don't fight fair."

Marissa smiled into her next kiss. "I never said I did."

"F … Fine. We'll go … oh god … we'll go with Sparky … for now." Bianca opened her eyes hearing her wife chuckle. She saw the triumphant grin on Marissa's face. "Do you plan on finishing what you started?"

"Oh, I definitely do. I plan on savoring every bit of my victory and every _inch_ of you." Marissa gently pushed Bianca back so she was laying down on the sofa before leaning in for a searing kiss.

The 'Sparky debate' would continue at a later date and time, but for now, Bianca acknowledged that Marissa had won this round and she really couldn't find it in herself to give a damn.

/

"What did Dr. Abbott say? Remember, we can check this all out with Zach so you better spill." Bianca asked she settled next to her sister. They were joined by Greenlee and Marissa for lunch at Kendall and Zach's. The women decided to make it easier on Kendall and meet there since she was still told to take it easy for another day.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "The baby is fine, and I'm approximately 11 weeks pregnant. I will have to go in for frequent checkups though. The one thing we're just not sure about are the long term effects of my anti-rejection drugs on the baby. The ones I take aren't as risky as some of the others. She spoke with Dr. Rivera, and they agree that I don't need to switch them up."

"That's good. It would be hard on you if you had to change them. It took a while to get them regulated after your transplant." Greenlee noted.

"Yes, it would be hard, and I'm glad I don't have to go through that again. I'm healthy, and the baby is healthy so that's all that matters. She told me that she will be reporting my pregnancy to the National Transplantation Pregnancy Registry. It's not as bad as it sounds. She said that doctors are encouraged to do so in order to provide more updated information on the safety of newer immunosuppressive drugs and their adverse effects on mothers and fetuses. Hopefully, this will help other women with heart transplants going forward. I have to tell you that I really like her. She doesn't pull any punches and is very honest and straightforward. I like that and really need it."

Marissa smiled. "We thought you'd feel that way. She's been great and has answered every question I've had, and you know me, I have a lot of them. So, what else did she have to say?"

"Well like I said, Dr. Abbott does want those frequent checks because I have a higher risk of going into labor prematurely. Hang on a second. I wrote this stuff down because I wanted to get it right. I knew I was going to be grilled." Kendall found a pad of paper with her notes. "Okay, 69% of pregnancies in heart transplant recipients resulted in live births. Out of that number, 32% resulted in premature births, and the babies also had low birth weight. Some of the pregnancies were terminated for therapeutic reasons and others because of miscarriages. I have risks for hypertension, acute allograft rejection, infection, preeclampsia and gestational diabetes."

Bianca couldn't hide her concern, and both Kendall and Marissa each squeezed one of her hands.

"It's not all bad, Binx. I have some positives on my side. Two years seems to be a milestone mark. It's been over two years since my transplant, and in that time, I've been in really good health. I've had no sign of graft rejection, and the graft function itself has been stable. I haven't had any infections that might affect the baby." Kendall rapped her knuckles on the end table next to her. "Knock on wood. I'm maintaining a stable dose of my immunosuppression drugs, and for the most part my blood pressure is under control. Most important of all, I have every intention of doing what my doctors tell me to do."

"Good. Because if you don't, you're going to have to deal with me." Bianca solemnly warned her sister.

"I know. I promise you that I will do everything I'm told. This baby is a gift, an unexpected one, but a precious gift all the same. I'm going to do what I need to in order to keep it."

"And we're going to help you with that. We're going to be rearranging some things at Fusion. No late meetings or workdays in general." Greenlee held up a hand to stop the protest she knew Kendall would be voicing. "I'm not talking about reducing your role just the number of hours you put in there."

"It's not right for you to shoulder everything though."

"I won't be. I'll get Madison and Randi to pitch in more. Any major decisions though will still be made by both of us. Deal?"

Kendall shook Greenlee's hand. "Deal. Alright, enough about me for now. Red, I want to hear about your reunion."

Marissa laughed. "Okay. I guess I'll start at the beginning."

/

"Bianca's your baby mama! I love it. I'm just going to say right now that I need to meet your friends, especially Jo. She sounds like she would fit right in." Greenlee grinned.

"I wish I could've seen Binx with the pie." Kendall faked tears. "I have to say I'm proud of you, Binx. Oh, you know Mom would love the fashion smack down you gave that bitch too. It screams 'Please, bitch. I'm Erica's Kane's daughter, and nobody knows fashion more than her. You need to get your weak-ass shit out of here'."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Don't forget about Rissa and spilling the punch."

"While it was good and I did enjoy it quite a lot, I have to say that I enjoyed what you did _immensely_. In fact, I think I showed you exactly how much when we got back to the bed and breakfast." Marissa waggled her eyebrows.

Bianca blushed slightly at the memory of that night. Marissa had gotten a second wind and definitely showed her how much she appreciate the brunette's defense of her. Her wife was so appreciative in fact that they were almost late for breakfast the next morning. The only thing that saved them from that fate was that everyone else was late too because they had gone out after the reunion.

Greenlee burst out laughing and held out her hand for a high-five from Marissa. "Nice, Rocky!"

Kendall groaned. "Why do I have to keep reminding people that I don't want to hear about my sister's sex life?!"

"Sorry, Kendall. I couldn't help myself." Marissa checked the time. "I gotta get back to the office. Kendall, if you need anything, let me know."

"You got it, Red. Thanks."

"See you, Greenlee, and the same goes for you."

"Later, Marissa, and thanks."

Bianca walked her wife to the door. "Be careful. The roads are a little slick."

"I will be. You too. I'll see you later. Love you."

"Love you too."

The couple shared a loving kiss before Marissa left.

/

"Sounds like you had a good time, especially Red." Kendall noted when Bianca rejoined her and Greenlee.

"We did, and she really did. It was good for her to catch back up with them, to face others and show them who she is. You both would really like her friends. I know the two of you are in charge completely of her baby shower, but would you mind inviting Jo, Cory and Jo's mom Jessica? It would mean a lot to her."

Greenlee and Kendall glanced at each other and smiled before Greenlee answered for both of them. "No problem. It's her day and yours as well. You can have whoever you want there. I'll just need you to get us their contact information. Think you can handle that?"

"Definitely and thanks!"

"We were thinking of having the shower on a Saturday anyway. So, that should work out for them. They could get here a little earlier in the day and spend some time with her."

"Do you want them coming to be a surprise, Binx?"

Bianca thought for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't think that's best. I think Marissa will want to talk to them beforehand to give them a heads up on things around here since Krystal will be there. While I haven't spoken with Jessica, I get the feeling from both Rissa and Jo that she is very protective of Marissa since she considers her like a second daughter. I know Jo is protective of her."

"It sounds like a little pre-shower damage control is definitely in order then. If Red wants to see the guest list, then we'll make sure they're on it."

"I've got an idea. Why don't I see if they can come in that Friday? They could surprise Rissa by coming over to the house for dinner that night. They could stay with us if they want. We have the room. If they don't want to, I could get them rooms at the Yacht Club. By coming in a little early, they could meet the kids, and after they're in bed, Rissa can fill them in on everything. That way, they are prepared for the shower." The more Bianca thought about it, the more she liked the idea.

"Hmmm, it's kind of like the best of both worlds. I like it. What do you think, Greenlee?"

"I like it too. Good thinking, Bianca. Marissa's going to love it."

"Thanks!" Bianca's phone began to ring before she could respond further. "Sorry. I need to take this. It's the school."

"I hope everything's alright."

"Me too. Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

Kendall and Greenlee couldn't tell what was being said on the other end of the call but could tell that Bianca was slightly concerned by what she was being told.

"I'll be there this afternoon. Thank you for calling. I'll let my wife know. She is trying a case this afternoon and will be unavailable. I agree. We definitely need to talk. Thank you again for calling."

Bianca disconnected the call.

"Is everything okay, Binx?"

"I don't know, Kendall. That was AJ's teacher. She had a small break. It seems he hasn't been turning in his homework the last few days. The thing is I know he has it done, and that it's right. He's also not really responding to her when she calls on him in class."

"That doesn't sound like AJ. He usually likes participating from what you and Red have told me." Kendall noted.

"I know, it doesn't sound like him at all. He's been quiet at home lately too. Rissa and I both have this feeling that something is going on with him. We were planning on talking with him tomorrow. It looks like we'll be doing it tonight instead."

/

The ride home from school was a quiet one. None of the children were expecting one of their mothers to pick up them today. One look at their brunette mother told them there was something she wasn't happy about. Someone was in trouble. Only one of the three kids knew who it was, and he wasn't talking. Bianca for her part was mulling over the discussion she'd had with AJ's teacher. She knew exactly how Marissa was going to feel when Bianca shared what she had been told. They had to find out what was going on with their son and help him through it, whatever it was.

When they got home, Bianca had them start on their homework right away while she let Max out. The brunette started on dinner as she pondered the issue of AJ. A short while later, she heard her wife pull into the garage.

"Hey, you're home early." Marissa smiled as she was greeted with a quick kiss.

"Yeah, I am. I've actually been home for a while."

Marissa groaned appreciatively as she slipped off her heels. The further along she'd gotten in her pregnancy, the more her feet would swell in the heels she had to wear when she went to court. Thankfully, she only had one case maybe two that she was working on that would be going to trial before she went on maternity leave. "Why's that?"

"After you left Kendall's, I got a call from school."

The redhead stopped what she was doing immediately. She knew if one of the kids was sick that Bianca would have called her right away, whether she was in court or not. No, something else was going on, and judging by her wife's face, it was something that needed to be discussed privately.

"Let's go back to our bedroom."

Bianca nodded, thinking exactly the same thing. She grabbed Marissa's laptop bag and led them down the hallway.

/

Marissa sat on the bed shaking her head. "I can't believe AJ's been doing that at school. We know he's doing his homework because we review it."

Bianca sighed and sat next to her wife. "I know. It's also not like him to ignore his teacher when she calls on him."

"Definitely not. He's moody around here too. We need to find out what's going on with him, B. We have to get to the bottom of it."

"I know. We'll sit him down after dinner and talk with him. As for not handing in his homework, I'm thinking no videogames or TV for a week."

"I agree. If this happens again, we increase the punishment."

"Let's finish getting dinner ready, and then, we'll talk to him."

/

When dinner was finished, the kids started to get up and head to the family room.

"AJ, we need to talk. Miranda and Gabby, you can go ahead and go to the family room." Bianca instructed.

Miranda and Gabby looked at each other before casting a quick glance at their brother. AJ's head was hung low and his shoulders slumped.

"Girls, do what your Mom said please."

The girls nodded and did as they were told. They knew better than to argue with either of their mothers at a time like this.

/

"So, AJ, I had a call from your teacher earlier. That's why I was at school. Care to guess why she called me?"

AJ simply shrugged. He knew the answer. The boy just didn't want to give it.

Marissa sighed. "AJ, answer your Mom, and don't say you don't know because we all know that's not true."

The boy scowled. "I haven't been turning in my homework."

"Why, AJ? We know you have it done." Bianca asked.

"I don't know." AJ mumbled.

"AJ, you have to have some reason for not doing it. You can tell us." Marissa coaxed.

"I didn't feel like it."

"That's not a good reason, and you know it. You have to turn your homework in or you're going to fail."

"Like you care." AJ muttered under his breath.

"What?! Of course we care, AJ. Your Mom and I love you very much. We want you to do well so you can make the dream you have of being an architect come true. That won't happen if you don't do well in school."

"You don't love me."

Both women gasped.

"Why would you ever think that, AJ?! Your Ma and I love and your sisters more than anything."

"AJ, look at me, please." Marissa finally caught her son's eyes. "Inside out and upside down, always."

Tears welled in the boy's eyes. He wanted to believe her but something was holding him back. "You're just saying that. You don't really mean it. You don't want or need me around here."

"Where is this coming from, Buddy? Of course we want you around here. It wouldn't be the same without you. Our family would have a big hole if you weren't with us."

AJ shook his head at Bianca's words. He truly wanted to believe them, but other words were drowning them out. "I don't wanna be here. I wanna go live with my dad!" Tears streamed down AJ's face as he ran from the room.

**/**

**A/N: I'm not a doctor, but thanks to Google, I can look up what I need. The medical information I detailed for Kendall was found on the website for "Medscape" thanks to a Google search. See you soon!**


	161. Getting to the Root of the Problem

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It means a lot that you're still hanging in there with me. This chapter picks up the morning after the last one. There is a pivotal role played by a character that has been mentioned before but has never officially appeared in this story until now. Let me know what you think. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Things were tense over breakfast at the Tasker-Montgomery's the morning following AJ's outburst. Both mothers were shocked by what he'd said along with being concerned and hurt. They had tried talking to AJ after the outburst the previous night, but the boy refused to talk. Consequently, it was a restless night for the women. They stayed up late talking, trying to figure out what was going on with their son to no avail. It seemed they just couldn't wrap their heads around what had happened, what the root of the problem was. They thought it might be related to the baby, but AJ had seemed excited about the prospect of becoming a big brother again just a short time ago. If it was in fact something to do with the baby, what had changed with him?

Miranda and Gabby knew something big was up. Their mothers looked tired and sad, and their brother looked downright miserable. His eyes looked a little red, and he still wasn't talking. His mood was probably what bothered Miranda the most. The two were extremely close and told each other almost everything. While he hadn't yet, she was hoping that maybe she might be able to get him to open up to her later. Miranda was determined to find out what was going on because whatever it was had her family hurting which was something she didn't like the least bit. She was a Kane woman after all and nobody messed with her family.

As for the couple, they agreed that Marissa would take the kids to school that morning and then work from home. The hope was she might be able to catch a much needed nap during the day. Whether or not AJ would go to school was one of the many things they discussed the night before. In the end, they decided to send him. He had to apologize to his teacher and turn in his homework once he was there which Marissa would make sure he did.

/

When the tense breakfast was finally finished and the kitchen cleaned up, Bianca headed off to work while the kids piled into Marissa's car.

Instead of dropping the kids off in the school's 'drop off' line like what would normally happen, Marissa parked the car in the school's lot. As they got out of the car, something fell out of a pocket of AJ's backpack, landing on the floor of the backseat of the vehicle and going unnoticed by everyone. The redhead made sure the car was locked and walked the kids inside. Gabby said goodbye and skipped off to her classroom.

/

Marissa paused outside AJ's room and spoke softly to her son so that no one could overhear. "We're going to talk more tonight about everything. Do you understand?"

AJ mumbled. "Yes, Ma."

"Good. Bianca and I love and want you very much no matter what you may think right now."

The boy turned and walked inside without responding.

Miranda hung back and watched as AJ apologized to his teacher and pulled out his homework before he sulked away to his seat.

/

"Could I ask you to do me a favor, Miranda?"

The girl glanced up to see her redheaded mother watching her. "Sure, Ma."

"If you know of anything going on with AJ, please tell your Mom or me."

Miranda nodded solemnly. "I will, Ma. I promise."

"Thank you. Okay, you better get to class. I'll see you tonight."

/

On her way home, Marissa felt a craving for hot chocolate and decided to make a quick stop at Krystal's. Normally, she would make it herself since her mother Lydia had passed on the family recipe for the best hot chocolate the redhead had ever had, but she just didn't feel like it today. It would be a quick stop before heading back home to deal with work and continue to try and figure out what was going on with AJ.

She parked her car and was stopped by Greenlee as she started to get out of it.

"Hey, Marissa. Good morning."

"Morning, Greenlee."

"Did the firm change the dress code?" Greenlee smirked as she noted the redhead's very casual dress.

"Unfortunately, no. There are some days lately that I wish it was changed. I just dropped the kids off at school and am going to be working from home today. It was a long night."

"How's AJ? Bianca said he hasn't been acting like himself lately."

"Honestly? I don't know. He somehow has gotten it into his head that Bianca and I don't love or want him."

"What?! That's ridiculous. You both are crazy about him, as in the sun rises and sets on him just like it does with the girls."

Marissa sighed. "I know that. You know that. AJ though is seriously doubting it."

"Do you think it's because of the baby?"

"Maybe, but he was fine with everything just a couple of weeks ago. He was really excited about becoming a big brother again. If that's it, then something happened to change his mind, and we have no idea what it could be. Now, he says he want to live with JR."

"No! That cannot happen! That would be a huge mistake."

"Preaching to the choir, Greenlee. Bianca and I aren't just going to step aside and let that happen. We're going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what."

"Good. You know you have my help if you need it."

"Thanks. I know, and we both really appreciate it."

"Anytime. So, what are you doing here?"

Marissa smiled. "Sparky's wanting hot chocolate. What about you?"

"Oh, I need caffeine, big time. Running into you reminds me that I have something for you that I was going to drop off later. Stay here, and I'll be right back with it."

Greenlee walked over to her car and pulled something from the backseat. She returned a few moments later. "Okay. The frame for your wedding picture finally came in. I'm sorry it took so long, but it is handcrafted and one of a kind."

"That's great, and don't worry. Do you want me to open it now or wait until Bianca's around?"

"You can wait for Bianca. We can just put it in your backseat if that's okay."

"That's perfect." Marissa opened the passenger door and helped Greenlee load the package onto the seat.

"What's that?" Greenlee spotted something laying on the floor of the car. She reached down and picked it up. "Did either you or Bianca drop your cellphone?"

"No, I don't think so. Why?"

"I found this on the floor." Greenlee handed the cellphone over to a confused Marissa.

"This isn't mine, and it's not Bianca's either."

"Who was in your car recently?"

"No one other than the kids." Marissa turned the cellphone on and went to the settings to find the device's number. "I don't recognize the number. There aren't any texts. Let me try the log. Well, there's been several calls from the same number, a lot of them and for varying lengths, but I don't recognize it either. What the hell?"

"Why don't you try the number?"

Marissa's finger hovered over the mysterious number, but she backed off from pressing it. "I don't think I should. Something's telling me not to. I'm going to call Mitch when I get home and have him check into this."

"That's probably a better idea. Let me know what you find out."

"I will. Let's get your caffeine fix and my hot chocolate. The sooner we do that, the sooner I can get to the bottom of this."

/

"Thanks for stopping by, Mitch." Marissa greeted the private investigator who followed her inside, and the two settled in the family room.

"No problem. I'm glad to help. What's up?"

"I have a bit of a mystery I need your help with, and it's personal. This cellphone was found in my car. The thing is, it's not mine or Bianca's, and the kids don't have them. We think they're too young to have one. I checked it out by going to the settings and looking up the number, and I don't recognize it or the one that's been calling it."

The investigator took the device and inspected it. "Did you call the number?"

"I almost did but thought better of it. I didn't want to give anyone a heads up if this turns out to be something. Think you could check it out for me?"

"Sure. There's something else though isn't there?"

Marissa sighed. "Yes, there is. AJ's been acting differently lately, not like himself at all. I can't help but wonder if the two are connected. I know it really isn't in your job description to check something out on a personal level, but I hoping you will. I just can't shake this feeling that this really is something to worry about, and well, I trust you to see if I'm right or not."

Mitch considered what the lawyer was telling him. He respected Marissa and knew she wasn't one to suspect conspiracies or sound alarms without just cause. She was logical and thought things through carefully. If she was seeing smoke, there probably was fire somewhere. Because this could involve a child, especially her child, Mitch was going to focus all of his resources into investigating this mystery. "Alright. I'll get on it right away and let you know something later today."

"Thanks, I really appreciate it. I'm really hoping it's nothing, but …"

"I'll find out, one way or the other. Trust me on this. I'll get you some answers."

"I do and thanks again."

/

"You can't be surprised, AJ. Why would your moms want you? Think about it. Miranda and Gabby belong to their mom, their _real_ mom. The baby they're having belongs to them because she's actually having it. You? You don't fit in there. I mean, neither is your _real_ mom, and you don't even look like any of them. Plus, there's your dad. He's caused a lot of problems. I'm sure when they look at you that you just remind them of him. Why would they want you around or love you then?" The boy paused and looked at another one, nudging him in the side. "Look at him! He's gonna cry! Chandler's going to cry! What a baby!"

"Shut up, Donnie!"

The boy's head whipped around and looked at the girl who had the nerve to yell at him, scoffing when he saw who it was. "Are you gonna make me?"

"If I have to, I will."

Donnie rolled his eyes. "What's it to you?"

"You're being a big, fat jerk for no reason. I thought AJ was supposed to be your friend."

"He is. He knows I'm just kidding. It's not my fault if he can't take a joke."

"Really? It doesn't look or sound very funny to me. It looks like you're doing your best to hurt someone who's supposed to be your friend. Telling someone their mom doesn't want or love them isn't much of a joke if you ask me. It's mean. How would you like it if someone told you the same thing? How would you feel if I told you that your mom and dad didn't love you and would be a lot happier and not fight as much if you weren't around? Let's face it. I've heard you say they fight a lot. I don't know, maybe it's because of you."

Donnie's eyes began to tear up. "That's not fair!"

"Yeah, I know. So, how do you think your friend feels hearing you tell him that?"

"Sorry, AJ. I didn't mean it." The boy mumbled, suddenly uncomfortable with what he'd been saying and doing just a few minutes ago.

"Go away, Donnie, and if I see you bothering AJ again, I'm gonna tell a teacher."

Hearing the threat, Donnie ran away followed closely behind by the other boy he'd been talking to.

/

AJ glanced up from where he was sitting on the ground of the playground and wiped his tears away. "Thanks, Amber. You didn't have to do that."

The darker-skinned girl shrugged and sat down next to the blonde boy. "Yeah, I did. You're my friend. I know we haven't always been friends, but we are now. You and Miranda were nice to me when I really didn't give you a reason to be. I was really mean to her."

"Yeah, you were, but …"

"I didn't know any better. It's my mom. She's just so mean sometimes especially to people who she thinks are different than her, and I don't understand it. If you ask me, I think you guys are lucky. Your moms are really nice to everyone, not mean to them like my mom." Amber paused and looked at her friend. "You're thinking about what Donnie said, aren't you?"

AJ nodded. "I think he's right."

"What? There's no way he's right. He was just being a big jerk. Your moms love you a lot."

"How can you tell?"

"I see how they look at you. They're really proud of you. They look at you like I wish my mom looked at me again."

"What'd you mean?"

Amber sighed. "She doesn't seem proud of me anymore, not since I don't agree with her on everything."

"You could agree with her, and she'd be proud of you again." AJ suggested.

The girl shook her head adamantly. "I can't, not on what she really wants me to. It's not right. I didn't really like myself that much when I did and was mean to people who didn't do anything to me, like you and Miranda. I don't wanna feel like that again or be like that anymore."

"I'm sorry she's like that. What about your dad?"

Amber shrugged. "He doesn't really say or do much to tell her it's not right. I think he just doesn't want to fight with her. That's where you're really lucky. Your moms aren't like that at all."

"I guess." AJ mumbled.

"Could I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How long has Donnie been saying stuff like that? Do you know why?"

"He's been doing it for almost a couple of weeks I guess. I don't know why. Maybe because I was talking a lot about being a big brother again."

"That's not a reason. Did you tell anybody?"

AJ shook his head. "No. What could they do? He's right."

"No, he's not. They love you. It doesn't matter to them if you're adopted, and it doesn't matter to your sisters. You're their brother no matter what."

"I guess you're right."

"I am right, trust me." Amber studied her friend and could tell he wasn't convinced all the way. There was one thing she could do that might help him. "Recess is almost over so I need to go back inside. Are you okay?"

AJ nodded. "Yeah, I'm better now. Thanks, Amber." He wasn't really lying. AJ did feel a little better, maybe his Moms really did want him around.

"You're welcome, and remember, Donnie doesn't know what he's talking about and is a big, fat jerk."

/

Before she went back inside, Amber sought out the one person who she thought might be able to help AJ.

"Hey, Miranda. You got a minute?"

"Sure, Amber. What's up?"

"Something's up with AJ."

Miranda's smile immediately fell. "What do you mean?"

"I overheard Donnie telling him your moms don't love him. He's been doing that for a couple of weeks from what AJ said."

The brunette was slightly hurt by hearing this news from someone other than her brother but put that aside for the moment. "That's stupid. Our Moms love all of us the same."

"Well, Donnie was saying AJ doesn't fit in with your family, and they'll love the new baby more than him and won't want him anymore because he's adopted and because of his dad."

Miranda began to scour the playground with her eyes for Donnie. She was going to give the boy who bullied her brother a piece of her mind in true Kane woman style.

"I told Donnie to shut up and leave AJ alone, and if he bothered him again, I would tell a teacher. That shut him up."

"Thanks for helping AJ. Is he alright?"

"He said he was, but I don't know. He really seemed to believe Donnie."

"That jerk. I'm gonna make sure he doesn't do anything like that again."

"Hey, I know what you want to do, but don't. You'll just get yourself in big trouble, and I know what that's like." Amber warned her friend.

After considering her friend's warning, Miranda relented. "I guess you're right. Thanks for telling me and helping my brother."

"You're welcome. It's what friends do, right?"

Miranda smiled. "Right. It is."

Amber returned the smile and headed back inside, relieved she had done the right thing.

Watching her friend walk away, Miranda started to piece together the puzzle that had been her brother lately. She knew what she had to do. She had to tell their Moms what Amber had just told her. Miranda was positive they would want to know and would be able to help AJ.

/

Marissa's eyes scanned the report Mitch had created for her. The private investigator had started his investigation as soon as he had gotten to his car. He had lucked out and was able to trace the cellphone back to where it was originally purchased. After that, Mitch found out who actually bought the device and verified their identity by reviewing security footage from the store in question when the manager agreed to send him the digital feed after Mitch told him a child was involved. The investigator then went one step further by finding out how the cellphone got into the hands of someone in the Tasker-Montgomery household. After reviewing the security footage, it was simply a matter of putting one and one together to figure out who the cellphone was sent to.

As Mitch watched Marissa read, it was easy to see her anger increase with each word she read, and he couldn't blame her at all. If their positions were reversed, he'd feel the same exact way.

"You're sure of this?"

"Unfortunately, yes I am. I have the security footage if you want to see it."

"I don't want to, but I definitely need to. So, yes please."

Mitch pulled out his iPad, logged on and clicked on the link the store manager had sent him.

If Marissa was angry before, she was downright furious now. "Could you please send me that link?"

"No problem. Do you want the cellphone back?"

"Yes, I have a strong feeling a call will be coming through sometime soon. Thank you, Mitch, for everything and getting all of this evidence together so quickly. I can't tell you how much this means to me."

"You're more than welcome. I'm just glad I was able to find out where that cellphone was bought. Everything fell into place after that. Oh, I cloned the phone so I'll know when a call is coming in and can track the location of that incoming call. It will at least give you a heads up."

"That's perfect and will help a lot. Bianca and I don't want or need to be blindsided by something like this again."

"I agree. Okay, I need to head out. Good luck with this, and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to call."

"I won't, and I'll let you know how things go."

/

Miranda and AJ were quiet as they waited to be picked up after school while Gabby chattered away. AJ wore a sullen expression and was dreading the conversation he knew he would have to have with his mothers that evening. Miranda was half listening to her sister while she studied AJ. Since recess, she was able to put together what she thought was going on. Her brother felt they didn't want him around anymore and told them that. While that would have made them sad, it wasn't the main reason they looked so upset that morning. If she were to guess, Miranda would say that AJ had told them he wanted to live with his dad. That, in her mind, was all kinds of wrong, and she didn't believe it for a minute. AJ was just saying that so he wasn't hurting as much as he knew they were hearing that. Miranda knew what she needed to do. She just needed to figure out when she could do it. Hearing a horn sound, all three glanced up and saw their redheaded mother. They gathered their backpacks and got in the car to make the trek home.

/

With the kids in their rooms doing their homework, Marissa was in the office at home reading Mitch's report for what was easily probably the 100th time since she got it. She had left the door halfway open so she could hear the kids in case something happened as well as hear Bianca when she got home and headed back to their bedroom. Marissa had called her wife with updates throughout the day but held off on revealing the identity of who purchased the cellphone. That wasn't something she felt she should tell Bianca over the phone. It was something that had to be shared in person, and Marissa was trying to figure out the best way to do it. Even with the door partially open, the redhead had a fair degree of privacy that she needed. The kids didn't need to see this report. Yes, she and Bianca would need to talk to AJ about what was going on, but they would do it without revealing the report. Marissa was also trying to think of the best way to talk with AJ about everything. She was glad it was Friday, and they didn't have to deal with work or school tomorrow. The weekend gave them the extra time they would need to deal with this.

As Marissa pondered everything weighing on her mind, her thoughts were interrupted by a hesitant knock on the door. The redhead glanced up and saw her oldest daughter standing in the doorway and smiled.

"Hey, Miranda."

"Can I talk to you?" Miranda asked anxiously.

Marissa removed her glasses and set them on the desk. "Of course. Come on in."

"Can I close the door? It's kinda private."

"Sure. Whatever you need, sweetie." Marissa closed the file containing the report and the other evidence gathered by Mitch and slid it into her briefcase while her daughter was closing the door. The redhead waited patiently as Miranda settled in the chair opposite her.


	162. Connecting the Dots

**A/N: Happy Saturday! I don't know about all of you, but I didn't think it would ever get here. Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! Sorry for the late post today, but I still made Saturday. This chapter picks up where the last one left. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

As Marissa pondered everything weighing on her mind, her thoughts were interrupted by a hesitant knock on the door. The redhead glanced up and saw her oldest daughter standing in the doorway and smiled.

"Hey, Miranda."

"Hi, Ma. Can I talk to you?" Miranda asked anxiously.

Marissa removed her glasses and set them on the desk. "Of course. Come on in."

"Can I close the door? It's kinda private."

"Sure. Whatever you need, sweetie." Marissa closed the file containing the report and the other evidence gathered by Mitch and slid it into her briefcase while her daughter was closing the door. The redhead waited patiently as Miranda settled in the chair opposite her.

Miranda sat across from her redheaded mother a few moments trying to figure out how to say what she had to say.

Marissa saw her daughter's internal struggle play across her face. "What did you want to talk about, Mimo? Did something happen at school?"

"Kinda. Amber told me something that I really think you and Mom should know."

That statement was one Marissa most definitely had not been expecting and had her raising an eyebrow. She knew things had changed with Amber after her counseling following the bullying incident and that Miranda and her were now friends. This was all despite the fact of who Amber's mother was and her feelings on the matter. Bianca and Marissa found they liked Amber. She was smart, funny and thoughtful, and most importantly, she was truly sorry for what she had done and the hurt she had caused Miranda.

"What did she say?"

"There's this boy at school who's supposed to be one of AJ's friends. Amber heard him saying some stuff to AJ during recess."

"What did he say?"

Miranda took a deep breath and began to recount what her friend had told her. "He was saying that you and Mom don't love AJ, and don't want him around. He was telling AJ that he doesn't fit in with our family because Mom had Gabby and me and now you're having a baby. He said you don't need AJ anymore and that every time you look at him, he reminds you of his dad and all of the trouble he caused you."

Marissa sat there dumbfounded. How could someone who was supposed to be AJ's friend say things that were so cruel? It was clear to her those words were intended to hurt and definitely had. "What's this boy's name?"

"Donnie Clayton. Amber told Donnie to shut up. I think she probably told him something else, but she didn't tell me. She talked to AJ a little after Donnie left and said that AJ had told her that Donnie had been saying that stuff for almost two weeks."

Marissa jotted down the boy's name. For some reason, it sounded familiar, but she just couldn't place it at the moment. The redhead could tell something else was bothering Miranda. "I can tell you have something else on your mind. What is it?"

Miranda sighed. "I feel bad. When Amber told me that AJ had talked to her and told her what was going on, I was hurt that he was telling her all that stuff and not me and didn't like it."

"You were jealous and feel bad because you were. I can understand that."

"You can? Doesn't that make me a bad person?"

"No, sweetie, it doesn't." Marissa answered gently. "It makes you human. You and your brother are very close and love each other a great deal. You don't really keep secrets from each other. So, I can see where you would be hurt, a little jealous, when he told someone else instead of you what was going on. It's okay to feel that way as long as you don't forget how much AJ loves you. He probably didn't tell you what was happening because he didn't want you pulled into it and get hurt by what that boy was saying. He remembers what you went through and thought he was protecting you by not telling you."

Miranda scrunched her face as she thought about what her mom was telling her. "I guess. I'm really glad though that he told Amber. She probably kinda gets it better than I would."

"What do you mean? Is she still having problems with her mother?" Amber had shared with both Miranda and AJ some of the problems she was experiencing with her mother Tammy after the girl had completed counseling and made amends for her actions.

The young brunette nodded sadly. "Yeah, she is."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"Me too. Amber knows what it's like to have what Donnie's saying really be true so she's able to tell AJ that Donnie was making that stuff up about him and him maybe believed her more than he would me."

"So after she stopped Donnie from bullying AJ, Amber told you what was going on?"

"Uh huh."

"That was very nice of her. She's a good friend."

Miranda nodded. "Yeah, she is."

"You want to know something else?"

"What?"

"You are the best sister. It's a really good thing you're doing by telling me all of this."

"Will you and Mom be able to help AJ? I know something's up, something big, and I think I know what it is."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "You do, huh?"

"Yep."

"Okay, I'll bite. What's going on?"

"Well, AJ feels like you and Mom don't want him around him anymore, partially because of what Donnie's been saying and a little because of the baby. I'm not saying he's right because I don't think he is. I just think that's how he's feeling right now. I also think he told you something like that and that maybe he doesn't want to live here, that he wants to live with his dad. That is wrong and can't happen! AJ belongs here with us. If he did tell you that though, it's because he's hurting and thinks he won't as much even though he knows this is hurting you and Mom."

Marissa shook her head as her daughter finished. "You are too smart for me and your Mom sometimes, and I'm not joking about that either."

"You and Mom aren't gonna let that happen are you?"

Seeing tears well up in her daughter's eyes, Marissa held open her arms. "Come here."

Miranda hurried over to her mother's side of the desk and was engulfed in her embrace.

"You're right. AJ does belong with us. We'll figure something out. I promise. You're telling me about this? It's going to help us a great deal."

After being comforted for several minutes, Miranda left the office feeling somewhat better. Marissa started doing some research. The name 'Clayton' finally clicked for her. Now, she just needed to connect the final dots that Mitch hadn't been able to yet.

/

"Hi, Mimo."

Miranda looked up from her seat at the kitchen table where she had been writing in her journal and smiled as her brunette mother came in from the garage. The journal was one of the presents her mothers had given her for Christmas, and she cherished it and wrote in it constantly. "Hi, Mom."

"Where is everyone?"

"Gabby's watching 'Frozen', again. AJ's in his room doing some extra homework he got. Ma is back in your guys' office. I think she really wanted to talk to you as soon as you got home."

Bianca chuckled at her perceptive daughter. Truth be told, the brunette had wanted to talk with Marissa in-depth all day long. Bianca knew her wife had something big to tell her and was waiting until they could talk in the privacy of their home. She placed a kiss on the top of Miranda's head. "Okay. I'm going to go back and change my clothes and talk with your Ma for a little while before we start on dinner. If you, AJ or Gabby need anything, come back and get us."

"Okay."

/

"So, she's his mother?" Marissa listened to someone on the other end of the line and jotted something down. "Okay. That definitely helps fill in that last missing piece of the puzzle. Now, I've got another call to make. Thanks again, Mitch."

Marissa disconnected the call and took off her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose after doing so.

"Hey."

The redhead smiled seeing Bianca standing in the doorway. "Hey, yourself."

Bianca crossed the room and kissed her wife tenderly.

"I needed that."

"I aim to please. You didn't get that nap today, did you?"

"No, I didn't. There was a lot going on so I didn't get a chance. I'm so glad you're home."

"Me too." Bianca gave her a quick kiss and pulled a chair closer to the redhead before sitting down. "Now, tell me everything."

Marissa sighed before she began to summarize Mitch's report.

"So, who bought the phone?"

"It was purchased at an electronics store in Los Angeles."

"L.A.? How would a phone bought across the country end up here?" The answer was there for Bianca before she even finished the thought. "Son of a bitch. JR bought it."

"Yep, and I have the video to prove it." Marissa flipped her laptop open and clicked on the link Mitch had given her.

After watching the footage, Bianca stood and began pacing around the room while she began a mini rant. "Unbelievable! He buys a phone and sends it to our son so he can what? Fill his head with lies by playing on his insecurities about the baby?!"

"Pretty much, yes."

"That bastard. The only one he's hurting is AJ, and he would know that if he would ever take his head out of his ass. AJ is a sweet, loving boy, and the only thing JR is accomplishing is to hurt him. You would think he would learn by now, but hell no, not him! It's all about JR. It's always all about JR!" Bianca stopped. "Why aren't you more upset?"

"I've had more time to process all of this than you have, and I'm trying my very best not to lose it completely because of Sparky. Someone very smart told me I needed to keep our little one in mind when I start to lose my temper."

Bianca sighed heavily. "I hate when you do that."

"Do what?" Marissa asked feigning innocence.

"Throw my words back at me. Okay. Dipshit rides again. Why? Why now?"

Marissa stroked her baby bump. "Why do you think?"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Seriously? He's jealous?!"

"That would be my guess."

"Of all … So, he'll hurt AJ as a way to get back at us because he's jealous that we're having a baby together." Bianca shook her head. "Un-fucking-believable."

Marissa grinned as she watched her wife. One of the things she found amusing that nobody else outside of her, Kendall and Erica knew was that Bianca could swear with the best of them when pushed far enough.

"Wait. So, how did he get the cellphone to AJ?"

"Ah, we just figured that out. Please have a seat, and I'll tell you."

Bianca did as asked.

"It goes back to something Miranda told me after we got home."

"Miranda?"

"Yes, she told me that Amber saw another boy, someone supposed to one of AJ's friends, telling him that we didn't love him or want him around. Amber stepped in and tried to convince AJ otherwise. Afterwards, she told Miranda who then told me. And before you say anything, I know that we'll be dealing with that bully."

"Damn straight we will. How does this tie back to the phone?"

"The boy's name is Donnie Clayton."

"I still don't see the connection."

"That's because you didn't see the report. JR shipped the phone to Jill Clayton."

"As in?"

"Donnie's mother."

"Why would she get involved in something like this?"

"Her name sounded familiar to me, and I wracked my brain ever since I talked to Miranda and she told me about Donnie. Them having the same last name was just too much of a coincidence for me. I finally remembered. Jill Clayton worked for Chandler when JR was in charge."

"Did they?"

Marissa shook her head. "No surprisingly enough, JR didn't sleep with her. This all occurred during the whole 'Annie obsession'. I think she wanted to, but …"

"Annie."

"Yes. Jill did, however, cover for him. As obsessed as JR was with Annie, Jill was obsessed with him."

"So, he sends her the cellphone, and she has her son give it to AJ."

"That's what I'm thinking."

Bianca straightened up in the chair as she prepared herself for a fight. "What's our next move? This woman is interfering with our son, hurting him as a direct result of her actions. She's not going to get away with it, and you know there's not a snowball's chance in hell that JR will either. Doesn't this fall under interference of some sort?" The brunette paused seeing Marissa smiling proudly at her. "What?"

"You are exactly right. It's called custodial interference."

"I guess those _tutoring sessions _are paying off."

"So it would seem. In this case, the interference involves enticing the child, AJ, away from the parent with custody, meaning me and also visiting AJ when I'm supposed to have custody. Jill Clayton is guilty of the enticement since she is responsible for actually giving him the cellphone. JR is also guilty of enticement in addition to visiting AJ while I have custody using the cellphone to accomplish this."

"Alright. I understand that. What are we going to do to stop it? I overheard you when you were on the phone with Mitch. You were saying you needed to make a call."

"Yeah, I did. I need to call Caleb and report this. Now that you're here, we'll call him together." Marissa put the phone on speaker and dialed Caleb's number.

Bianca moved her chair closer while Marissa dialed. She wasn't surprised her wife was calling Caleb instead of Jack. While both men were her attorneys of record concerning the custody of AJ, Marissa was closer to Caleb. They had started out as mentor/mentee, but over time, the relationship had changed. Marissa was one of only a handful of people Caleb let in. Under that gruff exterior, the man adored Marissa, seeing her as almost like a daughter. This wasn't to say that he wasn't close with Bianca, just that he was closer with her wife. Caleb filled a role in Marissa's life that Jack filled for Bianca, something she was happy for. One other thing was that Caleb detested JR and would fight tooth and nail for Marissa against him.

/

"_Caleb Chandler."_

"Hi, Caleb. It's Marissa and Bianca, and I've got you on speaker."

"Hi, Caleb."

"_Ladies, to what do I this honor? I'm hoping it's safe to assume that everything is okay with Sparky?"_

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Not you too."

Caleb chuckled. _"I'm sorry, Bianca. I like the name and so does everyone else in the office so that's how the baby's referred to here. I think you're fighting a losing battle there."_

"Whatever." Bianca huffed while Marissa laughed.

"_So, what can I do for you?"_

Marissa took up the question posed to them. "First off, Sparky is good, knock wood. Second, we have another matter that we need to discuss with our lawyer."

Caleb sighed. _"Let me guess. JR is up to something."_

"Yes, and this is kind of twisted even for him."

Marissa then related everything that had happened up to that point with Bianca adding in details here and there.

When they were finished, there was silence on the other end of the line. The couple could hear Caleb thinking of how much he wanted to kick the crap out of JR and then plotting the best way to make him pay legally. Caleb took a deep breath. _"He never learns. The report from Mitch?"_

"I'll have him send you a copy of everything."

"_What about the cellphone?"_

"I've left it turned on but on silent mode."

Bianca grinned. The couple had discussed this when Marissa had called her after finding the device and contacting Mitch. "This way, we can keep track of how many times JR tries to call without the constant ringing bothering us."

"It also allows Mitch to track the incoming calls."

"_JR really doesn't know how misguided he is when he underestimates the two of you. How many times has he called?"_

Marissa pulled out the phone and looked at the log. "There are 17 missed calls, all from the same number, but no voicemails. He probably didn't set that up for AJ."

"_Okay, I'll start on restraining orders for both JR and the Claytons as well as draw up papers for custodial interference. I'll try my best to keep AJ from having to testify. I can't guarantee it though. Damn, I hate JR even more because of him doing this to AJ. What's good about this is that AJ has the two of you to help him get through this, and I know you will."_

"I hope so, Caleb."

"_You will. Trust me on this, Bianca. You will. Alright, you take care of AJ, and I'll take care of JR. If I need anything else, I'll let you know, and if anything else comes up, you do the same."_

"Thanks, Caleb. I'll call Mitch now and have him get that file over to you."

"_You're welcome, Marissa. We'll talk soon."_

After the call was disconnected, the couple briefly discussed how they wanted to approach AJ about everything. Bianca then headed to the kitchen to start on dinner while Marissa called Mitch.

/

Bianca had just added the meatballs that Marissa had made earlier in the day to the spaghetti sauce she had made when her wife joined her in the kitchen.

"The file is on its way to Caleb. Mitch said the calls are still coming from California."

"Oh, that's really good to hear." Bianca filled a pot with water and set it on the stove to boil for the pasta she would add when it was ready.

While her wife was doing that, Marissa started on the garlic bread. "Tell me about it. I …"

"Hi, Mommies! What are we having for dinner?"

"Hi, Monkey. How does spaghetti and meatballs sound?"

"Sounds yummy!"

Bianca smiled. She loved how their youngest was so happy and easygoing, always finding the joy in life even in the smallest of things. "I think so too. Would you please get your brother and sister so the three of you could set the table?"

"Okay, Mommy." Gabby skipped over to the door, opened it and yelled for her siblings. "AJ! Mimo! We need to set the table!"

The mothers shared an amused look knowing that would be the way she would get them and not the way Bianca had wanted her to.

"I should have been more specific I guess, huh?"

"Yeah, we should know better by now."

Soon, they were joined by Miranda and a pensive AJ.

"Hey, you two. Please set the table. Dinner will be ready soon."

"I'm not hungry. Can I just go back to my room?" AJ mumbled.

The couple glanced at each other. They had hoped to hold off on talking to their son until after dinner but could tell they needed to do it now. They simply couldn't wait any longer.

Bianca turned to the girls. "Miranda, Gabby, would you go to the family room please? Your Ma and I need to talk with AJ."

"No, I don't want to. It's not right." Miranda stated stubbornly.

"Excuse me?"

"Gabby and I have a right to know what's going on, especially if AJ says he doesn't want to live here anymore."

"You don't want to live with us anymore, AJ? You don't love us anymore?" Gabby's eyes immediately began to fill with tears. "Did I do something wrong? Mommy, I don't want AJ to go." Gabby threw herself at Bianca who picked her up to try and console her.

Miranda wanted to kick herself for letting what she'd said slip and upsetting her little sister.

AJ felt awful that he made Gabby cry. He really just wanted to crawl in a hole and forget everything that had happened recently.

Marissa sighed. Enough was enough. It was tearing her apart to see her family hurting so much. It was going to stop, now. A quick glance at Bianca told her that her wife was thinking the same exact thing.

"Alright, it's time for a family meeting. Everybody in the family room." As the others headed to the other room, the redhead turned the burner for the sauce down to simmer, the one for the pasta off and the temperature for the oven down so the garlic bread wouldn't burn.

/

Everyone was seated when Marissa entered the family room. Gabby was sitting on Bianca's lap, clinging tightly and sniffling. Miranda was sitting on the sofa at the end farthest from Bianca with AJ next to her and fighting tears. Marissa quickly made up her mind and sat next to her son at the end of the sofa closest to where Bianca and Gabby were.

"Okay, this has gone on for far too long. Part of that is our fault for not pressing more, but that ends now. Ever since Miranda was bullied, we've promised to be open and honest with each other, and that's exactly what we've been doing it seems until recently." With that said, Marissa turned to her son and softened her voice. "AJ, is there anything you want to tell us? Maybe about something that's been happening at school?"

AJ quickly glanced up, his eyes darting between his mothers. He wanted to deny it but could tell his mothers knew. "How did you know?"

Miranda jumped in quickly to answer. "Amber told me because she was worried about you. I knew I had to tell our Moms."

The blonde's shoulders slumped in defeat. It was time to come clean. "This boy Donnie's been giving me a hard time and saying mean things, and I don't know why."

Bianca caught her son's eye. "Why don't you tell us what's been going on with him?"

AJ took a deep breath and then told them everything Donnie had said. As he talked, AJ could feel some of the weight he'd been carrying around being lifted off of his shoulders. "And that's what's been going on with him for almost two weeks."

"Why was that boy so mean to AJ, Mommy?" Gabby asked as she glanced up at her brunette mother. Her eyes brimming with tears again, but this time, the tears were because her brother had been hurt.

Bianca squeezed her youngest tighter and shared a glance with her wife. "I'm not sure, sweetie."

Marissa nodded in silent reply and picked the conversation back up. "AJ, is there anything else you want to tell us?"

AJ froze. _They couldn't know, could they? No, they couldn't know about the cellphone, but I didn't think they knew about Donnie either._ AJ's internal struggle went on for a few moments and played across his face. Finally, he gave up. He was tired of fighting and tired hiding. AJ noticed the cellphone was missing when he got home from school, and to be honest, he was glad it was gone. Without the device, his dad wouldn't dare call him, and he felt he could breathe for the first time since he had gotten it. His dad's voice wasn't ringing in his ears constantly telling him that his mothers didn't want him anymore.

"I had a cellphone. It was from dad."

Miranda's and Gabby's eyes grew wide at the revelation.

"We're not allowed to have those, AJ." Gabby stated.

"How did you get one?" Miranda was suspicious. She'd learned to ask certain questions watching her Ma work.

"How'd you know?"

"I found it in the car this morning after I dropped all of you off at school. Did Donnie give you the phone?"

AJ wanted to ask how she knew but didn't. He should by now that he couldn't hide anything from his mothers for long. "Yeah. He got it from his mom. Dad sent it to her and asked her to give it to me. At first, he said he just wanted to talk to me more. He said the reason we didn't talk more before was because you and Mom stopped him from calling me. That's not true though, is it?"

"No, Buddy, it's not. What else did he say?"

"He … he said since you were having the baby that I would be too much for you to have around. Four kids are a lot for you guys to have to take care of, and he didn't have anybody. He's all by himself, and if I went to live with him, he wouldn't be alone anymore. And with the baby, you wouldn't miss me. It wasn't like I really fit in because I'm adopted."

Miranda jumped in before either of her mothers could. "Why did you listen to him, AJ? You know none of that's true."

"Well, Donnie …"

"Donnie is a jerk and isn't really your friend. If Amber hadn't stopped him, he'd still be saying stuff to you that hurts you. You should've told me. Why didn't you? I could've helped."

"You would've told them."

"Yeah, I would've because they need to know when your dad is being a jerk and hurting you."

Marissa and Bianca glanced at each other and silently agreed to let this play out and see where it went.

/

AJ sighed. He knew his sister was right and hated it. "I know. I just didn't want to get them upset and stop me from talking to him."

"Even if he hurts you?"

"I really hate when you do that."

"Do what?"

"Are right. I don't like it when he does stuff like that. I just don't know what to do or say to get him to stop."

Miranda rolled her eyes. "That's what our Moms are here for. They're not afraid of him and will tell him to stop. They'll put him in his place."

"I guess you're right."

"Of course I am. I thought you knew that by now." Miranda gave him a cheeky grin.

AJ rolled his eyes this time and playfully shoved his sister. "Shut up."

"So, why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think you'd know what I was feeling."

"And Amber does?"

"Well no, but she was there when Donnie was saying those things, and me telling her just happened."

"Why didn't you think I would know how you were feeling? I mean, we're in the same spot."

"Not really. Mom is really your mom. She had you like Ma is having Sparky. Ma didn't have me. She adopted me."

"You know, you're really dumb sometimes."

Bianca started to interrupt, wanting to reprimand her daughter. She didn't like them saying things like that to each other.

Marissa stopped her though and whispered. "I think I know where she's going with this."

"Hey, I'm not dumb."

"I said sometimes, and I know you're not really. Think about it. What's Ma?"

"A lawyer?"

This caused an eye roll of epic proportions. "Seriously?"

AJ thought for a moment and the light came on for him. "Adopted!"

"Exactly! Ma knows exactly how you feel more than anybody else, and you _know_ Mom doesn't care if you're adopted."

"Mimo's right." Gabby scrambled off Bianca's lap and squeezed in next to her sister. "We don't care either. You're my big brother no matter what. You have to tell the Mommies when something's wrong so they can take care of it. It's what they do. When you had your cold, who took care of you? Our Mommies. When you fell off the jungle gym, who took care of you?"

Miranda smiled knowing exactly what her little sister was doing. "Our Moms. Who helps you study for your tests? Our Moms."

"Who's always taking you to baseball practice and is at your games? Our Moms."

"Who's always there whenever we need them?" Miranda paused hoping her brother got the message.

AJ had gotten it, loud and clear. "Our Moms." He turned watery eyes to the women he loved and who loved him and his sisters with every fiber of their beings. "I'm sorry. I … I … I wanna stay here with you. I don't wanna go. I didn't really mean any of it. Please let me stay."

Marissa pulled AJ onto her ever-dwindling lap while Bianca knelt down in front of them.

"AJ, you don't have to ask to stay. We don't want you to go anywhere. We never have. This is your home, Buddy, and we love you."

"Inside out and upside down. You are our son, and I don't care what anyone else says. While it's true that I didn't have you like I am Sparky, it doesn't change a thing for me. I love you so much, and there's no difference for me. You stole my heart the first moment I saw you and nothing has changed that. I became your Mom because I wanted to. I chose you, just like you chose me. Do you love me any less because I didn't have you?"

The boy shook his head vigorously. "No! I love you too, you and Mom. You're my Moms no matter what."

"Then why would you think it would be any different for us?"

AJ shrugged. "Dad said."

"Buddy, your dad is wrong. One of the big reasons we broke up was because your dad stopped listening to me. When he did that, he stopped knowing me, stopped knowing my feelings. So when _he_ tells you how _I_ feel, he's wrong."

"Your Ma and I love you all the same, that includes Sparky. We're a family, and you're stuck with us. Got it?"

AJ smiled for the first time in what felt like forever. "Got it."

"Good! Now, give me a hug and then give your Ma one too."

Bianca was knocked backed as AJ leapt into her arms before he threw himself carefully back at Marissa.

"I'm sorry. I was being dumb."

"You're not dumb, AJ. I'm sorry I said that. You just weren't listening."

"I know, Miranda. I should've said something, but I was scared that Donnie and my dad were right. You and Gabby really helped me figure out what I really knew. Thank you. You're the best sisters I could ever have."

Gabby beamed at the compliment, and Miranda was pretty proud of herself too.

"Ma, could I ask you something."

"Anything, Buddy."

"Why did dad say all that if it wasn't true?"

Marissa sighed. She didn't want to tell her son that his father was a misogynistic asshole who put himself above anyone else and probably always would. "I don't know for sure, Buddy. I haven't understood your dad for a long time so I couldn't say. What I can tell you is that your Mom and I love you, Miranda, Gabby and Sparky more than anything, and we always will. We want you all to be happy and will do everything we can so that you stay that way."

"You're going to talk with dad, aren't you?"

"Yes, we are. He needs to know that he can't say things like that to you, things that hurt you. I won't stand for anyone hurting my family and neither will your Mom."

"That's right. We won't."

"Donnie too?"

Bianca nodded. "Donnie too, and his mom. What they did was wrong, and Caleb's helping us with that. We don't want you to worry about that though. We're taking care of it. That's our job."

"Dad's gonna be mad when I don't answer the cellphone."

"Like your Mom said, don't worry about that. We'll take care of it. Your dad was wrong to give you that phone. He knows you're not allowed to have one yet, and he agreed that he would talk with you on Skype only if one of us was there. What makes it worse is that he told you to keep that secret from us. He broke the rules and pressured you to break them too. He knew better and doesn't have any right to be mad when he knew he was wrong. You're not in trouble for what he did. We'll handle him."

"Okay." AJ was more than happy to let them do it. The burden he'd been carrying was finally gone, and he could finally breathe easily again. His stomach started to growl with his appetite finally returning.

"You think you're hungry now, Buddy?" Bianca asked with a relieved smile.

"Yeah, I am."

"What about you, girls?"

"I'm starving, Mommy."

"Me too."

"Why don't I finish getting dinner ready? You all stay in here, and I'll let you know when it's done."

"You sure, B?"

"Yep." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss before placing kisses on the top of their three children's heads and then heading to the kitchen.

"Ma, what's that?" AJ's eyes grew wide.

Marissa smiled. "That's Sparky just saying 'hi'."

"Really?!" Miranda's wonder was evident.

"Do you all want to feel?"

Three heads nodded in excitement. The three of them hadn't been around when the baby had kicked before.

"Okay. AJ, I need you to move a little, and girls, come a little closer." After doing as instructed, Marissa took a hand from each child and placed it on her belly. A look of awe appeared on the kids' faces as they felt the baby kick.

AJ leaned in close and whispered to his mother's belly. "I'm glad you're gonna be part of our family, Sparky, and I'm gonna make sure nobody picks on you."

/

Dinner was markedly different from breakfast, as different as night and day. Everyone chattered away and cleaned their plates as opposed to that morning's meal where there had been nothing but silence and barely touched plates. With everyone helping, the kitchen was cleaned up in fairly short order. Due to the emotional nature of the day, it was decided to have a quiet evening together since they were all a little drained. The kids decided on a movie for them all to watch and went to grab their pillows and spare blankets before starting it. AJ was a little surprised at the reprieve in his punishment but was beyond happy about it.

While they were doing that, Marissa pulled out ingredients for hot chocolate. The temperature had dipped several degrees below freezing, and hot chocolate was definitely called for to help combat the chill in the air. Bianca leaned on the counter and watched her wife work. A smile spread across her face as she remembered the first time Marissa had made what she called 'proper' hot chocolate for her and the kids. Like always, it was made with equal parts love and precision.

"Could you grab the marshmallows for me?"

Bianca was pulled from her memory by her wife's request. "You got it." After handing her wife the requested item, she broached a subject. "Rissa, I was thinking about AJ's punishment."

"Yeah, I've been thinking about that too. I'm willing to tweak it a little if you are."

"Given everything we know now, I think we should. I'm thinking maybe by half, family movie nights are the exception though. They're not part of the punishment."

"Sounds good to me. He needs this especially tonight, so do the girls, and quite frankly, so do we."

Bianca sighed as she retrieved a tray and mugs. "I agree. Tomorrow …"

"We'll deal with everything else, but tonight, we're taking off and enjoying our family. Deal?"

"Deal."

Marissa kissed her wife tenderly and then began pouring the hot chocolate into the waiting mugs.


	163. Making a Stand

**A/N: Time for another chapter! Thanks, as always, for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. There's a shout out to someone in the author's notes at the end. This chapter picks up the following morning from the previous one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Nothing."

"It doesn't feel like nothing." Bianca's breathing became slightly more labored.

Marissa's head popped up with a huge grin on her face not even trying to feign innocence. She could already see what she was doing was having the desired effect on her wife. "What's it feel like?"

Bianca hummed as soft lips descended once again onto her jawline before trailing lower. "Heaven. Don't stop." A moan escaped from the brunette.

"As you wish." Marissa murmured against her wife's chest before she continued her loving assault. It was a variation of her morning routine, and judging by the way Bianca bucked her hips and moaned loudly again as Marissa's hand made its way through slick folds, her wife seemed to be very pleased with it. _I'll definitely have to keep this in mind and make sure I do it again._

/

After Bianca returned her wife's much appreciated morning routine and the women lounged in bed a while longer, the couple finally emerged from their bedroom. It was a later start to the day for them which was to be expected given their morning activities and how emotionally draining the previous evening had been. It was so draining for all of them that they found the kids were still in bed. Marissa opened the back door up and let Max out while Bianca started up the coffee maker.

"What would you like for breakfast today, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"

Marissa sighed happily at her favorite title and stroked her ever-growing baby bump. "Well, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery, chocolate chip pancakes sound _heavenly _to both Sparky and me."

Bianca laughed. "How does having bacon along with them sound to the two of you?"

"You are an absolute mind reader! It sounds perfect!"

"As you wish then."

"You're too good to me."

"Not possible, ever." Bianca gave Marissa a quick kiss before broaching the subject they had put aside last night. "I was thinking about the best way to handle JR."

"You want to talk to him alone."

"I just want you to be safe and not get upset by him. We both know he loves nothing better than to push your buttons, and I don't want you to have to deal with that."

"I know, and I love you for that. We both know I have to be there though because you know how he is. He'll claim you're controlling me and preventing me from telling him the 'truth', and that all of this is a mistake and yadda yadda yadda which we both know is the biggest load of crap that's ever existed. Even so, I still need to be there."

Bianca sighed. "You're right, but I don't have to like it. If it gets to be too much though, will you please promise me that you'll let me go all Kane woman on him?"

Marissa grinned. "Are you kidding me? I get to see you release the Kane woman on my ex. How can I ever turn that down? You're so hot when you do. The things you do to me when I see you like that and the things I want to do to you as a result? There is no way in hell I'm passing up the chance to see you in Kane woman mode." The last statement was finished with a waggle of the redhead's eyebrows.

Amusement was shining through warm chocolate eyes. "You're not right sometimes, but who am I to deny you _anything_?"

"Yay me!"

Bianca laughed. "I love you so much."

"I love you too." Marissa rewarded her wife with a loving kiss. "Okay, we do this together."

"Agreed."

"I will make you a promise though. If he starts to get to me, I'll step back and let you deal with him. I'm not going to let him do anything to jeopardize any of our children, including Sparky."

"Thank you. I can definitely live with that. Should we wait for him to call us or call him ourselves?"

"I think he should call us. That way he doesn't know that we know what he's been up to."

"It gives us the element of surprise. I do like how you think, Counselor. Okay, we wait but continue on with our day as we normally would. I'm not going to have JR control our lives."

"I completely agree. So, what's on today's agenda?"

"Breakfast, a talk with AJ and after that, I'm open for suggestions."

"Sounds like the beginnings of a good plan. I might have a couple of ideas depending on the weather."

"Morning, Moms."

/

The couple glanced over to the doorway and saw their son entering the kitchen. AJ looked well-rested and was smiling. Seeing him that way heartened the women and reinforced their belief that they were doing what was best.

"Morning, Buddy."

"Morning, AJ. You look like you're feeling better."

AJ nodded. "I am a whole lot. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I need you to have a seat please. Your Mom and I need to talk to you for a minute before your sisters come down."

The boy scrambled onto the stool next to Marissa. He was kind of expecting another talk with his mothers.

Bianca turned the heat down on the bacon and stood on the other side of the counter across from her wife and son. "Your Ma and I have been talking about your punishment for not turning in your homework. You know that you should have turned it in, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. I'm sorry."

"We understand though that you had a lot you were thinking about and keeping to yourself." Marissa gave her son a gentle squeeze. "So because of that, we decided to change your punishment a little. There's still no video games, but we're reducing it from a week to two days. We're also going to ease up on the TV restrictions."

A relieved smile spread across AJ's face. He thought his mothers might actually increase his punishment, but they understood what he'd been going through. That's what made them so special. "Really?"

Bianca nodded. "Really. But you need to finish your homework first and do a couple more chores around here like set the table a few more times by yourself and take out the trash, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am. Can I ask you both something?" AJ grew serious.

"Of course you can, Buddy." Marissa answered.

"Do I have to talk to dad the next time he calls?"

"You don't want to?"

"No, not really, at least not for a while. I'm kinda scared of what he'll say when I see him again. He said a bunch of mean things about both of you, and I don't wanna hear it anymore. I tried to tell him to stop, but he wouldn't listen to me."

"We're so sorry he put you through that. He shouldn't have done that. If you don't want to see him or talk to him, you don't have to. We won't make you do that. You're safe, AJ. Bianca and I will keep you that way. Got it?"

AJ's smile was back. He knew his moms would keep their word. "Got it."

"Alright. Why don't you start setting the table?" Marissa winked.

AJ nodded and gave her a quick hug before hopping down and giving Bianca a hug as well. He then began his task.

Miranda and Gabby joined the others not long afterwards, and the family started their day much as the previous one ended, together and happily relieved to put the unpleasantness caused by others behind them.

/

The family returned from ice skating early that afternoon. Marissa sat on the sideline watching her family due to her pregnancy. It just wasn't advisable for her to be skating in her condition and with her balance being slightly off as a result of it. The redhead was perfectly fine sitting the activity out. She was the one who had actually suggested they go ice skating and had brought both her camera and video camera along to catch everything. Bianca had brought a blanket to keep her wife warm and joined her from time to time to snuggle with her under it. All in all, everyone had a good time and was equally exhausted by the time they returned home. The kids hurried upstairs to change into some warm clothes while their mothers did the same in their bedroom.

As they walked back to the family room, Bianca's cellphone buzzed. She'd forgotten she had put it on silent while they were out. Bianca swiped across the screen and noticed she had received several texts from JR over the course of the day. Forgoing the earlier messages, she read his last text. "It's JR. He's wanting to skype with AJ."

Marissa sighed. "We might as well get this over with, but before we do, I think we need to make sure we're comfortable. I'll go get us something to drink."

"Sounds good. I'll get this set up in the office."

While it would be more comfortable in their bedroom, they decided to have the discussion in their office for a couple of reasons. First and most importantly, JR would _never_ be in their bedroom even if was digitally over Skype. The very thought gave them cold chills and made them slightly ill. Second, the office gave them privacy that they wouldn't find anywhere else other than their bedroom. By the time they were settled and ready for him, it was a good twenty minutes later. They both knew JR would be fuming at being kept waiting, but again they weren't going to let him dictate their lives. It was also an added bonus.

/

"_Hey, AJ. How are you …"_ JR's face appeared and his smile was quickly replaced with something in between anger and confusion. Normally, AJ would be the one appearing on screen and not Bianca and Marissa. _"Where's AJ?"_

"Hi, JR." Marissa smiled as she remembered what her mother always said about killing people with kindness.

Bianca also smiled. "Hi, JR."

"_Where's AJ?"_

As agreed upon by the couple, Marissa took the lead. "AJ's not going to be on the call today."

"_What?! You can't keep __my__ son away from me! I won't stand for it! I won't allow it! I have rights!"_

"Actually, JR, you don't have any rights in this case." Marissa stated calmly.

"_What do you mean that I don't have rights?! Of course I do! AJ is __my__ son!"_

"You lost those rights when you tried to bribe the judge and social worker assigned to AJ's custody case. I was awarded full custody. You see AJ because Bianca and I allow you to and also because AJ wants to see you."

"_Well, there you go! AJ wants to see me."_

"No, he doesn't, not today or for the foreseeable future."

"_What? Why? That's not possible."_

"He's scared of you."

"_What?! He's scared of me?! Well, that's just because of the two of you. You're filling his head with lies about me."_

While JR ranted about them poisoning AJ about him, Bianca calmly pulled out the cellphone that had been sent to AJ and handed it to Marissa. When JR finally took a breath, the redhead jumped in.

"Bianca and I have been doing no such thing. If anyone is guilty of that, it's you."

"_What the hell does that mean?"_

"Does this look familiar?" Marissa held up the cellphone.

JR's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly schooled his face. _"It's a cellphone. What of it?"_

"It's a cellphone that AJ had."

"_You let him have a cellphone? I thought you weren't going to do that. In fact, you wouldn't let me get him one when I wanted to. It seems the two of you are being a little hypocritical."_ JR smirked.

The couple exchanged a glance. He was good. They would give him that, but they were all too familiar with his tricks and knew how he operated.

"That still holds true. AJ isn't allowed one. Here's the thing though. You sent this to AJ anyway."

"_You're accusing me of giving that to him?! I did no such thing. You have absolutely no proof. I think I might just sue you for slander."_

Bianca took the cellphone back from her wife and dialed the number from the incoming log making sure JR saw exactly what she was doing. A cellphone started ringing on JR's end. "Are you going to get that, JR?"

The man's eyes darted from the computer screen to where the ringing cellphone was. _"You're setting me up. I don't know how you got my new number, but it's obvious you're trying to set me up."_

The brunette hit the button to end of the call and rolled her eyes just like her wife was.

Marissa sighed. "Give it up, JR. We know you bought the phone at an electronics store out there. We've got the records and the security footage to prove it."

"_Oh yeah?_ _How would I send it to him? You go through everything package I send."_

"Do you remember Jill Clayton?"

Seeing JR pale at the mention of the woman's name had Bianca bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. She loved watching her wife work, picking apart people's stories. _We've got you, you son of a bitch._

"_I don't know who you're talking about."_

"Really? That's how you want to play this? Fine. We have shipping records that show you sent the phone to her. Here's where it gets interesting. Her son goes to school with AJ. What to know what else?"

JR was starting to squirm.

Marissa held up a hand. "No, no. You don't have to guess. I'll tell you."

Bianca had to put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile. Her wife was really enjoying herself.

"We have a sworn affidavit from Jill Clayton along with her son Donnie. Jill's says that you contacted her and asked her that if you sent her a cellphone if she would give it to AJ without our knowledge. She wasn't sure how she could get it to him, but you suggested she use her son. It turns out that you paid her quite handsomely too. Her son Donnie said his mom asked him to give the phone along with a note you had also sent to AJ. We have the packaging the phone was sent in, a copy of the check you sent her and the note you sent AJ telling him to keep the cellphone secret and not tell us, that it was just to be between the two of you. Care to take a guess on how many laws you violated?"

Yeah, Bianca was right. Marissa was really enjoying herself demolishing JR's defense, and she had to admit she was too. The brunette also had to admit that her wife looked pretty damn hot doing it.

Marissa's cellphone rang and interrupted her. Glancing at the caller id, the redhead saw it was Caleb. "It's our lawyer. I better take this." Marissa smirked seeing her ex pale knowing all too well who she was referring to.

"I'll take over from here." Bianca offered and was rewarded with a quick kiss. As her wife stood and left, Bianca glanced back at the screen and saw JR's eyes scanning Marissa's body. "Not happening, JR. Put your eyes back in your head."

/

AJ and Miranda were just making their way down the stairs from their bedrooms when they saw Marissa walking by. She had pulled on a jacket and was on her cellphone. They heard her say 'Caleb' and knew she was probably talking about AJ and/or his dad. The siblings watched as she stepped outside for some privacy. The fact that she did that told them that their other mother was on the phone in their office, most likely with JR.

"Where are you going?" Miranda asked as AJ started down the hallway.

"I wanna listen. This is about me, and if my dad is gonna be mean to the Moms, I wanna know."

Knowing she wouldn't be able to stop her brother, Miranda decided to follow him. The siblings quietly walked down the hallway and stood out of sight on the other side of the partially opened office door where the exchange between Bianca and JR could clearly be heard.

/

"_What are you talking about? Oh, you don't like me checking out my wife. You afraid I'll take her from you? That she'll leave you for me? That she's finally come to her senses?"_

Bianca sighed. "I shouldn't be having to be go over this again, but I will. She is not your wife, and she hasn't been your wife for a long time now. She moved on. Marissa is married to me, and I trust her. You need to get a life of your own and stop trying to meddle in ours."

"_Why?"_

"Why what?"

"_Why is she having a baby with you? Why didn't she want to have one with me?"_

"Seriously? You're asking me that? I don't know, JR. Maybe because you wanted her to put her life on hold just when her career was taking off. Or it could be you weren't around at the time when you decided you wanted it. You were busy trying to take over Chandler and not offering her any support because it was always about you and what you wanted. Maybe it was because of Annie or Amanda or any other number of women you cheated on her with destroying the trust she had in you. Speaking of Annie, maybe it was because when Annie attacked her, instead of turning her in the police like any rational human being would've done, you covered it up. It could be because of the other incident with Annie as well. You remember that one, don't you? The one in the attic where she tied Marissa up? Maybe it was because you always put your wants and needs first, never thinking about her once. Maybe it's because it was always about you and never about her. It was always one-sided, your side and that's not a marriage."

"_So, what? You're the relationship expert? That's a laugh. Want to talk about your failed relationships? You've got a list longer than mine."_ JR scoffed.

"This isn't about my past relationships. This is about Marissa and AJ and not some sort of competition between the two of us."

"_Of course it's between us! You keep taking what is mine."_

"No, JR, I'm not."

"_Sure you are. You took my wife. Now, you're trying to take my son."_

"When are you going to get it through your head? I'm not trying to do any of that. I love Marissa and AJ, and your connection to them has never played into why I feel the way I do about them. It's not about you. It's about them. What I want is for you to stop hurting them, especially AJ. He's just a boy."

"_How the hell am I hurting him?! You and Marissa are the ones filling his head with lies about me."_

"What world are you living in? Marissa and I have done nothing but be there for AJ. When he wants to talk to you, we arrange it. Now whether or not you show up, that's on you."

"_Oh please, I know the two of you just love it when I can't make it and love telling him why."_

"No, JR, we don't. We also don't tell him why you don't show up or aren't available. When you didn't call him on Christmas, we were the ones that came up with an excuse for you because we knew how much AJ would be hurt if we told him the truth."

"_I slipped. It happens."_

"It happens a lot with you, and the one who always ends up hurt is AJ. For someone who says he loves him, you sure have a lousy way of showing it."

"_You don't know what you're talking about. I would never hurt him."_

"Your actions say otherwise. Telling him to lie to us, to hide things from us? That's bad enough, but then you told him we didn't love him or want him around because we're having a baby and that the baby will replace him, that's disgusting. How could that not hurt him?"

"_It's true, isn't it?"_

"No, it's not! And for you to even suggest something like that is beyond the pale and low for even you. AJ could never be replaced. We love him and want him here."

"_He's not your son, either of yours. He's mine, and you have no connection to him."_

"Since you're so focused on that fact, it's convenient that you always seem to forget that Marissa is related to him by blood. She's his biological aunt. Here's the thing though, Marissa doesn't need that to love AJ or to be his mother. She loves him whether she has a biological connection to him or not. None of that matters to her or to me. This baby is not replacing him. No one could ever replace him. He's an important part of this family, and there would be a gaping hole if he wasn't here. Do you have any idea what it did to him when you lied to him and told him we didn't want him? It tore him up inside. Why would you do that to him? What kind of monster does that to his own child? Who puts them through that kind of pain? Why? What did you hope to accomplish?"

"_I want my son back! Why should you and Marissa have everything while I have nothing? Why should I be alone?"_

"JR, this isn't about what you want. This is about what's best for AJ. He deserves a loving home where he can be a child and not a parent. He's not even 10 years old. He shouldn't have to worry about taking care of you. That's not his job. It's your job as a parent to take of him and to put his needs first, to do what's best for him. There's nothing we wouldn't do AJ."

"_I suppose you know what's best for him?"_

"Yeah, I think I have a pretty good idea."

"_Saint Bianca rides again!"_

"I'm not a saint, JR, and I've never claimed to be one. I just do what I think is right. He needs a stable, loving home, a place where he feels safe and isn't bullied or manipulated into doing something that's wrong or something he doesn't want to do."

"_And you think you're going to be able to stop me? What are you going to do, tell your mommy?"_

Bianca's tone became steely. "Listen very closely to me because I'm only going to say this once. If you hurt AJ or Marissa again or try something involving our daughters, you won't have to worry about my Mom. You'll be dealing with me, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. Don't push me, JR. You won't like the results. For now, you'll be hearing from our lawyer. Caleb's looking forward to dealing with you." Before JR could respond, Bianca closed the laptop which effectively shut him up.

/

"AJ, Miranda, what are you doing out here?"

The siblings turned around and saw Marissa standing behind them. AJ simply stepped forward and hugged her.

"You okay, Buddy?"

AJ nodded while staying in place.

Hearing voices outside the office, Bianca opened the door the rest of the way. AJ released his hold on his redheaded mother and launched himself at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "Is everything alright?"

Miranda nodded and leaned into her redheaded mother's side. "Yeah."

"Were you listening?" Marissa asked putting an arm on her oldest daughter's shoulder.

"A little."

"It's not Miranda's fault. It's mine. I just wanted to know what was going on. Thanks for what you said, Mom. Thanks, Ma for choosing me. Love you both."

"Always, Buddy. We love you too." Bianca squeezed AJ tighter.

"How about some hot chocolate and you guys get your sister and pick out a game we can all play?" Marissa suggested.

AJ and Miranda nodded before heading off to find Gabby.

"Oh, and not more eavesdropping." Marissa added and received a 'yes, Ma' in reply.

Marissa then turned to her wife. "What did you say to JR?"

Bianca shrugged. "I just told him some simple truths. I guess AJ heard it. He seems okay with everything."

"Yeah, he does. It's good to see. Let's go start on the hot chocolate. I expect a full report on these _simple truths_ you shared, and in return, I'll tell you what Caleb's been up to."

"Deal. You really enjoyed yourself earlier, didn't you?"

Marissa grinned. "Yes, I did."

"That makes two of us because I really liked watching you, _Counselor_."

/

_The next day._

"AJ, wait up!"

The boy turned and saw his dad walking swiftly towards him. AJ froze halfway between the front steps of the house and the front driveway. He wanted to run away, find somebody who could help him, but his legs just wouldn't cooperate. As his father drew closer, AJ was finally able to find the will and strength to move, and move he did. Just as he was within a foot of the door, it flew open and Greenlee appeared.

"Get inside, AJ."

Relief flooded the boy as he saw the petite brunette, and he nodded in reply. He was never so happy to see someone in his life as he was Greenlee in that moment. She had stopped over earlier with Emma and offered to watch the kids while Bianca and Marissa ran to the grocery store. AJ had gone outside several minutes earlier to retrieve Max. As Greenlee was passing the front window, something had caught her eye. That something turned out to be JR emerging from a wooded area to the side of the driveway. The moment she realized who it was, she sprang into action telling Miranda to call 911 and rushing to the door to get to AJ.

The boy dashed passed her into the safety of his home.

Standing in between the unwelcomed visitor and the children inside, specifically AJ, Greenlee began her questioning. "What the hell are you doing here, JR? You know Bianca and Marissa don't want you here."

"I wanted to see my son. They're keeping him away from me."

"From what I've been told and judging by his reaction, he doesn't want to see you. So, not happening. Where is your car?"

JR shifted his stance suddenly uncomfortable. "It's down the road. I didn't want to block anyone in and wasn't sure of parking here."

"Yeah, I'm not buying it. Like most things, you don't give a damn about anyone else." Greenlee scoffed. "I'm thinking you kept it out of sight on purpose. You didn't want anyone to see it, give anybody a warning. You're not planning on anything else, are you? I'll tell you right now that you'll get to AJ over my dead body."

"That's tempting." JR muttered before backing off. "Look, I just wanted to see my son. I wasn't going to take him anywhere if he didn't want to go." JR knew AJ was at the age where he would cause a scene the first chance he had if JR had tried to take him.

"I'll tell you again that you need Bianca and Marissa's permission, and I know you don't have it. I also know that a restraining order has been issued against you and that it was served. You're not allowed within 500 feet of AJ, and you damn well know it. So just so we're on the same page? That means that right now you're not only trespassing, but you're also in violation of the restraining order. As I see it, you have two options. You can either leave now before the police get here. Oh, I forgot to tell you that they've been called and are on their way. So, leave now before they get here or stay so they can haul your sorry ass away. Personally, I'm hoping for the second option."

JR glared at the woman. "I don't believe you. You wouldn't do that in front of my son."

"Try me. Please try me. AJ doesn't want to see you, and I'm not going to make him. You've put him through way too much, more than any child should have to go through. For once in your pathetic life, think about someone else other than you."

"And what do you know about children? You can't have any." JR added cruelly.

/

AJ stood on the other side of the door hearing Greenlee protect him and his father attack her for doing so. The boy had had enough. He was tired of his dad doing this over and over again. It was time for him to stop. Taking a deep breath, AJ opened the door and stepped outside.

/

"You son of a …" Greenlee stopped when she felt a small hand grasping one of hers. "AJ, what are you doing out here? You should be inside. That's where your Moms would want you to be."

"I know, but I have to tell him something."

JR smirked triumphantly. "Told ya. You can leave us alone now."

"No, I don't want her to go anywhere. I want her stay."

"Why, AJ?"

"Because I don't trust you. Will you stay please?"

Feeling the boy grip her hand tighter, Greenlee did her best to assure him. "I'm not going anywhere, AJ."

AJ smiled up at Greenlee. "Thanks."

"Listen, son, I know you haven't been happy here, not with the baby coming. You told me so yourself when we talked. If you came to live with me, I wouldn't be alone anymore. I know you don't like that."

"Stop! I don't wanna hear it anymore. I didn't say that stuff. You did and didn't give me a chance to say anything. I am happy about the baby. I really like the idea of being a big brother again. You were the one that was saying all that stuff about them not wanting me, and that they were replacing me. You lied to me and hurt me. That's not nice, not something a parent should do. My Moms wouldn't do that. They haven't done that."

"It's clear they are making you say that …"

"No! I don't want to hear it! You keep blaming Ma and Mom, and they haven't done anything. You blame them because they chose each other and fell in love. You always say that's wrong, but it's not. You blame me because I don't want to live with you and because I want to stay here with them and my sisters because they make me happy, and that's wrong when you do that. It's not their fault, and it's not my fault. It's your fault. You didn't call me Christmas because you were drunk, weren't you?"

JR looked away, unable to meet his son's disappointed gaze and deny the truth.

"You're why you drink and not us. You. You're to blame and nobody else. So, you need to be the grown up and not me. I'm only almost 10. It's not up to me to raise you. That's your job. You have to raise you. I'm staying with my Moms. I'm choosing them, and they choose me. You know what else? I don't know if I want to be a Chandler anymore." AJ took a deep breath and looked at Greenlee. "I'm done now."

Greenlee nodded and gave him a smile, pride clearly evident. "Go on inside then please."

"Thanks, Aunt G."

Although the term of endearment took her by surprise, it also made her smile even more. "You're welcome."

Once the door was closed, Greenlee faced JR again. "I think AJ was pretty clear with what he wants. Leave."

JR took a step forward. "Make me. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Before he knew what hit him, JR was on the ground writhing in pain after Greenlee's knee forcefully made contact with his groin. The brunette put everything she had into it and damn if it didn't feel good to her.

"Don't you ever dare bring that up again, you son of a bitch, and stay the hell away from my family." Greenlee glanced towards the driveway hearing the approaching sirens of the Pine Valley Police.

Brot jumped out of the cruiser and saw JR rolling around on the ground groaning. He looked from the man to Greenlee and back again.

"He's in violation a restraining order."

The officer shrugged and hauled JR off the ground. "Alright. You're coming with me, JR. You think you'd learn by now." As he helped the man into the car's backseat, Brot glanced at Greenlee. "Tell Bianca and Marissa I'll be in touch."

/

Later that evening after things had quieted down, Marissa and Bianca spoke with their son in private. To say they were upset hearing what had happened in their absence would be an understatement. Greenlee had filled them in on everything, and the couple was extremely grateful she had been there and protected AJ. Neither Bianca nor Marissa were surprised she did though. They hated that JR had taken a dig at her but laughed when she related the revenge she had taken on him. The couple then smiled when Greenlee told them that AJ had called her 'Aunt G'. It was something the girls had called her every once in a while even though she technically wasn't their aunt, but AJ had never called her that, that is until today. The couple could see how much it had meant to her and couldn't help but be happy that their son thought of her that way.

"You okay, Buddy?" Bianca asked as she took a seat next to AJ.

"Yeah, I am."

"Greenlee told us what you did earlier. That was pretty brave of you." Marissa added as she sat on the other side of the boy.

"I had to say it. I feel better that I did."

"I bet you do. She also told us what you said about maybe not wanting to be a Chandler anymore."

"Yeah, I know how much he's hurt you so I was thinking if I changed my name that it might be better for you and Ma."

Marissa shook her head at their son's thoughtfulness. "AJ, the name doesn't bother us. It's just a name. If you want to keep it, we're okay with that. Your Grandpa Adam and Uncle Stuart have that name as well as your cousin Scott. We know that you love them."

Bianca nodded. "If you do want to change it though, we're okay with that too, but you don't have to change it for us. We love you no matter what."

"Your Mom's right. You're still our son no matter what name you go by."

"So, you'd be okay if I didn't change it? 'Cause I really do love Grandpa, Uncle Stuart and Scott. They might be hurt if I changed it."

Marissa smiled. "We wouldn't be upset, Buddy, and I think you shouldn't worry about the others. They would understand."

"You know, this isn't something you have to decide right now. Why don't you take some time and think about it? We can talk about this again later." Bianca suggested.

"Okay. Is Dad going to jail?"

Marissa nodded. "Most likely, but it's not for anything that you did. It's because of what he did. It shouldn't be for a long, but maybe it will be long enough for him to realize what he's done and he'll grow up a little bit. No matter what though, we're proud of you and love you very, very much."

"Love you too, Ma. Love you, Mom."

"Oh, I love you too, AJ. Feel better now?"

AJ nodded and smiled. He really was feeling better, thanks to his Moms and Greenlee and the rest of his family. Even though he wasn't quite 10, he had a feeling that his dad would be back to cause trouble again, but for now, he wasn't going to worry about it. AJ was going to enjoy being a kid. "Yeah, I do. Thanks. Can I go play with Max?"

"Sure." Bianca smiled as AJ hurried off to find the family's faithful dog.

Marissa sighed. "Another JR crisis averted for the time being."

"Yep." Bianca studied her wife. She needed a break from this stress. She knew JR would forever be in their lives trying his best to cause trouble for them. Just as Bianca knew that though, she also knew that she and Marissa would handle whatever he threw their way. They were a team after all, the best one. "I've got a great idea. There's some ice cream in the freezer that I think has your name on it."

The redhead perked up. "Is it that Black Raspberry Chip from Graeters that a client sent you after they relocated?"

"I do believe it is."

"You always come up with the best ideas."

"I try."

"You do more than try. Okay, let's go. I'm even going to share with you."

"Wow. You must really like me then." Bianca smiled.

Marissa returned the grin. "Yeah, I guess I do. I think I might just show you how much after the kids go to bed."

Bianca hummed happily. "Talk about coming up with the best ideas."

**/**

**A/N: Shout out to **_**debssofs**_** who wanted Greenlee to get in on the action. I didn't think a punch would be realistic so I came up with something else. Hope you liked what she did.**


	164. Surprise Visitors

**A/N: Happy Anniversary! Or as **_**Miched8**_** put it in a review, Happy Minxiversary! Just a hair over three years ago, I began writing this story. I had no idea back then that I would still be writing this, that it would grow to over 850,000 words and counting, and that I would still be picking up followers for it. Thank you doesn't seem quite enough to express my feelings of gratitude that you all are still reading, but it's all I can come up with at the moment. So honestly, thank you from the bottom of my heart! There's still more to come! We're skipping ahead a little bit and going into fluffy mode for this anniversary chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Dr. Abbott smiled as she completed her exam of Marissa. "Everything looks great, ladies. Sparky looks to be doing very and right on track."

"You too, Dr. Abbott? You really have to call our little one Sparky?" Bianca huffed. She wasn't nearly as irritated as she was pretending to be. The nickname really was growing on her. Plus, her wife was an extremely good _debater_ and was bringing her around on the name with her many _valid points_.

The doctor laughed. "What can I say? It's cute. So, how are you feeling, Marissa?"

"Well, I get tired a little easier than I normally did before I was pregnant. My feet get swollen to the point sometimes that I need to switch out shoes. I've had a couple of nosebleeds, and my heartburn is off the charts sometimes. I feel like I spend half my day going to the restroom, and Sparky seems to like tap dancing on my bladder. I won't even talk about my hormones and mood swings which are like a roller coaster. All of which, I've been assured by you and Bianca as well others is normal. And you know what? As long as Sparky stays as healthy as you say they are, I wouldn't change a single thing. It's all going to be worth it, all of it." Marissa smiled brightly.

Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss. Marissa really wasn't one to complain and had only shared her discomfort with her wife and her doctor, and even then, she kept the whining to a minimum.

"Don't get me wrong, Dr. Abbott. Some of that stuff really sucks, but I know there are others that have had worse pregnancies. So overall, it's been good, and I really can't complain too much." In the back of her mind, Marissa was thinking about her sister-in-law.

"Well, you're right. All of those symptoms are normal to a point. As long as they don't become excessive, you're good. And …"

"I'll let you know immediately if they do."

"Very good. Keep taking the antacids as you need them. They won't have an adverse interaction with your prenatal vitamins and will help with the heartburn. Nap when you can and wear more comfortable shoes like you did today to help with the swelling feet. Your blood pressure is normal and the swelling is slight so I'm not too concerned in it developing into something else. You've said before that you plan on reducing your work hours. When do you plan on doing that?"

"I was thinking in a couple of weeks. I just wrapped up my last trial, and I can now focus on turning things over to a lead on my team. I'm thinking about working from home more until I go on maternity leave as well. It's a little more comfortable for me."

"Whatever makes you the most comfortable, I say go for it."

"As for maternity leave, I'm hoping to work as long as I can so I take more time off after Sparky gets here. Bianca's going to be taking some time off as well."

"I think it's great if the other parent can time off time too. Marissa, you look like you have something you want to ask."

Marissa nodded and started playing with the rings on her left hand, her wedding and engagement rings. "I've noticed my rings are getting a little tighter. I don't want to take them off, but I _really_ don't want to have to cut them off if they get stuck." Marissa loved her engagement and wedding rings and hated the thought of anything happening to damage them. Yes, they were beautiful, but that wasn't the reason she loved them so much. She loved them because of what they represented, what they showed to the entire world. They represented the love and commitment she and Bianca had for and to each other.

"I understand. I get that question more than you would think. Take them off at night before you go to bed, and during the day, play with them like you are now. By doing that, you lower the risk of them getting stuck. If they start to feel uncomfortable, take them off."

"That sounds like good advice. Thank you. I know it's silly, but I don't want to stop wearing them if I don't have to. I like people knowing that I'm married and that it's to Bianca."

A bright smile spread across Bianca's face. "I like that too. You should have told me about it."

Marissa scowled slightly. "I know, but well, yeah, I should've."

Dr. Abbott chuckled at the couple. "You mentioned that you were going to be taking Lamaze classes, right?"

"Yes, we are. We start them tomorrow night actually."

"Good. I think you'll find they can be very helpful when the time comes for Sparky's arrival. Okay. Is there anything else?"

"No, I'm good. B?"

"Nope. Rissa and our little one are healthy so I'm good."

"Alright then, I'll see you in two weeks. Take care."

/

Bianca turned to her wife after she parked the car in the parking lot of Pine Valley Hospital. They were there for their first Lamaze class, and she could tell Marissa was nervous even though there was no reason to be. "You okay, Rissa?"

Marissa sighed. She knew she had been caught by her wife. "Yeah, I think so. I just want to do well."

"Rissa, you don't have to know everything right away. In fact, it's expected that you won't. That's kind of why we're taking the class."

The redhead rolled her eyes. "I know. I know. I just see it as a class, and I always want to do well in my classes no matter what they're for."

Bianca couldn't help but laugh at how adorable her wife was and how she was showing her competitive streak. "Don't worry. You'll do great."

"Well, I think I'll have the best coach there."

"And how can you know that?"

Marissa shrugged. "I know you, and let's face it. You're pretty amazing. Now, let's go. I can't wait to learn how to breathe."

Bianca laughed. "Well, let's go then because we definitely need to know that!"

/

After signing in and helping Marissa onto the floor, Bianca settled next to her. The couple glanced around the room and found five other couples in similar positions around the room. Nods and smiles were exchanged by all. A blonde woman in her late 40's stepped forward and started speaking.

"Good evening, everyone, and welcome. My name is Julianna, and I will be your instructor for these Lamaze classes. I always like to start these classes by getting to know all of you. So, let's start there."

After introductions were made, Julianna began speaking again. "It's nice to meet all of you. During the course of these classes, we will be discussing normal labor and birth, and we'll use videos of real births for that. Before anyone asks, yes, we will go over breathing techniques that you will be using during labor as well as techniques for relaxing and other strategies to help you handle the pain along with discussing medications that will help you with the pain such as epidurals. Your partner or coach will learn some tips and tricks to help you as well. Basically, I'm here to help you as much as I possibly can during this special time. If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask. Are we good so far?" Seeing everyone nod, she continued. "Alright, let's begin."

/

"Wow. That video was pretty graphic." Marissa stated as she put her seatbelt on after the class.

"Yeah, it was, but that is what's going to happen. You okay?"

"I think so. It was just a lot to see and take in. I do like Julianna though."

"I do too. You were just taking it all in, weren't you? That's why you didn't ask any questions."

"Yeah, I was. I wanted to absorb everything and get the lay of the land so to be speak. I'm sure I'll have some questions for our next class, after I have some time to mull things over and read some of the materials she gave us."

"That's what I thought."

Marissa tilted her head and smiled. "Hmmm, you did, huh? One might think you know me pretty well. Some might even say _intimately_."

"Well, I must say that knowing you _intimately_ is definitely one of my favorite things and something I enjoy immensely."

"Oh, that makes two of us." Marissa leaned back in her seat and yawned. It had been a long day.

Bianca saw the yawn as she checked the time and started up the car. "It's getting late. Let's go home, tuck the kids in and make it an early night."

/

"You're right, Rissa. This is pretty interesting." Bianca was in bed reading some of the materials they had gotten from their Lamaze class the night before. Her wife had looked over them earlier that day, and this was the brunette's first chance to read them. She was finding that a couple of things had changed since she had had Gabby.

Marissa entered the bedroom after finishing up in the couple's bathroom. She found her wife propped up in bed with glasses perched on her nose while she read. Bianca always managed to take her breath away no matter what she was doing or what she was wearing. She was innately beautiful, and Marissa knew exactly why. Her wife's outward beauty was a direct reflection of her inward beauty, and that is what captivated the redhead.

Bianca could feel her wife's gaze and raised her head to meet it. She recognized the look in darkening hazel eyes, and it caused her heart to skip a beat and her breath to catch.

Marissa crossed the room as she slipped her robe off revealing that the redhead was wearing nothing underneath. Bianca shuddered seeing her wife in all her glory and warm chocolate eyes darkened as they raked down the beauty before her. Marissa loved seeing the effect she had on her wife. She felt loved, wanted, adored and desired.

"See something you like, B?"

"Oh, not something that I simply like. I see something and someone I love with my whole heart." Bianca husked as she removed her glasses and set them on the nightstand.

"So do I. Have I told you lately just how beautiful you are and how much I love you?" Marissa asked as she drew closer.

Bianca felt herself getting lost in those hazel eyes she loved so much. "Not since this morning."

"Well then, let me rectify that because that's been way too long. You are beautiful. No, that doesn't sound quite right. That word doesn't quite do it, doesn't quite describe you because there simply are no words to describe your beauty. As for how much I love you, I love you with all of my heart and all of my soul, forevermore."

Bianca's breath caught as she pulled Marissa onto her lap. "Forevermore."

Marissa captured Bianca's lips for a searing kiss, pouring all of the love she had for her wife into it. Tongues were eagerly granted access and were soon engaged in a slow and loving duel. Bianca shoved the pamphlets she had been reading aside as Marissa's hands found themselves under the brunette's pajama top and yanked it off and flung it who knows where. Pajama bottoms soon joined their mate as lips meshed together again perfectly. The kiss intensified as they lost themselves in each other. Bianca slid down onto the bed, pulling a more than willing Marissa on top of her, melding their bodies together. Both women moaned at the contact. Marissa's lips began to roam and soon found Bianca's weak spot, and the brunette moaned loudly at the contact. The redhead smiled as she felt Bianca's hands gripping her back and pulling her closer yearning for more contact. Marissa's lips travelled to her wife's breasts where she began to feast on one causing Bianca to arch her back, straining and urging Marissa to take more. After completely ravishing the one, Marissa eagerly paid equal attention to the other before moving downward. Bianca whimpered at the loss for the briefest of moments before feeling soft lips continue their loving path further along her body causing her arousal to grow by the second.

"Please, Rissa. I … I need you. I … I need … need more. Please." The throbbing between her legs had Bianca urging her wife lower where she desperately needed her the most.

Marissa happily obliged and slid her tongue past soaked outer folds where she began her exquisite and loving torture of Bianca in earnest. The redhead ran her tongue up the full length of her wife's slit before taking the sensitive bundle of nerves into her mouth and sucking hard. The brunette jerked and bowed her back encouraging Marissa to take more, needing her to take more. Marissa teased more and released the now throbbing clit before she plunged her tongue into Bianca's core. Silken copper locks were pulled tighter as the brunette begged for more. Fingers replaced the redhead's tongue as she returned to claim her wife's lips. Bianca moaned as she tasted herself on Marissa's tongue. Marissa began to thrust and build a steady rhythm as Bianca ground down on the fingers working their magic. The redhead could feel her wife getting closer to climax as inner walls began to clench. Marissa curled her fingers and thrust again finding that magical spot repeatedly. Bianca chanted her name like a mantra as she let go. A wave of ecstasy crashed over the brunette, and Marissa helped her ride out her orgasm until Bianca went limp. Marissa gave her a loving kiss before pulling her into her arms and holding her. The redhead stared in awe as her wife came down from her orgasm. She loved the peaceful, sated look on Bianca's face and loved even more that she could show her love in such a tangible way and give her wife such pleasure.

As her breathing slowed, Bianca finally managed enough strength to open her eyes and found those hazel eyes gazing lovingly at her. "You've picked up my bad habit."

Marissa chuckled. "I guess I have. Can you blame me though? You're so beautiful that it makes it hard to breathe sometimes."

"Hmmm, I know exactly how you feel, and I've never felt so cherished and loved as I do when I'm with you."

"That's because you are."

Bianca beamed. "Speaking of being cherished and loved."

Marissa yelped as Bianca flipped positions ever so carefully. "Looks like someone's recovered."

"Most definitely! Now, it's my turn to show you how much I love you, how much I adore you and to hear you moan my name." Bianca grinned wickedly before crashing her lips into Marissa's as she lovingly caressed her wife's growing baby bump, smiling at the sounds she was eliciting from Marissa which spurred her on.

Sometime later, the couple lay sated with limbs entwined and blissful smiles on their faces as they drifted off to sleep.

/

"I don't see why you don't want to go out for dinner. Don't you want to get out of the house for just a little while, B?"

"Normally, I would, but I'm really wiped out. Staying home where it's warm and I can snuggle up with you in front of a nice fire sounds pretty darn perfect."

Bianca hoped Marissa would buy the little white lie. When she thought about it, technically, she wasn't lying. She would rather stay at home cuddled up with her wife especially when it was freezing outside, but Marissa was pushing to get out of the house for the evening. Bianca, however, needed her stay at home tonight because otherwise her surprise would be ruined. Jo, her mother Jessica, and Cory were on their way to the couple's home and should be arriving any minute to surprise Marissa by arriving early. The redhead was actually expecting them, at least just Jo and Cory, to get into town tomorrow for her baby shower, but after hearing Bianca's idea of coming in the night before to surprise her, all three jumped at the idea. They were all eager to spend time with Marissa again and to meet the couple's children, especially Jessica who was actually another part of the surprise. Marissa didn't think that Jessica would be able to make due to a prior commitment, at least that's what the redhead had been told. So, it was absolutely vital that the family not go out so they could welcome their guests.

"It means that much to you, huh?"

"Yeah, it really does."

Marissa looked at her wife. The redhead really wanted to get out while she was able to. She knew soon enough that once Sparky arrived that it wouldn't be as easy to go out and that she might not actually feel like it. Marissa also knew however that Bianca hardly ever asked for anything, and this really wasn't a big request in the grand scheme of things. Besides, she always had a hard time telling her wife 'no'.

"Alright, we'll order in and have it delivered."

Bianca smiled and rewarded the redhead with a quick kiss. "Thank you. I promise I'll make it up to you."

"I'm going to hold you to that. Can we at least get Chinese? I'm only asking for Sparky's sake." Marissa grinned.

The brunette rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, we can have Chinese, for Sparky."

"Thank you! I'll get the menu." Marissa pecked her wife on the lips and turned to the kitchen drawer where they kept their takeout menus.

There was a knock on the front door, and Bianca inwardly breathed a sigh of relief figuring it was probably their visitors. "And I'll get the door."

/

Bianca checked the viewer and quickly opened the door. The brunette lowered her voice as she greeted the three women. "Come on in. I'm so glad you could make it. You must be Jessica."

The older woman smiled and whispered. "I am. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bianca. How's Marissa?"

"She's good. She's in the kitchen and doesn't suspect anything."

As soon as those words left her lips, the redhead in question walked into the family room. "Who was at the door, B?" Hazel eyes grew wide with surprise and a wide grin quickly spread across her face. "Oh my god, what are you doing here? You're not supposed to get in until tomorrow." It was then she saw the older African-American woman. "Jessica?!"

"Come give me a hug, baby."

Marissa hurried forward and was soon engulfed in Jessica's embrace. "You said you couldn't make it."

"Well, it wouldn't be much of a surprise if I told you I was coming, would it? Now, let me have a look at you. Oh my, you are positively glowing. Happiness looks good on you."

"I am happy, and a very big reason for it is Bianca." Marissa held out her hand for her wife who stepped forward and happily took it. "Jessica Shelton, I would like to introduce the love of life and my wife, Bianca Tasker-Montgomery. B, this is Jessica who was pretty much a second Mom to me growing up."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mrs."

"I know you're not going to call me Mrs. Shelton." Jessica raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"Jessica, it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"And as I was saying earlier, you as well, Bianca."

Marissa simply smiled. "Retirement looks good on you although your daughter says you're busier than ever." The redhead turned to her friends and hugged each in turn. "Hey, Jo. Hey, Cory. I'm so glad you guys could make it."

"Are you kidding? We've all missed way too much of each other's lives over the years. There's not a chance in hell we would miss this." Jo smiled at her friend.

Cory nodded. "Jo's right. Besides, I'm getting a weekend away, and my guys get do some serious male bonding."

"Oh, speaking of kids."

Bianca started moving towards the stairs. "I'll get them. You all make yourselves comfortable."

"Let me take your coats, and if you want, we can get a fire started to help warm you up. I know it's freezing out there." Marissa joined her friends after hanging up their coats in the hall closet.

/

"I can't even begin to tell you how happy I am that you're all here tonight. Whose idea was it?"

Jo was the one to answer. "I'd like to take credit for it, but I can't. It was Bianca's. She thought it would be a nice surprise and give us the chance to catch up before the shower."

Marissa could only smile at her wife's thoughtfulness. "That definitely sounds like her. I told you I'm lucky."

"Don't jump down the stairs." Bianca's request fell on deaf ears as all three children jumped down the last two stairs. Miranda and AJ came to a sudden stop seeing the strangers while Gabby scrambled over to the safety of her redheaded mother. The smallest member of the Tasker-Montgomery family was still a little shy when meeting people for the first time.

"These are obviously our three well-behaved children who always listen to their mothers." Bianca smirked.

Three matching sheepish smiles were given in reply.

Marissa chuckled. "Obviously. Guys, I want you to meet some friends of mine from when I lived in Devon. This is Jessica, Jo and Cory. Jessica is Jo's Mom and was really good friends with my Mom and Dad. Ladies, this is Gabby, Miranda and AJ."

Shy hellos were given by the kids, and the women were instantly charmed.

"Ma?"

"Yes, Miranda."

"Jo and Cory are your friends from the reunion, right?"

"Yep, one and the same."

A big smile formed on the girl's face. "Thanks for sticking up for our Ma."

"How do you know about that?" Bianca asked.

"Aunt K and Aunt G! They were talking about it."

Bianca shook her head. "Of course they were."

A snort escaped from Marissa. "Are you really surprised, B?" The redhead turned to their guests. "We were going to order dinner in. I had wanted to go out, but _somebody_ thought it would be better if we stayed in. Now, I know why. Have the three of you eaten yet?"

"No, we haven't. We were going to see if you wanted to go out. Ordering in is even better. It gives us more of a chance to talk. Did you have something particular in mind because I could go for anything?" Cory asked.

"How does Chinese sound? There's a really good place that delivers."

"Sounds perfect." Jo added.

While Marissa gathered everyone's orders, Bianca went to the kitchen and got them something to drink. With their orders placed, Marissa got down to the next subject on her mind.

"Where are you staying? I was thinking it would be great if you stayed …"

Bianca smiled as she rejoined the group. "Here. They're staying here. There was no way I was going to have them stay anywhere else. I made up the guest rooms the other day. I'm guessing your bags are still in the car."

"Yes, they are. Cory, you want to help me bring them in? Mom, you stay here."

The friends retrieved their coats before heading out to the car.

Marissa smiled brightly at her wife. "You know, you really are the best, even when you're being sneaky."

"Anything for you."

"Hey, Rissa. What's _Minx Manor_?" Jo asked as she and Cory returned from the car. She had spotted the sign that hung in the home's foyer.

Marissa snorted as Bianca rolled her eyes. "It's the name given to this place by Greenlee who is part of the Dynamic Duo."

"Where did _Minx_ come from?"

"It's the Moms' ship name. Aunt G gave it to them." AJ grinned remembering that day at the zoo and how the Dynamic Duo took on whatsherface.

"That's your sister's best friend and business partner, right?" Cory asked.

"Yeah, that's her. That reminds me. How about a tour while we're waiting for dinner to get here?"

"I would love one." Jessica wanted to see the home her friends' daughter had made for herself.

Bianca turned to the kids. "Don't worry. You don't have to go." The brunette chuckled seeing their relief.

With that, the women set off.

/

"You have a lovely home. The kids' rooms are adorable. They really helped design them?" Jessica asked as they returned to the family room where the kids were watching TV.

Marissa smiled proudly. "Yep, they really did. They had definite ideas of what they wanted their rooms to look like so we told our decorator, and she ran with it."

"Sparky's room is gonna be really cool. It's gonna be like the ocean with characters from 'Finding Nemo'." AJ volunteered.

"We helped pick it out. Our Moms are gonna get started on it next week." Miranda grinned.

Gabby jumped in, her bout of shyness long gone. "Uh huh! It's gonna have Dory and Nemo and Marlin and Crush and Squirt and even Bruce. 'Fish are friends, not food!' Mrs. Shelton?"

"You and your brother and sister can call me Jessica."

Gabby beamed. "Jessica, you know what Dory says?"

"What does she say?"

"Just keep swimming, just keep swimming."

Jessica laughed, and just like that, Gabby had another fan.

/

After dinner, everyone settled back in the family room with a roaring fire in the fireplace. Gabby entertained their guests with jokes, and Miranda and AJ peppered them with questions about Marissa and what she was like when she was younger. They loved the stories that Jessica, Jo and Cory shared of Marissa's early days as did Bianca, and the women made sure they held back on the more embarrassing ones, at least until the kids were in bed.

Sometime later, eyes began to droop and yawns became more apparent.

"It's time for bed, guys." Marissa smiled softly.

"But I'm not tired, and I want to hear more stories." Miranda protested mildly.

"I beg to differ on you not being tired because those droopy eyes and big yawns say otherwise. Plus, it's already well past your bedtime."

"Your Ma's right. Besides, they'll be here tomorrow so they can tell you more stories then. Come on. Let's get you all in bed. You can get your baths tomorrow."

Marissa stood and turned to her friends. "We'll be back. Please make yourselves at home."

Goodnights were exchanged and children herded upstairs with their mothers following behind. Jessica walked over to the fireplace and studied the pictures on the mantel. She smiled and picked up a small frame.

"What is it, Mom?"

"I'm guessing it's Sparky." The older woman was joined by Cory and Jo who gazed at the framed ultrasound of the couple's little one.

"Well to be fair, Sparky does deserve to have a picture here too." Jo grinned. "They seem really happy."

"Yes they do, and they're very good mothers not that I'm surprised knowing Marissa like we do and what we know about Bianca."

"What do you know about my wife?"

"That's she's caring and kind."

"Oh, that she definitely is, Jessica. She's that and so much more. She even is putting the girls to bed. I just had to take care of AJ, and he's much easier to deal with than Gabby who can put up a good fight when she's fighting sleep."

"Don't be talking about that little angel that way." Jessica scolded playfully.

Marissa laughed. "I see our youngest has you wrapped around her little finger. That didn't take long. I need to let Max out, and then, I was going to make some hot chocolate. Any takers?"

Jo and Cory perked up.

"Please tell me it's like your Mom used to make?" Cory practically begged.

The redhead grinned. "Of course it is. Would you expect anything else?"

Cory and Jo high-fived each other. "Yes!"

"Give me a few minutes then." Marissa smiled as she left the room.

/

When Bianca returned downstairs, she went to the kitchen to help her wife. Before heading back to the family room, the brunette stopped Marissa. "Are you sure you want to do this, Rissa?"

"It's not that I really _want_ to, but I think I _have_ to. You know as well as I do that it could very well be tense tomorrow between your Mom and Krystal. Those are some extremely perceptive women in there. They'll pick up on that, and if anything happens like what happened at Thanksgiving the other year, I really don't want them to be blindsided. Plus, I know Jessica, and she is very protective of those she loves."

"And she loves you. Not only are you the daughter of her good friends along with being her daughter's best friend, she also sees you as a second daughter. You're afraid that …"

"I don't want her to do anything rash that she might regret later, and I don't want her weekend ruined. Plus, I do owe her some answers. I know my Mom and Dad kept some of this from her, and they had their reasons for doing so at the time. Because of everything she's done for me in the past, Jessica deserves to know why, and Mom and Dad would be okay with telling her now."

"Okay, as long as you're sure. That's all I wanted to know."

"I am, and I'm okay with Cory and Jo knowing. I trust them and know they won't tell anyone."

"Then, I trust them too." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss before picking up the tray holding their drinks and walking into the family room.

Marissa opened up the back door, and Max trotted inside and headed straight to the door leading into the family room before having a seat and glancing back at her. "Alright, I know. I'll be right there." The redhead chuckled and locked the back door. She then met Max who was wagging his tail. "Let's go."

/

Max headed over to his spot by the fireplace where a nice fire was still blazing. Marissa settled next to Bianca who handed her wife a mug.

"This is so good, Marissa. You really need to give me the recipe. You're depriving my son of enjoying this awesomeness if you don't." Cory stated hopefully.

Marissa shook her head. "I'll think about it but no promises."

Jo studied the redhead. She knew her friend well enough to know that something was going on in that brain of hers. "What's on your mind, Marissa?"

"I never really could hide anything from you, Jo. Okay. I need to tell you all a few things before the shower. First, I want to tell you about some of the people you'll be meeting, who they are and how they're connected to us. I think it will be helpful for you." Marissa paused because the next two topics were not going to be easy. "There's more to what you should know. Okay, you know how people are in general. They get relaxed, have a couple of drinks and not thinking, bring up a subject they probably shouldn't."

"Any subject in particular?" Cory asked.

"My ex-husband, affectionately known by Bianca and myself as Dipshit."

"Among other things. That's just the nicest thing we call him." Bianca muttered.

Marissa chuckled. "She's right. It is. You're also going to meet Bianca's Mom. She and someone else that will be there do not get along. Well, they kind of, sort of try. I think it's a little better, but to be honest, it could change at the drop of a hat. Also, I really give Erica credit for even trying."

This had Jessica's attention and had her wondering why this other person would even be invited. "Who is it, and if I could ask, why are they coming if it could cause a problem?"

"Well for starters, it's my birth mother, and there are some things I really should tell you about her."

**/**

**A/N: I don't own 'Finding Nemo'. If I did, things would be a lot different in my life! I'm just borrowing a couple of lines from the movie. Next up, the baby shower where are visitors from Devon meet the Dynamic Duo, Erica and other residents of Pine Valley! See you soon!**


	165. Nature vs Nurture

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

This had Jessica's attention and had her wondering why this other person would even be invited. "Who is it, and if I could ask, why are they coming if it could cause a problem?"

"Well for starters, it's my birth mother, and there are some things I really should tell you about her." Marissa paused as she tried to determine the best place to start. "I guess the best place to begin is with Bianca's family. As you know, her Mom is Erica Kane. She's definitely formidable, and you wouldn't want to be on her bad side. I've been lucky in that I haven't had any problems with her. I respect her, and quite honestly, like her. We both want the same thing, and that's for Bianca to be happy."

"I am, and Mom knows it. She likes and respects you too. Now, she'll deny this part if anyone was to ever ask, but Mom likes that you stand up to her, that you don't back down from something you believe in, that you've gone to great lengths to protect me and our family." Bianca knew that not many people had the courage and inner strength to do that around her Mom.

"She's definitely been there for me and has been nothing but supportive of me and of our relationship. Now, Erica is engaged to Jack Montgomery. He's a partner at my firm and Bianca's uncle, her Dad's brother."

The three women looked a little confused.

Bianca chuckled. "Yeah, I know. It's complicated and would take way too long to explain. Mom and Uncle Jack love each other very much and are happy. Whether they ever actually get married this time is anyone's guess though. It really doesn't matter. Their relationship works for them."

"Yeah, it really does. Bianca's sister is Kendall, and she's married to Zach. He's a good guy, tough yet caring. She has two sons, Spike and Ian. I don't whether or not you'll see them tomorrow, but in case you do, Spike has a cochlear implant. Kendall is also expecting."

"Even though she's throwing the shower along with Greenlee and it's at her and Zach's home, you won't see her doing a whole lot, at least you better not. Kendall had a heart transplant a few years ago."

"So, she has to take it easy." Cory put the pieces together easily enough.

"Exactly. Now, Greenlee is Kendall's business partner, best friend and frequent partner in crime. She's also Jack's daughter. Greenlee's married to Ryan, and they have a daughter named Emma. Ryan is also Spike's biological father." Marissa explained.

"So that makes Greenlee Bianca's cousin and if their parents ever get married, her step-sister, and she's also Kendall's son's step-mother? I think I need a flowchart or something." Jo shook her head trying to make sense of the various connections.

Marissa laughed. "Oh, Jo, if you think you're confused now, just wait. I think you're going to like Kendall and Greenlee. They're obviously smart given the success of Fusion and have a wicked sense of humor. They have also been there for us too many times to count."

"Yeah, if wasn't for them not minding their own business, Rissa and I might still be denying how we feel about each other. They did butt in though, and now, we're married with a baby on the way."

"Ain't that the truth. Like I said, you may or may not see their kids tomorrow. Zach and Ryan, along with a couple of other guys, are going to watch the kids, including our three, during the shower. This brings us to my biological connections here. First and foremost, I still consider Roy and Lydia Tasker to be my parents. They are my Mom and Dad and always will be. Period. They raised me and helped make me the person I am today. They taught me right from wrong and showed me what love was. That being said when I moved to Pine Valley, I met my birth parents, Krystal Carey and David Hayward."

"Hayward. Dr. David Hayward?" Jo asked. Even though she was a psychologist, she was friends with many medical doctors. As such, she was fairly familiar with happenings in that community. That name in particular had come up a few times recently, and it wasn't positive or flattering.

"That would be him. You've heard of him then?"

"Yeah, he has quite the reputation."

Marissa chuckled. "You're being nice, but trust me, I'm well aware of his reputation. When Krystal found out she was pregnant, David was no longer in the picture. It turns out that I'm twin, fraternal twin. Krystal had two girls, me and my sister. Her name was Arabella, but everyone around here called her Babe."

"Was?" Jessica noticed the past tense used.

"Yes, she died during the tornado that came through here a few years ago. I never had a chance to meet her. She was raised by Krystal."

The couple could see the other women attempting to process this information and them trying to reach the correct conclusion.

Bianca squeezed her wife's hand knowing this next part was the toughest and hurt her the most.

Taking a deep breath, Marissa continued. "Yes, you would be correct. Krystal kept her, and I was adopted by my Mom and Dad. She found she couldn't take care of two babies and knew how much my parents wanted a child, but they couldn't have one of their own. So, Krystal reached out to them and offered to … sell me to them."

"She what?!" Jessica had to struggle to keep her temper in check. She wanted to do nothing more than rail about this, but caught herself. The last thing she wanted to do was wake up the children. "Your parents never said a word."

"Well, in their defense, it's definitely not the easiest topic to bring up. I just think of how much they had to have struggled with it. There was no way I can see them ever telling me the ugly details. I mean, how do you tell someone that your mother didn't want you enough to keep you but sold you instead so she could keep your sister? There is no easy way to sugarcoat that."

"I'm sorry. I didn't …"

Marissa shook her head and smiled sadly. "I know you didn't mean anything, Jessica. You were a good friend to Mom and Dad, and I know this is a pretty big shock."

"Yes, it is, but it speaks volumes about Roy and Lydia. They loved you so much. You were their world, and they obviously didn't regret what they did. They chose you because they wanted you. You were their daughter, plain and simple. Knowing them and how much they loved you, they would do the same thing over and over again. You were worth every sacrifice they had to make, not that they would ever consider anything they did for you a sacrifice. Nothing was when it came to you."

"No, they wouldn't. Even though I still struggle with what happened, I know that being adopted by my Mom and Dad was the best possible thing to happen to me. Like I said before, they helped make me who I am. My morals and ethics came from them. I never wanted for anything, and I never once doubted their love for me. I was lucky to have them, and I know it."

"They would be so proud of you, the woman you've become, the life you've built. It's easy to see that you've built a wonderful life here. You have a wonderful wife and three pretty adorable children. Sparky is going to be so lucky to have you as a mother, both of you as mothers. You're great parents, just like Roy and Lydia."

"Thank you, Jessica. That means a great deal to me. I obviously never met Rissa's parents, but knowing her like I do, I feel like I know them somewhat."

"I really wish you could have met them, B. Speaking of the kids, AJ, as you know, is my son through adoption. His father is my ex-husband. He's not made it easy and has tried repeatedly to take AJ away. He likes to throw the fact that I'm not AJ's birth mother in my face."

"That's not something that would matter the least bit to you of all people." Cory noted.

"You're right. The thing is, I do have a biological connection to AJ. I'm his aunt. It turns out that my sister was AJ's mother, and she was married to JR."

"Say what?"

"Excuse me?"

"You have got to be kidding me."

"No, I'm not. No matter how bad the marriage was at the end or whatever awful things JR tries, I can't regret any of that because it gave me AJ, and he is such a great kid and a true joy. I can't imagine my life without him. I love AJ as if he were my own and so does Bianca. If we have to keep dealing with JR, so be it. AJ is worth the fight."

"Your ex is causing that many problems?" Jo asked.

"Yes, he is. His latest stunt has gotten him six months in jail for custodial interference, and after he's completed that, it's back to court ordered rehab. Plus, he has a restraining order in place regarding AJ."

"Rehab?"

"He's an alcoholic, and a pretty ugly one at that."

"How are your relationships with your birth parents then? I'm assuming there is contact of some sort because of them being AJ's grandparents." Jessica observed.

"Yes, there's more interaction with Krystal than with David, and there are reasons for that. But we're trying for AJ. Also, Bianca has asked me to try, particularly with Krystal. She has been very supportive and accepting of my relationship with Bianca, and before you ask, Jessica, Bianca only asked me to try. She didn't want me to become consumed with negative feelings over the past and wants me to focus on forgiveness if I feel like I can. What you should know about my wife is that she is the most forgiving person you will ever know. If she can forgive those people who caused her immeasurable pain, then I can work on it for what I went through." Marissa wasn't going to offer any details on what Bianca had gone through at the hands of her biological family. For one, it wasn't her story to tell, and for another, she would never have Bianca tell it to people she wasn't familiar with. While Marissa knew the three women before them extremely well, Bianca didn't so imparting such a personal story would not be something she would understandably be comfortable with.

Jo, Jessica and Cory knew Marissa well enough to know she wasn't telling them everything and that she had a very good reason for it.

"So Krystal and Erica?" Cory ventured.

That had the couple smile.

"Like Rissa said earlier, it all depends on their moods. I have a feeling they'll play nice for the most part since they'll be others around outside the family. There's no guarantee on that though. At the very least, expect some snarky comments."

"They can be both awkward and entertaining. Greenlee and Kendall said they would try and keep an eye on them to make sure they behave themselves. They could have their hands full." Marissa smirked.

"Anyone else we should know about there?"

"Hmmm, I think everyone else is almost boring. B?"

Bianca grinned. "Compared to them, who wouldn't be? Let's see. Who else will be there?"

The conversation continued on into the night with the couple telling them about the others that would be there and fielding questions from Jo, Jessica and Cory. This included more detail being given about JR and all of the stunts he tried. Needless to say, it was a good thing he was locked up and not anywhere that Jessica could reach him.

/

Bianca woke up early the next morning to find Marissa snuggled against her. The brunette had gone to bed a little earlier than her wife giving her the chance to have alone time with her friends. Bianca was half asleep by the time the redhead had come to bed and quickly drifted off once Marissa slid under the covers and draped an arm over Bianca. After watching her wife for a few moments, Bianca placed a soft kiss on her forehead before quietly getting out of bed, being careful not to wake Marissa. The brunette slipped on her robe and slippers and padded down the hallway towards the kitchen to start on breakfast.

While the coffee was brewing, Bianca pulled out ingredients for breakfast. Pancakes were a weekend breakfast staple in the Tasker-Montgomery household, and their guests, when informed of this by the youngest members of the family, were more than happy to partake in this tradition.

"Good morning, Bianca."

The brunette turned to the voice entering the room and smiled. "Good morning, Jessica. Did you sleep well? I hope I didn't wake you."

"I slept surprisingly well for being away from home, and don't worry. You didn't wake me. I tend to get up early when I'm not home. I've always been that way. My daughter, on the other hand, can sleep like the dead."

"I've got three upstairs like that. Would you like some coffee, tea, orange juice?"

"Coffee would be wonderful."

"Coming up." By the time Bianca had gathered mugs, milk and sugar, the coffee was ready. She poured them each a mug, and afterwards, each fixed their drinks the way they desired. They took an appreciative sip and sighed.

"Thank you. This is very good. Where's Marissa?"

"She's still sleeping. The further along she gets, the harder it is for her to get comfortable. When she finally does especially when it's the weekend, I don't have the heart to wake her and just let her sleep as long as she can."

"Oh, I can remember that, even after all these years. Is there anything I can do to help?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, I've got it. Besides, you're a guest. Please have a seat and keep me company, or you can ask some of the questions I know you want to."

Jessica laughed. "Am I that obvious?"

"Eh, your daughter had the same look in her eyes when we were alone at the reunion. Guess I know where she got it from." Bianca added with a smile.

"I hope she didn't …"

Bianca held up a hand. "I wasn't offended. It was quite the opposite actually. It showed me how much she cares about Rissa, and I can't even begin to tell you how much that means to me. The same applies to you. I can see how happy she is to have you both back in her life, Cory as well. Feel free to ask away."

"Thank you. How is she, really? Her life seems to have changed so much since she moved here, and some of those changes, like finding out about her biological family, are huge to say the least."

"I'll admit it was a little rough for her at first. How could it not be? But she's so damn strong and has such a beautiful heart and soul." Bianca smiled softly like she always did when talking about her wife. "Rissa doesn't give herself enough credit for that."

"That sounds exactly like Roy and Lydia. They had the biggest hearts and were there for me when I needed them the most. Jo told me she told you about my husband."

"She did, and I'm so sorry you both had to go through that."

"Thank you. I think that's why I felt so drawn to the Center." Jessica grew serious. "I should have been there more for her."

"She understands, trust me. The reason you lost touch? It's not all on you. Life got in the way. It happens. The important thing is that you've all found each other again, and I don't see any of you letting each other go a second time. Those are Rissa's words, not mine, but I completely agree with them."

"I agree as well, 100%. Now, we've added more members to our extended family." Jessica raised her mug.

Bianca smiled and touched her mug to Jessica's. "Yes, we have."

"So, her ex sounds like a real piece of work."

"JR? Oh yeah, he definitely is. We go way back and were even friends at one point. He's changed over the years and not for the better. When they were together, he hurt Rissa by lying, cheating, destroying her trust. She made it through though, stronger than ever."

"I have the distinct impression he hasn't done that again on your watch."

"There's not a chance in hell that he will either."

Jessica noted the steely resolve in Bianca's eyes and could tell she meant every word. She knew she could trust this woman to take care of Marissa. "Thank you."

"For what?" Bianca was confused.

"For being there for Marissa, taking care of her, loving her, giving her a home and a family."

Bianca smiled. "She's done exactly the same thing for me. Before we became involved romantically, she was my lawyer and handled my divorce."

"Jo mentioned that."

"Rissa kept my ex-wife from taking the girls on more than one occasion. I tell you, she is something to see in action."

"She's good?"

"She's kickass." Bianca grinned. "She fights tooth and nail for her clients. I can't tell you how many people she's helped."

"I'm not surprised."

"And just so you know, I'm not the only one watching out for her. She has my Mom, sister, brother-in-law, Greenlee and a lot of friends as well as Caleb."

"Who's Caleb?"

"He's one of the other partners at the firm. He kind of took her under his wing and served as a mentor to her and almost like a father figure to her. He adores her. Caleb's also her primary counsel when it comes to dealing with her ex. He loathes JR and really enjoys sticking it to him and making him pay dearly for any trouble he gives her."

"You don't say? I just might have to meet him."

"Meet who?" Marissa padded over to Bianca and gave her a quick kiss. "Morning, beautiful."

Bianca smiled. "Morning. I was just telling Jessica about Caleb."

"Morning, Jessica."

"Morning, Marissa. Bianca was saying this Caleb likes to torment your ex-husband."

Marissa chuckled. "He does. He really does, and he's very good at it. I think you'd like him." Marissa looked around. "I see Jo and Cory are still asleep."

Bianca handed her wife a mug filled with coffee just the way she liked it. "Here you go."

After giving her wife another quick kiss, Marissa took a sip and sighed happily. "Thank you. I'll start on the bacon."

Jessica watched as the couple worked together in what was a well-choreographed dance between them and smiled. They really fit well together.

"So, Jessica, how do you like working at the Center?"

"I love it. The staff there is wonderful, and I really feel like I'm making a difference."

"Well, I can tell you that I hear nothing but good things about you. The office manager told me about your outreach idea, and I love it. If you're up for it, I'd like you to speak with Aya Kostas and Jan Calipari about it sometime. Oh, Jan is my assistant, and Aya is the office manager here."

Jessica was speechless for a moment. She honestly hadn't expected anything like this when she presented her idea to the New York branch's office manager. "I would be happy and honored to."

/

"So this is where the party is, and it smells great in here." Jo stretched before kissing her mother on the cheek. "Morning, Mom. Morning, Marissa, Bianca."

"Good morning, baby. Let me get you some coffee."

"I'll get it, Mom. You sit."

"You both sit. You're guests. I'll get it. Morning, Jo. Sleep okay?" Marissa washed her hands quickly and filled a mug for her friend.

"I did. Thanks."

"Morning, Jo. Is Cory still asleep?" Bianca asked as she pulled out the griddle. The two friends had shared the guest room with the two twin beds, insisting Jessica take the bedroom with the larger bed.

"No, she's up and talking to Chris and Matt. Chris could only hold off Matt so long from needing to talk to his mom." The doctor took a sip of coffee and sighed. "Thanks. I needed this. So, what have I missed?"

"Bianca was just telling your mom how impressed she was with her outreach idea. I heard the idea, and if you want my opinion, she's right. It's a pretty awesome one and will help a lot of people."

Jo smiled proudly at her mother. "You won't get any argument from me. Mom is pretty awesome." Jo then sat back and listened to the others talk. The psychologist in her couldn't help but study her friend. After going to bed last night, she stayed awake for a little while thinking about what was and wasn't said by Marissa regarding her biological family. Jo couldn't shake the feeling that they had done something to hurt Bianca and hurt her badly. What it was, she didn't know and doubted that she ever would, but it was the only thing she could think of that could cause, for lack of a better description, the controlled fury in Marissa's eyes last night when she mentioned how forgiving her wife was to some that had caused her immeasurable pain. Jo knew her friend and her parents. She knew how her friend was brought up, the values that were instilled in her and the importance of forgiveness. Whatever was done to Bianca had to have been unspeakable for Marissa to react that way. Jo knew her friend well enough to know that she would never do something like whatever they had done. In her mind, Jo believed her friend to be a true example of nurture over nature. The love, guidance and nurturing she had received from the Taskers clearly overrode the nature of her biological family. If it hadn't, she wouldn't have the family she had now, the family she deserved.

"More coffee, Jo?"

The doctor snapped back to the present and saw Marissa smiling knowingly at her. Jo knew she had been caught analyzing. "Uh, yes please."

/

After breakfast, everyone dressed warmly, and the guests were given a tour of the outside of Minx Manor which included a short hike to the pond that had been led by AJ, Miranda, Gabby and Max. They returned to the house to warm up and relax before heading over to Kendall's for the shower later that afternoon. Kendall and Greenlee had asked the couple if they wouldn't mind coming over a little early with Marissa's friends so they could meet Jo, Jessica and Cory before everyone else got there. The out-of-town guests were equally intrigued by the prospect of meeting the 'Dynamic Duo' and readily agreed.

The adults were settled and chatting in the family room when there was a knock at the front door. Bianca walked over to it, smiled when she saw who it was and greeted them.

"Hi, Scott."

"Hi, Bianca. Are the kids ready to go?"

"Oh, they're more than ready. The real question is are you ready?"

"Yeah, I think so. I'm looking at this as practice." Scott stopped when he saw Marissa. "Wow. You look great and really are glowing."

Marissa smiled and hugged her friend. "You're sweet and maybe a little full of it."

"I'm being serious."

"Thank you. So, practice huh? Does that mean that you and Madison have had the 'family' talk?"

Scott grinned. "Yes, we have, but it's still early."

Bianca hugged him. "Scott, that's great! We're happy for you."

"She's right. Good for you. Oh, you're making me forget my manners. I'd like you to meet some very good friends of mine from my days before Pine Valley. Dr. Jo Shelton, Jessica Shelton and Cory Jacobs, this is Scott Chandler."

"Hello, ladies. It's a pleasure to meet you. Marissa's talked about all of you since she got back from the reunion." Scott noted their expressions upon hearing his last name. "I can tell you've been brought up to speed on my cousin."

Jessica nodded. "It's nice to meet you as well, and yes, we've heard a few things."

"Scott is nothing like JR and is a very good friend. His father Stuart is the sweetest soul you will ever meet."

"I may be biased, Marissa, but I couldn't agree with you more about my dad. He's the Chandler I strive to be like."

"You're doing a good job on that." Marissa cleared her throat and decided to change the subject seeing Scott's eyes begin to glisten. "So, I can't believe Zach and Ryan roped you into helping them today."

Scott took a breath, grateful for what Marissa was doing. "I think it will be a blast."

Bianca chuckled and patted his arm. "Keep telling yourself that while you're running around the Fun Zone and wrangling kids."

Marissa grinned. "My money is on the kids outlasting all of you. I think you're going to sleep good tonight. I'll go get our minions. They had a very good night's sleep and are anxious to get going. There's so much to see and do there, and they've said they want to do it all."

"You want to hand me your keys? I'll put Gabby's booster seat in your car." Bianca added, unable to hide her smile thinking about what Scott was in for that day.

Doing as asked, Scott watched as the couple set out on their tasks. He turned to the other women. "They're pulling my leg, right?"

Cory laughed. "I don't think so. Sorry."

"Scott!"

AJ bounded down the stairs and raced over to his cousin where they exchanged high-fives. "We can play laser tag, right?"

"Of course!"

"Cool! AJ and I are going to be a team." Miranda's smile had a distinctive Kane woman quality to it that had Scott raise an eyebrow.

"I wanna do the castle though. I had fun in there with Ian before."

"But laser tag is cooler. The castle is for …"

"AJ."

The boy stopped and gave his redheaded mother a sheepish smile. They both knew he was going to say it was for little kids. He didn't mean anything bad by it, but as soon as his Ma stopped him, he knew Gabby would be hurt by it because she didn't see herself that way. Gabby had been there for him during the latest incident involving his dad too. He wouldn't hurt her on purpose for the world. "It's more for you because I bump my head in there."

Marissa winked at her son and mouthed 'thank you' and AJ beamed.

"Oh, you better not go in there then. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Well, maybe I can try it for a few minutes. I'll just be real careful."

Gabby smiled brightly in return. "Okay!"

Bianca had caught enough of the exchange to get a pretty good idea of what was going on and shared a proud smile with Marissa. "Alright, the seat is in and is secure. Have a good time and try not to wear the guys out too much."

The kids giggled in response and hugs were then shared. Miranda hugged Bianca last.

"Don't worry, Mom, I'll keep an eye on them for you and Ma."

"No, we want you have fun. That's the only job you have today. Scott will watch them. You enjoy yourself and kick butt in laser tag."

Miranda grinned widely. She couldn't help but try and be the responsible one. Her mothers never asked her to do that. They wanted her to have fun and be a kid, telling her that growing up would come soon enough. "Okay, I will! Love you! Love you, Ma!"

"Love you too."

Scott looked at the couple. "I'll take good care of them."

"Thanks, Scott, and good luck."

After they left and Max was settled, the women left for Kendall's.

/

Greenlee opened the door with a huge smile on her face and called to her friend over her shoulder. "Our guests of honor are here, Kendall." She turned back to the arrivals. "Come on in and get warm."

Bianca, Marissa and the others handed a waiting Greenlee their coats who went to stash them in a spare bedroom.

Kendall appeared, happy to see the others. "Binx." She hugged her sister and then Marissa. "Red, feeling okay?"

"Not bad. What about you, Curly?"

"A little tired but good overall. And don't worry, Binx, I haven't been overdoing anything. You can ask Greenlee."

"Ask me what?"

"That my sister has been behaving herself."

"She has been. I promise."

"Good."

"Cory, Jo, Jessica, I give you the Dynamic Duo of Kendall Slater and Greenlee Lavery."

"Please have a seat. It's nice to finally meet you. Greenlee and I have been looking forward to it."

"Yes, we have. Now, what can you tell us about Rocky that will embarrass her?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long day, not that she was surprised one bit.


	166. Sparky's Shower - Part I

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following as always! It's appreciated. This is a shorter chapter. My writing time was cut into by a hellacious week at work coupled with an oh so lovely migraine. I wanted to add more to it, but if I did, I wouldn't be posting today. Those ideas will just have to go into the next chapter. We're picking up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Cory, Jo, Jessica, I give you the Dynamic Duo of Kendall Slater and Greenlee Lavery."

"Please have a seat. It's nice to finally meet you. Greenlee and I have really been looking forward to it."

"Yes, we have. Now, what can you tell us about Rocky that will embarrass her?"

Marissa rolled her eyes. This was going to be a long day, not that she was surprised one bit.

"Could they at least get something to drink, Greenlee?" Bianca sighed.

"I'm sorry. I forgot my manners. I was just so excited to get some dirt on Rocky. What would you like? We have pretty much everything."

"Some wine sounds lovely." Jo answered with her mother and Cory agreeing.

"Coming right up. Kendall?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

"What about you two?" Greenlee addressed Bianca and Marissa.

"You're going to have your hands full so I'll help." Bianca offered. "What would you like, Rissa?"

"How about some Sprite?" Marissa needed something carbonated but was going to stay away from the caffeine.

Bianca nodded, and while Greenlee got the out-of-town guests their drinks, Bianca got something for her and Marissa.

They rejoined the others to find Marissa looking around the room.

"The decorations are lovely. I see that you went for the more neutral baby colors." Marissa noted the colors of green, yellow and purple of the balloons and the various other decorations tastefully placed throughout the room.

"Considering that we don't know if Sparky is a boy or a girl, we decided it was best to opt for the gender neutral colors." Kendall volunteered.

"Are you going to find out the gender?" Marissa asked her sister-in-law.

"I think so. Zach and I have talked about it and think we would like to know in advance. Of course, that could change, but I don't think it will."

"Marissa and Bianca told us you were expecting. Congratulations!" Cory smiled.

"Thank you. This pregnancy is unexpected but definitely welcomed. How did the surprise go last night?"

Jo smiled. "Marissa was surprised to see Cory and me show up but Mom really got her."

"I have to give it to you, Jessica. That was sneaky. When Bianca told Kendall and me what you were planning, I have to tell you that we were impressed."

"Your reputation precedes you, Greenlee, and you also, Kendall. Bianca and Marissa told us some of the things you've done for them. So coming from you, I will take that as high praise."

Greenlee grinned. "I like you. We're going to get along really well. I can just tell it."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "What do you think of my nieces and nephew?"

"They are adorable. Gabby kept us entertained with all of her jokes."

"Sounds like you've got her seal of approval then if she was telling you jokes. It takes her a little while to warm up to people sometimes. It sounds like that wasn't a problem at all with the three of you though."

"She actually gave me some new material to try out on my son and students." Cory chuckled.

"It will be an improvement over your jokes." Jo smirked and ducked her friend's swat. "I noticed a couple of things about the older two. I felt like I was facing an interrogation by Miranda. She wasn't asking simple 'yes and no' questions. They were detailed. She's been hanging around this one too much, hasn't she?" Jo pointed to Marissa who simply grinned.

Bianca chuckled. "Yes, she's told us that she wants to be a lawyer like Rissa when she gets older. She's loves going into work with her Ma."

"They love it when she comes in. She's smart as all get out and just soaks everything up like a sponge. They know they can't get anything by her, and she's asked some questions that had them stop in their tracks and do some research. If being a lawyer is what she wants to do, I have no doubt that she'll be a good one." Marissa added proudly.

"AJ likes designing and building things, doesn't he? This morning when we were on our hike, he was telling us about plans for a clubhouse down by the pond."

Marissa smiled. "Yes, he has big plans for that come spring. And you're right, he loves all of that."

"He's very talented and has a good eye. He wants to do something with architecture when he gets older. AJ has no interest in business. I think he's gotten a glimpse of how toxic it's been for his father's side of the family and wants no part of it."

"He's told Bianca and me that he wants to change his name. He doesn't want to be a Chandler anymore."

"What?! When did he say that?" Kendall asked.

"A couple of weeks ago, after JR's latest stunt. Sorry, it's been busy lately, and we just didn't have the chance to tell you until now."

"Wow. I understand. What did you say? I mean, you had to be surprised."

"We were. We told him that we believed it would be a good idea if he took some time and thought about it. We would support him no matter what he decided though, but he really needed to think about it. It's a big decision and shouldn't be rushed into in the heat of the moment. We just don't want him to regret it later."

"I guess JR finally reached the tipping point with him, huh?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, I'm afraid he overheard JR ranting and saying some pretty ugly things about Marissa. It's probably the straw that finally broke the camel's back for him."

"Dipshit did that before I watched the kids that day, right?"

"Yes, he did, Greenlee. This all happened when we were doing that Skype session with him."

"I thought so. He wouldn't have been in one piece if he had done that in person with you."

Marissa chuckled. "You're right on that one. I have to tell you that it took Bianca a while to calm down."

"He's lucky he wasn't here." Bianca huffed. "I'm just glad you got a shot in, Greenlee."

"That was definitely my pleasure, and I was more than happy to do it."

Kendall decided it was time to change the subject. "So, what can you tell us about Red growing up? My sister only told us a couple of things when they got back from the reunion."

Jo and Cory looked at each other and shared a smile.

"Well, Marissa was always a bit of a daredevil and never backed down from dare." Cory began.

"It's true. Our senior year, she climbed to the top of the town's water tower and hung a banner for our senior class."

"Yeah, the guy who dared her is my husband. He honestly didn't think she'd do it. I told him she would, but Chris didn't listen and ended up losing $50 to her."

"It was easy money, just like taking candy from a baby. Plus, the three of us put it to good use." Marissa grinned.

"Exactly how many times did you climb that water tower?" Bianca asked.

"I think about five times."

Jessica shook her head. "You're lucky you didn't break your damn fool neck."

"After I slipped that first time, Dad thought it would be a good idea to teach me how to climb the right way."

"Your mother wanted to have his hide for doing that."

"She forgave him, eventually. She never could stay mad at him for too long. I think all the groveling he did helped too."

"That's very true."

"You're probably not too surprised by this, but Marissa doesn't back down from a fight either. It doesn't matter how big the other person is. There was this time in Political Science class …"

"Oh, I love this story, Jo." Cory noted excitedly.

"There was a petition of some sort going around school. It got to us when we were in Political Science. That day for class, we had our desks in a circle and the teacher wasn't there yet. The petition got to Marissa. She read it and passed it on without signing it. A few people later, it got to this guy named Mark. He was on the football team and was big. I think he was a linebacker or something like that. He said something, and when no one responded, he wadded it up, stomped up to the front of the room and threw it in the trash can. Marissa saw all of this and called him on it. She told him that he didn't have the right to do that. Mark then stomps back up, grabs the paper from trash can and stomps back over to her desk. He spreads the paper out and was like inches from her face when he asked if she was happy. Marissa, as calm as could be, said 'fuck you'."

"Seriously, Red? You were taking on a football player?"

"He didn't have the right to do what he was doing. I didn't agree with what the petition was about, but that didn't mean I could stop someone else from signing it. He sure as hell didn't have that right either."

"Here's what made it even better. Just as those words were leaving her mouth, the teacher came in and heard everything."

"No! How much time did you get in detention?" Greenlee smiled.

"She didn't get any. The teacher saw what was going on and figured Mark provoked her. He didn't say a word other than telling people to take their seats."

"I breathed a huge sigh of relief because I thought I was so busted."

"You were lucky. I still think Mark should have gotten in trouble though." Cory added.

"Speaking of luck, there was that time with the shopping cart."

/

"So that's how you got that scar on your hip." Bianca shook her head, smiling at her wife's antics when she was younger.

"What did she tell you?" Jo asked.

"That it was some stupid stunt she pulled in high school and she'd rather not elaborate."

Marissa shrugged. "Well, it was a stupid stunt and definitely not one of my finer moments, B."

"You do realize that the two of you are going to have your hands full with Sparky, don't you?" Kendall smirked.

"Yeah, I know. I think you're going to have your hands full too, Curly."

Greenlee snickered, knowing both Marissa and Kendall were right. "What else can you tell us about Rocky?" The petite brunette loved all of the stories Jo and Cory were sharing.

"There was this one time …"

"Josephine Lorraine Shelton, stop picking on Marissa. You've told more than enough embarrassing stories about her."

"Thank you, Jessica." Marissa smiled at the older woman before turning to her friend and sticking her tongue out at her.

"You're welcome, baby. Now, why do you keep calling Marissa 'Rocky', Greenlee?"

"Because she has a mean right hook and sent this reporter who was trying to blackmail Bianca with some faked photographs flying into a swimming pool, broke the woman's nose. I have it on video. It's really good and kind of a greatest hits compilation."

Jo looked at her friend. "Bianca was right. You do have a thing about pools. Of course you didn't break anyone's nose back in Devon."

"She did something like that in Devon?!"

"It was completely justified, and the girl deserved a few more shots if you ask me." Cory defended her friend.

Jessica nodded. Both she and Marissa's parents had heard about the incident almost immediately after it had happened. "I'm not one for violence, but I certainly agree in that case. Now, what's this video you've been going on about, Greenlee? That's something I want to see."

Bianca snorted as her wife simply hung her head and sighed, resigned to being embarrassed even more.

Greenlee practically sprang from the sofa. "I'll go get my tablet, and we can hook it up to Kendall's TV so you can see it on a larger screen. Be right back."

Kendall chuckled at her friend's excitement and offered an explanation to the others. "She's done some editing to it so it now includes verbal smack downs on whatsherface."

"Whatsherface?"

"Bianca's ex. We don't like to say her name too much, kind of like Dipshit. Greenlee added some slow motion effects to it as well. I have to admit that it's pretty awesome. Oh, she also added some things Bianca has done as well. Unfortunately, we don't have any footage from Shamokin."

Cory looked at her friend. "What on earth were you doing in Shamokin?"

"Our bachelorette party got sidetracked there due to a broken down limo. You couldn't have used that footage anyway, Curly. We all took a vow, remember? Besides, Bianca wasn't the only one who landed some blows. I think everyone but me was pretty much in on the action."

"Why weren't you?"

"Sparky."

Jessica looked surprised. "Bianca?! She doesn't seem the type."

Marissa grinned. "She was defending my honor. Don't be deceived. My wife is a badass, trust me."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I'd hardly say that."

"Oh, I disagree, Binx. I'm with Red on this."

"Speaking of Shamokin, Bianca and I heard from Sean."

"Who's Sean?" Although feeling a little lost, Jo was definitely curious.

"Marissa's buddy who also happens to be a pretty darn good cop. They bonded over what charges could be leveraged to clean up a little bit of a mess. How's he doing?" Greenlee offered as she rejoined the others and began hooking up her tablet to the TV.

"He's good. Actually, he's beyond good. He's going to be a dad!"

"His wife's pregnant?! That's great news." Kendall remembered hearing about the struggle he and his wife were having getting pregnant.

Bianca saw the lost looks on their guests' faces. "He and his wife were having a hard time conceiving. We gave him the name of Rissa's doctor in New York. She helped us so we thought we might be able to help them. Turns out, we were right. They're very excited and so is Terri. She's his sister."

Jo shook her head and smiled. Marissa always had a knack for making friends wherever she went. It seems that hadn't changed and that her wife had the same knack.

Greenlee grinned. She was extremely proud of her work on the video and couldn't wait to share it. "Alright, we're all hooked up and ready to go. Before we start, is everyone good on drinks?"

"We're good. Start it up!"

/

When the video stopped, Jo was left clapping her hands, and Cory was in tears from laughing. Jessica had an unreadable expression on her face before shaking her head in an attempt to avoid being overcome with emotion.

"You … you remind me so much of your mother."

"Really?"

Jessica nodded. She could honestly see her friend in the young woman before her. Jessica knew they weren't related by blood, but the similarities were there. Both shared the same spirit and fire, and it was undeniable. "Really. Lydia would be so proud of you. She would fight tooth and nail for her family and those she loved. And your father would be cheering you on."

"Thank you." Coming from Jessica, someone who knew her parents, those sentiments meant the world to Marissa.

The older woman cleared her throat. "You, Greenlee, did an excellent job with that."

"Mom's right. Where exactly were you when you recorded what happened with Marissa and the reporter?"

"I … uh … might have been strategically placed nearby."

Marissa laughed. "She was hidden in some shrubbery that was around the pool area. That wasn't the first time either."

Bianca couldn't help but also laugh as she remembered the day after Christmas when she and Marissa had finally gotten together and found Kendall and Greenlee hiding in the bushes outside Marissa's house spying on them. "It probably won't be the last either."

Kendall and Greenlee looked at each other and shrugged. Bianca was probably right.

Marissa sighed as she struggled slightly to her feet.

"You okay, Red?"

"Yes, Sparky's tap dancing on my bladder again. I'll be back."

"Oh, our other guests should be getting here soon." Kendall noted as she checked the time.

"I'll put this stuff away. I only bring out the video for special people." Greenlee smiled.

"Well, thank you. We really enjoyed it." Cory added.

"We really did. Hey, where should we put our gifts?" Jo asked.

Kendall stood and motioned for the others to follow her. "I'll show you."

/

"Hey, Alex. It looks like you have your hands full." Kendall quickly moved out of the way for Alex Walker to enter. The man was carrying a large item covered with a brightly colored blanket which perfectly matched the décor of Sparky's nursery.

"Hi, Kendall. It's not as heavy as it looks, but it is a little awkward. Make sure Marissa doesn't try to lift it though."

"You've got it. You can put it right over there." After pointing Alex in the direction of the ever growing stack of present, Kendall turned to the rest of the Walker clan. "Ladies, come on in. Let me take your coats, and please feel free to make yourselves at home."

After placing the family's main gift down in the specified location as instructed, Alex found Bianca and Marissa who were talking to Carol, Gail and Sam and hugged the couple. "Don't worry, I'm not staying. I'm just the delivery man. Congratulations. I'll see both of you and the kids next week for dinner."

"Thanks, Alex. We're looking forward to it."

"Thanks, and the kids are looking forward to it too. Bianca and I can't wait to try your 'world famous' chili and see how it really stacks up against the others we've had." Marissa grinned.

"I think you're really going to like it, if I do say so myself. Okay, I better go before I get blocked in. I'm going to be spending the rest of the day in my workshop, and I can't wait." Alex kissed his wife goodbye followed by his mother and then his daughter. "I'll see the three of you later. Sam, be careful driving home."

"I will. You too." Alex had driven over separately so he could transport the family's gift for the couple while Sam drove herself, Carol and Gail over in her car.

Alex chuckled as he headed out. "You got it."

/

"Oh, I want the three of you to meet some people." Marissa led the three women over to where Jessica, Jo and Cory were standing.

After introductions were made, Marissa continued. "Carol rented us our first home."

"Eventually, she did. I seem to recall that you weren't really a couple at that point. It was just you and AJ living there for a few months. Although, Carol saw a spark even before you did." Gail teased.

Bianca sighed. "You're right about that."

"I just call them like I see them see. It was pretty obvious." Carol smiled.

As the others chatted, Sam pulled Marissa aside. "Could we talk?"

"Of course. What's up?"

"You're still my lawyer, right?" Sam bit her lip waiting for Marissa to hopefully give her a positive response.


	167. Sparky's Shower - Part II

**A/N: First, thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! I appreciate it. Second, sorry I'm late posting today. I got sidetracked by friends and family. This chapter picks up where the last one left off, and you won't have to wait to find out what's going on with Sam. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

As the others chatted, Sam pulled Marissa aside. "Could we talk?"

Marissa could tell the teen was nervous. "Of course. What's up?"

"You're still my lawyer, right?" Sam bit her lip waiting for Marissa to hopefully give her a positive response.

"Yes, definitely. As long as you need me to be, I'll be here. Is everything alright?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, it is. It's nothing bad. I was just wondering … I know you're not working as many hours right now because of the baby … but I was wondering if you could do something for me, as my lawyer."

"You know I will if I can. What do you need?"

After taking a deep breath, Sam plunged forward. She'd come this far and knew it was too late to turn back now. "What's it take for somebody to change their name? For me to change my name?"

Marissa smiled. "You want to change your name?"

"Yeah. I'd like to change my last name to Robinson-Walker. What do you think? Do you think Gail, Alex and Grandma would be okay with that?"

"I think Gail, Alex and Carol would be thrilled by that, and if it's what you really want, then I think it's a great idea."

"You'll help me then?"

"Of course I will. You don't even have to ask."

"What about my Mom and Dad? Or …"

Marissa paused. She wanted to find the right words. The redhead knew what Sam was asking without actually asking it. The teen was worried her parents might see it as replacing them or forgetting them or that others might see it that way. "I honestly think your parents would give you their blessing. They wouldn't want you to stop living. They would want you to be happy, and knowing that you are and that you've found a family who loves you and has taken care of you and been by your side, would give them peace. They're still your parents. Changing your name doesn't change that fact. It just shows that you're opening up your heart to let others in, and I think that's something they would want you to do. You're not replacing them and not forgetting them. As for anybody else, don't worry about them. You know the truth, and that's what matters."

Sam released a relieved breath and hugged Marissa tightly. The teen had always felt a connection with the lawyer, that they were kindred spirits. Her opinion meant a great deal to Sam. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now to change your name, it's just a matter of filling out some forms and filing them along with paying a small fee. The whole process doesn't take very long. Have you talked to the Walkers about this?"

"Not yet. I'm going to do it tonight."

"When you're ready, you call me, and we'll take care of the legal side."

Sam smiled brightly. "Okay. I'll call you right away. I have some money saved …"

Marissa waved her off. "This one's on the house."

"Are you sure? I don't want …"

"I'm positive."

"Thank you. You've done so much for me. I'll never be able to repay you, but whenever you need someone to watch Sparky, I'm there."

"You've got yourself a deal. Okay, so what did you guys get us?"

Sam shook her head and laughed. "You're just going to have to wait, but I think you're really going to love it. I'm going to get something to drink. You want anything?"

"No thanks. I'm good."

Bianca walked over to her wife after Sam left. "Is everything okay with Sam?"

"Yes, everything is more than okay. I have a feeling we're going to be getting a call later tonight from four very happy people."

/

Jan and Aya arrived carrying two large packages which were deposited with the now rather large pile of gifts. After greeting the guests of honor, they caught up with Lisa and Ellie who were happily talking with Gail, Sam, Jo and Cory. Jessica and Carol were chatting and getting along famously. Angie, Stef and Claudia were talking as they got something to drink. Madison was sitting on a sofa laughing with Natalia and Randi. Kendall and Greenlee were back in the kitchen checking on the appetizers which were going to be out shortly. Bianca smiled as she looked around the room seeing their friends having a good time. Krystal and Erica had yet to show, but she knew they would be there soon. From where she was standing, Bianca saw her wife and Sofia huddled over Marissa's cellphone. Whatever they were reading on it had Marissa nodding and smiling. The redhead glanced up, and her gaze met Bianca's. She whispered something to Sofia who nodded before walking over to get a drink. Marissa headed over to where Bianca was after closing whatever webpage she had been sharing with Sofia.

"Do I want to know what that was about? You weren't working were you?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, we weren't working. There's a case we've been tracking that's before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. We thought we might hear when a decision would be handed down but nothing definite yet. There might be something next week."

Bianca quirked an eyebrow. "So, it's nothing you're working on, none of your current cases?"

"Nope."

"You're just tracking it …"

"To satisfy my curiosity. Sofia's too."

"Can there be lawyer nerds? Because if there are, you're definitely one of them." Bianca smirked.

Marissa glared playfully back at her wife. "I'm not a nerd. I told you I was cutting down on work, and I am. I've been delegating more and more to my team. They are more than capable of handling things while I'm off. I don't want to be in the middle of a case and then need to take off because I'm in labor. That wouldn't be fair to my clients. I'm going to miss court because you know how much I love a good fight, but it's temporary and something I need to do."

"I'm proud of you, and I'm doing the same thing. Jan and Aya can run that place without me."

"True, but you are the heart and soul of the Miranda Center. It's not quite the same without you. That being said, I'm glad you're taking time off once Sparky gets here."

"Me too. I don't want to miss that time because it's so special, and luckily, I'm in a situation where I won't have to."

The couple shared a chaste kiss, and Marissa sighed happily watching everyone. "They seem to be getting along and having a good time."

"Yes, they do." It was then they saw Amanda arrive. The woman waved at them and then made a beeline for Madison.

Not a minute later, Krystal was welcomed inside by Greenlee who took her coat and gift. Krystal made her way over to the couple and greeted them with hugs.

"Hello, you two. You look good. How are you feeling? I've missed seeing you both around the restaurant."

"I'm feeling pretty good. I'm a little tired, but that's to be expected. Bianca's taking very good care of me though."

"Yes, you're right. The further along you get, the more tired you will be, and I have no doubt about Bianca taking excellent care of you."

"It's nothing more than Rissa does for me. We've both been busy wrapping things up at work before our little one gets here. I'm glad you could make it today. I know Opal is coming."

"Which makes us wonder, who's watching the restaurant?"

"Nadine. She's done a good job when she's been in charge before."

"Good. I'm glad you have somebody you trust to keep an eye on things for you. It's good for both you and Opal to have time off."

"Speaking of time off, when do you plan on taking some?"

"Dr. Abbott says she sees no problem with me working as long as I'm comfortable doing so. I am cutting my hours and not taking any new cases on myself. I'm also going to be working from home more. That's the plan for now."

/

Jessica who was chatting with Carol glanced over in Marissa's direction and saw her and Bianca engaged in conversation with an older woman. "Who's that talking with Marissa?"

Carol glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. "That's Krystal Carey. She is Marissa's …"

"Birth mother. She and Bianca told me about her last night." Jessica studied the woman and saw a few physical similarities between the older woman and Marissa. She was curious what the woman was like beyond her outward appearance and what she had learned from the couple the previous evening. That curiosity was not going to be satisfied with them on opposite sides of the room. "Will you excuse me?"

"Of course." Carol recognized the look on the companion's face. From their conversation, she could tell how protective Jessica was of Marissa, just like herself. Carol knew a little about the relationship between birth mother and daughter but not everything. She had a feeling there was more there than met the eye and that Jessica might had been made privy to some of that information. Carol knew it could be dangerous ground Jessica was treading by talking with Krystal.

Jessica chuckled at the matriarch of the Walker family. They were definitely kindred spirits. "I promise I'll behave. I won't do anything that would put Marissa or Bianca in an awkward position or could ruin their day, no matter how tempting it may be."

Carol laughed at that last part because it was something she would say herself. She really liked Jessica and hoped they would be seeing each other more in the future. "I'll talk to you later then and good luck."

"I'll let you know what I find out." Jessica winked before walking across the room.

/

Jo glanced over and saw her mother walking towards Marissa, Bianca and an older woman who bore a slight resemblance to her friend. The expression on her mother's face was reminiscent of one she had seen countless times while growing up. It was just like the one she wore to meetings with teachers and counselors who didn't even bother to try to bring themselves to understand what Jo was going through in the aftermath of her father's death. It was easier for them to believe that she was being difficult and seeking attention for attention's sake, that she was a problem child. She called it her mother's 'mama bear look', one that said 'you best not be hurting my child or cross me if you know what's good for you', and seeing it now prompted Jo to intercept her.

"Mom, where are you going?"

"If you must know, I'm going to talk with Marissa, Bianca and it would seem Krystal."

"So that's Krystal." _That explains the resemblance I saw._ Jo shook her head in an attempt not to sidetrack herself. "I know that look, Mom. It usually means there could be trouble. What are you going to do?"

"I'm just going to talk to them. Don't you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you. I just …"

"Josephine, I'm adult and know how to conduct myself as such when out in public. You know I wouldn't do anything to hurt or embarrass Marissa, especially in front of her family and friends. The same holds true for Bianca. Don't you think I'm able to control myself enough to not do that?" Jessica asked her daughter pointedly, eyebrow raised.

Jo sighed knowing she had no other option then to back down. She knew her mother was right. "I'm sorry. I believe you, really. Can I go with you?" Jo asked and quickly added to that question. "I'm curious about her."

"Mmmhmmm. Come on."

/

Marissa saw Jo and Jessica walking their way and knew she had to act quickly. "Krystal, I'd like you to meet some special people. This is Jessica Shelton and her daughter Dr. Jo Shelton. Back in Devon, Jo was my best friend growing up, and Jessica was good friends with my Mom and Dad. Another friend of ours, Cory, is around here somewhere. Jo, Jessica, this is Krystal Carey."

"Nice to meet you." Jo interjected before her mother could say anything.

Krystal understood what Marissa was telling her about the other women without actually saying it and was grateful for the heads up. "It's nice to meet you too."

"Jessica was one of my surprises. You see, I didn't think she was going to be able to make it. It turns out they were just faking me out to surprise me."

"With help from Bianca of course." Jessica stated.

The brunette shrugged. "I figured Rissa would be okay with it."

"Well if anyone could get away with that, it's Bianca." Krystal paused. "Roy and Lydia were good people and did an excellent job raising Marissa. I know they would be very proud of her."

"Yes, they were the best, and you're right about Marissa. When it comes to their daughter, they would be extremely proud of the woman she's become."

"What can I say? I'm awesome." Marissa gave a cheeky grin which helped break the tension.

"And modest too." Jo smirked. She knew exactly what her friend was doing.

"Just like Roy." Krystal and Jessica stated at the same time, each with a smile on their face. Both women glanced at each other and nodded.

"Binx, Red, could you come over here for a minute?" Kendall called out to them.

Sensing her wife's hesitance to leave Jessica and Krystal with only Jo to referee any dispute that might arise. "Why don't you stay? I'll go see what Kendall needs."

"You both can go. We'll play nice. Besides, I don't think you could pry my daughter away from here if you tried."

Upon receiving Jessica's reassurance, Marissa nodded. "Alright. I trust all of you. We'll be around." With that, she and Bianca headed over to see what Kendall needed.

/

"They are a special couple." Krystal observed as Bianca and Marissa walked away.

"Yes, they certainly are. While I haven't been around them together that long, I can see that clear as day. I'm happy they found each. Marissa deserves to be happy. Roy and Lydia would have loved Bianca."

"Yes, they would have. Bianca is very special and loves Marissa deeply." Krystal turned to the older of the other two women. "Marissa told you about me."

"As it pertains directly to her, yes. She shared that with us last night." Jessica acknowledged.

"Like I said before, Roy and Lydia were good people and did a phenomenal job with Marissa, far better than I ever could have. That's why I chose them."

Jessica merely raised an eyebrow.

Krystal continued. "I don't expect you to understand what I did. How can I? Looking back now, I don't understand it myself. I was not in the best place in my life and did what I thought was the best for both of my daughters at the time. It's something I deeply regret. I've done a lot of things in my life that I'm not proud of, things that unfortunately have hurt both Marissa and Bianca. If you were to ask some, what am I saying, if you were to ask anybody that knows what happened, they would say what I did was unforgiveable, and I couldn't argue with them because it was. Somehow, Bianca found it in her heart to forgive me. I'll be honest. If our roles were reversed, I don't know that I could do that. Marissa has been equally generous with her forgiveness. It's not been easy, but we've come along way. You're right. She does deserve to be happy, they both do. They are perfect together and have my complete support. I will do whatever I can to encourage that happiness, to be there for them no matter what."

"Marissa mentioned that you've been helpful when it came to her ex-husband."

"That snake. He can't accept that Marissa's moved on and is happy with Bianca. It was a hit to his manhood. When he found out that she was pregnant, he tried to poison AJ against them. Luckily, they found out what was going on and were able to stop it."

Jessica listened to Krystal. She was right. Jessica would never understand what she had done. Selling one baby to keep another, it was something she just couldn't fathom. She couldn't help but wonder what Krystal had done to Bianca that could possibly be worse but knew this was neither the time nor was it the place to question her about it. Jessica weighed what she did know. As a result of Krystal's actions concerning Marissa, her friends had the child they dreamed of and one they cherished, and Marissa was raised in a good and loving home. If she and Bianca were forgiving and building a relationship with Krystal, then, for their sakes, she would try to get along with the woman, but she would damn sure keep her eye on Krystal. She would not hurt either Marissa or Bianca ever again on Jessica's watch.

For her part, Krystal was a having a hard time getting a read on Jessica. What she could see however was the fierce protectiveness the woman had for Marissa. Part of her was slightly taken aback by it, but a larger part of her was grateful that her daughter had someone looking out for her. From what Jessica had said, the couple hadn't shared the sordid details of what she, Babe and David had done to Bianca. If they had, Krystal knew she still wouldn't be standing there in one piece. It would be up to the couple as to whether or not they shared that information. Krystal, for her part, would not be sharing it. If the couple ever did reveal what happened, she would deal with it then. No matter what, she knew it wouldn't be happening today.

Jo felt the tension surrounding the women and decided it was time to step in and diffuse the situation. "Marissa tells us that you own a restaurant and that they have their own table there, nameplate included."

"Yes, they do. Before things changed between them and they became more than friends, they would meet there nearly every day for lunch. Just watching them, you could see it evolving, becoming more. Once they finally realized how they felt about each other …"

"This was after the fake blind dates, right? Kendall told us about them."

Krystal chuckled. "Yes, after them. They were disasters, intentionally and unintentionally."

"Greenlee told us she had to 'fix the mess that Kendall and Krystal made'. That's a direct quote from her." Jessica smiled, finally relaxing somewhat.

"Of course she did." The restaurant owner smirked. "We decided to permanently reserve that table for them. No one else is allowed to sit there. The staff sees to it. The kids got a kick out of it. I'm assuming you've met them?"

Jessica nodded. "Yes, we have. They are something. Marissa and Bianca are very good parents. Sparky is going to be one very lucky baby."

Krystal smiled. "That is very true. I see Marissa has you on the Sparky bandwagon."

Jo laughed. "Yeah, she does. Despite what she says, I think Bianca likes it."

/

Following their conversation with Krystal, Jessica and Jo were talking with Lisa and Ellie and getting the lowdown on their favorite redhead from two of her co-workers.

"She did that? Stepped in front of you like that?" Jo asked as she listened to Lisa relate the time Marissa saved her from Robert Brennan attacking her.

"Yeah, she did. I honestly don't know what he would've done to me if she hadn't jumped in like that. I was scared to death and couldn't move but not Marissa. She just reacted and saved me. She told me later that she didn't realize she was hurt until much later on."

"It was probably adrenaline. It can have that effect." Jo noted.

"That's what she thought. What scared me even more though was when he tried to kill her." Lisa shook her head at the memory.

Jessica shivered at the thought of Marissa almost dying. "That's incredible. Bianca must have been beside herself."

"She was, but she's strong and held it altogether. From what I heard, David, that's her …"

"We know who he is."

"Someone from the hospital contacted him, and he wanted to pursue a really aggressive treatment. Marissa and Bianca had medical power of attorneys for each other. Bianca exercised it and chose the right one. She knew what Marissa would want done, and she did it. She refused to back down to him. He knew better than to take her on. Then, Bianca volunteered to be used as bait to catch Brennan. That was beyond brave."

"That's just incredible."

The group's attention was suddenly drawn to a conversation occurring near them between Amanda and Madison.

/

"So, do you think they're going to get a nanny?" Amanda asked.

Madison was confused. "Why would they?"

"They'll have four kids. That's a lot. I don't see how they can take care of them all by themselves. It only makes sense that they would get help. It's not like they can't afford it."

"What are you talking about?"

"Between the two of them, they're loaded. Bianca is a millionaire several times over, and not only does Marissa make a boatload of money as a partner in her firm, she has that huge settlement from JR."

"What huge settlement?"

"JR said she took him to the cleaners and that's why he's struggling financially."

"You've been talking to JR? Why on earth would you do that?" Madison asked incredulously.

Kendall, who had been walking by and heard the last comment from Amanda, stopped dead in her tracks. "That is an excellent question and one I would love to know the answer to."

Amanda swallowed hard under Kendall's glare. "I … I haven't talked to him in almost a year. It was something he told me before he was run out of town."

"Run out of town?" Madison shook her head at her friend. Amanda seemed to have a soft spot for bad boys, JR in particular. "First of all, JR wasn't 'run out of town'. He chose to leave, and he did so to avoid going to jail because of something he did and no one else. Second, the reports of his settlement with Marissa are highly exaggerated. He didn't pay any alimony, never has. You know why? It's because Marissa never asked for it. He was only ordered to pay child support, and the amount that was ordered was not that much considering how much JR made at the time. Since then, he has either refused to pay or asked to have it reduced repeatedly which it has been significantly. JR's 'financial struggles' have nothing to do with Marissa and everything to do with JR throwing his money away by drowning his sorry ass at the bottom of a bottle."

"Who told you that?"

"Scott and he would know. I'll take his word over JR's any day of the week. If you're smart, you will too. I'm sure Jake would appreciate it."

Kendall patted Madison on the back. Her fondness for the blonde just increased tenfold. "Very well said, Madison, and 100% accurate. Trust me, I would know."

"Well, what about them getting a nanny?"

"Why on earth would they do that?" Kendall's confused expression matched Madison's earlier one.

"They'll have four kids, and Marissa has never been a mother before …"

Kendall's expression hardened and her voice was lowered to a dangerous timbre. "Don't you _ever_ say something so idiotic and uninformed around me, Bianca and especially Marissa. She is AJ's mother and has the papers to back it up. Even if she didn't have them, she is still his mother. Marissa has raised that boy for well over half of his life. AJ is who he is because of her and not that sorry ass excuse for a father. AJ is a bright, loving and kind-hearted little boy who loves her and sees her as his mother. She would lay down her life for him which is more than I can say for the dipshit of a paternal figure. Biology doesn't make you a parent, and you of all people should know that. If I ever hear you say anything like that again, I'll make you sorry you …"

Madison abruptly flung her drink on Amanda. "Oops. Sorry about that."

"What the hell, Madison?!"

"I'll help you clean yourself up, Amanda. Kendall, I'm sorry for the mess."

Kendall took a deep breath realizing what Madison did and why. The brunette smirked. "No problem, Madison. _Accidents_ happen. The restroom is just down the hall and to the left."

Madison nodded and pulled Amanda, who was oblivious as to how close she had come to serious bodily injury, away.

Amanda wasn't letting what happened go and continued as she and Madison walked down the hallway. "That was no accident. You did that on purpose."

"Damn straight I did, and you're welcome."

"Why would I thank you, and why did you do that?"

"To save you from getting the crap beat out of you, something you deserved by the way. How stupid are you to say that Marissa isn't AJ's mother? How stupid are you to defend JR?"

Kendall's eyes met Jessica's, and the two women nodded in silent understanding. Both knew Kendall had Marissa's back and would defend her with everything she had.

/

"I still don't understand why you had to spill your drink on me."

Madison sighed. Sometimes, it was exhausting being Amanda's friend. "For the last time, I was saving you from Kendall."

"I'm not afraid of her."

"Well, you could've fooled me, and if you're not, you should be."

"She's pregnant. She can't do anything to me right now when she's supposed to be taking it easy. That brings me to another question. Should Kendall even be having this baby?"

Marissa happened to be walking by when she heard that last remark and stopped suddenly hearing her sister-in-law's name. "What do you mean by that exactly?"

Madison groaned. She could see Marissa gearing up for a fight.

"I mean, it's a big risk for her to be pregnant with her heart condition. How can she even consider carrying a baby knowing that and knowing that she has two young sons to take care of? Isn't that irresponsible of her? She obviously isn't thinking clearly."

Marissa took a deep breath. "The only one not thinking clearly is you. Do you honestly believe that Kendall and Zach haven't thought this through, haven't considered every possibility and aren't thinking about their children? Do you honestly think they aren't taking every precaution to ensure the baby's health as well as Kendall's? Do you honestly think she isn't under the care of the best doctors and isn't aware of each and every risk and that she knows far better than you what's going on? The last thing she needs is someone who knows absolutely nothing about what's going on criticizing her decisions in her own home. If you even think about saying any of that crap to her …"

"Oops." Madison flung yet another drink on Amanda. Her need to do this in order to save Amanda from herself was getting old.

"What the hell?!"

Madison shrugged. "Sorry. I'm just clumsy today I guess."

Marissa raised an eyebrow and saw the glare being shared between the two blondes. She had the distinct impression that what Madison had done was no accident and relaxed somewhat. It wouldn't do for her to lose her temper, which she was dangerously close to doing, right now. It would bring attention to what Amanda had been saying, and the redhead didn't want that for her sister-in-law or Bianca.

"Come on, Amanda. Let's get you cleaned up." Madison said as she once again pulled Amanda to safety.

/

Hazel eyes watched as they walked away before turning and meeting the slightly amused brown one belonging to Jessica. The older woman saw firsthand the bond between the sister-in-laws and solidified her belief that Marissa truly had found a family, one that would fight tooth and nail for each other, and she knew Roy and Lydia were smiling down on their daughter.

Marissa walked over to the older woman. "What?"

Jessica shook her head. "Nothing."

"I know that look. What?"

"Kendall's more than a friend or sister-in-law, isn't she?"

"Yes, she is." Marissa smiled. "She's pretty much the sister I always wanted."

"So, that woman …"

"Her name's Amanda. She's married to Jake Martin, and he's a friend. Sometimes, Amanda doesn't think, and things like that come out of her mouth. I don't know that she necessarily means anything bad by it or is trying to hurt anyone. She's just thoughtless. She also has a history with JR and has been in touch with him."

"You know about that?"

"Of course I do. Bianca saw them talking a while ago. We just keep an eye on things."

"Do people underestimate the two of you? Because if they do, it would be a huge mistake on their part."

"Some have. They seem to forget who Bianca's mom is. Over the years, she's picked up a few things from her as well as her sister and some things on her own."

Jessica chuckled. "Speaking of her mother, I haven't seen her here yet."

"She'll be here soon. Erica likes to make an entrance. This one time we were out for lunch, she made this grand entrance that reminded me of that scene from 'Hello, Dolly'. I was half expecting some of the wait staff to break out into song." Marissa added with a grin.

Jessica was just about to respond when someone caught her eye. "Who is that?"

/

Marissa turned to see who her friend was looking at and couldn't help but laugh. "That is Opal."

**/**

**A/N: I had every intention of wrapping the shower up in this chapter, but it obviously didn't happen. One more chapter will do it. Oh, Amanda's character on the show bugged me if you couldn't tell by reading this chapter. Plus, I needed somebody who doesn't think before they speak. See you soon!**


	168. Sparky's Shower - Part III

**A/N: Thanks again as always for continuing to read, follow and review! You all are the best. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa turned to see who her friend was looking at and couldn't help but laugh. "That is Opal. We told you about her, remember? She's Erica's closest friend, or as Opal herself puts it, her best gal pal."

"That's Opal?!" Jessica couldn't hide her shock. She did not look like Jessica had imagined. _What color is her hair exactly? _"I know you and Bianca described her last night, but I just … I'm sorry. I have no right to judge."

Marissa laughed again. Jessica's reaction was a common one when people saw Opal for the first time. It was hard to imagine polar opposites like her and Erica being as close as they were, but it was true. "It's alright. Opal is … colorful, maybe a tad eccentric but means well and has a good heart."

"I won't argue with you about that because I don't know her. It's just hard to picture them together. It's just that Erica has this image …"

"I understand, trust me. You're not the first person to think that, and I'm sure you won't be the last. Oh, you better brace yourself."

"What do you mean?"

"Opal is headed straight this way." No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the woman in question was upon them.

"Marissa, it's been awhile since you've been in Krystal's. How are you feeling?"

"Hi, Opal. I'm doing good, and yes, it's only been a couple of days. The further along I get though, the less I've been going out. I'm trying to get as much wrapped up at the office as I can before I go on maternity leave. You're actually going to be seeing me less at the restaurant since I'm going to be working from home more until Sparky gets here."

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. It's just easier for me, and I'm more comfortable there. Hey, I want you to meet someone. Opal, this is Jessica. She is one of my friends from Devon that I reconnected with recently, and she was good friends with my Mom and Dad. Her daughter Jo, who is around here somewhere, was my best friend growing up so Jessica was pretty much like a second mom to me."

As Jessica listened to the two talk, she remembered what Bianca and Marissa had told her about Opal. Not only was she Erica's 'best gal pal' but she also worked with Krystal and was her former mother-in-law. Her son Tad had been married to Krystal and was the father of Marissa's half-sister Jenny. Tad had been adopted by Joe and Ruth Martin though somewhere along the line for some reason the couple didn't reveal. They had told her it wasn't their place to tell that story so she didn't push. Jessica knew Marissa had showed the same care when it came to her and Jo. Whatever happened with Tad and Opal had been resolved however, and the two were now close. Jessica found that Marissa wasn't kidding when she said things were complicated in Pine Valley and that you needed a scorecard to keep things straight. It was all enough to make someone's head spin.

Jessica held out her hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Opal smiled and pulled the other woman into a hug. "I just feel like I know you what with the way Marissa's been going on about you. All good stuff of course. I thought you weren't going to be able to make it though."

Marissa had to bite her lip to keep from laughing out loud. Jessica's shocked expression at Opal's effusive greeting was priceless. She stood stock-still with her arms at her sides and eyes wide. The redhead decided to help her friend out by jumping into the conversation. "It was part of a surprise she put together with Bianca. Jessica showed up at our house last night with Jo and Cory. It was a really great surprise."

The brief break allowed Jessica to collect herself. "I'm just glad you liked it. Marissa and Bianca told us about you as well. All good stuff too of course."

Opal laughed. "Well, that's good to hear. I sure bet you're proud of this one."

"I am, very much so."

/

Kendall opened the door and smiled. "Mom, glad you could join us. I was starting to wonder if you were coming."

Erica hugged her daughter and scoffed at her teasing. "Oh please, Kendall, you knew I was coming. I wouldn't miss something this important." The diva scanned the room and saw Krystal. "I see the trollop is making the rounds campaigning for grandmother of the year already, like she would know the first thing about that or what family really means."

"Mom, behave yourself. You promised Bianca and Marissa."

"Of course I'll behave myself, as long as the trollop does."

Kendall sighed as she took her mother's coat and quickly stashed it in a nearby closet. "I thought the two of you were getting along better."

"Dear, I will never trust that woman as far as I can throw her, and neither should you. I merely tolerate her existence for the sake of my daughter and daughter-in-law. As long as she does nothing to hurt them further than she already has, I will continue to tolerate her."

"Mom, I'm glad you're here."

"Bianca, sweetheart, I'm sorry I'm late, but I do have a very good reason, if your sister would behave herself long enough to allow me to explain." Erica eyed her oldest daughter.

Kendall held up her hands. "Go ahead."

"I want the two of you to be the first to know that I will be a guest panelist on 'The View' next month when one of the regulars is on vacation. I was late because I was firming up the details with my agent."

"Congratulations! You'll be terrific!"

"That's great, Mom! Who will you be filling in for?"

"Thank you. I'll be filling in for Nicolle Wallace. It's only for a week and obviously in New York. So, I will be available in a moment's notice if either of you should need me. I made sure my agent put a stipulation in the contract that if my family needs me the show will need to find a replacement for me. My family comes first. I did this because I know Marissa will be very close to her due date around that time, and I want to make sure I'm here for when she has the baby. I also want to make sure I'm close by for you, Kendall. I need to keep an eye on you and make sure you're behaving yourself."

Kendall and Bianca glanced at each other and smiled. Their mother had certainly changed a great deal over the years, and the fact that she was demanding those conditions was proof positive of that.

Bianca was the first to speak. "You'll have to let us know exactly when you'll be on so we'll be sure to watch."

"Watch what?" Marissa asked as she and the visitors from Devon joined the trio.

"Mom is going to be a guest panelist on 'The View' next month." Kendall answered with a hint of pride.

Erica interjected. "Only if everything is fine here."

"That's fantastic! Congratulations. I know you'll do great. And I'm glad you're here today."

"Thank you, Marissa. I wouldn't miss it for anything. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. Sparky is behaving for the most part."

Erica sighed. "Must you and Kendall insist on using that nickname?"

"Yep!" Kendall and Marissa answered at the same time with matching smirks.

Bianca and Erica both rolled their eyes. Neither was really surprised by the other two. It was amusing how alike they were but also just a tiny bit scary.

Jessica choked back a chuckle seeing just how much Bianca was like her mother.

Marissa caught it though and grinned. "Erica, I would like you to meet some very special people. This Cory Jacobs, Dr. Jo Shelton and Jessica Shelton. Ladies, my mother-in-law, the one and only, Erica Kane."

The diva smiled and graciously shook hands with the two younger women. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

Cory was slightly awestruck meeting _the_ Erica Kane. "It's … it's our pleasure. My mom is not going to believe this. She's going to freak out that I'm meeting you."

Jo was just as awestruck as her friend. "Ms. Kane, it's an honor."

Kendall, Bianca and Marissa did their bests to hide amused expressions. Marissa had seen similar reactions before and knew her experiences at seeing them was dwarfed by those of Bianca and Kendall.

"Please call me Erica." The diva offered before turning to the older woman. "Jessica, it's very nice to meet to you."

"It's very nice to meet you as well, Erica."

The women were curious about each other and had been looking forward to finally meeting.

"Was Marissa surprised?"

The redhead gaped. "You knew too?"

"Of course I did." Erica smirked.

Marissa sighed. "Why am I not really surprised? It was a wonderful surprise."

Erica nodded and picked up her small gift bag before turning to Jessica. "Would you mind showing me where the gifts are going? It will give us time to talk as well."

Jessica smiled. "I think that is an incredible idea."

As the two walked away, the diva could be heard beginning to ask questions. "What was my daughter-in-law like when she was younger?"

"Be afraid, Red, be very afraid." Kendall chuckled as she patted Marissa's arm.

"Trust me, I am."

/

Appetizers were brought out not long after Erica's arrival, and everyone sampled and raved over them. Jessica and Erica found themselves a quiet corner to not only eat but to continue their conversation and get to know each other better.

"What you've told me about Marissa's parents matches everything that she's said about them."

"If you look at Marissa, you can see her parents in her. They adored her and did such a good job with her. Roy and Lydia were the best friends you could ever ask for and were there for me and Jo when we needed them the most. Their daughter definitely followed in their footsteps."

"You weren't bothered by or surprised to find that she was married to a woman?" Erica asked.

Jessica shook her head. "I was surprised only because she had dated only boys growing up, and there was no indication she was interested in girls. It didn't bother me though. I just wanted her to be happy, and talking to her, it was easy to tell she was. Then, I found out who was behind that happiness, and it made perfect sense to me. Bianca is a remarkable woman. You'd have to be living under a rock not to know about her and all of the tremendous work she's done. I'm sure you're very proud of her."

Erica's pride was evident in her smile. "I am. She is an amazing woman. She's been through a great deal in her young life and survived it all. Bianca is far stronger, braver and more forgiving than I am. There was a time I doubted that she would find the happiness that eluded her for so long, that she would find someone who deserved her." Erica glanced across the room to see Bianca and Marissa laughing and finally sitting down to eat. It seemed that Bianca had finally convinced Marissa to concede that her feet were starting to bother her, and the redhead was now resting them. "Then, she met Marissa. I will admit that I was hesitant about her at first …"

"Because of her biological family. She and Bianca told me something happened with them but didn't go into detail, at least where Bianca is concerned."

"Yes, they were behind a good deal of Bianca's pain. I soon found out that Marissa was different. She was nothing like them. She loves Bianca and wants nothing more than for her to be happy, and her actions have proven that time and again. You said they didn't go into detail about what they did to Bianca. Am I safe in assuming that they told you what they did to Marissa?"

Jessica nodded stiffly. "Yes, they did. I will never be able to understand what she did, and I could see the hurt in Marissa's eyes when she told me. That was very hard for me, but I'm going to try and be like her. Roy and Lydia are Marissa's parents, and they loved her, gave her a good home, help make her who she is today by teaching her right from wrong. When I see her and Bianca together, they just fit. Love is love, and that's what they have. Her parents would feel the same way. As I said before, I'm so thankful she's found someone who loves her the way she deserves. From what I've heard, her ex-husband left a lot to be desired. I've been there, done that myself once or twice."

"Who hasn't?" Erica replied wryly.

"It appears to me she has it right this time. So her being with a woman doesn't matter one bit to me. The only thing I regret is something I'm guilty of. I regret losing contact with her after Roy and Lydia passed. I wondered for years what happened to her and if she was okay, but I had no way to find her. I worried so much about her being alone. Seeing her for myself this weekend has eased my mind more than you can imagine. Not only does she have an extraordinary wife and beautiful children, she has an extended family with Kendall, Greenlee and you. There are many others in her life now as well who appreciate her, but I see a strong bond between you."

"Well, Marissa is special. I wouldn't trust my daughter and her children to just anyone. Marissa is an integral part of our family, and I honestly can't imagine it without her. I can assure you that I will make sure she is protected and that anyone who even dares an attempt at hurting her will pay dearly. Marissa is family, and there is nothing more important to me than that."

"Thank you, and I promise you the same with Bianca and also with Kendall. She and Marissa seem to be very close."

"Thank you as well, and yes, they are. It can be good and bad. They can be quite the handful sometimes as I'm sure you can imagine having seen them together in action."

Jessica saw the amused look in Erica's eyes and chuckled. "From what I've seen, yes, they can be. I think Bianca is more than up to the challenge of keeping them in line though."

"Very true, her more than anyone else."

/

"Kendall, you are officially my favorite sister-in-law." Marissa groaned after finishing another stuffed jalapeño. Kendall had made sure they were included as appetizers for the redhead.

"Well, thank you, and right back at you."

"Do I need to point out that you are each other's only sister-in-laws?" Greenlee smirked.

"Eh, it would still hold true. While we're at it, Greenlee, you are my favorite cousin-in-law/one day step-sister-in-law."

Bianca snorted. "You make that sound almost normal."

"There is nothing normal about this family." Greenlee chuckled. "What the heck? The same goes for you too, Rocky."

"I have to be honest with you, Red. While I would love to take all of the credit for the stuffed jalapeños, I can't. My sister was the one who clued me in about your latest craving. I just had to track them down. I have to admit that they are pretty darn tasty."

"I know, right?!"

/

When everyone was finished eating, Greenlee got everyone's attention. "Since this is a baby shower, we are obligated to play a couple games."

"Don't worry, Red. We're not going to have everyone guess how big your belly is. I expect you to remember the favor for me."

"Thanks, and you got it, Curly."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "You two are just no fun. Anyway, my lovely assistant Kendall is handing out several items to you. On the notecards, please write down your best advice or words of wisdom for Marissa and Bianca. I know they are already Moms and have three pretty terrific kids, but it's been awhile since they've had a newborn around. Besides, good advice is always welcomed. We will be putting the notecards in a scrapbook for them. There is also a 'baby wish list' for you to fill out. You'll see there are things like 'I hope you blank', 'I hope you laugh blank' and 'I hope you never forget blank'. You fill in the blanks. On one of the blank pieces of paper, write down some ideas for names for Sparky. I know we don't know what they are having so give them suggestions for both a boy and a girl."

"Do you have any ideas for names yet?" Stef asked the couple.

Bianca shrugged being non-committal. "We haven't decided on any one name for either a boy or a girl yet. Sparky and Minx are not options though."

"Damn, there go my ideas." Kendall smirked as her sister rolled her eyes. "We'll collect those things at the end. Now, if you will direct your attention to _my_ lovely assistant Greenlee, you will see the board we have set up. It contains the baby pictures that all of you have brought. Thank you for that by the way. Number your paper and guess which picture belongs to which guest here. Feel free to come closer to study it."

/

"Should it bother me that I completely sucked at that game?" Claudia sighed as she folded her paper.

Marissa shook her head, clearly amused. "Nah, your skills as a lawyer make up for it."

"Gee thanks."

"I want to know how the heck you only missed two, Ellie." Stef asked.

Ellie shrugged. "Pure luck."

Lisa nudged her friend. "I don't think so. You were a receptionist for a while and now the boss's secretary. You get to observe people all the time and are really good at it."

"She's right. You're really are." Marissa added.

"Whatever the reason, Ellie is our winner. Here is your prize." Greenlee handed a gift bag to Ellie. "Now for our next game, you're going to match the animal on this list with the correct number of days in their gestation period."

/

"Okay, I think Stef had an unfair advantage being a teacher." Aya said as she put her paper in the pile along with the others.

Stef rolled her eyes. "How is that possible? I teach math not science. With that logic, Cory would have an edge too."

"Yeah, we're not really teaching that yet in second grade."

"All I know is I'm glad we don't have the gestation period of an elephant. I can't even wrap my head around being pregnant for 640 days. I mean, seriously?" Sofia shivered.

Natalia nodded. "I'd much rather go for the opossum. Twelve days sounds good to me, especially compared to 640 days."

"Here you, Stef." Kendall handed the woman a gift bag. "Two more games. Now, you get to guess the name for an animal baby. Good luck."

/

Madison shook her head. "Seriously, a baby turkey is called a pout? I'm glad nobody else knew that. I don't feel so bad."

"Congratulations, Jo. You deserved to win that one. I almost beat you though. If I had only known a baby bat was called a pup." Angie sighed.

"Thanks. I remembered reading that somewhere, but I couldn't tell you where. Thank you, Greenlee." Jo accepted her prize from the petite brunette.

"You're welcome. Time for our final game. We're going to pair up for this one. You're going to diaper babies, well baby dolls in this case. We'll be using cloth diapers. The fastest to remove the 'dirty' diaper and replace it with a clean one wins. We'll draw names to pair people up. Oh, one more thing. You're going to do this blindfolded. Because they will be doing this together very soon, Bianca and Marissa will be one team. Let's get to picking names."

/

There were only four names left: Cory, Jessica, Erica and Krystal. The vast majority of those in attendance were holding their collective breaths that Erica and Krystal would not be paired together. They knew it could be ugly if they were. Sharp objects in the form of diaper pins were involved, and that was just too tempting.

"I have an idea. Cory and I know each other really well so it probably wouldn't be fair if we were a team."

_Bless you, Jessica._ "You probably have a point. I tell you what. Since it's your idea, I'll let you make the choice. Who would you like to team up with?" Kendall asked as relief flooded through her at the older woman's offer.

"Why don't I team up with Erica, if that's alright with her?"

Erica nodded with a small smile on her face. "I would love to."

Cory sighed in relief. "It works for me. I think I might be too nervous to team up with you, Erica, no offense. I'm afraid I might get you with a diaper pin or something else, and my mom would never let me hear the end of that. Neither would Marissa or Jo for that matter." She wasn't exactly lying, but she also wasn't telling the whole truth. Yes, she would be nervous teaming up with Erica, but Cory was pretty sure she would be able to get over those nerves. The reason she stepped in was actually the result of a private conversation she and Jessica had as names were getting drawn and the choices for partners dwindling. They had agreed that if things played out like they just had that they would step in to prevent any possible bloodshed.

Jo and Marissa looked at each other and shrugged. "She's right."

"No offense taken, Cory."

"Thank you, Erica. Now, Krystal, let's kick some butt."

Krystal smiled. "You're on."

No one was more relieved than Marissa and Bianca, although Kendall and Greenlee were probably a close second. The couple was just about to step in and volunteer to switch partners when Jessica made her proposal. Marissa and Bianca caught the eyes of Cory and Jessica and mouthed 'thank you'. The couple was pretty sure they knew what was really going on and was extremely grateful for their friends' intervention. They received slight nods in acknowledgement.

"Alright, let's get started!" Greenlee smiled, relieved they had dodged a bullet. _Kendall and I really didn't think that through. Thank god for Marissa's friends. We're going to have to do something for them._

/

"Our runner-ups are Jessica and Mom, and our winners are our Moms-to-be, Marissa and Bianca! Be honest, you've been practicing haven't you?" Kendall grinned at her sister-in-law.

Marissa smiled sheepishly. While the redhead hadn't had to change any diapers when it came to AJ, she had babysat a lot in the past and had to then. "A little. It's been a while since I've had to change any diapers."

"Me too." Bianca admitted. "While she has been practicing, Rissa has not been doing it blindfolded."

"That's good to hear. I think I'd be worried if you were." Greenlee smirked. "Okay, we'll take a small break and then it's time for gifts."

/

"This is adorable, Jan, Aya. How did you come up with this?" Bianca closely examined the diaper tricycle that Marissa had just unwrapped.

"Aya found it on the internet. It was pretty fun to put together."

"You can use everything that makes it up. The blankets and bibs are green since we don't know if you're having a boy or a girl."

"We blinged it out a little more than what was on the website, but Sparky's worth it." Aya added with a wink.

Marissa beamed. "Most definitely and thanks. I'll admit I'm already completely biased though. I almost don't want to use any of this because it would mean taking it apart. It really is too cute."

Bianca nodded. "Rissa's right. It's going to be hard taking this apart." The brunette gazed at her wife. "You're not the only one completely biased when it comes to our little one. The same holds true for our other kids as well as you."

"I couldn't agree more, on all accounts." Marissa replied and gave her wife a quick kiss.

/

Gifts continued to be unwrapped with Bianca and Marissa taking turns. Bianca hadn't wanted to because she wanted this to be about her wife. She was the one who was pregnant after all. Marissa was adamant however that this was just as much about Bianca as it was her. They were in this together. Bianca knew she would be fighting a losing battled and relented. They received a stroller and two matching car seats that they had been eyeing from Kendall, Erica and Greenlee. Having two car seats would save them from having to constantly switch them out from the other's car. Erica also slipped them the small gift bag she had brought and requested they open it later in private. Inside, they would find a sealed envelope that contained details pertaining to a trust she would be setting up for the baby once they were born. It matched ones she had arranged previously for Miranda, Gabby and, after the couple was together, AJ. Kendall, Erica and Greenlee also had gift bags for the three older Tasker-Montgomery children, not wanting them to feel left out especially after JR's last stunt. Krystal and a couple of other had gifts for the older kids in addition to their gifts for Sparky as well. Soon, the couple had numerous onesies, blankets, bottles, bibs, pacifiers and sleepers among other items for their little one.

"After this one, you have one last gift, that mysterious package that Alex brought in earlier." Greenlee noted as she handed a beautifully wrapped package over to Marissa.

The redhead smiled knowing instantly who it was from. Jessica had a specific style to how she wrapped presents, and Marissa recognized it from when she was younger. "I thought you were my gift."

Jessica laughed. "Hardly. You know I had to get you something for that baby. Sparky is the closest I will come to a grandchild until Jo decides to settle down."

Jo rolled her eyes. "No pressure though, right, Mom?"

"None whatsoever. This is more for you and Bianca."

Marissa chuckled and knew that Jessica would see Sparky as a grandchild and would spoil them as such. The redhead's breath hitched as the gift was revealed to her.

"What is it, Rissa?" Bianca had the same reaction as her wife when she saw what it was. "How did you?"

"Jessica, this is absolutely amazing."

"I'm glad the two of you like it."

"We love it."

"What is it, Marissa?" Carol asked.

Marissa removed the gift fully from its packaging and turned it around for the others to see. It was a crystal tri-frame that contained pictures in two of the frames. The one in the middle was empty.

"Is that you?" Sam asked.

"Yes, that's me when I was a baby and my Mom."

Krystal's eyes teared up slightly seeing her daughter as a newborn in her old friend's arms. She had given up any rights to be jealous but still couldn't help but feel a small pang.

"Your Mom was beautiful, and you're pretty darn cute yourself." Stef added with a smile.

"Yeah, she was. I love this picture and the one of Erica and Bianca. You look so much alike."

Erica and Bianca exchanged a smile. "Thank you. I see so much of Miranda and Gabby looking at that picture of you, sweetheart. That has always been one of my favorite photographs."

"You haven't changed much at all, Erica, still beautiful." Angie smiled and received a grateful nod from the diva in reply.

"How did you get these pictures?" Bianca asked as her fingers traced them lovingly.

"I was looking through some old photo albums and found that one of Lydia and Marissa that I had taken. I have some other photos I've made copies of for you as well. As for the one of Erica and Bianca, I had some help from Kendall and subsequently Erica. When I got this idea, I called Kendall and asked if she could help. The rest is history."

Kendall smiled. "I was more than happy to help. I love both pictures. You did a fantastic job, Jessica."

"Thank you. I was just starting out with my photography, and Lydia graciously agreed to help me out by sitting for me. Given my subjects, it was hard not to get a good shot. I have one of her with Jo as well."

"I can't wait to see that one."

"I made you a copy. Thank you again, Kendall and Erica for sharing that picture with me."

"You're welcome."

"Now, the middle frame is for you to add a photo of both of you with Sparky."

"I love that. Would you mind taking that photo for us and include all of our kids in it?" Bianca asked hopefully.

Marissa smiled. "Yes, that's a perfect idea, B. Would you, Jessica?"

"I would be honored."

"Thank you!"

"Time for the final gift. I think it's best if you come over here and open it." Greenlee suggested. "We have strict instructions that you are not to lift it, Rocky."

The couple nodded and headed over to where Greenlee was standing.

Bianca opened the card and read. "This is from Carol, Gail, Sam and Alex." There was something else in the envelope which she pulled out. It was a photo of a wooden highchair.

"That's part of your gift. Alex made it. We didn't bring it today because it was a little heavy to haul over here and for the two of you to take home. We'll bring it over sometime next week if that's okay." Gail offered.

"Of course it's okay. This is amazing."

Marissa switched her attention from the photo and began to admire the blanket covering the large object. "This isn't from a store. This is handmade. I can tell by looking at the stitching and overall excellent quality."

Carol smiled proudly. "Gail, Sam and I made that. It should match Sparky's room and the one you're making with Miranda."

"It does, and it's perfect. I love it."

"To be honest, grandma did most of the work, then Gail and then me. They're trying to teach me."

"Don't listen to her. Sam did more work than she's telling you and is picking it up pretty quickly." Gail added proudly.

"Thank you. Rissa's right on the quality, and the detail is amazing."

The couple removed the blanket and gasped when they revealed a hand-carved rocking horse. It had a padded leather seat, a mane and tail made out of yarn and a sweetly painted face.

"Wow. This … Wow … This is beautiful, absolutely beautiful. I've never seen anything like it." Marissa marveled.

"She's right. This looks like something out of a showroom. Alex really outdid himself. This is too much. You shouldn't have."

Carol walked over to the couple. "Oh hush. This isn't enough given everything you've done for us. I agree with you about Alex though. He did excellent work. He always does."

"He had to have put so much work into this."

Gail joined them. "He did, and Marissa, I tell you that he loved every minute of it. Sam helped him with this too."

The teen nodded. "She's right. He did love doing this. Alex would head out to his workshop as soon as he got off work, crank up the music and start working on this and the highchair. He wanted it to be just right for you guys."

"Well, he definitely succeeded. We're going to have to call him later to thank him, and Sam, you did an awesome job too."

/

Cake was served after all of the gifts were opened, and the couple shared some of the names that had been suggested by the others. Some were seriously, some not so much.

"Thor? Really, Lisa?" Marissa raised an amused eyebrow.

Lisa grinned. "I think it has a nice ring to it. Thor Tasker-Montgomery."

Aya snorted. "It really kinda does."

Bianca shook her head. "No, just no. If I don't want to use Sparky as a nickname, there's not a chance I'm going to use Thor as a first name."

"How about Xena?" Greenlee smirked at the glare she was getting from the brunette.

"No. It's too cliché." Bianca quipped.

Marissa laughed. "I think she has you there, Greenlee. Thank you all for coming today and being so generous. We're really lucky to have all of you in our lives and Sparky is too."

"Rissa's right, except for Sparky. We're not calling our little one that."

"Whatever you say, babe, whatever you say." Marissa grinned. She knew it was too late. Everyone with the exception of Bianca and Erica was calling the baby Sparky, and Bianca herself had slipped a couple of times.

Bianca sighed at the smug looks on her wife's and sister's faces. She knew it was pretty much a lost cause, but she wasn't giving up quite yet, not when the _debates_ she and Marissa had over the name were so pleasurable.

/

Guests began to filter out, and some helped the couple load their gifts into their car. Soon, it was just Kendall, Greenlee, Bianca, Marissa, Jessica, Jo and Cory.

"Thank you both so much for today. You really outdid yourselves. It was perfect." Bianca hugged Kendall and Greenlee.

Marissa nodded. "It really was, and best of all, there was bloodshed or need to call the police."

Kendall laughed. "I'd say that makes it rousing success. You're welcome. Jessica and Cory, thank you for stepping in earlier."

"Definitely. That could have been a disaster. At least with Angie, we had a doctor present." Greenlee smirked.

"You're welcome. Glad we could help out."

Bianca looked at her cellphone when she heard it beep informing her that she had a text. "It's Scott. They're leaving the fun zone. He says everyone's in one piece."

"That's good to hear." Marissa tried to hold back a yawn.

"We should get home, and let you get some rest. The same for you, Kendall."

"You won't get any argument from me, Binx. Everything is pretty much cleaned up so I can just relax and wait for Zach and the boys to get home. Drive safe."

"Ladies, it was great meeting you. We're all still on for brunch tomorrow, right?" Greenlee asked.

Marissa nodded. "Yes, we'll see you at the house tomorrow. Thanks again."

**/**

**A/N: A couple of quick notes on the gifts and games. The gestation periods for the animals listed are accurate. I shuddered reading that an elephant was pregnant for almost two years. I also was surprised that a baby turkey is called a pout. While doing some searches related to this arch, I saw the diaper tricycle, and it is really cute. My sister had a hand-carved rocking horse for my nephew that I used as inspiration for the one Alex made Sparky. See you soon!**


	169. Short AnswerLong Answer

**A/N: Thanks, as always for reading, following and reviewing! It's appreciated. This chapter picks up where the last one off. There is a jump in time towards the end. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"This is the last of it."

Marissa glanced up from the sofa as her wife and Cory returned from their latest trip to the redhead's SUV to retrieve the gifts the couple had received at the baby shower. After they had all returned to Minx Manor, Bianca and Jo carried the rocking horse inside and up to Sparky's nursery while the others began to unload the remaining gifts. Upon returning downstairs, the others sent Marissa to the sofa to begin sorting through the items and more importantly, to get off her aching feet. The redhead was sorting the clothing into two piles based on size. One pile contained the pieces they knew they would use right away so the tags could be removed and the items washed. The other pile consisted of pieces that were slightly larger and could be stored until they were needed. Receiving blankets, bibs and bath sets were readied to be washed as well.

"Thanks for helping, Cory."

"You're welcome. I have to earn my keep for the free room and board." The teacher grinned. "I saw Jo and Jessica in the kitchen. I'm going to go help them out with dinner."

"You do know that all of you don't have to cook dinner for us, don't you?" Bianca asked. When the other three women volunteered to fix dinner for them as a thank you for letting them stay at the couple's home, Bianca and Marissa had protested at first telling them it wasn't necessary. They were happy to have them there and they were guests. The trio from Devon insisted, and the couple finally relented.

"We went over this already. Yes, I know we don't have to, but we want to. We never expected you guys to wait on us. This gives the two of you a break before you tackle brunch tomorrow." Cory waved as she headed to the kitchen.

Marissa glanced around at all of the packages in awe. "I can't believe how much stuff we got, B. We have very generous family and friends."

Bianca looked around at the various piles. "We really did get a lot, and yes, we do. Oh speaking of generous, this is the gift from Mom. You want to check it out real quick before the kids get home?" The brunette handed her wife a gift bag.

"Good idea." Marissa pulled out the thick envelope and opened it. She scanned what she quickly recognized as a legal document. "Wow."

"What is it?"

"They're papers that detail the trust your Mom is setting up for Sparky. I know I shouldn't be surprised especially after she set one up for AJ, but my mother-in-law never ceases to amaze me. She's something else."

"That is Mom." Bianca could see a car's headlights coming down their driveway through the front window. "I'm betting that's Scott and the kids."

Marissa glanced up and nodded. "I think you're right. We should probably put these away for now. We'll read them later tonight in more detail."

Bianca took the papers and placed them back in the envelope. "I'll go put them in our bedroom."

"I'll get the door."

/

AJ, Miranda and Gabby bounded inside as soon as Marissa opened the door.

"Hi, Mommy!"

"Hi, Ma!"

"Hello, minions! Did you all have fun?"

"Uh huh!"

"Hey, Scott. Did they behave themselves?"

"Hey, Marissa. Yes, they did."

"Did Scott and the other guys behave themselves?" Marissa asked her children with a grin.

The kids giggled and nodded. "Yeah, they did."

"Good." Marissa turned to her friend and couldn't help but laugh. "You look tired."

"I'm exhausted. You and Bianca weren't kidding earlier. What I don't get is how the kids have so much energy still."

"They're still riding that high. They'll crash in another couple of hours. Thanks for taking care of them."

"You're welcome. Even though I feel like I could sleep for a week, I had a blast. Looks like you had quite the haul from your shower."

"We did pretty well."

Scott hugged the redhead. "Alright, I'm going to go home, kiss Madison and then crash on the sofa."

Marissa looked her kids. "Tell Scott thank you for today."

"Thanks, Scott!"

"You're welcome."

"Thank you for today and returning them in one piece." Marissa grinned as she hugged her friend again.

Scott laughed. "You're welcome. I knew I had to or I'd be facing the wrath of you and Bianca. Talk about scary. Tell Bianca 'hi', and the two of you have a good night."

"You too."

/

"Whoa. Is all of this for Sparky?" AJ asked as he eyed the various gifts in the family room.

"Not everything. There are a couple of presents for the three of you."

Three sets of eyes lit up.

Gabby began to look around and spotted some bags near the fireplace. "Are those for us?!"

"Yes, they are, Monkey. Let's wait for your Mom before you open them though."

"K."

Just a moment later, Bianca joined her family, and the kids opened their gifts. The gifts themselves were nothing big, some movies, games and books, but they did get the point across that they weren't forgotten in all of the excitement surrounding the baby. In the bags from Erica, Kendall and Greenlee, there were t-shirts that the kids loved. AJ's was red, and on the front, it read 'Big Brother AJ'. Miranda's was purple and read 'Big Sister Miranda', while Gabby's was light blue and read 'Big Sister Gabby'.

Jo came into the family room and saw what the kids had gotten. "I really like those shirts. Purple's my favorite color."

Miranda beamed. "Mine too!"

The doctor gave the young girl a wink and then addressed the others. "Dinner is ready."

"I'm starving." AJ's stomach growled to prove his point.

"Well, I got here just in time then."

"The Moms didn't cook?" Miranda was a little surprised.

"No, my Mom, Cory and I cooked to thank you all for letting us stay here."

"What'd you make?" Gabby asked.

"Well, your Moms told us that you like spaghetti and meatballs so we have that along with garlic bread and salad. Sound good?"

Jo's question was met with three enthusiastic nods.

"You're in for a treat. Jessica makes the best meatballs." Marissa informed the others as they made their way to the dining room.

/

Once they were all seated and plates filled, conversations began in earnest.

"Did you all have a good time today?" Bianca asked.

"Yep! We wiped the floor with everybody at laser tag!" AJ and Miranda did a little fist bump.

The women laughed.

"Good job, guys." Cory smiled.

"What about you, Monkey? What did you do?"

"Ian and me played in the castle. Some big kids came and tried to make us leave."

"What? Did they do anything to you?" Marissa and Bianca were instantly on alert.

"Nope! AJ, Mimo and Spike came over and talked to them. The big kids left us alone after that. AJ, Mimo and Spike stayed and played with us. It was really fun." Gabby smiled before taking a bite of a meatball.

"Didn't Uncle Zach, Scott or any of the other guys see what happened?" Marissa asked. _They were supposed to be keeping an eye on you, and Scott didn't mention anything like this happening._

Miranda was ready with an explanation. "It all happened really quick, and they're too big for the castle so they didn't see anything. The other kids wanted Gabby and Ian to leave and said a couple things to them, called them babies. Gabby stood up to them and said she wasn't a baby."

"I'm not." Gabby's defiant Kane streak showed.

Bianca smiled proudly. "No, you're not. What happened next, Miranda?"

"AJ could hear what they were saying and ran over there to stop them from doing anything."

The boy shrugged. "She's my little sister. Nobody's going to do anything to her."

Gabby beamed adoringly at her big brother.

"Those kids were trying to bully them because they were bigger. You guys have told us to stand up to bullies. Miranda and Spike came over to help. The other kids backed down then."

"If they didn't, we were going to get Uncle Zach or Scott, but we didn't need to so we didn't tell them what happened."

The couple looked at each other. They were really proud of the way they had each other's backs.

"Your Ma and I are proud of all of you and how you handled everything today. If this ever happens again though, we still want you to tell an adult. Okay?"

"Okay, Mom."

Bianca made a mental note to talk with Kendall tomorrow and let her know what happened. She wasn't sure if the boys would tell them but knew her sister and Zach would want to know.

As they ate, everyone continued to talk and share their adventures from earlier in the day. The kids were impressed that their Moms had won the diaper changing contest and laughed when Jo described what they looked like when they were doing it and how they had baby powder everywhere. After dinner was finished and everything cleared away, all of them went into the family room to see the baby's presents. They went up to Sparky's room to check out the rocking horse which the kids really liked.

When they returned to the family room, AJ decided to ask a question that popped into his mind after seeing the horse. "Ma, do you think Alex might help us with the tree house?" The boy just knew that if they had Alex's help that their tree house would be the best ever.

Marissa smiled. "Hmmm, I'm not sure, Buddy. I don't know how much free time he'll have to help, but you can always ask him. He's going to stop by later this week to drop off the highchair. You can ask him then, but don't be disappointed if he can't. Maybe if he can't help you actually build it, he can give you some tips."

AJ smiled. "Okay. That'd be cool too."

While the family was looking over the gifts, Jessica, Jo and Cory packed their bags in preparation for their trips back home the next day. A movie was put in once everyone was back together again, and the kids crashed about halfway through, their day at the fun zone finally catching up with them. Bianca and Marissa took the kids to their bedrooms and tucked them in. The women stayed up a little longer and talked before Jo and Cory decided to turn in. They had long drives ahead of them the next day and wanted to be well rested. Jessica would just be a passenger in her daughter's car so she decided to stay up a little longer. Bianca could sense a conversation between her wife and Jessica was waiting to be had.

"I'm going to go on back to bed. Good night, Jessica."

"Good night, Bianca."

"Try not to stay up too late." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss.

"I won't."

/

Jessica watched as Bianca headed down the hallway to the couple's bedroom before turning back to Marissa who was smiling.

"Just the two of us finally. Is there something you want to ask me?"

The older woman shook her head and smiled. Marissa was always perceptive, and her parents had taught her to follow her instincts. It was a lesson she had learned well.

"How have things been for you since you moved here, really?"

"Long answer or short answer?"

"Short answer."

"Overall, pretty damn good."

"Long answer."

Marissa smiled. "I knew you wouldn't settle for the short answer. When I first moved here, it was tough. I met my biological parents and learned they were a far cry from my Mom and Dad. The things they did would never had entered Mom and Dad's minds. I find out that not only was I the result of a one night stand but that I had a twin sister. Our mother decided to keep her and sell me to support them. There's a lot that goes through your head when you find that out. For the longest time, I wondered what was wrong with me. I mean, wasn't I good enough for her? Was there something that was wrong with me that had her pick the one she could love more?"

"Marissa."

The redhead held up a hand to stop Jessica. "I know what you're going to say, and it's something I figured out myself. It wasn't me. It was her. Krystal made her decision for whatever reason, but it wasn't because of anything I did. Truth be told, it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me. Roy and Lydia Tasker were the best parents I could've asked for. Who knows how my life would've turned out if I didn't have them?" Marissa sighed and then shook her head. "Anyway, I also met my biological father. He's … he's something. I doubt that I'll ever figure him out. David is a brilliant surgeon, truly gifted. He's also manipulative, has a god-like complex and never does something without asking what's it in for him. Krystal, David and Babe hurt a lot of people that I've come to love very much, Bianca chiefly among them. I can pretty much forgive them for what they did to me. What they did to Bianca though? I have a harder time with that. I think that's one of the reasons that Erica and I get along so well. For Bianca though, I'm trying. If you haven't figured it out by now, my wife is a remarkable person. I have never met anyone like her, and I think it's safe to say that I never will. Her capacity for forgiveness is just completely unreal and without equal."

Jessica nodded. "I have to say that from everything I've heard about her here but especially from working at the Miranda Center in New York, I'd have to agree. I know her official bio doesn't give the full story, but it hints enough that I can tell there is a lot more."

"There is, but that is her story to tell. I will only say that she is far stronger than you know. Don't get me wrong. She's no saint, and she'll be the first one to tell you that. She is remarkable though."

"I'm not fishing for more. I completely respect her privacy and you for protecting and keeping it, and I know you do the same for Jo and myself."

"I do. The only other person here who knows is Bianca, and that's only because Jo told her at the reunion and then gave me permission to fill in some of the details for her."

"She told me. I trust you, and I'm finding that I trust Bianca. Now, back to my question."

Marissa chuckled. "Back to your question. I met JR, fell in love with one side of him and then found out he had this whole other side he was hiding. He's charming, very smooth and an equally manipulative son of a bitch and cruel, especially when things don't go his way. He can lie to your face without batting an eye. Trust me, I know that firsthand. He cheated on me and then tried to cover for his mistress when she tried to kill me."

Jessica shook her head. She was still trying to get over that revelation from the previous evening. "I don't have any words for that. He just better hope that I never see him."

The redhead could tell from the glint in her eyes that Jessica meant what she said. "I would go through all of that again though if it meant I still had AJ. He is the sweetest and most loving boy and worth all of it. When he came into my life, I understood what my parents said about me. I couldn't love him anymore if I had given birth to him. Everything was worth it for him." Marissa smiled. "When everything seemed to be at its worst, that's when Bianca came into my life. She's smart, funny, kind, giving and really listens to me. She became my best friend and then, well then things changed."

"Do you know what it was that caused it?"

"No, I don't. By the time I realized what was happening, I was already pretty much hopelessly in love with her. And before you ask, yes, I was scared to death. She was my best friend, and I didn't want to lose her. She was too important to me."

"Was that the only reason you were scared?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, it wasn't, but it was the main one. The other reason was that I found myself in love with a woman. I had never been attracted to one before, and quite frankly, I would be lying if I said it didn't freak me out a little because it did. Then, I thought about it. I didn't see it as me falling in love with a woman. I fell in love with Bianca, an amazing person with a beautiful soul who happens to be a woman. Does that make sense to you?"

Jessica thought for a moment. "Yeah, I think it does. You fell in love with the person."

"Exactly. Once I figured that out, I just needed to get up the courage to tell her. Again, I was terrified that I might lose her as a friend. It turns out, she was just as frightened. Looking back, falling in love with her was the easiest and best thing I've ever done. I've never felt as loved with a partner as I have with her, and we truly are partners in every sense of the word. Yes, we have fights, some knockdown drag-outs. I defy you to find a couple that doesn't. But at the end of the day, there is no one else I can see myself with, no one else I want to be with. She is it for me. I think Mom and Dad would love her and be okay with this."

"I think you're right. Roy and Lydia were as open-minded as they were open-hearted. They would just want you to be happy, and it's clear that you are. I want the same thing for you too. You deserve it. You have found a home and a family here."

"I have. I always wanted a big family, and now, I have a wife and three, soon to be four, kids."

"Ah, the girls. They are adorable."

Marissa smiled proudly. "Yes, they are. Miranda is a mini Bianca, and Gabby is so carefree and light-hearted. Both will do anything for you and not really think twice about it. Miranda is a tad more on the serious side than Gabby, but I think that is because of her age she's seen Bianca get hurt, remembers more about her past relationships and is extremely protective of her. She also carries a couple of scars of her own when it comes to her relationship with Bianca's ex-wife. Bianca and I have done our best to help her with that. Just like with AJ, I couldn't love them more if they were my own."

"I can tell and so can they. It's easy to see they love you just as much as you love them. So, personal life …"

"Pretty damn good."

"Professional life?"

"Pretty damn good as well. I love what I do and feel like I'm really helping people."

"Something you've always wanted to do. I'm proud of you and, more importantly, happy for you. Professionally, you are a partner at a prestigious law firm and being recognized for your talent. Personally, you are even more of a success. You have family and friends that love you and have your back. I couldn't ask more for you, and I know your parents couldn't as well."

Marissa beamed and hugged Jessica tightly. "Thank you. That means more to me than you will ever know. Hearing that from you is like hearing that from them."

"You're more than welcome, and I promise you that I will be here for you whenever you need me. I am not losing you again."

"Same here. Looks like we're stuck with each other." Marissa wiped her tears away. "It's getting late, and we both need sleep."

"Yes, we do. You need it for Sparky, and I need it to help keep Jo awake. I'll see you in the morning." With that, Jessica headed off to bed.

/

Marissa checked the locks and security system before turning off the lights in the family room and padding down the hallway. She smiled seeing the bedroom lights still on. The redhead opened the door and found Bianca sitting up in bed reading.

"Have I ever told you how much I love those glasses?"

Bianca glanced up and smiled. "Maybe once or twice."

Marissa quickly got ready for bed and slid under the covers before giving her wife a loving kiss.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"For being you and knowing that Jessica and I needed some time alone to talk."

Bianca set her book on the nightstand along with her glasses. "You're welcome. How did it go?"

Marissa smiled. "Pretty damn good."

The couple talked for a little while longer before they turned off the lights and Marissa settled herself in Bianca's arms.

/

Marissa opened the door and welcomed the Slater family inside. As she was hanging up their coats in the hall closet, she noticed Zach cock his head in the direction of the family room where the TV was on.

"That wouldn't happen to be the Flyers/Rangers game, would it?"

The redhead chuckled seeing her brother-in-law's eyes light up. "Why yes, it would. Jo has it on. She's a huge hockey fan. Come on, I'll introduce you. Kendall, the kids are downstairs and Bianca's in the kitchen.

Zach grinned and followed his sister-in-law leaving a clearly amused Kendall behind.

"Jo, I would like you to meet my brother-in-law and Kendall's husband, Zach Slater. Zach, this is one of my oldest and dearest friends, Jo Shelton."

The two shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you, Zach."

"You too, Jo. Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Sure, have a seat. Are you a Flyers fan?"

"Definitely. You?"

"Born and raised. I used to watch the games with my dad. Living in New York, I don't get to see them in person as much as I'd like, but whenever they play the Rangers at the Garden, you know I'll be there."

Zach smiled. "I like her, Red. You have good taste in friends."

Marissa laughed. "I'm glad you approve. I'll go get you something to drink." The redhead left the two to bond over their favorite team.

/

Bianca smiled as she opened the front door to Erica and Jack. "Mom, Uncle Jack, come on in. I thought you couldn't make it."

"I didn't want to impose on your time with Kendall and Greenlee."

"Mom, we wouldn't have invited you if we didn't want you to come. You know that you're always welcome here."

"We're not too late, are we?"

"No, we're just about ready to sit down. I just need to add two more places."

"Good. I was hoping I could talk with Jessica for a few minutes, and Jack would love to meet her."

"Your mother is right. I'd really like to meet this woman, all three actually."

"I can arrange all of that. Follow me."

/

"I'll get it." Jo called over her shoulder as she headed to the front door. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Hello. I was hoping to speak with Marissa and Bianca."

"Can I tell them who's asking for them?"

"Caleb Cortlandt. I work with Marissa."

"Oh, you're one of the partners at her firm. She's told me about you. Come on in. I'm Jo Shelton, by the way."

"Her friend from Devon. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too."

"Jo, who was at the door? Oh, Caleb, what a nice surprise." There was something in his expression telling her something was up. "Why do I get the feeling this isn't a social call?"

"Because you know me. I really do hate to interrupt, but I do need to talk with you and Bianca for just a few minutes."

Marissa nodded. She knew what or rather who Caleb wanted to discuss. "We can talk back in our office. Let me just get Bianca."

"I'll get her for you." Jo offered.

"Thanks. Um, could you do it discreetly? I really don't want everyone to know."

"Gotcha." Jo nodded and headed off to get Bianca.

"Let's go on back."

/

Bianca entered the couple's office and found her wife and Caleb sitting on either side of the desk.

"Hi, Caleb. What did JR do now?"

Caleb chuckled. "Hello, Bianca. JR is asking for an early release. He is offering to leave town again for an out of state treatment facility as soon as he's out. He says if you agree that he'll be out of your hair for a long, long time."

Marissa eyed her mentor. "What's the catch? There always is one with him, and this is way too easy."

"You're right. He wants something. He wants to talk to AJ, alone."

"Hell no." The couple answered at the same time.

"He's not getting anywhere near AJ anytime soon, let alone spending time alone with him. Bianca and I have just gotten AJ to stop having nightmares. He's gotten his smile back and isn't looking over his shoulder wondering what the hell his father is going to do next to try and screw up his life. And we're done. We're done with JR trying to run things and making demands. Enough."

Bianca nodded and placed a hand on her wife's shoulder. "Rissa's right. JR isn't in charge, and he needs to learn that, once and for all. The only way he's ever going to hope to learn that is by facing the consequences of his actions. He stays where he is this time, no deals. After he's served his prison, he goes back out of town and into rehab. AJ is not a bargaining chip. He's a little boy."

Marissa placed a hand over top of Bianca's. "Exactly. We will not allow JR to use him. Tell him that he can take his offer and shove it straight up his ass."

Caleb nodded and smiled as he stood. "I couldn't agree with you more. Can I quote you on that to him?"

"Please feel free to." Marissa's smile matched Caleb's.

"I have to tell you that I'm looking forward to talking with lawyer and client. They were acting pretty cocky when they presented this proposal to me and were willing to bet the farm that the two of you would cave and jump all over this deal. Personally, I knew better and thought JR was smoking something to even think you would consider it. Alright, let me get out of your hair so you can get back to your guests."

The couple exchanged a glance and nodded at each other.

"Caleb, would you like to join us for brunch?"

"What? No, I wasn't …"

Marissa waved him off. "We know. We'd like you to stay, and I would like you to meet my friends. Please?"

Caleb sighed. "How can I say 'no' to you, to either of you? It would be my pleasure."

"Good!" Bianca smiled. "I'll go set another plate."

"We'll be right there." Marissa waited until Bianca was gone. There was something else she wanted to run by Caleb. "Have you been following a case before the state supreme court by the name of Samuels vs the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania?"

Caleb cocked his head. "I haven't been following it, but I've heard of it." The nature of the question dawned on the man. "Ah, I think I understand."

"Good. Could we talk tomorrow about it?"

"I'll make time."

"Thank you. Now, let's go eat. Sparky is hungry."

/

"Jessica, I'd like you to meet someone." Marissa said as she directed Caleb to the seat next to her friend. "This is Caleb Cortlandt. Caleb, this is Jessica Shelton."

The two smiled and shook hands before Caleb took his seat.

"It's nice to meet you, Caleb. Marissa and Bianca have told me a lot about you."

"It's nice to meet you as well, Jessica, and likewise. Marissa was disappointed when she thought you weren't going to make it. I'm glad to see that you were able to after all."

"I am too. I was coming all along. We thought it would be fun to surprise her."

"She does seem pretty happy about it. I hear you're a photographer."

Jessica smiled brightly. "I'm getting back into it."

/

"Marissa, thank you for me inviting me to stay." Caleb glanced over to where Jessica was seated. "I had a great time."

"You're welcome. Are you sure you have to go now?"

"Yes, I have a call to make, and I'll be sure to let you know how it goes."

Marissa chuckled. "I look forward to it."

/

"Jessica, I'll see you next month when I'm in New York."

"I look forward to it, Erica, and thank you again." Jessica saw the confused look on Bianca's face. "Your mom and I are going to meet up when she's in the city next month."

"That's great." Bianca turned to her Mom. "I'm glad you and Uncle Jack stopped by, and thank you for your gift for the baby. It means so much to both Rissa and me."

"You're welcome, and don't think anything of it. I'll see you this week."

/

Soon, it was just Bianca, Marissa and the trio from Devon.

"Thanks for coming, Cory. It was really good seeing you. Tell Chris and Matt 'hi' for me."

"I will, and it was so good seeing you too, Marissa, and meeting your family and friends. They're all pretty great." Cory smiled and hugged her friend before hugging Bianca. "Take care of yourselves, and thank you for opening your home to us."

"You're more than welcome and anytime, Cory."

"Marissa, take care of yourself and Sparky. Bianca, I want updates letting me know she's behaving herself." Jo winked.

"I'm sure you know that it's hard for Rissa to behave herself, but I'll do my best to keep her in line." Bianca smirked.

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Whatever. So, Dr. Shelton, did we pass?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Jo, I recognized the look a few times. I think there was maybe a little analysis going on."

The doctor chuckled. "Busted, huh? Occupational hazard, and I just can't help myself sometimes. You did great, and I'm happy for you."

"Thank you. Now, I just need to meet this professor of yours and give him the once over."

Jo sighed. "You're going to do the lawyer thing with him, aren't you?"

Marissa shrugged. "Like you said, occupational hazard. Drive safe."

"I will. Talk to you soon."

"Jessica, it was so good meeting you."

"And you too, Bianca. Thank you for taking care of this one." Jessica nodded in Marissa's direction.

"It's my pleasure. We will be talking soon about your ideas for the Miranda Center."

The two hugged before Jessica turned to Marissa.

"I'm so glad you're back in my life."

"That definitely makes two of us. Thank you for everything this weekend."

"It was my pleasure. You have a wonderful family and life here."

"I do, and now that I have you, Jo and Cory back in it, it's even more so."

"I feel the same way."

"So, you and Caleb seem to hit it off." Marissa grinned knowingly.

Jessica blushed. "He's a very interesting man."

"Are you going to see him again?"

"Maybe."

"I think that's great."

"So do I. Although, it looks like I'm going to have to have _the_ _talk_ with Mom on the way home. I also might have to have a chat with Caleb to see what his intentions are." Jo grinned.

Marissa snorted when she saw Jessica roll her eyes at her daughter's teasing.

"Josephine Lorraine Shelton."

"Ooh, Jo, you got the full name again. I think you're in trouble. I can vouch for Caleb's character if you need me to though." Marissa smirked.

"I think you're right. It's still not getting her out _the talk_."

"Better safe than sorry. Do you think we should chaperone them?" Marissa added with a mischievous grin.

"You're both impossible. Remind me again exactly how old the two of you are."

The younger women burst out laughing.

"We better go before I get myself in more trouble. I'll talk to you later this week." Jo said as she hugged Marissa.

The redhead turned to Jessica, and the two exchanged a hug as well. "Call and let us know when you get home."

"We will, and if you need anything, I'm just a call away." Jessica added with one final hug.

The three loaded up the car and gave a quick beep of the horn as they headed up the driveway. Marissa and Bianca stood with an arm around each other and waved as their friends began their trek back to their homes.

/

_The following week_

"Well, Marissa, you and Sparky are doing great. Everything is right on track."

Marissa and Bianca both released a sigh of relief.

Dr. Abbott smiled. "How have you been feeling?"

"Pretty good. I get tired a little more easily. My feet definitely swell more and hurt, but Bianca gives the best foot rubs." Marissa grinned at her wife.

"I gotta do what I gotta do to take care of you and our little one."

"She spoils me, and I love it almost as much as I love her."

"Well, I'm very glad to hear it. What about Lamaze classes? How are they going?"

"Good. We really like the instructor, and she's helped make me not feel so nervous about the actual delivery. We've got two more classes."

"Good, I'm glad they're helping. Do you have any questions for me?"

The couple exchanged a glance. "Not right now."

"Alright, if you do, call me. I'll see you next week."

There was a knock on the exam room door and a nurse came in and spoke quietly to the doctor. "We have an emergency with a patient and have her in exam room 2."

"Who is it?"

The nurse showed the doctor the patient's chart. "She's not here alone, is she?"

"No, a friend is with her. Her husband wasn't able to make it today."

"Call Dr. Rivera and inform him of what's happening. Then, call her husband. I'll be right there." The doctor turned back to the couple. "I'm sorry. I need to go. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

The couple nodded and hoped the other patient was okay.

/

After Marissa got dressed, she and Bianca made their way to the exit through the waiting room when they stopped suddenly.

"Greenlee?"

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, my evil side is back. See you soon!**


	170. Pitching In

**A/N: Thanks for reading, following and reviewing! I appreciate it. Now, this chapter is being posted a little earlier than normal. I'm going to be out all day on Saturday so you get this a few hours early. This chapter picks up exactly where the last one left off. My evil side is still cackling a little after that last cliffhanger. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Greenlee?"

Bianca froze seeing the petite brunette. Her mind immediately went into overdrive as the pieces of overheard information began to fit into place and form a full picture. She remembered Kendall saying she had a doctor's appointment today, that Zach had a meeting and wouldn't be able to be there but that Greenlee would take her, and that Dr. Rivera was her sister's cardiologist. It all told her that Kendall was the patient the nurse was referring to when she came to get Dr. Abbott.

Marissa's mind was working just as fast as Bianca's, and the redhead could see a panicked expression on Greenlee's face and knew the woman was barely holding it together.

"Greenlee, is Kendall alright?" The question had to be asked even though Marissa had a sinking feeling that she knew the answer.

"I … I don't know. She … She passed out, and a nurse was checking … was checking her out. They … they took her back to an exam room."

Bianca closed her eyes and whispered a silent prayer as Marissa pulled her close.

"Dr. Abbott is with her, Bianca." Marissa offered in reassurance.

"She has to be alright, Rissa. She just has to be."

"Let's sit down." Marissa saw how pale Bianca was. She glanced over to Greenlee and saw that she wasn't fairing much better. "Greenlee. Greenlee."

The petite brunette snapped back to attention and turned her head to Marissa. Greenlee was close to going into shock.

"Greenlee, let's sit down."

"I need to find out how she's doing." Greenlee attempted to protest.

"I'll find out, okay? I need you to sit with Bianca right now, please."

Greenlee nodded numbly and headed to an empty chair. Marissa turned to her wife.

"Bianca, I will be right back." Marissa squeezed her wife's had and received a small nod in return.

/

Marissa walked over to the front desk. "Hello, I'm Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."

"Yes, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery. We need to set up your next appointment. Is the same time next week alright?"

"That's … that's fine. There's a patient that had passed out and was taken back to an exam room."

"I'm sorry, but we are not allowed to discuss patients with others outside of their family."

"Her name is Kendall Slater, and she's my sister-in-law. Her sister, my wife, is right over there." Marissa pointed over to where Bianca was sitting.

"Oh."

"Could you please let us know what is going on? Let us know whether or not she's okay?"

The nurse hesitated for a moment before pulling up Kendall's file. She saw that after her husband that Kendall's sister was an emergency contact. She needed to verify the woman's name before she did anything else. "What is your wife's name?"

"Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

A nod was given when the information matched. "Please have a seat, and I'll see what I can find out."

"Thank you."

Marissa sat next to Bianca and took her hand. She addressed both her wife and Greenlee. "The nurse is going back to find out what's happening and will let us know."

The two brunettes nodded, and all three waited.

/

A short while later, the nurse appeared and walked over to the trio. "Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery? Bianca Tasker-Montgomery?"

Bianca's head shot up. "Yes, that's me. How's my sister?"

"Would you please come with me? Dr. Abbott will speak with you now." The nurse held up a hand to stop Marissa and Greenlee. "I'm sorry, but I can only take Bianca Tasker-Montgomery back."

"I'm sorry, but they are coming with me. Marissa is my wife, and Greenlee is my sister's best friend. She brought her here for her appointment."

Seeing the pleading look, the nurse relented. She would let Dr. Abbott sort through this. "Fine. Please follow me."

/

"Bianca. Marissa. Please have a seat." Dr. Abbott paused seeing Greenlee.

"This is Greenlee Lavery. She's my sister's best friend …"

"Oh, Greenlee, of course. You brought Kendall in for her appointment. She mentioned you. Please have a seat."

"How are my sister and the baby?"

"At the moment, both Kendall and the baby are stable."

The three women released a breath they didn't know they were holding. The disclaimer 'at the moment' hung in the, but they would take what they could right now.

"What happened?"

"As you're well aware, there is a concern with your sister due to her heart condition. Basically, what happened today was that Kendall's heart began to beat erratically, and it caused her to pass out. We paged her cardiologist Dr. Rivera. By the time he got here, she had regained consciousness. While I monitored the baby, Dr. Rivera performed an initial exam of your sister. We both agreed that it would be best for both her and the baby to admit her and perform more thorough tests. We were able to get in touch with your brother-in-law, and he is on his way."

"Can we see her?"

"Yes, but she is being admitted right now so you may have to wait until she's settled in her room."

"Thank you, doctor." Bianca said gratefully.

"You're welcome. And Marissa, I know you're worried about your sister-in-law, but please remember not to get too stressed out yourself."

"I'll do my best."

/

As the three began the walk from the wing of the hospital they were currently in to the one where Kendall was, they began to talk.

"I need to call Mom and let her know what's going on."

"Yeah, the sooner she knows the better. While you're doing that, I'll call the Miranda Center and the office and let them know we won't be back today."

"I need to call Fusion and have them clear our schedules, and then call Ryan."

"What about the kids?" Marissa asked.

Bianca thought a moment. "Susan has class today, doesn't she?"

"Yes. One of us will have to get them. I'll pick them up. We can check with Kendall and Zach and see if they want us to get the boys and keep them."

"Are you sure that's not too much for you? I can go …"

"No, you stay here. I know you're worried about Kendall, and this is where you should be right now. Anyway, the kids won't be a problem."

"I'm not going anywhere so I can take you back to your car whenever you want, Bianca. You're sure about the kids, Marissa? I can always ask Madison or Randi."

"I'm sure. We'll be fine. You're sure about taking Bianca back to the Center to get her car?" The couple had driven to their respective offices separately that morning, and Marissa had then picked Bianca up for their appointment with Dr. Abbott since the Center was on the way.

"Yeah, I am."

"Thanks, Greenlee. I appreciate it. You're right, Rissa. If you're okay with the kids, I really do need to make sure she's okay. I need to see it for myself."

"I understand. If they want the boys to stay with us, I can always swing by their house and pack them a bag."

/

Zach reached the hospital in record time and ended up meeting Bianca, Marissa and Greenlee outside of Kendall's room.

"Have you heard anything?"

Bianca shook her head. "No more than Dr. Abbott told you."

They headed to the waiting room to sit and talk. Bianca offered that she and Marissa would watch the boys for them if they wanted, and Zach agreed that it was a good plan and thanked his sister-in-laws. Knowing the boys would be taken care of was one less thing Zach and Kendall would have to worry about.

"What about Erica?"

"I called her, and she's on her way."

"Thanks. Kendall has to be alright. I don't know …"

"Hey, don't go there. She will be alright. Kendall is strong and is one hell of a fighter. You and the boys are everything to her." Bianca was trying to convince herself as much as Zach. The brunette felt Marissa squeeze her hand, giving her the strength and the faith to believe what she was saying.

Zach ran a hand through his hair. "You're right. She is a fighter. I should have been here today."

"Don't do that to yourself, Zach. This would've happened whether you were here or not." Greenlee noted. "And Kendall wanted you to go to that meeting."

"Mr. Slater."

Zach's head snapped up. "Dr. Rivera, how's Kendall?"

"She's stable. We've regulated her heart rate, and she's resting comfortably."

"The baby? Dr. Abbott had said the baby was okay."

"The baby's fine. Dr. Abbott will be stopping by shortly to check on the baby again. We currently have a fetal monitor attached, and everything is fine."

The group breathed a sigh of relief.

"Can I see her?"

"Yes, you can, but just you for now, Mr. Slater. After Kendall has gotten some rest, the rest of you can visit."

Zach turned to his sister-in-law who simply waved him on.

"Go. Give her our love. We'll be here."

"I will." With that, Zach followed the doctor to Kendall's room.

/

Erica rushed into the waiting room and headed straight for her youngest daughter. "Bianca, how is Kendall?"

"Hi, Mom. She's stable."

"And the baby?"

"Stable as well. Zach is with her right now."

"Thank goodness. What are you doing out here? Let's go see her."

"Mom, the doctor said only Zach could go back right now. Dr. Rivera wants to limit her visitors until she's had a chance to rest some."

"But she's my daughter, I should be back there with her."

"Mom."

"Bianca, I need …"

"Mom. I want to see her too. We all do, but we have to do what's best for Kendall. Right now, that means we wait."

"But …"

"But nothing, Mom. We have to wait."

Erica huffed. She knew her daughter was right, but she did not like waiting. "Fine. I'll wait, but only for a few minutes longer."

"Thank you."

Marissa checked the time. "I hate to do this, but I should go. I need to pack a bag for the boys before I pick all the kids up."

"Yeah, you really should."

"Are you going to be okay?"

Bianca smiled softly. "I'll be fine. Take care of the kids and yourself."

"Call me when you know something and give Kendall my love. When she's up to it, we'll be waiting for her call."

"Drive safe and don't do too much, please."

Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss. "I'll be good. I promise. The same goes for you. Erica, Greenlee, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call."

"Thank you, dear."

"Thanks, Marissa."

/

"This is ridiculous. I'm going back."

"Mom, please wait."

Angie spotted the women she was looking for. "Bianca, Erica, Greenlee. Dr. Rivera says you can see Kendall now."

"It's about time." Erica huffed as she grabbed her coat and purse.

"Thanks, Angie. How's she doing?"

"She's doing okay. Wanting to go home, but that's not happening today."

"That's sounds like her." Greenlee shook her head as relief that her best friend was acting like herself washed over her.

"True. Maybe the three of you can help Zach keep her in line."

"We'll do our best."

"Where's Marissa? Zach said she was here."

"Rissa went to pick up the kids. We're going to keep an eye on them until Kendall can go home."

"I know that will be a huge relief for her."

/

"Kendall, how are you feeling, dear?" Erica hugged her oldest daughter.

"I'm good, Mom. I'm sorry for causing all this fuss."

Bianca was next to hug Kendall. "Don't worry about any of that. We just want you and the baby to be okay. Rissa went to pick up the kids. She sends you her love. When you're ready to talk to the boys, she'll be ready."

"Thanks, Binx. I really appreciate the two of you watching the boys for us. It's not too much for her, is it?"

"She'll be fine and wouldn't be wanting you to be worrying about her. I'll be home to help her later."

"You scared the crap out of me." Greenlee said as she hugged her best friend.

"I'm sorry."

"Just don't do it again."

"I'll try my best."

"Ah, Kendall, how are you feeling?"

Kendall smiled at her obstetrician. "Hi, Dr. Abbott. I'm feeling much better from when I saw you last."

"That's very good to hear. I would like to do an ultrasound to check on the baby. I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask some of you to leave."

"It's okay, doctor. They can stay." Kendall looked at Zach who nodded.

"It's fine with me."

"Alright, if the three of you would stand over there, I'll get this started."

As the doctor moved the wand around Kendall's small baby bump, everyone watched the monitor with their ears peeled for any sounds.

"That's the baby's heartbeat. It's nice and strong. And there is your baby. Would you like to know what you're having?"

Kendall and Zach looked at each other and smiled. Their answer was the same.

"Yes, please."

/

Bianca drove home conflicted. She was worried about her sister, and at the same time, she was happy for her.

Dr. Rivera had said that if Kendall's condition continued to improve like it had the last few hours, she would be discharged tomorrow with strict orders for rest. She would also have to wear a portable heart monitor. He wanted to track her for several days in order to help determine his course of action. If she continued to have episodes like today's, he would most likely have to pursue a more aggressive treatment, something he was hoping to avoid given the pregnancy. He and Dr. Abbott would continue consulting with each other.

What made Bianca happy was seeing how both Zach's and Kendall's eyes lit up when they found out the baby's sex. They were thrilled but also trying to keep themselves in check. They knew all of the risks involved. Zach had even broached the subject of whether or not the pregnancy was the reason behind Kendall's condition. While it was a contributing factor, Dr. Rivera was of the belief that Kendall would most likely have faced this issue with her health eventually.

A smile graced Bianca's face as she headed down the driveway and pulled into the garage, happy to be home.

/

Marissa was cleaning up the kitchen from dinner when she heard the garage door open. A minute later, hazel eyes met warm chocolate ones.

"Hey."

"Hey, yourself."

"How are things here?"

"All quiet on the home front. Why don't you change, and I'll get you something to eat?"

Bianca stopped to give her wife a quick kiss before doing as suggested. On the way to the couple's bedroom, she stopped to greet the kids who were happily distracted watching 'Despicable Me 2' which was playing on the TV in the family room.

/

Bianca sighed as she sat down at the kitchen table. It felt so good to be home and to be able talk with Marissa.

"So, how's Kendall?"

"Better. Her heart rate is back to normal, and she is resting comfortably. She and Zach wanted me to thank you again for setting up the skype session with the boys. Seeing them and knowing they were okay really helped her."

"I'm glad I could do something to help. I feel pretty useless right now." Marissa set a plate filled with the evening's dinner in front of her wife.

"You're not the only one. Sit down and join me. I know your feet have to be killing you."

"Let me get us something to drink, and I will. What did the doctor say?"

"Well for now, everything is status quo with both Kendall and the baby. If things are the same tomorrow, she can go home. She's going to wear heart monitor so they can track what's going on with her heart. There is a possibility of surgery if this continues to happen. That is the last recourse though."

"Surgery would be risky for the baby though, right?"

"Yes, that's why any decision regarding Kendall's treatment will include Dr. Abbott."

"How did Erica take all of this?"

"Mom was very quiet. I could see her wheels turning the whole time. I could tell that she's coming up with some sort of plan. I just don't know exactly what it is yet."

Marissa thought for a moment. "You have an idea though."

"I do, but I'm not sure I like it."

"David."

Bianca nodded. "It would be like making a deal with the devil."

"You're right, but if it helps Kendall, isn't it worth it?"

"Yes, it is, but I don't have to like it."

"I understand, trust me. I could talk to him. Maybe, he would be more open if the request came from me."

"It could also add to your stress which isn't good for you or Sparky right now. No, let's wait and see what's going on before we go there."

"Alright." Marissa then grinned.

"What?"

"You called our little one Sparky."

"I did? Damn. See. You're a bad influence on me."

Marissa laughed. "I guess so. You love it though."

Bianca leaned in for a tender kiss. "You're right, I do. Oh, we found out what Kendall's having."

"Really? What?!"

/

Erica's mind was racing a mile a minute after she left Kendall. She knew what she had to do. There was no other option. Dr. Rivera seemed very capable, but Erica didn't want 'capable' for Kendall. She wanted the very best, and to her, that meant only one person. The diva knew it would mostly likely mean begging, but if it meant Kendall would be given a better chance, it was something she would gladly do.

Jack had stopped by the hospital as soon as he had been able to and had been with them for an hour before the nursing staff shooed them out of Kendall's room. Erica had sent Jack on ahead with a promise to meet him at the bistro for a late dinner. She told him she just had one errand to run first. It was that 'errand' that had led her to where she was now. Putting on her best face, she knocked on the office door.

The surprised look of the man answering soon turned to one of smugness when he saw who it was. He had been expecting this visit for a little while, and he was going to relish it. "Erica."

"David. May I come in?"

/

"Dr. Abbott did an ultrasound while we were there to check on the baby again and asked if they wanted to know what they were having. Kendall and Zach didn't hesitate. It made me wonder. Are you sure you're okay with waiting?"

This was a conversation they had had a few times during the course of Marissa's pregnancy, and the couple always arrived at the same decision.

"I'm positive. Are you?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Alright, it's settled, again." Marissa smiled. "So, what is Kendall having?"

Bianca smiled brightly. "Kendall is having a …"

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, I left it there. I will reveal the sex of Kendall and Zach's baby in the next chapter, but I want to add a disclaimer before I do. What they are having in no way reflects what Bianca and Marissa are having. The sex of babies are not connected at all. Sparky was planned for me, but Kendall and Zach's wasn't. That being said, I could use your help. I need a name for their baby. Send me names for both boys and girls right now. I could use them. This is just for Kendall and Zach's baby. I have Sparky's name all picked out. Thanks in advance. See you soon!**


	171. Finding Things Out

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. Hope everyone in the States had a Happy Thanksgiving. Mine was drama free so it was good. This chapter picks up a little while after the last one. There's a shout out in the author's at the end of this chapter. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Bianca and Marissa walked into Krystal's and were quickly waved on to their table by Nadine. They had stopped by for a late lunch after meeting with the kids' teachers for parent/teacher conferences that morning. This meant the kids had the day off school. While AJ and Miranda were happily at home under the watchful eye of Susan, Gabby was currently spending time with Opal. The couple's youngest had been particularly clingy lately when it came to Marissa. Instead of staying home with her brother and sister, Gabby had insisted on going with her mothers, so much so to the point where tears had been shed. A compromise was reached after the couple explained that she couldn't go to the meetings with them. Bianca and Marissa would meet with the teachers while Gabby would hang out with Opal for the short period of time needed for the parent/teacher conferences. By doing this, Gabby would be able to spend more time with her mothers, Marissa in particular, since she would see them long before they returned home. Opal was the perfect person to keep Gabby distracted and readily agreed to watch her.

The reports from the teachers had been glowing, for the most part. Gabby's teacher expressed some minor concern. She had noticed the little girl was not her normal bubbly self and had become slightly withdrawn. Gabby had always like school and soaked everything up. She always contributed in class and had a happy-go-lucky attitude that made her a favorite with everyone, but now, it seemed like she couldn't wait for school to be over, like she didn't even want to be there at all sometimes. She was quiet and kept more to herself. It was as if there was something on her mind, and whatever it was weighed heavily on her. The teacher asked if they knew of anything that might be causing this change in her personality, and the couple honestly couldn't think of anything. Yes, she was clingy, but they thought it was a phase she was going through because of the baby, that she was worried about losing her place in the family or was maybe even a little jealous about it. After talking with her teacher however, they would definitely be having a long talk with Gabby when they saw her later that day.

/

"Ladies, it's good to see you. How are you doing today?"

Marissa glanced up and smiled. "Hi, Krystal. We're doing pretty good. How about you?"

"I can't complain."

"Thanks for letting us borrow Opal today for a little while."

"It's no problem at all, Bianca. I have to tell you that Opal was really looking forward to today and had all kinds of plans for their time together. It didn't matter to her that you only needed her to watch Gabby for a couple of hours."

"That sounds like her."

"Did the parent/teacher conferences go okay?"

Marissa nodded. "They did."

"That's good to hear. How's Kendall doing? Is she back to work yet?"

"She's doing okay and started back yesterday, only on half days though for now. Greenlee will make sure of that." Bianca answered.

"I can imagine she will. So, she and Zach are having a little girl. I think that's great."

"Yeah, I really like the idea of having a niece." Bianca grinned.

"Me too. I think Zach will put the fear of god into anyone she dates."

Krystal chuckled. "I have no doubt about that. Do they have a name picked out yet?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not yet, but now they just need to focus on names for a girl."

/

The door opened, and Gabby rushed in with Opal right behind her. The little girl made a beeline for the table where her mothers were sitting. She immediately latched onto Marissa and relief seemed to flood through her.

"Hi, Mommies! Missed you!"

"Hi, Monkey. We missed you too. Did you have fun with Opal?"

Gabby shrugged taking up residence between her mothers. "Yeah."

"Hi, Opal. How was she?" Bianca asked as she helped Gabby off with her coat.

"Oh, she was very good, no problems at all. She couldn't wait to get back to the two of you though. She saw the two of you through the window, and I was chopped liver. I will tell you that she has some new fans at the beauty parlor, nothing unusual there though considering where she comes from."

"Thank you for watching her for us."

"It was my pleasure." Opal smiled at young brunette. "I had fun, little missy. We'll try and do something again real soon."

"What do you say?" Bianca prompted.

Gabby glanced up at the older woman. "Thank you, Opal."

"You're welcome." Opal waved as she headed to the restaurant's backroom.

Krystal turned back to the family. "I'll put your order in. What should I add for Gabby?"

Marissa glanced at her daughter. "Chicken nuggets and chocolate milk, Monkey?"

Gabby nodded. "Yes." Seeing the silent prompt from both mothers, she quickly amended her statement. "Yes, please."

Krystal chuckled. "I'll put that right in and send someone over with your drinks."

"Thank you."

Marissa and Bianca shared a silent conversation over top of Gabby's head followed by a quick nod. It was time to talk to their youngest. While this wasn't the ideal place, they would have more privacy here than at home without AJ and Miranda being around.

/

"Gabby."

"Yes, Mommy?" Gabby answered her brunette mother.

"Is there anything you want to talk to Mommy or me about?"

A confused look crossed the girl's face. "Huh? What do you mean, Mommy?"

"We talked to Mrs. Weber today. She said you've been really quiet in class and not acting like you normally do. You don't volunteer like you usually do and keeping to yourself. We've noticed you acting like that at home too. You like spending time with Opal, but you didn't seem like you wanted to today."

Marissa took over. "You've been wanting to spend all your time with me, and while I love doing things with you because it's one of my favorite things, I want you to have fun with others. It doesn't seem like you have been. What's going on, Monkey? You know you can tell us anything. Maybe, we can help, but you have to tell us first."

Sensing her daughter's reluctance. Bianca decided to take a chance and follow her instincts. "Gabby, are you upset about the baby? Don't you want to be a big sister?"

Gabby shook her head. "No, I wanna be a big sister, Mommy. I wanna be one just like Mimo. She's the bestest."

"Are you afraid the baby is going to take your place then?"

"No, I know you and Mommy love us the same."

"Then, what's going on?"

Gabby looked at both of her mothers and sagged. It was time to tell them. "I … I'm afraid."

"Afraid of what, Monkey?"

"I'm afraid you're going to die." Gabby blurted.

"What? Why would you think that?"

"Aunt Kendall's sick cause of her baby. She's been in the hospital lots, and they're afraid about her heart. They say she could die cause of all that. If she could, then you could, and I don't want that to happen to you, Mommy. I love you. I don't wanna lose you."

Marissa's heart broke as tears began to stream down her daughter's face. Her gaze met Bianca's and saw the same heartbreak. "Come here, Gabby."

The little brunette went over to her redheaded mother who pulled her onto her lap. Gabby burrowed into Marissa while tiny sobs wracked her small body.

Marissa wrapped her arms around Gabby and began to rock her gently. Bianca scooted over to Gabby's seat and assisted in soothing the girl. Gabby's sobs began to quiet down after a few minutes much to her mothers' relief.

"Gabby, the baby isn't hurting me, and my doctor has told me that there is nothing wrong with me. Everything is just the way it should be. I'm okay."

"But Aunt Kendall …"

Bianca took this one. "Sweetie, Aunt Kendall's baby isn't making her sick. Aunt Kendall has had problems with heart before this baby."

"She has?"

"Yes. You know that scar that she has on her chest?"

"Uh huh."

"A few years ago, Aunt Kendall was sick, and the doctors had to fix her heart. It's not because of the baby. She has doctors keeping an eye on her to make sure she and the baby are okay."

"But what about that lady?"

"What lady?"

"They said there was this lady who got sick and died because of her baby."

"What?"

"They said they saw it on TV."

Bianca was confused. "Who are _they_?"

"Some of the moms of the kids in Ian's class. I heard them talking when we were playing together during recess. They said there was a movie about it."

It finally dawned on Marissa what Gabby was talking about. There had been a movie on Lifetime recently about a mother who died during labor. She'd only heard about the movie because she did not want to watch it. In fact, she had made sure she steered clear of it. The last thing she needed to watch was a movie like that. With her hormones the way they were, a Hallmark commercial could start tears flowing. She knew without a doubt a movie like that would have her a blubbering mess so she stayed away from it like the plague.

Marissa mouthed the movie's title, 'A Mother's Heart', and Bianca knew immediately what was behind her daughter's distress. Bianca hadn't wanted to see the movie either. While she believed everything would be okay with both her wife and sister, the subject hit a little too close to home for her comfort.

"Gabby, I want you to listen to me, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy."

"What they were talking about what was just a movie. It was a story that someone made up. It wasn't true. I was just at the doctor's last week, and she told me that everything was good. You don't have to worry about me. I am going to be fine and so is Sparky."

Seeing that Gabby wasn't buying what she was saying 100%, the redhead thought quickly. "I have an idea. How would you like to come to my next doctor's appointment? You could talk to her and see what's going on with Sparky. What do you think?"

"Really? I could do that?" Gabby asked hopefully.

Bianca smiled. She thought it was a great idea. "I don't see why not. I'm sure Dr. Abbott would be okay with it. Do you want to?"

Gabby thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

"Okay then. I'll call Dr. Abbott, and let her know what we want to do."

"What do you think about including AJ and Miranda?" Bianca asked not wanting them to feel left out and slightly concerned they might be worried as well even though she hadn't noticed any changes in their personalities. "I think they might want to see the baby too."

Gabby nodded bravely. "Okay, I don't want them to be scared."

Marissa squeezed her daughter tightly. "That's very thoughtful of you, Monkey. Do you feel better?"

"Yeah, I do."

"We're very glad to hear that. I'll call school tomorrow and talk to your teachers so the three of you will miss just a little bit of class when we go to our appointment."

"Gabby, you need to tell us when you're scared or when something's wrong or bothering, sweetie. It's not good to keep those kinds of things inside. If you do, there's no way we can help you, and that's what we're here for. It's our job to take care of you and make things better. Okay?" Bianca added catching her daughter's eye. The brunette sighed in relief when she received a small smile in return from her daughter.

"Okay, Mommy."

"Monkey?"

"Yeah, Mommy?"

"Are you okay to sit in your own chair for a little bit? I need to go to the bathroom, again."

Gabby giggled and slid off her redheaded mother's lap. She remembered her mom's joke about Sparky and her bladder. "Tap dancing?"

Marissa chuckled. "Yes, tap dancing. Thank you. I'll be right back."

/

As Marissa made her way back to the ladies' room, Krystal stopped her. She had noticed something was going on at the table and held off on delivering their order.

"Is everything okay with Gabby? She seemed upset."

"Everything's okay now, just a little misunderstanding."

"Good. I'll have someone bring your orders over."

"Thanks. Sorry, Sparky is tap dancing on my bladder again."

Krystal chuckled. "I understand. Go. It will be waiting at the table for you."

/

Bianca was breathing a little easier knowing the cause of Gabby's change. As she watched her youngest color in the coloring book she had been given by Nadine when the waitress stopped over with their drinks, she couldn't help but be slightly irritated by what she'd heard. She really wished those parents had been paying attention to their surroundings when they were discussing that movie. Because they hadn't, Gabby had gotten the wrong impression and thought it was real. She made a mental note to talk with Kendall later and check on Ian, make sure he was alright. Bianca also thought it would be a good idea to speak with Gabby's teacher again and fill her in on what was going on.

/

Marissa exited the ladies' room and started for the table when she got what she thought was a good idea.

The redhead took her seat. "Hey, I was thinking I might make it an early day at work and spend the afternoon with my favorite minions."

Gabby perked up. "Could we watch 'Frozen'?"

"Sure."

"Well, I can't let you have all the fun. I think I'm going to do the same thing." Bianca smiled.

"Yay!" Gabby beamed.

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Monkey."

/

_Two days later._

"Bianca Tasker-Montgomery?"

"This is us, guys."

The family stood and followed the nurse down the hallway to the exam room Marissa was in. While the redhead was undergoing the first part of her normal exam, Bianca stayed in the waiting room with the kids. The brunette would have liked to have been with her wife for the entire exam, but the kids didn't need to see a certain part of it. What they were going to see, however, was an ultrasound. The nurse opened the door and motioned for the family to go in.

Marissa was dressed and reclined on the exam table. The redhead smiled seeing her family. "Hey, it's okay. Come on in."

Bianca led the kids to the stools that had been brought in for the kids to stand on in order to see the monitor while she took her usual spot next to her wife.

"Dr. Abbott, I'd like you to meet our kids. This is AJ, Miranda and Gabby. Minions, this is Dr. Abbott. She's my doctor and is taking really good care of me and Sparky."

"Hello, it's nice to meet the three of you. Your Moms have told me all about you. They are very proud of you."

Shy 'hellos' were offered along with soft smiles hearing the doctor's words.

"Before we do anything else, would you tell Bianca and kids what you just told me?"

"Of course. Marissa and Sparky are doing good. All of Marissa's vital signs are good and where I like them to be. Her weight is good as well. The same goes for Sparky, progress is right on track. I'm very happy with both of them."

"Good. Rissa's been doing everything you've told her."

The doctor smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Okay, let's get started. Marissa, if you would raise your shirt." As the redhead did as asked, Dr. Abbott explained to the kids what she was going to do. "I'm going to put this gel on your Mom's belly. I'm doing that so I can move this wand on it easier. This wand is going to send a signal to this monitor here, and we'll be able to see and hear Sparky. Don't worry. This doesn't hurt your Mom or Sparky."

Three sets of eyes grew wide in wonder.

"Really?! Sparky can talk?" Gabby asked.

"Not yet, but we can hear Sparky's heartbeat. Listen really close. It's going to sound like a bunch of horses running. Ready?"

Three heads bobbed up and down enthusiastically. Eyes were peeled to the monitor as the baby's image appeared on screen and the sound of the racing heartbeat filled the room.

The doctor readily picked out what she was looking for and pointed it out to the kids. "There is Sparky."

Heads were cocked and eyes were glued to the screen as Dr. Abbott pointed out the things they were seeing such as the baby's head, arms, fingers, etc…

"Whoa! This is so cool." AJ had barely blinked.

"It looks like Sparky is sucking on a thumb." Miranda pointed out with a huge grin.

"Good eye, Mimo. It looks like that to me too." Bianca smiled at her oldest daughter's excitement.

Gabby was speechless as she took everything in.

Marissa smiled seeing the awestruck look on the youngest family member's face as Sparky kicked. "What do you think, Monkey?"

"It doesn't hurt, Mommy?"

"Nope."

"Wow." If possible, Gabby's eyes grew even wider. "Is that Sparky's heartbeat?"

"Yes, it is."

"Dr. Abbott, is Mommy really okay?" Gabby asked as she grew serious. It was a question she had to ask.

AJ and Miranda looked up at the doctor and awaited her answer.

"Yes, Gabby, your Mommy really is okay."

After a moment, Gabby nodded. "Okay. How big is Sparky now?"

The couple exchanged a glance, both wearing relieved expressions as the kids were seemingly satisfied with the answer. They now were peppering the doctor with other questions such as how much Sparky weighed and how the ultrasound worked. That last question was Miranda's. There appeared to be no end to her curiosity. Dr. Abbott answered each question, not talking down to the kids once but broke things down so they could understand. She was actually impressed by some of the questions.

"Looks like this idea was a winner. I'm really glad we did this." Bianca whispered.

Marissa nodded. "Yeah, I think it was too."

/

"If you follow me, Mrs. Shelton, I'll take you to Ms. Kane's dressing room."

Jessica nodded as she followed a young man down crowded hallway. Erica was in New York for her appearances on 'The View'. The diva had called Jessica and asked if she would be willing to meet her on the show's set. When Jessica agreed, Erica arranged a pass to the show. She also had made lunch reservations for them after the taping was done for the day. Erica had chosen one of her favorite restaurants in the city, _per se_. It was a five star restaurant located on Columbus Circle that was known for its nine-course tasting menu. That would provide them with more than enough time to talk and get to know each other better. Both women found they really liked each other during the time they had spent together at the baby shower and were looking forward to today.

The man stopped in front of a dressing room and knocked on the door. "Ms. Kane, your guest is here."

"Come in."

He opened the door for Jessica. "You have five minutes." The assistant added before leaving to tackle another task before the taping began.

Erica nodded at the assistant before he left to let him know she understood. "Jessica, please have a seat. It's so good to see you."

"Erica, it's good to see you too. How have you been?"

"I've been well. And yourself?"

"Pretty good. Marissa told me about Kendall. I'm so glad she's doing better. You must be so relieved."

"Thank you, and I am. I do worry that she'll need surgery though. I've been reaching out …"

The conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Ms. Kane, it's time."

"We'll have to pick this up after the show. I've arranged a seat for you in the audience if you'd like."

"I would love it. Thank you." Jessica was floored. She hadn't been expecting any of this. Marissa was right. Erica had been nothing but kind to and generous with her.

/

"Ah, Ms. Kane, welcome back. It is so good to see you again." The maître de at _per se_ welcomed Erica.

"Claude, it's good to be back."

"If you and your guest would me, I'll show you to your table."

Erica nodded, and she and Jessica followed the man. After both women were seated, he handed them menus and took their drink orders before hurrying off.

Jessica glanced around. "I've heard of this place but haven't been here before. What do you recommend?"

"The Australian Black Winter Truffles are excellent as is the veal. I always do a tasting which gives me a variety of items. You might want to do that if you're not sure what you want."

"That sounds like a very good idea." Jessica set her menu down for a moment. "I have to thank you for today. When I woke up this morning, I can tell you that the last thing I thought I would be doing today was meeting Whoopi Goldberg. Thank you for introducing me. I hope I didn't embarrass you by going all 'fan girl' on her."

Erica chuckled. "You were fine, and I wasn't embarrassed at all. In fact, Whoopi actually told me she thought you were very charming."

"I don't know about charming, but I'm glad I wasn't too bad."

The waiter delivered their drinks and took their orders leaving them alone for a while to talk.

"You were saying earlier you were worried that Kendall would need surgery. Marissa had mentioned that was a possibility."

"Yes, it is. Her doctor is capable, but I don't want merely capable. I want the best."

"I can certainly understand that. If it were Jo, I would feel the same way."

"I've spoken with a few doctors. There is one cardiologist that is brilliant."

"Who is it? I'm assuming you've spoken with him."

"It's David Hayward."

"Marissa's biological father?"

"Yes, and I spoke to him. I practically groveled before the man, and he merely asked what was in it for him. I offered him everything, and for a moment, I thought there was a chance we could come to an agreement. I was wrong. He turned me down cold and said there was nothing I could give him that would induce him to help."

"That is awful. I can't believe someone would be that cold and callous. Marissa must be so disappointed and heartbroken by his refusal."

"I haven't told her or Bianca or anyone else for that matter. This was something I chose to do on my own. I had hoped to reason with him, but that didn't happen."

"Why would he refuse to help? Doctors take an oath."

"They do, but that doesn't seem to mean anything to David, at least when it comes to my family. Along with Krystal and their daughter Babe, they have hurt my family time and again in the most horrendous ways. It's almost like they took pleasure in hurting the one member of my family who has the kindest and most forgiving soul."

"Bianca."

Erica nodded. "Yes, Bianca. What they did to her is beyond cruel." The diva paused. "I know that Marissa hasn't told you what they did, and she's done so to protect Bianca. I wasn't planning on going into any of this for the same reason, but I feel you should know who you could be dealing with in order to help protect Marissa should they try and do something to hurt either her or Bianca again."

Jessica couldn't deny her curiosity. "If you're comfortable enough to tell me, I would like to know, especially if it could help them. You have my word that it won't go any further."

"Bianca and Babe were pregnant at the same time. They were trapped together in a cabin during a storm. A man by the name of Paul Cramer took Babe's baby to give to his sister and gave Bianca's child to Babe. As a result of this, Bianca was led to believe her child died."

"Oh my god. I can imagine she was devastated."

"She was. Babe discovered what happened, that she had Bianca's child. Instead of being honest and coming forward, she kept this information to herself, for a while at least, and acted as if nothing was wrong. Krystal and David both learned the truth and chose to perpetuate the lie and covered it up. They stood by and watched as my daughter suffered through the most painful loss a parent could have and did nothing."

"I have no words. What would possess someone to do something like that? How did Bianca get Miranda back?"

"Ah, Babe found out that her child was alive and where he was. It was only then, when it was convenient for her, that she revealed the truth. She went on the run after taking that child. That left Miranda here, discarded when she was no longer useful to Babe. JR didn't know the truth, probably the only time in his life he wasn't guilty of something. Unfortunately, that didn't last long. He pushed Bianca over a balcony when she told him what happened and tried to take Miranda. As a result, Bianca went into a coma. It was only when we were able to remove Miranda from JR's custody that Bianca woke up."

"Oh my, I … I don't know what to say. While all of this was going on, while she was dealing with the loss of her child, Bianca founded the Miranda Center. She's also found it in her heart to forgive them. Bianca truly is amazing."

Erica smiled. "Yes, she is. Bianca is the best of us. She is a great deal like my mother."

Jessica thought for a moment. "Huh, that makes sense now."

"What does?"

"Marissa. She told me that she has a harder time forgiving them for what they did to Bianca rather than for what they did to her. Knowing her like I do, I'm not surprised by that at all. Marissa was raised with a defined moral and ethical code. She knows that everything isn't black and white. But something like what they did? There would be no way to justify causing someone that much pain. It wasn't just Bianca that was hurt. Miranda and AJ were innocent victims as well. _That_ is why she can see beyond what was done to her but not to the people she loves. I would expect no less from her."

"Because of her parents?" Seeing the nod in reply, Erica continued. "What were her parents like? She's told us about them, but I would like your thoughts."

Jessica smiled remembering her friends. "Roy and Lydia were the best. My husband had problems. Today, they would've been able to diagnose him as being bipolar. Back then however, no one knew what to call it. Things were difficult. I saw the looks and heard the whispers especially after he killed himself, but when Roy and Lydia were around, there was nothing. They pretty much laid down the law to others, and no one said a peep or looked at me cross-eyed when Roy and Lydia were there. Marissa is very much their daughter. She became Jo's self-appointed champion and got into a couple of scrapes because of it, but that didn't matter to her. To her, it was worth it because she was protecting her friend."

"I've seen her fight for others, particularly for Bianca and the children. I have to be honest that I had my reservations about her at first. Bianca has been hurt romantically in the past. She's fallen for the so-called 'straight' girl before only to have her heart broken. Marissa had given no indication of being attracted to women prior to her involvement with my daughter."

"That's true. She told me as much. Marissa also told me however that she didn't fall in love with a woman as much as she fell in love with a person who happened to be a woman."

"She's told me that as well. My main concern though was her biological family because of everything they had done to Bianca." Erica paused and smiled. "She has shown me that she is nothing like them and has even called me out on something when I had inadvertently caused Bianca to doubt herself on a particular matter. Marissa has been nothing but supportive of Bianca and the rest of my family. I view her as a daughter. I don't feel I need to worry quite about Bianca quite as much with her around because I know she will protect her with everything she has. The same holds true for Bianca. I've never seen her happier, more content, and she will do everything in her power to keep her family safe."

Jessica smiled. "I believe that, and to know that Marissa has found a family that she deserves is such a relief. Thank you for taking care of her."

"You're welcome."

"What are you going to do about Kendall?"

"Keep looking for another specialist."

"I could talk to Jo if you'd like. She knows a lot of doctors and could get a list for you."

"Thank you. I would appreciate that."

"You're welcome."

"Let's talk about more pleasant topics."

"Alright. Marissa said that Kendall's having a girl."

Erica smiled. "Yes, we're adding to the Kane woman line."

/

Marissa read the caller id and smiled brightly. "Jessica, how are you? I heard you and Erica had a nice time together in New York."

"_We did. She couldn't have been more generous or gracious. How are you and Sparky doing?"_

"We're good, and that's not just me saying that. Dr. Abbott agreed."

"_I'm glad to hear that."_

"So, what's up?"

"_What? I can't call you just to say 'hi' and check up on you?"_

"You can, but you forget I know you and that tone of voice. It's telling me there's another reason for this call. Spill it."

Jessica should have known that Marissa would suspect something was up. She was just too damn perceptive sometimes. Jessica shook her head and charged forward with the real reason behind this call. She hoped she wasn't overstepping, but Jessica felt Marissa needed to know and, more importantly, would want to know.

**/**

**A/N: Gabby's story was inspired by a suggestion from **_**Huskermania**_**. Thank you for the idea. I switched it up slightly from the original prompt so I hope that's okay, and I also hope I did it justice. Okay, time to put my Christmas tree up. See you soon! **


	172. A Deal with the Devil

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It's appreciated. Sorry for posting a little late today. I went furniture shopping today and that took some time, plus made a dent in the old bank account. I'm glad you like Jessica. I felt Marissa needed a motherly figure outside of the Pine Valley realm, and I just stumbled upon her. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. You're going to find out right away what Jessica wants to talk to Marissa about. Some of you have guessed it. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

Jessica should have known that Marissa would suspect something was up. The redhead was just too damn perceptive sometimes. Jessica shook her head and charged forward with the real reason behind this call. She hoped she wasn't overstepping, but Jessica felt Marissa needed to know and, more importantly, would want to know.

"_You've got me. Although to be fair, I did want to check in on you to make sure you're doing okay."_

"Well, I really am. I even think Gabby believes that now."

"_What do you mean?"_

"With everything going on with Kendall and her health, it seems Gabby overheard a few things and thought I might be sick because of the baby."

"_Ouch."_

"Yeah, ouch. You couple that with her overhearing some moms talking about that movie on Lifetime with the mother who died during labor, and you have one scared little girl."

"_Oh, I bet it was that movie 'A Mother's Heart', wasn't it? I just couldn't watch it. I can only imagine how hearing about it made Gabby feel. How's she doing now?"_

"Yes, it was that movie, and we didn't watch it either. Gabby's doing a lot better, thankfully. Bianca and I took all three kids to my last appointment. We did an ultrasound, and they got to see and hear Sparky. Dr. Abbott was great with them and answered all of their questions. There was only one exception."

"_That's good. What was the exception?"_

"The question where they asked whether Sparky is a boy or a girl. They tried to sneak that one in, but we caught it."

Jessica chuckled. _"Sneaky of them."_

"Tell me about it. Okay, enough about that. What's on your mind?"

There was a pause on the other end of the line. Jessica told herself it was now or never. _"When I had lunch with Erica, the topic of Kendall's health came up."_

"Anything in particular about her health?"

"_Erica said she's been reaching out to other specialists regarding Kendall's case."_

Marissa had a sinking feeling she knew the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Anyone I know?"

"_Yes. She said she talked with David and had practically groveled for his help."_

"Let me guess. He asked what was in it for him."

Jessica grimaced. _"Yes. Erica said she offered him everything she could think of to take Kendall's case. After he had her beg and believing that he was going to do it, he laughed in her face and turned her down cold. He said there was nothing she could give him that would make him help."_

Marissa sighed heavily. "Unfortunately, that sounds exactly like David. I wish Erica would have said something. I hate that he did that to her."

"_I'm sorry to be the one to tell you. Erica said she wanted to keep you out of it, but I thought you would want to know."_

"You're right. I do want to know if something like this happens. And you have nothing to be sorry about. I'm glad you told me. I just don't understand him and don't think I ever will. He has this gift that could help so many people, save countless lives, and he chooses to use it for his own gain. In doing so, he hurts people he's taken an oath to help. I don't get it."

"_I wish there was something I could say to help it make sense, to just help in general, but there's not anything I can think of. I don't get it myself. What are you going to do?"_

"I don't know. I should let Bianca know."

"_I can't tell you how much I hate this. Is there anything I can do to help?"_

"No, I don't so, but thank you for offering. It means a lot."

"_If you think of something, please let me."_

"I will. When are you coming to town?"

"_My meeting at the Miranda Center is later this week. I'll call you when I get checked in."_

"You're not seriously telling me you're staying somewhere else other than here, are you?"

"_I don't want to impose."_

"You're not. You're family. Our home is always open to you. If you want to stay here, we would love to have you."

"_Well then, I would love to stay with you. I'll text you my flight information so you have an idea of when I'll be there."_

"Good. I should be home no matter when you get here. I'm working from home the majority of the time now. It's just easier for me."

"_I don't blame you one bit for doing that. I can't wait to see you again."_

/

Bianca was shaking her head the instant Marissa finished telling her about Erica and David. "I really don't want you to do this, Rissa."

"I know, but I think I have to. Kendall is my family too. If I can do something, hell anything, to help her, I will. I need to. Kendall would do the same for me, and you know it." Marissa pointed out.

"I do." Bianca conceded. "I can't believe David. Mom must have been crushed. I wish she would've told us."

"So do I, but Jessica said she told her she didn't want to drag us into it. I'll just talk to him. Maybe, I can get him to reconsider, see reason and help."

"I love you and how you try and see the good in people, but that's not always the case."

"_You're_ telling _me_ that _I_ always try to see the good in people? Isn't that like the pot calling the kettle black?" Marissa smirked.

Bianca rolled her eyes. Her wife did have a point. "I'll give you that. I just don't like it. I don't like the idea of you having to deal with him."

Marissa took Bianca's hands in her own. "Look, I don't like it either, but I need to do this. I'll talk with him. We've got our plan in place, and I'll follow it."

"Fine. Just be careful. Don't let him rile you up or get you upset. Please?"

"I won't. I promise." Marissa checked the time. "He should still be there so I better get going. The sooner I do this, the better."

The couple exchanged a quick kiss before Marissa headed out to confront David.

/

Marissa walked through the hospital's main floor corridor with purpose. She quickly found the elevator, entered the car and pressed the button for the floor David's office was on.

"Hold the elevator please!"

The redhead pushed the hold button as two young men, one blonde and one brunette, wearing white doctor's coats stepped inside the car. The dark-haired man smiled. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. What floor do you need?"

"Oh, you've got it already selected. Thanks."

As the elevator began to move, the brunette turned to the blonde and started speaking in a low voice. "So, you were there and heard all of it?"

"Yeah, I was, and let me tell you it was great. Hell, I'd even say it was epic. If you ask me, David Hayward is a god and doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves. Erica Kane thinks she owns this town. I mean seriously, give me a break. It was so perfect seeing Dr. Hayward put her in her place. I mean, she was practically in tears, begging him to help, and he was as cool as could be. The man has ice water in his veins. He listened to all of her pleas and turned her down, just like that, and oh man, she was crushed."

"But we're talking about someone's life. How can he do that?" The brunette argued.

"Because he's David Hayward. That's how! Look, if it makes you feel better, he said he'll probably end up taking her daughter's case. He just wants Erica to suffer a little more since she's taken a lot from him, but he wants her on her actual hands and knees begging before him one more time. Then, he'll do it. He said she at least owes him that."

The brunette shook his head. "I don't agree with that and don't really see how you can either."

"You need to grow up and see how things are really done. It's all about power."

"It's about healing and saving lives. We took an oath to do no harm."

"What harm is there? He'll help. He's just going to get something out of it for himself first. There's nothing wrong that."

"Yeah, there is. There's a lot wrong with it. Look, we're never going to agree."

"Guess not. Oh, you would be smart to keep this to yourself. It would be your word against mine, and I've got Hayward on my side."

"If you're so sure there's nothing wrong with what he did, why would it matter if I said anything, Marshall?"

The blonde shrugged. "Just covering my bases. You can never be too safe."

The elevator car came to a stop, and the blonde exited, leaving the brunette behind shaking his head before exiting himself. Both men seemed to have forgotten all about Marissa who had heard the entire conversation. To say she was furious would be an understatement. The redhead believed what Jessica had told her, but to have it confirmed like it just was made her feel ill. The blonde seemed to worship David and found nothing wrong with what he'd done, and to her, that was extremely sad and disappointing. There did seem to be some hope however thanks to the dark-haired doctor. He seemed to have morals and ethics. She just wished the same could be said about David, but that conversation seemed to prove otherwise, not that she was surprised. He had delighted in Erica's suffering, reveled in it, and that, well, she simply had no words for how that made her feel. Marissa sighed, exited the car and walked down to David's office.

/

"So, Marshall, have there been any calls?"

"Just a few, nothing of consequence, and no calls from Ms. Kane yet, Dr. Hayward. I wouldn't worry about that though. I'm sure she'll come around soon though. You really showed her who was in charge." The resident answered as he placed a cup of coffee and the messages he'd scooped up from the front desk on his way to his idol's office. At this point in his career, he was nothing more than a glorified gofer, more of a lapdog if you asked others around the hospital. Marshall, for his part, was just happy to sit at the foot of the master and soak up whatever he could learn. His dream was to one day have the power that David Hayward had.

David rolled his eyes. He knew Marshall was nothing more than a suck up, and he merely kept the resident around for his own amusement. David also recognized that Marshall had no talent and would be a mediocre surgeon at his very best. There was not a chance in hell that David would ever let the resident touch one of his patients on the operating table. If he did, that could ruin his reputation, and David had no intention of letting that happen. He'd put too much time into building it to let some lackey destroy it because of his ineptitude. "I'm not worried, Marshall. I know she'll call. I have something she wants, something she needs. She'll come crawling back on her hands and knees soon enough, and I'm going to thoroughly enjoy every single second."

/

Marissa had paused outside David's office when she saw that the door was partially open. This allowed her to hear the conversation taking place on the other side of the door. The redhead hated eavesdropping but couldn't help herself as soon as she had heard Erica's name. To hear the way they were gloating over the entire situation made her feel even sicker to her stomach than she had been after the ride on the elevator. David's last words pushed her over the limit. She'd heard more than enough. Marissa took a deep breath in an effort to calm herself down and knocked.

/

David glanced over to the door hearing a knock and smiled seeing his daughter poke her head inside.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

"Marissa. No, not at all. Please come in and have a seat. We were just wrapping up. Would you like something to drink?"

"Thanks but no. I'm fine. I will take that seat though."

Marshall stood quickly and offered his seat to the redhead, but she took the other one that had been empty.

"We'll talk more later. Be sure to keep me apprised on that other matter."

"Other matter?" It took a moment, but it finally dawned on the resident what David was referring to. "Oh right, _that other matter_. I'll be sure to do that. I'll just go now."

Marissa made sure the door actually closed completely before talking. "He seems … eager."

"He serves his purpose. I have to tell you this is a very nice surprise. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good, just a little tired, but that's normal."

"Who's your doctor again? I could speak to them …"

Marissa shook her head. There was no way she was going to give him that information. She didn't want him bullying Dr. Abbott, pumping her for information. She knew that with David nothing was ever as it seemed. "I'm very happy with my doctor and receiving the best care available. Bianca would have it no other way."

David couldn't hide his disappointment at being denied that information. "I'm sure that's true. So, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I wanted to talk to you about Kendall."

David's ear perked up. "What about her?"

"As I'm sure you've heard, she's expecting, and there is obvious concern for her because of her transplant. She's had a couple of incidents and been hospitalized briefly as a result of them."

"I've heard something about that. Who is she seeing?"

"Dr. Rivera is her cardiologist." Marissa volunteered this information because she was positive that David already knew it.

"He's … good, I suppose."

"Not as good as you though, right?"

David smiled. "I can't deny that."

Marissa ignored the arrogant reply and continued. "I've heard Erica has asked you to take Kendall's case."

"You did? Who told you that?" Seeing no answer was forthcoming, David took a guess, positive he already knew the answer. "It was Erica. She told you, didn't she?"

Marissa shook her head. "Actually no, it wasn't. She hasn't mentioned it to either Bianca or myself. She didn't want to pull us into it."

David's curiosity was piqued. "Who told you then?"

The redhead had no intention of telling him her source. "I'm keeping that to myself. Will you?"

"Will I what?"

Marissa sighed. She really hated playing games. "Will you help Kendall and take her case?"

David leaned back in his chair. "It all depends on Erica."

"What do mean by that?"

"I've told her what I want from her in order for me to help. If she agrees, I might help. If not, well, it's all on Erica."

Marissa processed this. The fact that he was being so cavalier about Kendall's life was too much to take. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you become a doctor exactly?"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not that hard of a question, David. I became a lawyer to help people. Most people who become doctors do so to help those that are ill."

David scoffed. "You have an idealized view of the world, Marissa. I can do great things. I can bring people back to life. I hold the power of life and death in my hands."

"It sounds like you think you're some sort of god."

"In that operating room, that's exactly what I am. I am god. I simply want to be recognized for that. I want _Erica_ to recognize that."

"Is that what this is all about then? Your ego and making Erica pay?"

David smiled. "I wouldn't be where I am today if I didn't have a high opinion of myself. You may call it ego, but I simply call it the truth."

"So, you'll withhold treatment until your _greatness_ is acknowledged?"

The doctor shrugged. "Why not?"

"Wow. I thought you were trying to change, to become better. At least, that's what you've been telling me. It looks like I was wrong. It seems I always am when it comes to you. Everything that everyone here has said about you is right. And all of this time, you've pretty much been lying to my face."

"Why because I want to be recognized for my skill and ability? I'm no different from anyone else." David continued to ignore Marissa's point that he had lied to her.

"Yes, you are. The difference that you fail to see is that you're doing it at the expense of someone's life, and it's really sad that you don't see it." Marissa shook her head. "Erica will do whatever you want. How could she not? Her child's life is at stake after all. She'll pay whatever price needs to be paid."

"And what price exactly do you think that I want her to pay?"

"You want her to beg, come to you crawling on her hands and knees. You want her humiliated."

That surprised David. He had no clue how Marissa knew this if Erica didn't tell her.

"Let me ask you something else, David. What about Bianca? Do you want her to beg too? She will if you want her to because she loves her sister. I would hope you wouldn't though. After everything you put her through, you owe her at least that."

"I've always done my best to help Bianca."

"Always? Hardly. We both know that's not true. If it was, you would have told her the truth about Miranda and not let her believe her daughter was dead. Who does that? Do you have any idea of how devastated she was? Do you have any idea of the hell she went through? All of these years later, she still has nightmares about that, of losing Miranda. That pain will never truly go away for her, pain that you caused."

"I did that to help my daughter, your sister."

Marissa shook her head. "You can try and justify it all you want, but it still doesn't make it right. Bianca had done nothing to deserve that pain. Babe, Krystal and you were wrong. You can color it however you want, but it was still wrong. The fact that you can't see that makes it even worse. Don't worry. You'll get them to beg and plead and give you everything you're asking for."

Seeing an opening, David pounced. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"What will _you_ give me to help her? What's it worth to _you_?"

"I'm assuming you have something in mind. Go ahead. Name your price."

"You, AJ and the baby. Let me be a part of your lives, see you. We are family."

Marissa glared at the man whose DNA she shared, the man who was her biological father. No, he wasn't remotely any kind of father to her. Roy Tasker was the only father she ever had, and he was more than enough. He was all the father she ever needed. David didn't even come close to being half the man that Roy was. Yes, David had fame and fortune, but that was all. He was feared and hated by many whereas Roy was loved and respected by all, especially her. Marissa had braced herself for this possibility, but she hoped it wouldn't come to this. She and Bianca discussed this and grudgingly came up with this compromise. "If that's your price for helping Kendall, fine. I'll draw something up. You won't spend time alone with either of them though. I won't allow that."

"You don't trust me? My word isn't good enough for you?"

"No, why would I trust you? You've given me absolutely no reason to. I'll put my faith in a legally binding document instead."

"Fine, but thank you. Thank you for letting me be part of your life."

"Don't thank me, David. I'm not doing this for you. I'm doing this Kendall, Zach, their children, Bianca and Erica, my family. Don't ever think otherwise. There will be no begging from Erica or Bianca. I'll talk with Bianca, and we'll come up with something, but you will never spend time alone with them. Either Bianca or myself will be there." One of the things that saddened Marissa about this whole bargaining was that she and David had actually been getting slightly closer since the wedding. The two had had several lunches, and it had been nice. Now, what they had been building was destroyed. While she had agreed to this deal with the devil, she would do everything in her power to limit his influence on her children. They would not be molded or used by him or anyone else.

"You need her permission regarding your children?"

"Let me make one thing perfectly clear. I'm not asking for her permission. I'm simply asking for her input. She's my wife, and we make decisions together, especially when they involve _our_ children. She is as much their mother as I am. Understood?"

David held his hands up in mock surrender knowing immediately his mistake. "Understood."

"Oh, one other thing, if you ever do anything to hurt any member of my family, the ones I just mentioned including Greenlee and Ryan, the deal is off, and you'll also see exactly what I'm capable of doing when someone crosses me or hurts the people I care about. Contrary to what you may believe, David, I'm no pushover. My parents, the Taskers, taught me well, and you would be wise to remember that. We're done here. I'll have the contract drawn up, and let you know when to come to the office to sign it."

"You could just bring it over."

Marissa stood and gathered her coat and purse. "No, I want it signed in front of witnesses and notarized. I'm not taking any chances."

David watched as Marissa walked away. Her disappointment in him clearly evident in her eyes. There was something else he saw too. It looked like a combination of betrayal and disgust. How could she feel anything else? He had gotten what he'd wanted, but it was because he had basically blackmailed her. David saw Marissa as someone who had always tried to see the good in people, just like Bianca. This made her someone he believed he could easily manipulate. He realized now that she had actually been prepared for his demands. In fact, she didn't seem all that surprised by them. What did the fact that someone like her, someone who tried to see the good in others, had pretty much expected him to use his own grandchildren as leverage say about him? Did he ruin any chance he had to have real relationship with his only remaining child?

/

Bianca was getting something to drink when she heard the garage door alerting her to her wife's return home. Marissa opened the door, and the brunette knew instantly how it had gone. The redhead dropped her purse and keys on the counter before walking over to Bianca and falling into her embrace. The two remained locked in each other's arms for several moments before either spoke.

"That bad?"

Marissa nodded and sighed. "Yeah, that bad."

Bianca pulled back. "Do you want to talk?"

"I do, but can we do it later? Right now, I just want to be with you and our kids and not think about David."

"Okay. We were just going to watch a movie." Bianca helped Marissa remove her coat and picked up her drink. "I'll go hang this up. Get yourself something to drink and meet me and the kids in the family room."

Marissa smiled and nodded. This was exactly what she needed right now.

/

After the movie was over, the kids were bathed, had their pajamas put on, read a bedtime story and tucked in with hugs and kisses given. Marissa took Max outside while Bianca headed to their bedroom to get ready for bed. The redhead locked up after coming back inside with Max. She then padded down the hallway to the bedroom and ducked into the bathroom after grabbing her pajamas.

Bianca was settled in bed when her wife exited the bathroom. "Alright. Are you ready to talk now?"

Marissa sighed and nodded. "Yeah." After crawling under the covers, Marissa began. "I overheard two residents talking in the elevator. One of them was named Marshall, and he kept going on and on about David, how great he was and how he stuck it to Erica."

"Seriously?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I then overheard him talking to David. They were talking about how he wanted Erica to coming crawling back to him and beg him to help. It made me sick. I couldn't take anymore and interrupted them. When we were alone, I asked David if he would help. It got ugly after that. I called him out on what he wanted from Erica and you. He ended up asking me what it was worth to me. I told him to name his price."

Bianca knew what was coming next. She and Marissa had discussed it. They both knew how David's mind worked, but they also both hoped that maybe this time he wouldn't resort to his usual tactics. It turns out that they were both right and wrong. "You, AJ and Sparky."

Marissa stroked her belly. "Yeah."

"And you did what we discussed."

"Yeah, contract and all."

"I wish you didn't have to do this."

"So do I, but it's for Kendall. It would be different if we had another doctor for her on his level, but we don't."

"I know. We can't let Mom and Kendall know, and we really can't let Zach know. What he would do to David would be very ugly."

"That's the truth." Marissa leaned back. "You know what's sad about this? We really were starting to get along. He was great at the wedding, seemed truly happy for us."

Bianca pulled her wife closer so that Marissa rested her head on the brunette's shoulder. "I know. You were considering including David more in AJ's life, and then he does this. I'm so sorry."

"Well, that's David."

"I hate this. I hate having this feeling like I'm having to make a choice between Kendall and our children."

"I know. I hate it too, but I don't think we're choosing one over the other. This could be a matter of life and death for Kendall, and we have to do something. We can't just sit back and do nothing. Neither of us are capable of doing that, especially when it comes to our family. And I know without a single doubt in my mind that Kendall would do whatever she could for us if the situations were reversed."

"You're right. She would. Alright, we went over all of this before you talked to him. David will never be alone with them and will only visit them on our terms, not his. Everything will be monitored, and if for any reason they don't want to go, we won't make them."

Marissa nodded. "Exactly. I've got our other terms written down."

"So, tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow, I call Caleb and talk with him, tell him what's going on. I'll work with him on this and let him draw it up. As much as I would like to draw up this contract myself, I won't. I know that I'm too connected and emotionally involved. We need Caleb's cool head on this because it's too damn important to mess it up. Together, we'll come up with the best contract that will protect our family while helping Kendall."

Bianca kissed Marissa's temple and pulled her wife even closer. Somehow, they would get through this, and they would do it together.

/

"Jessica!" Marissa smiled brightly as she opened the door and greeted her friend.

"Marissa." Jessica hugged the redhead. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay."

Jessica pulled back and studied the younger woman. Something was definitely up, and Jessica was going to get to the bottom of it. She gently pulled her over to the sofa, and they both sat down. "Alright, I know that look. Out with it."


	173. Birthday Twins

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It means a lot. Sorry for the late post. It's been a busy week without a lot of time to write. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Jessica pulled back and studied the younger woman. She had known Marissa since she was just a few days old and was pretty good at telling when something was wrong. At this moment, she knew with absolute certainty that something was definitely up with the redhead, and Jessica was going to get to the bottom of it. She gently pulled her over to the sofa, and they both sat down. "Alright, I know that look. Out with it."

Marissa sighed heavily. She wasn't surprised that Jessica had easily been able to see that something was wrong. Even with the break where they had lost contact for a few years, the woman had known her longer than anyone else that was still around. Marissa wanted to cover her bases first before talking to her friend. "Fine, I'll tell you, but you can't tell Erica, Kendall, Zach or Greenlee. I need your word you won't say anything to them."

That condition had Jessica raise an eyebrow. It was very specific and had her slightly concerned. As much as she didn't want to, she had to accept it. "Alright, I promise I won't say anything to them about whatever you're going to tell me."

"Thank you. I told Bianca everything you told me about Erica going to David and what he did."

"How did that go?"

"Unfortunately, she was like me and not really surprised by his actions."

"I'm sorry."

Marissa shook her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. I'm glad you told me. I needed to know. Bianca and I discussed it and came up with a plan. It's one that neither of us are particularly fond of, but we really don't have a choice."

Jessica shook her head. "I'm a little confused. What's this plan, and why don't you have a choice?"

"I went to talk to David about what he was doing. It went pretty much like Bianca and I thought it would. He's going to help Kendall."

"I have a feeling I'm missing something, and it's something pretty big. I thought that him helping was supposed to be a good thing, but you're not acting like it is." Jessica then remembered what she'd heard about David. He never did anything just out of the goodness of his heart. There was always a price attached to his actions. "You made a deal with him, didn't you?"

Marissa nodded. "Yes, I did."

"What did it involve?"

"He wants to spend time with me, AJ and Sparky. Bianca and I expected it and were prepared. I agreed to it with certain stipulations which I've been working with Caleb on to have them drafted into a contract. It's funny. He was surprised that I wouldn't take his word about any of this."

"After everything he's done, you would think he would know better. I'm sorry about all of this. I can't help but think it's my fault. If I didn't tell you about my conversation with Erica, then none of this would be going on."

"Like I said before, it's not your fault. You were right in letting me know what was going on. Bianca and I would never forgive ourselves if there was something we could do to help Kendall and didn't. No, this is all on David. He's the one who's basically blackmailing us. What's sad is that I was considering doing some of the things he's demanding now. I mean, we were starting to get along, starting to build a relationship again. Now? That's pretty much been blown all to hell. How can I ever trust him again after this? David is the exact opposite of the example Bianca and I want for our children. The same goes for JR."

"I am so sorry the two of you are going through this. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just don't tell Erica and the others. I know how they are. They wouldn't hesitate to rip David to shreds, and the last thing we need right now is for any of them to end up in jail because he would make sure that's where they were." Marissa tried to lighten the mood with her last remark, but there was a kernel of truth to it.

"You have my word." Jessica would definitely keep her word and not tell Erica and the others. There was no way she would ever betray Marissa's trust, but there had to be some loophole for her, some way she could lessen the burden that Marissa and Bianca had taken on in order to help Kendall. "Are you doing okay? I know this can't be good for you and Sparky."

"I'm doing as well as can be expected. Caleb is helping us, and I trust him and know that he will make this contract ironclad so even David won't be able to slither his was out of it. Caleb is a prime example of someone we want in the kids' lives. He's a really good guy."

"He seemed like a good person, from the little I was able to gather from our conversation when I was here before."

Marissa grinned. "You know, he asked about you and seemed interested when I told him you were coming back to town."

Jessica blushed. "I don't know why."

"Seriously? You are an intelligent, thoughtful, engaging and beautiful woman. Why wouldn't he be interested? Besides, I saw the way the two of you looked at each other when you were talking, and when you weren't next to each other, I saw you both stealing little glances. It's okay to be interested in someone. It's been a long time."

"Yes, it has, and I haven't been living like a nun this whole time. I've dated some over the years, but …"

"I know what I went through with JR is not the same as what you went through with Hank, but I think I do understand it somewhat. After everything that happened with JR, I was ready to give up on love. I was convinced I wouldn't find someone to share my life with, but then, wouldn't you know if I didn't find someone just when I was pretty much done looking, and she was right in front of me the whole time. I'll be honest with you. It was scary as hell to take that first step and to put myself back out there, but it was so worth it. I've never been happier and can't imagine my life without Bianca. You went through a lot with Hank, way too much, but you survived. It's okay to be scared, but don't let that fear hold you back. You deserve to be happy. Jo wants you to be and so do I."

"Thank you. When did you get so smart?"

"I had excellent role models." Marissa grinned.

"Yes, you most certainly did." Jessica smiled at the redhead. "You remind me so much of your parents."

Marissa grinned even more. Hearing that meant more to her right now than she could ever say. "Thanks! Look, I know Jo and I teased you about him, but Caleb really is a good man, and personally, I think the two of you might be really good for each other. No pressure though. You have to do what's right for you. Just know that whatever you decide, you have my full support."

Jessica nodded. She had to admit that she did find Caleb interesting, and it had been quite some time since she could say something like that about anyone. _Maybe, I'll give him a call and see if he wants to meet for coffee or lunch. It wouldn't hurt anything and wouldn't necessarily mean anything other than just lunch or coffee._ "I don't suppose I could get his number from you, could I?"

"Hand me your phone, and I'll put it in for you." Marissa wanted to say more but didn't. She said she wouldn't put any pressure on Jessica, and she meant it. Asking for Caleb's number may have been seen by some who didn't know Jessica as a baby step, but Marissa knew it was far from that. It was a huge step forward.

For her part, Jessica was grateful that Marissa didn't say anything else on the matter after she programmed Caleb's number in the older woman's phone. Now that she had his number, Jessica just needed to find the courage to call him.

/

The following afternoon, everyone bundled up and headed to the Fun Zone for AJ's and Miranda's birthday party. There had been some discussion about having the big party, the one with the kids' friends, at home, but AJ and Miranda really wanted to have it at the Fun Zone so they could invite all of their friends. After giving it some thought, Bianca and Marissa agreed, for several reasons. The kids had been through a lot recently and could use a day where the focus was just on fun. Gabby was also allowed to invite a couple friends so she wouldn't get bored trying to keep up with the older kids. In addition to those things, having it somewhere other than at home made it easier on the couple, especially on Marissa who was nearly 8 months pregnant. They could enjoy the party and let someone else wrangle the large number of children in attendance as well as the decorating and clean up. When this party was over, they would have a small one at home just for family.

Jessica's mouth hung open as she walked inside the building and took everything in.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" Bianca asked seeing the older woman's expression.

"Very. If something like this had been around when Jo and Marissa were younger, maybe they wouldn't have been climbing water towers."

"I know, right?! See. We weren't doing anything that wrong. We just had a lot of excess energy." Marissa grinned.

"You keep telling yourself that, baby, and maybe, you'll start to believe it. As for me, I know otherwise." Jessica smirked before chuckling at the feigned hurt expression Marissa adopted.

"I'm truly hurt and wounded."

Bianca rolled her eyes, knowing her wife was anything but. "Come on. Let's check-in. I know three kids that are chomping at the bit to get this party started, especially our birthday twins."

The brunette's statement was met with excited nods before the kids started to drag the three women further inside. The family was greeted by a blonde woman in her early 20's.

"Welcome to the Fun Zone. What can we do for you today?"

"We have a party room reserved for Tasker-Montgomery." Marissa answered while Bianca and Jessica helped the kids remove their coats.

The blonde did a quick search on the iPad she carried and smiled brightly. "Oh yes, a joint birthday party for AJ and Miranda! It says here that you are 11 today! Happy birthday!"

"Thanks!"

"You're very welcome. My name is Taylor, and I'll be your Fun Zone guide today. If you all follow me, I'll show you to your room, and we can get this party started."

/

Not long after the family was settled in their private party room, guests started to arrive. Kids were hyped up and ready to attack the various activities available. Some of the parents decided to stay and help while others took advantage of an afternoon of free babysitting and left to return in a few hours when the party was over. The kids were let loose and would come back to the party room for a break for pizza and cake.

Ryan walked over to the couple after Emma dashed off with the other kids. "Greenlee said she will see you later at your place. Right now, she's on _Kendall duty_."

"I'm sure she has her hands full." Bianca smiled. Her sister wanted to be there for her niece and nephew, but they all thought it might be too much for her if she did both parties. So, Zach brought the boys to the party for AJ's and Miranda's friends, and Greenlee would bring Kendall over to Minx Manor for the family party later that day.

"She was actually behaving herself, well behaving herself for Kendall."

Bianca laughed. She knew this was hard for her sister, but Kendall was doing everything to insure the health of herself and her daughter. "For her, that's saying something."

/

Jessica watched as the kids ran to and fro, having a great time. "This place is amazing."

Marissa nodded. "It really is. The kids love it, and the staff is wonderful."

"How are you holding up?"

"I'm good. I'm glad we opted to have the friend party here. This would be a lot to clean up at home."

"Yes, it would have, and that's not including the food."

"Hi, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

Marissa glanced down and was greeted by a young girl she knew well. "Amber! I'm glad you could make it."

Amber smiled. She could tell the redhead was surprised to see her. Amber had been invited, but given who her mother was, it was very much in doubt that she would be allowed to come. In fact, her mother had said no to the invitation without hesitating, leaving Amber crushed. "Mom's out of town visiting my grandma, and my dad had some errands he needed to run and didn't want to take me with him so he thought it was easier to drop me off here. Is that alright? I know I said I wasn't coming so I can understand if you're upset."

Marissa could see the sadness in the girl's eyes that accompanied that statement and reached out to hug her. "I'm not upset at all. Why would I be? It's more than alright, and I am very happy that you're here. Bianca and the kids will feel the same way."

The girl smiled brightly for a moment before her expression fell. "I don't have anything for Miranda and AJ."

"Don't worry about that. You being here is surprise enough for them."

"But I want to get them something. Everybody else has."

Marissa thought for a moment. It was easy for her to see that Amber didn't want to be embarrassed by not having a present, and Marissa didn't want that for the girl. "Alright, I think I have an idea. First, I want to introduce you to a very good friend of mine. Jessica, this is Amber. She's friends with both AJ and Miranda. She's a really good one too. Amber, this is Jessica."

Jessica leaned down and shook the girl's hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Amber smiled shyly. "You too."

"Okay, now for my idea. We can get them gift cards for here. They'll love it."

"But I don't have any money."

"You let me worry about that, okay? Don't even give it another thought. I just want you to have fun. Let's go pick out a couple of birthday cards for you to sign, and then, you can go catch up with the birthday twins. Sound good?"

Amber's smile returned, and she hugged Marissa tightly. "Thank you." The girl couldn't help but think how lucky her friends were, and she was also very glad her dad decided to drop her off. Amber knew she wouldn't be able to talk about the day at home, but knowing that it happened and having those memories was good enough for now.

"You're welcome. Let's go." Marissa gave Amber one last squeeze before letting her go. The girl headed towards the gift shop. The redhead whispered to a confused Jessica before following Amber. "I'll explain later."

Jessica nodded and joined the other two on their mission.

/

Bianca stealthily made her way next to her wife and slipped an arm around her waist.

Marissa turned and smiled. "Hey you."

"Hey yourself. Amber's here?" Bianca whispered.

"Yeah, Tammy's out of town, and her dad needed to run errands so …"

"Gotcha. Well, I'm glad she's here. She really is a sweet girl."

"Yes, she is. Who'd have thunk that she'd be such a good friend to the kids after what happened?"

"Very true. How are you doing?"

"Pretty good. I was just going to grab something to drink."

"I'll get you something, and join you if that's okay."

"That sounds perfect. In fact, I would love it. I'll grab us a seat."

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss. "Sounds good. I'll be right back."

/

Marissa saw Jessica taking a break and decided to join her while she waited for Bianca to return.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all, please do." Jessica patted an empty seat next to her.

"Bianca will be joining us too. She's just grabbing us something to drink."

"Good." Jessica looked around. "The kids seem like they are having the time of their lives."

"They do, and I'm really glad." Marissa studied her friend a moment. It was almost as if she was looking for someone in particular. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"You sure? Are you expecting someone?"

Jessica sighed. "I was just wondering if Krystal or David would be showing up."

"Ah, they are going to be stopping by the house later. Why were you wondering about Krystal?" Seeing the expression on her friend's face, Marissa had a feeling she knew the answer to her own question. "You know, don't you? You know what happened with the kids."

"I do. Erica told me what happened. She thought I should know in case …"

Marissa cut Jessica off before she could finish. "I get it, and I'm not really surprised she told you."

"I don't know how they could've done something like that to anyone but especially to Bianca."

"You're not alone. I need to ask you a favor, and I know it's big and going to be tough for you. Could you please …"

"I won't cause a scene or anything like it, and I will do my best to behave myself. But, all bets are off if they hurt you, Bianca or the rest of your family."

"Thank you, and I would expect no less of you."

"Hey, Jessica. How are you doing?"

Jessica smiled as Bianca joined them. "To be honest, I'm a little tired just watching all of the kids. How do they have so much energy?"

Bianca chuckled. "I don't know, but I'd like just a little of it sometime."

"You and me both, B."

"So, what's the story with Amber?" Jessica asked.

Marissa sighed. "I'll give you the short version. Her mother doesn't approve of Bianca and me. She thinks it's unnatural, a sin. We, according to Tammy – that's her mom, are evil influences on the kids, and will burn in hell as a result of our immoral lifestyle."

"Don't forget our marriage is illegal and an abomination." Bianca smirked.

"You have got to be kidding me?!" Jessica was incredulous.

"Afraid not. She passed on those opinions to her daughter, and for a short time, Amber bullied Miranda. We found out and went to the school. Amber saw a counselor and turned herself around. So much so that she helped AJ when he was having a rough time because of JR. The three of them have become pretty good friends." Bianca explained.

The older woman shook her head. "She actually called your relationship a sin and an abomination?!"

"Yes, she even threw out some quotes from the bible during a PTA meeting where she cornered Rissa as _evidence_."

Jessica raised an eyebrow and glanced at the redhead. "She quoted the bible to you?" Jessica knew that Marissa was raised going to church every Sunday, was very active in it and knew her scripture quite well.

Marissa smiled. "Yep. I gave her a few quotes in return."

"I'm sure you did." Jessica could see the gleam in hazel eyes. It was one she knew well. Both of the redhead's parents would pounce if someone tried to use the bible as a way to justify their prejudices. Their daughter was the same way. "Good for you. I can't abide people who call themselves Christians and then pervert and twist the bible as proof that their hatred is condoned and commanded by god." Something clicked for Jessica. "You said her mother's name was Tammy? Is that the same woman who was in the dunking booth on Greenlee's video, the one that the two of you kept dunking?"

Bianca and Marissa wore matching proud grins as they recalled that afternoon.

"One and the same."

Jessica remembered the African-American woman and her taunting of the couple. She noted that her daughter's skin tone was lighter than hers. "I don't know if you'll know the answer to this, but is Amber's father white?"

Marissa nodded. "As a matter of fact, yes, he is."

"Does her mother even realize that not that long ago someone with _our_ skin color couldn't marry someone with her husband's skin color? _It_ was considered illegal, immoral, unnatural, an abomination. Given that, she has the nerve to say all of that about you as well as try and perpetuate that hatred by poisoning her daughter's mind? That poor girl."

"Amber is very sweet, and her father is no better than her mom. Where Tammy tries to control every aspect of Amber's life including her thoughts, her father is apathetic and disengaged. We've never seen him at any school functions. Her mother's there at least."

Bianca nodded. "Amber's strong though and smart. I hope her parents can appreciate that because she deserves that."

The blonde Fun Zone guide interrupted the women. "Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery, we're going to start rounding up the kids. It's time for pizza."

"Thank you, Taylor. We'll help." Bianca smiled as helped Marissa stand before they and Jessica followed the younger woman.

/

With the party at the Fun Zone a rousing success, the family headed home to Minx Manor to await round two of the day's celebration. This one featured family. AJ and Miranda couldn't wait to see the others, but the same wasn't necessarily true for their mothers. The contract between the couple and David hadn't been signed yet because Caleb was still drawing it up, but as a sign of good faith the couple had invited David to the party. He in turn promised to call Kendall next week and have her come into the office to discuss her condition. Bianca and Marissa weren't sure how David's appearance would go over today with anyone. The same held true for Krystal being at the party as well. They really hoped the adults would behave themselves for the kids' sake and not ruin their birthdays. The couple had issued a warning that if anyone was out of line, they would be asked to leave.

Bianca heard a knock at front door and sighed. Marissa was upstairs helping the kids get cleaned up while the brunette was setting things up downstairs.

Jessica chuckled as the brunette was pulling out the ice cream birthday cake AJ and Miranda had asked for from the freezer. She had offered to help, but Bianca insisted that she was company and should relax. "Why don't I get the door for you? You look like you have your hands full."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. And then, I'm coming back to help you, whether you want it or not."

Bianca gave up and gratefully accepted the offer. "Thank you, again."

/

Jessica opened the front door to find Krystal on the other side.

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, you get a little bit of a cliffhanger. There's more to come with Jessica and her reaction to Krystal and David now that she knows everything they've done. I just didn't have time to add it to this chapter and still post today. See you soon!**


	174. All Hell Breaks Loose

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It is truly appreciated! This story has hit a milestone, 1,000 reviews (1,001 now thanks to Weekend Reader)! Wow! I honestly don't even know what to say which I'm sure some might find hard to believe given that this chapter puts the total word count over 900,000! Thank you doesn't seem quite enough to say, but it's all I can come up with right now. So, thank you all for hanging in there with me. There's more to come! This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**Oh, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! May this holiday season give you peace and joy. Now, on with the story! **

**/**

Jessica chuckled as Bianca pulled out the ice cream birthday cake AJ and Miranda had asked for from the freezer. How the cake was decorated was a compromise between the birthday twins. Half was decorated with characters from 'Frozen' and the other half with those from 'The Lego Movie'. Somehow, it worked. Jessica had offered to help her, but Bianca insisted that she was company and should relax. Now however, Jessica had to step in. "Why don't I get the door for you? You look like you have your hands more than full."

"Thank you." Bianca smiled.

"You're welcome. And then, I'm coming back to help you, whether you want it or not."

Bianca gave up and gratefully accepted the offer. "Thank you, _again_."

/

Jessica opened the front door to find Krystal on the other side. This was the first time she had seen the other woman since finding out what she had done to Bianca. Jessica kept repeating the mantra _'you promised Marissa to be good'_ in her mind. "Krystal, hello. Please come in."

Krystal stepped inside, took off her coat and handed it to the older woman who had held out her hand for it. "Jessica. I'm a little surprised to see you back in town."

"I have a meeting at the Miranda Center on Monday so I decided to come in a few days earlier to spend time with Marissa and her family. They insisted I stay with them." Jessica answered as she hung Krystal's coat up in the hall closet.

"Oh, I didn't know you were connected with the Center." Krystal was slightly taken aback at the closeness between Jessica and couple. She had to admit that she was a little jealous of it, but she also had to admit at the same time that she really didn't have the right to feel that way. It was a right she had given up when she gave up Marissa.

"Yes, I recently starting volunteering at the Center's New York branch. The office manager there liked an idea I came up with and told Bianca. She has me meeting with her staff here to go over it with them." Jessica offered, trying her best to be nice. It was tough though because seeing Krystal made her remember what had been done to Bianca.

"That's impressive." Krystal paused. "I was thinking that maybe we might find some time to talk?"

"About?" Jessica was no fool and knew what Krystal wanted. While she had promised Marissa to try and get along with the other woman, that didn't mean that Jessica was going to sit down and spill stories about Marissa's childhood with the woman that had sold her. In her mind, Krystal had lost the right to hear them, and those stories belonged to the redhead's true parents, Roy and Lydia Tasker. It wasn't only the wrong that she had done to Marissa that was off-putting to Jessica. It was also what she had done to Bianca. While Jessica was a god-fearing woman and believed in forgiveness, she didn't know if she could ever be _that_ forgiving. The mere fact that Bianca could only went to show just how incredible the brunette was.

Krystal noted the other woman's cool response but continued nonetheless. "Marissa, Roy and Lydia. I'd like to know about their lives together in Devon. I don't think that's too much to ask."

Jessica took a deep breath before answering, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't be overheard. She especially didn't want the kids to hear. "Actually, for me, it is. I know how Marissa came to be their daughter. What you did is unforgiveable to me. You don't sell one child to support another and yourself."

"I did what I thought was right at the time to survive. I know it was wrong, and there's not a day that goes by that I don't regret what I did. Roy and Lydia weren't saints either. They knew what they were doing."

"You can't honestly be trying to put the fault on them?" Jessica couldn't believe what she was hearing. "They were desperate for a child while you were desperate for money and a way out. Yes, I know they weren't perfect, but Roy and Lydia gave her a home and all the love they had. She was their world and _their _daughter. _They _never would have even considered doing what you did." Jessica could feel herself getting angrier with the other woman and wasn't about to cause a scene here and ruin the day. So, she was going to remove herself from the situation. "I think it's best that we end this conversation now, before it turns into something else. Make yourself comfortable or whatever. Marissa is upstairs with the kids, and Bianca is in the kitchen. I'm going back to help her with a few things for the party." Jessica turned and headed to the kitchen to help Bianca as promised, relieved to be getting away from Krystal before their discussion escalated.

Krystal stood in partial shock and regret. She wanted to kick herself as soon as the words regarding Roy and Lydia left her mouth. She knew they were a mistake but couldn't stop them. Krystal was on the defensive and latched onto whatever feeble excuse/reasoning she had. It was a horrible mistake and one that had obviously struck a nerve with Jessica. It was clear the woman knew what Krystal had done concerning Marissa. That came as no surprise. What had shocked Krystal was Jessica's barely restrained fury. If they had been anywhere else other than at Marissa and Bianca's home, she had absolutely no doubt that Jessica would have unleashed it full-bore. Krystal shook herself out of her thoughts hearing her grandson clomp down the stairs.

"Hi, grandma!"

"Hi, AJ, and happy birthday!" Krystal hugged the boy and smiled at his birthday twin. "Happy birthday to you too, Miranda!"

"Thank you!"

"Hi, Gabby."

"Hi, Krystal. Mommy, can we go downstairs and play?"

"May we go downstairs, and yes, you may."

Gabby nearly rolled her eyes at the correction of her grammar by her redheaded mother. "Thank you." The little girl turned and pinned her snickering brother and sister with her best Kane glare. Gabby may be young, but the glare was definitely coming along quite nicely.

Marissa shook her head catching sight of it before the trio headed downstairs. Puberty was going to be _so_ much for her and Bianca.

"Hi, Krystal. Did you just get here?

"Yes, I did. Where would you like these?" Krystal held up two gift bags.

"I'll put them over here." Marissa took the bags and placed them next to a small pile near the fireplace. "Don't worry. They'll be safe. Max is downstairs so he won't bother them. Would you like something to drink?"

"I'm fine but thanks. Shouldn't you be taking it easy and get off your feet? I'm sure it's been a long day for you."

"Nah, I'm okay. I'm going to run to the kitchen and see what Bianca needs. Are you okay here by yourself for a few minutes?"

Before Krystal could answer, she was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"Hold that thought."

/

Marissa opened the door to find David on the other side. Krystal noted that the redhead's smile faded immediately upon seeing the doctor.

"David, you're early."

"Not that much, and I see Krystal's already here."

"She _asked_ if she could stop over earlier." Marissa hung up his coat after adding his two gifts, one larger than the other, to the growing pile. What the redhead didn't know was that he had a third gift in his car. "I know what you're doing, and trust me, we'll be talking about _this_ later. Now, I have to check on Bianca, but I'll be back in a couple of minutes. I expect you to be right here when I get back."

David held up his hands in mock surrender and smirked slightly. "I'll be right here, scout's honor."

Marissa scoffed. "Like I believe that. Krystal, please do me a favor and keep an eye on him for me. Make sure he doesn't go wandering off."

Krystal, who had been confused by the whole exchange, nodded. "Of course."

/

As soon as Marissa was gone, Krystal turned to her ex. "What the hell did you do, David?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." David said innocently. "Where are the kids? I'd like to say 'hi'."

"Oh no! Marissa doesn't want you wandering off, and I'm going to see that you don't."

Another arrival prevented David from challenging his ex.

Krystal opened the door to greet Caleb. She had never been happier to see the lawyer in her life. She knew she would now have backup to handle David.

"Caleb, it's good to see you."

"Krystal, a pleasure. Hayward."

"What are you doing here, Cortlandt? This is for family."

"Caleb _is_ family." Bianca smiled as she joined the others. "Hi, Caleb. I'm glad you could make it."

"Thank you for inviting me. I wouldn't miss it. These are for the birthday twins."

"Thank you!" Bianca placed his gifts with the others before taking his coat and hanging it up. "Hi, Krystal. David. Would anyone like anything to drink?"

"I'm good. Where are the kids? I'd like to say 'hi' before it gets crowded."

Bianca answered David's question with a pointed glare, letting him know she was on to him.

Caleb intervened. "Where is Marissa?"

"Rissa's in the kitchen with Jessica." Marissa had been a little upset with David's total disregard of their handshake agreement, and Bianca insisted her wife stay in the kitchen to calm down.

"Oh, I'll be sure to say hello to them both later. For now, why don't I stay out here and help keep an eye on things?"

Bianca saw him perk up hearing Jessica's name and smiled to herself. "Thank you. Rissa and I both would appreciate that. We've just got a couple of things to do before everyone else gets here."

On her way back to the kitchen, Bianca whispered to David as she passed him. "This may be a game to you, but it's anything but that to me. It's my family we're talking about. Right now, my wife is in the kitchen trying to calm herself down because of how much you upset her. If you care for her one iota of what you _claim_ to, you'll stop playing around because we both know stress isn't good for her or the baby. Keep this up though and I won't hesitate to throw your ass out of here so fast it will make your head spin, and that's not a threat. It's a promise."

/

Marissa paced around the kitchen trying to calm herself down. She knew it was going to be difficult dealing with David. She just didn't think it was going to be _this_ difficult _this_ quickly. The redhead thought that she might have had a chance to warm herself up to handle it, but no such luck.

Jessica watched and worried about her friend. It was clear Marissa was upset, but she was doing her best not to lose her temper. "Is there anything I can do?"

Marissa rolled her neck to relieve the tension that had gathered there and sighed before finally taking a seat. "Unfortunately, no. I don't know how I'm going to do this, deal with him."

"Then don't." Bianca answered as she entered the kitchen and took a seat next to her wife. "We haven't signed a contract yet and can back out right now. Let's stop it. We'll come up with something else."

"I love you." Marissa gave her wife a chaste kiss before continuing. "But we're not backing out. Kendall needs this, and we'll get through this somehow."

"I love you too. Are you sure?"

"I am. With you beside me, I can pretty much get through anything, even David."

Bianca squeezed her wife's hand. "We are a damn good team."

"Yes, we are. The best."

Jessica had already made up her mind to do something to help the couple, and watching them just now, only made her resolve stronger.

/

"AJ, I want you to have this, and it's just between you and me." David had snuck back out to his car and retrieved the additional present he had gotten for AJ.

The boy looked at his grandfather. He couldn't help but shake the feeling that this was all wrong. Opal was supposed to be keeping an eye on him, but Jenny had fallen and skinned her knee. This gave David the chance he needed, and the doctor had managed to pull AJ aside in all of the bustle of the festivities upstairs. AJ wasn't sure about talking to his grandfather in private and have even bigger doubts now that the man wanted him to keep a secret from his mothers. The boy had done that before, and it never turned out well.

"I don't know, grandpa. This doesn't feel right. I don't like keeping things from my Moms."

David sighed. "This isn't something bad. It's just a present that I want you to have that you don't have to tell them about. Go on. Open it."

AJ shrugged and opened the present. Opening the box, he revealed a miniature doctor's bag made of real leather. Inside the bag were several replica doctor's instruments. "What's this for?"

"It's a doctor's bag just like mine. I thought you might like it. You can come around the hospital sometime and see what I do."

"Why?"

"To give you an early start on your future. I see you being a great doctor one day."

"But I don't want to be a doctor. I want to build things, things that I draw, like homes or other kinds of buildings or parks or things like that." AJ smiled.

"Why would you want to do something like that when you can do something greater? No, that's not good enough for you. You're going to be a doctor."

AJ shook his head. "No, I'm not. Blood makes me queasy. Besides, my Moms say building stuff like I want to do is really good. They don't see anything wrong with what I want to do. They say as long as I do something that makes me happy is all that matters to them, and they told me I have lots of time to figure out if that's what I to do anyway since I'm only 11."

"Bianca and Marissa are wrong. You have to start planning now for your future. Why should you settle when you can be something extraordinary? I can get you into the best schools, and you can learn under me."

"But that's not what I want to do. I want …"

"I know what's best for you. All you have to do is just listen to me."

"AJ, there you are. Your Moms are looking for you. It's time for cake."

The boy smiled widely. "Thanks, Jessica!"

"Hold on, AJ. We're not done."

"Yes, you are. His Moms want him upstairs, and the last time I checked, they trump you." Jessica glared at the doctor before turning back to the boy with a smile. "Go on, AJ."

"Are you coming, Jessica?"

"I'll be up in just a minute, AJ."

"Okay. Oh, thanks for the present, grandpa. I know you want me to keep it secret, but I can't. I'm going to tell my Moms later."

/

When AJ was out of sight, David turned to the older woman. "Who the hell are you and why are you interfering with my grandson?"

"I'm Jessica Shelton, a friend of Marissa's from Devon."

"Oh, you know my daughter?"

Jessica shook her head. "No, I know Roy and Lydia Tasker's daughter."

"She is _my_ daughter." David said forcefully.

"I beg to disagree. You may share some DNA with her, but she's not your daughter because she's _nothing_ like you and _everything_ like them."

"What the hell does that mean? What gives you the right to come here and tell me how to raise my grandson?"

"Okay, let's get a few things straight, shall we? AJ is not yours to raise. That responsibility belongs to his mothers, and they are doing an exceptional job. He's a bright, kind and caring boy who, thanks to them, knows the difference between right and wrong. He saw through you, saw what you were trying to do, and could tell it wasn't right to trust you. AJ didn't let you intimidate him because of the values and examples set by both Bianca and Marissa. Who the hell does that anyway? What kind of person tries to intimidate an 11 year old, especially one that's their own grandson? I suppose I shouldn't be surprised though given what you're doing to your own daughter."

"What do you mean by that?" David gave the woman a menacing stare. Normally, he was able to intimidate others, but Jessica wasn't having any of it.

"You're blackmailing Marissa."

"I'm not doing anything of the sort. We came to a mutually satisfying agreement where we are both getting something we want."

"Really?! That's what you're calling it? You are going to do a job that you are supposed to do given the oath you took by helping Kendall while Marissa and her children are forced to spend time with you in order to ensure that you do said job. Then the first chance you get, you go behind her and Bianca's backs, corner AJ and try to start to manipulate him so you can mold him into a mini you. That's what you call 'mutually satisfying'?"

/

"What did you do, David?" Krystal asked with a sinking feeling as she interrupted the two. Bianca had asked her to find Jessica and David so everyone could sing to the kids before cutting their cake and opening presents. Having looked around upstairs with no luck, Krystal decided to try downstairs. She'd heard a muffled conversation when she was at the top of the stairs and followed it. As a result, she'd overheard a snippet of the conversation, the part regarding blackmail.

"Nothing that concerns you, Krystal."

"If it involves Marissa and her family, it damn well concerns me."

"Don't get self-righteous with me, Krystal. It doesn't suit you." David smirked.

"Like you have any room to talk." Krystal snapped.

"Oh please, neither of you have any right to act holier than thou."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I know what you've done to Marissa _and_ what you've done to Bianca."

That statement stopped both Krystal and David cold, a look of disbelief on their faces.

"Yes, I know what you did to Bianca, and how either of you can live with yourselves is beyond me." Jessica held up a hand to stop the protests forming on the duo's lips. "No, don't even go there. There simply is no justification for what you put her through. The hell she went through is inexcusable, and now, you, the great Dr. David Hayward, are doing it again and compounding it by pulling Marissa and their children into it, holding Kendall and her daughter hostage so you can get what you want. You know what's the saddest part of this? Marissa was getting ready to open up and spend time with you of her own free will, and now by making that a condition of your treating Kendall, you've destroyed what little trust and faith she was starting to have in you." Jessica gave them both a look of utter disgust. "I thank god that Marissa had Roy and Lydia in her life to raise her and show her what real love, caring, trust and compassion truly are. The one thing you did right, Krystal, was choosing them to be her parents."

Krystal knew the words 'and saving her from becoming like both of you' were unspoken but still hung heavily in the air. The thing was that Krystal couldn't argue the point. Roy and Lydia definitely did save Marissa, and she was nothing like her biological family.

Jessica shook her head. She had nothing left to say and could no longer look at the other two, particularly David. The older woman turned and started to head back upstairs to join the others. Jessica was startled to see Caleb midway up on the stairs. The lawyer didn't say anything. He simply gave her smile and a quick nod, which she returned, before motioning for her to lead the way upstairs.

/

"I can't believe you're blackmailing Marissa. What the hell are you thinking, David?"

"I'm thinking that I'm getting what I want. I'm getting my family, one that you tried your damnedest to keep from me." David spat.

"Yes, when I found Marissa, I didn't tell you about you her, and after all of this, I can honestly say that I was right. Marissa is her own person. She is strong, smart and has a fire and spirit that can't be broken. People have tried, but they haven't been able to do it. I thank god for that, and I especially thank god for Roy and Lydia. Jessica was right. They are her parents, and Marissa is nothing like us. She never would've done what we did to Bianca. It never would've crossed her mind. What you're doing is wrong, and you're putting Bianca through hell again."

David shook his head. "I'm going to have a relationship with my daughter and grandchildren, and that's all that matters."

"You're getting it by threatening her, by withholding treatment for Kendall. You're having her make a life and death decision, and you're the only one who wins. On second thought, there are no winners here. Yes, you'll have a relationship with them, but it won't be a real one. Marissa knows the truth and resents you already for it. That's only going to grow. As for AJ and the baby, they may not know about it now, but they will when they get older. What do think they will think of you then? Do you really think they are going to fall on their knees and thank you for blackmailing their mothers? I don't think so. They're going to resent you and want nothing to do with you, and you will be all alone. Will it still be worth it when that happens? And just to be clear, that is what will happen." Krystal turned and headed towards the stairs. Her mind was already made up. She knew what she had to do. Krystal was going to have a long conversation with Erica and let her know everything that was going on. She wouldn't do it today because she didn't want to dampen the kids' party, but first thing tomorrow morning, she was going over to Erica's.

/

Miranda and AJ were standing with huge grins as their families stood around them singing 'Happy Birthday'. When the song was finished, the birthday twins leaned forward and blew out the candles in tandem. Bianca and Marissa engulfed their oldest children in loving embraces.

"Okay, cake and then presents!" Bianca announced.

The kids let out a whoop as Marissa sliced the cake and Bianca handed out slices to first the birthday twins and then everyone else with Greenlee stepping in to help.

David stood off to the side and watched. He had been stunned into silence, something that didn't happen, by the confrontations downstairs. Was Krystal right about his grandchildren hating him and being left with nothing? He was so close to getting what he wanted, but if Jessica had been telling the truth about Marissa being about to offer him a bigger role in her life and he couldn't see what she had to gain by lying about something like that, he had most likely blown it. At this point, was there anything he could do to make it right?

"Would you like any cake, David?" Greenlee held out a plate for the doctor.

"Thanks but no. I just got a page and need to head to the hospital. Would you do me a favor and give them my apologies."

Greenlee shrugged. To be honest, she was glad he was leaving. "Sure."

"Thank you." David went to the hall closet and pulled out his coat to put on. He spotted the box containing the doctor's bag he had gotten AJ. It was clear to him now he'd been way off the mark with it. Looking around to make sure no one saw him, he scooped up the box with a promise to replace it with something his grandson would like. The doctor then exited the home. Once outside, David shook his head and pulled out his cellphone.

"Luis, it's David Hayward. I'm going to give you a name. There's a condition with it. You didn't get it from me. Understood?"

"_Understood."_

"Anita Chambers."

/

_The following day_

"Do I look alright? I mean this isn't too formal, is it? Or is it too casual?"

Marissa bit her lip to keep from laughing as she watched Jessica fret over what she was wearing. After everyone had left the party, she had told Marissa and Bianca that Caleb had asked her to lunch the next day, and she'd agreed. Watching Jessica now, it was clear to Marissa that her friend was flustered and definitely smitten with Caleb.

Jessica glared at the redhead hearing a soft chuckle coming from her. "I know what you're thinking, and this is not a date."

"You're worried about what you're wearing?

"Yes. Of course I am. I want to look nice."

"You want to make a good impression with him?"

Jessica huffed. "I like to make a good impression no matter who it is."

"Caleb's picking you up?"

"Yes."

"You're going out alone with him and sharing a meal?"

"Something I can do with a friend."

"You find him attractive?"

Jessica blushed and cleared her throat. "Possibly."

Marissa thought her friend was pretty adorable right now and smiled.

Bianca rolled her eyes at her wife's gentle teasing of the older woman and was about to say something when they were interrupted by a knock at the front door. "I'll get it. It's probably Caleb."

Jessica took a deep breath. She hadn't felt this nervous in a very long time.

Marissa leaned forward and kissed her friend on the cheek. "You look amazing, and he'll think so too."

"Thank you."

"Jessica, you look beautiful." Caleb held out his arm. "Shall we?"

"Yes, and thank you." Jessica smiled and took the offered arm. She turned back to the couple. "I'll see you later."

Bianca and Marissa stood with an arm around each other as they watched their friends walk to the car. Caleb held open the car door and helped Jessica inside before making his way quickly to the driver's side.

"This _so_ is a date." Marissa grinned.

/

After they had ordered, Caleb decided to finally broach the subject they had been avoiding. "I have to tell you that I was very impressed with what you did yesterday at the party. Not a lot of people stand up to Hayward like you did. Both he and Krystal had it coming."

"I thought so. What they did to both Marissa and Bianca is unforgiveable, and for David to blackmailing them? I can only tell you that I'm sure there is a special corner in hell reserved for him. Could I ask your opinion on a couple of things?"

Caleb nodded. "Of course."

"Marissa made me promise not to tell immediate family about what David's doing. In fact, she was very specific about that."

"Ah, that's the lawyer in her. She's covering her bases. You have something in mind though, don't you?"

"I do. Now, I won't tell them because I gave her my word and won't break it. So, I have a hypothetical for you."

"Go on."

"What if I was talking to someone that she didn't specify and someone, let's Erica, happened to overhear. Would it still be considered keeping my word?"

"In that hypothetical situation, I would say it would."

Jessica sighed in relief. "That's good to know. I have one other thing that is more serious. David managed to get AJ alone at the party. I overheard him pressuring AJ about his future and what he should do. David wants AJ to be a doctor like him, and he wanted AJ to keep their conversation a secret from his mothers."

Caleb clenched his jaw and his eyes flashed in anger. "That man will never learn. You obviously know that's against what he, Bianca and Marissa agreed to."

"Yes, I do. I also know the contract's not been signed yet."

"No, it hasn't. His lawyer is haggling over terms. I personally think he's trying to wear them down so they'll just give him everything he wants. Hayward's going to be disappointed because that's not going to happen. They are determined, and I will tell you that they are formidable when that happens."

"So I've learned watching them. I have to tell them. What do you think the best way to do that is?"

"Knowing them like I do, I would just tell them straight out and don't beat around the bush. They won't like hearing what he did, but they do need to know. Hearing it from you will definitely help soften the blow."

"Thank you." Jessica smiled. "Are you up for taking a break from some of the drama going around?"

"I think that's a great idea. What did you have in mind?"

"Tell me all about yourself."

Caleb returned the smile on Jessica's face. "Only if you return the favor and tell me all about _yourself_."

/

Krystal took a deep breath bracing herself before facing Erica. She was not looking forward to this at all but knew it had to be done. Erica needed to know what David was doing. His blackmail of Marissa and Bianca was simply not right and had the potential for causing health issues for Marissa and the baby because of all the stress associated with the blackmail. Krystal honestly was at a loss about what could be done and hoped that Erica had some ideas. Taking a second deep breath and exhaling, Krystal knocked on the diva's door.

"Krystal? What are you doing here? Are Marissa and the baby alright?"

"They're fine. Um, we need to talk."

Erica's relief was evident hearing that her daughter-in-law and soon to be grandchild were okay. The diva quickly schooled her features quickly however. "What on earth is there to talk about with you?"

"For starters, Bianca, Marissa and their family, Kendall and her family, and David."

That got Erica's attention. "Fine, come in."

After the two were seated, Erica continued. "So, what's going on?"

"Yesterday, at the birthday party, I found something out that you need to know. I went to find Jessica and David for Bianca and found them downstairs. Jessica was reading David the riot act."

"Why would she be doing that? As far as I know, she's never met him."

"Well, that may be true, but from what I could tell, she had plenty of reason for what she was doing. David has agreed to help Kendall."

Erica knew there was more to this. David never did anything without some sort of compensation. There was always a catch, and the diva had a sickening feeling over what it might be. "I've already asked him, and he refused to help. Why did he change his mind? What's his price?"

"In exchange for him treating Kendall, Marissa and Bianca agreed to let him spend time with AJ, the new baby and Marissa herself."

"What?! That's …"

Krystal nodded. "Basically, blackmail, yes."

"That son of a bitch!" Erica's mind was racing with this new information. This was exactly something both her daughter and daughter-in-law would do. Both were wanting to do something to help Kendall, and it seems they found it. David had to be salivating over this. There would be absolutely no way they could turn him down. To do so would be risking Kendall's life, and neither of them would ever do that. It was simply against their nature. The thing is this would put added stress on Marissa, and that was not good for her or the baby. Bianca was in an untenable position. She had to be worried sick about both her wife and her sister.

"I've known David to do some despicable things, but this … this is beyond the pale. He's willing to put Marissa's and the baby's lives in danger for his own selfish gain. I noticed some tension between them at the party, and now, I know why."

"I noticed that too, before I found out the reason." Krystal stated.

"What did Bianca and Marissa say when you told them you knew?"

"I didn't tell them."

"Why not?"

"I didn't want to ruin the party. After David left, they were all so happy I didn't want to do anything that would change that. I also had absolutely no idea of what to say that might help them. I was afraid I would make it worse. The one thing I did know was that you needed to know. Telling Kendall was out of the question, but you … you needed to know, deserved to know."

/

Jessica laughed as Caleb related yet another story from his self-described reckless youth when her cellphone rang. She noticed it was daughter. "Would you excuse me for a minute, Caleb? It's Jo."

"Of course."

"Hello, Josephine." Jessica could hear her daughter roll her eyes at the use of her full first name.

"_Hi, Mom. I'm sorry to interrupt. I called Marissa's number first, and she said you were out with Caleb. How's the date going?"_

Jessica squirmed in her seat at her daughter's teasing. She couldn't deny it was date, not with Caleb sitting right in front of her and especially if that's what it was starting to feel like. "Is there something I can help you with, _Josephine_?"

Jo got the message, now was not the time to tease her mother. _"Actually, yes, there is. I've got the name of a cardiologist for Erica."_

"You do?"

"_Yeah, and she's really good, Mom. One of the best, period. A colleague spoke to her, and then she called me. I told her about Kendall, and to quote her, she is 'intrigued' by Kendall's case."_

"That is the best news, Jo. Some things have happened here that you wouldn't believe. I was going to call you tonight and tell you all about them. Could you hold on for one second?"

"_Sure."_

Jessica looked at Caleb. "I hate to do this, but Jo has the name of an excellent cardiologist. I really should get this information to Erica as soon as possible. I'm afraid that means I need to cut this …"

Caleb held up his hand to cut her off. "Don't finish that statement. I'll take you to Erica's."

"Are you sure? I can't ask you to do that."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. Besides, I'm being a little selfish. This lets me spend more with you, if that's okay with you."

Jessica smiled. "I would like that very much."

"Then, it's settled. I'll get our check while you finish your call."

"Thank you." Jessica turned her attention back to her daughter. "Are you still there?"

"_I am, and I have to say, Mom, I like him."_

"You've only met him once and didn't really talk to him that much."

"_Doesn't matter. I heard what he said, and I definitely approve."_

That had Jessica smile even more, but she had to get back to the matter at hand. "What is the doctor's name?"

"_Her name is Anita Chambers. I'll text you her number. She's waiting for a call."_

"Thank you, Jo. This will definitely help with the situation here."

"_I'm glad to hear it. Don't forget to call me later and fill me in on everything. Oh, and Mom, I do mean everything, that includes your date that's not a date."_

"You are impossible. I will call you. I love you."

"_Love you too, Mom." _

/

Erica nodded. "Thank you for telling me."

"Any thoughts on what we can do? And before you say anything, I'm helping on this. I know I've done horrible things to them in the past and will never be able to make up for it, but I can't let this go. My daughter and her family are impacted by this, and well, I do care quite a lot about Kendall. I want to help, even if it's just holding David down while you kick the crap out of him."

Before Erica could answer, there was another knock on her door. A moment later, the diva was greeting Jessica and Caleb. "Hello. What are the two of you doing here?"

"Hello, Erica. I'm sorry for interrupting, but I just got off the phone with Jo. She came through and has the name of a cardiologist who is highly recommended."

"That is wonderful news. Please, come in."

Jessica stopped cold seeing Erica's guest. "Krystal?" She looked between Erica and Krystal, and a light bulb turned on for Jessica. "Oh."

Erica nodded at the other woman's look of comprehension. "Yes, oh. Would you care to tell me why Marissa and Bianca didn't tell me what's going on? Better yet, why haven't you told me?"

Sighing, Jessica turned to Caleb for help. The lawyer nodded and came to her aid.

"For reasons that will become obvious, I need both you and Krystal to work with me for a few minutes, Erica. Why don't you sit over in this chair, and Jessica, you take a seat by Krystal?"

Jessica looked at the diva and made a simple but heartfelt plea. "Please?"

After a moment, Erica nodded and did as suggested.

Caleb continued to offer direction. "Krystal, why don't you ask Jessica the question that Erica had."

Krystal was slightly confused but went along with it. "Alright. Jessica, why didn't you tell Erica what's going on with David, Marissa and Bianca? Why didn't they tell her?"

Jessica was so grateful for Caleb's quick thinking and knew she would have to thank him later when they were alone. She turned to Krystal and addressed her and only her even though she knew Erica was right behind her hearing every word. Not that she was keen on doing this with Krystal, but they had both a common enemy and common goals. The goals were clear. They were to help Bianca and Marissa, to make sure this stressful situation was handled in such a way that Marissa's and the baby's health were ensured and that Kendall's and her baby's health were as well. The common enemy was David, pure and simple. Neither woman was operating under the misconception that they would be friends as a result of working together, but for the couple and family they both loved, they would tolerate each other.

Technically, Jessica was keeping her word thanks to Caleb. "When I got into town Friday, I could tell Marissa was upset and asked her why. She agreed to tell me but on the condition that I not tell Erica, Kendall, Zach and Greenlee. She was adamant about that. I agreed because I couldn't help her if I didn't know what was going on. Marissa then told me that she and Bianca agreed to let David begin to spend more with their family in exchange for treating Kendall. To keep him in line, they were drawing up a contract that would have conditions regarding his time with AJ and the baby. They didn't like it, but felt there was no other option. They wanted help Kendall and knew this was the only way that David would agree that didn't entail Erica groveling to him. It seems David was really set on that. I didn't tell Erica any of this for the simple fact that I gave Marissa my word that I wouldn't, and I cannot break it."

Erica didn't know what to think. Her emotions were at war with each other. She was furious at David, but at the same time, she was so touched by what Bianca and Marissa were doing. David would be paying for this. That was a fact, and there was no absolutely no doubt about it. He was going after her family, hurting them, causing them tremendous pain, and no one got away with that. _No one._

Caleb stepped in again. "Before you say anything, Erica, you should know that Jessica was hoping for a situation such as this, what's going on here right now."

The diva understood and nodded. "I understand. She's managed to keep her word and still let me know. I can appreciate your position, Jessica. Thank you. Krystal had just told me some of this, but I now know the details."

"There's more. David's already broken part of their agreement. He's not supposed to talk with AJ without either of his mothers being present."

"He did that at the party, didn't he?" Seeing Jessica's nod, Krystal shook her head. "That no good son of a bitch."

"I agree with you on that. I'm going to tell them later about that."

"You mentioned a contract. Has it been signed yet?" Erica asked.

Caleb shook her head. "Not yet. His lawyer is dragging his feet and haggling over several points. We're supposed to meet tomorrow to negotiate further. That's all I can say."

"I understand." Erica paused and thought. "You said that Jo gave you the name of a cardiologist?"

"Yes, her name is Anita Chambers, and she's on staff at New York-Presbyterian University Hospital of Columbia and Cornell. That's the top hospital in New York City and one of the tops in the country. According to Jo's colleague, Dr. Chambers is one of _the_ best cardiologists around, and is intrigued by Kendall's case. She's waiting for your call."

"Caleb, I need to ask you to delay the contract signing."

The lawyer smiled. "I know that look. Alright. I can buy you some time. Am I safe in assuming that you don't want me to let either Marissa or Bianca know about any of this?"

"Yes, you are. Jessica, I'll need that number. I have one doctor to call and another to deal with. He needs to learn that _no one hurts my family and gets away with it without severe consequences._" Erica smiled coldly.

It was that smile that sent shivers up the spines of the two present who had seen it before as well as the one who hadn't.

**/**

**A/N: **_**Weekend Reader**_**, you had me cracking up with the little bit on the Jeopardy contestant being from Shamokin! Who'd have thunk it?!**


	175. Welcomed News

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! I really appreciate it. I hope those of you that celebrate had a very merry Christmas, and I hope you all are having a wonderful holiday season. I had one of the oddest things happen to me the day after Christmas. I'm still trying to process it. Obviously, it wasn't something really bad since I'm writing you. Here's the thing, I was going to tell you all about it here, but then, I got to thinking. If you're following this story, then you know that could be a good/bad thing. To make a long story short, I'm thinking of tweaking it and adding it to this tale. I have to be careful with it though and make sure I do it right. Is this ominous and vague enough for you? **

**It seems Santa gave me some inspiration as an early Christmas gift. I posted a one-shot just before Christmas that I hope you'll want to check out if you haven't already. It's called 'All I Want for Christmas'. At the time, I also had an idea for another one-shot with a New Year's theme. I'll try and get that up in a couple of days. One last thing, I had another idea for this story. I'm not sure when I'll add it in, but it will be after Sparky gets here (that will be happening soon). It will definitely kick up the drama for our girls.**

**Okay, enough about all of that. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update and that you have a Happy New Year! **

**/**

"Caleb, I need to ask you to delay the contract signing."

The lawyer smiled. "I know that look. Alright. I can buy you some time. Am I safe in assuming that you don't want me to let either Marissa or Bianca know about any of this?"

"Yes, you are. Jessica, I'll need that number. I have one doctor to call and another to deal with. He needs to learn that _no one hurts my family and gets away with it without severe consequences._" Erica smiled coldly.

It was that smile that sent shivers up the spines of the two present who had seen it before as well as the one who hadn't.

Jessica knew that for David there would be hell to pay, and she found she couldn't care less what happened to him. In her mind, he deserved everything Erica was going to throw at him and then some. Despite what he may think, David Hayward was not god and did not have the right to act like he was. They were talking about people's lives, ones that belonged to people that Jessica loved and cared about. Yeah, she was definitely on board with whatever Erica came up with.

/

"Are you kidding me?! David had the nerve to come into _our_ home and say those things to _our_ son?! Oh, no, no, no. This, this is not going to happen ever again. I've tried and tried to give him the benefit of the doubt and thought that maybe with this agreement, even though I hate it, that maybe, just maybe he might get it, and think of someone other than himself for a change, but I was wrong. This will not go unpunished. He does not intimidate our son and tell him what he can and can't do with his life. He does not get to try and mold that sweet, caring boy into someone like him, someone who only cares for himself and is only out for himself. That's not going to happen."

Bianca watched as Marissa paced angrily back and forth. She couldn't ever recall seeing her wife as angry as she was now. The brunette had to admit that she was just as furious as Marissa when Jessica had told them what had happened. Right now though, her concern shifted to her wife. Bianca had to walk a fine line at this moment. Telling Marissa to calm down could easily set her off even more, and that was something she definitely didn't want.

"Rissa, please."

The simple plea was all that was needed for Marissa to end her rant. Hazel eyes met warm chocolate ones, and Marissa sighed before taking a seat on the sofa next to Bianca.

Jessica watched the scene with more than a hint of fascination and awe. There was no doubt in her mind that the younger women would be beyond angry when she told them about what had occurred between AJ and David, but it had to be done. There was simply no way around it. They needed to know. Before leaving Erica's, it had been decided to let the couple deal with David's latest infraction. Too many questions would be asked if it came to light that Erica knew about it. For now, the diva was still working out the details of exactly how she was going make David pay for what he was doing, and she wanted Bianca and Marissa to be able to honestly claim innocence and avoid any possible repercussions as a result of her actions. Jessica agreed, and as soon as she returned to Minx Manor and the three women were alone, she told them what had happened yesterday. That is what led them to this moment. What had Jessica in awe was the way the couple was able to get through to each other and calm the other down. She honestly could only recall one other time she had witnessed something like that. It had involved Marissa's parents.

Marissa took a deep breath and released it as she willed herself to calm down. "I'm sorry. Okay. AJ seemed okay? He didn't seem upset?"

"If he was, I would've come to get you right away. Your son … You would've been proud of him. He thanked David for the gift but then told him that he would have to tell both of you, that you all don't keep secrets from each other. He also said that you had told him that he could choose whatever career he wanted. As long as he was happy, that's all you cared about."

Bianca smiled proudly. "You're right. We are proud of him."

"Definitely. He hasn't said anything to us yet though."

As if on cue, the couple heard their son's voice.

/

"Ma. Mom."

"What is it, Buddy?"

"I was looking for one of my presents to show you, but I can't find it."

"Oh, well what is it? Maybe we can help you find it?" Marissa asked.

AJ thought for a moment and then shrugged. He had wanted to show them the gift from his grandfather and then tell them what had happened, but since he couldn't find the gift, it didn't really seem like an option now. The boy would just have to tell them. AJ sat down next to Marissa on the sofa. "It was something from Grandpa David. He got me an extra gift and didn't want me to tell you."

"Oh, he did? What is it?" Bianca asked.

"It's a doctor's bag. He said it's just like his. He got it for me because he wants me to be a doctor just like him."

Marissa looked at her son. "What do you think of that?"

AJ made a face. "I don't wanna be a doctor. I don't like looking at blood. It makes me feel sick to my stomach. A doctor probably shouldn't be that way, huh?"

The redhead shook her head with a smile. "Probably not."

Relief spread across AJ's face. "Besides, I wanna design and build stuff. I told him that, and he didn't like it very much. I also told him that I was going to tell you guys about the present because we don't like to keep secrets. I could tell he didn't like that either."

Bianca studied her son closely. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I am. It's like I told him. You're okay with what I wanna do so it doesn't matter if he's not."

Marissa hugged the boy. "We're very proud of you for sticking up for yourself. You were right to tell us about this."

AJ beamed. "Thanks. I wanted to ask you something. If I can find it, do you think it's bad if I give it back to him? I'm not gonna really play with it or anything. Maybe, he can give it to one of the kids in the hospital that might want to be a doctor."

"That is very thoughtful of you, AJ. I tell you what. Don't worry about the present or what your grandpa said. Your Mom and I will take care of it, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Why don't you go play with your sisters and Max?"

AJ nodded, hopped off the sofa and hugged both of his mothers before heading off.

"We have to talk with Caleb about the contract. There's no way we can let David get away with this." Bianca noted.

"You're right, and we're not going to force AJ to spend time with David." Marissa paused. "I really want to call him right now and give him a piece of my mind so bad, but I know if I do I'm going lose it. And I know I can't do that. We need to be smart about this."

Bianca nodded. "Yes, we do, which means we need clear heads and a really good plan."

"Maybe you should take a day or two to just regroup and map out your strategy." Jessica suggested.

"Yeah, that's probably a good idea." Something popped into Marissa's head. "Hey, did Jo get ahold of you?"

"Yes, she did. A colleague of hers gave her a name of a very good doctor at the top hospital in New York City. Her name is Dr. Anita Chambers, and she was intrigued by what she heard about Kendall's case. I passed her number on to Erica, and she's going to call her."

"Really? That's good news." Bianca said cautiously. She didn't want to get her hopes up too much because she wasn't sure if she could handle them being crushed.

"If this pans out, maybe you won't have to rely on David and deal with that contract with him."

"If only, Jessica, if only." Marissa squeezed her wife's hand as she too tried not to get her hopes up.

/

Dr. Anita Chambers flew into Pine Valley the day after talking with Erica. She had agreed to meet with and evaluate Kendall. Erica had called Dr. Joe Martin, her old family friend who also happened to be chief of staff. Joe had arranged hospital privileges for the visiting physician, and Dr. Rivera and Dr. Abbott had agreed to meet with Dr. Chambers after she examined Kendall. The three doctors would develop a course of care for Kendall and her baby.

The day of Kendall's exam arrived and everyone was anxious, all for the obvious reason of wanting her to receive a clean bill of health. A few were hoping in addition to Kendall receiving a positive exam that Dr. Chambers would agree to take her case and thus releasing them from being at David's mercy.

While Bianca busied herself at the Miranda Center, Marissa went into the office and finished up the documents needed for Sam's case. There was a hearing scheduled two days from now for the teen to formally change her name to Samantha Robinson Walker. It would be Marissa's last court appearance until after she returned from maternity leave, and she couldn't think of a better case to end on. The redhead also wanted to check in with her staff.

Erica went with Kendall and Zach. They knew it would be pointless to argue with the diva, and truth be told, Kendall was very glad to have her mother present. As soon as they knew something, Erica would call Bianca with the news who in turn would call Marissa. Kendall had promised to call Greenlee who had reluctantly agreed to go into Fusion and handle a previously scheduled meeting.

/

Bianca was in the middle of a meeting when her cellphone rang. Seeing it was her mother calling, the brunette excused herself and left the meeting room to speak to Erica in private.

"Mom, how did it go?"

"_It went very well. I have to say I'm very impressed with Dr. Chambers. She has agreed to take Kendall's case. They are arranging schedules right now."_

Bianca breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh thank god! That is good news. Kendall's health?"

"_For now, it's the same. Dr. Chambers reviewed her records and said that one more incident would have her seriously considering surgery for a permanent fix though."_

"Did she say what that might be?"

"_It was would most likely be a pacemaker. The pregnancy adds to the complications, but she has successfully done this procedure before. I would rather none of this happen, but I do have a good feeling about Dr. Chambers, especially after meeting with her. Kendall and Zach feel the same way, as do Dr. Abbott and Dr. Rivera."_

"That's good, Mom, really good."

"_Yes, it is. I know you are as relieved as I am. I need to call Jack and let him know, and I know you need to call Marissa. I'm sure she's as anxious as Jack is to hear what happened."_

"You would be right. Thanks for calling and give Kendall my love."

"_Always, sweetheart. I'll talk to you later."_

As soon as the call was disconnected, Bianca quickly pulled up Marissa's office number and hit the button to connect to her wife.

/

"So, have you thought about what you'll do if things work out with this new doctor?"

Marissa sighed. "I'm trying not to get my hopes up, Brian. This is all just so messed up. I still can't believe David basically cornered AJ and did that."

Brian shook his head. "I can't either. What was he thinking? Who does something like that?"

"Apparently, David does. What I want the most is for Kendall and the baby to be okay, and the same for AJ. He already has baggage because of JR and the Chandler name. He doesn't need David trying to manipulate and mold him. Bianca and I are not going to allow that to happen. We've met with Caleb again."

"Did he have any ideas?"

"A couple. David and his attorney are still dragging their feet. They think we're just going to cave and give David everything he wants just to get this over with."

"David obviously doesn't know either of you as well as he thinks if he believes that's going to happen."

"Exactly. So, tell me how things are with you?"

"Stef and Jamie are good."

"Are they going to be here for the shower?"

Brian couldn't cover his surprise fast enough. "What … what do you mean? What shower?"

"The surprise shower that's being held for me here on Friday."

"How did you know?"

Marissa grinned. "I have my ways. And before you ask, no one on our team told me."

Brian shook his head. "I really shouldn't be surprised. Seriously, what was it that clued you in?"

"The partners scheduling a lunch and inviting Bianca was a pretty big hint. I may have a touch of pregnancy brain, but it's not that bad."

"Ah, it seems they're not as slick as they think they are sometimes." Brian laughed.

"Nope." Hazel eyes sparkled with amusement.

"To answer your question, yes, Stef and Jamie will be here."

"Good. I'll answer the one you haven't asked, but I know that you want to. Bianca and I will be sure to act surprised."

"That will be greatly appreciated by all."

The lawyers were interrupted by a knock on the open door. Marissa's secretary poked her head inside.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Marissa, Bianca's on the line for you."

"Thanks, Ellie."

"Do you want me to leave?" Brian asked.

"You can stay." Marissa assured her friend before picking up her office phone. "Hey. So?"

"_She's going to take Kendall's case."_

Marissa released a relieved breath. "Thank god. What else?"

"_Mom said they're ironing out their schedules now. If Kendall has another incident, Dr. Chambers discussed the possibility of a pacemaker. It's a procedure she's done before though. It was definitely a positive meeting."_

The redhead could hear the relief in Bianca's voice. Her wife had been extremely anxious about today so Marissa was glad to hear Bianca being back to her upbeat self. "I'm so glad. Are you doing okay?"

"_Yeah, I am now. You know what this means, right?"_

"I can tell David to go to hell."

"_Rissa."_

"What? I know you want to say it as much as I want to."

"_Well, I can't deny that, but …"_

Marissa huffed. "Fine, I'll come with a nicer of way of saying it. I reserve the right to say those exact words to him though if he starts to try anything."

"_Promise me though that you'll take care of yourself?"_

"I promise."

"_Then you have a deal. Okay, I need to get back to my meeting. I'll talk to you later. Love you."_

"Love you too."

Brian looked expectantly at the redhead. "Good news I take it?"

"Yes, Kendall has another doctor."

"And you don't have to bow down to David."

Marissa nodded. "Exactly."

/

Erica was sitting in the hospital cafeteria biding her time until David was scheduled to come in. She was still contemplating what she wanted to say to him when she heard two voices she'd recognized.

"So, Dr. Chambers …"

"Please call me Anita, Dr. Rivera."

"Only if you call me Luis. How do you know David Hayward?"

"Other than through reputation, I don't."

"I'm confused then. When I called, you were well aware of Mrs. Slater's case. I assumed Dr. Hayward had talked with you."

The woman shook head. "No, I had spoken with Ms. Kane and Mrs. Slater who gave me the particulars. I was first made aware of it because of a colleague of mine in New York. Then, I had spoken with a Dr. Shelton who knows the family and gave me an overview of the case before I spoke with the family. Why would you think I knew Dr. Hayward?"

"Just between the two of us, he was the one who gave me your name and said I should call you because you've had similar cases. He also said you had a stellar reputation. I did a little checking on my own before calling you, and Hayward was right about everything he told me."

"From what I know of him, Dr. Hayward is an exceptional doctor. I'm surprised the family hadn't reached out to him. Granted, some of the things I've heard haven't exactly been flattering."

"True. He does like to push the envelope on the ethical side and has problems with not only this hospital but the state medical board as well because of that. Even with that, there is denying his skill."

"Yes, that is true. From what I've heard, he's never been shy when it comes to discussing that about himself. It begs the question, why recommend another doctor?" Dr. Chambers asked.

It was a question that Erica had herself and one she was hoping to find the answer to when she talked with David.

/

Marissa was waiting in David's office when he arrived.

"This is a pleasant surprise. I wasn't expecting you. Did you change your mind about having Caleb negotiate the contract?"

"There is not going to be a contract, David."

"Oh, I'm happy to hear that you've given up on needing that. We can handle all of this without any lawyers. They just get in the way."

"In case you've forgotten, _I'm_ a lawyer. We're needed sometimes to protect those who can't protect themselves from those attempting to use or hurt them."

David held up a hand in an attempt to appease the redhead. "I didn't mean any offense."

"Save it, David. I know better, but I'm just going to consider the source. Like I was saying, there's not going to be a contract because the deal is off. It's no longer on the table."

"What do you mean it's off?"

"They've found another doctor for Kendall, one that doesn't require the type of _payment_ that you do."

"So, that's it? You don't need my help anymore because Dr. Chambers has run to the rescue and so you're done with me? Huh, you really are becoming like them."

"Coming from you, I'll take that as a compliment. Let me just set you straight first. You do not get to play the victim here. _You blackmailed me_, and we both know that was the only reason you were going to help Kendall. Even after I told you that you weren't to spend time alone with AJ, that either Bianca or I had to be present, what do you do the first chance you get? You pull him aside, in our home no less, and start to pressure him to become like you. You tell him that what he wants to do isn't important and doesn't matter, that you will decide what's best for him, and here's the kicker, you tell AJ to keep all of this a secret from his mothers! Why would you do that? Why would you put him in that position? You claim to love him and me, but then, you turn around and do something that is the exact opposite of love."

"I only wanted to spend time with my family. I had no other choice. Erica and the rest of her family were keeping you away from me."

"No, there's always another choice, always another way. Here's a thought. Did you ever try simply asking instead of demanding? The answer to that is no. You didn't want to spend time with us. You want to control us and did the same things that you've accused the Chandlers of doing for years. You lied, cheated, used and manipulated. Those aren't things that occur in most families. Let me put it this way, those aren't things I'm going to allow to happen to _my_ family. That family includes Erica. She has done nothing but be there for Bianca and myself, supported us and protected us. She wasn't keeping me away from you. You were, and you are. I will not have you corrupt AJ or this baby. If that means keeping you out of their lives permanently, then so be it." Marissa stood, picked up her purse and headed for the door where she paused and turned back to face David. "You know one of the things that's sad about all of this? Before any of this started, I was wanting to spend time with you. Not anymore."

/

Erica heard Marissa's voice growing closer to the door and quickly ducked out of sight. The diva had been on her way to David's office and stopped outside the partially opened door when she heard her daughter-in-law's voice. Erica couldn't help herself and listened to the conversation taking place on the other side. She had to give credit to Marissa. The redhead was not backing down or letting David guilt her into folding, and in the process, she was defending Erica. The diva could feel her daughter-in-law's pain. Both Bianca and Marissa tried to see the best in the people. Unfortunately, it sometimes led to moments like this. Erica was resolved to limit these moments as much as possible

Seeing Marissa leave the office, Erica waited until her daughter-in-law had entered the elevator and the doors closed before leaving her hiding spot. She didn't bother knocking.

"David."

The doctor grimaced. "Erica, I'm in no mood."

"Well, that's too bad because I am and this is going to happen now." Erica took a seat.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." David's sarcasm was clearly evident.

"I'll get right to business. I'm sure you've heard that Kendall has another doctor and your services will not be needed."

"Yes, Marissa was just here and informed of that fact."

"You also know then that your blackmailing of Bianca and Marissa is over."

David looked surprised at that statement. "What do you mean by that?"

"Oh, David, don't play dumb. It doesn't suit you. You think too much of yourself to be able to pull it off. I know all about what you were trying to do. I'm just glad that my daughters and daughter-in-law won't have to deal with you. I have a question for you though."

"Why would I answer anything you have to ask?"

"That's your prerogative, I suppose, but I'll still ask. Why did you pass Dr. Chambers' name on? Were you hoping to gain points from Marissa if she found out?"

"How did you know about my passing the name on?!"

"You'd be surprised by everything that I know. I will tell you that Dr. Rivera did not tell me. Fortunately, we obtained her name from another source." Erica spotted a legal document on David's desk and could see it had to do with his proposed deal with Marissa. Something clicked for the diva in that moment. "You weren't going to tell her, but you were still going to go through with the contract, still force her and the children to spend time with you all without doing anything."

David knew he'd been caught. He tried to hide the guilty expression that swiftly crossed his face, but he wasn't fast enough. Erica had seen it. He hadn't wanted to handle Kendall's from the beginning. For David, there was no glamour or glory involved in it. Basically, it wasn't worth his time, but that still didn't mean he couldn't use this to his advantage. If he could wear down Marissa and Bianca down to agree to all of his conditions and sign the contract before Dr. Chambers took the case, it would be a win-win situation for him, and they would be locked into it. If that happened, David knew without a doubt that the couple would still uphold their end of the bargain. They would nothing if not honorable, sometimes to a fault. He was just using this to his advantage. The only thing was he hadn't counted on Dr. Chambers acting so quickly and taking Kendall's case as fast as she did. He also hadn't expected Caleb to cancel yesterday's negotiating session. That threw him for a loop.

"I have to say that this is a new low even for you. I should tell Marissa and Bianca, but I won't. Don't mistake that for kindness for you, however. This isn't for you. It's for them. I do believe Marissa would be crushed if she knew, and I won't do that to her, especially in her current condition. I won't risk her or my grandchild for you. I do have something else to tell you." Erica withdrew an envelope from her purse and slid it across David's desk.

"What's this?"

"It's from the hospital board. I had a discussion with Joe Martin earlier today and informed him of your activities. He called an emergency board meeting. They've suspended all of your privileges here for six months. If I had known that you had still planned to blackmail Marissa despite another doctor caring for Kendall, I would've pushed for more time. I would've even gone to the state medical board myself. As it is, Joe assured me that he was contacting them personally." Erica stood. "This is the only warning I will give you so listen carefully. I'm done playing with you. We've done this dance before, numerous times over many years. It's gotten old, and I'm done. The stakes are just too high. So, know this. If you even _think_ about pulling another stunt like this and hurting anyone in my family which includes Marissa and _all_ of my grandchildren, you will regret it. I will make you sorry that you were ever born. Make no mistake about that." With that, Erica strode out of the office leaving David behind wadding up his notice of suspension.


	176. What's in a Name?

**A/N: I hope this New Year finds all of you happy and healthy. Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow this story! As always, it's appreciated. I also want to thank all of you for doing the same for the one shots I've posted recently, **_**All I Want for Christmas **_**and **_**What Are You Doing New Year's Eve.**_** I hope you liked them. The site was a little wonky when I posted the New Year's Eve story, and it took me several tries to get it up. I purposely left it vague as to what drama they face in the future. I will tell you that it's based on an idea that popped into my head at the same time as the one shots. Who knows? Maybe, I'll come up with some more future glimpses into the lives of the Tasker-Montgomery family. **

**As soon as I read a review for the last chapter, I knew I had to respond here. Thank you, **_**j**__**amierubinstein**_**, you made an extremely valid point, and I completely agree. What David did to Bianca is the lowest of the low. In my mind, and this is my fault for not writing it this way, Erica viewed this as a new low for ****him where it concerns how is treating his own child, in this case Marissa. Erica certainly knows what he is capable of and what he's done, and she will never forgive him for his role in everything that Bianca went through. I think the hope was there that he would not do something like this to Marissa, but his true nature won out. I agree that karma will eventually pay him a visit. So again, thanks for pointing that out for me. I'll try and make sure what's in my head gets written down clearly. I really do appreciate you all keeping me honest.**

**As for this chapter, I need to put this out there. I'm not a lawyer so you'll just have to go with me on anything dealing with legal issues. Timeframe wise, it's probably late March. I think I have everything covered. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Mr. Cortlandt, you have a call from someone who wishes to be a client."

Caleb paused at his secretary's desk on the way to his office. "Have them make an appointment, Doris, just like everyone else."

"I have a feeling that it's going to be hard for him to get down here by himself. You really should take this call now."

There was something about the tone in her voice and the expression on her face that caught his attention. She looked downright amused, and that was rare for the woman. "Fine. Give me a minute, and then send the call in."

The lawyer had just gotten settled when Doris sent the call through. "Caleb Cortlandt."

"_Hi, Caleb!"_

"AJ?!"

"_Yep! How are you? The Moms always say you should ask how someone's doing first when you call them and haven't talked to them in a while."_

Caleb was as amused as he was curious. "Well, they're right. I'm good and yourself?"

"_I'm good too. I was hoping to hire you to be my lawyer. I can't pay you a lot right now though because I don't get my allowance for a couple of days. Would that be alright?"_

"Why don't you tell me what you need first and then we'll figure the rest of it out?"

"_Okay, but if you're my lawyer, you can't tell the Moms what we talk about, right? It's lawyer …"_

"_Lawyer/client privilege."_ A young girl whispered.

"_Yeah, lawyer/client privilege."_

"Is that Miranda?"

"_Yeah, and Gabby. They wanna hire you too."_

"Alright. Yes, Miranda is right. It is lawyer/client privilege, and that means I have to keep private what we talk about. Before we do all of that, why don't we start at the beginning? What are the three of you up to?"

Caleb could hear a brief, muffled debate on the other end of the line before AJ came back on.

"_Okay. I'm going to put you on speaker so all three of us can talk to you. Can you hear us?"_

The lawyer smiled. "Yes, I can."

Miranda took the lead. _"Okay, what do you wanna know first, Caleb?"_

"Let's start with how you got my number."

"_Oh, that was easy. You and Ma work together, and we keep the firm's main number up on the refrigerator in case of an emergency. We just called that and asked for you instead of Ma."_ Miranda answered proudly.

"Of course you did. Your mothers are telling the truth when they talk about how smart the three of you are. Alright. Why me? Not that I'm not honored. I'm just curious. I dare say you know a great many lawyers, your Ma at the top of that list. Any one of them would be more than happy to help you with whatever you need. Although, I will have to warn you that if this is something really serious that I will have to talk to your mothers since you are minors."

"_Yeah, we know. We figured as much. It was Gabby's idea to ask you." _AJ answered.

"Oh, it was, was it?"

"_Yep! You're Mommy's lawyer. If she trusts you, I know we can too." _Gabby's answer was simple and to the point, and it had Caleb speechless for a moment with its utter sincerity.

Caleb knew there was no way he could refuse to help the three kids who were a little like grandchildren to him. "Okay then. What do the three of you need my help with?"

/

His conversation with AJ, Miranda and Gabby had Caleb shaking his head in amazement and in need of information. The lawyer knew where he needed to start.

"Doris, I need to ask you something, and it absolutely _has_ to stay between us. This cannot go out on the office grapevine, understood?"

The secretary nodded. "I understand. This will stay just between us."

"Good. I need to know who on Marissa's team is the best one to keep a secret. I'm going to need their help with something and will need their discretion."

"I take it neither Marissa nor Bianca should know about what it is?"

"You would be correct."

Doris had to admit she was intrigued but knew better than to ask further questions. "Then, I would say it would be Lisa Walsh. She can keep a secret like nobody's business, almost as good as Marissa, and the two of them are close. There's not much Lisa wouldn't do for her. I think that could be said for all of her team, but Lisa's the one."

"Very good. I need you to discretely ask Ms. Walsh to come to my office."

The secretary nodded and stood to exit.

"Oh, and Doris, thank you."

/

Lisa was finally able to slip away and made her way to Caleb's way unnoticed. When his secretary caught up with her in the break room and told her that Caleb wanted to see her, the young lawyer was extremely anxious at first to say the least. Doris telling her that he needed her help with something and that it had to be kept private did help her feel a little less wary, but not much.

Doris smiled when she saw the young lawyer. "You can go on in. He's expecting you."

Lisa did as instructed and found Caleb sitting behind his desk. He glanced up hearing her approach and removed his glasses.

"Ah, Ms. Walsh, please have a seat. I'm sure you're curious about what's going on."

"Yes, I am. Doris said you needed my help?"

"I do, and what I'm going to tell you and ask of you must be kept just between us. No one else can know about this, especially Marissa."

"Could I be honest?"

Caleb lifted his hand, gesturing her to continue. "Please."

"I don't know how comfortable I feel keeping something from her. She is my boss after all. And yes, I know you're a partner and technically my boss as well, but I report directly to her. So, it just doesn't feel right to keep something from her, especially if it could hurt her."

"What makes you think this could hurt her?"

"Why else would you be talking to me in private and wanting me to keep something from her?"

Caleb smiled. "I like you. You don't back down and are showing great loyalty. I'll tell you this much and then you can decide if you want to help. Sound good?"

"Alright."

"Earlier today, I had a call from AJ, Miranda and Gabby. They want to hire me, and after learning what they wanted, I agreed to represent them."

Lisa was confused to say the least. She knew without question that the kids loved and adored both of their mothers. Finding out that they called Caleb and wanted to hire him was something she couldn't wrap her head around. Lisa also knew how Caleb felt about the women, and that he'd helped them deal with JR on numerous occasions. If the kids wanted his help with something and he agreed, it didn't strike Lisa as something that would hurt Marissa. "Do I have your word this won't hurt either Marissa or Bianca?"

Caleb nodded. "You do. I give you my word."

"Alright, I'm in."

"Excellent." Caleb smiled. "We don't have much time, but here is what's going on."

/

"Hey, Lisa. I was just going out to grab some lunch. Interested in joining me?" Brian asked as he saw the blonde walking down the hallway with purpose.

"Oh, hey, Brian. I'd like to, but I can't. I've got a case that's scheduled for a hearing in a couple of days, and I've got some research to do. I'll just eat what I brought in today."

"Want some help with your research?"

"I'm okay right now, but I'll let you know if I do." Lisa hated not being able to tell Brian what was going on, but Caleb had sworn her to secrecy.

"Alright. You know where I am if you do."

"I do, and thanks."

/

Bianca paused in the doorway of the couple's bedroom and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Marissa was sitting on the window seat underneath the bay window gazing outside. The redhead was bathed in moonlight and wore a peaceful expression as she caressed her baby bump and talked with their little one. Marissa was actually glowing, and Bianca was so mesmerized by the sight that she couldn't speak.

"It's hard to believe that you'll be here soon, and I can't wait to meet you, Sparky. Neither can your Mommy and your brother and sisters, your Aunt Kendall and Uncle Zach, your Uncle Jack and Grandma Erica. Don't tell her I used the 'g' word. But you want to know something? I know she can't wait to meet you either, and I know she's going spoil you rotten. There are a lot of people that are going to love so much and spoil you. You will be so loved. I only wish that your Grandma Lydia and Grandpa Roy were here to meet you. They would be over the moon. I'll make you this promise. I will tell you all about them." Marissa sighed. "You missed out on this winter, but we'll make up for the next one. Now that it's spring, we'll go for walks down by the pond, and we'll go to the park too when it gets warmer of course. This summer, we'll go to zoo, and you can see all of the animals there. Your sister Gabby loves it there. It's her favorite place. We're going to have so much fun."

Marissa paused, feeling the loving gaze of her wife. "You're staring again."

Bianca chuckled knowing she had been busted and crossed the room to join her wife. "I can't help it. You are absolutely beautiful."

The redhead rolled her eyes and turned to her wife. "I sure don't feel like it sometimes. I feel like a bloated whale and think you should get your eyes checked again."

"My eyes are just fine, thank you very much. They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and to me, I've never seen anyone more beautiful, and you take my breath away. So, no more arguing."

"Okay, you win."

"So, you and our little one are making plans, huh?"

Marissa sighed happily and leaned back into Bianca's arms. "Yep. Sparky will be here soon. My due date is just around the corner."

"I know, and I can't wait to meet our little one. Don't worry. I won't tell Mom you were calling her 'grandma'."

"Thank you!" Marissa laughed. "She likes me, but that could change if she ever heard me say that."

Bianca snorted. "It could change if she heard _me_ call her that."

"So, do the kids seem like they're acting a little weird to you?"

"You mean like they're up to something? Yeah, but I don't think it's anything bad because of how they're smiling. It's a mischievous smile."

"Yeah, like the kind Kendall and Greenlee get sometimes."

"Exactly! I have to tell you that it's a little scary."

"What do say we give them until the weekend and then we call them on it?" Marissa suggested.

Bianca nodded. "I think that'll work. Are you ready for tomorrow, for Sam's case?"

"Yeah, I am. Sam and the Walkers are excited, and are really glad you're going to be there."

"I'm honored that they asked me. That was sweet of the Walkers to invite the kids to the party they're having after."

"Good thing it's an in-service day for all of them."

Bianca sensed her wife had something on her mind. "You okay?"

"Huh? Yeah. I'm just, I'm just thinking about my last day in court for a while. I'm going to miss it because I do love that part of my job."

"I understand. You're really good at it."

"It's the right the thing to do though. According to Dr. Abbott, I really could go any time, and it wouldn't be fair to my clients to have to hand off their case in the middle of a trial." Marissa then smiled. "You know though, no matter how much I love my job, I love my family more. This little one is someone I can't wait to meet, get to know and watch grow. It's going to be a great adventure."

Bianca smiled and hugged her wife a little tighter. "Yes, it is, the best kind."

/

Marissa smiled as Sam and the Walkers entered the courtroom. The family was all smiles. It was a day they had been looking forward to for a while. It would've happened earlier, but the hearing date had gotten bumped for more pressing cases. Now that it was here, the delay was forgotten and no longer mattered.

"Sam, Gail, Alex, Carol. It's good to see all of you."

"It's really good to see you, Marissa!" Sam beamed as she hugged her lawyer.

Gail's smile was just as bright as the teen's. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Well, believe it because it is." Marissa reassured.

"How are you doing, dear?" Carol asked.

"I'm good. This is my last official case until I get back from maternity leave. I like the fact that I'm going out on a high note."

"Thanks again for everything, Marissa. We'll never be able to repay you and Bianca. Speaking of your wife, where is she? She's still coming today, right?" Alex asked.

"She'll be here. Your hearing doesn't start for another 15 minutes. Do you want to go over everything again?"

Sam made a face. "Could we maybe go over it one more time?"

"Sure." Marissa smiled and patiently went over everything again. When she was finished, the lawyer double checked that Sam understood everything. "Any questions?"

Sam released a breath. "I'm good now. Thanks."

"You haven't started yet, have you?"

Marissa glanced up and saw Bianca. The brunette was slightly out of breath. "Nope. We have a couple of minutes."

"Good. I was afraid I might be late. I had a hard time finding a parking space. Hey, Sam. You ready for this?" Bianca asked.

"Yeah, I am. I'm glad you're here."

"There's no place else I'd rather be."

/

"All rise. Court is now in session. The honorable Sonya Kagan presiding." The bailiff announced.

Judge Kagan rapped her gavel. "Be seated. Good morning, Ms. Tasker. I see we're here for a good thing today."

"Good morning, your honor. Yes, we are."

"Good morning, Miss Robinson. I see you want to change your name."

Sam stood next to Marissa and glanced at the redhead who nodded before addressing the judge. "Good morning, your honor. Yes, I do."

Judge Kagan smiled. "Well, this is definitely a good way to start off the day. Alright. To be clear, you want to change your name to Samantha Marie Robinson-Walker, correct?"

"Yes, your honor."

"And you are doing so of your own accord?"

"Yes, your honor, I am. This was my idea. Gail, Alex and Grandma have never pressured me to do anything I don't want to." Sam paused thinking she had said too much.

"Go on. I'd like to hear more."

"They've been there for me, gave me a home and a family. I want to share their name." Sam turned to her adoptive family. "I love them, and I want to be a Walker." Turning back to face the judge, she continued, clear and confident. "Nothing would make me prouder, and there's nothing I want more."

"Then, I'm very happy to help make that a reality." Judge Kagan lifted her pen and signed the papers in front of her. "Let me be the first to congratulate you, Sam Robinson-Walker. Case adjourned."

Sam bounced on her feet and hugged Marissa before turning to her family and jumping into their embrace.

Marissa began to shuffle papers into her briefcase as the clerk called the next case.

/

"AJ Chandler, Miranda Montgomery and Gabrielle Montgomery."

Bianca's and Marissa's heads snapped to the clerk, then to each other and finally to the courtroom's doors. As they opened, their three children appeared followed by Caleb, Lisa, Erica, Kendall, Greenlee and Susan.

"What's going on?"

"I think you and Red should have a seat at that table, Binx." Kendall winked at her sister.

Bianca quickly joined her wife, and the couple stared dumbfounded as their children took their seats in between Caleb and Lisa.

"Mr. Cortlandt, it's been a while since I've had the pleasure of having you in my courtroom."

"Your honor, it's a pleasure being here, especially on a day like today."

"Excuse me, your honor, but could I ask what's going on here? Why are our children here?" Marissa finally found her voice.

Gabby smiled brightly. "It's okay, Mommy."

"It's good, Ma. Trust us." Miranda added.

AJ nodded. "I think you and Mom are gonna like this."

Judge Kagan did her best to maintain her poker face. She had been clued in on exactly what was going on. "Please have a seat, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

Marissa did as instructed and gripped Bianca's hand.

"I think it's best if we get started, Mr. Cortlandt."

"I couldn't agree more, your honor." Caleb handed some legal documents to the bailiff for the judge before he continued. "My clients are petitioning for adoption and name change. AJ would like to be adopted by Bianca Tasker-Montgomery while Miranda and Gabby would like to be adopted by Marissa Tasker-Montgomery. All three would then like to change their last names to Tasker-Montgomery, matching their mothers'."

"What?! How? Is this possible? I … I …" Bianca couldn't seem to form a coherent sentence.

Marissa wasn't faring much better than her wife. "I … I don't understand."

"I think it best if you explain further, Mr. Cortlandt."

"I think you're right, your honor. Actually, I think I have a better idea. Miranda, would like to explain?"

Miranda smiled brightly and nodded.

"Why don't you come up here and have a seat in the witness stand?" Judge Kagan suggested.

"Okay." Miranda then hurried to the seat indicated. "Do you need to swear me in or anything?"

"Do you know the difference between telling the truth and telling a lie?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Do you promise to tell the truth here?"

Miranda nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

"Alright. That's all I need. Go ahead."

"Well, we were talking to Sam about how the Walkers adopted her and how she was changing her name." Miranda waved to Sam who waved back with a big smile on her face. The teen was thrilled she was able to help with this moment. "We got to thinking. Mom and Ma are already our moms, at least to us, but it's not really legal. I mean it is for AJ and Ma, and for me, Gabby and Mom, but not for all of us. Ma's not legally our Mom, and Mom's not legally AJ's. Ma says that it's always best if you can make things legal. It could save headaches down the road. It's kind of like how before they were married, they had each other's power of attorney. So when Ma was in the hospital, Mom was able to make decisions for her. We want the same thing for us."

"Very smart. I see we have a young lawyer in the making."

Marissa could only nod proudly while Miranda beamed.

"We figured then that if they could adopt us that we should change our names too, so they could match. _We_ know we're a family whether that happens or not, but this way _everybody_ will know because there are still some people that don't think we are."

"There are?"

"Yeah, but they don't know any better so …" Miranda just simply shrugged.

"And all three of you came up with this idea?"

"Well, it was AJ's idea first. His dad has hurt him a lot and our Moms. Even though he loves his Uncle Stuart and his cousin Scott, AJ doesn't want to have that last name anymore."

Judge Kagan addressed the young boy. "Is that true, AJ?"

The boy nodded. "Yes, ma'am. My grandpa's gotten better, but him and my dad have done a lot of bad things and want me to be like them. I don't want to. I want to be different from them. I wanna be like my Moms. With my dad and grandpa, they don't really listen to me, and it's all about what they want. With my Moms, they just want all of us to be happy. As long as we try our best, our Moms are good with that."

"That's very admirable, AJ. Gabby, you want this too?"

"Uh huh."

Lisa whispered something to the little girl.

"Sorry. Yes, ma'am."

Judge Kagan smiled. "That's quite alright."

"They're my Mommies so why shouldn't I have both of their names?" To Gabby, it made all the sense in the world.

"Why indeed? So, Miranda, after the three of you talked, what did you do next?"

"Oh, we called Caleb. He's Ma's lawyer. We figured that if she trusts him that we could too. We told him what we wanted, and he agreed to help us. He told us he would need some help so he got Lisa to help him. We knew we could trust her too because she works for Ma."

Caleb stepped forward at this point. "Ms. Walsh and I verified that Marissa was the sole custodial parent of AJ, and Bianca was the sole custodial parent for Miranda and Gabby. The parental rights of Mr. Chandler and Ms. Williams had been terminated due to certain actions on their parts. Therefore, their permission is not needed for adoption to take place."

"Miranda, you did very well and can take your seat again." Judge Kagan then looked to the couple. Both had tears in their eyes, and neither could believe what they were hearing. "I have a few questions for both of you. Bianca Tasker-Montgomery, would you like to adopt AJ?"

"I would love nothing more." Bianca choked out as she wiped away a stray tear.

"Do you give your permission for Marissa Tasker-Montgomery to adopt Miranda and Gabby?"

"I definitely do."

"Marissa Tasker-Montgomery, would you like to adopt Miranda and Gabby?"

"I would love to."

"Do you give your permission for Bianca Tasker-Montgomery to adopt AJ?"

Marissa cleared her throat as she tried to fight the emotions that were overwhelming her. "Yes, I most certainly do."

"AJ, Miranda, Gabby, would you like …"

"Yes!"

Everyone present in the courtroom laughed.

"I'd say they know what they want. Are there any objections?" Hearing none from those present, the judge continued as she gathered the papers Caleb had prepared. "Very good. Let's make this legal then." Judge Kagan handed some papers to the bailiff who in turn handed them to the couple. "By signing those papers, you are agreeing to the adoption of and name change for AJ, Miranda and Gabby."

With quick glances at their children and then at each, Marissa and Bianca signed all the necessary papers with smiles that could not be wiped off their faces if anyone had tried. They were returned to the bailiff who handed them to the judge to review.

Judge Kagan nodded and then added her signature. The courtroom was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Everyone was just waiting for the final announcement to let loose. "Bianca Tasker-Montgomery, you are now the mother of AJ Tasker-Montgomery. Marissa Tasker-Montgomery, you are now the mother of Miranda Tasker-Montgomery and Gabby Tasker-Montgomery. Congratulations to all of you! Case adjourned."

Everyone in the gallery erupted, cheering and clapping loudly. The kids rushed over to their mothers who were waiting with open arms.

Judge Kagan looked on. "Days like today remind me exactly why I love my job so much." With a quick nod to the couple who had tears of joy in their eyes, the judge took her leave for a break. Her docket had been cleared to allow for a little time for this surprise.

/

"Did we surprise you guys?" AJ asked.

"Oh, you definitely did, and this was the best surprise ever." Marissa hugged her son again.

Bianca nodded. "Your Ma is right. You three are something else. I can't wait to hear everything."

"Me too." Marissa looked at the others. "So all of you knew about this, huh?"

The question was answered with smiles and laughter.

"Now, I understand why you were so anxious to get us out the door this morning, Susan." Bianca shook her head remembering the babysitter's behavior earlier. Both she and the kids couldn't wait for them to leave.

Susan chuckled. "Yeah, sorry about that. The kids wanted to change their clothes for court, and we needed to meet up with Caleb and Lisa to go over things again."

"I really want to hear everything, but I think we should get out of here. Judge Kagan has other cases to hear, and Bianca and I are expected back at the office."

"We can celebrate all of this later at our house." Sam offered.

"Sam, that is so sweet, but this should be your day. This definitely needs to be celebrated too though." Bianca looked to her wife who seemed to know what she thinking and nodded. "How about we have our adoption celebration next Saturday? This way Sam can have her day which she really deserves. By waiting a week, this will give us a little time to invite a few more people for our celebration. How does that sound, guys?" Bianca looked at the kids who nodded, happy with the compromise.

"Could we maybe invite a couple friends?" Miranda asked hopefully.

Marissa chuckled. "Sure, I think we can manage that. All of you are definitely invited." The redhead looked over at Lisa with a playful glare. "As for you, we'll be talking later."

Lisa grinned as she recognized that she didn't have anything to worry about from her boss. She knew Marissa was teasing her by the sparkle in her eyes. "Whenever you want, boss."

"I think we'll take our leave now. Congratulations and we'll see you tonight." Gail smiled.

Bianca nodded. "Definitely and thank you."

With that, the Walkers left for a small private celebration before getting ready for the larger celebration later that day.

The redhead shook her head at Lisa and chuckled before turning to address the man who engineered today. "Caleb, is it alright if Bianca and I are a little late for the lunch?"

"You know all about the surprise back there, don't you? Given all of this, I think everybody would be just fine with you being a little late."

"Thank you."

"Mom?"

"Yes, Miranda."

"We made some brownies after you left."

Bianca looked at the kids, knowing exactly what those expectant looks they were giving her meant. "Why don't we all go back home and have some before your Ma and I have our lunch?"

"Yes!" The kids pumped their fists and exchanged high fives.

"That invitation includes all of you." Bianca noted to the others.

"I'll take a rain check on the brownies. I need to wrap up a couple of things at the office." Lisa needed to help with the prep for the couple's shower.

"I have to take a rain check as well. I have to drop these papers off at the clerk's office and let the others know you'll be a little late. I must say that the three of you have been my most favorite clients. Congratulations." Caleb winked at the kids before taking his leave along with Lisa.

"Well, I'm looking forward to brownies."

"I'm with Kendall. Chocolate is always a great way to celebrate." Greenlee smiled.

"Mom?" Bianca looked at her mother.

Erica nodded. "I would love to celebrate with all of you. I'm quite impressed with you three. You are definitely your mothers' children."

"Come on, minions. Let's go celebrate." Marissa smiled as they all left to head back to Minx Manor.


	177. I Think It's Time

**A/N: I made it through the first week back to work and am slowly getting myself back onto a schedule. I hope the first full week of January finds you all well. **

**If you'll excuse me for a moment, I hadn't planned on this, but I feel the need to write this next part. Thanks is advance for bearing with me. My heart goes out to my readers in France. What happened there this week was horrific and is simply something that should not have happened there or anywhere. Freedom of speech is among the most cherished of freedoms that we have, and it cannot and will not be silenced by radicals of any group. Je Suis Charlie.**

**Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It is greatly appreciated. Quick note on a question from _ .10_.**** Yes, the David drama is over, at least for now. I can't promise that I won't come up with something else surrounding him in the future, but for now, it's done. I'll let you all get to the story now. We are going forward in time a week from the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

AJ opened the door with a huge grin on his face. "Welcome to Minx Manor, home of the Tasker-Montgomery family!"

Jessica and Jo laughed at the enthusiastic greeting. The boy's happiness was clearly evident and expected. When Marissa had called them last weekend to tell them about the surprise the kids had managed to pull off, they could tell the redhead was thrilled beyond words, the emotion in her voice was on full display and with good reason.

"If it isn't the mastermind himself! Hello, AJ!" Jessica knelt down and hugged the boy tightly.

"Hi, Jessica. Hi, Jo."

"AJ, give me some." Jo held her hand up for a high five which the boy happily returned. "Really nice job on that surprise for your Moms."

"Thanks! They were really surprised. The judge said Miranda did a good job telling her what we did." AJ smiled proudly.

"I'm sure she did."

"Did you know it was Gabby's idea to ask Caleb to help us?"

Jo glanced quickly at her mother who did her best to conceal a smile at the mention of the man's name. "I didn't. I bet he was surprised to hear from you."

"You have no idea. I have to say though that I'm very honored they trusted me that much." Caleb smiled as he joined the three. With a hand on AJ's shoulder, the lawyer greeted the mother and daughter. There was a particular twinkle in his eye when he saw the older woman. "Jo, Jessica, it's good to see you. I'm glad the two of you could make it."

"It's good to see you too, Caleb." Jessica nodded at the lawyer.

Jo smiled as she saw a slight blush creep across her mother's face. "Yes, it's very good to see you, Caleb. When Marissa called and told us what happened, we had to be here to help celebrate. Speaking of our favorite redhead, where are her and Bianca and the other two members of this happy family?"

"The Moms are in the kitchen getting stuff ready, and Miranda and Gabby are downstairs getting Max settled before everybody gets here." AJ offered.

Jessica snapped to attention. "Well, we should see if your Moms need any help." She glanced at Caleb. "We'll catch up later?"

"Definitely."

/

"I'm fine. I don't need to sit down. I want to help. You need the help. It's too much for you to do all by yourself."

"Good. Reinforcements." Bianca said when she saw Jessica and Jo come into the kitchen. "Maybe you can help me convince Rissa to sit down and take it easy. She's been on her feet all day."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "She's exaggerating. I'm fine. It's good to see both of you, and we're glad you could make it."

"We wouldn't miss it. Exactly how far along are you now, Marissa?" Jessica asked.

"Oh for …" Marissa huffed at the not so subtle remark. Jessica knew exactly how far along she was. The older woman had a knack for making a point without really going out of her way to make a point. "Fine, I'll sit down for a minute, but I'm still helping. I can finish up the vegetable tray while I'm sitting." She turned to her wife. "Okay?"

Bianca smiled. "Thank you."

Marissa sighed as she sat down. She hated to admit it, but it did feel good to get off her feet. Just shy of nine months pregnant, Marissa found, at this point, her ankles liked to swell when she hadn't even been on feet very long at all.

As Bianca brought over the vegetables and platter for Marissa to work on, she heard the sigh her wife made as she sat down. The brunette didn't say it but shot her a look that was pure _'I told you so'_.

Marissa scowled slightly while Jessica and Jo just laughed.

"What can we do to help?" Jessica offered.

"Jo, why don't you help Rissa, and Jessica, you can help me if you want?"

The mother and daughter nodded and got to work.

"So the two of you had no idea what the kids were up to?" Jo asked.

Bianca shook her head. "None. We could tell they were up to something, but we could not have imagined that in our wildest dreams. For them to have done all of that, I … I still can't believe it."

"Bianca's right. They just blew us away."

"What inspired them?"

"It was Sam. Rissa helped with her adoption a few months ago, and then at our shower, Sam approached her about changing her name and adding Walker to it. After JR's latest stunt, AJ told us that he didn't want to be a Chandler anymore. We told him to take some time and think about it."

"Apparently, that's exactly what he did." Marissa chuckled. "He mentioned something to the girls, and they decided to talk with Sam since she was going through all of this. She was open and honest with them. When they were done talking with her, they discussed it amongst themselves and made their decision. Miranda figured they would need a lawyer, and Gabby suggested Caleb since he's been my lawyer. So, they called him."

"Caleb knew Rissa's last case before maternity leave was Sam's name change." Bianca continued. "The kids were really wanting to surprise with this. So with their permission, Caleb checked with Sam to see if she was okay with sharing her day. She was completely onboard and loved the idea. She was even happier that she could be there and be part of the surprise. Caleb then called Judge Kagan and explained everything to her. She was happy to help too and rearranged some things to get this on her docket. The kids really wanted Mom, Kendall, Greenlee and Uncle Jack there so they told them. When they found out what was happening, they jumped at the chance, but Uncle Jack got pulled into court for another client and couldn't make it. Susan is family and got pulled in early on as a go-between with Caleb and the kids."

"I have to tell you that your kids are impressive as all get out." Jo stated.

"Don't we know it. Talk about impressive, you should have seen Miranda on the stand when she went over everything."

Bianca smiled at her wife. "What do you expect? After all, she's been learning from the best, you. So, I have no doubt that she will be a great lawyer someday just like her Ma."

Marissa simply grinned back. Bianca's faith in her was unending and meant more to her than words could ever say. It was something she had never had with any other partner. With her parents? Yes, she had it from them, but having it from your parents and having it from your partner are two entirely different things. "You know she'll be great no matter what she chooses to do, and if you ask me, it's because she is so much like you."

Jessica chuckled at the couple. They really were so perfect for each other. Her curiosity got the better of her. There were a couple of things she wanted to know. "How has everyone reacted to the name changes?"

"Scott and Stuart have taken it pretty well and understand why AJ wanted to do it. That doesn't surprise me though. They're both sweet and just good people, especially Stuart. There's not a mean bone in his body, and you'll never meet a kinder or gentler soul."

"Bianca's right. The difference between Stuart and Adam is like night and day. As to the other Chandler men, we haven't heard anything from JR since he left town again so we don't know if he even knows about it. I have no doubt he'll be less than thrilled, but it's AJ's choice. JR lost any rights that he had by his own actions. He hurt AJ, and that's something that won't ever happen again. As for Adam, he wasn't happy about it as anyone would expect and came over to _discuss_ it. He started to get a little heated, and Bianca shut him down cold. Let me tell you, it was something to see. I don't even think Erica could have shut him down like my wife did." Marissa grinned proudly.

"No one talks to my wife like that." Bianca stated forcefully.

"Ditto." Marissa winked, and the brunette relaxed. "Adam seems better now, more accepting at least, because Brooke, that's his wife, has been working on him. She somehow manages to bring out the best in him."

"That's good for AJ. What about your ex-wife? Reese?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, that's her. The girls haven't heard from her in a while so I'm almost positive that she doesn't know, and like JR, she lost her rights because of her own actions. And also like JR, she hurt them, and that's something that won't ever happen again."

"I have no doubt about that. Have you heard from David?"

Marissa shook her head. "No. I was pretty clear that I don't want anything to do with him right now, if ever again."

"Are you okay about that?" Jessica's concern was evident.

"I am. While I would like to have some sort of relationship with him, it's something that's not going to happen, not until he changes. David craves power, glory, and praise and views himself as a god. He thinks the world revolves around him, and we are his puppets, purely here for his amusement and to serve him. He needs to learn that's simply not the case, and until he does, there is no room for him in our lives. That is something I'm more than alright with."

"That's because you know what's truly important."

"I do. It's my family. That's something my Mom and Dad taught me, and it's only been reinforced by having Bianca in my life."

Bianca stopped what she was working on, walked over to her wife, and rewarded Marissa with a loving kiss. "You do have a way with words, _Counselor_."

Marissa grinned. "What can I say? It's easy when I'm talking about you."

"Wow, you really are good. You got game, girl!" Jo laughed.

The couple rolled their eyes at the teasing.

Bianca walked back to the counter. "You're almost as bad as my sister and Greenlee."

"I'll take that as a compliment. Oh, you should've seen the looks between Mom and Caleb. Mom actually blushed!"

"Jo." Jessica warned.

"On the way down here, she kept wondering whether he was going to be here or not."

"Josephine Lorraine!"

Marissa laughed. "Well, Caleb was wondering the same thing about her. In fact, he got here early, and he's never early for things like this. If you ask me, he was wanting to see her."

"He … he … he asked about me?!" Jessica was truly flustered.

"Uh huh. Ask Bianca if you don't believe me."

Bianca smiled. "It's true."

"So, Jessica, the question is, why are you in here with us when he's out there?"

"I … I … I'm helping you."

"We've got it under control, Jessica. Why don't you go have some fun?" Marissa encouraged her friend.

"Go for it, Mom. You deserve this." Jo stated with conviction.

Jessica wasn't quite sure for a moment, but seeing the encouraging smiles and nods from the other three, particularly her daughter, she wiped her hands on a dish towel and took a deep breath before heading into the family room.

Jo shared a high-five with her best friend. "I'm glad she's taking this chance. She really does deserve to be happy."

/

"So, this is where the party is."

"Kendall, it's good to see you again."

"Hey, Jo. It's good to see you too." Kendall gave her sister a hug. "Binx, how are you?"

"I'm good. How about you?"

"Hanging in there. Red?"

"Same as you, Curly."

"Alright, I'm here to offer my services. What can I do to help?"

"Why don't you help Marissa?"

Kendall eyed her sister and then her sister-in-law. Marissa was sitting at the table, shaking her head. "Red."

"Curly, you might as well just come over here and sit down. Resistance is futile when she's like this." Marissa smirked.

Bianca stuck her tongue out at her wife causing the other women to laugh.

"Oh, Bianca, really? Your tongue out while you're looking at Marissa? You really do make it way too easy for me sometimes." Greenlee smirked evilly as she joined them.

"Lalalalalala." Kendall covered her ears with her hands. "I'm not listening to this, and you can't make me."

Marissa and Jo cracked up while Bianca rolled her eyes and threw a dish towel at the petite brunette.

"What? Was is it something I said?" Greenlee feigned innocence, a condition that no one bought for a single second.

Marissa decided to step in and save Greenlee from herself. "Where are Zach, Ryan and the kids?"

"Zach and Ryan have commandeered the TV to watch a game that's on."

"The kids are downstairs in the playroom along with all of yours." Kendall added. "We did see something interesting though when we arrived. We saw your Mom, Jo. She had the biggest smile on her face."

"So did Caleb. They were putting on their coats to go take a walk." Greenlee smiled.

Jo chuckled. "That didn't take long once she made her mind up. I'm glad they're spending some time together again."

"Again?!" Kendall and Greenlee asked at the same time.

"Yeah, they had a lunch date when she was here the other week."

"Don't let Jessica hear you say it was a date. Remember, she was very insistent that it was not a date. It was so a date though." Marissa grinned, and Jo snickered.

"Wait. Exactly how long has this been going on?" Kendall asked.

"And more importantly, how did we not know this?" Greenlee added.

"Well, there's definitely been some sparks between them since they first met. She talked about him some when we got back home after they first met. I don't even know the last time she did something like that. Unfortunately, Mom's been really busy after this last visit so I don't think they've talked that much since their date that wasn't a date. Plus, she's a little nervous. It's been a while since she's shown interest in someone like she has with Caleb."

"Well, Caleb's a really good guy." Kendall assured Jo.

"Marissa and Bianca have assured me of that, and I know Marissa would step in if he wasn't. I have to tell you that it's nice to see that sparkle back in her eyes."

"It really is. She's been through a lot and deserves to be happy." Marissa nodded before something outside caught her eye causing her to smile. "Jo, take a look outside."

A smile broke across Jo's face as she spied her Mom and Caleb walking arm in arm, laughing. Marissa squeezed her friend's hand. Jo couldn't say anything. She was too choked up. It had been way too long since she had seen Jessica like that, and she couldn't even begin to describe how much that meant to her.

/

A short while later, most of the family's guests had arrived. Everyone was having a good time and enjoying themselves.

Bianca had noticed her wife scowling and shifting in her seat so she made her way over to her. "Rissa, are you okay?"

"Oh yeah, I'm just a little uncomfortable, and my heartburn has been bothering me some. I'm good."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. Don't worry."

"Okay." Bianca wasn't 100% sure that Marissa was feeling as good as she was saying but decided to let it go for now. She turned to her sister who was seated next to the redhead. "We didn't get a chance to talk more about this earlier. How's it going with Dr. Chambers?"

"It's going pretty good. I like her a lot. I can't tell you how glad I am that I don't have to deal with David."

Bianca and Marissa glanced at each other but remained quiet.

Kendall continued. "I can't thank you enough, Jo, for basically finding her."

"There's no need to thank me. I really didn't do much, and I'm just glad I could help."

"Oh, I didn't get a chance to tell all of you the latest, and before you complain, Kendall, I just found this out today."

Kendall chuckled. "As long as you just found out, Greenlee, I'll forgive you, this time. So, what is it?"

"It's about David. He's been suspended from the hospital for six months. It was all very hush-hush so I don't know exactly what he did. Whatever it was though, he had to have ticked somebody off who was connected big time because I heard it was done through an emergency board meeting. In addition to all of that, the state medical board is reviewing his license, again."

The younger women all glanced in Erica's direction. The diva was standing on the other side of the room laughing at something being said by Jack. Each of the younger women suspected that if anyone had the connections to bring the arrogant doctor down a few pegs, it was definitely her. In particular, it had Marissa and Bianca wondering why she might have done that.

"Have you heard anything from him, Marissa?" Kendall asked.

The redhead was startled by the question. "No, I haven't talked to him since just after AJ's and Miranda's birthday party."

"I have to say I'm not really surprised this is happening." Bianca added.

Greenlee nodded. "Yeah, me either. If you ask me, karma is paying David a long overdue visit and making him its bitch."

"One can only hope." Kendall studied her sister and sister-in-law. She couldn't help but think they knew something, but they weren't going to talk.

"Mommy! It's snowing!" Gabby squealed excitedly as she looked out the front window. She was immediately joined by all of the other kids.

"Wow, I thought it was supposed to be spring. It is the beginning of April after all." Jack noted as he looked out at the falling snow.

"We have gotten snow in April before. I think we were spoiled by the mild winter." Caleb added.

Jessica glanced outside as well. "At least it's not snowing very heavy right now."

Marissa shifted uncomfortably again.

Bianca noticed the look on her wife's face. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I should've had a smaller piece of chocolate cake, but I couldn't help myself. It was really good, and Sparky enjoyed it." Marissa smiled weakly. "I'm okay. I'll get some Sprite and that should fix me right up." She gave Bianca a quick kiss before heading to the kitchen.

"Is Red okay?" Kendall asked seeing the concern in her sister's eyes.

"Yeah, she's got some heartburn."

"I haven't hit that part too badly yet. I have to tell you that I'm not looking forward to it again." Kendall looked over at Caleb and Jessica. "They haven't left each other's side all night."

"So I've noticed." Jo chuckled as she watched her mother and the lawyer. There was no denying a definite connection existed between the two.

/

Bianca sighed as she joined Marissa and Jo on the sofa. Jessica smiled as she sat in a nearby armchair. Everyone was gone, the kids were in bed, and the couple finally had a chance to rest. The four of them had picked up from the party for the most part.

"I know we should finish cleaning up now, but I am wiped out." Bianca admitted.

"You know what? It can wait until tomorrow. Right now, I just want to crawl into bed and go to sleep. You know the kids will be up early and want to play in the snow." Marissa said with a yawn.

"Well the snow has definitely picked up. It's good everyone left before the roads get too bad. I wouldn't want to be worrying about them driving out there." Jessica noted.

"Especially Caleb." Jo smirked.

Jessica blushed. "I don't know what you're talking, Josephine."

"Mom, I saw how you looked at each other. It's alright. I'm happy for you, really."

"Thank you, Jo." Jessica wasn't quite prepared for this conversation so she changed the topic. "I think I'm going to go to bed now."

"That's a good idea. I have to tell you that I'm looking forward to playing in the snow with the kids tomorrow. Goodnight."

Jo and Jessica headed off to their guest rooms while Bianca and Marissa locked up.

/

Bianca was sitting in the couple's bed with her back pressed against the headboard, the lower half of her body under the covers. She had to admit she was exhausted. It had been fun having family and friends over to celebrate the adoptions and name changes, but it was a lot of work doing so. They had to clean the house before everyone came over, get all of the food ready and everything set up, and after everything was over, they needed to put everything away and clean up again. It left her worn out, and if she felt that way, she knew her wife did.

Marissa exited the bathroom with a mixture of emotions playing across her face.

"Rissa, is everything okay? Something's wrong. I can tell. What is it?" Bianca's anxiety over her wife reached an all-time high. Little things she had observed all day caused it to build, and now, seeing Marissa's expression, it was pushed over the edge.

"Bianca, I … I … I'm not sure, but I … I … I think it's time."

**/**

**A/N: Mwhahahahahaha! Before you ask, yeah, I had to leave it there. My evil side made me. You've got to admit that it's one of my nicer cliffhangers though. See you soon! **


	178. Sparky's Coming!

**A/N: Happy Saturday and thanks for continuing to read, follow and review! It definitely keeps me going. Please make sure to read the author's notes at the end of this. Alright, no need to write more up here. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

_Bianca was sitting in the couple's bed with her back pressed against the headboard, the lower half of her body under the covers. She had to admit she was exhausted. It had been fun having family and friends over to celebrate the adoptions and name changes, but it was a lot of work doing so. They had to clean the house before everyone came over, get all of the food ready and everything set up, and after everything was over, they needed to put everything away and clean up again. It left her worn out, and if she felt that way, she knew her wife did. _

_Marissa exited the bathroom with a mixture of emotions playing across her face._

"_Rissa, is everything okay? Something's wrong. I can tell. What is it?" Bianca's anxiety over her wife reached an all-time high. Little things she had observed all day caused it to build, and now, seeing Marissa's expression, it was pushed over the edge. _

"_Bianca, I … I … I'm not sure, but I … I … I think it's time." _

/

It only took a moment for those words to fully sink in and register with Bianca. The blankets were flung off, and she'd crossed the floor to stand before her wife in the blink of an eye. "It's time?! As in it's time time?! Are … are you sure?"

"Well, it's either time and my water just broke a minute ago, or I've lost complete control of my bladder." Marissa joked. The redhead was almost positive she was having real contractions, and while they weren't off the chart in intensity at the moment, she was sure they were the real deal and not Braxton Hicks. She'd had a couple of bouts with those false labor pains previously. What she was experiencing now was definitely more intense than what she had in the past. Plus, there was the fact that her water had broken while she was in the bathroom. Granted, she'd never gone through any of this before, but Marissa was fairly certain it was her water breaking and not the total loss of bladder control. She was shocked when she'd felt a small gush of liquid as she was washing up, but then, she saw what was most likely the mucus plug she'd read about. It was then that Marissa started checking off items on the list she'd made in her mind of the signs of labor.

"Okay then. Okay. Um … You … You should sit down." Bianca was flustered. She'd never been on this side before, and she had to admit that it was a little terrifying.

Marissa couldn't help but think her wife looked so adorable at this moment. The redhead had always thought that she would be the nervous one when this happened, but right now, that wasn't the case.

"Bianca."

"Yeah … You … You need to sit down."

"Bianca."

"Okay. What do we need to do? Oh, you had a list! I'll get that." Bianca started rummaging through the drawers of Marissa's nightstand.

"Bianca."

"It's not here. I'll check mine." The brunette dashed to her side of the bed, stubbing her toe on the way. "Dammit." She limped to the nightstand and looked inside. "I don't understand. It's not here either."

"Bianca!"

"What?!"

"Breathe."

It only took a moment before that one word cut through her rapidly frazzling nerves causing Bianca to actually take a breath which was quickly followed by a chuckle. "Shouldn't that be my line to you?"

Marissa smiled. There she was. There was a glimpse of her normally cool headed wife. "I'm sure you'll have your chance soon enough."

Bianca took another breath and helped Marissa to their bed after realizing that her wife was still standing. "Alright. I'll be right back. I'm just going to check the bathroom. We should start timing the contractions." She handed her wife her cellphone, and both made note of the time.

/

Bianca returned a couple of minutes later. "Yeah, you're right on your water breaking. I'll worry about cleaning it up later. For now, I threw a couple of towels down. How are you doing?"

"I'm okay." Marissa suddenly winced in pain as a contraction hit. She squeezed Bianca's hand and tried to listen to her wife's calming voice urging her to breathe. When the contraction was over, Marissa checked the time. "Seven minutes apart. Uh, we should probably call Dr. Abbott."

Taking a deep breath in an effort to slow and calm down her brain that was racing a mile a minute, Bianca nodded. "I think you're right. Uh, okay."

"Why don't I call her and you get Jessica? She and Jo can keep an eye on the kids for us." Marissa suggested.

"Good idea! I'll be right back." Bianca tripped over her feet but quickly righted herself before racing out of the room.

/

Marissa glanced out the bay window in their bedroom. The snow was really starting to pick up. Why now? It was April and supposed to be spring for god's sake. Why today of all days did there have to be a freak snowstorm? Marissa sighed and tried to push the thought out of her mind. She needed to focus. The redhead scrolled through her contact list and found her doctor.

After two rings, the call was answered. _"Maura Abbott."_

"Dr. Abbott, hi. It's Marissa Tasker-Montgomery."

"_Hello, Marissa."_

"I'm sorry to be calling so late."

"_Don't worry about the time. Do I need to guess why you're calling? How are you doing?"_

"No, you probably don't have to guess. It seems my water broke, and my contractions are about seven minutes apart." Marissa heard rustling on the other side of the line before her doctor started talking again.

"_It looks like the snow picked up. You and Bianca head over to the hospital now. I would normally tell you to wait until the contractions were a little closer together, but I don't want to chance it with the weather. Are you okay to get there?"_

"Yeah, we've got new tires and 4-wheel drive, and you know Bianca will be extra cautious."

The doctor chuckled. _"Yes, she will. What about AJ, Miranda and Gabby?"_

"We actually lucked out there. There are friends from out of town staying with us. Bianca is waking one of them up now to let them know what's going on."

"_Good. How are you doing now?"_

Marissa just realized that the doctor was distracting a little and helping calm her down. "Better after talking to you. Thanks."

"_That's part of my job. Okay, I'll meet you at the hospital."_

"We'll see you there, Dr. Abbott."

/

Jessica squinted at the clock on her phone and tried to gain her bearings. What had woken her up? Oh, it was someone at the door. Then, it hit her. She was out of the bed and grabbing her robe in no time flat as the frantic knocking continued. "Come in."

Bianca opened the door. "Hi, I'm sorry to wake you up, but it's … it's time."

"It is?!" Seeing the brunette nod, Jessica put on her slippers and followed her. "You're sure?"

"Yeah, Rissa's water broke, and contractions are seven minutes apart. She's calling the doctor now. We'll need you to watch the kids for us."

"Of course. You don't even have to ask." Jessica quickly took note of the brunette's appearance. "Bianca, are you alright?"

"I don't know. I've been through this before, but right now, I feel like I'm running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Why am I acting like this?"

"Yes, you have been through this before, twice to be exact, but it's different this time. It's not you in labor. It's your wife whom you love dearly, and you don't like seeing her in pain. I know you would give anything to take her place right now to save her from that, but you know you can't so you're feeling a little lost and helpless, if I were to take a guess."

Bianca sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's pretty much it."

"That's all perfectly understandable. I'm here to tell you though that you've got this. You can do this. Marissa's going to need you probably like she's never needed you before, but again, you can do it. You are one of the strongest women I've ever met. You're a Kane woman after all."

Bianca chuckled. "You're right. I am, and I can and will. Thanks for the pep talk."

"My pleasure. Now, let's go check on Marissa. You're both going to need to change. While you're doing that, I can get her bag together and whatever else you need me to do."

/

Marissa was just hanging up with her doctor when Bianca and Jessica entered the room.

Jessica smiled brightly seeing her friend. "How are you doing?"

"Okay, I think for the most part, a little nervous though." Marissa looked at her wife. "Dr. Abbott said we should head to the hospital. Normally, she'd have us wait until the contractions were a little closer together, but because of the snow, she thinks it's best if we go now."

Bianca nodded. She was feeling calmer and much more in control after her chat with Jessica. "I thought she might say that, and she's right. It's most likely going to take us longer to get there as it is so I definitely don't want to be rushing to get there, especially if we don't know how bad the roads are. We need to get changed. Your bag?"

"It's in the closet."

Jessica started towards the closet. "I'll grab it and take it to the car now."

"Thank you." Marissa smiled. "I'm so glad you and Jo are here."

"So am I, dear." Jessica grabbed the bag and padded down the hallway.

/

Marissa winced again, and Bianca quickly noted the time as her wife squeezed the brunette's hand.

"Breathe." Bianca knew this really was just starting and that the pain would increase. She also knew Jessica was right. If she could, Bianca would take this pain on from her wife in a heartbeat, but that wasn't possible. At the end of this though, it would all be forgotten the instant they saw and held their little one. They just had to get to that point.

The contraction finally passed, and Marissa eased her grip. "Still seven minutes?"

"Yeah, let's get moving. I'll get you something comfortable to wear."

"Okay."

/

Several minutes and two more contractions later, the couple made their way out of their bedroom, down the hallway and into the kitchen. Jessica and Jo greeted them by the door leading to the garage.

"Hey."

"Your mom woke you up, huh?" Marissa smiled, clearly touched by the excitement on her friends' faces.

"Are you kidding? Of course she did. She knew there would be hell to pay if she didn't. I can't wait to meet Sparky, and see if I have a new niece or nephew. Don't worry about anything here. Mom and I are on it and will be waiting for your call. Bianca, drive safe. Marissa, you're going to do great. Good luck you guys!" Jo hugged the couple before moving to let her mother say her goodbye.

"Like Jo said, we've got things covered here. The kids will be just fine. We'll let them sleep and not say anything until they wake up. We love you and will be waiting for your call about my new granddaughter or grandson! I know I don't have to tell you, Bianca, but be careful out there. You'll be driving precious cargo. Marissa, I'm so proud, and Jo is right. You're going to do great."

Marissa hugged Jessica tightly. "Thank you. We love you too."

"Your purse is in the SUV along with Marissa's bag and your cellphone, Bianca." Jessica held out the car keys to Bianca who took them with a chuckle.

"Thank you." Bianca gave Jessica a heartfelt hug. "We'll call as soon as we know something. Rissa, we need to go."

/

Jessica and Jo watched as the couple headed to the garage.

"We're not going back to bed, are we?" Jo asked her mother even though she already knew the answer.

"Well, you can, but there's not a chance in hell that I am."

"Oh no, I'm definitely not. I don't think I could even if I wanted to."

Jessica chuckled and checked the time. It was 1:30 in the morning, and things were just getting interesting. "I'll make us some coffee."

/

After helping Marissa into the SUV, Bianca quickly moved to the driver's side. She shared a smile with her wife. "Are you ready?"

Marissa nodded. "I am. Let's go."

Bianca started the car, pressed a button to open the garage door and slowly backed the car out. When the car was facing forward, the couple was finally able to see exactly how much snow had fallen. At that point, it looked like six inches of snow was on the ground with more falling. The couple shared a nervous glance.

"I trust you. You'll get us there safe and sound."

Taking a deep breath, Bianca nodded and slowly pressed the gas pedal as she shifted the SUV into a lower gear. The couple remained quiet as their car made its way up the long driveway.

When they were halfway up, a dark blur darted in front of them out of nowhere causing Bianca to slam on the brakes. The SUV spun and slid over to the side of the road inches from a tree.

/

Bianca threw the car into park and quickly whipped around to Marissa as her hands started to assess her wife for any sign of injury. "Rissa, are you alright?!"

Marissa sat stunned, unable to catch her breath as a contraction hit at that very moment.

"Rissa?" Bianca then noticed her wife's breathing and knew what was happening. "Breathe and squeeze my hand."

When the contraction passed, Marissa relaxed.

"Are you alright?"

"I think so. I didn't jerk forward. Sorry. That contraction just happened when you asked."

"It's okay."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I am."

"What the hell happened?"

"A deer ran in front of us."

"Son of a …"

Both women took several deep breaths in an effort to calm their racing hearts.

"Okay. Are you ready to try this again?"

Bianca looked at her wife and saw nothing but faith and trust. She could do this. She _had_ to do this. "I am. We need to get you and Sparky to the hospital." The brunette put the car in reverse and backed it up onto the road. She put the car into a lower gear and started up the driveway again.

Both women breathed a little easier when they were on the main road and saw it wasn't as bad as they thought it would be. While it was covered, they could tell a snowplow had passed through there and treated it, something they were extremely grateful for. The couple drove in silence for a few minutes until another contraction hit. Bianca did her best to talk her wife through it. She really wanted to give Marissa one of her hands to squeeze, but they both knew it was safer if the brunette kept both hands on the steering wheel in this weather.

When the contraction passed, Marissa broke the silence. "Five minutes apart."

Bianca nodded. "Are you still doing okay?"

"Yeah, I think so, as well as I can be right now at least. Do you think we should call Kendall now? I mean, we did promise her that we would when I went into labor. The same goes for your Mom."

"I guess we probably should but tell them not to go to the hospital yet. We don't know how far along you really are at this point, and there's no sense in them being out in this mess if they can avoid it. Hopefully by the time we get to hospital and know more, the roads will be better for them."

"I agree, and Kendall especially doesn't need to be driving in this. I'll call her and ask her to call your Mom. Kendall will probably have better luck than I will convincing Erica to stay put for now."

Bianca chuckled. "You're probably right."

"Dammit, another contraction."

/

"Who the hell is calling us this late?" Zach groaned at being woken up by his wife's ringing cellphone.

"I don't know." Kendall yawned. "It's either a wrong number or something important. Oh my god!" She stopped and grabbed her phone. "It's Bianca!"

Zach sat up, fully awake now.

"Hey, Binx! What's up?"

"_Hey, Kendall. It's Marissa, and I think you can guess what's up."_

"Seriously?! Sparky's coming?! Like really coming?!"

"_Yeah, Sparky's really coming. We're on our way to the hospital now. Jo and Jessica are watching the kids. I guess it worked out that they were in town, huh? Anyway, we wanted to let you know but also tell you to wait before you come. There's several inches of snow, and the roads are messy."_

"Alright. How are you doing?"

"_I think I'm doing okay. My water broke, and the contractions are five minutes apart."_

"Sparky is serious about getting here. How's Bianca?"

"_She's doing great, taking it nice and steady. I think we're maybe halfway to the hospital. Hold on." _

Kendall could hear Marissa breathing heavy and Bianca offering her support. She took that moment to let Zach know what was going on. "Marissa's in labor, and they're on their way to the hospital. She said the roads are kind of bad, but Bianca is taking it slow and steady. Marissa's in the middle of a contraction right now."

"_Kendall."_

"Yeah, Red, I'm still here. You okay?"

"_Yeah, I probably should get off of here though. Could you do us a favor and call Erica? I don't want her driving in this mess either. It doesn't matter to us when you get there as long as you get there safe. Got it?"_

"I got it, and I'll take care of Mom. Focus on Sparky and yourself. Get there safe. I love you both."

"_Thanks. We love you too. We'll give you an update as soon as we know something."_

/

"I know what you're thinking, and I'm telling you to think again." Zach addressed Kendall after she disconnected the call with Marissa. He knew that look all too well, and while normally he was okay with it, he wasn't this time.

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't play dumb with me because we both know you are far from it. I checked outside, and the roads look pretty bad. If I had to guess, I'm betting that Marissa wanted you to wait before going to the hospital. Neither she nor Bianca want you out there right now. How am I doing?"

Kendall rolled her eyes and huffed. "Fine. You're right, but …"

Zach held up a hand. "I know you're not an invalid and perfectly capable, but you have to be a little more careful right now. Driving in this would stress you out, and we both know that's not good for your heart. You have enough stress on it right now. You don't need more."

Releasing a sigh, Kendall conceded the point. "You're right. It's just that I want to be there for them."

"I know, and you will be, when it's time. Look, if we had someone here to watch the boys, I would drive you over there right now."

Kendall caressed Zach's cheek. "I know you would. I'm sorry. Okay, we both know I'm not going back to sleep, at least not until I hear back from them."

"Yeah, I know." Zach could see his wife was thinking of something else, and given the expression on her face, it wasn't something she was happy about. "What?"

"Marissa asked if I would call Mom for them and also tell her to wait before going to the hospital."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Of course she pulled the whole 'having a contraction' thing when she asked too." Kendall smirked.

Zach laughed. "Wow, that was pretty sneaky of her."

"Tell me about it. She's going to owe big time for this." They both knew Kendall was joking. "Alright, I better get this out of the way."

"I think I'll check on the boys." Zach got out of bed and headed for the bedroom door.

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Wow. Thanks for deserting me."

"Hey, it's every man for himself." Zach smirked before padding out of the room.

Kendall looked at her cellphone and had an idea. She sent a quick text and then resigned herself to what she needed to do next. "No sense in putting this off."

/

Erica glanced at her cellphone when she heard it ringing. The diva was actually still up and had just wrapped up a conference call with her personal manager and several European connections who wanted to book her for various appearances. After all these years, Erica Kane was still very much in demand. Seeing the name displayed on the caller id, Erica answered immediately rather than have the call go to voicemail like she normally would at this hour. Noting the time, Erica knew the possible reasons for her oldest to be calling were limited and important.

"Kendall, dear, is everything alright?"

"_Yes, Mom, it is. In fact, it's more than alright. I just got off the phone with Marissa, and they are on their way to the hospital. It seems Sparky is ready to make his or her appearance. She would've called you herself, but she was busy with a contraction."_

"That is wonderful news! I'll head over …"

"_Hold on, Mom. Have you checked outside lately? The roads are pretty bad, and Marissa asked that we wait to head to the hospital until we hear from them again. They're hoping the roads will be cleared more by then."_

"But …"

"_I know, trust me, but I think they're right. The last thing they need right now is to worry about either of us driving in this stuff."_

Erica huffed. "I suppose you're right. Fine. I'll wait, but the moment we hear back from them, I'm leaving and going straight over there. I missed the births of Bianca's other children, and I will not miss this one."

Both women knew one of the real reasons they were anxious though neither would admit it. No matter how much time passed, the events of what had occurred when Miranda and AJ were born cast a pall over them. Those memories would haunt them forever.

"_I'm completely on board with that."_

"What about the children?"

"_Jo and Jessica are watching them. They won't say anything to the kids until the morning and they hear from Bianca and Marissa."_

"I have to say it's a good thing they're in town for the party and stayed over."

"_Definitely. It's one less to have to worry about. Score one for us."_

"And Marissa is doing okay?"

"_Yes, she is or as okay as she can be while in labor."_

"Oh, I remember what that was like, but she has Bianca."

"_And we both know that she's in the best possible hands."_

"Yes, we do. Please keep me posted."

"_You know I will. Talk to you soon."_

"Goodbye, dear."

/

"Is everything alright?"

Erica glanced up and saw Jack standing in the doorway. "What are you doing up? I didn't wake you, did I?"

Jack crossed the room and took a seat on the sofa. "No, you didn't, but I did miss you. I was expecting you to come to bed a while ago."

"I'm sorry. The call went longer than I thought it would."

"Are you coming to bed now that it's over?"

"I'm afraid not. I just got off the phone with Kendall."

"Kendall? At this time of night? Is everything alright?"

"Yes. It seems that Marissa has gone into labor."

"She has? That's amazing news."

"It is. She and Bianca are on their way to the hospital."

"And you want to head over there, don't you? Have you looked outside?"

Erica chuckled. Jack really did know her. "Yes, I do want to go over there, and while I haven't looked outside, I have been warned of the road conditions and asked to stay here until we know more. I agreed after Kendall pointed out that they don't need to worry about me driving in this weather."

"She's right, and I'm glad you realized that. Alright, you go change, and I'll make us some coffee." Jack glanced at Erica. "What? You forget that I know you, and I know you're going to want to go over there the instant we hear something. What better way to make that happen than by getting ready now. You also know that there is no way I'm staying here when the newest member of our family is about to grace us with their appearance. So after I get the coffee started, I'll be back to change, and I'll drive us over when it's time."

"Very well." Erica gave him a quick kiss as she stood.

"I have to tell you that I'm excited to meet Sparky."

Erica rolled her eyes. "I can't believe you're using that ridiculous nickname that Kendall gave the baby." She couldn't help but smile as Jack simply shrugged. Erica would never admit it to anyone, but the name was growing on her as well. "I can't wait to meet our newest family member either."

/

After a white-knuckled drive through Pine Valley, the hospital was in sight. Marissa's contractions had progressed to being three minutes apart, letting them know Sparky was definitely arriving sooner rather than later. Neither woman was happier to see the hospital than they were at that moment.

"Bianca, why do you think there is a fire truck in front of the hospital?"

"I have no clue, but I'm not liking it. Please god let the hospital be taking patients."

Bianca drove towards the emergency room entrance and was stopped by a police officer she didn't recognize. "Hello, officer. What's going on? Is the hospital open?"

"There was a small fire in the laundry room. It's been taken care of, and the hospital is open."

"Oh thank god. My wife is in labor. I'll just go park."

"I'm sorry, but you can't park here, ma'am. You'll have to park over there." The police officer pointed to a lot fairly far away.

"You want us to park all the way over there? I'm sorry, but we can't do that. My wife is in labor. There's no way she can walk that far, especially with this snow."

"Ma'am, there's nothing I can do about that. I have regulations to consider. You're going to have to park over there and walk."

"But …"

"Hanson, what's going up?"

"This lady is refusing to park in the lot over there and walk, Sarge."

"I'm not refusing. I'm just trying to explain …"

"Bianca?"

"Brot?" The brunette was so happy to see the newly promoted police sergeant.

"What's going on?"

"Marissa's in labor."

At that particular moment, a strong contraction hit the redhead, and she grunted in pain.

Brot poked his head inside as Bianca's attention was immediately drawn to her wife. He could see Marissa wincing and trying to breathe her way through the contraction. "How close are the contractions?"

"Three minutes, and her water has already broken."

"Sarge, she's going to have to move the car."

Brot pulled his head out of the car and glared in disbelief at the other man. "Are you kidding me? The woman is in active labor, and you expect her to walk that distance in this snow? Give me a break, Hanson. I can't even believe you." He looked back in the car. "Is the contraction over?"

Marissa nodded. "Yeah. Hi, Brot."

"Hi." Brot chuckled. "Leave your car here, and I'll take care of it. You just worry about getting inside and having that baby."

Bianca sighed gratefully as she started to get out of the car. "Thank you."

"Yeager. Lawson." Brot called out to two other police officers who quickly made their way over to the SUV.

"Yeah, Sarge. What's up?"

"I've got something I need you to do. Yeager, this woman is in labor, and I want you to help them inside."

"You got it. Do you have a bag? My wife did when she had our daughter."

Bianca nodded. "It's in the back."

"I'll grab it and then help you. Wait for me because it's a little slippery."

"Lawson, when they leave, I want you to park their car for them and then bring the keys back to me. I'll take it from there. As for you, Hanson, I know you want to go strictly by the book, but there are times when you have to bend. This is one of those times. Just go somewhere else right now. We'll be talking later. I can't even deal with you."

"Alright, ma'am." Officer Yeager held out his arm for Marissa to take. "Let's go."

Bianca glanced over her shoulder. "Thanks, Brot."

"You're welcome. Good luck with Sparky!"

/

"Marissa!" Angie glanced over at the emergency room entrance and saw the redhead being helped inside. She knew that situation instantly and called over to an orderly. "Get me a wheelchair."

"Dr. Hubbard, this woman is in labor."

Angie smiled at the police officer and knew he was trying to be helpful even though he was stating the obvious. "I can see that, Officer Yeager. Please help her into that wheelchair for me. Bianca, I'm guessing you've called her doctor."

"Hi, Angie. Yes, Dr. Abbott is on her way."

"Dr. Abbott is here."

"Maura, it's good to see you again, and I'm glad you made it here safely."

"It's good to see you too, Angie. Bianca, Marissa, how are you doing?"

"Better now that we're here and are seeing you." Marissa grimaced.

"Her contractions are three minutes apart."

"Alright, let's get to maternity." Dr. Abbott started removing her coat and headed towards the elevator as the orderly pushed Marissa in the wheelchair with Bianca following closely behind.

/

Dr. Abbott directed the orderly to a birthing suite and had a nurse go over to help get Marissa situated while she went to change into scrubs.

Soon, Marissa was in a hospital gown and bed with monitors hooked up to her. Bianca was right by her side as a nurse did an exam.

"Well, it seems your baby wants to get here quickly."

"Talk to me, Kelly." Dr. Abbott said as she joined them.

"Marissa is 90% effaced and 8 centimeters dilated."

"It looks like Sparky means business and is going to be here soon. I hate to break the news, but it's too late for an epidural."

"I was afraid you were going to say that."

"I'm really sorry. You hanging in there for me?"

"Yeah, I am, but I have to say I'll be glad when this is over and Sparky's here."

The doctor squeezed the redhead's hand. "I know. I'll be right back. If there's anyone you would like to call, I suggest you do it now because we are going to be busy very soon."

"I better call Kendall." Bianca pulled out her cellphone.

Marissa nodded and took a deep and weary breath. "Tell her if the roads are still too bad though to wait."

/

"Greenlee, what a surprise to see you." Zach glanced over to his wife.

"What?" Kendall asked innocently.

"You're impossible sometimes."

"In all fairness, you didn't want her to drive in this weather. You didn't say anything about me. Besides, they've cleared the roads pretty well, and they're not as bad as they were earlier." Greenlee grinned as she started to remove her coat. Greenlee tended to stay up later on the weekends and was awake when she received Kendall's text. As soon as she read it, she started to change and prepare for the trip. When Ryan had woken up as a result of all of her moving around, Greenlee told him what was happening. He knew there was no way he was going to stop her. So, he threw on some shoes and coat and got the car ready for her.

"So, you brought in reinforcements."

"I have to go. You know I do." Kendall stated.

"I know."

Kendall's cellphone rang. "Binx?"

Zach and Greenlee waited to hear what Bianca was telling Kendall on the other end of the line.

When she disconnected the call, Kendall looked at Greenlee. "Put your coat back on. Sparky is coming, now."

Zach grabbed his wife's coat and helped her with it. "Please be careful."

"You know I will."

"Give Marissa and Bianca my love, and let me know if Sparky is my niece or nephew."

"I will." Kendall gave Zach a quick kiss. "Let's go, Greenlee. I'll call Mom from the car."

Greenlee cut Zach off before he could say anything to her. "I promise I'll be careful. She's precious to me too."

"I know. Thank you."

/

"Hello, Kendall."

"_Hey, Mom. Sparky's is definitely coming. I'm headed over to the hospital now."_

"You're not driving, are you?"

"_Greenlee's driving, and the roads are looking better."_

"Good. I'll see you there."

Jack already had Erica's coat ready and waiting for her when she finished the call. "Let's go."

After her coat was on, Erica turned and gave her perennial fiancée a quick kiss. "Thank you."

/

Jessica jumped as soon as her phone rang. "Kendall?"

"_Hey, Jessica. I just got off the phone with Bianca. Sparky should be here soon. I'm on my way to the hospital. They still want you to wait before waking up the kids."_

"I will. Thank you for calling. Give them my love."

"_You know that I will. I'll call you back as soon as I know something more."_

Jo looked at her Mom. "Well?"

"Soon. Very soon."

/

"Kendall? What time is it?"

"_Morning, Krystal. Bianca wanted me to call you. Marissa is in labor, and they are at the hospital."_

"She is?! I'm on my way."

"_I'll see you soon."_

/

Dr. Abbott returned as Bianca was coaching Marissa through another contraction. She couldn't help but chuckle seeing the t-shirt the brunette was wearing. It was a gray t-shirt in the middle of which in bright red were the words 'All-Star Coach'. When the contraction finished, she smiled at the couple. "I like your shirt."

Bianca smiled proudly. "Rissa got it for me."

"I figured 'why not'. Besides, she is as advertised." Marissa added gratefully as Bianca wiped her brow before giving her some ice chips.

"So I see. Alright, let's see how you're doing." The doctor said as she put on surgical gloves.

By this time, there was another nurse along with Kelly in the room, each setting about their duties of checking the monitor and prepping for the delivery.

Dr. Abbott glanced up at the expectant couple. "It's time for Sparky to get here and meet his or her Moms. Marissa, when I say to, I want you to push, okay?"

"Okay."

Kelly assisted the redhead in getting into a position that would help her push.

Bianca kissed her wife and took her hand. "You're doing great, and I'm right here."

"Okay, Marissa, push."

/

"Angie!"

"Kendall. Greenlee. It's good to see you, and I'm pretty sure I know why you're here. Come on. Follow me. I'll take you up to maternity."

"Thanks. Any word yet?" Kendall asked.

"No, not yet. Oh here, before I forget, give these to Bianca. She doesn't need them right now, but she will eventually."

"Car keys?"

"Yes, Brot gave them to me along with the location of her car. I'll text that to her. She'll need that eventually as well."

"Oookay. I'm confused. Why did Brot have my sister's car keys?"

"And does it have anything to do with this place looking like a fricking maze with all the doors closed?" Greenlee asked.

Angie chuckled. "Yes, it does. There was a fire earlier in the laundry room, very small and put out immediately. We didn't have to evacuate any patients or shut down. Bianca and Marissa arrived while the fire department was still here. I'm a little fuzzy on what happened outside with them, but a police officer helped them inside. Brot stopped by later with the keys. When I asked him about them, he rolled his eyes and said one of his officers was an idiot that he would be dealing with later. As for the doors being shut, it's a safety precaution for when things happen like tonight's laundry room incident. They close automatically."

Greenlee looked at her friend. "Nothing is ever simple with this family, is it?"

"Nope, but at least this baby is being born in a hospital with an actual doctor present. I'd say that's a definite improvement." Kendall grinned.

"I can't argue with that. That's definitely something different for this family." Greenlee chuckled.

/

"Okay, Marissa, I can see Sparky's head. Give me a big push."

Marissa grunted in pain as she did as requested.

"You're doing great, Rissa." Bianca coached as her hand was squeezed tightly. She didn't think her hand was seriously hurt, but damn if it wasn't painful. The brunette was smart enough not complain about it though because she knew it was nothing compared to what Marissa was going through.

"Sparky's head is out. I need you to stop pushing for a minute while we suction just a little." After a moment, the doctor continued. "You are doing fantastic. Now, let's get those shoulders out."

/

"Mom. Jack."

"Kendall, dear, any word?"

"Not yet, other than that she's in active labor as we speak. Oh, apparently there's a story involving the police and a fire here. I have no idea what all of that's about. So, we'll have to get them to clear it up for us, _later_."

/

"One last push, Marissa, and Sparky will be here." The doctor urged.

"I don't think I can do it, Bianca."

"Honey, I know you're exhausted and that this hurts. You can do this though. I know you can. Sparky is almost here and needs you to do this last push. Please, Rissa. I know you can do this. I promise it's almost over."

Marissa swallowed hard and grit her teeth. "Okay." She gave one final push before a wave of relief washed over her with the baby being fully out.

There was a brief pause as they suctioned the newborn's mouth and nose before the baby's wail could be heard loud and clear.

"Congratulations! It's a …"

**/**

**A/N: Mwhahahahahaha! Sorry, but yeah, my evil side won out again on how this chapter ended. In my defense, shows do this all the time, and it's a fun cliffhanger. I promise all of you that Dr. Abbott will finish that sentence at the beginning of the next chapter, cross my heart! You'll also find out Sparky's name and why it was chosen. Alright, here's what I wanted you all to know. So, Marissa's experience is based on that of one of my sisters several years ago. With her, this happened in February and not April. She was pregnant for the first time and went into labor six weeks early so she really wasn't sure on the water breaking. I was in college at the time and living at home. This was to be my first niece or nephew. I answered the phone when she called and asked to talk to our mom who encouraged her to call the doctor. I knew there was no way I was going back to sleep just as I knew our mom was going to want to go to the hospital to see her first grandchild as soon we knew something. So, I got dressed and started cleaning off my car. My mom doesn't know how to drive. When we got the next call telling us it was definitely a 'go', we headed out. I did slide once on the drive over but got us there safe. All of the doors were closed because of a small fire in the laundry room. That made it even more interesting for my sister and her husband when they got there although they didn't have an issue with a police officer like Bianca and Marissa did. They did, however, have an issue with getting one of their cars to start. Her labor was actually quicker than Marissa's so my nephew was there by the time we were. All of my sister's deliveries were interesting. Her next child was a girl, my first niece, and she started to go into labor six weeks early again. When they called to tell me she was in labor, I broke I don't know how many speeding limits to get over to their house to watch my nephew while they went to the hospital. Imagine my surprise when they returned a couple of hours later with no newborn. The doctors were able to stop the delivery that time, but she was on bed rest and a wreck because of the medication they gave her for a few weeks. Her last child was also a girl and even more exciting. She didn't go into labor as early, but she went through it even faster and ended up having my niece at home, before the paramedics could get there. Oh, and it was in the middle of the night too and my oldest niece slept through it all, even the paramedics hitting her door with a gurney. She didn't know anything about what happened until I woke her up for school. I did some cleanup for her when I went over to watch the kids. It wasn't pretty but needed to be done. So, I could have picked any of those for Sparky's arrival. God knows, she gave me enough material to choose from. I thought Option A was a little less traumatic for them and everyone else. I thought I would give you a little insight into why I wrote what I did and the fact that it was definitely based in reality. Alright, I've started the next chapter so please put the pitchforks away. See you soon!**


	179. It's a !

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It's appreciated. I can still hear my evil side cackling. Don't worry though. I've got her tied up in a closet with duct tape over her mouth. You all know that will only last so long though. She'll be back but not for this chapter! This picks up where the last one left off. Okay, I'll leave to finding out about Sparky. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Congratulations! It's a boy!"

"It's a boy, Rissa! We have a son!" Bianca's tear-filled gaze met and matched that of her wife's.

"A boy! Oh my gosh, AJ's going to be happy! He won't be outnumbered as much. What's he look like, B?"

Bianca glanced at their new son and was instantly in love. "He's beautiful, absolutely beautiful!"

Baby Boy Tasker-Montgomery was then placed onto Marissa's belly, and like Bianca, the redhead was instantly in love. Both mothers stared in wonder and kissed him.

"Oh god, he's perfect, Rissa!"

Marissa could only nod through tears of unbridled joy.

Maura Abbott knew the answer to the question she was about to ask but had to do it anyway. "Bianca, would you like to cut the cord?"

Bianca's attention snapped to the doctor, and she nodded profusely. "Yes! Yes, I would!"

The doctor indicated where to cut, and Bianca did as instructed with extreme care.

Kelly stepped forward. "I'm sorry, but I need to borrow him for just a few minutes. We have to get him cleaned up for you. I promise that I'll just be right over there and will bring him back as soon as I'm done." After receiving nods from the couple, Baby Boy Tasker-Montgomery was taken by the nurse.

"Let's finish taking care of our new Mama."

While the doctor was took care of the delivery of the placenta and stitched up Marissa from her episiotomy, Bianca kept one eye on her wife and one eye on their new son.

Once the newborn was cleaned up, examined, measured, weighed, diapered, had a monitor attached to prevent his removal from the hospital without their knowledge along with a hospital bracelet that matched the ones his mothers were given, and swaddled in a blanket, Kelly turned to Bianca with a knowing smile. "Mommy, would you like to hold him?"

Tears of happiness flowed. "Like you even have to ask!" Bianca carefully took her son into her arms. The brunette was at first at a loss for words but finally found them after she kissed him again as she began to rock him gently. "Hi, little one. We have been waiting for you for so long."

"We're all done, Marissa." Dr. Abbott smiled and stood, removing her gloves.

Bianca then gently put their son in his Mama's waiting arms.

"Oh my god, B, you're right! He is perfect, absolutely perfect!" Tears streamed down Marissa's face as she greeted her son with a tender kiss and spoke softly to him. "Hi, I'm your Mama, and that beautiful woman right there is your Mommy. We love you so much."

"You look just like your Mama. We've got another redhead in the family."

"Dr. Abbott, everything's okay?" Marissa's concern clearly evident and perfectly natural.

"Like you and Bianca said before, he's perfect." Maura looked at the chart. "He weighs 7 pounds and 1 ounce, 20 inches long, scored a perfect 10 on his APGAR test, and as you heard for yourselves, has a good set of lungs on him."

Sighing with relief at hearing the clean bill of health given to their son, the couple gazed back at their little boy and were so enthralled by him that they didn't see a flash go off, the moment captured for eternity by Kelly who had grabbed Bianca's cellphone to take it.

Maura came over to couple's side and looked at the precious bundle. "I have to agree with Bianca. He really does look like you. Do you have a name for Sparky here?"

Marissa nodded happily. "We do, and I think it's going to fit him perfectly. Can we wait to tell you though? We want to tell the kids first."

"I like that. They'll appreciate it a whole lot. There's no problem with us waiting. Your pediatrician is Dr. Parrish, correct?"

Bianca nodded. "Yes, she is."

"Okay, I'll make sure she's contacted and knows she has a new patient."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome." The doctor smiled. "We'll give you a few minutes before we move you to a private room. Congratulations."

Marissa glanced up at her doctor. "Thanks, Dr. Abbott, for everything."

Bianca finally remembered something and called to one of the nurses before she left. "Oh, Kelly, could you take a picture of us please?"

Kelly smiled and picked up the brunette's cellphone. She decided to let the other picture she took of them be a surprise. "Ready?" After the picture was taken, she handed the cellphone back to Bianca.

The couple looked at the picture and smiled brightly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'll see you in a few minutes."

The couple was finally alone with their little boy.

/

"Wow. How did something so perfect come from me?" Marissa asked in awe as she made room for her wife to join her.

Bianca slid into the bed next to her wife, draping one around her as she kissed her lovingly. "What do you mean? I already told you he's just like you, perfect."

Marissa laughed. "We both know I'm far from perfect. Oh, but I'm pretty sure this one is or pretty darn close to it."

"Well, he certainly knows how to make an entrance." Bianca addressed her son. "It was just like something your Grandma Erica would do. Don't tell her I said that though or that I called her 'grandma'. That might not go over well with her at all."

The redhead snorted. "That's an understatement."

"Don't I know it." Bianca studied her son a moment. "I'm really happy with his first name. Are you sure about his middle name?"

"Definitely."

The couple continued to stare at their son, and when he yawned, they absolutely melted.

"Thank you." Marissa glanced at her wife with tear-filled eyes.

Bianca looked at her wife confused. "For what?"

"For making this dream come true for me."

"You made it come true for me as well." The couple shared a tender kiss.

/

Kendall saw the doctor first and almost pounced on her. "Dr. Abbott, how's Marissa?"

"She's just fine."

"And the baby? Is Sparky here?"

"Yes, and to quote both mothers, Sparky is absolutely perfect."

"I would expect no less." Erica stated proudly in typical diva fashion.

Kendall chuckled at her mother and hugged her.

"So, boy or girl?" Greenlee asked one of the many burning questions they all had. Another question was 'what is Sparky's name'. The couple had decided on names some time ago for a boy or girl but kept them to themselves. They didn't want to ruin the surprise.

"Ah, that's not for me to tell. That's for Sparky's Moms to tell you all. You'll know soon enough though. Just know they all came through the delivery with flying colors. We're moving them to a private in a few minutes, and we'll let them know you're here. Kendall?"

"I didn't drive. Greenlee did, and I've been good."

"I'm glad to hear that. I'll see you all in a bit."

"I need to call Jessica and Jo!" Kendall pulled out her cellphone.

/

"Mom, it's Kendall!"

Jessica rushed out of Bianca and Marissa's bathroom to answer her cellphone. She and Jo had been cleaning up in there as well as in the couple's bedroom. The reason for doing this was two-fold. Neither wanted the couple to return home to the mess left behind from Marissa's water breaking and their rushing around to get ready and leave for the hospital, and it also gave the mother and daughter something to do while they waited. Going back to sleep was definitely out of the question. So, why not do something productive to keep them occupied? Jessica fumbled with the device to put it on speaker so they could both hear.

"Kendall! We're both here. What's going on?!"

"_Sparky has arrived, and according to Dr. Abbott, is perfect. Everyone is doing well. We haven't seen them yet and don't know if Sparky is a boy or girl. They're keeping that under wraps until the new Mommies tell us themselves."_

Mother and daughter whooped for joy.

"As long as I know that everyone is healthy, I can wait to find that out."

Jo checked the time and noted that it was now 7:45. "Do you think we should wake up the kids?"

"_I think it's late enough to do it. Besides, it's Saturday so they can take a nap later if they need to."_ Kendall said happily.

"Okay. We'll get them up and ready to come visit. When you go back to see them, give them our love and see if they want to do a skype session with the kids. That should tide them over until we can get over there."

"_I will, and that's a brilliant idea! We'll talk to you soon." _Kendall disconnected the call so she could let Zach know what was going on.

The mother and daughter hugged, and when they separated, Jessica had probably the biggest grin on her face that Jo had ever seen. "I'm a grandma … again!" Bianca, Marissa and the kids had given her the honorary title some time ago, and it was one she happily embraced.

Jo knew her grin now matched her mother's. "And I'm an aunt again!" Like her mother, Jo had been given the honorary title and embraced with an equal amount of enthusiasm. "Okay, let's go wake up the kids!"

/

"I promise I'm fine and not overexerting myself. All I'm doing right now is sitting and making a few calls. And yes, I've had something to eat. Mom and Greenlee are keeping a close eye on me. As soon as I know more here, I'll call you. Give the boys a kiss for me. I love you." Kendall disconnected the call she had made to update Zach. She was getting a little antsy waiting to see her sister, sister-in-law and new niece or nephew. A smile broke out on her face when she saw her sister grinning from ear to ear and walking their way. "Binx! So?"

"Perfect! Our little one is perfect! Rissa did great. They both did. I'm so happy and blessed."

Erica hugged her youngest daughter. Bianca's happiness was clearly evident, and she was practically vibrating. "I'm so happy for you and Marissa. Congratulations!"

"That makes three of us. Congratulations, Binx!" Kendall hugged her sister as well. Bianca's smile was so wide that Kendall thought her face might split in half.

Jack was next. "Congratulations, princess."

"Thanks, Uncle Jack."

"Congratulations, Bianca. So, boy or girl? Inquiring minds are dying to know. Come on. Spill." Greenlee urged.

"Thanks, Greenlee. I was wondering if I could ask a favor?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Do you have your iPad with you, and if you do, could I borrow it for a few minutes?"

"Sure." Greenlee pulled the device out of her purse and handed it to Bianca. "What do you need it for?"

"Rissa and I want to do a skype session with the kids, let them know everything that's happened."

"Great minds! We had the same thought along with Jessica and Jo. Oh, I was just on the phone with them, and we thought it was late enough so they were going to wake up the kids and get them ready to come here once they got the all clear." Kendall explained.

"That sounds good. Look, I know you want to know, but we really want to tell the kids first. Are you all okay with that?"

Erica offered the reassurance Bianca was looking for. "Of course we are, sweetheart. That only seems right. I know they've been anxious about the pregnancy, especially Gabby."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll be back as soon as we tell them. Oh, they just moved us to a private room so everyone will be comfortable when they come back. Okay, I gotta go so we can call the kids!" Bianca dashed back down the hall with the iPad in hand.

The small group laughed as they watched the excited brunette darting in the direction of Marissa's hospital room.

"Was that Bianca? Is everything alright with Marissa and the baby?" Krystal asked as she joined the others.

Kendall was still laughing. "Yes, it was, and they are all good. Before you ask, the baby is here but has not been seen by us. We also don't know the sex. Bianca was borrowing Greenlee's iPad to do a skype session with the kids and tell them first."

Krystal chuckled. "Oh, I guess that makes sense. Bianca looked a little excited."

"She's over the moon."

/

"It's fine, Bianca. I more than understand. Don't worry about us. The kids should know first. While you and Marissa are talking to them, Jo will get the car ready so we can come over. Would you like us to bring a car seat over?"

"_That would be great and one less thing for us to worry about when we're ready to come home."_

"Oh, there is something else I wanted to ask you. I'm assuming you are going to stay there overnight. Would you like us to watch the kids tonight? I promise we won't spoil them too much."

"_Are you sure, Jessica? I don't want to impose."_

"I'm positive. We're both off on Monday so we're in no hurry to get home."

"_Well, if you're sure, that would be wonderful, and a load off our minds. I know Kendall and Zach would be happy to watch them, but I worry about Kendall overdoing."_

"I know you do. Okay, Jo is telling me they are ready to call you so I'll let you go. Ooh, I need to get my camera ready too!"

"_Thank you, and Jessica, you and Jo can spoil the kids as much as you want tonight."_

/

"Mom!" The kids exclaimed when their brunette mother appeared on screen.

"_Hey, guys! _

"How's Mommy?!" Gabby had gotten over her fear of something bad happening to Marissa as a result of the pregnancy for the most part, but until she saw that her redheaded mother was okay with her own eyes, she wouldn't truly believe it.

"_She's doing really good."_

"Do I have a new brother or sister?" AJ asked. He was really hoping for a brother.

"Why didn't you wake us up? When can we come to the hospital?" Miranda chimed in.

Bianca laughed seeing how excited the kids were and wasn't surprised by that last question. _"We didn't wake you up because it was pretty late when your Ma went into labor, and we didn't know how long it would be. Your Ma and I thought it would best if you guys got some sleep instead of being here and being kind of bored since there was nothing you could do here. You guys can come to the hospital as soon as Jo has the car ready. Now, would you like to see Sparky?"_

"Yes!"

The image on the screen jostled a bit as Bianca stepped back over to the bed and slid in next to Marissa.

"_Hey, guys!"_

"Ma!"

"_We'd like you to meet your new baby brother."_

"YES!" AJ did a fist pump.

"_I knew he'd be happy."_

"He looks so tiny." Gabby noted as her face got closer to the camera to get a better look.

Bianca chuckled. _"Believe it or not, you all were this tiny once. The doctor told us that he's right where he's supposed to be."_

"He looks really cute, and he's got red hair just like you, Ma. We'll we get to hold him?"

Marissa nodded. _"Of course you will, Mimo. You all should know that nobody else has seen him yet. We wanted the three of you to be the first ones."_ Marissa's statement was met with big grins.

"What's his name?" AJ asked.

"_Before we tell you, we need you to promise to keep it secret and not tell Jo and Jessica until you all get here because we want to tell them and Erica, Aunt Kendall, Aunt Greenlee, Grandma Krystal and Uncle Jack ourselves and all at the same time. Could you do that for us?"_ Marissa asked.

AJ and Miranda nodded and then looked at Gabby. The little girl looked offended and rolled her eyes.

"I can keep a secret. I didn't tell them about our plan with the adoptions."

Bianca smiled. _"She has you there. Okay, your new brother's name is …"_

/

With the news broken to AJ, Miranda and Gabby, Bianca ended the session so they could get on the road and meet their brother face to face. Marissa noticed her son was getting a little fussy.

"I think he might be hungry."

"I think you might be right. Okay, are you ready to try breastfeeding him?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay, just remember what the lactation consultant said." Bianca encouraged her wife.

After a couple attempts, the newborn finding caught on and latched onto his mother's breast. It was a little painful at first, but Marissa relaxed and was soon staring in awe. Bianca was entranced by the sight.

Marissa beamed at her wife. "Wow."

"Wow indeed."

After a few minutes, the baby was done, and Marissa gently burped him.

"You did great. I knew you would." Bianca helped her wife fasten her gown again. As she was finishing up, there was a knock on the door. "Come in."

Kelly came in. "How are all of you doing?"

"We're doing really good. I just fed him."

"How did it go?"

"It took a couple tries, but we got it figured out."

"Good. Speaking of having something to eat, could I get you both something? I'm sure you're probably getting a little hungry about now."

"A friend told me that she made something special for us and is bringing it along with the kids. We could really use something to drink though. Maybe some orange juice?" Bianca asked.

"No problem. I'll bring you some right away. Is there anything else you need?"

"Would you mind asking our family to come back? Bianca and I are ready for them now."

"They will be very happy to hear that."

/

"Good morning. You're all here for the Tasker-Montgomery baby, correct?"

"Yes!"

"They're ready for you now. If you'll just follow me, I'll take you back."

/

"Come in." Marissa, who was just settling herself back in bed after a trip to the bathroom, smiled when she saw the nurse that had been assigned to them. She really liked her. "Hi, Kelly."

"Hi, again. I come bearing orange juice and visitors." Kelly sat several containers of chilled orange juice on a table for the couple. Close on her heels were the couple's family.

Bianca smiled brightly as she turned to greet them with the couple's sleeping son in her arms.

"Binx. Red. So?!" Kendall asked expectantly.

"It's a boy!"

A silent cheer went through the group as they finally laid eyes on the bundle of joy.

"Would you like to hold him, Mom?"

"That's a rather silly question. Of I would." Erica carefully took the baby from Bianca. "Oh my, he's precious."

"You won't get any arguments from either Bianca or me." Marissa grinned as she watched her mother-in-law coo over her newest grandchild before taking a drink and sighing appreciatively. She handed one of the containers to her wife who followed suit.

"How are the two of you holding up?" Kendall could tell the couple was a little on the exhausted side but incredibly happy at the same time.

"A little tired, a little sore but completely worth it." Marissa scooted over in her bed to make room for her wife. "I also feel incredibly blessed. Your sister was amazing. She got us here safely, which I knew she would, and was the best coach ever. She was there for me every step of the way just like she's always been."

"You did all the hard work and were incredible." Bianca rewarded her wife with a quick kiss.

Kendall glanced over at Erica. She was just itching to hold her new nephew, but there was no way she could bring herself to interrupt her mother's moment. "What's his name?"

A soft knock on the door alerted them to more visitors.

"Mom! Ma!"

"Hi, guys. You have to be quiet. The baby's sleeping." Bianca told them quietly.

Three heads bobbed up and down in understanding before hugging their mothers. AJ and Miranda then quietly made their way over to where Erica was sitting to finally see their little brother in the flesh.

Gabby chose to focus on her redheaded mother. She released a huge sigh of relief when Marissa patted the bed and held her arms open causing the little girl to scramble onto the bed. Gabby felt she could finally relax as she truly believed her Mommy was really okay.

"Careful. Mommy is still a little sore." Bianca explained.

"Sorry."

"It's okay, Monkey."

"Are you really okay."

"Yes, I am really okay." Marissa hugged the relieved child and glanced up to see her friends entering. "Hey."

"Good morning." Jessica smiled as she set a bag on the table. "Two of my special homemade breakfast sandwiches as requested."

"Oh, thank you! I'm starving." Marissa hugged her friend carefully while Bianca pulled out their breakfast.

The brunette handed one to Marissa and hugged Jessica before taking a bite of her own sandwich. Both women groaned appreciatively.

"This is so good. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"Congratulations, ladies." Jo added with a quick hug for each of the new mothers.

"Oh, I called Caleb like you asked, and he said he would be over later, after he checked something out for you."

"Thanks. I appreciate it. He has some papers for us." Marissa explained as she took a drink.

"Oh, that reminds me, Binx. I have your car keys."

"How do you have my keys, Kendall?"

"I got them from Angie, and she said she got them from Brot. I'm sensing an interesting story."

The couple exchanged a glance.

"There is one, but we'll tell you later." Marissa said.

"So, boy or girl?"

"Sorry, Jo." Bianca smiled and glanced over where Erica was sitting. "It's a boy!"

"Congratulations! What name did you pick?" Jessica asked as she snuck a look at the newborn.

"Now that everybody's here, we can tell you. First, good job, guys!" Bianca smiled at the kids.

"Good job for what?" Greenlee eyed the kids in question.

"We told them the name when we talked to them earlier and asked them not to tell anyone because we wanted to tell you all ourselves." Marissa answered giving their three oldest children a wink.

"Okay, we would like you to meet Daniel Christopher Tasker-Montgomery." Bianca announced proudly.

Greenlee nodded. "I like it. How did you decide on it?"

"The first name is after my Dad."

"I thought his name was Roy?"

"That was his first name, and he didn't really like it. He made me promise that to never name my son 'Roy' because he thought that was too old sounding for a little boy. Bianca came up with the loophole."

"Living with a lawyer, you pick up a few things. I asked Rissa what her Dad's middle name was and if he ever mentioned not using that name."

"Which he didn't. Technically, we could always say he's named after Mom." Seeing confused looks on everyone's face with the exception of Jessica who knew what she was going to say, Marissa explained. "Mom's maiden name was 'Daniels'. So, Bianca said why not pick that name for a boy."

"It made sense to me. They both had that name. As Opal would say, it was a sign."

"And Christopher?"

Bianca blushed. "That was Rissa's idea."

Erica put it together first. "For Bianca."

Marissa nodded with a smile. "It just seemed right to me, and I really wanted to do it."

"Thank you." Erica said gratefully.

Kendall swallowed the lump in her throat. "Thanks, Red." Kendall could see the look of complete adoration in Marissa's eyes whenever she looked at Bianca and knew why she had picked the name. Kendall also knew how much that meant to Bianca as well as herself and their mother.

Marissa saw the confused looks on Jessica's and Jo's faces and explained. "Bianca's middle name is 'Christine'."

Jo smiled. "Very nice. I'm with Greenlee. I really like it."

"So do I, and I think Roy would give you a pass on the name, especially once you mentioned Lydia's maiden name." Jessica winked.

With a gentle kiss to his forehead, Erica looked at her oldest daughter. "Would you like to hold him, Kendall?"

"Yes, yes, I would!" Kendall made a 'gimme' motion and held her nephew in her arms. She started to gently rock him. "Hey, little guy. I'm your Aunt Kendall, and I am going to do my very best to spoil you rotten. I'm pretty good at it too, just ask your brother and sisters."

"Just remember that we're looking forward to spoiling our niece just as much." Bianca smirked.

Kendall shrugged. "Totally worth it. He's adorable and looks a lot like you, Red."

"Danny even has a little cleft in his chin like his Mama." Bianca beamed. Their son really did look like Marissa, and Bianca couldn't be happier about it. It was something she had hoped for.

After several minutes, Kendall passed the newborn onto Krystal who was speechless as she held her newest grandson. She couldn't help but recall when she had held his mother nearly 32 years ago to the day before letting her go. Krystal felt a pang of regret that she knew would never go away. "He does look so much like you. Erica's right, he is precious."

Krystal went to hand the baby over to Greenlee but she demurred and encouraged Jessica to hold him next. The petite brunette wanted to hold the baby but knew how much it meant to the older woman. Knowing that, Greenlee could wait a little longer.

Jessica put her camera down and gently held the baby. "Oh my. Hello, Danny. You certainly are a handsome little guy. You know something? You are also one lucky little boy because you have two amazing mothers who love you so much and a great big brother and great big sisters. The rest of your family is pretty terrific too. You also have me and your Aunt Jo, and we are most definitely going to be there for you and help spoil you."

Bianca and Marissa smiled as Greenlee, Jack and Jo each took turns holding their son.

"Mom. Ma. Could I hold Danny?" Miranda asked hopefully. She felt ready to do so now.

"Of course, Mimo. You'll need to sit down though, okay?" Bianca reached for the newborn.

"Take my seat, sweetheart." Erica said as she got up.

Miranda nodded and sat down.

"Are you comfortable?" Seeing her daughter nod, Bianca continued. "Now, make sure you support his head."

"Like this?" Miranda asked as she gently held her little brother.

"Just like that. You're doing great." Bianca smiled.

"Could I hold him next, Ma?"

"You sure can, Buddy. Watch how Miranda's holding him." Marissa looked at her youngest daughter. "Do you want to hold him, Monkey?"

"Are you sure I won't hurt him?" Gabby bit her lip nervously.

"We'll be right here to watch and help."

"Okay."

After each of the kids held him, Danny started to get a little fussy.

Marissa checked. "He needs a diaper change, and I probably should feed him again."

"We should probably go then before they kick us out of here." Kendall noted as she checked the time.

Erica nodded as she kissed her newest grandchild. "Yes, we should so you can do that and then get some rest. You're going to need it. You did a wonderful job, and I'm so happy for both of you."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Thanks, Erica." Marissa turned to Greenlee. "Will you make sure Kendall gets home?"

"Also, tell Zach to make sure she gets some sleep and has something to eat." Bianca added.

Greenlee nodded. "You know I'm already on it."

"You all do know I'm here, right?"

"We do, and we also know that you need to make sure you take of yourself and our future niece. Mom will back us up on this."

"Your sister's right. I agree with them completely."

Kendall rolled her eyes knowing she was outnumbered, and that they were also right. "Fine. I need to ask you one thing before I go. Can we start spreading the news?"

Marissa laughed. "Definitely. Have at it. Tell anyone you want."

That last statement had Kendall and Greenlee grinning.

Everyone started gathering their things, saying their goodbyes and promises being given to check on them later that day.

Jessica had brought Marissa's car keys with her and had gotten the location of her SUV from the text Angie had sent to Bianca. She told them she would put the car seat she had brought from the house inside the vehicle for them. Jessica asked them if they needed her to bring them something Danny could wear home the next day, but the couple told her they had it covered because they had thought to include an outfit for him in Marissa's bag. Jo assured them that she would let Cory know and that she was more than happy to spend the afternoon playing in the snow with the kids which perked AJ, Miranda and Gabby up. Bianca was going to stay overnight at the hospital with Marissa and Danny, but the couple promised the kids that they would call later that afternoon and again before bedtime for a story. Another one of the items in Marissa's bag was a pre-selected book to be read to the kids.

Krystal offered to send over dinner for the couple, and it was gratefully accepted. Jack said he would inform the other partners of the birth. Erica, for her part, offered to stop by and help Jessica and Jo later with the kids which the kids loved hearing. She also made the couple promise to call if they needed anything. Before she left the hospital, Erica spoke with the nurses and made sure they would take excellent care of her family. AJ, Miranda and Gabby couldn't wait to tell some of their friends as well as play in the snow some. They were also looking forward to making a sign to welcome their baby brother home tomorrow.

As Kendall and Greenlee left with a list of must text names from the couple, the two could be heard discussing a shopping trip that needed to be made now that they knew Sparky was now actually Danny. The trip, however, would be taken after they had both gotten some much needed sleep, especially Kendall.

Marissa and Bianca sighed happily when they were alone. Both were still basking in the glow of the day's events.

/

Before Greenlee and Kendall left the hospital's premises, they had cellphones throughout Pine Valley going off with texts announcing the birth of Daniel Christopher Tasker-Montgomery.


	180. Everybody Talks

**A/N: Thanks for reading, reviewing and following! It's appreciated! So, why did I have Sparky be a boy? It's something I've had in my mind for quite some time. It's just when I tried to picture what they would have, I kept seeing Ron Howard (the actor/director) when he was in 'The Music Man'. He's really adorable. That image just stuck in my head and wouldn't leave. I know some were hoping for a girl so I hope you don't hate me too much. It took me a while to figure out the name. I wanted the baby to have a connection to the Taskers but just wasn't sold on the name Roy. So, I created the middle name of Daniel. Now, Danny's middle name was a whole other story. It was almost Travis, in honor of Bianca's dad, but then, I got to thinking. Would it bother Jack? Probably not, but again, I wasn't sold on it. Then, it hit me! Christopher! With Bianca's middle name being Christine, it just fit. It gave her another connection to him that couldn't be broken, and it showed yet again Marissa's commitment. I figured Erica and Kendall would be extremely touched by the gesture as well. I'm not even going to talk about what it would mean to Bianca. **

**Now, let's talk this chapter. It takes place right after the other one. I'm also just going to say that I'm not a lawyer. You'll understand as you read this. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Stef! Come here! Stef!"

The woman in question rushed into the living room to see what had her husband so excited. Brian had taken Jamie outside some time ago to build a snowman. The toddler had been anxious to play in the snow from the moment he saw the blanket of white that morning. Stef had joined them for a little while before ducking back inside to fix the three of them lunch. The father and son had apparently just come back in.

"Is everything alright?"

Brian smiled brightly as he held out his cellphone. "Oh yeah, everything is definitely alright. Marissa had the baby!"

"She did?! Sparky's here?! Oh my gosh! Let me see!" Steff grabbed the cellphone from her husband. As she was gushing over the baby picture that was sent along with his vital statistics, Brian's cellphone rang. "It's Lisa."

"Gee, I wonder why she's calling." Brian smirked. "Go ahead and answer it. I'll get Jamie into some dry clothes."

"Hi, Lisa."

"_Stef! Tell me you just got a text!"_

"From Kendall? Yes, we did. He's adorable."

"_He's definitely going to be a heartbreaker, just like Jamie."_

"I think you might be right. Hey, I just thought of something. They probably had to drive through that snowstorm to get to the hospital."

"_Oh wow. You're probably right. That had to be scary."_

"Definitely, but everyone seems to be doing great judging by Kendall's text. They have to be so happy."

"_Yeah, I know Marissa was anxious about the baby being healthy and how much she was looking forward to finally knowing what she having."_

"You always worry about that. I can't wait to meet this little guy."

"_Me too! So, I was thinking we probably need to let the rest of the team know."_

"That's a good idea. Let me know who you want to contact, and I'll have Brian text the others. I know Jack will take care of letting the partners know."

"_I'll let Ellie, Mark, Robin and Riley know."_

"Alright, I have him text Claudia, Sofia, and Brandon. I'll tell him to let Mitch know too. I think I'll text Marissa and Bianca in a day or two to see if they might be up for a visit."

"_Let me know if you want some company because I am definitely up for that."_

"I will."

"_Okay, I better go. We've got people to give the good news to!"_

/

Sam bolted down the steps with cellphone in hand. "Grandma! Gail! Alex!"

The adults in question hurried to see if everything was okay.

Carol got to her granddaughter first. "Sam, is everything alright?"

"Oh, it's great! You all haven't checked your cellphones recently, have you?" The teen knew the answer. While her cellphone was like another appendage to her, the same could not be said for the others in their family.

Gail walked over to retrieve her phone from the charger. "I haven't. Why?"

"Marissa had the baby!"

"Really?! How do you know? Are they alright? What did she have?"

Sam laughed at Carol's excitement and handed over her phone to her grandmother. "Kendall sent a mass text out."

"They had a boy!" Alex grinned. "Daniel Christopher. That's a good, strong name. I wonder how they came up with it."

"AJ will be happy. He won't be the only boy in the house now, if you don't count Max." Gail laughed.

"Isn't he cute?" Sam asked, knowing that they would all agree.

"He is, and look at that red hair. I'm so happy for them." Carol smiled as she continued to look at the picture.

"When do you think we can visit them?" Sam asked excitedly.

"Well, Kendall's text says that she had him early this morning. So, I'm guessing they'll keep her overnight which means she and Danny will go home tomorrow." Gail reasoned.

"Maybe we can go visit them in a couple of days." Seeing the disappointed look on her granddaughter's face and knowing that she was just as anxious to see the baby, Carol continued. "I don't see why we couldn't give them a call later today or tomorrow though. Oh, I have an idea. Marissa's birthday is in two days. I'm sure they won't have a chance to do too much to celebrate it. So, why don't we make them a cake?"

Sam smiled brightly. "I like it! Need some help?"

"Most definitely."

/

"Well if this isn't the best news, I don't know what is!"

Tad looked up from his paper at Opal who was grinning widely and holding her cellphone. "What news is that?"

"Marissa and Bianca's new baby is here."

"So that's where Krystal went this morning. What'd they have?"

Opal handed over her phone. "A bouncing baby boy! I do like that name. Just look at him! He's a mighty handsome little fellow. Wait, Krystal knew and didn't say anything? You knew and didn't say anything? Erica didn't call me either." Her hurt from being excluded was clearly evident.

Tad rolled his eyes and knew he had to help diffuse the situation before his ex-wife got back. Plus, he'd help Erica at the same time. "I really didn't know anything. Krystal came into my room in the middle of the night, and said she had to go somewhere. I was half asleep and didn't ask any for details. I also figured if it was something serious she'd let me know so I just told her to be careful driving." Tad suddenly noticed something that had him smiling. "Uh, did you happen to notice that you have two missed calls?"

"I what?!"

"You have two missed calls. Oh look, one is from Erica and the other is from Krystal. You should probably check your voicemail." Tad grinned and handed the cellphone back to Opal. "Their baby's pretty cute."

Opal scowled at her son's smug expression but quickly checked her voicemail, happy that she hadn't been forgotten. Once she had all the details, she started making her own calls. News this good had to be shared.

/

Scott smiled brightly as he read the text. "Good for them."

"Good for who?" Madison asked.

"Marissa had the baby this morning, a boy."

"He's a cutie. I bet they are so happy." Madison sighed.

"What do think of having one of our own?"

Scott's question was met with the biggest smile he had seen since the night he had proposed to her.

"I love that idea."

/

"Yes! I have to call Aya!"

"What's going on Jan?"

Jan smiled at her fiancée. "Bianca and Marissa's baby is here, Kevin."

"That's great. What'd they have?"

"A boy! Daniel Christopher Tasker-Montgomery." Jan answered as she dialed her friend and co-worker.

Aya answered the phone laughing. As soon as she had gotten the text, she had told her fiancée Kate that she needed to call Jan. It seems she had been beaten to the punch. _"Hey, Jan! I'm guessing you just got the text from Kendall."_

"Yep! This is just the best news. You realize they had to drive through that snowstorm?"

"_You're right, on both counts. I bet Bianca was a nervous wreck driving in that while Marissa was in labor, but you know she held it together."_

"Oh yeah, she definitely did. I can't wait to see them. Damn, he's so cute."

"_Yeah, I'm sure he's already gotten them all wrapped around this little finger. We're definitely going to need to go shopping now that we know what they had."_

"Duh! Of course we are. You know that Kendall and Greenlee are already doing that. Do you think they will call him Danny or Daniel?"

"_Hmm, I'm not sure. I'm guessing they'll call him Danny."_

"So, Bianca will be starting her leave immediately which means we'll have to rearrange her schedule on Monday."

"_Yep, and implement 'Operation Baby Mama'."_

Jan snorted. "It's a good thing Bianca doesn't know about that name. I'm thinking letting Kendall and Greenlee help you name the plan wasn't the best of ideas."

"_Eh, maybe not, but it's fun and has a ring to it."_

"True. Okay, you call the folks on your list, and I'll call the ones on mine. I'll move her early meeting."

"_Sounds good. I'm thinking maybe we can go visit them at lunch on Monday?"_

"I like how you think! Alright, I'll see you bright and early Monday. Tell Kate I said 'hi'."

"_Tell Kevin the same for me. See ya!" _

/

"What are you doing?" Marissa asked as she watched her wife moving around.

Bianca looked up from the chair she was getting ready to settle into. Both women were exhausted and hoping to catch a nap now that all of their visitors had left and Danny had been changed, fed and was fast asleep.

"I was just getting this ready to sleep in. Did you need something?"

"No, I'm fine. I know that chair isn't going to be comfortable for you."

"I'll be fine." Bianca saw her wife raise an eyebrow. "I will be. Don't worry. You need to be comfortable and have been through way more than me."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Would you please get in this bed? There's more than enough room for both of us, and I'm not the only one who needs rest. Besides, I always sleep better with you next to me. It's also not nice to argue with a woman who's just given birth." Marissa winked.

Bianca rewarded her wife with the goofy grin the redhead loved and slipped off her shoes before climbing into the hospital bed with Marissa. "Better?"

Marissa moved into her wife's arms and sighed happily. "Much."

"Seriously, how are you feeling?"

"I am a little sore, but for the most part, pretty good. What about you?"

"I think I bruised my shin somewhere along the way."

Marissa chuckled. "I'm not surprised with how you were racing around. You know, you're pretty adorable when you're flustered."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "I think we need to get your eyes checked, but I've been told it's not nice to argue with a woman who's just given birth."

"Darn straight."

The couple's gaze fell on their little boy who was sleeping peacefully in the bassinette next to their bed.

"I still can't get over how beautiful he is."

Bianca nodded. "I know. He really is, and yes, I'm completely and utterly biased."

Marissa laughed softly. "That makes two of us. Are we making guesses as to how much of Pine Valley knows about Danny by now?"

"Knowing Kendall and Greenlee, I'm going to say it's at least half by now." Bianca chuckled.

"You forget that Opal's on their list so I'm going to guess the whole town is covered or well on its way."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Bianca glanced down and saw Marissa's eyes fluttering. She knew her wife was fighting sleep as much as she was, and that they both needed the rest. "Close your eyes and get some sleep. We won't be any good to Danny if we're beyond exhausted."

Marissa nodded and closed her eyes. "Okay. You too."

Bianca sighed and soon was fast asleep just like her wife and new son.

/

Caleb poked his head inside Marissa's hospital room hearing Bianca giving him the all clear. "Hello, and congratulations!" He presented them with a handful of blue balloons with one mylar balloon in the middle of them reading 'It's a boy!'

"Thanks, Caleb. I love it! We haven't gotten any balloons yet." Bianca smiled as she placed the balloons in a corner where they could see them but not have them in the way of everything.

"That's probably because some of them were here before anything was open. I can only imagine what Erica and Kendall would've brought if something had been open." Marissa joked. "Thanks, Caleb. The balloons are great."

"You're welcome. How are the two of you doing?"

"Not bad. We all had a nice nap not too long ago which all of us needed."

"Rissa's right. We were all exhausted, even Danny."

Caleb craned his neck to look at the newborn in Marissa's arms. "So, this is the little guy. He's a handsome fellow."

"Would you like to hold him?"

"I … I … I don't … um want to do something that would hurt him. I mean I don't even know the last time I held a baby."

Marissa smiled. Caleb stood toe to toe with anyone and never backed down, but now, he was intimidated by her 7 pound son. "Caleb, it's fine. We trust you, but you don't have to if you don't want to."

"No! I really would like to hold him."

Bianca winked at her wife as she took their son. "Are you comfortable?"

"Hold on!" Caleb handed Marissa a file he had been carrying and shucked off his coat. "Alright."

"Make sure you support his head." Bianca noted as she place Danny in her friend's arms.

Danny tried to focus on the person holding him now, and Caleb grinned.

"You're a natural. What's in the file?" Marissa asked.

"That's what we've been working on."

Marissa grinned and opened up the file.

"You're not seriously going to talk about work, are you?" Bianca scowled.

"This is something way too important to ignore. Trust me. You'll be happy about this, B." Marissa was interrupted by a knock on the door.

Dr. Abbott popped her head inside. "I'm not interrupting, am I?"

"Not at all. In fact, you have perfect timing. Dr. Maura Abbott, I'd like to introduce you to Caleb Cortlandt."

Caleb, who had been making faces at Danny, glanced up. "It's nice to meet you, doctor."

"Ah, Mr. Cortlandt, it's nice to meet you too, finally."

Bianca looked at the others slightly confused. They all seemed to know something that she didn't. "What's going on?"

"We'll need another witness. Think you could help us out?" Caleb asked the doctor.

"Give me one second." Maura opened the door and motioned for someone to come in.

"Rissa?"

"It will all become clear in just a few minutes, I promise."

Kelly walked in and joined them. "Is there something that you need?"

Caleb looked at Marissa. "The floor is yours."

"Bianca, do you remember me telling you about a case I was following?"

"Yeah, you were talking with Sofia about it at the shower, right?"

"That's the one. The case is Samuels vs the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In short, a woman by the name of Klisa Samuels brought suit against the state to have herself recognized as one of the mothers of her newborn daughter."

"One of the mothers?"

"Yes, Klisa's wife Anna gave birth, but she was the only one the state recognized as their daughter's mother. As such, only Anna's name could appear on the birth certificate. Klisa, along with Anna, filed suit to change that."

"I vaguely remember something about that, but the state legislature was fighting it."

"True, they were. The governor, however, was in favor of overturning it. Fast forward a bit. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled that the law was unconstitutional. That ruling was handed down just after our baby shower. There's a group that has asked that that ruling be stayed while they appeal. That request has been denied. This means that you can be listed on Danny's birth certificate as his mother too."

Bianca's eyes grew wide and began to fill with tears as Marissa's words sank in. "Seriously? I … I … I can?!"

"Yep." Marissa grinned happily.

Bianca surged forward and kissed her wife. "This … this … I … I can't believe you didn't tell me!"

"I wanted to surprise you. Caleb contacted Dr. Abbott and told her about the change."

"One that I'm more than happy to comply with. That law should have been overturned a long time ago, in my opinion." Maura added. "Now that we have Danny's name, we can fill out his birth certificate completely, with both of your names on it."

Bianca smiled brightly. "I can't believe this! This is incredible! Wait, what are the papers that Caleb brought and why do we need witnesses?"

Caleb chuckled. "You know your wife. She's got a backup plan just in case an appeal of the court's ruling is granted. I brought adoption papers per her request. I just need your signature as well as theirs as witnesses, and I'll file the papers on Monday."

Bianca gazed at her wife in slight wonderment. Marissa had said from the beginning that she wanted Bianca to have equal rights concerning their baby because she believed without a doubt that their little one was just as much Bianca's as hers. To do this, they had agreed that Bianca would adopt the baby after he was born. Marissa had set about working with Caleb on what needed to be done to accomplish that. Bianca believed in and trusted her wife and had no reason not to so she knew this would happen. What she found so surprising, besides the birth certificate, was that it was happening now with Danny only hours old. Bianca had assumed this would happen a few days after they had gotten home. Marissa, however, had other plans and Bianca loved her all the more for it. "You're incredible."

"You're as much Danny's mother as I am, and I want you recognized as such and to have your rights protected." Marissa stated sincerely.

"Like I said, incredible. So, does anyone have a pen?" Bianca grinned.

Once signatures were added to the legal documents and Dr. Abbott and Kelly had taken their leave, Caleb handed Danny back to Bianca. "I'll file these with the clerk's office first thing Monday."

"Thanks, Caleb. Marissa and I appreciate this more than you'll ever know."

"You're welcome. Oh, hold on one minute." Caleb pulled out his cellphone to check a text he had just received. A huge grin spread across his face when he saw a picture of him and Danny. Caleb glanced up and saw a smiling Marissa holding a cellphone. He knew instantly that she was behind it. "Well, I think this is the best payment I've ever received. Thank you. I'm going to go, and let you get some rest." He kissed both women on the cheek and grabbed his coat and the papers. "I'll drop your copies off once everything has been finalized. Congratulations again, and Danny, be good for your mothers."

/

"Opal? Um, hi." Bianca was a little surprised to see her mother's 'best gal pal' at the door of the hospital room holding a large bag from Krystal's.

Marissa was just as stunned. She had been expecting Krystal to drop off their dinner order from the restaurant. "Hi, Opal."

"Surprise! There was a problem at the restaurant at the last minute, and Krystal needed to stay behind to take care of it. I volunteered to drop this off for you. It gives me a chance to see this handsome little fellow."

It was clear to the couple that Opal was just itching to hold their son. Marissa picked Danny up and looked at the older woman. "Would you like to hold him?"

"I thought you'd never ask!" Opal carefully took the little boy and began gushing. "Oh my, he is handsome. That picture Kendall sent out doesn't do him justice. You're going to be a heartbreaker, aren't you, Danny?"

Bianca and Marissa ate while they watched as Opal rocked their son and continued to talk to him. Danny's brow was furrowed as he was trying to focus on the older woman. To his amused mothers, it looked like he was trying to figure out the eccentric woman holding him, a common occurrence in Pine Valley when it came to Opal.

"Oh, I talked with Erica earlier, and she was gushing over this handsome little guy. I have to say that she was right. How are the two of you doing? If I didn't know better, I wouldn't guess that you just had a baby, Marissa. You look really good."

"Thank you, but I'm sure that's not true though. Thanks also for bringing over dinner for us."

"It's my pleasure. I couldn't in good conscience let you eat hospital food. Besides, I was just aching to see Danny here, and bringing you over dinner was the perfect excuse."

"You know you don't need an excuse, Opal." Bianca said.

"Thank you. I'm glad you feel that way. Oh, Jenny and Kathy are looking forward to meeting Danny. Krystal told them all about him when she got home this morning. She told them they would have to wait a few days though, until you all got settled."

The couple sighed in relief. They knew they would be having visitors. Their friends and family were almost as anxious as the couple was for the baby to get here, almost. So, they knew people would be coming to see him. And while they understood this and wanted all of them in Danny's life and to share this special time with them, the couple wanted and needed some time to themselves with Danny and their other three children. Not having everyone rush over at once would definitely help.

/

"So, are you ready to get out of here?" Kelly asked as she brought a wheelchair into Marissa's room.

"Definitely. It's not that we don't like you, but …"

The nurse laughed. "I get it, Marissa. Trust me, I get it. You can't wait to get home and in your own bed. Plus, you'll be able to really enjoy Danny once you're all home. You'll be happy to know that the roads are all clear so you shouldn't have quite the adventure going home as you did getting here."

Bianca smiled. "That's good to here. Okay, I'll go get the car and be right back." She kissed both Marissa and Danny before grabbing Marissa's bag and the balloons Caleb had brought and hurrying to the car.

Marissa took a seat in the wheelchair while Kelly removed Danny's monitor and then handed him to her.

"Let's bust you out of here." Kelly smiled as she wheeled Marissa and Danny towards the hospital exit.

/


	181. An Offer They Can't Refuse

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! To still be getting new followers and favorites after all this time is truly flattering and very much appreciated. Thank you. Sorry for the late post. The site wasn't letting me login to load this. I'm not sure what was going on with that. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Once Danny was in his car seat and his mothers buckled in, Bianca put the car in gear and pointed it towards home. As reported, the roads were vastly improved from when they had traveled on them just the day before. The resulting drive home took them a fraction of the time it had taken them to get to the hospital. As they approached Minx Manor, they were greeted by a snow family. It was complete with 2 snow moms, one snow boy and two snow girls. One of the snow moms, the one a little shorter than the other, was holding what looked like a snow baby. It was clear that Jo had helped them, but Bianca and Marissa knew the idea for said creations came from AJ, Miranda and Gabby. Bianca stopped while Marissa rolled down her window and took a picture with Bianca's cellphone. Marissa had left hers at home because it wasn't like she was going to be using it. After getting to the hospital, Bianca had left hers on either silent mode or turned it off altogether. When the brunette did turn it on or checked it, she had found it had been flooded with texts and voicemails congratulating the couple. They would get back to everyone to thank them for their kind thoughts and wishes, but it would be in a few days.

Marissa laughed when she caught sight of a glitter-covered homemade sign on the front door that read 'Welcome home, Danny!' with balloons on either side of it. The redhead knew that Gabby had been in charge of glitter. She pointed the sign out to Bianca before taking a picture of it as well.

"Our minions have been busy."

"Yes, they sure have." Bianca laughed and pulled the car around to the garage.

/

AJ, Miranda and Gabby were anxiously awaiting their mothers' homecoming. The couple had called as they were getting ready to leave the hospital to tell them they were on their way home. Along with Jo and Jessica, the kids had sprung into action and put the signs they had made up on the front door as well by the fire place. The balloons they had bought on their way home from the hospital were put up as well. With the decorations up, the kids were now stationed in front of the family room's bay window watching and waiting as patiently as they could for their mothers' return home with their new baby brother in tow. As soon as the SUV appeared coming down the driveway, the kids shouted excitedly, "They're home!" Everyone scrambled to the kitchen to greet them. Jessica made sure to leave enough room so they could actually get inside, and she also reminded the kids not to yell because Danny could be sleeping and that would wake him up.

/

Bianca pulled into the garage and hit the opener's button to close the door. She then hurried over to the passenger side to help Marissa out of the vehicle before going to the back and retrieving Marissa's bag and the balloons Caleb had gotten them. While Bianca did that, Marissa went to the backseat and released Danny's car seat from the base and removed it to carry their sleeping son inside. Bianca opened the door leading to the kitchen, and they were immediately greeted by Jessica, Jo, AJ, Miranda and Gabby, all smiling and excited to welcome them home.

"Welcome home!"

"Hey, guys. It's so good to be home." Marissa smiled brightly as she set the car seat carefully on kitchen table before hugging the others.

Bianca set down the balloons they had gotten from Caleb and Marissa's bag before hugging everyone. "This is the best welcome home we could ask for."

"Where did you get the balloons, Mom?" AJ asked.

"Caleb brought them over when he visited us."

Jo and Marissa glanced at Jessica who smiled at the mention of the man's name.

"Hmm, that was mighty thoughtful of him, don't you think, Mom?"

Jessica rolled her eyes at her daughter's teasing tone and felt compelled to defend him. "Caleb is a very thoughtful man so I'm not surprised that he did something like that at all."

Marissa smiled. "You're right, Jessica, and I'm not surprised either."

"Why don't we all get comfortable?" Bianca suggested.

Everyone agreed and headed into the family room.

/

Marissa joined the others after she lifted Danny from the carrier and removed his coat.

"Great job on the snow family! Your Mom and I loved them."

"Really?!"

"Yep. Your Ma took a picture of them. She also got one of the sign on the front door."

"I'll have to get a picture of that one too." Marissa pointed to the sign above the fireplace. The kids beamed as they crowded around to get a good look at their brother.

Bianca glanced around the room. "Where did all the flowers and other balloons come from?"

"I think the better question is 'where didn't they come from'. The delivery people were kept busy yesterday just coming here. Mom and I didn't read any of the cards though. The two of you will definitely be busy doing that." Jo answered.

Max, who had been asleep when the couple arrived home, lifted his head when he heard Danny gurgle slightly. He moved from his spot by the fireplace over to where Marissa was with the baby. With his tail wagging, he sniffed Danny and then sat at Marissa's feet. A soft woof indicated his approval of the family's newest addition.

Gabby grinned. "Max likes him!"

"I think you're right, sweetie." Bianca smiled and scratched their dog behind his ear causing his tail to thump on the floor happily. She had been on alert and ready to pull Max away from Danny if need be and could tell Marissa was ready to do the same with Danny. They didn't think there would be a problem with Max, but it was nice to know for sure.

"Who is interested in lunch?" Jessica asked. "I'm making some soup and thought we could have some sandwiches with it. With the weather, it seemed like a good day for that."

"You didn't need to do that, but it sounds wonderful." Marissa noticed Danny getting fussy and checked the time. "I better change his diaper and should probably feed him first. I'll do that in his room and give the rocking chair a try. I don't want you all to wait on me though."

"Don't worry. The soup has a little longer to cook."

"Thanks, Jessica."

"Ma?"

"Yes, Mimo."

"Could I help you with Danny?"

"Sure."

"Could we help too, Ma?" AJ asked as Gabby nodded along.

Marissa smiled. She would just make sure she covered herself and Danny when she started to feed him. "Yep. Come on, minions!"

"If we've got some time then and you don't need me, I'm going to call Greg."

Jessica chuckled. Things were definitely getting serious between Jo and her boyfriend, and Jessica was happy about it. She liked Greg. He was smart, funny and kind, and most importantly of all, he treated her daughter extremely well. "Go right ahead, and tell Greg that I said 'hi'."

"Will do."

With the others out of sight, Bianca looked at Jessica. "Could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course. I was hoping to get a chance to talk to you too."

"Okay. Why don't we go into the kitchen, and I'll help you with lunch?"

Jessica nodded and followed Bianca out of the room.

/

Once they were in the kitchen, Bianca and Jessica began talking.

"So, as you know, Rissa's birthday is tomorrow."

"Mm hmm."

"Before Danny arrived, Rissa really wasn't up for a party. She was getting tired pretty easily."

"I remember going through that myself. It didn't take much to feel completely exhausted."

"I know. So, we were just going to do something small with us and the kids tomorrow. Now with Danny here and people wanting to see him, I was thinking we could have a small party next Saturday, just immediate family and a few really close friends. You know, nothing too big."

"That makes sense."

"Here's the thing, I was hoping you and Jo could be here tomorrow, or if you can't make it then, at least on Saturday. It would mean a lot to Marissa and all of us. I completely understand though if you can't since it's the last minute."

"While I can't speak for Jo since I'm not sure of her schedule, I can tell you that my calendar is pretty much wide open, one of the perks of being retired, and I would love to attend both. There's no place else I would want to be."

Bianca chuckled. "I suppose that is a very nice perk. I'm glad you feel that way and really glad you want to be here."

"I'm touched that you want to include me."

"Why wouldn't I? You're family after all."

"Thank you, and I feel the same way about you." Jessica hesitated a moment before continuing. "This leads to what I wanted to talk to you about. I was wondering how you would feel about me staying for a few more days. I completely understand if you don't want me under foot here and can always stay at a hotel. I wouldn't mind that at all. It's just that I missed out on so much of Marissa's life after Roy and Lydia passed away, and now that we're back in each other's lives, I feel …"

"An obligation to make sure she's okay, help her however you can, and spoil their grandchildren for them in their place?" Bianca asked with a knowing smile.

Jessica chuckled. "Am I that obvious? Yes, out of obligation to them and my own love for her. Marissa is like a second daughter to me. I missed having that connection with her and don't want to lose it again. I know we haven't known each other all that long, but I also feel the same way about you, AJ, Miranda, Gabby and now Danny. And well …"

Bianca stopped the older woman. "Jessica, I think you staying here for a few more days or for however long would be wonderful, and I know without a shadow of a doubt that Rissa would be thrilled to have you around. Yes, she has my Mom who has become one of her biggest fans, and Krystal is here too although their relationship is strained at times and probably always will be to some degree. You and Jo are her connections to her Mom and Dad, to her childhood, to what help make her the incredible person she is today. You're family to her and us, and we want you here. You said Rissa was like a second daughter to you. Well, you're like a second mother to her and Jo is a sister to her, and we _all_ love you and Jo and want you here. You will always be welcome here and have a place here, you and Jo."

"Thank you. That means a great deal."

"What about me?" Jo asked as she joined the two women.

"Bianca and I were just talking about Marissa's birthday."

"Oh yeah, it's tomorrow. I brought something for her, but obviously, I haven't had a chance to give it to her. She's been a little busy, you know with having a baby and all." Jo grinned. "Oh, Greg says 'hi', Mom. So, back to Marissa."

"I want to have a small party tomorrow for her with us, the kids and hopefully you and your Mom. I'll have something a little bigger on Saturday with family and close friends. If you can't make it tomorrow, I'm hoping you can make it Saturday."

"Really? You want me and Mom here tomorrow?"

Bianca laughed. "You really are like your Mom. Yes, we want you here."

"When you came in, Bianca and I were talking about that in particular."

"Jessica had the same reaction that you did, not that I'm surprised."

Jo smiled. "I know I'm free tomorrow, but I'll have to check my schedule for Tuesday. That will determine when I need to get back. As for Saturday, I'll definitely make the drive back here. What about you, Mom?"

"I'm going to stay for a few days if you're okay with that."

"I'm great with it. I'll check my schedule now then." Jo paused. "Would it be alright if I asked someone to come with me?"

"Before Bianca answers, I have a few questions of my own." Marissa grinned having just entered the kitchen.

"Bring it, _Counselor_." Bianca's grin matched her wife's.

Marissa sat the baby monitor on the counter. "Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery, were you planning a birthday party for your wife?"

"Yes, I was, two of them actually, and before you start, let me explain. Tomorrow will be just us, the kids, Jessica and hopefully Jo. Jessica is a definite, but Jo still has to check her schedule for Tuesday."

"Which I just did, and I'm good to go for tomorrow. I can leave here Tuesday after the morning rush hour and be home early that evening which will give me plenty of time to get everything ready that I need for work on Wednesday."

"Isn't your Mom going home with you then?"

"Mom's staying for a few days."

"If that's okay with you?" Jessica asked.

Marissa's face lit up. "Seriously?! You'll both be here for my birthday, and you're going to be staying for a few days more, Jessica?! Of course I'm okay with that! This is definitely one of the best gifts."

"You mean it's not the best?" Jo asked, teasing her friend to see if she could bait her a little.

The lawyer wasn't fooled for one minute though. "Sorry, but as much as I love you, nope. The best gift is a tie between having Bianca and the kids in my life. Our new little guy just makes it all even better."

Seeing Bianca's goofy grin had Jo chuckling. "You are good. I was hoping to trip you up, but no such luck."

"There was a time when I didn't think I'd have any of that. Now that I do, it makes me appreciate it even more. That includes having the two of you around, well Jessica more than you." Marissa smirked.

Jo scowled playfully. "I see how it is."

"Seriously though, I'm glad you both can be here. So back to my lovely wife, you said two parties. You know I don't want …"

Bianca rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know. Saturday is just going to be family and close friends like Brian, Jan, Aya and Caleb."

The younger women all turned to look at Jessica at the mention of the Caleb's name. As expected, Jessica blushed.

"Well if Caleb is included, I pretty much have to say 'yes'."

"Thank you for that! Lord knows they both need a shove to get things moving."

"Josephine Lorraine! I'll have you know we're moving just fine, thank you very much."

"Mom, a snail moves faster than either of you."

Marissa laughed at the mother and daughter. She knew that Jo had a point, but she also understood why Jessica was taking things slowly. "As long as it's not a big party, I'm good with it. Plus, it will give us a chance to show off Danny and talk to Brian and Kendall."

"My thoughts exactly." Bianca smiled. The couple had an important question for Kendall and Brian.

"Alright, back to Jo's question of whether she can bring someone. Would that someone happen to be a certain college professor?"

Jo rolled her eyes. "You don't miss a thing do you, Tasker?"

"It's my mad lawyer skills." Marissa smirked. "May I take your non-denial as a 'yes', meaning we're finally going to meet Greg?"

"Yes, I don't know if he can make it for sure, but if he can, I'd like him to meet all of you, well Bianca at least. I don't think she'll interrogate him or embarrass me like some redheaded lawyer I know."

"I wouldn't be too sure of either. You forget who her wife and sister are. Plus, she's always given as good as she's got. You know the saying, it's the quiet ones you have to worry about." Marissa grinned.

"Maybe it's not too late to reconsider this."

"Oh no, you don't, Josephine. If I have to take it, so do you." Jessica smiled.

Jo sighed and rested her head on the table as the other three women laughed.

/

With the exception of phones calls from Erica, Kendall, Greenlee and Krystal, the Tasker-Montgomery family had been left alone to bond and rest. Both Bianca and Marissa made sure to spend some time with their older children. They didn't want them to feel left out or overshadowed by their little brother in any way. Jo and Jessica made sure to give the family space, making every effort not to intrude on their time. Having them there did however allow Bianca and Marissa to have the needed time with AJ, Miranda and Gabby since Jo and Jessica could tend to Danny if needed.

On Monday, it was clear that the couple had been up several times during the night to feed, change and soothe Danny. Marissa was still going to watch her caffeine intake while she was breastfeeding, but she gratefully accepted the cup of coffee Bianca handed her before helping herself to one of her own. In a few weeks, Marissa planned on pumping so Bianca could help with the late night feedings. Seeing how tired the couple was, Jo volunteered to drop the kids off at school, an offer which was truly appreciated and accepted.

Mid-morning, Erica, Kendall and Greenlee stopped by to wish Marissa a happy birthday and of course spend time with Danny. Each woman came bearing gifts for the baby having spent the previous day doing some serious shopping. Among their gifts were several onesies that came with bow ties and suspenders. Danny was definitely going to look very dapper when he started meeting his public. It was then that Bianca and Marissa shared the news of Bianca being listed on Danny's certificate as his mother just like Marissa. Erica and Kendall saw how much that meant to the couple, especially Bianca, and it meant a lot to them as well because after years of suffering Bianca was getting everything that she truly deserved, and Marissa was making sure of that. When Bianca told them about the plans for Saturday, they readily agreed to be there.

The more time Erica, Kendall and Greenlee spent with Danny, the more all three were all enamored by him, especially Erica who stayed after Kendall and Greenlee headed back to the office. While Bianca and Marissa took a nap, Erica, Jessica and Jo talked and kept an eye on Danny. Shortly after Bianca and Marissa woke up from their nap, Erica had to leave. They weren't alone for long.

Jan and Aya stopped by to see the couple and their newest family member around lunch. They gushed over Danny and went over a few work-related items with Bianca since her leave started a little sooner than planned. The brunette was taking off two full weeks and then working from home the following week before returning to the office.

After Jan and Aya left, Marissa ducked back into the couple's home office to place a call to the firm's human resources department. She knew Caleb and Jack had contacted them, but she had to call them herself and finalize the details of her maternity leave. Marissa was taking a slightly longer maternity leaving opting to take off eight weeks instead of the standard six. After getting off the phone with them, she realized that her team would be holding their weekly meeting shortly. On the spur of the moment, she decided to surprise them. Marissa headed to the family room and told Bianca her plan. Her wife was completely onboard with the idea so Marissa headed back to the office and called Ellie. The secretary was surprised but happy to hear from her boss. Ellie agreed to help with her request and headed to the conference room where the team would be meeting to set things up. A few minutes after having done that, the others started to file in.

Before Claudia started on the agenda, Ellie asked if she could add an item and lead off. Claudia agreed and turned the floor over to the secretary. It was then that she pressed a few keys on the laptop she had connected to the room's large video screen. A beaming Marissa appeared and was greeted warmly by her team. Her welcome was nothing compared to the one Danny received when Bianca brought him back. After about 10 minutes, Marissa let the others get back to work and promised to bring Danny in for a visit soon.

/

Saturday rolled around, and guests for Marissa's birthday party arrived in the afternoon. Cory and her family had been invited, but her son and husband had come down with a bug and weren't feeling well so they weren't able to make it. She and Marissa had caught up earlier in the week however, and Cory was able to see Danny via a skype session. The teacher promised to visit as soon as she could, anxious to see her friend's new baby in the flesh.

Jo returned with Greg in tow. It didn't take long for him to fit right in. After talking with him for a few minutes in private, Marissa gave him her seal of approval. Although it wasn't needed, Jo was happy to have it. She wanted her friend and boyfriend to get along, and it was clear that they did. Greg, who taught political science, was impressed by Marissa and was soon a fan of both her and Bianca.

Guests brought gifts for both Marissa and Danny, and the redhead was perfectly fine with that because her newborn son was the best birthday present she could've asked for this year. The most memorable gifts were from her brother-in-law. Zach had gotten the entire Tasker-Montgomery family, including Danny, Philadelphia Flyers' jerseys with their names embroidered on them. Danny had a little bit growing until he could fit into his, but that was just fine with the family. Zach's thoughtfulness and excitement over the gifts were truly appreciated by both Bianca and Marissa, and the family put them on immediately. Jessica took a picture of the newly decked out family.

With the party in full swing, Bianca and Marissa pulled Kendall and Brian aside to talk with them in private.

"What's up, Binx?"

"Marissa and I have something we wanted to ask both of you. I tried to come up with this great speech, but I couldn't find the right words. Sometimes, I think it's better to just cut to the chase. Kendall, I love you. Rissa loves you."

The redhead smiled brightly and nodded in complete agreement with her wife.

"And you know that we trust you completely. So much so that this was a no-brainer for us. We would be honored if you would agree to be Danny's godmother."

Kendall beamed and hugged her sister and sister-in-law tightly before wiping away the tears that had escaped from her eyes. "It's my pleasure and honor. Thank you."

"You're welcome." Marissa turned to Brian. "I'm guessing you might have an idea of what we want to ask you. Brian, a lot has happened since we've known each other, and we've had each other's backs through it all. When Bianca and I started this discussion, there were two names that immediately came to mind, Kendall and you. Would you consider being Danny's godfather?"

"Are you kidding me? You're making me an offer I can't refuse."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "I told you he would quote the movie."

Brian laughed. "How could I not? You know that's one of my all-time favorites. I'd be honored to be Danny's godfather." After hugging Bianca and Marissa, he high-fived Kendall. "Best godparents ever."

Kendall grinned and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "Definitely. This just gives me even more of an excuse to spoil him. This is going to be so much fun, Brian."

Bianca sighed and whispered to her wife. "We are so screwed."

Marissa nodded with a smile. "Yeah, we are, but I'm okay with it and so are you."

"Yeah, I am."

**/**

**A/N: I know this chapter was all fluff, but as the title of the story says, things change! Mwhahahahahaha!**


	182. Danny's First Big Day Out

**A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, my fellow Mixaholics! Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. We're skipping ahead a few weeks in this chapter. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Reluctantly, Bianca got ready to head off to the Miranda Center. After having been away from the office for three weeks, it was her first day back there. Granted, she had actually started back to work the previous week, but that had been from home with Danny either just down the hall in the family room or upstairs in his bedroom. Today would be different with the distance now being measured in miles instead of feet. From past experience, Bianca knew it would be hard to be away from him for hours, but she was needed back at the Center and knew that no matter how difficult it would be that she would somehow get through it.

The last three weeks had been amazing. Danny was changing every day and was now recognizing their voices, particularly those of both of his mothers. He was also recognizing their faces and starting to smile. He really was a happy baby. Danny was able to lift his head and turn it some when he was on his tummy. They had started to ease him into 'tummy time'. He wasn't a fan of it at first but was getting better dealing with it, especially when he was able to start lifting his head some and see what was going on around him. One of the things Danny did like right away though was going for walks. Spring finally came, and the weather was perfect for spending some time outside. It was almost as if a switch had been flipped with the weather going from winter to spring in the blink of an eye. The couple would take their youngest son out for a walk around their property, particularly down by their pond, and they could see him trying to take things in. Those outings were perfect, and when the weekend rolled around, AJ, Miranda and Gabby would join them. As for Max, the family dog added Danny to his nightly sleeping rotation, spending time equally amongst the four children.

When Danny would wake up in the middle of the night, Marissa would sing to him to soothe him. Danny's favorite song was no surprise to anyone in the family, 'Forevermore'. It really was a magical song and calmed him almost instantly. Bianca smiled at the memory she had captured a few days ago involving the song. The couple was in bed when they heard Danny crying over the baby monitor. Marissa hurried to his room to see what was wrong. A few minutes later, the redhead could be heard talking to Danny, making note that he needed his diaper changed. Once she had done that, she settled into the rocking chair and began to sing softly to the newborn. It was then that Bianca was struck with the inspiration to capture the moment. She quickly located their video camera which had been getting quite the workout lately filming Danny with his mothers, siblings, other family members and friends as well as by himself, and quietly made her way to their son's room. Bianca turned the camera on and captured Marissa singing to Danny. Seeing the matching looks of complete love on the faces of mother and son took the brunette's breath away, and Bianca thanked whatever force that had inspired her to record it. Looking back on it, Bianca was sure it was probably her mother-in-law behind it somehow.

Now with Bianca going back into the office that day, Marissa would start using the breast pump so Bianca would be able to help with Danny's feedings during the night. This would allow the brunette to have some bonding time with her youngest son since she would be gone during the day as well as allow Marissa to have the chance for a little more sleep.

/

"So, what are your plans for today?" Bianca asked as she rocked Danny as the family sat around the kitchen table to have breakfast.

"I was thinking of stopping by the office. Some of them haven't seen Danny yet. So, that definitely needs to change."

Bianca chuckled. "Definitely."

"I'm not sure after that, but I don't see us being out too long. Later though, we'll swing by school to pick up these three minions." Marissa smiled in the direction of AJ, Miranda and Gabby who grinned in reply.

"Hey, Ma, do you maybe think Amber could see him when you pick us up?" Miranda bit her lip as she asked.

"If she's around, I don't see why not."

Miranda sighed in relief. "Thanks! AJ and I have been telling her all about him, and she's really wanted to see him."

"You're welcome. Do you know how things are going for her at home?"

AJ shook his head. "She doesn't like to talk about it too much because it makes her sad. I think she's glad that her mom's home, but then she's a little sad because of everything her mom says."

The couple glanced at each other. They knew it was a double edged sword for the girl and felt bad for her. Amber really was a sweet girl.

Marissa checked the time. "It's time for you guys to go learn something."

The kids laughed at their Ma's catch phrase as they gathered their backpacks and lunches and kissed their redheaded mother and baby brother goodbye before heading to the car.

"I am going to miss you so much today. Don't grow too much while I'm gone." Bianca kissed Danny several times before she reluctantly handed Danny to Marissa. "I'm going to miss you too."

"Me too. Try and have a good day, okay?"

"I won't guarantee that I will, but I will try."

Marissa leaned in for a tender kiss. "I love you."

"I love you too."

/

After Marissa had finished cleaning up the kitchen from breakfast, she brought Danny, who was settled in his carrier, into the family room. Besides stopping by her office, she also planned to stop by the Center and surprise her wife. Marissa knew how hard it was for Bianca to leave them today and how much she was dreading when she would be going through this same thing in just over a month. The redhead thought a visit to her wife's office would be the perfect pick me up for her, and she couldn't wait to see the look on Bianca's face when she saw them.

Marissa heard a knock on the door and set the carrier down before seeing who was there.

"Nolan. Hi, it's good to see you." Marissa greeted the delivery boy from the couple's favorite florist.

"Hi, Marissa. It's good to see you too. I have a delivery for you." He handed over a box that she was very familiar with.

"Thanks. Hold on one sec." Marissa went to her purse for some money and returned with a tip for him.

"Thanks, Marissa, but the tip's been taken care of already."

"I know Bianca has taken care of it, but I want to. Have a good day."

"You too!"

Marissa went over to the sofa and looked down at her son who was sitting in the carrier staring up at her. "Danny, your Mommy is the sweetest and most loving person there is, and we are so very lucky to have her. Do you know what she did?" Marissa asked as she opened the box and pulled out a single red rose. "She got this for me. Oh, I love her so much." The redhead pulled out the card that came with the flower and read it.

_M,  
>'G' stands for the incredible gift you've given me in Danny. He is as beautiful as his Mama. Not only have you given me another son, but you've made sure that I am legally recognized as his Mom. You never cease to amaze me. I love you with everything that I am and with everything that I have. I am truly am the luckiest woman on the face of the earth and bless the day you came into my life.<br>Love always,  
>B<em>

Marissa wiped away the happy tears caused by her wife's loving note and smiled brightly at her son. "And your Mommy says she doesn't have a way with words. Ha! Your Mommy's being silly when she says that."

Danny flailed his arms as if agreeing with his redheaded mother.

"See, you know I'm right. Okay, I'm going to put this rose in some water, and then we will get changed and ready to hit the town!"

/

With diaper bag in tow, Marissa pulled Danny's carrier out of his car seat's base and headed inside the firm's offices. The redhead had barely cracked the main door open when the receptionist left her desk to help her out.

"Ms. Tasker, it's so good to see you! How are you?"

"Hi, Claire. I thought we talked about this."

"You're right. Sorry. It's good to see you, Marissa."

"Better. It's good to see you too, and to answer your question, I'm doing pretty good."

"I'm glad to hear that." She peeked at infant in the carrier. "Oh my, he is so cute!"

"Thanks! Bianca and I think so too, but we know we're completely biased."

"It's not biased if you're right. Do you need any help?"

"Thanks but no. I've gotten the hang of carrying all of this. I'll see you on the way out."

/

Marissa had somehow made it down the hallway without being stopped by anyone and ducked into the conference where her team would be meeting with a couple of minutes to spare. She placed Danny's carrier on the table and set down the diaper bag. Marissa then unbuckled him and lifted her son out. Danny smiled and started to pull on his mother's shirt, having just begun to figure out the idea of grasping things.

"Morning, Boss. Could I get … Wait! Marissa?" Lisa stopped in her tracks and did a double take.

Marissa laughed. "Hi, Lisa."

"Oh my gosh! I didn't know the two of you were coming in today. It's good to see you. Hi, Danny! Could I?"

"Of course you can." Marissa handed over her son.

This wasn't the first time she had held him. Lisa had held him before at the redhead's birthday party. She had been one of those invited to the small celebration, and like others, the young lawyer fell victim to Danny's charms.

"Look at you holding your head up! You're getting so big."

Ellie was next to enter, and her eyes grew wide seeing her boss and the newborn. "Marissa! It's so good to see you! And oh, Danny!"

"It's good to see you too, Ellie." Marissa nodded to Lisa who grinned.

"Would you like to hold him?"

Ellie's gaze whipped to Marissa seeking permission.

"It's fine."

The secretary held the newborn and beamed. "Oh, he's so cute."

Soon, they were joined by the rest of the team. All of who were happy to see Marissa and fawned over Danny.

"I remember when Andi was this little. It seems like so long ago." Claudia sighed wistfully.

Marissa and Danny stayed a little while as the members of her team caught the redhead up on several work related items as well as some minor office gossip. She really did miss all of them and the work, no matter how much she loved being home with Danny. After checking the time, Marissa decided it was time to leave and let the others get back to work. She also wanted to get over to the Miranda Center to surprise Bianca. The redhead packed everything up and secured Danny in his carrier. Brian volunteered to help her back to her car.

As they walked down the hallway, the duo was stopped several times by others wanting to say 'hi' to Marissa and also to see the baby. It's a known fact that nothing stops work faster than the presence of a baby. At the receptionist desk, Marissa saw two of the firm's partners, Bryce Stevens and Geoff Thompson. The two older men greeted her warmly and smiled at Danny. It had been a long time since their own children were that age, although Bryce did have a granddaughter that was just three years older than Danny. With another round of goodbyes said, Marissa headed out for her next stop.

/

"Hi, Bruce."

The burly security guard smiled widely seeing the familiar redhead. "Hi, Marissa." He bent down peered through the open car window. "Wow, the pictures Bianca showed me earlier don't really do him justice. He's a handsome little dude."

Marissa chuckled. She wasn't surprised the least bit that Bianca was showing off pictures of their son to everyone. "Thank you. How did Bianca seem when she got here?"

"She seemed okay, but just okay. Seeing the two of you will definitely put that smile back on her face."

"That's what I wanted to hear. See you later, Bruce."

"See ya." Bruce pressed a button to raise the gate and watched as the SUV passed through.

/

Jan heard several voices and glanced up in the direction of the Center's front doors. It was then she saw a small crowd starting to gather, and in the middle of it, she caught a glimpse of red hair. The assistant left her desk and headed over to greet the special visitors.

"Marissa, how are you?"

"I'm good, Jan, and you?"

"I can't complain. I take it she doesn't know about this visit."

"Nope. Danny thought it would be nice to surprise his Mommy."

"Well, that was very sweet of him, and I'm not surprised by that given who his Moms are."

"Oh man, is Bianca ever going to be happy seeing the two of you! Hey, Marissa! Hey, Danny!"

"Hi, Aya. Is it that bad?" Marissa glanced to where her wife's office was and saw the blind pulled down and closed.

"Unfortunately, yes. She's reviewing the budget. Hence, the blinds."

Marissa made a face. "Seriously? That's the one part of her job that she absolutely hates."

"I know. There was a bit of a disagreement over something, and Bianca's really the only one who seems to be able to broker peace among the parties."

"So not only is it her first day back, but she's stuck with the budget." Marissa looked down at the carrier holding her son. "It's a good thing we're here, Danny."

The baby smiled in response to hearing his redheaded mother's voice.

"I was just going to go grab her some lunch. Could I get you something?"

"Oh, I don't want to …"

Aya shook her head. "Stop right there. It's no problem, and I don't mind at all. I wouldn't have offered if I did."

"Thank you. I'm good with whatever you're getting Bianca."

"You got it. I'll be back soon."

"Do you need some help to Bianca's office?" Jan asked.

"Nah, I'm good. I think someone needs a change and some lunch himself."

"Alright. I'll make sure the three of you aren't disturbed."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

/

"Come in." Bianca didn't bother to look up figuring it was either Jan or Aya. She was not expecting to hear the voice that she did.

"Hey. Are you up for some company or are you enjoying reviewing that budget too much?"

A blinding smile spread across Bianca's face when she saw her wife and son. "Rissa! What are you doing here?"

Marissa walked over to the small table in the office and set the carrier down. "Well, Danny and I were talking and thought it would be fun to stop by and see you. We both missed you."

"You have no idea how much I missed the two of you!" Bianca took the diaper bag and then greeted her wife properly, capturing her lips in a loving kiss. "Much better."

"No argument here." Marissa winced, her breasts starting to hurt. "Are you okay to change him? I really need to pump."

"Of course I am. Don't you want to feed him first before you pump though?"

Marissa grinned. "I pumped some earlier. So, you can give him a bottle if you want."

Bianca smiled even brighter than before. "Of course I want to. Danny, Mommy gets a chance to feed you now."

Danny waved his arms in reply with a big smile seeing his other mother.

Seeing the smile on her wife's and son's faces, Marissa knew this surprise was absolutely the right thing to do. While Bianca lifted her son from the carrier, the redhead laid down the changing pad for her before retrieving the breast pump. Marissa settled down in a chair and began to pump as Bianca tended to their son.

"How did it go at your office?"

"It went pretty well. They were surprised to see us, and Danny was a big hit. Bryce and Geoff liked him."

"They saw him, huh?"

"Yep, almost everyone in fact. Jack and Caleb weren't there, but they've already seen him quite a few times."

"They have, and our son has them wrapped around his little finger. Where were they?"

"Jack was in court, and Caleb in New York for a conference. I have a feeling he'll be seeing Jessica while he's there."

"I think you may be right. Those two are really cute together."

"They really are. It's good to see them both happy, especially Jessica. It's been so long for her, and she deserves this. Caleb does too."

"Yeah, he's been through a lot too."

"How's our boy doing with the bottle?"

Bianca smiled. "He's doing okay, getting a little sleepy though. I think visiting with his public has worn him out."

"Well, it's hard work being that cute and having all those people falling at your feet. I'm thinking we might just have to ask your Mom how she handles it and get some tips from her." Marissa chuckled.

"I know my Mom. She'll be all over that and more than happy to help." After Danny was burped, he snuggled into Bianca's chest before falling asleep. "Thank you for this, for stopping by. I really needed this."

By this time, Marissa had finished pumping and was putting everything away. "I thought you might. I'm not sure how I'm going to do when I have to go back to work."

"I'll be honest with you. It's going to be tough, but Danny will just be down in the firm's daycare center. That should help you a little."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"How's it going over there?"

"Pretty well. It's getting great reviews from the staff. Brian says that Jamie loves it there, and it's worked out well for him and Stef. I was thinking we could stop by and check it out again next week."

Marissa was very involved in the planning of the daycare center and the hiring of its staff. She had hired someone who was an expert in the field to consult with on the center. The redhead wanted the best and not just for her son but for the other children that would be there as well, and early reports indicated she had accomplished just that. Bianca had been there next to her wife at the grand opening a month earlier and was most definitely impressed but not surprised. She had every faith in Marissa and knew her wife was more than up for the challenge, and Bianca had been proven correct.

"I'd like that. I'm curious to see it after a month."

A soft knock on the office door drew the couple's attention, and Marissa went to see who it was.

"I've got your lunch."

"Come on in, Aya."

The office manager glanced over at her boss and saw her smiling. Bianca was perfectly content holding her son. It was a vast improvement over her earlier melancholy.

"Poor little guy. He's all tuckered out, huh?"

"We've been out all day, and now, he's had his diaper changed, has a full belly and has his Mommy."

"Ah, the perfect mix for a nap. Hmmm, I think he's on to something. Do you think we could have naptime, Bianca?"

The brunette chuckled softly. "I'll have my office manager look into it."

Aya gave the couple a thumbs up before leaving alone to have their lunch.

/

The next evening, the Tasker-Montgomery family was finishing up dinner when Bianca's cellphone rang. Glancing at the caller id, Bianca saw it was her brother-in-law calling and answered.

"Hey, Zach. Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure. It's Kendall. We're on our way to the hospital."

**/**

**A/N: My evil side says Happy Valentine's Day too. I don't think she means it in the nice way that I do though because I could swear I heard her cackling when she said it. She's been away for a couple of chapters and finally managed to get loose just in time for that last line. I'll see what I can do about her. See you soon!**


	183. Keeping Pace

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it and all of you. I'm sorry for the late post again. We're getting slammed by snow storms and extreme cold in the Midwest this week, nothing like what they're getting in the Northeast though. I'm thinking about you all up there. Today, the weather knocked out my cable and my internet connection for several hours. It's back up now, and I think and hope the snow is done. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. I will also put out there that I am not a doctor. Anything medical related in this chapter has been provided by using Google for my research. With that said, I hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The next evening, the Tasker-Montgomery family was finishing up dinner when Bianca's cellphone rang. Glancing at the caller id, Bianca saw it was her brother-in-law calling.

"Hey, Zach. Is everything okay?"

"I'm not sure. It's Kendall. We're on our way to the hospital."

Bianca made eye contact with Marissa before she left the room to continue the call out of earshot of the kids. "The hospital? How is she? What happened?"

"I found her unconscious on the floor of the bathroom. I couldn't wake her up so I called an ambulance. I'm following them now. I don't know how she is."

"What about the boys? Do you need someone to watch them?"

"Greenlee and Ryan are watching them."

"Okay, I'm on my way. Do you need me to call Mom?"

"I would appreciate it."

"I'll see you there."

/

When Bianca walked back into the kitchen, Marissa knew something was wrong and that they needed to speak in private.

"So, minions, why don't you go pick out a movie for us to watch? Your Mom and I will finish cleaning up and be in soon."

The three oldest children nodded and headed to the family room. Danny was in his carrier and remained under the watchful eyes of his mothers.

/

When AJ, Miranda and Gabby were out of earshot, Marissa turned to Bianca.

"What's wrong?"

"It's Kendall. Zach found her unconscious, and she's being rushed to the hospital. That's all he knows right now."

"What about the boys?"

"Greenlee and Ryan are watching them. I need to get to the hospital and see how she's doing. Oh, and Zach wants me to call Mom."

"Alright. I need you to do something for me. I need you to take a couple of deep breaths."

Bianca realized what Marissa was trying to do. The brunette was on the brink of panicking, and her wife knew it and was pulling her back from that ledge. She closed her eyes and did as requested. Bianca could feel herself starting to calm down and re-center. Warm chocolate eyes met hazel when Bianca opened hers back up.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Are you sure you're going to be okay to drive over there?"

"I am now, thanks to you."

"Would you like me to call Erica for you? I want you focused on the road. I know you're worried about Kendall and so am I, but I really need _you_ to be okay."

"I got it. I'm okay calling Mom. It's something I need to do. I should go. Will you be okay here?"

"We'll be fine."

"Alright. I really don't want to worry the kids."

"We'll just tell them that you need to go see Kendall. It's the truth. When we know more, we'll tell them more. Sound good?"

Bianca nodded. "Yeah, it does. I'll tell them goodbye, call Mom from the car and then drive over. I don't want to do it while I'm actually driving."

"That's very smart."

/

After Bianca said goodbye to the kids, Marissa walked her back to the inside garage door.

"Be careful, call as soon as you know something, and give Kendall and Zach my love."

"I will. I love you."

"I love you too."

/

Bianca found Zach only moments before Erica arrived.

"Any update?" Erica asked.

"Nothing yet. They're trying to get her stabilized. Dr. Rivera is back with her. Dr. Abbott and Dr. Chambers are both on the way."

"What happened?" Bianca settled on one side of her brother-in-law while Erica sat next to her.

"Ryan, Greenlee and Emma came over for dinner. Everything was going well. We were all having a good time. Kendall excused herself to go to the restroom and was gone for a while. I started to get worried. When I went to check on her, there was no answer, and the door was locked. I didn't want to risk busting it down since I didn't know where she was exactly in connection to the door so I had to take it off its hinges to get inside. That's when I found her unconscious on the floor. Her breathing was kind of shallow and her pulse felt weak. I couldn't wake her up either. That's when I called 911. She was still unconscious when they left. I'm going nuts out here not knowing how she and the baby are."

"How are the boys? I'm guessing they saw her being taken away." Bianca knew her nephews were absolutely crazy about their mother, and she could imagine how they were right now.

"They're scared and wanted to come, but I told them no. It's better that they're home and not seeing all of this, and I know that Kendall wouldn't want them here. Ryan and Greenlee will keep them occupied for now. I told them that she was going to be okay, the doctors were going to take care of her, and that she would be home before they knew it. She has to be alright. I don't know what I would do …" Zach's voice cracked with emotion, and he wasn't able to finish the sentence.

Bianca took her brother-in-law's hand and squeezed it. "Kendall _will_ be okay. She's strong, tough and stubborn, and she loves you, the boys and your daughter. She's been doing everything the doctors have been telling her to so that both she and the baby are okay."

"Bianca's right. My daughters are fighters. Not only will she be alright but so will your daughter. We Kane women don't give up."

"Thank you, both. You just made me realize that I'm going to have two Kane women in the house."

"Marissa can give you some tips. After all, she lives with three." Bianca smirked.

"That's good advice. I'll do that." Zach chuckled. He was thankful that Erica and Bianca were there. They really were keeping him grounded and giving him hope which was something he desperately wanted and needed right now.

/

Zach spotted one of Kendall's doctors walking their way and stood. "Dr. Rivera, how's Kendall?"

"Mr. Slater, please have a seat." The doctor glanced at the women sitting next to him and recognized them. "May I speak freely?"

"Yes, of course. This is Kendall's mother and sister."

Dr. Rivera nodded at the women. "Kendall is stable and has regained consciousness."

"And the baby?"

"Dr. Abbott was just finishing up her exam and will talk to you in a few minutes, but she wanted me to tell you that the baby is fine."

The three breathed a huge sigh of relief.

"Thank god. What's going on? Have you talked with Dr. Chambers?"

"I have spoken with her at length, and she will be here shortly. We're going to keep Mrs. Slater overnight, at the very least. We need to run some additional tests before we can confirm a course of treatment for her. Be assured that your wife is stable though, and you can go see her now. All of you can, but only for a few minutes. Both she and the baby need their rest."

/

Kendall glanced over to see the door to her room open and her husband, mother and sister entering. She gave them a sheepish smile. "Hi. I'm sorry."

Zach shook his head and gave her a quick kiss. "Stop it. There's nothing to be sorry about."

Erica kissed her oldest daughter's cheek. "Zach's right. You haven't done anything wrong."

"You've been doing everything the doctors have asked you to do, and we all know how hard it's been." Bianca smiled as she also kissed her sister's cheek.

"Well, I'm going to make it unanimous. From where I stand, you've been a model patient."

"Dr. Abbott, is the baby alright?"

"Your little girl is just fine, Mr. Slater. She's not quite ready to be here yet, but there's no indication that the baby has been affected by Kendall's latest incident. I'll be back to check on you both tomorrow, and I will also be talking with Dr. Rivera and Dr. Chambers after they've finished their tests." Dr. Abbott noticed several sets of eyes travel to a monitor. "That is a fetal heart monitor, and it is just a precaution. If you look, you can see that the baby has a very strong heartbeat."

The others relaxed somewhat at the doctor's reassurance.

"Alright, I'm going to go. Kendall, get some rest."

"Thank you, doctor."

/

"How are the boys?"

"Greenlee and Ryan are with them. They were a little scared, but they're doing okay. I'll give them a call in a few minutes and let them talk to you. They'll feel a lot better after that."

"They're not the only ones."

Zach sat next to his wife. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired and embarrassed."

"Don't feel embarrassed, alright? The doctors will figure this out and fix it. You with me on that?"

Kendall squeezed her husband's hand. "Completely." She turned to her sister and mother. "As for the two of you, go home."

Erica and Bianca were both about to protest when Kendall held up a hand and stopped them. "There's nothing you can do here right now so go home and get some rest. By staying here, you'll only increase my stress, and we know that's not good for me right now."

Bianca rolled her eyes. "No fair playing the guilt card."

Kendall feigned innocence. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh for the love of. Fine, I'll go, but I'll be back tomorrow."

"Tomorrow afternoon."

"No. Tomorrow morning."

"No. Tomorrow afternoon. Look, Binx, you just got back to work so I know you're playing catch up there. I don't need or want you stressing out about that. Besides, they're going to be running tests. All you'll be doing here is sitting around and worrying about everything you've got going on."

"But …"

"Please, for me, go to work. Zach will call you."

Zach nodded. "I promise that I'll call the minute I know something."

"They're right, sweetheart."

Bianca scowled seeing that she was completely outnumbered with Erica now agreeing with Kendall and Zach. "Fine, but I'm going to hold you to it, Zach." She kissed her sister. "I love you. Call me if you need anything or need us to help with the kids."

"I will. I promise, and I love you too."

Kendall watched as her sister left reluctantly before turning to her mother. "Now, about you."

"Oh, I'll leave for tonight, but I will be back tomorrow morning. Neither of you are in any position to stop me either."

/

Bianca arrived home in time to help Marissa get the kids ready for bed. They had asked how their aunt was, and the brunette assured them that their Aunt Kendall was alright. Marissa knew there was more to the story but decided to let it go until the couple was alone. The redhead could also feel the tension coming off her wife. The kids couldn't sense it, but she could.

Marissa entered the couple's bedroom and smiled at the sight that greeted her. Bianca was in the second rocking chair that Alex had made for them that was kept in their bedroom for the time being. She was holding Danny and rocking him ever so gently.

"Feeling better?"

"Much. Thanks to our little one. He's like a cure-all for what ails you."

"Yes, he definitely is. So, how are Kendall and the baby, really?"

Bianca sighed. "Kendall is stable, and Dr. Abbott said the baby was fine. They have Kendall hooked up to a fetal heart monitor as a precaution. They are going to run more tests tomorrow. I want to be there, but she made me promise to go into work. She even pulled out the guilt card to get me to agree. Zach said he would call as soon as they know something, but I know that if it's something bad that Kendall will make him wait."

Marissa bit her lip to hold back the smile threatening to make an appearance because of her wife's pout. No matter how old they got, Kendall couldn't help herself from telling her little sister what to do and also looking out for her. They all knew Bianca would be worried to death about Kendall, and by having Bianca go into work, Kendall was doing what she thought was best by trying to keep her sister occupied and focused on something other than her. For her part, Bianca did not like being told what to do or being coddled. This wasn't the first time Marissa had to mediate a conflict between the Kane sisters.

"I have an idea. Why don't I call either Susan or Carol to see if they would be willing to watch Danny for a little bit and then stop by the hospital myself? I will find out what's going on and call you. You will know the minute I know something, no matter what the news is. You have my word on that."

Bianca smiled softly. She knew Marissa would keep her word, no matter what, and knowing that helped calm her. That and holding their son. "Thank you. You know what to say to help, and I know you're there for me."

Marissa kissed her wife tenderly. "Always."

/

"Marissa, dear, how are you? How's Danny?"

"I'm good, Erica, and Danny is even better. How are you?"

"I'm well and not surprised to see you here."

"Bianca needed me here."

Erica studied her daughter-in-law for a moment. "She doesn't think that we would be completely forthcoming with her, does she?"

"Nope."

"And you promised her that you would be."

Marissa nodded. "No matter what."

"And there is no chance I could convince you to do otherwise?"

"Not a chance in hell."

"I didn't think so." Erica sighed. "Who is watching Danny?"

"Carol Walker."

"Ah, I have no doubt that she will thoroughly spoil him."

"You're right there. So, what's the latest?"

"They are running one more test. Hopefully, this will give us the answers we need."

"Hey, is there any word?"

Marissa glanced up and saw Greenlee. "Not yet. Any problems with the boys last night?"

"No, they were okay, especially after they talked to Kendall."

"Where's Bianca? Is she watching Danny?"

"She's at work. From what I've been told, she was guilted into it. Carol's watching Danny."

"Yeah, I can see that." Greenlee could tell Marissa wasn't happy about how the family treated Bianca sometimes. While Erica and Kendall saw her as strong, they also saw her as someone they needed to protect. It was something they couldn't help but do, and it drove Bianca crazy because in doing so they made her feel anything but strong. It also made her feel somewhat excluded from the family. Marissa understood this and fought against it every time it happened which made things a little tense sometimes.

Greenlee decided to change the subject. "Where's Zach?"

"I had him go to the cafeteria to get something to eat. He really needed the break." Erica said.

"I bet. He's got to be worried to death about Kendall and the baby." Marissa looked at her mother-in-law. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine." Erica saw that neither of the two younger were buying what she was saying. "I'm concerned and want some answers. I need answers. I can't stand to see either Kendall or Bianca sick or hurting and not being able to do anything to help them."

"I know how you feel." Zach said as he joined the women.

Erica looked at her son-in-law. "Aren't you supposed to be taking a break?"

"I took one."

Marissa and Greenlee shared a look. There was no way they were going to get in the middle of that.

"Mr. Slater."

Zach glanced up. "Dr. Chambers, how is Kendall?"

"She's back in her room and resting. The tests can be tiring. I need to analyze the results a little more closely and speak with Dr. Abbott and Dr. Rivera. After I've consulted with them and Kendall has gotten some more rest, I'll go over everything with you."

"You can't tell me anything now?"

"I want to exam her results more closely, and I won't have a conversation with anyone about Kendall's condition without her being present. _She_ is my patient after all. I'll see you in an hour."

/

Bianca was relieved to find her family still in the waiting room. She raced over to the hospital as soon as she got Marissa's call telling her the doctor would be meeting with them in an hour. There was no way she was going to miss this meeting, no matter what her sister or mother said.

"Hey, you made it." Marissa smiled as Bianca leaned over to give her a quick kiss.

"I did. Thanks for letting me know. Is Zach back with Kendall?"

"Yeah, he went back a few minutes ago. You didn't get any work done at all today, did you?"

"No, I couldn't focus. Have you heard from Carol?"

"I talked to her a little bit ago, and Danny is doing great."

"How are you doing?"

"Okay. Angie helped find me a room so I could pump. It was getting a little uncomfortable."

"I'm glad you were able to do that."

A nurse approached the group. "Are you here for Kendall Slater?"

Erica answered for everyone. "Yes, we are."

"She asked me to come get you. You can go back now. The doctors are ready to go over everything."

"Thank you."

/

"Okay, Dr. Chambers, everyone is here. What's going with me and how do we fix it and also make sure our daughter is okay?" Kendall wanted and needed her family around her when she got this news.

"As you know, there has been an issue with your heartrate. It's been irregular for some time. I don't believe your pregnancy is the cause of this. It's the heart transplant. Your pregnancy has merely accelerated what I believe would eventually happen. The electrical pulses that are sent to your heart to regulate the heartbeat are being disrupted. This is not uncommon in transplant recipients like yourself."

"Is there anything that can be done to fix this?" Zach asked.

"There is. What I'd like to do is implant a pacemaker."

"A pacemaker?"

"Yes, it will help regulate your heartrate which in turn will help with the fainting, the dizziness and the shortness of breath that you've been experiencing. By getting everything regulated, it will be a tremendous benefit for your pregnancy as well. You will have less stress on your heart which will also mean less stress for the baby."

"Isn't that invasive surgery though? That can't be good for the baby." Kendall was definitely concerned and rested a protective hand on her baby bump.

"Traditionally, yes, but that has changed. We can put in what's called an intracardial pacemaker. It's placed inside your heart. We can do that because it's roughly 10 percent the size of the traditional pacemaker, and it doesn't require any leads connected to your heart muscle. The procedure to do this is considerably less invasive as well. It's inserted by using a steerable catheter fed into the femoral vein. I'll make an incision in the inner thigh to do this. Once it's in, you won't be able to see or feel the pacemaker. Because there aren't any leads, the restrictions that are normally in place for traditional pacemakers are eliminated. If the device needs to be removed for any reason, it's done the same way as it was inserted. The battery life for it is longer as well. Right now, they last from 9 to 13 years."

"You would need to remove it then to replace them?"

"Yes." Dr. Chambers took in the expressions of the family. "I know this is scary, but I have done this procedure several times before."

"With anyone who was pregnant?" Kendall asked.

"No. You are a special case all the way around. Not many heart transplant patients conceive after their procedure so the number who need a pacemaker while pregnant is small. Dr. Abbott will be present the entire time and be monitoring your baby."

"What about afterwards? What kind of recovery time are we looking at?"

"Your recovery time will be faster with this type of procedure."

Dr. Abbott stepped forward. "As for afterwards, you will be on modified bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. I won't put you on complete bed rest, but that remains an option. It all depends on how well the procedure goes and how you respond. Judging from your expression, I can tell you don't want to hear that, but that's how it has to be."

"I can rearrange my schedule and take some time off, and we can also hire someone to help out."

"You want to hire someone to babysit me? No. I don't want you taking time off either. I'll be fine by myself."

While Zach and Kendall went back and forth on the subject of her being at home alone, Marissa and Bianca had a quick private discussion. During a lull in the Slaters' discussion, Marissa spoke up.

"I think Bianca and I have a good compromise for you. Why not have Kendall come over to our house during the day?"

"I don't want or need a babysitter, Red. Besides, you have your hands full already."

"Kendall, you know I love you. We all do. I have to ask this question though. Is there anyone here that seriously believes you'll be able to behave yourself if you're all alone for the next several weeks?"

No one raised their hands which caused them all to chuckle while Kendall scowled.

"Are you sure, Marissa? I wouldn't want to impose or anything." Zach asked.

"Yes, I am, and you're not imposing. I'm offering. Besides, you're family. It's what we do. You know, when you think about it, it's basically like watching another kid, except this one is bigger and snarkier. I figure if I can handle her then puberty with the kids should be a breeze."

"You got that right on the snarkier part." Greenlee grinned.

Marissa could tell Kendall wasn't happy. "You know that you can't be by yourself, right?"

Kendall sighed. "Yeah, I know."

"Think of this as killing two birds with one stone, or more like a lot of birds with one stone. Zach won't have to take time off, you won't have to hire someone, you'll be keeping me company, and you get to spend time with your newest nephew."

Kendall weighed everything and could definitely see the logic behind it. The compromise was a win-win for everyone. "Can we watch trashy daytime TV shows?"

"Duh! Of course we can. I've gotten pretty good at guessing who is and isn't the father on some of them."

Bianca chuckled. She loved watching the interaction between her wife and her sister. Bianca could see the genuine affection between them.

Kendall nodded and looked at her doctors. "Okay. What next?"

"Your due date is in five weeks. I'll deliver the baby no later than on than that date at which time I will perform a C-section. I know you were hoping for a vaginal delivery, but Dr. Chambers and I both agree that that puts too much strain on you."

"Alright. So, when do we do the pacemaker?"

"I'd like to do it tomorrow. The sooner, the better for you and the baby."


	184. Batman & Robin

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. I'm sorry for posting a little later than normal. The mother of one of my best friends passed away this week, and I really needed to be there for her so the story was put on the back burner. The visitation and service was Saturday, and I was gone for that most of the day and was drained by the time I got back home. This is a slightly shorter chapter, but as you can guess, it was kind of a rough week so I hope you understand why. This chapter picks up the following day from the previous one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The next morning found everyone gathered back at Kendall's hospital room with Jack and Ryan joining those who were there the previous day. Unlike yesterday, Kendall didn't even try to have Bianca come to the hospital later. She needed her sister and wasn't going to even attempt to pretend otherwise. Zach had brought the boys over the previous evening to see their mother. It was something they all needed. They didn't go into too much detail about what was happening in the morning since they thought it might be too much for them to understand. As a result, Spike and Ian had gone to school as normal that morning after talking to their Mom before they left. Zach and Kendall believed keeping their sons in their regular routine was best for them.

Susan came over to Minx Manor to watch Danny, and Bianca and Marissa dropped their oldest children off at school before heading to the hospital. Greenlee and Ryan dropped Emma off at school as well before joining the others.

Erica and Jack were there before everyone else had arrived with the exception of Zach who didn't leave Kendall's side once he had gotten there. While Jack waited in the waiting room, Erica watched as her daughter was prepped for surgery. The diva was doing her best to keep her emotions in check, but it was hard. She and Kendall had a tumultuous relationship early on, but through many trials and tribulations, they finally reached the point where they were extremely close and would do anything for each other and couldn't imagine their lives without the other.

Feeling a hand on her shoulder, Erica turned to find Bianca there. "Good morning, sweetheart."

"Morning, Mom."

"Where is Marissa? Did she change her mind and stay home with Danny?"

"No, Susan's still watching him. Rissa's in the waiting room with Uncle Jack. She thought we would like a few minutes alone with Kendall. She doesn't think anything bad is going to happen, just that we would want some time."

"That is very thoughtful of her."

"Hey, Binx." Kendall flashed her sister a lopsided grin. She had been given something mild to help her relax before the surgery. Because she was pregnant, the doctors were carefully monitoring what medications she was being given.

Bianca smiled. "Hi, Kendall. How are you feeling?"

"Not bad. This is some good stuff." Kendall glanced to her husband. "Zach, could you give us a minute?"

Zach nodded and kissed her forehead. "I'll be right outside."

/

Kendall turned serious, well as serious as she was capable of being at the moment while under medication. "If something happens to me …"

"Nothing is going to happen to you. You are going to be just fine." Bianca sat on sister's bed.

"Bianca, I need to say this. If something happens to me and I'm not saying that it will but if it does, I need the two of you to promise me that you'll be there for Zach and the boys, take care of them for me."

"Of course we will. You don't even have to ask, but Bianca is right. You are going to be just fine. Do you hear me? I simply will not allow otherwise. Am I understood?"

Kendall nodded. While she knew they didn't want to have this conversation, she also knew her point had been made. Her request was simply a formality because Kendall knew her mother and sister would be there if she couldn't be just as she would if the roles were reversed. "Understood."

"Good."

Bianca squeezed her sister's hand. "Don't worry about them. Mom and I will take of them should the need ever arise, but …"

"I know."

"I love you."

"I love you too." Kendall smiled at her sister before turning to glance at her mother who was sitting on the other side of the bed. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Kendall, and I am so proud of you."

/

Zach knocked on the door and popped his head inside. "Greenlee's here."

Kendall wiped some tears away. "Send her in please."

Greenlee rushed in and stopped at the foot of Kendall's bed. "Hey."

"Hey."

Bianca stood and offered her seat to Greenlee, and the petite brunette took it gratefully.

"Okay, I'm not going to get all sappy or anything because we don't really do sappy. That's just not us. I love you, and you love me. You're my best friend and the closest thing I have ever had to a sister."

"Right." Kendall nodded. Just as she needed to have her earlier conversation with her mother and sister, she knew that Greenlee needed to have this one with her.

"You are strong and one helluva fighter so I know you're going to be okay. You have to be okay because I need you to be and things just won't be the same without you around, not to put any pressure on you." Greenlee took a deep breath and needed to lighten the mood. "Besides, what would Batman be without Robin?"

"Wait, you're saying _you're_ Batman?"

"Duh, of course I am. You don't think you are, do you?"

"Uh yeah."

"No, I refuse to believe that."

"I don't care what you believe. It's true. Batman's the more logical one, and he's a lot taller than Robin."

"You're seriously pulling out the height card?! I'm calling foul on that. And you are not more logical than me. Bianca, you can vouch for that."

Bianca held up her hands. "Oh no, I'm not getting sucked into this. I'm just going to go get the others."

Erica raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to ask me?"

Greenlee scoffed. "No. We all know how you would answer."

Kendall grinned. "See, _I'm_ Batman."

/

Marissa entered just as those words left Kendall's lips. "Exactly what kind of drugs have they given you, and do I want to know what brought this conversation on?"

"Red!"

"Hey, Curly. You're feeling good." Marissa laughed.

Kendall nodded. "I need you to do something for me, Red."

"You know I will if I can."

"I know. Come here."

Marissa did as requested and took Greenlee's spot.

"Come closer."

The redhead leaned in closer.

Kendall lowered her voice to a whisper. "I know I really don't have to say this, but I'm going to anyway. If anything happens to me, take care of Bianca. I know you will, but she's going to need you like never before. Don't let her push you away. I have a feeling you'll have to be the rock for her, Mom and even Zach and the boys, and I know that you can do it."

Marissa took a deep breath and whispered back. "You don't have to worry about that. You know that I will. Bianca is my heart and soul. Whatever she or the others need, I'll be there."

"Thank you. One more thing. Take special care of Greenlee too. She acts tough, but inside, well you know how she is. She has the biggest heart and feels so much."

"You're right about her. I'll do everything I can for her too. You need to do something for me though."

"What?"

"Fight. We all need and love you. So, fight and don't give up. Deal?"

Kendall smiled. "Deal. Love you too."

/

A nurse came into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it's time."

Everyone took their leave with Bianca, Erica and Zach being the last to go.

"I'll see you soon, and I love you." Bianca kissed her sister's cheek.

"Love you too, Binx."

"Remember what I said, dear, and I love you."

"I will, Mom, and love you too."

Soon, it was just Zach and Kendall.

"I need you to fight for me. I need you. The boys need you. We're going to have a long and happy life, got it?"

"Got it. I love you."

"I love you."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Slater, but we have to go."

Zach gave Kendall a loving kiss. "Alright. Take good care of her for me."

"We will."

/

"So, what do you think Kendall said to Marissa?" Greenlee asked as they sat in the waiting room. Kendall had been in surgery for over an hour, and the group had settled in the waiting room, keeping each other company and attempting to distract each other if only for a little while. Marissa had gone to a private room to pump a few minutes earlier, and Bianca had gone with her.

"If I were to take a guess, I'd say it was probably about Bianca. You know how much Kendall worries about her." Jack guessed.

"You're probably right. She has to know that she doesn't even have to ask that of Marissa though. She'll do that without even giving it a second thought. To Marissa, Bianca is everything."

"Very true. I have a feeling it wasn't only Bianca on her mind however."

Greenlee turned to Erica. "You mean Zach and the boys.

"I mean all of us, dear, especially you."

It was that last comment that left Greenlee speechless, something not easily done.

Erica observed the younger woman's reaction and continued. "Greenlee, you know how much Kendall loves you and worries about you. The two of you have a very special place in each other's hearts and lives. I'm not surprised by her making that request. You can't really say you are either, now can you?"

"I suppose not."

"And if your positions were reversed …"

"I would do the same thing."

"I know. You also know how Marissa feels about you, how she feels about all of us really." Erica chuckled softly. "In many ways, Marissa keeps us grounded. She and Bianca seem to be the only ones who can do that. We tend to be …"

Greenlee grinned. "A handful at times."

"Yes, I suppose that is an appropriate description."

"I don't think we should tell them that though. We don't want Bianca's and Marissa's heads to get too big. It would be like the inmates running the asylum if that ever happened."

Erica smiled. "Agreed."

/

"Any word?" Bianca asked as she and Marissa returned. On the way back to the waiting room, the couple had picked up coffee for everyone and were now passing the beverages out.

Zach shook his head as he gratefully accepted his drink. "Not yet. I'm hoping soon though. I can't stand this waiting."

"Yeah, we're not the most patient bunch, are we? She's going to be fine though, Zach. I know my sister."

Marissa tapped Bianca. "It's Dr. Chambers and Dr. Abbott."

The group turned as one as the doctors approached. Dr. Chambers smiled and took a seat while Dr. Abbott took the one next to the cardiologist. Before anyone could ask anything, Dr. Chambers spoke.

"Kendall is fine, and the surgery went very well. There were no complications. She's resting comfortably in recovery, and you'll be able to see her after we've moved her back to her room in another 30 to 45 minutes."

Dr. Abbott quickly picked up where her colleague left off. "The baby also came through the surgery very well. There were no complications and no signs of stress on her. She's good."

The relief at hearing this news was clearly evident on the faces of each member of the group.

"Thank god!"

"You're sure?"

Both doctors nodded. "Positive."

Zach finally released the breath he'd been holding since the doctors' appeared. This was the news he had silently been praying and bargaining for.

Dr. Chambers continued. "I want to keep her overnight for observation, and if there are no complications, she can go home tomorrow."

"The same holds true for the baby. I will continue to monitor her. Because of how far along Kendall is, I was going to be seeing her weekly anyway so nothing will change there. When she is ready to deliver, Dr. Chambers will be present in the delivery room. It's strictly a precaution."

Dr. Abbott and Dr. Chambers continued to answer questions from everyone in the group for several more minutes. By the time they left, Kendall's family and friends had an understanding of what her recovery would entail and were comfortable with what would be required of them in order to help her. A short while after the doctors left, a nurse informed them they could back to see Kendall but no more than three at a time. Zach went back first. As much as Erica and Bianca wanted to see Kendall, they knew the husband and wife needed some time alone before Kendall was bombarded by visitors.

Erica and Bianca had gone back to see Kendall when Zach had asked a nurse to get them. Kendall was just as anxious to see them as they were to see her. Eventually, the others visited with her as well. It was soon approaching noon. Kendall needed some rest, and she knew the others needed to get something to eat as well as just taking a break so she insisted they go home with the concession of allowing them to come back later.

/

"I feel like I can finally breathe." Bianca sighed when she and Marissa were finally back home and alone having relieved Susan from watching Danny. "I'm just so glad that she's going to be okay."

"That definitely makes two of us." Marissa noted as she fed Danny while her wife fixed them something to eat.

"Are you sure you don't mind keeping an eye on Kendall?"

"I told you already that I don't mind. We're family, and I know that she would do the same for me."

"She would. We have a couple of days to get ready. You have anything planned to keep yourselves out of trouble?" Bianca smirked.

Marissa feigned offense. "I'm deeply hurt that you would say something like that."

"Uh huh. I know the two of you. I also know that you'll take care of her."

"I will, and I do actually have an idea of something she can help me with. It's something I've wanted to do for a while but just haven't had the chance to."

"What is it?"

Marissa shook her head. "Nope, it's a surprise."

"I bet I could get you to talk." Bianca lowered her voice an octave, knowing exactly what it did to her wife. She couldn't help but smile at seeing the shiver it evoked in Marissa.

"I'm sure you would give it your best shot, but we still have a couple of weeks before you can tempt me with your wicked wiles."

The couple definitely had an active sex life, and it hadn't been slowed down by Marissa's pregnancy. The redhead's hormones only added fuel to the fire, and Bianca did not complain about that at all. It, however, wasn't the foundation the couple's relationship had been built on, friendship was and always would be that. They started out as friends and still were. The physical aspect of their relationship was important, just not the end all be all, and it was an aspect they enjoyed immensely. In short, they loved to show how much they loved each other in a physical way, and it added to their connection. This period of forced celibacy was the longest they had gone without making love since their relationship had changed. They cuddled and kissed since Marissa had given birth, but it really wasn't the same. This was something they were both painfully aware of. Marissa had not been cleared by Dr. Abbott yet though to have sex. As a result, they had to wait, and while waiting could be difficult, the alternative was not worth risking Marissa's health.

"Yes, I know. I guess I'll just have to come up with something else."

"I have no doubt that you will certainly try your best. Anyway, I want this to be a surprise, and I think you're going to like it."

"Do I get a hint?"

Marissa thought for a second. "It's something we've talked about."

"Well, that doesn't do much to narrow it down for me. You know that we've talked about a lot of stuff."

"Yeah, I know, but that's your hint."

Bianca scowled while her wife chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "No fair."

/

The following Monday, Zach brought Kendall over to Minx Manor after they had dropped the boys off at school. Marissa and Danny were the only ones present since Bianca had taken AJ, Miranda and Gabby to school.

Zach looked at his sister-in-law. "If anything happens …"

"I'll call you right away. I got this, trust me."

"I'm sorry. I do. My assistant knows to put you through right away. If she or anyone else gives you a hard time, let me know."

"I will."

"If you need anything …"

Marissa smiled. "Got it."

"If Kendall gives you a hard time …"

"I'll let you know that too."

"By the way, Kendall is right here."

"Why do you think he's telling me that?" Marissa smirked.

Zach gave his wife a quick kiss. "Behave yourself. I love you."

"I love you too. Go. I promise I'll be good."

After sharing one more kiss, Zach left.

Kendall turned to the redhead. "Okay, Red, what's on the agenda?"

"I'm glad you asked."


	185. Helping Out

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It is always appreciated. Sorry for posting a little late today. Work has been rough lately, and the never ending winter hasn't helped. It's taken me a bit to kind of get back in the groove with this story. I feel like I started to towards the end of this chapter. Hopefully, you think so too. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Kendall turned to the redhead. "Okay, Red, what's on the agenda?"

"I'm glad you asked. First, I was just going to have some hot tea. Can I interest you in anything to drink?"

"You're still watching your caffeine, right?"

"Yeah, I am as long as I'm breastfeeding your nephew."

"I'll have what you're having then."

Marissa shifted her son slightly and headed towards the kitchen. "Alright, follow me."

/

After Marissa secured Danny in his carrier, she set about making their tea. While she did that, Kendall occupied herself playing with her nephew. She was easily able to make the baby smile and laugh. Danny was a happy baby, and in his few short weeks, he had readily formed a bond with his aunt. In short, he had her wrapped around his little finger.

"How's Sparky doing? Is he sleeping any better at night for you yet?"

"A little but still not great. When does that start to happen again?"

"Anywhere from three to twelve months. Sorry."

Marissa sighed. "Wonderful. Thanks. How are you feeling?"

"A little tired but better. I know it's only been a couple of days, but I do feel like I have a little more energy, at least I think I do."

Marissa handed Kendall a mug and sat down. "I can't tell you how glad I am to hear that. You had us all worried."

"I know. I was pretty worried myself." Kendall paused. "Thank you again for doing this for me. I really didn't want Zach to take off and hover over me or have him hire someone to watch me. I didn't like the idea of having a stranger in my house. That really would've made it feel like I had a babysitter."

"You're welcome. I know you would do the same for me, and it's nice to have the company of an adult."

"Danny's not big on conversation, huh?"

Marissa laughed. "Not yet."

"So, what's on our agenda? How are we going to keep ourselves occupied all day? We both know I can't go anywhere which means you can't either since you're keeping an eye on me."

"Very true. I do have an idea of something I could use your help with. We'll be tapping into our creative sides."

Kendall raised an eyebrow. "This sounds like it could be interesting. I'm definitely intrigued. Does Bianca know what you have planned?"

"We've talked about it and shared ideas, but we just hadn't gotten around to doing it before she went back to work. So, while this isn't a complete surprise, it kind of is. I think it will be a nice one for her."

"And this is something I'm allowed to do? Because you've seen the list of things I'm not allowed to. It's really long, too damn long. I think Mom or Bianca bribed Dr. Abbott to add some stuff on there."

"Yeah, I've seen that list. Sorry. As to the bribing, I honestly can't say one way or the other. I will say that you are definitely allowed to help me with a good chunk of this."

"Alright, I'm sold. Count me in. So, what is it exactly that we're doing?"

Marissa pulled out her tablet and fired it up. Once it had finished booting up, she went to a page she had bookmarked and handed it to Kendall. "This is what we're going to do."

Kendall looked at the screen. "I really like this. I think we might have to do this at my house when we're done here."

"I'm up for it if you are. Alright, let's go in the family room so we can be a little more comfortable while we work."

"Sounds good. I'll get Sparky."

"Ah no, you won't. You have a limit on how much you can lift, remember? You can carry the tablet and your mug."

"Gee thanks." Kendall pouted. She hated feeling or being treated like an invalid. Zach wouldn't let her do anything after she was released from the hospital.

Marissa smiled at her scowling sister-in-law. "Don't worry. You can still play with Sparky once we get settled. You can hold him too. He just weighs too much for you to carry. You did just have surgery a couple of days ago. I promise I'm not going to baby you, alright?"

Kendall nodded. She respected what Marissa was saying and knew it was true. "Okay."

/

By the time Bianca returned home later that day after picking the kids up from school, Greenlee had joined Marissa and Kendall.

Marissa was sitting on the floor next to the couple's youngest son. Danny was getting some tummy time. When he heard the voices of his brother and sisters, he smiled and tried to move his head to where the noise was coming from.

The kids were happy to see their redheaded mother and brother but even more so to see their Aunt Kendall. They had been worried about her and were extremely relieved to see her smiling and laughing.

"Aunt K!"

"Hey, gang."

While hugs were exchanged between the kids and Kendall, Bianca entered the room. When Danny heard her voice, his smile grew brighter, and he started kicking his legs and bobbing his head in an effort to see his brunette mother.

Bianca leaned in to give Marissa a quick kiss and then picked up the tiny redhead. "Hey, Danny! How are you? Did you have fun today with your Mama and Aunt Kendall?"

"That's some welcome home you got there, Binx."

"Yes, it is, and I love it." Bianca smiled brightly as she cuddled Danny. "How are feeling, Kendall?"

"Good."

"Hey, Greenlee."

"Bianca."

"So, how did everything go today?"

Marissa stood. "It went pretty good. Kendall behaved herself and spent lots of time spoiling Danny."

"Yeah, he doesn't need that."

"Too bad. It's one of the few things I'm allowed to do right now so I'm definitely going to be doing more of it."

"Hey, minions. Why don't you go start on your homework?"

"Okay, Ma." Miranda said while AJ and Gabby nodded in agreement.

/

After the kids had left, Greenlee turned to Bianca. "Do you have a couple of minutes, Bianca? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Bianca sat down. "Sure. What's up?"

"Do you know who Rafaela is?"

"Of course, she's the supermodel from South America."

"Brazil to be exact. That would be her. Fusion has been looking for a spokesperson for some time now."

"Yeah, I remember you and Kendall talking about that before. Wait. Are you telling me you're going to get her? That would be huge if you did."

"Tell me about it. We don't have her yet, but it turns out that we do have a pretty good chance of signing her."

"That's fantastic! I'm guessing by their lack of reaction that these two know already."

"Greenlee told us when she got here." Marissa smiled.

"So what am I missing? Kendall doesn't look too happy."

"That's because she's not able to help out with this right now." Greenlee said as she glanced at her pouting best friend. "I could use your help. Feel free to tell me no."

"Oh trust me, I will. What do you need?"

"I know everything about Fusion and am perfectly capable of handling the negotiations with Rafaela's people. Being a valued and trusted member of the board and one of our larger shareholders, you know almost as much as we do about Fusion."

"Yes."

"Rafaela relies on her people to handle all of the early negotiating and steps in when it's time to finalize everything, but she will be in Pine Valley though while all of the talks are going on. She likes to get a lay of land and the people. So, here's what I need. I need someone that I can trust to keep Rafaela informed and entertained. Basically, I need someone to answer her questions and show her around so I can focus on the other. You know, divide and conquer. It's what Kendall and I usually do. She can't right now, and you're the first person I thought of that I could trust enough to handle that piece."

"How much time are you talking about exactly and when would you need me? I've got a lot going on at the moment. We've got Danny now, and I've got the Center."

"I know, but it really wouldn't take a lot of time. I'm thinking maybe some lunches and dinners. She's going to be here in two weeks, and I would need you then. If you can't do it, I understand, but I'll need to know as soon as possible so if I need to I can make other arrangements."

Bianca glanced at Marissa. "Can we …"

The redhead nodded. Her wife didn't have to finish the sentence for her to know she wanted to talk in private. "Would you guys mind watching Danny while we talk for a minute?"

"Of course. We've got it covered." Kendall smiled and carefully took her nephew, laying him down on her lap.

As Kendall and Greenlee started cooing over Danny, Bianca and Marissa ducked in to the kitchen.

/

Marissa leaned against the counter while Bianca got herself something to drink. The redhead waited for wife to start.

"What do you think?"

"No, the question is 'what do you think'."

Bianca sighed. "I know I'm busy, but I really feel like I should help. They've both done so much for us, and if they could land Rafaela as their spokesperson, that would be huge for them."

"Yeah, it would."

"But it would leave you on your own with the kids which is a helluva lot to ask. Plus, I don't know that I want to be away from all of you. It's also more to take on for me, and I'm just getting back into the swing of things at work."

Marissa could see her wife was struggling to make up her mind and decided to try and help. "Let's put all of that aside for a minute. Would you like to do this?"

"But …"

"Just answer the question, please."

Bianca thought for a moment. "Well, I do like helping out there sometimes. Don't get me wrong. I love what I do at the Center and wouldn't trade it for anything, but working at Fusion is completely different. It's nice to change things up every once in a while."

"Yeah, it is. So?"

"I'd like to help them out."

"Okay. Now, let's figure out the other stuff."

/

"That baby smell is like crack. Well, at least what I think crack is like. You just can't get enough of it."

Kendall nodded as her nose hovered over Danny's head and she inhaled deeply again. "It really is. I'd forgotten how much I loved that smell from when Ian was a baby. The good thing about Red watching me is that Danny is here, and I can get an almost daily fix. In another month, I'll have my own supply though and won't have to take 'hits' off my nephew. And before you ask, yes, you can stop by for your fix."

Greenlee was holding Danny and Kendall was next to her friend leaning in close to Danny when the couple returned. They both heard a throat clearing and glanced up looking like a pair of deer caught in headlights.

Both Bianca and Marissa wore highly amused expressions on their faces observing the scene before them.

"Seriously? We leave you alone with our son for like fifteen minutes, and this is what you do?" Bianca smirked.

"Do they have rehab programs for something like this?" Marissa asked as she tried her best not to bust out laughing.

Kendall and Greenlee gave sheepish smiles as they apologized. "Sorry."

"In our defense, this should be considered a compliment to you."

"Uh huh." Bianca was clearly not buying what her sister was trying to sell.

Greenlee glanced hopefully at Bianca. "So, have you come to a decision?"

Marissa spoke first. "My client will agree to help you, but she has certain conditions."

"Seriously?"

Kendall couldn't hold back a snort and gave her friend an amused look. She expected no less from the lawyer. "You can't really be surprised, now can you?"

Greenlee rolled her eyes and sighed. "You're right. What are the conditions?"

Marissa indicated for Bianca to take the floor.

"You get two lunches and one dinner, and the dinner will be here. Those will also be during the week. That's it. No more than that. I'm not a tour guide. If Rafaela wants to see Pine Valley, then you're going to need to find someone else to do that. It can't be me. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to leave Marissa alone to handle everything here by herself during the weekend when I've been gone during the week. My time with my family is precious to me. I cherish it, and no matter how much I want to help, I'm not going to put that above them. During my time with Rafaela, I will answer any questions that she has and promote the heck out of Fusion for you. Those are my conditions."

"What would you like in exchange for doing this?"

"Nothing. I don't want or need anything in exchange for doing this. I'm happy help, but I just can't devote a huge amount of time to do it. That little guy you're holding is a big reason. Rissa and I waited a long time for him, and I don't want to miss anything if I have any say in the matter, which I do."

Greenlee nodded as she continued to rock a sleeping Danny. "I understand, and you have a deal. I will gladly take whatever help you can give. Thank you."

"Thanks, Binx. I really appreciate you doing this for us. You too, Red."

"You're welcome. I'm glad I can help." Bianca turned to take a seat and quickly spun around hearing her wife.

"Oh my god! You're sniffing him again! Give me Danny." Marissa gently lifted her son from an abashed Greenlee. "You two are starting to develop a problem. I'm going to go put him down for a bit, somewhere where he's safe from the likes of the two of you." The redhead stopped by Bianca so her wife could give him a kiss and take a discreet sniff of that wonderful baby smell. Marissa winked before leaving the three to take Danny to his room.

/

"Wow! Look at you. You look incredible." Marissa took in her wife's appearance and noted the outfit she was wearing. "That's new. When did you get it?"

"Thank you. I picked it up yesterday at lunch. Greenlee finally wore me down and convinced me to get something new for my first lunch with Rafaela."

"Ah, that makes sense." Marissa circled Bianca and took in her wife's appearance. "I have to say that I _really_ like it. Anytime I can admire those of legs of yours is a good time for me. I have to say that I'm _really _loving your booty too."

Bianca turned and caught her wife admiring her bottom. "My eyes are up here, _Counselor_."

Hazel eyes forced themselves up to meet warm chocolate ones that held a twinkle in them. "Yeah, I'm not even going to pretend that I'm sorry because we both know that I'd be lying. That is one fine ass, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery."

"Thank you, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery. You're not so bad yourself."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "We both know that's not true. I haven't been able to drop much of my baby weight."

"Rissa …"

"So, what time are you meeting her?"

Bianca wanted to say more about what Marissa had said but decided to let the subject drop for the moment. "I'm going over to Fusion at 10:00 to meet with Greenlee for one more review. Rafaela and her people will be there at around 11:00. We'll figure out lunch from there." Bianca had been prepping with Greenlee almost daily since agreeing to help and had been brought up to date on the company's latest products as well as future ones. She pretty much had Fusion's line committed to memory by this point. It was somewhat grueling and had temporarily shifted some of her focus. "What about you? What do you have planned for today?"

Marissa was taken back a bit by the question. Today was her follow-up with Dr. Abbott. If all went well, the doctor would be giving her the 'all clear' to resume sexual activity. Bianca knew this. They had discussed it just last week and were both looking forward to this particular appointment. Marissa knew Bianca wouldn't be able to go with her to this doctor's visit and understood. The redhead had arranged for Carol to come over and watch Danny and keep an eye on Kendall as well. Before Marissa had the chance to answer, a knock at the front door interrupted them.

"That's probably Kendall. I'll get that if you can get the kids moving. We really need to leave."

"Sure."

/

Kendall joined Marissa in kitchen while Bianca gathered her things in the family room. The redhead was helping the kids with their backpacks when she saw her sister-in-law.

"Morning, Red." Kendall could tell something was off with her sister-in-law. "Is everything alright?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, everything's fine."

"Okay, if you're sure."

"I am."

"Alright, Susan's going to pick the kids up after school today because of a couple of meetings I had to shift around. I might be a late little too." Bianca stated as she rushed into the kitchen.

"I know." Marissa turned to the kids, giving them each a hug and kiss. "Have a good day at school and learn lots. Your Mom and I are counting on you in our old age."

"Bye, Ma." With that, the kids giggled and headed to the car.

"Do me proud, Binx, like you always do."

"I'll do my best, Kendall."

"Good luck today. You'll do great. Knock 'em dead." Marissa smiled as she held out a travel mug of coffee for her wife.

"Thanks." Bianca gave the redhead a quick kiss as she headed out the door.

When Kendall and Marissa were alone, the older woman turned to her sister-in-law. "Are we ready to start today?"

"Definitely. Carol will be here soon and then I'll head to my appointment. As soon as I get back, we'll start."

"I bet Bianca is looking forward to your results."

"Uh, yeah. Are you okay for a few minutes while I go change?"

"Sure, Danny and I will be fine." Kendall noted Marissa's furrowed brow as she hurried by. There was definitely something going on with her sister-in-law. For the past two weeks, Kendall had picked up snippets of conversation between the couple and knew they were counting down the days to when they could resume certain activities. She really didn't want to know about her little sister's sex life, but she had been there herself. Kendall knew how frustrating it was to not be able to engage in that activity. Hell, she was going through it now because it was on her list of restrictions. So, why was something feeling off between the couple, today of days, the day they were scheduled to get the green light. Kendall couldn't help but think she was going to have to keep an eye on this.

/

Carol glanced up as Marissa returned home. "How did everything go at the doctor's, dear?"

"It went well. Everything's healed the way it should. How was our troublemaker?"

"Kendall was just fine." Carol smirked.

"Hey!"

Marissa laughed. "I can't help it if she knew who I was talking about. I'm glad to hear she didn't give you any trouble. How was my boy?"

"Good as gold, as if I expected anything else."

"Of course." Marissa kissed her son. "I'm going to go change, and I'll be right back."

"Okay, I'm ready when you are."

Carol watched as Marissa walked down the hallway. "Is she alright?"

"You noticed it too, huh?"

"Yes, I did. Her eyes looked a little red, like she'd been crying."

Kendall nodded. "That's what I saw too."

"Do you think she was telling the truth about what the doctor said?"

"I think so. I was seeing something before her appointment, when I first got here."

"What do you think it is then?"

"Damned if I know."

/

Marissa sunk down on her bed. Everything had gone great at her appointment, and Dr. Abbott had lifted all of her restrictions. She and Bianca could begin having sex again. Marissa was happy about that. She really was, but something was gnawing at the back of her mind and preventing her from completely believing that. When she left the doctor's office and checked her phone, there were no voicemails or texts from Bianca checking on her and asking how everything went. Maybe Bianca had gotten too busy at work and wasn't able to check, but part of Marissa couldn't help but wonder if her wife had simply forgotten. If that was the case, that was something that truly hurt. Marissa shook her head to get her out of her funk. "Suck it up, Rissa. Everything will be okay. Sitting around feeling sorry for yourself won't help one damn bit." Taking a deep breath, Marissa got up and began to change her clothes. She knew working on this surprise was just the thing she needed to take her mind off of things.

/

"I was wondering if it would be okay if I stuck around for a little while longer." Carol asked Marissa when she returned from retrieving the needed supplies from downstairs.

"I told her what you had planned, Red, and she liked the idea. Besides, I could use a little help on my part."

Marissa thought about it for a second and smiled. "Sure, I don't see why not. Would you be okay helping with Danny if needed? That way I won't have to constantly be cleaning up before I get him. I'm an okay painter, but I know want to get anything on him."

"Let me think. You want to help take care of that perfect angel? Oh fine, if I have to." Carol couldn't keep a straight face if she tried. She loved spending time with Marissa, and now with Danny, it was like having another grandchild. In her mind, Carol would never have too many grandchildren nor would she ever tire of spoiling them.

"As long as I'm not asking too much." Marissa grinned knowingly. "Okay, let's get started."

/

Bianca was running late. The morning had started off okay, but then, another crisis happened with one of the residents at the Center which pushed back her getting to the Fusion offices at the planned time. There was something else that had been bothering her all day, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. It was like she was forgetting something important. She was sure she would remember what it was eventually. Bianca hurried into the conference where Greenlee and the others were surely waiting for her by now.

"Hi, I'm sorry I'm late. There was an incident at the Center." Bianca offered the quick explanation seeing the irritated look on Greenlee's face.

Greenlee gave her a tight smile. She wanted to be mad but knew she really couldn't be. Bianca was helping her out, and Greenlee knew if could have been there earlier she would've been. The woman was nothing if not reliable. "It's fine. We were just talking. Bianca, I'd like you meet Liz Saunders, Ashley Lewis and last but certainly not least Rafaela. Ladies, this is Bianca Tasker-Montgomery."

Bianca shook hands with each of the women with Rafaela being last. The photos of the supermodel did not do her justice. The woman was drop dead gorgeous with raven hair, tanned and flawless skin, perfect teeth that made her smile seem to light up the room and piercing blue eyes that were quite captivating. She would be an absolutely perfect spokesperson for Fusion. "Rafaela, it is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine. I have heard many good things about you. Ah, I can see the resemblance to your mother. Erica is a beautiful woman, and the apple has not fallen far from the tree at all." Rafaela's English was perfect, and her accent only to her charms.

Bianca blushed. Who wouldn't at receiving such a compliment? "Thank you. I do apologize for being late."

"It is not a problem. This Center you were talking about. Is that the Miranda Center?"

"Yes, it is. You've heard of it?"

"Of course I have. It is unfortunately something that is needed not just here but in many places. I hear wonderful things about it. Perhaps, I could visit during my time here?" Rafaela asked.

Bianca smiled. "Perhaps. I'm sure I could arrange something."


	186. Hitting the Fan

**A/N: Thanks again as always for continuing to read, review and follow! I really appreciate it and all of you. I got a bit into a rhythm towards the end of this one so it's a little longer than some of my more recent ones. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"The pleasure is all mine. I have heard many good things about you. Ah, I can see the resemblance to your mother. Erica is a beautiful woman, and the apple has not fallen far from the tree at all." Rafaela's English was perfect, and her accent only added to her charms.

Bianca blushed. Who wouldn't at receiving such a compliment? "Thank you. I do apologize for being late."

"It is not a problem. This Center you were talking about. Is that the Miranda Center?"

"Yes, it is. You've heard of it?"

"Of course I have. It is unfortunately something that is needed not just here but in many places. I hear wonderful things about it. Perhaps, I could visit during my time here?" Rafaela asked.

Bianca smiled. "Perhaps. I'm sure I could arrange something. After all, I do know who runs it."

"Thank you. I look forward to that very much." Rafaela smiled brightly.

Greenlee witnessed the exchange and sighed in relief that the two were hitting it off. She had been a little concerned they might not, but it seemed that the model was definitely working her charms. Greenlee briefly wondered if she should be concerned about that but let the thought pass for now. "I've made lunch reservations for us. After lunch, we can come back here, and we can give you a proper tour of Fusion."

"That sounds like a good plan to me. Bianca, will you be joining us on the tour?" Rafaela asked.

Bianca was torn. She had only allotted time today for the earlier meeting with Greenlee and then lunch. Her schedule for the Miranda Center was packed. On one hand, a tour would require reworking that schedule and most likely have her getting home later than it looked like she was already going to be. On the other hand, she wasn't quite ready to leave Fusion for the day. Rafaela was more engaging than she had thought, and she found that she wanted to get to know her more. Marissa would understand if she was late. "I'd be happy to."

"Wonderful! Let's go to lunch. I'm starving."

Liz looked at Rafaela and laughed. "You're always starving."

"Thankfully, you have a high metabolism and work out like a fiend." Ashley noted.

"True, this way I can eat what I want and still keep my figure. Lucky for the two of you."

"Most definitely."

Rafaela looped her arm through Bianca's. "If you don't mind, I would like to ride with you. I see those two all the time."

"Uh sure. That's fine. We'll meet you at the restaurant." Bianca threw over her shoulder as she was pulled out the door.

"I'll just grab my keys, and we'll be off." Greenlee headed to her office.

Liz and Ashley shared a knowing look. They had seen the glint in their client's eyes before and knew it meant that this was going to be an interesting trip. Trouble always seemed to follow her whether she meant it to or not.

/

"Mommy?"

"Yes, Monkey."

"When's Mommy coming home?"

_That's a damn good question, and I wish I knew the answer to it._ Marissa pulled out a pair of pajamas for her youngest daughter. "I'm not sure, Gabby. Besides doing her regular job at the Center, she's helping Aunt Kendall and Greenlee with something at Fusion. Because she's doing that for them, she has to work a little later at the Center. She would be here if she could though. Do you understand?"

Gabby nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. I just miss her, and I really wanted to show her what I made in art class."

"I know, Monkey. You can show her in the morning though."

"Okay." Gabby easily accepted the compromise.

"Good. Are you okay to put on your jammies yourself or do you need some help?"

"I can do it myself."

"You're getting to be such a big girl. I'm going to see if AJ and Miranda need anything, and then, we'll be back for a story."

/

Marissa sunk down onto the mattress completely exhausted. The redhead had cleaned up after dinner, helped their older kids with their homework, played a couple of games with them to keep them occupied from missing their other mother, gotten them ready for bed and read them a story. This was in addition to working on the project she had with Kendall, trying to work out some in an attempt to shed some of the baby weight she had gained with Danny, taking care of him as well as Kendall and doing a little cleaning around the house. With the impending dinner with Rafaela on the very near horizon, Marissa was trying to keep the house as clean as possible to save herself some time for when the visit actually happened. She didn't want to be rushing around at the last minute trying to get everything done.

The redhead reached over to the nightstand and checked her cellphone having left it there to charge while she was reading the kids a bedtime story. There was no new text from Bianca. The last time she had heard anything from her wife was after dinner and then it was just a quick text saying she would be home in about an hour. That was going on close to four hours ago. Marissa's emotions were at war with each other. Part of her, a large part, was worried that something might have happened to Bianca and that she was injured. The other part of her was angry that Bianca wasn't home yet and that she hadn't bothered to contact her since that quick text which was obviously wrong on the time of her getting home, and most importantly of all that Bianca had simply forgotten about her. After all, she had forgotten about Marissa's appointment that morning and hadn't mentioned it at all today.

It came down to the question of if Marissa texted her wife would she seem too clingy? That was something she definitely didn't want to be, but she needed to know that everything was okay. Marissa decided the one need outweighed the other and sent a quick text.

"_Hey, I haven't heard from you in a while. Are you okay? Just wondering when you think you might be home."_

The reply came five minutes later._ "Sorry. Things ran late with Rafaela. On my way now."_

"Things ran late with Rafaela?! What the hell does that mean?! You were just supposed to have lunch with her today. Have you been with her all this time?!" Marissa angrily asked aloud as she read Bianca's text. The redhead closed her eyes and tried to calm herself down. She trusted her wife, but she had no clue what to make of this.

Marissa rubbed her temples in an attempt to stave off the headache that was beginning to form. She honestly was at a loss. Again, her emotions were warring within her. Part of her wanted to talk to Bianca, and part of her didn't. She was hurt and angry, and this combination of emotions was directly behind her impending headache. Unfortunately, she couldn't really take anything for it because she was still breastfeeding. Marissa gave up. Maybe some sleep would help. She turned off the lamp and pulled the covers up. This day was definitely not ending the way she had hoped it would.

/

Bianca pulled into the garage and quickly hurried inside. She couldn't believe how late it was. Time had gotten away from her and flown by. Bianca was greeted by Max when she walked through the door connecting the kitchen and garage. She dropped her things on the counter and scratched him behind one of his ears earning her a lick on her hand as his tail thumped happily. Her stomach growled, and she remembered that she had skipped dinner. Bianca opened the refrigerator and found the plate Marissa had made for her. The brunette placed it in the microwave to heat up. She then quietly made her way upstairs to check on the kids. After giving each of them a quick kiss, she returned to the kitchen to have dinner.

While she ate, Bianca reviewed her day. Meeting Rafaela had been exciting. The model was not only beautiful but also intelligent and caring. She seemed truly interested in the Miranda Center and asked questions that were both thoughtful and insightful. Their lunch meeting had drug on longer than was originally planned. The group finally left when their server returned to check on them for the umpteenth time, and they realized how late it had gotten. The tour of Fusion was a success, and again, Rafaela impressed everyone with her knowledge of the company and asked a great number of questions. When they had reached the end of the tour, Bianca noticed that her cellphone had died. She left the group in order to allow Greenlee and Rafaela's people the opportunity to begin negotiations.

For her part, Rafaela decided to head back to her hotel for some rest and possibly a workout in the facility's gym. She and Bianca parted ways with the promise of setting up a tour of the Center very soon. Bianca hurried back to the Center, plugged her cellphone into a charger and threw herself into her work there. When Aya stopped by to see if the brunette needed anything before the office manager left for the day, Bianca again realized how the time got away from her. After sending Aya home for the evening, Bianca sent a quick text to Marissa telling her she would be home soon. She really had planned to leave not long after that text, but a call from Greenlee waylaid her as she gave her the requested recap of the time spent with the model. That call had her playing catch up yet again on paperwork for the Center.

With her dinner finished, Bianca placed her dishes in the dishwasher, turned off the lights after making sure everything was locked up and the alarm set, and padded down the hallway.

The lights were off in the couple's bedroom when Bianca entered the room. Not wanting to wake up Marissa, the brunette grabbed her pajamas and ducked into the bathroom to change. Bianca carefully got into bed, making sure not to jostle her sleeping wife. As soon as her head hit the pillow, Bianca was asleep. She had no idea that Marissa was really awake.

Marissa had actually heard Bianca enter their bedroom. Normally, she would have let her wife know she was awake, but tonight, there were too many conflicting thoughts swirling through her brain to do so. She honestly just didn't feel like talking.

/

Unable to lay in bed any longer, Marissa got up and ducked into the bathroom. She hadn't gotten much sleep at all the night before between Danny waking her and her own brain being unable to shut off once it had been started, and she knew it was pointless to try for any more now. Marissa decided that maybe a short run might help clear her head. The redhead glanced at Bianca before she left their bedroom. Her wife had slept through Danny waking up so Marissa had gotten up every time. It was just one more thing added to a growing list.

Marissa closed the bedroom door and checked on the kids. She looked at the clock in the kitchen and saw that she had another hour before the kids needed to get up and start getting ready for school. The redhead grabbed her iPod before heading outside. Marissa put her earbuds in, fired up the device, and began to do some warm up stretches. It had been far too long since she had taken a morning run, and the redhead wanted to make sure she was properly warmed up. When she felt she was ready, Marissa started on her run with Max happily running by her side. It had been a while since the dog had a good long run as well.

/

Bianca woke up to the sound of her alarm and was surprised to find it was morning and not the middle of the night like she had expected. Maybe, Danny was starting to sleep through the night. Otherwise, that would have meant she had slept through his cries for a late night feeding, something she had yet to do, which meant that Marissa would have had to have taken care of him. When she had gotten home the previous evening, Bianca had set her alarm to go off slightly earlier than her normal time because she was hoping to get into the office early today to make up for her missed time from yesterday. The brunette turned to find Marissa's side of the bed empty, and she wondered where her wife was. It wasn't quite time to get the kids up yet. Bianca shrugged, got out of bed and made her way to the bathroom for a shower.

The couple's bedroom was still empty when Bianca had finished her shower. She thought that maybe Marissa was with Danny or getting the kids up and ready for school. It was about that time after all. Bianca couldn't shake the feeling that she was missing something. Her thoughts were interrupted by her cellphone notifying her of a text. Bianca saw it was from Rafaela and opened it up to read it. The model was going to be at loose ends today and was hoping to take Bianca up on her offer of a tour of the Miranda Center. Bianca sighed. _So much for my plans for today._ The brunette texted back that she could work something out and asked if 10:30 would work. She received a reply immediately saying that the time was perfect. With that settled, Bianca was glad she had thought to call Susan last night and had asked her if she could drop the kids off at school today in addition to picking them up as previously planned that afternoon. Bianca got dressed and finished her hair and makeup. Still not seeing Marissa as well as not hearing any movement from upstairs, the brunette went to check on the kids.

AJ, Miranda and Gabby were still sound asleep when Bianca went into their rooms. Luckily, they were still in the 'safe zone' meaning they wouldn't be late as long as they started moving right then. Bianca again wondered where Marissa was when Danny started crying.

/

"Morning, Red."

"Morning, Kendall." Marissa waved to the boys and Zach which they returned before her brother-in-law drove off. The redhead was just finishing up her run and happened to meet her sister-in-law at the front door as she was arriving. Marissa realized her run had been taken longer than she had thought. That was probably due to the fact that her side started hurting on the way back to the house causing her to walk the remaining distance. Marissa let them both inside and set her iPod on the mantel while Kendall headed to kitchen.

"Kendall! How did you get inside? I didn't hear the door."

"Good morning to you too, Binx. Morning, gang."

"Morning, Aunt K!"

"I'm sorry. Morning, Kendall."

"Better. Red let me in."

"Marissa let you in?"

"Yes, I did. Good morning all." Marissa greeted her family as she joined them.

"Where have you been?"

Bianca's question had more of a harsh tone to it than she intended, and it immediately struck Marissa the wrong way and had Kendall picking up on the tension between the couple

"I went for a run, if that's alright with you. I needed the exercise and so did Max. At least I was only a little late getting back and not gone for hours with no word unlike some people. Thanks for bothering to text me last night, by the way. Next time, I'll remember to ask for your permission if that makes you feel better."

"Of course you don't need my permission. I was just wondering where you were. And I told you last night that my cellphone's battery died during the meeting with Rafaela. Time got away from me because we were gone for so long, and I got behind on paperwork as a result. I didn't realize it was so late until I got your text. I was wrapping things up when Greenlee called for an update."

"Right, and you couldn't think to call or even text again."

"Who's Rafaela?" AJ asked innocently.

"She's a famous model that Greenlee and I are hoping will come to work for us. Your Mom is helping us with that." Kendall answered.

"Is she pretty?"

"She's beautiful and fascinating, and she's travelled all over the world. Rafaela is from Brazil but went to boarding school in London so her accent is a mix of those two worlds." Bianca then went on to relate what she had learned about the woman.

The longer Bianca talked about Rafaela, the more irritated Marissa became. While Bianca was oblivious to this fact, it did not go unnoticed by Kendall. She was silently willing her sister to stop talking about the woman and even tried to change the subject a few times to no avail.

A knock at the front door had Bianca pausing.

"I'll get it. I wouldn't want you to have to interrupt this _fascinating_ conversation." Marissa said through gritted teeth.

When the redhead left the room, Bianca looked at her sister clearly confused by her wife's attitude and tone. "What was that about?"

Kendall raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

/

Marissa opened the door and was surprised to see Susan on the other side. "Good morning, Susan. Um, what are you doing here so early?"

"Good morning, Marissa. Bianca called last night and asked me to take the kids to school today. She said she was going into the office early. I know I'm early myself but …"

"She called you last night?"

"Yeah, it was about …"

Marissa's blood was boiling. While her wife had seen fit to actually call their babysitter, she didn't have enough time to call Marissa. The redhead knew this wasn't Susan's fault so she wasn't going to take it out on her. "You know what? That's fine. Come on in. Everyone is in the kitchen. You can grab a quick bite it you want."

"Did I say something to make you upset?"

"No, no, you're fine. You didn't do anything wrong."

/

"Susan, good morning." Kendall greeted the younger woman. She was desperately hoping her appearance would break up some of the tension enveloping Minx Manor this morning. When she saw Marissa's face though, Kendall knew those hopes had been dashed. _So much for that._

"Hi, Kendall. Hi, kids."

"Help yourself to some coffee. I can whip you up some eggs if you'd like."

"No thanks. I don't want you to go to any trouble. I'll just do some toast, and I can get that myself."

"Okay, if you're sure. Bianca, could I have a quick word? That is if you're done talking about your girlfriend."

Kendall shook her head. _This is not going to be pretty._

The brunette noted the time. "I really need to get going now, or my plans for an early start are out the window."

Marissa's expression let it be known to all who saw it that it wasn't really a request.

"Uh sure. I need to grab my bag anyway."

Kendall and Susan glanced at each other and knew something was going to hit the fan.

/

Marissa headed to the couple's bedroom, and Bianca followed with no idea as to what her wife was upset about.

Once the door was shut, Bianca decided to jump in. "What's going on with you today? Why do you keep calling Rafaela my girlfriend?"

"Seriously? Fine. Let's start with a question of my own. Is there something you want to tell me?"

"I can't think of anything. You're going to have to help me out here."

"How about the fact that you're going into work early and that you asked Susan to take the kids to school?"

"I told you about that in my text last night."

"No, you didn't."

"Are you sure about that? I'm almost positive I did."

"Don't believe me? Check my cellphone. Speaking of which, let's talk about texts, shall we? You were able to make the time to _call_ Susan but not me. Care to explain what the hell is up with that?"

"It was a last minute decision, and I thought it was best to actually talk to her about coming over and not take the chance of her missing the text. And, oh my god! I didn't send the text. I was going to, but that's when Greenlee called. I am so sorry. I would've sworn I sent you that."

"Again, you didn't, and you couldn't call? You called her but not me."

"I'm sorry. I forgot."

"You're doing a lot of that lately. It really makes me wonder if you were even planning on letting me know you were going in early. Do you plan on working late again tonight or should I just wait for you to make time to text me with that information?"

"Of course I was going to tell you. I got behind on work yesterday because of …"

"Because of Rafaela. Yeah, I got it."

"Uh yeah. So, I thought I would go in early to catch up, but I think I'm going to be late again. Rafaela sent me a text this morning, and she wants a tour of the Center today. So, my plans of being home on time are pretty much shot."

"Are you god damn kidding me?! You're seeing her again today after the hours you spent with her yesterday? What happened to you didn't want to be a tour guide, and you were only going to spend so much time with her? What the hell, Bianca? You couldn't say no to her? Interesting. You don't seem to have a problem saying no to your family right now. Do you want to know what I did last night? I kept trying to explain to our kids where you were."

"Kind of like I did this morning when you were nowhere to be found? What the hell was going on with that? The kids could've been late for school had I not checked on them when I did." Bianca was getting ticked off now.

"Really?! I went for a run which is a helluva lot different than wining and dining some supermodel. I wanted to clear my head and get some exercise in the fresh air. And before you mention the treadmill downstairs, it's not the same as getting outside. I've been stuck inside for weeks. I can't go out anywhere because Kendall can't go running around and needs someone with her."

"You said you were okay with Kendall being here, that you wanted to help. Were you just making that up or did you mean it? Because I'm sure Zach can take off and stay home with her until she has the baby."

"Of course I meant it. Why would I lie? I love Kendall and want to help her. I'm just saying that I went for a run to get some fresh air and thought you would be okay with the kids while I was gone. I didn't know I needed your permission to do that. You don't seem to think I need to know what you're doing."

"I never said you did. I just didn't know where you were. It would've been nice if I knew."

"Yeah, it would be nice to know, wouldn't it?"

"I was at work. I'm trying to help them out too."

"By spending more time than you said you wanted to with _Rafaela_."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Marissa shrugged. "She calls, you jump."

"I do not. Why the hell would you think that?"

"What are you doing today that wasn't originally on your schedule? Don't worry. I'll answer that for you. You're giving her a tour. Why? Because she called today and asked for it."

"Oh my god! You're jealous! That's what this is all about?! That's just ridiculous." Bianca couldn't believe it.

Marissa gritted her teeth. "No, that's not what this is all about. I went for a run, and unlike you, I wasn't gone for hours on in with no word. It was the first time I left the house by myself since my follow up appointment with Dr. Abbott."

Bianca grew pale with the realization that she had forgotten all about that appointment. It had completely slipped her mind with everything going on.

"Ah, you remember now. Everything's fine, by the way."

"I'm …"

Before Bianca could finish, there was a knock on the door. Kendall poked her head before stepping inside. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but um, Susan is getting ready to leave. The kids are outside by her car. They wanted to say goodbye before they left."

"I didn't know it was that late." Bianca glanced at her wife. "That's just great. This couldn't wait until tonight?"

"I didn't know when you would be home. You know what? Go ahead and just go. I don't want you to be late for _Rafaela_. It wouldn't do to keep her waiting." Marissa walked by Kendall and slammed the door on her way out. It was surprising that it stayed on its hinges.

Bianca just stood there stunned. She was unsure of what the hell had just happened.

"Binx …"

"Not now, Kendall. I don't have time." Bianca ripped the door open and headed out of the room.

/

Marissa took a deep breath before she walked outside with Max on her heels. She hugged each of her children and gave them a kiss. "Okay, guys."

Miranda looked at her redheaded mother nervously. While Kendall and Susan had shielded them from the couple's blowup, the kids knew something was going on between their mothers, something bad. "Ma, is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine, Miranda." Marissa managed a smile in order to reassure them. "Have a good day, and learn lots. I'll see you all tonight." With that, Marissa headed around to the side of the house calling for Max to join her. She was in no mood to see Bianca at the moment.

/

Bianca caught a glimpse of her wife walking around the side of the house with their dog. She had to admit that she was relieved. Bianca wasn't ready to deal with Marissa again just yet. The brunette turned her attention to the kids and set her bags on the ground so she could give them each a hug and kiss. "Have a good day. I promise I'll be home earlier tonight."

"Mom, are you and Ma okay?" AJ had to ask. He, like his sisters, was worried.

"Yeah, of course we are, Buddy. The three of you don't need to worry about anything. I'll see you later." Bianca glanced at Susan while the kids scrambled into her car. "Thank you for today."

Susan wanted nothing more than to ask if the couple really was alright because she wasn't buying the pat answers they had given the kids. She spotted Kendall over Bianca's shoulder and knew from her expression that it was best to drop the subject. "Any time. Have a good day."

Bianca picked up her bags and walked around the opposite side of the house that Marissa had, towards the garage.

Kendall watched the scene play out before her and knew there was no way she could sit back and do nothing.

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, I left it there. What can I say? My evil side is back. I have to admit that I found myself getting mad during our girls' argument. Don't hate me too much about that. Okay, I'm off to run some errands before starting the next chapter. To all of those of Irish descent, myself included, an early Happy St. Patrick's Day to you!**


	187. Cooler Heads

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! It's much appreciated. This is a bit shorter of a chapter than I had planned, but I picked up a cold somewhere which is playing havoc with my focus. It's also March Madness again which means tons of basketball, and my UK Wildcats are still dancing and on their way to the Sweet 16! This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Kendall watched as her sister went one way and her sister-in-law the other. She knew the couple fought and had even witnessed a couple of the blowups from time to time. Marissa lived up to stereotype of redheads having a fiery temper, but Bianca was no slouch in that department either. A great many people thought Bianca just rolled over, but when push came to shove, she gave as good as she got. She _was_ Erica Kane's daughter after all. People often underestimated Bianca though because she tended to be quieter and hold things in more than their famous and temperamental mother. Her little sister, however, proved them wrong time and time again.

In Kendall's mind, fighting was normal, and it was something every couple did. You can't agree on everything all of the time. That just wasn't realistic. Lord knows that Kendall and Zach had their fair share of fights over the years. In fact, some of them were real doozies. Those fights didn't mean that she and Zach didn't love each other though. The same held true for Bianca and Marissa. If there was one thing Kendall was sure of, it was that those two women loved each other. That was never a question in her mind.

There was something that bothered Kendall about this fight in particular however, but she wasn't quite sure what it was. Maybe, it was because she felt a little responsible for it. Marissa was pretty much stuck at home because she was keeping an eye on Kendall due to the complications with her pregnancy, and Bianca was putting in long hours because she was filling in for her at Fusion. Kendall felt she needed to do something to help them. Not being able to drive or go anywhere by herself had her feeling out of the loop. This wouldn't do. She needed intel, and she needed it fast. That meant talking to Greenlee to find out exactly what the hell was going on with negotiations with the model, and after that, Kendall was going to have to bring in the big gun. She was going to have to call Erica.

/

"Red, are you alright?" Kendall asked when she found her sister-in-law cleaning up in the kitchen.

Marissa sighed. With all of the time they were spending together, she and Kendall had grown closer these last weeks, and the concern was clearly evident in her sister-in-law's eyes. "I honestly don't know. Did the kids hear any of that?"

Kendall shook her head. "No, they didn't. They did notice that something was up between the two of you though and were starting to ask questions."

"Dammit."

"Look, I know Bianca's my sister, and I love her more than anything. At same time though, I know she's not perfect, far from it. I also know that I love you and care about you even though you're not perfect either. Come on, tell me what's going on. Maybe I can help, and besides, I'm a pretty good listener."

Marissa thought for a moment and then sat down opposite Kendall at the table. "I feel forgotten and taken for granted. It hurt that Bianca forgot about my appointment, that she didn't even ask how it went. She was gone all day, and I got two texts from her. She only texted back once because I texted her wondering where she was. I didn't know if she was in an accident or hurt or who knows what. The kids kept asking about her, and I honestly didn't know what to tell them. I find out this morning that she had the time to call Susan and let her know about plans that she couldn't find the time to tell me about. How's that supposed to make me feel? How would you feel if Zach did that?"

"She what? No. She had to have texted you. There's no way Bianca would do something like that."

"Well, she did. When I called her on it, she finally realized that she didn't tell me. She just _thought_ she did and ended up forgetting to send the text telling me. Again, it was a text and not a call."

Kendall sighed. "Yeah, she definitely screwed up there. If Zach did that, I'd be furious too."

"Then, there's Rafaela."

"What about her?"

"You remember the conditions that Bianca had before she agreed to help you, conditions that she came up with all by herself."

"I remember. There was a limit on how much time she was going to spend on this."

"Yeah, there was. Well, that's out the window. Now, she's spending all kinds of time with her. So much so that she's having to work late at the Center to make up for it. She got home late and slept through Danny needing to be fed and changed a couple of times during the night. And then this morning, she gives me a hard time about going for a run. I haven't done that or been able to do it in I don't know how long. I'm trying to lose this weight, but I can't do that if I can't get out and exercise."

Tears started to fill hazel eyes, and Kendall reached out for Marissa's hand. "I'm sorry, Red. I …"

Danny started crying to let them know he was up. Marissa quickly wiped her eyes and stood. "I need to go check on him. He's probably hungry. Do you need anything before I go?"

"I'm good. Thanks."

"Okay, I'll be back."

/

Kendall's talk with Marissa definitely gave her some insight into what was going on, but she needed more. She also realized her sister-in-law was in desperate need of some time alone. Marissa was so busy taking care of everyone and everything else that there was hardly any time left for herself. Plus, she was probably still a little hormonal. Kendall knew all too well how bad that could be. She also had the sneaking suspicion that the same could be said of her sister, with the exception of the hormones. With her sister-in-law occupied for the moment, Kendall pulled out her cellphone and made a call.

"_Kendall dear, how are you? Are you alright? Is the baby alright?"_

"There's no need to worry, Mom. I'm good and so is the baby. I was wondering if you were free today, and if you are, would you be up for a visit over here at Bianca and Marissa's."

"_Of course I am, and that sounds lovely. Is anything wrong?"_

"Well, that's what I want to talk to you about. I really am okay, but I'm worried about Bianca and Marissa. I need your help and input."

Erica was on instant alert. _"I'll be there as soon as I can."_

"Great. Oh, and when you get here, don't tell Marissa that I called you."

"_I understand, dear."_

"Thanks, Mom. I'll see you soon."

/

With that call completed, Kendall next dialed Greenlee.

"_Hey, Kendall. I was just going to call you. How are you doing today?"_

"Not bad. How are the negotiations going?"

"_Pretty well actually. Rafaela's people are great to work with, and she seems excited about this venture."_

"How is she with Bianca?"

"_Bianca? They seem to be getting along pretty well from what I can tell. Why? Is there something I should know?"_

"I'm not sure. You haven't asked her to spend more time with Rafaela, have you?"

"_No, I've abided by her conditions. Rafaela did ask her to accompany us on the tour of Fusion yesterday, and Bianca agreed. I didn't push it though. It was totally left up to her. What's going on?"_

"Apparently, that's not the only tour she's giving her. Rafaela asked for a tour of the Miranda Center, and Bianca agreed. This was after she worked late last night, and my usually reliable sister didn't bother texting Marissa about a few things, like having Susan take the kids to school. Oh, and she found time to call Susan last night but not Red."

"_Ouch."_

"Yeah. She also forgot about Marissa's doctor's appointment, the one that would give her the all clear for resuming certain activities."

"_Oh, that's not good. I'm guessing Marissa's not too happy with her right now."_

"You guess correctly. They had a huge fight this morning."

"_You don't think that something's going on between Bianca and Rafaela, do you?"_

"No. I don't. I know my sister. That's not her."

"_You're right. That's not. She's been on the other end of that and knows all too well what it feels like. There's no way she would put anyone else through that, especially Marissa."_

"No, she wouldn't. Bianca loves Marissa with everything she has."

A thought struck Greenlee. _"You don't think Rafaela is trying to pressure Bianca in any way, do you? You know, holding this deal over her head? Because if that's the case, this deal is off. No deal is worth Bianca doing something she doesn't want to. I'll drop this faster than a New York minute and run her tanned little ass out of Pine Valley so fast she won't know what hit her. You have to know that I would never …"_

"I know. I know. You would never do that. I don't know that it's that." Kendall heard Marissa talking to Danny over the monitor and could tell they were on their way downstairs. "Look I've got to go. Don't do anything that might jeopardize the deal at this point because it might not have anything to do with it at all. We just don't know enough right now. But …"

"_I'll keep an extra eye out on things, and if I see or hear anything, I'll let you know."_

"Thanks. I'll call you later."

/

"Good morning. Welcome to the Miranda Center. How may I help you?" Jan asked the raven haired woman who had stopped in front of her desk. The woman looked vaguely familiar but the assistant just couldn't place her.

"Good morning. I am here to see Bianca. Could you direct me to her office?"

"And your name?"

"Rafaela." The model saw the look the other woman was giving her. She was waiting for a last name. Flashing a dazzling smile, she continued. "Just Rafaela. Bianca will know who I am. Her office?"

Jan plastered on a smile that those who didn't know her thought was genuine. Those who did, knew it was fake. Something about this woman wasn't sitting right with her. "Wait here. I'll see if she's available."

"It's fine. Just point me in the right direction, and I'll …"

"No. It doesn't work like that here."

Rafaela could tell she wasn't going to be able to charm her way past this woman. "Fine, I'll wait."

/

Jan was always protective of Bianca but more so today. She could tell as soon as she saw her boss that something was up. Bianca was not in a good mood. It was a rare occurrence, one that Jan had witnessed only a handful of times over the years. Bianca hadn't yelled at anyone or thrown anything around. She simply gave a curt nod in greeting, asked Jan to hold her calls with the exception of emergencies, and shut herself in her office, and that is where she had been for a couple of hours now. There was no way in hell that Jan would let someone she didn't know barge into Bianca's office and possibly make things worse for her. Besides, her boss didn't mention that she was expecting anyone. Taking a deep breath, Jan knocked on the door.

/

Bianca sat in her office lost in thought. She knew she should be working because she was practically buried in paperwork and sitting here just staring at it wasn't helping to get it done. No, it was only making matters worse, but Bianca found she just couldn't focus on it. Her fight with Marissa had been a nasty one, and it was still weighing heavily on her mind. What made it worse was when she had gotten to her office and pulled out her calendar. There, as big and bold as could be, was the reminder for Marissa's appointment with Dr. Abbott. It left the brunette wondering how in the hell she had missed it and feeling absolutely awful for forgetting it. Bianca was also kicking herself for being so inconsiderate yesterday and not calling or at the very least texting Marissa where she was and that she was okay. A cooler head was now prevailing, and the brunette was now able to put herself in her wife's shoes. If Marissa had been gone with no word and had forgotten an important appointment, Bianca would be hurt and furious, just like her wife was. Marissa was also dealing with hormones from having been pregnant and was exhausted. Not only was she dealing with everything at home and taking care of a newborn, Marissa was also on 'Kendall duty'.

Yes, Bianca was helping Kendall and Greenlee out. She wanted to help them and also felt like she owed them, but this left her with one huge question. Was she doing this at the expense of _her_ family? _Her_ family being Marissa, AJ, Miranda, Gabby and Danny. They were everything to her and her first priority, as they should be. Bianca had thrown herself into the task of helping Kendall and Greenlee, and in doing so, she had lost sight of what really mattered the most. Marissa's words were still ringing in her ears. _She calls, you jump._ Her wife was right. Rafaela had charmed and flattered her, and had said everything right. No, scratch that. It may have sounded right at the time, but looking back on it now, she felt there was a bit of a false note to it.

Well, no more. Bianca's eyes were wide open now, and she knew what needed to be done. She would do the tour, get as much work done as she could and then go home at reasonable hour. The evening would be spent with her wife and children, and once the kids were in bed, she and Marissa would talk. It was long overdue.

A knock on her door jolted her back to the present. "Come in."

/

Marissa willed herself to calm down and relax before she started to breastfeed Danny. She knew he would be able to sense if she was tense or upset in any way. After another deep breath, Marissa smiled as Danny immediately latched onto her right breast. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that she would experience something as incredible as she was now. Others, especially Bianca, had told her about the connection, the bond that she would feel breastfeeding her child. It was simply indescribable. Bianca had missed out on this with Miranda but did have it with Gabby, and for that, Marissa was grateful.

The redhead's thoughts drifted to her wife. It was an ugly fight this morning, and Marissa winced when she remembered the things she had said. She felt she had every right to be upset with her wife, but she also now felt she definitely could have said them better and not been as hurtful. Her temper had gotten the best of her, and once that happened, things had quickly spiraled down from there.

Marissa thought about what Bianca had said and that she had denied at the time. Was part of the reason for the blowup because she was jealous? To be sure, Rafaela was drop dead gorgeous, something no one could deny. Marissa wasn't feeling the most confident or attractive right now. She was struggling to lose the weight she had gained while she was pregnant, and now, her wife was spending time with a supermodel. There weren't many women who wouldn't be intimidated by that reality. It also didn't help that Bianca couldn't stop gushing over her. That was something Marissa didn't need to hear right now. It just added to her insecurity. Thinking back on everything now with a much cooler head now, Marissa knew Bianca was in a tough position. She was helping her sister and Greenlee and felt that she owed them because of everything the pair had done for the couple. Marissa felt the same way, and while she hadn't pushed Bianca into pitching in with signing Rafaela, she also hadn't exactly voiced any of concerns either. No, Marissa had actually encouraged Bianca to help. The couple seemed to have a problem putting the needs of those they cared about above their own needs sometimes. As for her concerns, it wasn't that Marissa didn't trust Bianca because she did. She trusted her wife. It was Rafaela she wasn't so sure about. Marissa knew she and Bianca needed to talk and would do everything she could to make sure that happened tonight. She couldn't through another evening that was like last night.

Danny's soft whimper drew Marissa's attention back to her son. "Are you done?" The redhead proceeded to burp her youngest before covering herself back up and changing his diaper. When that was done, Marissa headed downstairs.

/

"It looks great, Red."

Marissa stood back and admired her work. She had to admit that it turned out better than she had hoped. "Thanks, Kendall. I think you're right." The redhead turned when she heard someone knocking on the door. She glanced at her sister-in-law who shrugged.

"I'm not expecting anyone. Maybe Danny is." Kendall looked down at her nephew. "Are you, Sparky? Here's a helpful hint for you. If you're going to have your peeps over, you have to make sure no parents are around. You can't really party with them here."

Marissa raised an eyebrow. "You do know that I'm standing right here and will be more than happy to pass on the same advice to my future niece."

"Oh, I guess I really didn't think that through, huh?"

"No, I guess you didn't." The redhead laughed and opened the door. "Erica, it's nice to see you."

"Marissa, dear, I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Just your oldest daughter trying to corrupt my son. Come on in."

Erica paused just inside the door, her eyes drawn to the wall Marissa has been working on. "This looks interesting. What is it exactly?"

/

After Marissa explained what she was doing to her mother-in-law, Erica smiled and nodded. "That is a wonderful idea. How did you come up with it?"

"Bianca and I saw it online a little while ago and fell in love with the idea. We just haven't had the time to do it. Since I'm home on maternity leave …"

"And Kendall leave." Kendall smirked.

Marissa laughed. "And Kendall leave, although I don't believe the firm covers that particular leave. Since I'm home right now though, I decided 'why not'. Kendall's been helping, not doing any of the painting though."

"In addition to corrupting my gr … Danny?"

Both Marissa and Kendall caught the slight slip of the tongue but neither said anything. They both valued their lives too much.

"Yep, it seems she's quite good at multi-tasking." Marissa glanced at her sister-in-law.

Kendall grinned. "I do what I can. To be fair, Red, you threatened to corrupt my little one."

Marissa shrugged. "I do what I can. Besides, turnabout is fair play."

Erica chuckled at the playful interaction between the two. As she did that, the diva was also carefully observing her daughter-in-law. There were some dark circles under her eyes, but that was to be expected somewhat because of the baby. With a newborn, your sleep patterns were disrupted and had you at their mercy. The thing that concerned Erica was that even though Marissa was smiling, it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes like it normally did. There was definitely something weighing on the redhead's mind, and Erica was left trying to figure out how she could help.


	188. On My Own

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. I'm sorry for the late upload. This cold has knocked me for a loop, and the cough medicine I was taking was making me whacked out. You know, this chapter could have turned out really interesting if I had written it while I was under the influence of that medicine. In other news, it was a nail biter and came down to the last second, but my Kentucky Wildcats are headed to the Final Four! Okay, back to work. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Erica chuckled at the playful interaction between the two younger women. As she did that, the diva was also carefully observing her daughter-in-law. There were some dark circles under her eyes, but that was to be expected somewhat because of the baby. With a newborn, your sleep patterns were disrupted as you found yourself at their mercy. The thing that concerned Erica was that even though Marissa was smiling, it was a smile that didn't reach her eyes like it normally did. There was definitely something weighing on the redhead's mind, and Erica was left trying to figure out how she could help.

"Can I get you something to drink, Erica?"

"Some iced tea would be lovely, if you have some made already."

"We do. Curly, would you like some more?"

"That would be great, Red. Thanks."

"No problem. Erica, keep an eye on this one."

"Danny?"

"No, your daughter. She keeps trying to do things she's not allowed to while my son, the infant, listens better."

Kendall rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Red."

Erica chuckled as she took a seat and placed the large gift bag she had brought with her on the floor next to the sofa. "I'm not surprised. Is it alright if I hold him?" The diva asked as she looked at her grandson who was resting in his carrier.

Marissa noticed the bag but didn't say anything. She had a good idea that it was for her son, and she couldn't bring herself to deny Erica this indulgence. Marissa smiled. "Of course it is. If you haven't noticed, he hasn't taken his eyes off of you ever since you got here."

"Yes, I did happen to notice that." Erica smiled proudly. She was definitely charmed by her youngest grandson.

Kendall grinned. "Yeah, Sparky has Mom wrapped around his little finger."

Erica scoffed but didn't deny it outright. She simply set about lifting Danny from his carrier while Kendall and Marissa snickered.

/

While Marissa was in the kitchen, Erica turned to Kendall as she gently cuddled the cooing boy. "She definitely has something on her mind. She doesn't have her same smile or spark."

"You see it too then. I don't know what to do. Marissa could use a break, but I'm limited at the moment."

"Well, I'm not, and I have an idea."

Marissa rejoined them before Kendall could ask her mother what she had in mind. The redhead placed the drinks on the coffee table and took a seat next to her mother-in-law.

"Thank you, dear. Could I ask you a question?"

"Sure." Marissa knew she couldn't stop Erica if she wanted to.

"When was the last time you got out of the house and just had some time to yourself?"

The question gave Marissa pause. "I'm … I'm not sure. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I was just thinking that it's a lovely day outside. Why don't you go out and enjoy yourself for a few hours." Erica held up her hand to stop her daughter-in-law's protest. "Before you say anything, I'm perfectly capable of keeping an eye on Danny and Kendall. You do have bottles made for him, don't you?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Very good. Now, can you think of any valid reason not to take a break? I mean if it's because you don't trust me with your son …"

Marissa eyed her mother-in-law in mild disbelief. "That's not what I was implying, and you know it. Wow. You really don't play fair, do you?"

Erica raised an eyebrow. "Is it working?"

The redhead rolled her eyes. "Yes, it is. Fine, I could run a few errands. Are you sure you about this?"

"I'm positive. This gives me the chance to spend some quality time with my oldest daughter and this handsome little man here. I haven't had the chance to spoil him like I want to and like he deserves to be."

"Okay. Far be it from me to get in the way of you doing that. You'll be okay, Kendall?"

"I'll be fine, Red, and I'll make sure she doesn't go too overboard. Go have a little fun."

"Alright. Let me just clean up."

/

"That was smooth, Mom."

"Of course it was, dear. With Marissa gone, we can talk a little more freely."

"And figure out something more that we can do to help."

"Precisely. I also have the benefit of spending time with Danny and you."

Kendall smiled. "It will be nice to spend time with you too. He definitely is a charmer. Those are some killer dimples he has."

Marissa returned in time to overhear Kendall's last comment. "They really are. I only hope he uses them for good." She went to pick Danny up and began to rock him gently. "I'm only going to be gone a little while and will be back before you know it. You're going to be here with Erica and Aunt K. I need you to keep them in line for me. You're in charge, Danny. I love you." After a few kisses, Marissa reluctantly handed him back to Erica.

"He'll be fine, dear."

"I know he will be. I'll have my cellphone with me so don't hesitate to call …"

"If we need anything. Mom and I both have your number, and I promise we'll call if anything happens which it won't."

Marissa sighed. "Sorry. I'm being the nervous new mom, huh?"

"Yes, you are, and it's perfectly understandable, dear. It is your first time leaving him after all."

The redhead nodded. Her mother-in-law was right. "It is. I really do trust you, both of you."

"We know. Now go."

"Okay, I'm going."

Erica and Kendall chuckled as Marissa gave Danny one more kiss before leaving.

"The first time is always the hardest." Kendall smiled.

"Yes, it is. Now, let's talk about what's going on with Bianca and Marissa while we try these new outfits on Danny."

/

"Come in."

Jan opened the door and stepped inside Bianca's office. "Hi. I'm sorry to disturb you."

Bianca glanced at her assistant and waved her inside. "It's fine. What's up?"

Taking her cue from her boss, Jan closed the door and walked over to the brunette's desk. "There is a woman outside who says you're expecting her, but you don't have anything on your calendar at this time. Her name is Rafaela?"

"Oh, her. Yeah." Bianca sighed not realizing how late it had gotten. "It was a last minute thing, and I forgot to tell you about it when I came in. She's the model that Kendall and Greenlee are hoping to land as a spokesperson for Fusion."

It suddenly dawned on Jan who the woman was. "I knew I recognized her, but I couldn't figure out from where."

"I told her I would give her a tour of the Center. Sorry, I didn't tell you. I know you need to know those things to keep my calendar straight."

"Oh, okay. That's fine. Your schedule is clear for a couple of hours so I won't need to rearrange anything. Do you want me to go get her?"

"Give me like five minutes and then send her back."

"Okay." Jan walked to the door and turned back. "Are you alright, Bianca?"

Bianca dropped her pen on the paperwork she had been trying to work on and sunk back in her chair. "No, I'm not. I screwed up."

Jan walked back over to her boss and took a seat. "What happened?"

"Rafaela's waiting …"

"She can wait. You're the one who is important to me right now, not her."

Knowing she needed to talk to someone, Bianca relented and began relating to Jan some of what she had done. She skirted around the issue of not being able to have sex with her wife for the past several weeks. The brunette considered Jan a friend, but the woman also worked for Bianca and that was information you didn't share with someone who reported to you. For her part, Jan listened and provided the sympathetic ear Bianca needed.

"Wow. You really did screw up."

Bianca chuckled at her assistant's truthfulness. It was exactly what she needed. "Don't sugarcoat it for me. Tell me how you really feel."

Jan smiled. "I call it like I see it. Yeah, you screwed up, but admitting it is half the battle right there. I'll give you some good news because you look like you could use it. Marissa may be hurt and pissed off at you right now, but she knows that you love her just as much as she loves you. You'll get through this. You're just going to have to do some groveling, kinda like she's had to do before with you."

"You're right. I just hate that I did this. I should've known better."

"Look, I hate to break it to you, but neither one of you are perfect. You're human, and humans screw up. So while you're not perfect, you are perfect for each other. I've never seen a couple that fits together better than the two of you, and I'm not just saying that. I really mean it."

"Thanks. I needed to hear that."

"Glad to help. So, what are you going to do to fix this?"

Bianca sighed. "That is the question, isn't it? I have a few ideas, but one of them, getting some time alone, is hard to do with four kids and one of them being a newborn."

"Well, you do have family and friends that are more than willing to help."

"I know, and I'm very lucky. I think this is something I have to do on my own though."

"Alright. I'm here if you need me."

"Thanks. I appreciate that, and just talking to you had helped more than you know."

The two were interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in."

Aya popped her head inside. "Um, Bianca, there's someone out here saying that she has an appointment with you."

"Oh crap. I forgot all about her." Bianca shook her head.

"Probably my fault on that one."

"No, this one's on me. I'm coming. Thanks again, Jan."

"Anytime."

Aya looked at her friend after Bianca left. "Is she alright?"

"She's getting there."

/

"Rafaela, I am so sorry. There was something that I had to discuss with Jan, and it couldn't wait."

The model smiled. "No problem. These things happen. Is now still good?"

"Yes, let's get started, shall we?"

"Lead the way. I have a question, if that is alright?"

"Of course."

"How did you come up with the name?"

Bianca paused for a moment and crafted her answer carefully. She was unwilling to divulge certain personal information with someone who was a relative stranger. "The Center is named after my oldest daughter Miranda. At the time of her birth, the idea of creating a safe place for abused individuals to come to help them heal physically and emotionally and to learn skills that will help them rebuild their lives, came to me. It's grown from there."

"It's very admirable and impressive."

"Thank you, but I can't take all of the credit. There a great many people without whose help this would not be possible. I have a wonderful staff who make me look good."

The tour continued with Bianca fielding questions and explaining the many services the Center offered. At the end of it, the two women found themselves in Bianca's office.

"I noticed you have a lot of security cameras."

Bianca nodded. "We do. Security is necessary given why most of our clients are here. There have been incidents, and the security measures we've implemented are a result of them. Again, it's absolutely essential that our clients feel safe. That's why the locations of our safe houses are kept private."

"That makes sense." Rafaela glanced around the office and saw a number of photographs. "And who are they?"

Bianca smiled brightly. "These are my children, AJ, Miranda, Gabby and Danny. And this is my wife, Marissa. She recently gave birth to Danny. Marissa is a partner at the largest law firm here in Pine Valley and is quite brilliant if I do say so myself. I'm very lucky."

"I think she is lucky too." Rafaela noted the time. She wasn't quite ready to end her time with Bianca. "Would you like to have lunch with me? We could continue our talk."

Yesterday, Bianca might have been a little tempted to take Rafaela up on her offer, but that was yesterday. Today, Bianca was thinking clearer. She was back to herself, and her need to please others was pushed aside in lieu of the need to put her needs first. Bianca shook her head. There were things that were much more important to her that she needed to do. Things that couldn't wait, wouldn't wait. Things that she just simply refused to delay one moment further. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a lot of work that I need to do, some things that need my attention."

"I understand. Perhaps another time." Rafaela knew when to back off. She stood and gathered her jacket and purse. "Thank you for today. I had a good time, and this was very informative."

"You're welcome."

/

Bianca watched as Rafaela left and sat back down. Gazing at the picture on her desk of Marissa, her mind immediately went back to their present situation. An idea of a small gesture came to her, and she grabbed her purse and cellphone. Work could wait. She needed to take care of this right away. As she passed Jan's desk on her way out, Bianca spoke to her assistant.

"I'll be back. There's something I need to take care of."

"For Marissa?"

"Yes."

"Good. Take your time. I'll take of things here."

"Thanks."

/

After running a few errands, Marissa found herself in the park. It was a beautiful spring day, and the redhead was taking a minute to literally stop and smell the roses. She took a seat on the couple's favorite bench and closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

"Marissa?"

The redhead opened her eyes and smiled. "Brian, hi. What are you doing here?"

"Mind if I join you?"

"Please do."

Brian took a seat next to his friend. "I decided to have lunch outside today and enjoy this beautiful weather. What about you? Where's my godson?"

"Danny's back home babysitting Kendall, with Erica's help."

The man laughed. "Ah, so he's charge, being the most responsible one."

"Exactly. Erica came over and kind of kicked me out."

"Making you take a break, huh? Good for her." Brian studied his friend. "Is everything alright, Marissa?"

"You don't want to hear my sob story."

"The hell I don't. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to. You're my friend, and god knows that you've heard mine before."

"It could take a while."

"Well, it just so happens that I don't have any meetings for a couple of hours so I'm all yours. Spill it."

Marissa sighed and finally relented. She told him pretty much everything that had happened and had to admit that she was a slightly embarrassed when she told him about being a little jealous of Rafaela.

"Wow, Rafaela. She's gorgeous. Ow!" Brian rubbed his arm from where Marissa had punched him.

"Seriously?!"

Brian gave her a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. I'm a guy. It slipped out. You're gorgeous too you know."

"Right." Marissa rolled her eyes.

"I'm being totally serious. You are. If I wasn't completely head over heels in love with my wife and you weren't completely head over heels in love with yours, I would've asked you out. Of course that's out of the question now because of Stef and Bianca. There's also the fact that I kind of think of you like a sister now. That would take it to a whole other creepy factor."

Marissa laughed. "You are so not right."

"I know. That's why we get along."

"Yeah, it is, and you are kind of like the pesky little brother I never had or wanted."

Brian laughed. "Gee, thanks."

"Just returning the favor."

"Seriously, you're beautiful, and more importantly, Bianca thinks so. After she had Jamie, Stef felt the same about herself that you do now. I didn't notice at first because we had a lot going on. When I finally did, I wanted to kick myself. Yes, she had gained some weight, but it didn't change how I felt about her. She's still the beautiful, amazing woman that I fell in love with. I just wish she would've told me how she felt, what she was going through sooner so I could've helped her earlier. Of course, I have no room to talk. Remember when I went through my hat phase?"

Marissa nodded. "I do."

"Well, I was doing it because I noticed my hair was starting to thin, and I was pretty damn freaked out about it. I thought Stef might not be attracted to me anymore if I lost it all and became bald. She finally made me sit down and tell her what was going on. After she called me an idiot for thinking that, she told me that she didn't love me because I had headful of hair. She loved me because of who I was. Even if I am idiot sometimes, I'm her idiot. I was just as insecure about myself as she was about herself after she had Jamie. These things happen. You just need to talk about it before it spirals out of control."

"I need to talk to Bianca, calmly."

"Yeah, you do, and you need to tell her how you feel not only about all the time she's been spending helping out Kendall and Greenlee, but also about how you feel about yourself right now. I mean, I can tell you how gorgeous you are, and you are, but it won't mean anything because she's the one who matters most to you."

Marissa shook her head. "How did you get so smart?"

Brian laughed. "By screwing up several times."

"Stef is very lucky to have you, and so am I."

"Thank you. I have to admit that I'm pretty lucky myself. I've got a great wife and a great work wife. Are you feeling better?"

"Yeah, I am. Thank you. I'm starting to get a good idea of what I need to do."

"Can I help?"

"No, not on this part. Besides, you've already helped more than you know."

"Good. Alright, I'm going to get back to work. Even though my boss is on maternity leave, word is that she keeps tabs on us."

"Rightfully so, I'm sure." Marissa smiled and hugged Brian. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Call me and let me know how things go?"

"I will. Tell Stef and Jamie 'hi' and everybody else in the office."

"Don't worry. This stays between us." Brian winked and headed back to work.

Marissa sat back. Her friend had given her a lot to think about.

/

"Hi, Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery. I mean, Bianca."

"Hi, Nolan. How's business?"

"Pretty good. We've got a big wedding coming up next week, and they want a lot flowers. It's definitely keeping us busy."

"Well, that's good to hear."

"Is there something I can help you with?"

"I need to get some flowers."

"Hi, Bianca."

"Hi, Michelle. How are you?"

"I can't complain. How about you?"

"I need some flowers."

The florist raised an eyebrow, instantly picking up the hidden meaning of that statement. "Nolan, the orders in back are ready to be loaded onto the van."

"Okay, I'm on it. Bye, Bianca."

"Bye, Nolan."

"So, you need flowers. Any kind in particular?"

"Ones that say I screwed up, and I'm really, really sorry. I promise to do my best not to do it again."

"Ah, those kind." Michelle smiled. "Those are one of our specialties. Follow me. We just got something it that might do the trick."

Bianca did as asked and knew the florist was right as soon as she saw the flowers in question. "Oh, these are beautiful. Could you make a bouquet for me and have them delivered today?"

"For one of my best customers? Definitely. Where to you want them sent?"

"Home and to Marissa."

"Alright, let me start working on this, and I'll let you write the card."

After writing out a card for Marissa, Bianca glanced around the shop while she waited for Michelle to return. Through one of the shop's windows, she happened to see Brian walking away from a familiar looking redhead who was sitting in the park.

"Are you done with the card?" Michelle asked when she returned.

"Oh yes, I am. Could I add one rose to my order?"

"Sure. Do you want that delivered as well?"

"No, I'm going to take it with me."

"Let me ring you up then, and I'll get that rose for you."

/

"Hey."

Marissa was jolted from her thoughts when she heard her wife's voice. She glanced in the direction it came from and found Bianca standing next to the bench.

"Hey, yourself."

**/**

**A/N: Yes, I left it there. I'm going to blame it on me still getting over my cold and my evil side taking advantage of my weakened condition. Anyone buying that? See you soon!**


	189. I Is For Idiot

**A/N: Thanks as always for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it and all of you. I've got a busy day ahead of me. I have some errands to run before I have to get ready for the surprise birthday party some friends are throwing for me. Yeah, I know about it, not all of the details but enough, and I need to work on my surprised face for them. I can't take their fun away from them, and I know how lucky I am. I was given cover story to get me to the location of the party and did verify that the Final Four games would be on tonight. That's important because my Kentucky Wildcats are still playing, and I'm not the only one that will want to be watching the game. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Greenlee had been thinking about her conversation with Kendall all morning. It was gnawing on her. Did she miss something? Was Rafaela pressuring Bianca in any way, making her uncomfortable and feel like she had to do something she didn't want to? Greenlee hadn't seen anything like that happening, but that didn't mean that it wasn't. The two had spent some time together when she wasn't around to observe them. If Rafaela was up to something, Greenlee was sure as hell going to put a stop to it. Yes, there was a time when she and Bianca had not gotten along, but that was a long time ago. Now, she considered Bianca family. They were cousins after all, and if Erica and Jack ever got their act together and actually got married again, they would be sisters. No, Greenlee wasn't about to let someone hurt or take advantage of Bianca, not if there was anything she could do about it and there sure as hell was. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the conference room where Liz and Ashley were waiting for her.

"Hi, Greenlee. Ready to get started?" Liz glanced up at the petite brunette.

"In a minute. I need to ask you both something, and I need you to be honest with me, both of you."

Ashley glanced at Liz, and then nodded. "We'll try our best."

"What's going on with Rafaela?"

"What do you mean?"

"Is she interested in Bianca?"

"How so?"

Greenlee sighed. These women were not going to make this easy. "Romantically."

"I don't know what you …"

"Oh please, can we cut the crap? I don't need you to spin me. Is Rafaela interested in Bianca romantically, and if she is, is she using this time to further those interests?" Seeing the two share another look, Greenlee continued. "Look, Bianca is family. I'm not going to use her or anyone else for that matter to secure a deal. Is Rafaela expecting something more from Bianca? Because if she is, I'm here to tell you that Bianca is not part of any deal. If anyone suggests otherwise, we'll call this off, and I'll walk away from this deal right now."

Liz held up her hands. "Hold on, please. Yes, I believe Rafaela is attracted to Bianca. She is her type."

"Exactly what is her type?"

"Attractive, intelligent people. Gender doesn't matter to her. Rafaela's sexual orientation is fluid. That's how she describes it herself. Despite her attraction, we would never make any deal contingent upon her romantic interest being reciprocated. Yes, Rafaela likes to flirt and have her fun, and she can be needy at times. All of which can cause problems sometimes. If it has this time, I am truly sorry. She would never force anyone though. Rafaela had to deal with that early on in her career, and made a pledge to herself that she would never do something like that to anyone else."

Ashley continued. "We really would like to work with you. This could be a good partnership for both parties. What can we do to help?"

"She really doesn't mean any harm." Liz assured.

Greenlee sighed. She could see they were being sincere. "Rein her in. Tell her no more demands of Bianca's time. She's out of the equation."

"Done."

"Good. I'll let Bianca know we're good, and that I won't need her help any more on this, that I'm taking it from here."

"One thing. Rafaela did express some interest in making a donation to the Miranda Center. It truly is heartfelt and a cause close to her heart. She had an aunt who was in an abusive relationship and couldn't get away. She's blind in one eye as a result but finally out of that relationship, even though it was at a heavy cost. Rafaela really was impressed with what Bianca's built here and told us that she would like to make a donation. No strings attached."

"I'll let Bianca know."

/

"So, Mom, tell me about Rafaela."

"What makes you think I know something about her?"

"Oh please, you're Erica Kane for god's sake. Even though you're not out walking the catwalks, you still have your finger on the pulse on anything that deals with the modeling industry. You know something about pretty much everyone connected with it. Don't even try and deny it."

Erica smiled. "You're right, I do. Fine. Rafaela has been linked to many famous men, be they actors or athletes. The thing is that while the media and public defines her as straight, she considers her sexual orientation, in her own words mind you, as fluid. If she finds someone attractive, it doesn't matter to her if it's a man or woman."

"Interesting. So, she could be attracted to Bianca."

"Yes, she could. Your sister is an attractive woman after all with many admirable qualities."

"Yes, she is."

"What's going on with Marissa?"

"She's not feeling particularly attractive right now."

"Why?"

"Because of that little guy that you're holding."

"What weight she gained was because of her pregnancy and is perfectly natural. I can tell she's lost a few pounds already."

"Yeah, she has, but her wife is hanging around a supermodel, someone who was voted one of the world's most beautiful women. That doesn't do a lot for your confidence under normal circumstances. I can tell you it wouldn't do a lot for me right now if Zach was hanging around her."

"No, I suppose it wouldn't, but surely Bianca has told her otherwise."

"I'm not sure." Kendall sighed. "I hate talking about this aspect of their relationship, but I'm going to have to. We all know they have an active sex life. You can tell that just by the way they look at each other. Because of Danny, they haven't been able to engage in those activities."

"It's been over six weeks though. That restriction should be lifted by now."

"Yes, but Bianca has been busy hanging out with a supermodel."

"Oh, I see. Marissa being self-conscious about her appearance and Bianca being pre-occupied and spending time with an attractive woman …"

"It's kind of like the perfect storm."

"Now, I understand the problem. They need time alone."

"Exactly. My current situation doesn't really lend itself to being able to do something to help them accomplish that."

"No, it doesn't, and don't even think about it. Your health is very important, and I won't allow you to neglect it. We have a bit of a quandary. Since tomorrow is Friday, I can have AJ, Miranda and Gabby come over after school, and Jack and I can spend some time with them. I believe there is a movie out that they want to see. They could even stay all night. Jack enjoys 'camping out' with them in the living room. It makes me wonder who the actual child is sometimes."

Kendall laughed. She could definitely picture her mother's fiancée down on the floor and acting like a big kid. She'd seen him act like that before at family gatherings. "The kids would love that. That leaves us with Danny. He's too little. There is no way they would be away from him overnight."

"That is very true. Perhaps they could be persuaded to leave him for a couple of hours."

"We might be about to convince them to do that."

/

"Hey."

Marissa was jolted from her thoughts when she heard her wife's voice. She glanced in the direction it came from and found Bianca standing next to the bench.

"Hey, yourself."

"Are you here by yourself?"

"Yeah, I am. Danny's watching Kendall, and your Mom."

Bianca smiled. "He should be able to keep them in line."

"Hopefully."

"Do you mind if I have a seat?"

"No, please."

Bianca sat down and held out the rose. "This is for you."

"Thank you."

"I didn't get the chance to write out a card. Um, I'll tell you what I planned on writing though if you'd like to know."

Marissa nodded. "I would."

"This would be under the letter 'I' as in idiot, which is what I've been lately. I promised you that I wouldn't be spending a lot of time helping out at Fusion. What did I do? I broke my promise and threw myself into it. In the process, I've neglected you and the kids."

"Neglect is kind of strong."

"What would you call it then? I sure as hell haven't been there like I should be. You've been taking care of everything at home by yourself, including my sister. I didn't even wake up last night for Danny. You haven't taken any time for yourself until now, and I'm guessing you only are now because my Mom probably made you." Bianca could tell by the expression on Marissa's face that she had guessed correctly. "What I hate the most is that I forgot about your appointment with Dr. Abbott. I can't even tell you how sorry I am about that. I shouldn't have forgotten. You have to know that you mean everything to me, and there is nothing more important than your health. Without you, none of this means anything."

"I do know that. It hurt though when you didn't ask, and so I lashed out, maybe a little more than I should have."

"You had every right to though. I don't think you said anything that I didn't deserve. I did break my promise."

"Do you know why?"

"Somewhat, but it doesn't justify it in any way. Nothing does. I got caught up in helping Greenlee. She and Kendall have done so much for us, and I wanted to do a good job for them. Then, I met Rafaela. She expressed a genuine interest in the Center, and well, it was flattering to have someone that famous know about and be interested in it. And because of her feeding my ego, I lost sight of what's truly important in my life, the people that mean the most to me. That's you and the kids."

Marissa smiled. She could see the honesty in Bianca's eyes and knew she meant every word she said. The redhead also knew how much the Miranda Center meant to her wife. It had been born during the lowest point in Bianca's wife, when she had been led to believe that Miranda was dead. Bianca poured her heart and soul into building the Center, and it had helped her channel her grief into something that would help others. "I know what it means to you, how important it is. I also know how much you want to help them, how much you need to help them. When someone you love is involved, you give your all. You can't seem to help yourself. It's one of the many reasons I love you."

Bianca studied her wife. "I have to say you're being awfully understanding right now, more than you probably should be."

"To be honest, it's because you're being harder on yourself than I ever could. Yes, you broke your word, and I was hurt."

"I'm so sorry."

Marissa held up a hand to stop Bianca from apologizing again. "I know. I know you are. You know, I was sitting here thinking, and you were right. I was a little jealous of her, of Rafaela."

"Why?"

"Oh come on, seriously? She's gorgeous, has a perfect body, skin, hair and a number of other things. I don't look the same as when you married me. I mean, look at me."

Bianca cupped Marissa's face, making her wife look at her. "No, you don't. You are even more beautiful. There aren't any words to describe how beautiful you are to me. Rafaela doesn't hold a candle to you. She never could and never will. No one ever will."

"But the weight …"

"Rissa, you gave me the most precious gift I could ever receive, I could ever ask for. You gave me Danny. If I've made you feel like I don't want you, I am so sorry because nothing could be further from the truth. These past weeks of not being able to make love to you have been like torture. Let me tell you, I used a lot of cold water, and while cuddling is nice, it sure as hell is no substitute. You have no idea how much I want you. I can never get enough of you, will get enough of you. You are the only woman that I want, that I ever will want. Everyone else pales in comparison to you, and you've ruined me for anyone else. I look at you, and I still get butterflies. That's something I don't ever see changing. We have a lifetime together. Old and grey, remember?"

Marissa took a shaky breath and leaned into her wife's touch. "I remember. For someone who says they don't have a way with words, I'll just say that you could definitely fool me."

Bianca caressed her wife's cheek. "It's easy with you because I mean every single word. I love you."

"I love you too." Marissa captured Bianca's lips in a loving kiss.

Both women sighed happily when they finally separated. They knew they still had things to talk about, but the worst was over.

"I really hate to say this right now, but I should get home. I've been gone a while."

"And leaving Danny alone with Mom and Kendall for an extended period of time could corrupt him." Bianca smirked.

Marissa laughed. "Exactly. Also, your Mom came over with a pretty big gift bag."

"She went shopping for Danny." Bianca sighed.

"Yep. I didn't have the heart to say anything to her. I couldn't take her fun away. Plus, she almost slipped and called him her grandson."

Bianca's eyes grew wide at the revelation. "No! Wow. That's amazing."

"I know. Kendall and I didn't say anything though."

"Good call. I should probably get back to work because I'm leaving on time tonight. I'm having dinner with my family."

"You are, huh?" Marissa smiled.

"Yep! What would you say to going out to dinner? Maybe Krystal's? You deserve the break."

"We both do, and I think it's a great idea." Marissa kissed her wife again. "Walk me to my car?"

"Definitely." Bianca stood up and held out her hand which Marissa happily took.

/

Aya nudged Jan when she saw Bianca return. "She's smiling."

"Yes, she is." Jan sighed in relief.

"Let me know how everything went." Aya said before heading off to a meeting.

When Bianca stopped by her desk to get her messages, Jan had to ask. "Everything go okay?"

"Everything went great. I actually ran into Marissa in the park, and we had a really good conversation."

Jan smiled. "I'm very happy to hear that."

"So am I, and you know something, I need you to do me a favor."

"Name it."

"I need you to clear my schedule for tomorrow. I'm taking the day off and spending it with my wife."

"Consider it done. Can I ask you something?"

"What about Kendall?"

"Yeah. I know that AJ, Miranda and Gabby have school, and Danny won't be a problem for you."

"I'm one step ahead of you. I called Zach on the way back over here. He's taking tomorrow off to spend with his wife."

Jan laughed. "Good for you. Now, get back to work. You're leaving on time tonight if I have to throw you out of here myself. Plus, I've got a schedule to rearrange."

"Yes, ma'am." Bianca smiled. "Jan?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks, for everything."

/

Erica answered the door to Minx Manor and greeted the delivery boy from the couple's favorite florist. "Good afternoon, Nolan."

The young man's eyes grew wide. He couldn't believe that Erica Kane knew who he was. "Hello, Ms. Kane. Is Marissa home? I have a delivery for her."

"Marissa is out at the moment, but I'll be happy to take the delivery for her. Please come in." Erica stepped aside to allow Nolan to enter. It was then she saw the arrangement. "Oh my, those are lovely. Would you mind setting those on the coffee table?"

Nolan nodded. "No problem. Hi, Mrs. Slater."

Kendall smiled. "Hi, Nolan. Wow, that is beautiful. Who's it from?" Seeing the grin on Nolan's face, Kendall knew. "Bianca sent them."

"Yeah, she stopped by the shop a little while ago and said these had to be delivered today."

Erica handed Nolan a very generous tip. "We'll make sure that Marissa gets them."

Nolan saw the tip and couldn't believe the amount. "Thank you, Ms. Kane!"

"You're welcome. Have a nice day."

"You too."

After Nolan left, mother and daughter looked at each other.

"So, Binx got Red flowers. It's a start."

"Yes, it is. According to Marissa's text, she should be home soon. These should help bring a smile back to her face."

"Definitely." Kendall heard the door leading from garage to the kitchen open. "Red's home."

/

Marissa walked into the family room with a big smile on her face and carrying a rose. "Hey, sorry I was gone a little longer than I had planned. How's Danny?"

Kendall and Erica both made note of that smile.

"Quite the charmer and no problem at all. I put him down for a nap not long ago." Erica said.

"Thank you." Marissa's gaze fell on the flower arrangement.

"Oh, those just came for you." Kendall answered her sister-in-law's unasked question. "Nice rose."

"Thank you." Marissa walked over to the coffee table, set her rose down, and plucked the card from the bouquet. It didn't seem possible, but her smile got even bigger and brighter as she read what her wife had written her.

"So, where did you go?"

Marissa sat down next to her sister-in-law. "I did a few errands, went to the park and ran into Brian. We talked for a bit. It was good to see him. He was worried about the two of you possibly corrupting Danny."

Kendall chuckled. "Yeah, I can see him saying that."

"Then, I saw Bianca, and we talked."

"Judging by that smile on your face, I'd say it went well." Erica hinted.

"It went very well. We still have some things to talk about, but we're good."

"I had no doubt that you would be, Red. You and my sister just fit."

Marissa smiled. "Yeah, we do. We just needed some time to cool off."

Erica nodded. "Yes, you did, and I'm very glad the two of you realized that."

"Without any intervention or schemes from our loving and well-meaning family. Go figure. By the way, thanks for coming over today, Erica. I hope you didn't have to change any plans."

"You knew?" Erica shook her head. "Of course you did. It was no problem, dear. I was glad to come over. It allowed me to help you as well as spend time with Kendall and Danny."

Kendall chuckled. "You're too smart for our own good sometimes, Red."

"Nah, I just know how this family works. What are you doing tonight?"

"Nothing that I know of."

"Bianca is leaving work on time, and we're all going to Krystal's. All of you are welcome to join us."

"That sounds nice, and it's on the list of things I can do. Are you sure you want us there?"

"Positive."

"Alright. I'll call Zach and check with him."

"I'll call Jack. I'm sure he would love it as well."

"Great."

"Since all of our cards are on the table, I have a question or an offer, if you will. How would you like it if Jack and I kept AJ, Miranda and Gabby overnight tomorrow? We could even watch Danny for a couple of hours."

"That's … that's really generous. I'll talk it over with Bianca. Thank you."

"You're welcome."

/

Bianca knew there was one more call she needed to make. Greenlee. She had to talk to her and explain that she wasn't going to be able to help with Rafaela anymore. Her family was her top priority, and Bianca needed to focus on them. She didn't want to let either them or herself down again. As she reached for her cellphone, it started to ring. The name on the caller id was one she recognized.

"Hi, Greenlee. Believe it or not, I was just going to give you a call."

"_I saved you a call then. Do you have a couple of minutes to talk?"_

"I do. What's going on? How are the negotiations going?"

"_They're going really well. That's kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. I appreciate all of your help. You have been great and have gone above and beyond. I don't know what I would have done without you."_ Greenlee paused. _"You've done way too much, and I just can't ask you to do anymore. I wouldn't feel right about it. So, I'm going to take it from here. You don't need to do anything else."_

Bianca couldn't let Greenlee finish. She had to tell her. "I'm sorry, Greenlee, but I can't help anymore with Rafaela. I let things get away from me, and my family is suffering as a result. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. I'm sorry."

The words they had both been saying as talked over each other finally sunk in for both women.

"Wait. What?"

"_You don't want to help anymore?"_

"You don't need me to help?"

"_Hold on. Time out. Let me go first please, Bianca."_

"Okay."

"_I got the feeling that your helping me with Rafaela was causing problems between you and Marissa, and you have to know that I would never intentionally do something like that. You both mean too much to me, and I'm sorry for any trouble this may have caused."_

"I do know that, Greenlee. You did kind of have a hand in Rissa and me realizing how we felt about each other. I can tell you talked to Kendall."

"_Yeah, I did. She called earlier. I can't tell you …"_

"No, please stop. I really did want to help. I just kind of got carried away with helping and had a hard time saying 'no'. This is all on me. It's my fault and no one else's. I need to step back now though and do something for me. So, I'm sorry for you feeling responsible or guilty because nothing could be further from the truth. I just hope that I haven't done anything to jeopardize this deal for you."

Greenlee chuckled. _"Nah, I'm good. I had a nice long talk with Liz and Ashley earlier. Rafaela has a little bit of a history. Incidents seem to follow her around. It's most likely because of her flirting. She's pretty bad about it. I simply told them that you were not part of any deal, and if they tried to make it that way, there would be no deal. You're family."_

Bianca smiled. "Thank you. There was a time you know …"

"_Yeah, I do. Thankfully, we've grown up, especially me."_

"So, what did they say?"

"_They apologized and said they would talk to her, get her to back off. She apparently doesn't mean any harm, she just can't help herself. They really want this deal and think it could be good for both sides. I agree, but if you're not comfortable …"_

"No, I am. I think you're right. Plus, it's not like I'm going to be dealing with her anymore."

"_Very true. Thank you for your help. I really do appreciate everything you did."_

"You're welcome. I just need to know my limitations, and this definitely made them clear to me. It was a wake-up call."

"_Is everything alright with you and Marissa?"_

"Yes. We still have a few things to talk about, but we're talking and not yelling. That's a big help right there."

"_Always helps Ryan and me."_

"Us too. I ran into Rissa earlier in the park, and like I said, we talked. It was something we both needed to do. It's just a start, mind you. I screwed up and need to make it up to her. I'm starting by leaving work on time tonight, going out to dinner with my family, and taking tomorrow off to spend the day with my wife while the kids are in school."

"_Well if you ask me, I'd say that's a very good start. If you need any help, just let me know."_

"Thanks. I will. Actually, how would you like to join us for dinner tonight? We're just going to Krystal's."

"_I don't want to impose."_

"You wouldn't be. I had a text Rissa just a few minutes ago. Kendall, Zach, the boys, Mom and Jack are going to meet us there. It won't be the same with you, Ryan and Emma."

"_Well, if you're sure?"_

"I am. Come."

"_Aright. I'll call Ryan, and we'll meet you there."_

"Good."

"_Oh, if you're spending time alone with Marissa tomorrow, where's Kendall going to be? I don't have to ask about Danny because I know he'll be home with you. I can watch Kendall if you need me to though."_

"Thank you for the offer, but I've already taken care of it. I talked to Zach, and he's going to take the day off as well. He said it would be his last chance to have some one-on-one time with Kendall for a while so he's all on board with it and making some plans for them."

"_I'm glad to hear that. They both could use it. Alright, I'm going to go. I'll see you tonight."_

"See you later."


	190. Another Contract

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. Also, thank you for the birthday wishes! The party was great, and I had a really good time. Being with friends when the Wildcats lost helped take the sting out some. I'm sorry for the late post, but I've been busy continuing my celebration. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Susan opened the door, and AJ, Miranda and Gabby darted inside, happy to be home. As had become their habit, the kids dropped their backpacks by the steps before greeting their baby brother. Danny smiled, kicked his legs and waved his arms. In his few weeks of existence, he recognized his brother and sisters and adored them. It was a feeling that was definitely mutual.

Marissa smiled as she observed the scene. She loved seeing her children interact. The redhead glanced at their babysitter. She was extremely grateful that she and Bianca had found someone so reliable and good with the children. It was evident that she loved them as much as they loved her.

"Hey, Susan."

"Hey, Marissa." Susan noted a change in the redhead's demeanor. She was definitely in a better mood then the one she had been in that morning.

"Hi, Ma."

"Hi, Mommy."

"Hello, minions. Did you all have a good day at school and learn something good?"

Miranda noticed it right away. Her redheaded mother was smiling, really smiling. It was something that she hadn't been doing that morning, and seeing that smile relieved Miranda more then she could say.

Gabby nodded. "Yep! I got an 'A' on my spelling test!"

"Way to go, Monkey!" Marissa held up a hand, and Gabby happily slapped it for a high-five.

"We did a really cool experiment in science class." AJ said excitedly.

"You did? Well, I can't wait to hear about it, Buddy. What about you, Mimo?"

"The teacher really liked my book report. I got an 'A' on it too."

"That just confirms what I've always known. My children are brilliant."

"I definitely agree with you, Rissa."

The kids whipped their heads around and raced over to greet Bianca as she made her way in from the kitchen to join their family.

"Mom!"

"Mommy!"

"Hey, guys. I can't tell you how proud I am of all of you." Bianca saw Susan and offered a smile. "Hi, Susan."

"Hi, Bianca."

The brunette's gaze found her wife's. "Hey."

"Hey. Thank you for the flowers. They're beautiful."

"I'm glad you like them."

"I don't like them. I love them _and_ the card."

"Mom?"

"Yes, Mimo."

"Do you have to go back into work?"

"Nope. I'm done. In fact, I'm all done helping Greenlee out, and that means I'm back to my regular schedule and spending lots of time with you guys."

"Really, Mommy?"

"Really, Gabby. We're going to start by having dinner out tonight."

"At Grandma's?" AJ asked.

"Yep, and Aunt K, Erica, Greenlee and everybody else is going to meet us there."

"Yay!"

"That means you all have to start on your homework now. We're going to leave in a little over an hour." Marissa informed the kids.

They nodded and grabbed their backpacks before heading to the dining room to start on their homework.

Bianca, by this time, had picked up Danny and was cuddling with him. "Speaking of my sister, where is she?"

"Erica took her home not too long ago." Marissa turned to the babysitter. "Susan, I need to apologize for this morning. You were put in an awkward situation, and you shouldn't have been."

"We both need to apologize. I'm just as guilty as Rissa. I'm sorry. We shouldn't have put you in that position."

"It's fine, honestly. There's nothing to apologize for. Besides, I didn't hear anything. I'm just glad that the two of you seem to be better?"

Marissa smiled. "We are."

"Definitely. Could you do us a favor?" Bianca asked.

"Name it."

"Rissa, do you have that card handy?"

Marissa knew what her wife had in mind and nodded happily. "I do." The redhead pulled the card out along with a pen. "Oh, I did add an addendum to it."

Bianca read over what her wife had added and smiled before addressing their babysitter again. "Susan, would you mind witnessing this for us?"

"Okay?" Susan was a little confused as Bianca and Marissa signed the card. That confusion disappeared as soon as she read what was written on it. She chuckled and happily signed by a third 'x'.

Bianca glanced at her wife. "I trust that will meet the legal standard, Counselor?"

Marissa grinned. "It will. Everything is now official."

"_I, Bianca Tasker-Montgomery, hereby give Marissa Tasker-Montgomery permission to smack some sense into me if she ever sees me losing focus on her or our family again. I hereby promise to do my level best every day to show her just how much I love her and how much she means to me."_

At the bottom of the card, Marissa added a simple but heartfelt phrase. _"The same holds true for me, always."_

Susan smiled. They were definitely back. "I need to get going. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Susan, and thanks again for everything." Bianca called out from where she was sitting.

Marissa walked the babysitter to the door. "Thanks, Susan. Have a nice night."

"You too, and you're both very welcome."

/

While the couple had a few minutes alone, Marissa took a seat next to Bianca on the sofa.

"So, you're done helping Greenlee?"

"I am. I called her and told her and that I was sorry but I wouldn't be able to help anymore, that I needed to focus on my family and do what was right for us, what was right for me."

"How did she take it?"

"Actually, she took it pretty well. It turns out that Kendall called her this morning."

Marissa laughed. "Of course she did."

"She apologized also. I told her she didn't do anything wrong though. Greenlee said she talked to Rafaela's people and told them that I wasn't part of any deal, and if they tried to make it that way, there wouldn't be a deal. She'd walk away. They apologized and told her that they would get Rafaela to back off. They all think it would be a good deal for everyone, but Greenlee said it wouldn't happen if I wasn't comfortable with it. I told her that I was okay with it because I wasn't going to be dealing with her anymore. I also honestly think it would be great if they could get her, but like I said, it's going to be without me being involved. I just can't do it. I mean what I wrote on that card."

"Thank you for that by the way. It means a lot to me that you did that."

"Your addendum means a lot to me."

"Well, I mean it too. It's something we both need to work on, together."

Bianca nodded. "Together, always." It was then that something caught the brunette's eye. She craned her neck and could see something on the wall near the front door. Bianca needed to get a better look.

Marissa followed her wife's gaze and knew what she was attempting to catch a glimpse of. The reason she hadn't seen it before now was because they usually entered and exited their home through the garage. Marissa smiled and held her arms out for their son so Bianca could see what she had been working on.

Bianca handed Danny to her wife and walked over to view what had caught her attention. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw. On the wall was a perfectly drawn tree that clearly resembled the one on their wedding invitation, initials included. At the end of tree's branches were framed photographs of their family. They included the candid shot of her and Marissa at the zoo, the one that Kendall had snapped a few years ago and that the kids had given to the couple as a Christmas present right after they had confessed their feelings to each other. The couple's wedding picture was also there as well as photos of AJ, Miranda, Gabby and Danny. Bianca's eyes also found the picture Marissa had snapped of Erica, Kendall and Bianca that past Christmas. There was also a picture of Marissa with Jessica and Jo that had her smiling. The brunette took in the various photos before resting on the one that was by far and away her favorite. It was the one Jessica had taken for them of their family after they brought Danny home. Her eyes welled up with tears. This family tree was beautiful and looked even better than the example they had seen online a little over a month ago and fell in love with. They had planned to do it while Bianca was off right after Danny was born but simply didn't have the time.

"I can't believe you did this." Bianca turned to face her wife who was now standing next to her.

"You like it?"

"I love it. It's amazing. That's our tree! It even has our initials!"

Marissa smiled. "Yeah, I know the example we found didn't have them, but I couldn't help myself on that. I can't take all the credit though. While Kendall couldn't do any of the painting, she did help with picking out the photos and getting them in the frames. Erica helped me hang them up when I got back home earlier today. Both of them liked how this turned out so much that they're thinking of doing one themselves."

"Really? Well, that just goes to show that they have good taste, not as good as mine though. I do love this, Rissa. I can't believe you were putting all this work in, and I wasn't around to help. I can't tell you how sorry I am. I'm going to do everything I can to make it up to you. I'm going to be the best wife because that's what you deserve."

"You're not perfect, and neither am I. I don't expect you to be perfect. Hell, perfect is boring. B, I just need you to be you. That is the wife that I want. You, I just want you."

Bianca gave her wife the goofy grin that she loved in return. "I just want you too. There is no one else for me. If you ever start to think or feel otherwise, you need to tell me. You're right about us not being perfect. I know we're not, far from it, but to me, you are as close as it comes."

"You stole my line."

"Eh, doesn't make it not true."

"Mom."

"Ma."

"Time to help with homework." Marissa sighed.

"Yep. We'll talk more about this later." Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss.

Marissa nodded as she shifted Danny. "I agree. Now, let's go help our minions."

/

Bianca held open the door to Krystal's, and AJ, Miranda and Gabby hurried inside and immediately went to their family's table. Marissa, carrying Danny who was in his carrier, followed them inside with Bianca quickly catching up and walking in next to her wife.

Opal spotted the family first and couldn't resist making a beeline for them after making a quick detour to pick up a high chair for Danny's carrier to rest in. "How is my favorite family?"

"Hey, Opal. You better not let my sister hear you say that." Bianca greeted the older woman with a hug.

"Well, you're not supposed to tell her."

"I hate to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure she's going to find out. Bianca loves telling her stuff like that, and you should know that Kendall and her brood are joining us tonight." Marissa laughed as she settled the carrier in the high chair and started to remove Danny. She knew that Opal would be aching to hold him and so would Krystal as soon as she found out they were there.

"So are Mom, Uncle Jack and Greenlee and her family."

"Well, we better get another table over here then. Could I?"

Marissa chuckled as she handed Danny over. "Sure. You do know that you're going to have to give him up as soon as Krystal sees him, right?"

Opal rolled her eyes. "Yes, I know, but until then, I'm holding him. Let me get someone to move a table and some chairs over here and take your drink order. Danny can help me do that."

The couple just smiled as they took their seats, and let Opal take their youngest with her. Miranda had been watching her mothers like a hawk most of the evening, and the more she saw them interacting, the more relieved she was. She didn't like it when they fought even though it wasn't that often and she knew they still loved each other. Miranda just hated seeing them sad. Now though, she could see their smiles and could tell they were real ones and not forced.

A server came over and moved another table next to the family's along with some more chairs. She then gave the kids some crayons and activity sheets before taking their drink orders.

Marissa's gaze never truly left Danny. She had followed Opal's movements through the restaurant. It wasn't that she didn't trust the older woman. It was just that she couldn't help herself. He wasn't even two months old yet, and there were a lot of people around that she didn't know. To be honest, the only one she wouldn't be nervous about taking Danny around was Bianca, probably Erica and Kendall as well. Now taking the sight in of a pouting Opal, Marissa couldn't help but laugh.

Bianca followed her wife's gaze to see what she was laughing about. She saw that Krystal was now holding Danny. Bianca had caught a glimpse of Marissa tracking Opal's and now Krystal's movements. Truth be told, the brunette was pretty much doing the same thing.

"It didn't take long for Krystal to get Danny, did it?" Bianca smirked.

Marissa shook her head. She wasn't surprised at all. "No, it didn't."

/

"How are all of you this evening?" Krystal smiled as she walked over to the table and gently rocked her youngest grandson.

"Pretty good, and yourself? Bianca asked.

"I can't complain, especially with this little fellow and those other three cuties here, not to mention the two of you. He looks so much like his mama."

"I couldn't agree with you more."

Marissa chuckled. "Thank you both. You'll be seeing some other cute kids tonight too, maybe not as cute as these but still pretty cute."

"Opal mentioned that Kendall and Greenlee were coming with their broods. Is there a particular reason you all are getting together?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not really. It just all happened to work that way."

"Kendall was probably getting a little stir crazy not really being able to go anywhere." Marissa offered.

"True."

"How is she doing?"

"Pretty well. Rissa's been taking very good care of her."

"It's easy when Kendall's already doing everything that she can to make sure the baby is okay. She's got one week at the most. If she hasn't gone into labor by then, she'll be induced, and Bianca and I will have a beautiful niece."

Bianca smiled. "Yes, we will."

Danny started to fuss, and Marissa recognized the signs. "I'll take him. It's time for his dinner too."

Krystal nodded and did as requested.

Bianca looked at her wife. "Would you mind if I did it? I've missed doing that."

Marissa simply smiled warmly and handed over their son to his other mother. The redhead then retrieved a baby bottle from their diaper bag and handed it to Bianca.

Danny sighed contentedly and started feeding. It had been a little overwhelming being around all these people. Now, he was in his brunette mother's arms, and he felt safe and loved. Small hazel eyes looked around and found a matching pair that belonged to his redheaded mother. A small smile spread on his face when he saw her. Yeah, Danny knew he was definitely where he belonged. Hearing Bianca speaking to him softly, he glanced up and found warm chocolate eyes gazing down at him, and he smiled up at her too.

Discreetly, Marissa snapped a photo of Bianca and Danny with her cellphone before also recording a brief video of the two. The redhead then recorded the couple's three older children as they made funny faces for her as she did. For some time now, both she and Bianca would record snippets of their lives which were then downloaded onto a more permanent form of media. They couldn't help themselves and wanted to record these moments, capture them for posterity.

/

After Danny was finished with his bottle, Bianca checked his diaper. "Someone needs to be changed."

"Do you want me to …"

Bianca shook her head and stopped her wife. "I'll do it. You sit. We'll be back." Bianca slung the diaper back over a shoulder and headed off to the ladies' room carrying Danny.

The family had been so wrapped up with each other that they didn't notice that someone had been watching them.

/

Rafaela had been trying to keep herself occupied since she had left the Miranda Center earlier in the day. Liz and Ashley had been handling the negotiations over at Fusion, and the three were meeting to go over several items surrounding this deal. They had traded texts throughout the day and decided to meet at Krystal's. Rafaela had heard good things about the local restaurant as she had wandered through Pine Valley and wanted to check it out. Liz and Ashley readily agreed and also let their friend and client know they had something extremely important to discuss with her outside of the Fusion deal. Rafaela had managed to slip into the restaurant unnoticed several minutes ago and had spotted Bianca almost immediately. She had been seated at a table across the room from the family, but it was one that provided her with an unobstructed view of them. The model observed the family, and when she saw Bianca leave the table carrying a baby, Rafaela took the opportunity to cross the room and speak with a certain redhead.

/

"Do you like my picture, Mommy?"

"I do, very much. It's a very good picture of yourself."

"That's not me, Mommy. That's a monkey."

"Well, you're my monkey."

Gabby giggled as her redheaded mother tickled her.

"Excuse me."

Marissa glanced up and saw a tall, raven haired woman standing next to their table. She knew immediately and without a doubt who this woman was. "Hello."

Rafaela flashed one her most charming smiles. "Hello. You are Bianca's family, sim?"

AJ looked at his mother with a confused look. "Who's sim?"

Marissa glanced down at her son and smiled. "Sim means 'yes' in Portuguese which is what they speak in Brazil, Buddy." The redhead turned to the other woman. "Yes, we are, and you are Rafaela."

Miranda was instantly on alert hearing the other woman's name.

"I am." Rafaela nodded. "You know Portuguese?"

"Um pouco." Marissa glanced at her children who seemed fascinated by the fact that she knew another language. "That means 'a little'."

Rafaela was definitely impressed that the redhead knew a little of her native language.

**/**

**A/N: I had a few things in mind for this chapter, but I had to pull them if I wanted to keep to my normal weekly update. Don't worry. They'll be in my next one. See you soon! **


	191. An Understanding

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it and all of you. Sorry for the late post. I was out earlier today with some friends. We went to see a play, "The Lion King". I've seen it before, and it is still a favorite. I needed that. Work was kicking my butt this week. Anyway, back to our favorite couple. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

"Excuse me."

Marissa glanced up and saw a tall, raven haired woman standing next to their table. She knew immediately and without a doubt who this woman was. As much as she hated to admit it, the woman was even more gorgeous in person then she was in magazine spreads or on television. Marissa was not going to be intimidated by her though. The redhead knew she could more than hold her own, especially with her children present. "Hello."

Rafaela flashed one her most charming smiles. "Hello. You are Bianca's family, sim?"

AJ looked at his mother with a confused look. "Who's sim?"

Marissa glanced down at her son and smiled. "Sim means _yes_ in Portuguese which is what they speak in Brazil, Buddy." The redhead turned to the other woman. "Yes, we are, and you are Rafaela."

Miranda was instantly on alert hearing the other woman's name. It was one she had heard whispered around the house recently, and from the tone it was whispered in, it wasn't a good thing.

"I am." Rafaela nodded. "You know Portuguese?"

"Um pouco." Marissa glanced at her children who seemed fascinated by the fact that she knew another language. "That means _a little_."

Rafaela was definitely impressed that the redhead knew a little of her native language.

"These are Bianca's and my children. This is Miranda."

"That is a very pretty name. Hello."

Miranda merely nodded. "Hello."

"AJ."

"Hi." The blonde offered a small wave.

"Hello, AJ."

"Gabby."

"Hello, Gabby."

"Hi." Gabby gave a shy smile. She still took her cue from her older brother and sister, and right now, they were giving her conflicting signals. AJ seemed friendly, but Miranda was definitely holding back. Gabby could see that her sister was giving this woman the once over. It reminded her of Erica and Kendall.

"You have a baby as well?"

"Yes, we do. His name is Danny, and he is with Bianca right now." Marissa knew the model hadn't just arrived at the restaurant because she would have heard the front door. This had her being almost positive that Rafaela had been there at least long enough to have seen Bianca and Danny.

"Bianca has been kind enough to show me the Miranda Center. She does good work there."

"She does excellent work there and has helped countless people heal and rebuild their lives."

"Mom says you've helped a lot of people too, Ma." Miranda looked at her redheaded mother with a proud smile on her face.

"Ah yes, Bianca said you were a lawyer."

Miranda couldn't help but snicker. "Mom probably said she's a brilliant lawyer, and she's right."

"Thank you, Mimo." Marissa winked at her oldest daughter.

Rafaela observed the pair's interaction. "You are right. She did. Bianca is very smart as well and kind."

"You won't get any argument from me on that. I know exactly how special my wife is."

"You must be proud of her."

"I am."

"We're proud of _both_ of our Moms."

AJ's head snapped up when he heard what Miranda said and the tone of her voice. He'd only heard that tone a couple of times, but he knew what it meant. It was then that he felt some tension that hadn't been there before the other woman showed up. "Miranda's right. We are proud of both of them, and we're really lucky to have them as our Moms."

"They're both special and the best Mommies." Gabby added. She wasn't exactly sure what brought on her sister's defense of their mothers and why AJ chimed in as well, but she knew what they were saying was right.

Marissa shook her head. She was proud of her kids and how fiercely protective they were. It was also amusing to see them take on this other woman. "I guess it's a good thing we are then since we have such amazing kids." Marissa turned back to the model. "So, what can I do for you, Rafaela?"

She couldn't help but smile. The redhead cut to the chase and people didn't normally do that with her. They liked to beat around the bush. This was definitely something new, and she found it refreshing. "Could we speak in privately?"

Marissa nodded. "We can." Looking at the kids, the redhead instructed them. "I will be just over there if you need anything."

"I know, and still keeping an eye on us. We'll be here if _you_ need anything too." Miranda added in true Kane fashion.

Biting back a laugh, Marissa replied. "Oh, I know." She lovingly squeezed the girl's shoulder letting her know that she had this. Marissa motioned for Rafaela to lead the way back to her table.

/

Marissa took a seat that allowed her to keep the kids in her line of sight.

"Thank you for speaking with me. Your children are very beautiful. I supposed I should say your son is very handsome though. He might not appreciate being called beautiful." Rafaela glanced over her shoulder and found three pairs of eyes focused on her like laser beams. Their expressions were disconcerting and had her squirming a little.

The redhead had to do a double-take when she glanced over there. Not only were Miranda and Gabby flashing their versions of the 'Kane death glare' but so was AJ. In the years spent with Bianca's family, it seemed the boy had picked up his own version of the glare. She knew of at least two women, Erica and Kendall, who would be extremely proud of him for that. Bianca would probably be proud as well but just not as much as her mother and sister who would be bragging. It was beyond difficult for Marissa not to burst out laughing at that moment when she saw the effect the Tasker-Montgomery children were having on the world famous supermodel.

"Yes, AJ would prefer handsome. I won't argue with you about my kids. They're also very smart, kind, generous and funny. Bianca and I are very proud of them. So, what did you want to talk to me about?" Marissa was almost positive she knew but needed the woman to say it.

"You're direct. I like that. I would like to talk about Bianca."

"Go ahead."

/

Kendall, Zach and the boys arrived and found the Tasker-Montgomery children seated at the family's regular table.

"Hey, guys. Where are your Moms?"

Miranda glanced at her aunt. "Mom's changing Danny, and Ma is over there talking to that lady."

Kendall followed her niece's gaze and saw her sister-in-law talking to an easily recognizable raven haired woman.

"Wow." Zach hadn't realized he'd let something slip until he felt a smack on his arm. "Ow."

"I'm right here."

"Sorry. She's gorgeous but not half as gorgeous as you." Zach decided to quit while he was slightly ahead. "You know, I'm just going to see if I can get us something to drink."

"Uh huh. You better walk away. How long have they been talking, Miranda?"

"Not long. Do we need to be worried about her?"

"I think your Ma has it covered."

"Really?" The girl clearly wasn't accepting her aunt's pat answer.

"I'm being serious. She has her lawyer face on. You know, the one where she's not taking anyone's … stuff."

Miranda looked again and realized her aunt was right, and that made her feel a little better.

"Don't worry. If something happens, I'll be there to help her out. I don't think she's going to need it though."

/

"She is beautiful, exceptionally so in fact. I am sure many people have wanted her, myself included."

Marissa looked Rafaela dead in the eye. "You can't have her and neither can anyone else. Bianca is with me. She's the love of my life, my wife, the mother of my children and my best friend. I'm not letting her go without one helluva fight, and make no mistake, I know how to fight."

Rafaela held up her hands. "I have no doubt about that. I saw how she looked at you, and as much as it pains me to say, I know there is no chance for me when it comes to Bianca. I was interested in her. Was. Despite what the tabloids say, I am no home-wrecker, and if someone doesn't want me, I know better than to make a fool of myself pursuing them. I find it not good for my ego."

"Then why …"

"Ah. I wanted to apologize. My intentions were not so honorable when I first met Bianca and so I attempted to spend as much time with her as I could. I soon realized I had no real chance. When she was showing me around the Center today, she talked about you a great deal and has a number of pictures of you and your children in her office. It started to sink in that my hopes for something with her were a lost cause. She is, as you would say, head over heels in love with you. I promise you that my finding you here tonight was merely a coincidence. I just heard about this restaurant today and am meeting some people here shortly. Please don't think I'm stalking her because I'm not."

"It's alright. I believe you." And Marissa did believe the model. The couple themselves had only decided a few hours earlier to come here. Besides, anyone they had told about their plans wouldn't have relayed that information to someone else.

Rafaela breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. There are some that wouldn't. I have a reputation. Some of it, I deserve. Some, I don't."

"I've heard a few things. What other people say about you doesn't matter to me though because it's really not about you. It's about Bianca, and I trust her."

The model studied Marissa. "You have a great deal of faith in her."

Marissa shrugged. "She's given me no reason not to."

"I have a feeling she would say the same of you. I envy you, both of you."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. I may be famous, have more money than I ever thought I would, have people cater to my every whim and have others throw themselves at me, but you …" Rafaela glanced over her shoulder. "You have a loving wife and beautiful children. You also have a career where you help people." The model noticed Marissa's surprise and smiled. "Oh yes, your Bianca told me about some of the people you have helped. You are very impressive. Not many people put their lives on the line for another."

"Bianca exaggerates my abilities sometimes. She is the one who is truly impressive and risked her life as well." Marissa smiled softly thinking about her wife.

Rafaela chuckled.

"What?"

"Bianca had the same expression on her face when she was talking about you. I want that. I want someone to have that look on their face when they talk about me. I want what you have found with Bianca, a home and family." Rafaela sighed. "Between the two of us, you are the one who is truly lucky."

Marissa wiped away a tear. "You're right. I am. I'm blessed, and I know it. It's not too late for you, you know? You could find someone, someone else, someone other than Bianca." Marissa added with a wry grin.

Rafaela laughed. "Point taken." The model turned serious. "I wouldn't even know where to begin."

/

Bianca was making faces at Danny as they entered the dining area. The boy was giggling. "I bet you are happy now. You have a full belly and a clean diaper." Bianca glanced up and saw Marissa talking to Rafaela and wiping away a tear. She wasn't sure what was going on, but if Rafaela did anything to hurt Marissa, she was going to pay, big time.

/

Marissa caught sight of her wife coming towards the table and knew that look in her eyes. She needed to diffuse the situation quickly before it escalated.

/

_Oh crap. This isn't good._ Kendall saw her sister heading straight towards Marissa and Rafaela, and she looked like she was about to open a can of Kane whup-ass on the model.

/

"Rissa …"

"Babe, you know Rafaela, right?"

Bianca stood dumbfounded. Her wife was acting like nothing was wrong, like she and the model were friends. The brunette tried to wrap her head around this but was having a hard time considering Marissa's earlier admission of being jealous. "Y … yes, of course I do. Are you alright?"

Marissa smiled brightly as she lifted Danny from her wife's arms. "Yeah, I am. And this handsome little guy is our youngest son Danny."

The tiny redhead flashed a toothless smile and waved his arms around.

"Oh my, he is adorable. Those dimples. He looks just like you, Marissa." Rafaela started cooing over the baby.

"Thanks! We couldn't agree with you more on how adorable he is. I think he's a natural born flirt too."

"There's nothing wrong with that as long as he uses it for good." Rafaela grinned.

Marissa chuckled. "Agreed."

Bianca couldn't hide her confusion. "Rissa, what's going on? Are you sure you're alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"I saw you crying."

"Ah, that was just because we were talking about how lucky I am. I have you, the kids, and my career. Plus, it turns out I'm pretty darn awesome."

Rafaela laughed. "You forgot modest, but Marissa is right. She is awesome."

Marissa turned to her wife and grinned. "See. Told ya."

"I can't argue with that. You are pretty darn awesome." Bianca gave her wife the goofy grin that always caused her heart to skip a beat.

The couple shared a quick kiss, and Marissa nudged their noses together. "So are you. That's why I'm so lucky."

/

Kendall raised an eyebrow as she watched her sister and sister-in-law. It was clear that Rafaela was no longer remotely any kind of threat. She was able to breathe much easier knowing the couple was clearly back on track, and they had done it all on their own. Kendall glanced down to see her nieces and nephew smiling. They could tell their mothers were back to their normal selves too and not afraid to show their affection for each other.

Miranda glanced up at her aunt, and the two nodded to each other.

"What is going on over there, and do I need to be worried? Do I need to do something?"

Kendall turned as her mother and Jack joined them. "I don't know exactly what's going on, but I don't think you need to be worried or do anything. I think Bianca and Marissa have it all under control."

Erica greeted the others and took a seat with her focus on the table across the room. It seemed everyone at their table had the same idea.

/

"Would it be … could I … could I please hold him?"

The couple glanced at each other, holding a silent conversation.

Marissa turned to the model and nodded. "Yes." She gently turned her son over to the other woman. "Make sure you support his head. His neck muscles still need some support."

Rafaela nodded in understanding and carefully did as instructed. Danny smiled at her again as his hand grasped one of her fingers, and the model melted.

Bianca chuckled. "I think Danny has conquered yet again. Don't worry, you're in good company."

"He is, oh my, I don't even have the words. This is what I was talking about, Marissa."

Seeing her wife's raised eyebrow at that statement, Marissa decided to clear things up for her. "Rafaela and I were talking, and she …"

"I want this, what the two of you have built together."

"And I told her that it wasn't too late for her."

"You should listen to Marissa. My wife is very smart. I had my doubts that I would find someone to share my life with. Trust me when I tell you that I have been far from lucky in love."

"Same here. My ex-husband was definitely lacking, in more ways than one." Marissa smirked.

"So were my exes. That all changed when I met Rissa. It's cliché, I know, but we started out as friends and then became best friends, and before I knew it, things changed. She was more than just my best friend, and I fell in love with her. Now, I can't remember when I wasn't in love with her." Bianca smiled at her wife who returned it freely.

"She's right. I was in love with her before I realized what was happening. Best thing that ever happened to me. Because of her, so many of my dreams have come true. We have four of the best kids ever. I have the family and home I've been dreaming of all my life. This all happened when I least expected it. What we're telling you is not to give up."

Rafaela watched the couple and felt something she hadn't felt in a long time. Hope. Maybe, just maybe, it wasn't too late for her.

/

"Hey. Have I missed anything?" Greenlee asked before following the gaze of the others at the table. "What the … I talked to her people earlier."

As Greenlee started across the room, she ran into Liz and Ashley who had just arrived.

"What is she doing here? You said you would keep her away from Bianca. That sure as hell doesn't look like she's keeping away from her."

"We haven't had a chance to talk to her yet. We were going to tell over dinner, here, now. Please believe us." Liz pleaded.

"Liz is telling you the truth." Ashley glanced over at the three women. "Are they laughing?"

Greenlee looked over and saw what Ashley was talking about. "What the hell is going on?"

"I have no idea."

The trio looked at each other and started moving towards the table.

/

"You two are something else, you know that? I don't know that I've ever met anyone like either of you. The love between the two of you when you look at each other is definitely something to see. It's like everyone else just fades away."

"There are some, like my sister and Greenlee, who love to give us a hard time and tease us mercilessly because of that."

"Well, if you ask me, I think it's because they are jealous. I know I am." Rafaela chuckled.

"You don't think it's too much or over the top?" Marissa asked.

"No, I don't. It's what I want."

"What do you want?"

"Ah, Liz, Ashley. You know Bianca. This is her wife Marissa, and this is their youngest son Danny. Hello, Greenlee."

"Hi." Greenlee wasn't really sure of what was going on. Things must have been okay though because Marissa and Bianca were letting Rafaela hold Danny, and there was no way in hell they would do that if something was wrong.

"It's nice to meet you, Marissa, and your son is very cute."

"I couldn't agree more. He's very cute. It's nice to meet you, Marissa. I'm Liz."

"It's nice to meet both of you. Hey, Greenlee. You okay?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah. I'm just surprised …"

"To see the three of us getting along? It's all good." Bianca stated with certainty.

"Really?"

Bianca nodded. "Really. We should probably get back over to our table though. I'm sure the kids are starving by now."

Marissa glanced over at their table and laughed when everyone quickly looked away. "Wow, not like they're obvious or anything. I'll take him off your hands."

Rafaela kissed Danny's head and handed him back to his redheaded mother. "Goodbye, little one."

As Bianca was picking up the diaper bag, Liz began talking with Rafaela about a snag they had run into with their negotiations with Fusion. It was one they had run into before unfortunately.

"So, you're saying that because of a contract I signed when I was young, that I will not be able to work with Fusion? I don't believe this. They are still causing me grief all these years later. What did our lawyers say? Were they able to help at all this time?"

"We're waiting to hear back from them."

Bianca glanced at her wife and could tell she was half listening to the other conversation even though she was clearly focused on their son. The brunette whispered something in Marissa's ear.

"Are you sure, B?"

"I am. I'm guessing it shouldn't take you too long, and it will help knock off some of that rust you were worried about having when you go back to work."

"It might. Are you really sure though?"

"I'm really sure."

"Okay then." Marissa gave her wife a quick kiss before addressing the others. "Do you happen to have the contract in question on hand?"

Ashley nodded. "We do."

"If you'd like, I'd be happy to take a look at it for you. I'm not going to make any promises, but I might be able to find something for you."

"You're a lawyer?"

"Yes, she is and a brilliant one at that."

Greenlee chuckled. "As much as I would love to say that Bianca is exaggerating, I can't. I have to admit that she's being completely honest. Rocky is one helluva lawyer, and I'm speaking from experience."

"Rocky?"

"It's a long story that we're not going to talk about right now, isn't that right, Shorty?" Marissa eyed her friend.

"Right. We don't have nearly enough time for it." Greenlee smirked.

"I couldn't ask you for this. I've caused enough problems for you already by taking up too much of Bianca's time. I don't want to repeat my mistake."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. It was Bianca's idea, and I'm completely on board with it. I won't even charge you because you'll actually be helping me a little. My maternity leave is almost over, and this will help get me back into fighting shape, if you will."

"I'd take her up on it. Besides, we're talking good free legal advice. You're not going to run across that very often." Greenlee offered.

"I don't want to disrupt your dinner. Your family is waiting for you."

"Why don't the three of you join us? You could meet my sister Kendall who is the other half of Fusion, and my Mom is over there as well."

Ashley glanced over at the other table. "Oh my god, it _is_ Erica Kane."

Liz turned to her client. "This other contract has been hanging over your head for years. I think it's worth a shot to see if she could help us."

"Are you sure?" Rafaela asked the couple.

"We're positive."

"Alright then. Let's do it. Obrigado, Marissa."

"Você é bem-vindo." The redhead responded.

Bianca whipped her head around and stared at her wife. "What was that?"

"It was Portuguese for _thank you_ and _you're welcome_." Marissa answered as she walked by her wife.

"You speak Portuguese? How did I not know this?"

"I had a friend in college that was from Brazil. I helped her with English, and she helped me learn some Portuguese. It actually came in handy with a client a couple years ago."

"That is really hot." Bianca whispered as she quickly caught up with her wife. Now, she understood why Marissa reacted the way she did when Bianca spoke French.

Seeing her wife's darkened eyes, Marissa winked and flashed a wicked grin. "If you're good, maybe I'll share a few phrases with you later."

"Damn." Bianca took a deep breath and tried to push images of the things she wanted to do with her wife after the kids were in bed. It was going to be a long night.

/

Introductions were made, and Zach and Ryan grabbed three more chairs. Their server returned and took everyone's orders. Assured that the younger woman was no longer a threat to her daughter's marriage, Erica and Rafaela hit it off famously and traded war stories from the catwalk. Greenlee caught Kendall up on everything, and the two talked with Liz and Ashley.

Marissa went into _lawyer mode_ as soon as Ashley handed her the contract and had tuned the others out with one exception, Miranda. Her oldest daughter was seated next to her redheaded mother, and her curiosity was most definitely piqued. She read along with her mother and asked a few as she did. Marissa made notes as she read and answered her daughter's questions. She couldn't help but smile proudly at Miranda and the questions she asked.

Bianca observed the scene between Marissa and Miranda and smiled brightly as she softly bounced Danny and helped Gabby with her activity sheet. She couldn't even describe how much it meant to her to see the closeness between her wife and oldest daughter. They had a special bond.

Having waved Jack over for his opinion, Marissa explained what she believed to be a solution to Rafaela's problem.

"I think that just might work. No, it will work. You never cease to amaze me. Making you a partner was definitely one of our smartest decisions."

"Thanks. I think so too." Marissa gave him a cheeky grin before turning serious and excusing herself from the table along with the model and her representatives.

Kendall got her sister's attention. "Is everything really alright, Binx?"

"It really is, Kendall. Rissa and I talked a couple of times today and cleared the air between us a great deal. She and Rafaela are getting along really well. That's not an act. They came to some sort of understanding."

"Probably that Red would kick her ass if she tried anything." Kendall smirked.

"I have to admit that I'm surprised by all of this, especially Marissa helping her out." Greenlee confessed. "That doesn't bother you?"

"Nope. Did you see that spark Rissa had in eyes when she was reading that contract and came up with an idea? She needed that. Don't get me wrong. Rissa has loved being home with Danny, but she's a lawyer. She loves what she does, and I know she's missed it. I'm definitely alright with it."

**/**

**A/N: So, I have this problem sometimes where I just start writing, and it kind of gets away from me. This was one of those times. Hope that's okay. To my readers from Brazil, I hope I'm doing the translations correctly. I googled some phrases for this chapter as well as the next one. So, if anything is wrong, I apologize and totally blame Google. See you soon!**


	192. Like the First Time

**A/N: Thanks as always for continuing to read, review and follow! I wish I could tell you just how much I appreciate it. Maybe, this chapter will help with that. There was a guest reviewer who made a comment that I feel I need to address. As I stated in my author's notes last time, the story gets away from me sometimes, and as a result, things I have planned in a particular update get pushed. It doesn't mean that I've forgotten them though. I've just delayed it. Last chapter was one of those times. What I had planned to put in the last chapter is now in this one. I agree that Bianca and Marissa needed a certain scene between them, and to make sure that happened, I wrote sections of this a little out of order. I also did that because there are some things that I just can't write while I'm on break at work. Oh, I've said it before, I'm not a lawyer. Now that that's out of the way, I give you this nice long chapter that picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa finished her explanation of the loopholes she had found such as the one dealing with Rafaela's age at the time she had signed the other contract, and the others sat there stunned for a moment.

Rafaela spoke first. "This will finally get me out of that other contract, and they won't have any claims on my earnings any longer?"

"Yes, it will, and no, they won't."

"I can't believe it. Finally!"

"Wow. I can't believe the other lawyers never found this." Liz glanced at Ashley. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"That we need new lawyers? Yeah, I am. You wouldn't be interested in representing Rafaela, would you, Marissa?"

"I'm sorry, but no. My specialty is family law so I can't, in good conscience, represent you. I wouldn't be doing you justice. If you are serious about new legal representation, I can recommend someone in my firm."

"I would like that very much."

"If you do decide to get a new attorney, I don't see your current lawyer being able to force you to stay with him. As I see it, you have an excellent case for negligence."

Ashley nodded as she jotted some notes.

"Oh, I saved the best for last. If that agency does fight you on this, and I have to admit that part of me hopes that they do, you can file a countersuit asking for some of those earnings back, a large portion. Now, you could demand that upfront, but since what really matters the most to you is getting released from them, I would advise holding off on making that demand until you talk with your attorney. It's one hell of a big bargaining chip."

"Let her go or she sues." Liz saw the validity of Marissa's thinking.

"Exactly. That would be a huge public relations nightmare for them since it would be seen as them taking advantage of a young, naïve girl which you were at the time you signed that contract."

Liz grinned. "Damn, I like it, and I really like you."

"So do I. I can't thank you enough for this. You have just taken a huge weight off of my shoulders. What can I do for you? There must be something."

Marissa shook her head. "That's honestly not necessary. I'm just glad I could help. This is something that needed to be righted. What they did to you was wrong."

Rafaela could see the sincerity in the lawyer's eyes and was extremely grateful. "Thank you."

"Could we have a couple of minutes?" Liz asked.

"Of course. I'll leave my notes with you."

/

"Everything go okay over there?" Bianca asked when Marissa rejoined the family.

"It went great. They just wanted a couple of minutes to talk privately."

"That was very generous of you to help Rafaela after everything that's happened." Erica noted.

Marissa shrugged. "Let's just say that thanks to your youngest daughter, I'm in a better frame of mind. Plus, Rafaela and I have come to an understanding."

"Meaning she knows to keep her hands off Bianca." Greenlee smirked.

"Exactly." Marissa grinned. "She can look but not touch. I'm the only one who gets to do that."

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss. "I kind of like possessive Marissa. Besides, there is no one else I want touching me, and the same applies to you."

"No worries there."

"Okay, we really need to stop talking about people touching my sister." Kendall shivered.

/

"I have two questions." Rafaela stated as she returned to the table.

Marissa nodded. "Shoot."

"The first question is for you, Marissa. You mentioned knowing someone at your firm who might be willing to take me on as a client. Could I have their name and number?"

"Of course."

"Who are you thinking of, Marissa?" Jack asked.

"Sandra Lambert."

"Excellent choice."

Marissa extracted one of her own business cards from her purse and wrote down the requested information on the back of it. "I'll let her know she may be hearing from you. My information is on the front, just in case."

"Thank you very much. The next question is for Greenlee and Kendall. I am very impressed your line and the campaign you would like to do for it. I would really like to work with you and think our collaboration could be beneficial for everyone. Is it possible to have a tentative agreement in place while I switch lawyers and have them deal with this other contract?"

Kendall glanced at Marissa. "You're sure she can break the other contract?"

"Yes, Jack and I both think that."

Greenlee and Kendall looked at each other. They trusted Marissa's opinion, and she hadn't steered them wrong yet. Knowing that Jack agreed with her was just icing on the cake as far as they were concerned. Seeing her friend nod, Greenlee answered. "We can definitely do that, pending termination of the other contract."

"Of course. Thank you."

"Perfect. Greenlee, we're still on for tomorrow?" Liz asked.

"Yes. We'll get that tentative deal hammered out then."

"Works for me."

"While the two of you are doing that, I'll be dealing with the lawyers." Ashley added.

"I would like to be there when you are dealing with them. A _certain lawyer_ will be getting a piece of my mind."

Liz and Ashley recognized the look on Rafaela's face. The _certain lawyer_ in question was more than likely going to have his ass handed to him. It was going to be fun to watch, and Ashley knew she was going to have to give Liz a full report.

With business taken care of for the evening, the group settled down and enjoyed their dinner and continued to talk. The conversations were engaging, new friendships were forged and everyone there had a good time.

/

"Okay, minions. Time for baths and pajamas." Marissa told the kids as they walked into the house. The family ended up staying a little longer than planned at Krystal's, but they couldn't bring themselves to leave since everyone was having such a good time. Marissa was grateful the kids had finished all of their homework before they went out to eat. It was one less thing they had to worry about, and now, they could just relax the rest of the evening. "Head on up, and your Mom and I will be up to help in a few minutes."

The kids were tired so they just nodded and headed upstairs as instructed. A minute later, Bianca walked inside carrying Danny. While Marissa took the older kids inside, the brunette was tasked with releasing Danny and his carrier from his car seat base. Bianca set the carrier on the kitchen table.

"Who do you want?"

Marissa lifted Danny from his seat. "I'll take care of him while you start on the others and help you finish them up when I'm done with him."

"Works for me." Bianca kissed her wife before heading upstairs.

/

Once the kids' baths were over and they were in their pajamas as were their mothers, the Tasker-Montgomery's settled down together in the family room for a bedtime story. Marissa held Danny while Gabby took a seat next to her. AJ and Miranda sat curled up on either side of Bianca. They had opted for an original bedtime story from Marissa, and she happily obliged. Danny gazed up at his redheaded mother. He didn't understand the story, but he was definitely captivated by her voice just like the others. Once the story was over, hugs and kisses were shared between Marissa and the three oldest children before Bianca ushered them up to their bedrooms to tuck them in. While she was doing that, Marissa took a now sleeping Danny to his room and settled him in his crib. After covering him with a blanket, she kissed him, made sure the monitor and nightlight were turned on before turning off the light on the ceiling and quietly closing the bedroom door. Marissa could hear Bianca talking softly to Miranda and decided to make sure everything was locked up and then head to the couple's bedroom.

Marissa crawled under the covers with every intention of waiting up for Bianca so she could follow up on her promise from earlier that evening. The emotionally charged events from the past few days coupled with barely any sleep the night before soon took their toll on her, and Marissa found it impossible to keep her eyes open and was asleep before she knew it.

Bianca found her wife asleep when she got to their bedroom. A part of her was tempted to wake Marissa up so she could show her wife how much she truly desired her, but that was only a small part of her. Bianca knew Marissa had to be exhausted or else she would've have waited up for her. The brunette smiled at how beautiful and peaceful her wife looked. She turned off the lights and carefully slid under the covers. As if almost on extinct, Marissa snuggled next to her wife. Bianca wrapped her arms around the redhead and sighed contentedly. Her own eyes grew heavy, and she soon joined her wife in peaceful slumber.

/

A smile formed on Marissa's face as she felt her wife's arms wrapped around her. The redhead slowly opened her eyes and carefully turned in those same arms so she didn't wake the brunette up. Her smile became even brighter as she watched Bianca sleep.

"You're one to talk, you know?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Marissa grinned.

Bianca opened her eyes. "Uh huh, right. You talk about me having a bad habit when I watch you sleep when you are just as guilty."

"I guess I'll just have to throw myself on the mercy of the court."

"I suppose that is acceptable." Bianca feigned indifference before leaning in and kissing her wife sweetly.

Marissa pulled back quickly. "Wait. You need to get up and start getting ready for work."

"No, I don't. I'm taking the day off."

"You are?"

The pleasantly surprised expression on Marissa's face was exactly the reaction Bianca was hoping for.

"Yep, and Kendall isn't coming over today. She's staying home because Zach's taking the day off too."

"Really? And how did all this come about?"

"I decided that I was in desperate need of some quality time with my brilliant and gorgeous wife."

"Hmmm, I like how you think. Speaking of good ideas, I have one for you. Erica has offered to keep AJ, Miranda and Gabby overnight as well as watching Danny for a couple of hours. She knows that we're not quite ready to be away from him overnight."

"Yeah? I really do have a great Mom. Remind me to thank her when I see her."

"I will." A realization hit Marissa. "Wait. Did you get up with Danny any overnight?"

"No, I didn't." Bianca could see her wife starting to panic and tried to reassure her. "Rissa, he's okay."

"You're probably right, but I need to see for myself." Marissa was already out of bed and reaching for her robe.

Bianca nodded and quickly followed suit. "I understand. Let's go."

/

When they got to their son's bedroom, relief flooded over Marissa as she saw that Danny was indeed alright and still asleep. It was the first time he had slept through the night. Bianca was equally relieved but had wanted to be strong for her wife. Even though she had been through this with Gabby, it was still a little disconcerting the first time it happened.

Marissa smiled down at the sleeping boy, watching the rise and fall of his chest. "Do you think this means our little night owl is finally getting the hang of this sleeping at night thing?"

Bianca had stopped behind her wife as she entered the room. She wrapped her arms around the redhead's waist and rested her chin on Marissa's shoulder. "I sure hope so."

"I … I'm sorry for falling asleep on you last night. I know we were both hoping for more."

"There's nothing to apologize for. I know you were tired, and I have to be honest. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. Besides, we have today, if you're in the mood. There's no pressure though. I don't want you to think …"

Marissa turned around in Bianca's arms. "I know what you mean, and thank you. I couldn't agree more. It should happen naturally."

Bianca smiled and was grateful she and Marissa were thinking the same. "Exactly." The brunette leaned in for a kiss when a small cry stopped her.

"It sounds like someone is awake." Marissa chuckled.

The brunette sighed and gave her wife a quick peck on the lips before releasing her. "I'm guessing he's in need of both breakfast and a diaper change."

"I think it's safe to say you're right. I'll take care of that if …"

"I'll start on breakfast for the rest of us and get the others moving."

"Perfect." Marissa lifted the crying redhead from his crib and began to gently rock him as she crossed the room to his changing table.

Bianca paused in the doorway briefly to watch her wife and youngest child. She sighed happily as Marissa started to softly sing _Forevermore_. Almost instantly, the song began to work its magic as Danny began to calm down. It was something Bianca had seen many times before with each of the kids, and it never ceased to amaze her. Sighing once more, Bianca forced herself to leave the room so she could go wake up their other children and start on breakfast.

/

Minx Manor was bustling with activity a short while later. Max had been let outside and was happily romping in the backyard on a beautiful spring day. Danny had been changed and fed, and he was gurgling with a huge smile on his face while Gabby was playing peekaboo with him. AJ and Miranda were finishing up their breakfast and watching their Moms interacting at the same time. Both women had changed out of their pajamas and into shorts and t-shirts and were whispering to each other throughout the meal. Their smiles reached their eyes, something that hadn't happened in several days, and the older Tasker-Montgomery children knew that was a very good sign.

"Who's taking us to school today since you're off now, Mom?" Miranda asked.

"I'll still be taking you and then coming back home to spend some time with your Ma."

"Why are you taking today off?" AJ asked this time.

Marissa answered for her wife. "Because your Mom has been working way too hard lately and deserves an extra day off. We have a question for the three of you."

"What is it?"

"How would you like to stay overnight at Erica and Jack's?"

"Really?!" Miranda had a hopeful smile on her face. She loved spending time with her grandmother, even though she didn't dare call her by that title.

"Yep. She was talking about it yesterday when she stopped by. Erica was thinking you could see 'Home' in 3D, and she also mentioned that Jack might be up for building …"

"A fort?!" AJ finished, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Yep."

"He builds the best forts!"

"So we've heard."

"What about Danny?" Miranda asked.

"He's a bit too little to spend a whole night away from us right now, but he will go over there for a little while tomorrow." Bianca answered.

"Good. You and Ma deserve to have some time alone."

The couple glanced at each other, slightly dumbfounded by their oldest daughter's mature response.

"Uh, okay. Your Mom and I have an idea for Sunday. What do you think about all of us going to the zoo?"

Gabby perked up hearing that question. "The zoo?! Yeah! We haven't been there in _forever_. Ooh, we can show Danny the monkeys and the manatees and …"

Bianca and Marissa chuckled at Gabby's boundless excitement over her favorite place, the zoo. It had actually only been maybe three months since their last visit which was hardly 'forever', but if it was your favorite place, it felt that long.

"Oh! The baby animals are out now! We can see them! I know Danny will like them 'cause they're little just like him."

"Okay, it sounds like Gabby's in. What about the two of you?"

AJ and Miranda nodded. They liked going to the zoo, maybe not as much as their little sister but they still liked it pretty much.

"Sounds good to us, Ma." Miranda confirmed for her and AJ.

"Great! We have a plan. Oh, I know what could make it even better. We could grab a picnic lunch from Krystal's to take with us."

Everyone smiled at Bianca's suggestion.

Bianca checked the time and clapped her hands together. "Okay, guys. It's time to go."

The kids hugged and kissed Marissa before gathering their backpacks and lunches.

"Learn lots, my minions!"

Bianca leaned in for a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon."

"I'll be here." Marissa smiled as she watched Bianca and their three oldest children leave. She thought for a moment and remembered something she needed to do.

/

"_Marissa?"_

"Hi, Sandy. How are you?" Marissa didn't have the chance to call her colleague last night and tell her about Rafaela. Now that she had a few minutes before Bianca returned home, it was the perfect time to fill her in on things.

"_I'm good. How are you doing, and how is that adorable baby boy of yours?"_

"We both good, and Danny's even more adorable. He's getting steadier when he's on his tummy and trying to hold himself up. He definitely has the smiling and laughing down. Oh and last night, he slept through the night for the first time."

"_Really? Congratulations. I remember those days. I bet it probably scared you a little though. I know it did me the first time Austin slept through the night."_

"Yes, it did. As soon as I realized he hadn't woken us up, we raced to his room."

"_I can totally relate, and it's nothing to be embarrassed about."_

"Thanks. That's pretty much exactly what Bianca said."

"_She's a smart woman."_

"Yes, she is. Now, you're probably wondering why I'm calling."

"_The thought crossed my mind. A partner calls you early in the morning, and you can't help but wonder, especially if she's on leave."_

"It's nothing to be worried about, I promise. I'm just giving you a heads up on some work that may be coming your way in the form of a new client."

That had the other lawyer's attention. _"I'm intrigued. Tell me more."_

"You have some time now?"

"_For you, I'm making it. Seriously, don't worry. My schedule is clear until 9:00. What's up?"_

"Good. Have you heard of Rafaela?"

Sandy thought for a moment. _"She's that supermodel from Brazil, right?"_

"That's her."

"_I definitely know who she is then. My brother swears he is in love with her and is trying to figure out how he can get an autographed picture of her."_

"Well, that might be something I can help you with. Rafaela is actually in Pine Valley at the moment. She is in negotiations with Fusion to become a spokesperson for them."

"_That's interesting. Oh, you know this because of Bianca's sister Kendall."_

"Yes and Greenlee as well. They ran into a snag with those negotiations. This contract she signed with an agency years ago is still hanging over her head. It turns out that it was very specific. It gives them half of the earnings she receives from any cosmetics contracts she signs."

"_Wow. Who the hell let her sign something like that?"_

"Well, she didn't have a lawyer look it over before she signed. Now before you ask, she was only 15 years old at the time, her parents didn't speak English, and hers was limited."

"_Ah, I get it. The agency saw a beautiful, young girl who could make them millions, and they took full advantage of her. Damn, I hate scum like that. Wait. Don't tell me that contract is still in place and being enforced? She has to have proper legal representation by now who could easily break it."_

Marissa scoffed. "Yeah, she has legal representation alright, but I highly doubt the 'proper' part. They haven't done one damn thing about that contract in all these years."

"_That makes two of us. They could've broken that thing easily. They just didn't want to do the work. Lazy bastards. That's sheer …"_

"Negligence, I know. I can't help but think there's something else going on with it. That's what my gut is telling anyway. This is where you come in."

"_Oh, please tell me she wants a new lawyer."_

Marissa could hear the excitement in the other lawyer's voice. She was downright giddy. "Yeah, she was definitely interested in a new lawyer, and your name immediately came to mind. I gave her your number, and I wouldn't be surprised if you got a call from her this morning. If retained, you would get the pleasure of breaking said contract as well as the balls of her soon-to-be former lawyer. I know that's something that you love."

"_You know me too well! Tell me a little bit more about this contract. You looked it over?"_

"I gave it a cursory glance last night, answered some questions for her, and gave her my opinion on what I thought could be done. I told her my specialty was family law though, and that it would be in her best interest to get someone who handled this time of law."

Sandy listened as Marissa gave her more details about the contract and shared some of her thoughts. From what she was hearing, it sounded like Marissa was dead on in her analysis. Sandy knew the redhead was an excellent attorney so she wasn't surprised that Marissa had easily found the loopholes necessary to break it. Sandy couldn't help but think Marissa was on to something regarding some sort of collusion between the agency and her current lawyer. The whole thing just reeked.

"_Alright, I definitely look forward to hearing from her and helping her out."_

"You do the job that I know you can do, and she will gladly give you an autographed picture for your brother."

"_Oh, if she did that, my brother would absolutely love me, and his fraternity brothers will be really jealous."_

Marissa laughed. "See, it's a win all the way around. I'll let you go so you can get to work. Thanks for doing this."

"_Are you kidding me? Thank you for thinking of me. I look forward to seeing you back in the office soon."_

"I look forward to it too. Call me if you need anything regarding this."

"_I will. Bye."_

"Bye."

/

When Bianca returned home from dropping the kids off at school, she found the kitchen cleaned up from breakfast, but the room itself was empty. Cocking her head, she heard her wife's laughter coming from the family room and made a beeline for it. Bianca quickly found Danny getting some tummy time while Marissa was sitting cross-legged on the floor next to him and holding her tablet engaging in a skype session with Jo.

"_It's not funny, Rissa!"_

"Actually, it is. It's very funny." Marissa was laughing so hard that she snorted.

Danny was able to move his head to glance at his redheaded mother with wide eyes. He was soon able to see that it wasn't anything to be worried about and that she was just laughing so he started giggling himself. Bianca couldn't help but be amused by the sight.

"See, even your nephew thinks it's funny." Marissa turned the tablet so Jo could see Danny.

Jo rolled her eyes at her friend's comment but then smiled when she saw and heard Danny. _"Well, he unfortunately has your sense of humor. I'm not going to hold that against him though. He's too cute and is getting so big."_

"Yeah, he really is, and I'll have you know that I have a great sense of humor. It's not my fault you can't see the humor in the situation."

"_Seriously? We're talking about my Mom! I'm scarred for life, and you're laughing at my pain."_

"Scarred for life?! Oh my god, dramatic much, Jo?"

"Hey. Is Jessica alright?" Bianca's asked as her curiosity got the better of her.

Marissa turned and smiled at her wife. "Hey. Jessica is just fine. Actually, she's probably great."

"_Hello! I'm still here, and let's tone back on the 'great' comment."_

Bianca poked her head into the camera's view. "Hey, Jo."

"_Hey, Bianca. Shouldn't you be at work?"_

"I'm playing hooky today."

"_Good for you."_ Jo was happy to see the smile return to Marissa's face. She had noticed it was missing the last time the friends had talked a couple of days ago. Marissa had told her earlier in their conversation today that she and Bianca had talked, like Jo had advised her, and things were much better between the couple. Truth be told, Jo was ready to hop on a plane and kick a certain Brazilian model's ass if need be. Now, that Marissa was back to her old self, Jo was able to joke with her. _"You know, I don't know what someone as nice and sweet as you sees in someone like Marissa. Your wife is cold, heartless and takes great pleasure in my pain."_

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Wow, you could seriously give Meryl Streep a run for her money."

Bianca raised an eyebrow. "Really now? What did she do?"

"_She's not taking my side!"_

"Oh please! There's no side to take." Marissa sighed. "Jo was away for a conference and got back early yesterday morning." The redhead started to chuckle again.

"Okay."

"When she got home, Jessica and Caleb were there, having breakfast together while in their robes." Marissa lost it again.

It only took a second for Bianca to join her wife laughing.

"_Et tu, Bianca?"_

Marissa snorted again at her friend's dramatics. "You're seriously going the whole Caesar route?"

"_Wow. It looks like I was wrong about you, Bianca. I'm glad the two of you are so amused by my pain, that it brings you so much joy."_

"I'm sorry." Marissa was able to sober up slightly, but not much really. "I thought you liked Caleb."

"_I do, but I could've done without seeing that. It's one thing to suspect their relationship has progressed to that point, but it's another to see proof of it, to have it thrown in your face like that." _

"Well, has she ever seen you and Greg in a similar situation?"

Jo sighed heavily. _"Yeah, she has. Stop being so rational!"_

"Sorry, again. It's horrible, awful and kind of inspiring that your Mom is still getting busy with it. That will be you in a few years."

"_Well, yeah. There is that."_

"And just think how she felt about being busted."

"_Are you speaking from experience, Marissa?"_ Jo started to smile.

"Unfortunately, yes. We've been interrupted by all three of the older kids. They thankfully didn't see much of anything."

"We told them we were wrestling, and thank god they bought it." Bianca offered.

"They all now know that if our bedroom door is closed that they have to knock and wait for our permission to enter."

This time it was Jo who laughed so hard she snorted. _"Well, all except Danny."_

"We have a couple of years before we have to worry about him, thankfully."

"_So, who won the 'wrestling match'?"_

Marissa glanced at her wife before turning back to screen with a wide grin. "We both did."

Bianca nodded happily in agreement. "That we did. So, Jessica is probably embarrassed as well."

"You want her to be happy, don't you?" Marissa asked even though she knew the answer.

"_You know I do. After everything that she's been through, she deserves to be happy, and I know that Caleb does that for her. He is a good guy, and if he wasn't, I know you would tell me."_

"Damn straight I would. He wouldn't be anywhere near her."

Jo sighed. _"Alright, you've talked me down, and I'm not freaking out like I was. I know she's an adult, and I trust her. Thanks, both of you, especially you, Rissa."_

"You're welcome. I'm here anytime you need me. The same goes for Bianca."

"Definitely!" Bianca noticed Danny getting sleepy. "I'm going to go put him in his bed. Bye, Jo."

"_Bye, Bianca."_ Jo looked at her friend. _"I'm really glad the two of you have worked things out."_

"Me too and thanks for letting me vent the other day. You know what you really should do?"

Jo rolled her eyes. _"Yes, I know so get that smug look off your face, Marissa. I need to take my own advice and talk to her."_

"Exactly."

"_Thanks for letting me vent. Alright, I'm going to go and let you and Bianca enjoy playing 'hooky'. Love you."_

"Love you too. Let me know how it goes with Jessica. Oh, maybe you and Jessica should could up with some sort of signal when you've got company."

Jo glared at her best friend. She was having way too much fun at her expense, but Jo knew if the roles were reversed that she would be doing the exact same thing. It was something friends did. Jo also knew though that if it was something serious, she and Marissa would have each other's backs. _"Not funny. Don't give up your day job, Tasker."_

Marissa ended the skype session and chuckled again at Jo's plight. If the roles had been reversed, she had no doubt that she would have reacted the same way as Jo.

Now that she was alone, Marissa suddenly felt a little nervous. It was ridiculous when she thought about it, but it had been close to almost two months since she and Bianca had made love and her body had changed after having Danny. She was thinking about this too much. If she and Bianca hadn't been so exhausted last night, they would have made love then and there wouldn't have been time to think about it. _I need to stop getting into my own head. It's Bianca. She loves me and wants me, and I know I sure as hell love and want her._ Having given herself that little pep talk, Marissa padded down the hallway to their bedroom.

/

Bianca found her wife sitting on their bed. For some reason, the brunette found that she was slightly nervous. It was probably a little silly, but she couldn't help it. It had been a while since they had made love, and it felt little like their first time.

"Hey."

Marissa glanced up and met her wife's gaze. "Hey yourself."

"Are you okay? We don't have to do …"

"I'm okay, maybe a little nervous but that's it. I want to do this. I want so much to make love to you. If you don't want to though, I'm …"

Bianca pressed a finger to her wife's lips. "Oh, I want to. I'm a little nervous too, but I want you. I don't think I'm ever not going to want you. You are so …"

"B."

"Yeah?"

Marissa smiled mischievously. "You're talking too much."

Bianca laughed. "I guess I am. Maybe you need to do something about it, _Counselor_."

"I thought you'd never ask." Marissa surged forward and crashed her lips into Bianca's. Both women moaned at first contact. While they had kissed during their sexual moratorium, they had kept their passion to a minimum in order to avoid temptation of starting something they knew they couldn't finish. Now however, that was no longer a concern.

The kiss deepened and escalated as tongues silently asked for and were eagerly granted access. The nerves they had been experiencing fled and were no longer a thought. They reluctantly separated when the need for air could no longer be ignored. This separation was put to good use however as they stood and removed each other's clothes.

Marissa raked her eyes over her wife's body. "Você é linda."

Bianca raised an eyebrow hearing her wife speak Portuguese and practically growled. She wasn't sure what she had said, but Bianca didn't give a damn at that moment because whatever she had said was sexy as hell and increased her arousal. Something she didn't think was possible. This time, Bianca initiated the kiss and poured all of the passion and love she had for Marissa into it. She wanted her wife to know and to feel that love and passion.

The couple tumbled onto the bed and smiled briefly at each other. Bianca then began to worship Marissa's body and pay homage to every inch of it. God how Marissa had missed those lips, that oh so talented tongue and those hands. That heavenly trio seemed to be everywhere at the same time. It was almost too much, almost. Marissa vowed they would never go this long again without this closeness. Bianca's lips found the stretch marks that had been added to her wife since the conceiving and birth of their youngest son. The brunette placed gentle, loving kisses on each of them. They deserved no less in her mind since they were a sign of the precious gift her wife had willingly bestowed upon her. Marissa moaned and gave herself willingly to Bianca, allowing herself to be claimed by the woman who owned her heart.

Hearing her wife's moans spurred Bianca on. She could feel Marissa's desperation and need, and Bianca granted her pleas with pleasured fervor. The brunette slid her tongue past soaked outer folds where she began her exquisite torture of Marissa in earnest. Bianca ran her tongue up the full length of the redhead's slit before taking the sensitive bundle of nerves into her mouth and sucking hard. Marissa jerked and bowed her back encouraging Bianca to take more. Bianca teased a little more before she released the now throbbing clit and plunged her tongue into Marissa's aching core tasting what she deemed to be the true nectar of the gods. Silken locks were pulled tighter as the redhead desperately begged for more. Fingers replaced the brunette's tongue as she returned to claim her wife's lips. Marissa moaned as she tasted herself on Bianca's tongue. Bianca began to thrust and build a rhythm as Marissa ground down on Bianca's talented fingers, desperate for more, more friction, more everything. Bianca gazed into hazel eyes that had darkened and glazed over as she was losing herself to the pleasure the brunette was giving her. She knew Marissa was teetering on the edge so she increased her thrusting and corkscrewed her fingers to hit that spot that drove the redhead over the edge and caused her to release a silent scream of pleasure. The brunette helped Marissa ride out her orgasm, prolonging the pleasure as long as she could.

Completely sated for the moment, Marissa went limp. Bianca knew there was no sight more beautiful than that of Marissa completely unraveled as a result of her loving ministrations. Several minutes later, a smile began to form on Marissa's face. She didn't need to open her eyes to know that Bianca was watching her. The redhead could feel her wife's loving gaze on her, and it warmed her soul. Marissa slowly opened her eyes and smiled.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"That was incredible. I don't want this to go to your head, but I think I might have blacked out for a couple of minutes."

Bianca grinned proudly. "I try my best."

Marissa laughed. "And succeed every damn time. Come here, please."

The brunette did as requested, and when she was close enough, Marissa leaned up and kissed her. It started off languid but picked up in fervor. Before she knew it, her wife had flipped their positions, and Bianca was now on her back. Marissa lowered her voice an octave and began to whisper to Bianca as her lips began to blaze a trail along her wife's jawline and neck, and her seduction began in earnest.

"Você é linda. Eu te amo."

Bianca moaned from the combination of what her wife was both doing and saying. It aroused her more than she could say. "Oh god."

Marissa continued down to Bianca's breasts, and her tongue began to torturously tease a hardened nipple while her hands caressed and roamed freely. "Eu te adoro. Você é meu coração, minha alma."

After thoroughly ravishing the one breast, she released it and traversed the brunette's body over to the other one to show it equal attention. She was all about equal opportunity after all. Bianca ground herself on Marissa's thigh wanting, needing more. Marissa smiled, understanding what her wife needed.

Taking the hint, Marissa began to slowly move lower towards where Bianca needed her most, placing tender kisses along every inch and nipping those particularly sensitive spots that had Bianca inhaling sharply and mumbling incoherently. Reaching her final destination, Marissa slowly slid her tongue past her wife's soaked outer folds and into her aching core. Bianca arched her back as she grasped silken copper locks and pulled Marissa closer again. The brunette began to unravel from the ecstasy brought on by Marissa's bewitching tongue while her wife drank in all of Bianca. Marissa moved her mouth to her wife's throbbing clit and began to suck as she slid two fingers inside Bianca, curling them and sending the brunette tumbling over the edge and crying out in rapture as each thrust hit that most sensitive spot. Marissa watched as her wife recovered. She loved the sight of Bianca coming down from the summit of pleasure that only the redhead could take her to.

/

Bianca pried her eyes open and found hazel eyes filled with love gazing at her. "Hey."

Marissa smiled at the raspy but sated tone in her wife's voice. "Hey."

"C'était génial. Tu es géniale."

"Damn. French? You know what that does to me."

"I do now after you pulled out the Portuguese. You know you're going to have to translate for me."

"It will be my pleasure."

Bianca propped up an arm and rested her head on her hand. "What are you thinking about?"

Marissa mimicked her wife's action, and the two faced each other. "You and how much I love you, how much I missed this. I'm not talking about the sex either, although I have missed that a lot. We really can't go that long ever again."

"I'm with you 100%. I don't think I could survive."

"Tell me about it. What I've really missed though is feeling this close to you, like we are right now."

"I've missed it too. It's like we've been out of synch recently, not us."

"Yeah. You know for smart women, we can be kind of dumb sometimes."

Bianca laughed. "You are so right. Jan pretty much told me the exact same thing."

"It was Brian for me." Marissa snickered.

"Talking to your bosses like that can be pretty risky. It's a good thing we like them." Bianca joked. She knew that Marissa and she valued the other two's honesty too much to hold it against them.

"Very true. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For taking the day off, spending it with me, and arranging to have Zach take the day off as well so he could be home with Kendall."

"You're welcome. I would do anything for you. I have to admit though that I was being a little selfish. I _needed_ to be here with you. I've missed you so much. I don't think I realized just how much until yesterday after our fight. I know we were both here, but at the same time, we weren't, if that makes any sense."

"It makes perfect sense. Physically, we were present, but we were emotionally absent."

"Exactly. I needed that emotional connection with you again. As for Zach, he was happy to stay home. It gives him and Kendall some 1 on 1 time before the baby get here."

Marissa could see the worry in her wife's eyes. "Kendall's going to be alright and so is our niece."

Bianca nodded. She really did believe they would be alright. It was scary though, and she was glad that she had Marissa to lean on. "I know."

"Can I tell you something?" Marissa asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"Anything."

"I'm _really_ glad you were selfish today."

"Me too. Playing hooky has been a win-win. I think I'm going to have to be a little selfish more often."

Marissa grinned. "You're not going to get any arguments from me, especially with these results. Heck, I like it when you're selfish like this."

Bianca chuckled. "Hey, how much time do you think we have before Danny wakes up from his nap?"

The redhead glanced over her shoulder to check the time. "About an hour."

"Up for another round of wrestling then?" Bianca gave her wife a wicked grin that you knew she couldn't resist.

A brilliant smile spread across Marissa's face. That grin and the darkening of warm chocolate eyes were a lethal combination, and she knew Bianca knew it too. "Always."

**/**

**A/N: Translation time! Again, I'm counting on Google for Portuguese as well as French translations this time. **

**Eu te amo**** (I love you). **

**Você é meu coração****, ****minha alma**** (You are my heart, my soul).**

**Você é linda (You are beautiful).**

**Obrigado (Thank you)**

**Você é bem-vindo (You're welcome)**

**Eu te adoro**** (I adore you)**

**C'était génial. Tu es géniale. **** (That was amazing. You are amazing.)**


	193. A Perfect Weekend

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. Looking at some of stats for this not so little tale, I realized I'm approaching a major milestone and should hit it in maybe two to three chapters. I'll see if you can guess what it is. In the meantime, this chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update!**

**/**

The couple had finished their second round of lovemaking and were cuddling, enjoying lying in each other's arms when they heard Danny start to fuss via the baby monitor. Marissa started to get up but was stopped.

"No, let me." Bianca grabbed her robe, and with a quick peck, was off to check on their son.

Marissa couldn't help but smile as she heard the conversation over the monitor between Bianca and Danny. It was pretty one-sided given Danny's limited verbal skills, but the redhead could hear him giggle in response to what his brunette mother was saying. With a fresh diaper on him, Bianca and their son returned to their bedroom to find a grinning Marissa wearing the couple's prized Paul McCartney t-shirt.

"Hmmm, I see you're wearing my shirt."

"I don't believe possession of this shirt is something that has been firmly established. How's our boy?"

Bianca shook her head amused and handed Danny over to his other mother. "Freshly changed and hungry. I'm just going to go grab a bottle for him. You want anything?"

"Some water? I'm a little parched from our wrestling." Marissa winked.

"That makes two of us. I'll be right back."

When Bianca returned, Danny was laying on his back and kicking his legs happily. Marissa spread his arms out as she leaned down to blow raspberries on his tummy. The redhead glanced up when she heard her wife.

"There's your Mommy now, and she's got a bottle for you. You're going to grow big and strong. Danny's going to be sooooo big!" Marissa spread his arms out again, and Danny giggled and kicked his legs some more. "That smile is going to break a lot of hearts and have people do whatever he wants them to."

Bianca joined them on the bed and set two bottles of water and Danny's bottle on the nightstand. "I have no doubt about that. It's just like his Mama's, and she sure has my heart. As for Danny, he already has his Grandma Erica wrapped around his little finger."

"I won't tell her you called her the 'G' word. That's our secret, right, Danny?"

The boy kicked his legs again and gurgled in reply.

"Thank you both. We don't want Mommy to get in trouble." Bianca handed her wife one of the bottles of water and then picked up Danny. He latched onto the baby bottle immediately.

Marissa took a long drink of water and groaned appreciatively. "Thanks." She saw Max at their door and patted the bed indicating for him to join them. The dog trotted over and hopped up onto the bed. Marissa began to scratch behind Max's ear. "It's going to be different for him when I go back to work next week."

"Yeah, it will, but the kids are almost out of school and will be around when they aren't in day camp. How are you doing with going back to work?"

"Part of me is sad and doesn't want to go back. I've loved being home with Danny. A bigger part of me though is anxious and excited to get back to work. I've missed it. Does that make me bad?"

Bianca shook her head. "No, it doesn't, not at all. Some parents stay home and others don't. I went back to work after I had Gabby. You have worked too hard to get where you are and love what you do. I see nothing wrong with you wanting to go back. You're a great mom, no matter what you do or where you are. If anyone says differently, you tell them to talk to me, and I'll set them straight."

Marissa chuckled. She knew her wife meant every single word of what she'd said. "I know you will. Thanks. I am really going to miss him though, but I'm lucky that the firm has that daycare now. I can pop down and see him whenever I need a fix."

"I'm jealous of that but glad that you can do it. Have you heard from anyone about the daycare center and how it's doing?"

"Brian says that Jamie still really loves it, and I've heard the same from others that take their kids there. You can stop by there anytime you want also."

"That's good to hear. I really liked it when we checked it out, but it's always nice to hear from others that are actually using it." Bianca pulled the empty bottle away from her son and began to burp him.

"Definitely. So, what else do you have on the agenda for today?"

/

After getting dressed again, the couple went for a walk. Bianca carried Danny with Marissa right by their side. Max trotted slightly ahead of the three almost as if he was on guard for trouble and ready to protect his family if necessary. The couple talked as they walked. There were still things they needed to discuss, and this was the perfect opportunity for them. After spending some time down by the pond, they headed back to the house. It was lunchtime when they returned, and Bianca insisted on being the one to make them something. Marissa protested, but her wife said she wanted to pamper her, that she deserved it after everything. It wasn't worth an argument so the redhead relented. She sat at the counter with her attention divided between her wife and son. Since it was such a nice day, the couple decided to eat outside. The rest of the afternoon was lazy for the women with time spent cuddling when Danny went for a nap again. It was exactly the sort of day they both needed.

When it was time, they put Danny in the car seat in Marissa's SUV and headed out to pick up the kids from school. Picking them up together was something they hadn't done in a while, and they thought it would be a nice surprise. It turned out that they were right. The kids were happy to see them, and a couple of their friends got a peek at their little brother. Amber in particular really liked that. The couple couldn't help but smile at the change that had taken place in her since she had bullied Miranda. That seemed like a lifetime ago, and now, Amber was one of Miranda's best friends as well as being a pretty good one to AJ.

After getting home, the kids went to their rooms to figure out what they wanted to take to Erica and Jack's. AJ and Miranda did a good job packing, but Gabby needed a little help. The only thing she knew for sure that she wanted to take with her was her beloved stuffed monkey Minx. Marissa helped her decide which pajamas to take as well as an outfit for the next day. With the kids' overnight bags packed, the family decided to grill out. Marissa handled the grilling duties because she was better at it than Bianca. While Marissa kept an eye on the burgers and corn on the cob outside on the grill, Bianca made some macaroni and cheese and a nice fruit salad.

Jack picked up the kids a while later. Bianca couldn't tell who was more excited, the kids or Jack. A couple of hours later, it was time for Danny to go to bed. With that done, the couple decided to make an early night of it themselves and pick up where they left off earlier that day.

/

They didn't panic as much the next morning when Danny slept through the night again for them. While Marissa was sleeping, Bianca crept up to his room to check on him. Seeing that he was still sleeping peacefully, she padded back to their bedroom. Marissa woke up when Bianca was getting back into bed. The brunette was able to assure her wife that their son was just fine. This allowed them to spend some more time in bed together. Not wanting to start something they weren't sure they could finish because they didn't know exactly when Danny might wake up, the couple contented themselves with snuggling in bed together. With only Danny in the house with them, they decided to forgo pajamas, and they relished the feel of naked bodies pressed against each other and limbs entwined.

Later that morning, the couple headed over to Erica and Jack's to drop off Danny. They had planned on dropping him off in the afternoon, but Erica convinced them to do it earlier so they could enjoy a nice lunch out together. The diva even sweetened the offer by having made them a reservation at their favorite bistro. Bianca and Marissa had to admit that having a meal out without having to cut up someone's lunch or fighting with them over eating their vegetables was pretty appealing. They decided to accept Erica's generous offer.

After spending some time checking out the fort that the kids had built with Jack and that by some miracle Erica had allowed to still be standing, the couple headed out for lunch. They had a wonderful time and managed to talk about something other than the kids. Just as they were getting ready to leave the restaurant, Erica called them and told them to take some more time for themselves. Jack had just left with AJ, Miranda and Gabby to go to the movies, and Erica was really enjoying herself spending time with Danny. Bianca had to admit that her mother had mellowed over the years. She was still someone you didn't want to cross, not if you knew what was good for you, but Erica had in fact mellowed some, _some_. If someone thought they could get anything past this new version of Erica, they would be sorely mistaken and would regret it for a very long time. Receiving her mother's assurance that she was good bonding with Danny and really did want them to enjoy themselves, Bianca suggested to Marissa they check out an art exhibit they had been wanting to see.

The couple decided to stop at Erica's favorite restaurant on their way back so they could pick up dinner for everyone. It was a thank you to Erica and Jack for watching the kids. While Marissa went into a guestroom to pump which she desperately needed to do by this time, Bianca helped clean up. When that was all done, the Tasker-Montgomery family headed back home. They had a busy day tomorrow with their trip to the zoo. Erica was happy to see the smiles firmly back in place on her daughter's and daughter-in-law's faces.

/

Sunday, was a busy but fun day for the family. Gabby was too excited for words and woke her mothers up well before it was time to go. They finally got her to lay down in bed with them for another hour before Danny woke up. While Marissa took care of him, Bianca and Gabby headed to the kitchen to make breakfast for everyone. When they were all done eating and everything was cleaned up, they loaded into the SUV and headed off to zoo after making a pit stop at Krystal's to pick up their picnic lunch. Once it was placed in the cooler that also held some baby bottles for Danny, they were back on the road.

The kids, particularly Gabby, had a great time roaming the zoo and watching the animals. Danny was in his stroller for most of the visit although Gabby did request that one of her mothers take him out of it so he could see the monkeys. Marissa happily obliged her youngest daughter's request. She was beyond relieved that Danny was awake when they got to that particular exhibit because she knew that Gabby would've been crushed if she didn't get to share as she put it 'how awesome monkeys are' with her little brother. Much to Gabby's delight and the surprise and amusement of the others, Danny honestly seemed to enjoy the monkeys. He smiled, cooed happily and even waved his arms. What really caught his attention though were the tigers. For some reason, Danny's eyes widened when he saw them. It could've been because of the baby tigers playing together in the exhibit, or it could've been something else altogether. Whatever it was, he appeared to be fascinated by them, and when the family stopped at the gift shop to pick up souvenirs of their visit and Bianca held up several stuffed animals, Danny reached out for a tiger.

All four kids crashed early that evening which allowed the couple some more time alone and had them turning in early themselves to enjoy that time.

/

Marissa waved to Zach and the boys as they honked in response and drove off. The redhead then smiled at her sister-in-law and moved aside so the woman could come inside. "Good morning, Kendall."

Noting her sister-in-law's smile and the fact that she seemed to be practically glowing, Kendall couldn't help but chuckle. "Good morning. It looks like you had a good weekend, Red."

"I did. It was wonderful. I'll be happy to tell you about it, but I'll have to leave out certain details. There are some things that I don't think you want to know."

Kendall shook her head. "Got that right. Greenlee may want details, but I don't. I'm just glad to see that smile on your face again."

"That makes two of us." Bianca said as she slipped an arm around her wife as she joined the other two women. "Hey, Kendall, how was your weekend?"

"I'm doubting it was as good as yours, but it was pretty good. It was really nice spending Friday with just Zach."

"I'm sure it was. How are you feeling?" Marissa asked as the three headed to the kitchen.

"Tired, anxious and excited. One more week and my daughter will be here."

"Aunt K!"

Kendall was greeted by the three oldest Tasker-Montgomery children as she entered the kitchen. "Hey, gang. What's up? Did you have a good weekend?"

Miranda gave her a summary of the movie and going shopping with Erica. AJ chimed in with their exploits with Jack, especially building the fort they had built in the family room. Gabby then launched into a report from their visit to the zoo. As Kendall listened, Bianca and Marissa glanced at each other with bright smiles and replayed the weekend's activities in their minds. It had been a perfect weekend.

When they kids finished giving their aunt the detailed summary of their weekend, Kendall couldn't hide her amusement. "Wow. It sounds like all of you had a great weekend."

"We all did, and I think they're going to have an even better week." Bianca grinned.

"Oh yes, it's the last week of school." Kendall said knowingly. "The boys were pretty excited this morning."

"The same with our minions. There is field trip to the Children's Museum, a movie day, a field day and a couple of other fun things. They are definitely going to be busy. Best of all for them though is that there is no homework." Marissa added as she saw the grinning faces of AJ, Miranda and Gabby.

Bianca checked the time. "Okay, gang. It's time to go." After the kids hugged and kissed their redheaded mother goodbye, Bianca gave Marissa a loving kiss. "I love you, and I'll see you tonight. Kendall, behave yourself."

"Hey!" Kendall protested.

"I love you too."

/

The next day started off pretty much the same as the previous. There was one exception though. Today, Kendall had her weekly appointment with Dr. Abbott. Zach wasn't able to make the early appointment so Marissa volunteered to take her.

"Are you ready for today?" Marissa asked after Bianca and the kids left.

"Yeah, I just get a little more anxious the closer it gets to her being here."

"I hear you." Marissa heard a knock on the front door. "That's probably Carol. I'll be right back."

To help the redhead out, Carol offered to watch Danny. This way, he could stay home since she didn't have to take him to the doctor's office. It also gave Carol a chance to spend some time with Danny, something she'd been aching to do for a while.

Carol smiled as she entered the kitchen. "Good morning, Kendall. How are you today?"

"Good morning, Carol. Pretty good. How are you?"

"Very well, thank you."

"Is that just because you get to spend some time spoiling Sparky here?" Kendall smirked, seeing that Carol was clearly focused on the baby already.

Carol laughed. "I can't deny that he plays a large part in my mood. Sam and Gail are a little jealous that I get to watch Danny today."

"A fact that I'm sure you didn't rub in at all." Marissa grinned.

"Possibly a little. It's not like they wouldn't do it to me."

Marissa chuckled. "If that's not sound logic then I don't know what is."

"I thought so."

The redhead watched as Carol and Kendall talked while the older woman started fussing over Danny. It had her recalling a time when Marissa had no family around to speak of. Her parents, Roy and Lydia, were gone, and she had lost contact with Jessica and Jo. That had been the extent of her family. Now, the redhead had more family than she had ever thought possible. Not only did she have Bianca and the kids, but Kendall and Greenlee were pretty much surrogate sisters to her now more so than just friends, and Sam was like a little sister to her. Zach was the protective big brother, and Brian was the annoying little brother. Erica and Carol were surrogate mothers to her. In addition to all of them, Jo and Jessica were back in her life and were a vital part of her now rather large family. They all fit together, were all her family, and she loved them dearly. Marissa couldn't help but shake her head in wonder when she thought her and Bianca's children. They had multiple grandparents, aunts, and uncles, and Marissa was beyond grateful that they would never be alone like she had once been.

Marissa jolted back to the present when she heard Kendall saying her name.

"You okay, Red?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry about that. Is everything okay?"

"I was just telling Carol that we should probably get going."

Marissa checked the time. "Oh, you're right. We should. You don't want to be late." The redhead turned to Carol. "There are bottles in the refrigerator, and Danny will want one of those in probably half an hour or so. You've got mine and Bianca's cell numbers if you need us."

Carol nodded. "Don't worry. We'll be just be just fine."

"I know you will. Try not to spoil him too much though."

"I can promise no such thing."

"That's what I thought." Marissa kissed her son. "You have fun with Carol, and I'll be back soon. I love you."

/

Marissa was sitting in the waiting room and scrolling through her phone checking messages. Kendall had gone back for her exam about 15 minutes ago, and that left the redhead with some time to kill.

"Mrs. Tasker-Montgomery?"

Hearing her name being called, Marissa glanced up and saw a nurse in the doorway.

"Yes, that's me."

"Dr. Abbott would like to see you."

"Is everything alright?" Marissa was starting to feel uneasy.

"I'm sorry, but I don't know. I just got a call to have you go back. She's in exam room 2."

Marissa nodded and grabbed her purse before heading back.

/

Saying a quick prayer first, Marissa knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Marissa stepped inside and found her sister-in-law lying on the exam table with a fetal monitor hooked up to her. Kendall looked slightly dazed and was trying to control her breathing. "Um, hi. What's going on? Is everything alright?"

Dr. Abbott motioned for her to come closer. "Well, it seems that your niece is done waiting and wants to get here now."

"You mean …"

"Kendall is in labor."

**/**

**A/N: Yeah, I left it there. I haven't completely settled on a name yet for Baby Girl Slater so I would be grateful if you would throw any suggestions you may have my way. See you soon!**


	194. A New Diva in Town

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! It's very much appreciated. Shout out to **_**AMCGL7**_** for guessing the milestone! Judging by the spelling of One MILLLLLLION, I'm imagining you doing a Dr. Evil impression! I'm trying to decide which storyline to pursue next to help me hit that one million word mark. I have to be honest with you all, my evil side is itching to get out. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Marissa knocked on the door to the exam room after saying a quick prayer first that Kendall and the baby would be okay.

"Come in."

Marissa stepped inside and found her sister-in-law lying on the exam table with a fetal monitor hooked up to her. Kendall looked slightly dazed and was trying to control her breathing with a nurse doing her best job at coaching her. "Um, hi. What's going on? Is everything alright?"

Dr. Abbott motioned for her to come closer. "Well, it seems that your niece is done waiting and is ready to make her appearance here a little early."

"You mean …"

"Kendall is in labor."

Marissa was at her sister-in-law's side in a heartbeat to take over for the nurse and took one of her hands. She tried to remember what Bianca had done for her less than two months ago. "Alright, Kendall. It's going to be alright, just focus on your breathing. I'm right here. Dr. Abbott, what do you need me to do?"

The doctor looked at the heart monitor that was hooked up to Kendall and could see her heart rate was slowing down, a very good sign. "Keep doing exactly what you're doing. You're doing good. Do you have a way of getting in touch with Zach? We need to let him know his daughter is coming."

"Yeah, I … I do. What about Kendall's cardiologists? They said they were going to be in the delivery room."

"Yes, they did, and we're in luck. Dr. Chambers actually got in earlier and was on her way here for this appointment. Michelle just called both her and Dr. Rivera, and they are both now on their way to the maternity ward. We're headed over there right now ourselves. I have to tell you that it's nice having my office in the hospital."

"Marissa."

"Hey, Kendall. Better?"

"Yeah, just wasn't expecting this today."

"Well, your daughter is a Kane woman after all, and you all love your dramatic entrances."

Kendall was able to laugh. "That we do, and at least you know we come by it honestly."

"Very true. You didn't feel anything earlier?"

"Not really, but once we got here, I started to feel like I was having a contraction. Dr. Abbott says I'm definitely having this little girl today, and she would know."

"Alright. I'll call Zach."

"The boys …"

"Don't worry about them. We'll take care of them. You just worry about taking care of you and my niece. I'll call Zach, Erica, Bianca and Greenlee. Between us, we'll take care of everything else. Got it?"

Kendall nodded. "Got it. I'm so glad you're here."

"Me too." Marissa squeezed her hand.

Dr. Abbott finished making a note on Kendall's chart. "Alright, ladies. Let's go have a baby."

As two of the nurses present began moving Kendall, Marissa started to gather Kendall's belongings. A third nurse assured her that she would get Kendall's clothes over to her. Marissa nodded and slung Kendall's purse over her shoulder while she pulled out her own cellphone to call Zach.

"I'm right behind you, Kendall."

/

As she followed Kendall's gurney down the hospital's corridors, Marissa's call to Zach was answered by an assistant.

"Yes, this is Marissa Tasker-Montgomery. I'm Zach's sister-in-law."

"_Yes, ma'am. I recognize your name. If you're looking for him, he's in a meeting right now and can't be disturbed."_

"Oh no, I need you to get him for me now. It's regarding his wife."

The assistant had been instructed that if a call had been received regarding either his wife or his sons, he was to get Zach immediately. _"I'll get him right now. Please hold."_

Less than a minute later, Zach was on the other end of the line.

"_Marissa, is Kendall okay?"_

"She is, and she's also in labor."

"_What?! Labor?"_

"Yeah. Dr. Abbott is having her transported over to the maternity ward as we speak. Both Dr. Chambers and Dr. Rivera are meeting us there."

"_Good. Good. I'm on my way. Tell Kendall that I love her. And …"_

"I'll tell her, and don't worry, I'm not leaving her side. See you soon."

Marissa waited until they were in Kendall's room before calling the others. They all had the same reaction and were out the door and on their way to the hospital as soon as their calls ended.

/

With those calls taken care of, Marissa watched as Dr. Chambers joined them and began to examine Kendall. The redhead took this opportunity and placed a quick call home to Carol

"_Hello, Marissa."_

"Hi, Carol. Would you mind watching Danny for a little while longer?"

"_Of course, I can. Is everything alright?"_

"Well, Kendall decided to go into labor while we were at the doctor's office."

"_Oh my! Is she alright?"_

"Yes, the doctors are examining her now."

"_And the baby?"_

"The baby is fine too."

"_Good. Is there anything else you need me to do?"_

"No, not right now. I've called Zach and the others, and they are on their way. I'm not sure how long I'll be here. There's no way I can leave right now, not without someone else here."

"_You are exactly where you need to be. I'll take care of Danny and stay as long as you need me to. We'll be fine. Don't worry about us. Just concentrate on Kendall."_

"Thank you so much."

"_You're welcome. Give Kendall my love."_

"I will. I'll call you as soon as I know something."

Kendall glanced at her sister-in-law when she saw Marissa disconnect her latest the call.

"You know you can go if you need to. Zach will be here soon."

Marissa shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere so you can just forget about getting rid of me."

"But Danny …"

"Is fine. Carol said she'll stay as long as I need her. She also wanted me to pass on her love."

Kendall smiled. She was really grateful for the redhead's stubborn streak at this moment. Being a burden was the last thing she wanted to be right now, but she was scared and Marissa being there really did help. Kendall knew she wasn't alone in that minute, and that was extremely comforting to her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Marissa patted her sister-in-law's arm, reassuring her.

A contraction hit Kendall, and she inhaled sharply.

Marissa took the brunette's hand. "Squeeze my hand and breathe."

Kendall did as instructed, and soon, the contraction passed. She saw the redhead wince as she released her vice-like grip on her hand. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I just won't be able to play the piano now."

"I didn't know you knew how to play the piano?"

"I don't, but now, I have another reason for it other than me not having the patience to learn how." Marissa grinned.

Kendall chuckled. The redhead's humor was doing its intended job of distracting her. "You … Thank you, and I'm glad I could be of help."

The two glanced up as Dr. Chambers and Dr. Abbott finished their conference and stepped closer to them.

"First of all, are you okay if Marissa hears all of this?"

Kendall nodded. "Yes, I am, and I would like for her stay."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Dr. Abbott nodded. "Alright. Like I informed you in my office, you are definitely in labor. You haven't reached the point of no return, meaning we could stop it. I don't think we should though. You are due in one week, and the plan that we have in place is for you not to go past that due date. So by stopping your labor now, we would only be buying you a week. That week would not change anything for your baby. She is fully developed, and I see no problems with her coming out just a little bit early. You, on the other hand, pose a concern for us if we were to stop your labor. The drugs we would use to stop it would add stress for you."

Dr. Chambers took over since they were now discussing her area of expertise. "As you know having gone through labor before, it is a very stressful time for your body under normal circumstances. You are in an even more unique position because of your heart. It would not be a good idea to add even more at this point, especially when there is no discernable benefit for your baby."

"In short, Dr. Chambers and I agree that it's best for you and the baby to deliver her today via the C-section we've already planned."

"How soon? Can we wait for Zach? I really want him here for this."

"We're getting an OR ready right now, and yes, we can wait for your husband to arrive as long as he doesn't take too long."

"When I called Zach, he was leaving right away so I'm sure he'll be here very soon." Marissa offered.

"Good. Do you have any questions for either of us?"

Kendall asked several more questions. She wanted to be sure the baby wouldn't be adversely affected by what was and would be happening. The doctors answered all of her questions, and Kendall was reassured by their answers.

"I haven't missed anything, have I?"

"Zach. You made it." Kendall smiled seeing her husband appear.

"There is not a chance in hell that I would miss this. How are you doing?" Zach kissed his wife.

"Better now that you're here. Marissa's been doing a heck job for me though, not that I'm surprised."

Zach glanced at his sister-in-law. "That doesn't surprise me a bit either. Thank you."

"You're welcome. I'm going to go hang out in the waiting room now. Bianca, Erica and Greenlee should be here soon, and they're going to want to know what's going on. Good luck."

"Thank you, Marissa, for everything."

"Anytime, Kendall. Anytime."

/

"Rissa!"

The redhead in question smiled brightly seeing her wife rushing over to where she seated in the waiting. Bianca was clearly out of breath from hurrying over to the hospital. "Hi. Take a breath and sit down. I'll tell you everything I know."

Bianca nodded and did as instructed, calming herself after a few deep breaths. "How are Kendall and the baby?"

"They're both doing okay. Zach got here a few minutes ago and is with Kendall now so he hasn't missed anything."

"I'm glad he got here in time."

"Me too. It's kind of a good thing I paid attention in our birthing classes to what you had to do."

"Use some of that for Kendall, did you?"

"Yes, I did. Okay, here's what I know." Before Marissa could start, the couple was joined by Erica.

"Hello, dears. How are Kendall and the baby? Did Zach make it here?"

"Hi, Erica. Kendall and the baby are fine, and Zach is here. I was just getting ready to tell Bianca what the doctors have said."

"Hey, don't start without me." Greenlee rushed over to where the women were sitting.

Marissa looked around to see if anyone else was going to join them before starting for the third time. "First of all, Kendall is fine and definitely in labor. Zach is back with her and so are Dr. Abbott and Dr. Chambers."

"Dr. Chambers is here? Thank goodness." Erica couldn't hide her relief at knowing the cardiologist was in town.

"Yes, she got in a little early and met us here."

"Kendall seemed okay this morning before I left."

"She said she was fine until she went back to one of the exam rooms. Dr. Abbott confirmed though that she was in labor. They're going to go ahead and do the C-section now. The baby is full term, and stopping the labor would be hard on Kendall and add stress. As the three of you know, that's not good for her. When Zach got here, I left her room, but I do know they were getting an OR prepped for her and plan on taking her back as soon as it's ready. Before Zach got here, she was worried about the boys. I told her we would take care of getting them. Neither of them need to worry about that right now so, we need to figure that part out."

"It's already taken care of. I called Ryan on my way over, and he's going to pick them up. I figure that Zach will want to stay here tonight so the boys can stay with us. If you think that's okay."

Bianca smiled. "That would be great, and I know that Kendall and Zach will be relieved and appreciate it."

"It's not much, but at least it's something at least. I also know that the two of you have your hands full. Besides, Emma will like having them. I didn't want to overstep."

Erica knew how much Kendall and Greenlee meant to each other. They were almost as close as Kendall and Bianca. "That is very generous, Greenlee. Thank you. Speaking of children, where is Danny?"

"Carol came over this morning to watch him so Rissa could drive Kendall to her appointment."

"She's still watching him and said she'd stay as long as we needed her to." Marissa added.

"And Susan is picking up AJ, Miranda and Gabby from school. I called her on my way over and told her what was going on. She said she could stay and watch them if Carol can't." Bianca told her wife.

"Good. I don't want Carol to wear herself out."

"Hello, ladies."

Erica glanced up and knew they were going to find something out. "Angie, you have word for us?"

"I do. I saw Zach, and he asked that I give you a message. They are taking Kendall to an OR now to deliver the baby. I also spoke with Dr. Abbott because I knew you would want more information than that. She said that everything is going just as it should."

The four women sighed in relief at the same time.

"Thank you, Angie." Bianca said gratefully.

"You're welcome. If you'd like, I could keep an eye on them, and let you know how things are going."

Erica gave the doctor an appreciative smile. "I … we would appreciate that very much. Thank you."

Angie nodded. "I'll let you know the minute I know something." With that, Angie headed off.

/

Bianca couldn't sit still any longer. Waiting to hear something, anything about Kendall was driving her nuts. She had been pacing in the waiting room for the last fifteen minutes.

Marissa's eyes followed her wife as she wrapped up her call. "You keep doing that, and you're going to wear a hole in the floor. Joe Martin won't like that very much."

Bianca blinked for a second as her wife's words sunk in. The brunette stopped and glanced over to find amused hazel eyes focused on her. She shook her head and sat back down. "Sorry. I was hoping we would've heard something from Angie by now."

"I know, and so was I. Keep thinking positive though, alright? Think of it as the newest Kane woman making sure her entrance lives up to the standards set by the rest of you." Marissa smirked.

Erica raised an eyebrow as she glanced at her daughter-in-law and noted the humor behind the statement. "Precisely."

Greenlee rolled her eyes. "None of us stand a snowball's chance."

Bianca snorted which made Marissa grin knowing that she'd eased some of the tension that had gripped their small group, particularly her wife's.

"Oh, and just so you know, Joe wouldn't be mad because he likes me." Bianca stuck her tongue out.

"Well, you are pretty darn adorable." Marissa laughed before leaning in and lowering her voice so only her wife heard her. "I can think of several uses for that tongue for later."

"That makes two of us. I'll be more than happy to show you what I have in mind tonight, if you're good."

"Oh, I'm always good."

"I can't argue with that."

Greenlee could be heard muttering. "Get a room."

Bianca sat back. "How's Danny?"

"Carol said he is perfect which I'm not nearly impartial enough to argue against that point. She also said that it's no problem to stay longer and watch all of the kids for us, and she will stay as long as we need her to. Carol mentioned she was going to enlist Sam to come over after school to help. I thought that was a great idea and told her she could ask Sam if she wanted to bring a swimsuit. She and the kids could go for a swim if they wanted. Carol thought Sam would really like that."

"That is a good idea. The kids will like it too."

Erica saw Angie coming their way and stood quickly to meet her. "How is Kendall?"

"A little sore, a little tired, but overall, she's doing very well."

"And the baby?"

"A beautiful and perfect baby girl. Healthy with a headful of hair and one heck of a set of lungs."

"So, everyone is okay?" Greenlee needed confirmation.

"Everyone is more than okay. Kendall and the baby both came through with flying colors. They will be bringing them up to their room shortly. Oh, Zach already said the baby isn't allowed to date until she's 30. Neither Kendall nor the baby were buying that. Kendall rolled her eyes and the baby let loose a wail the likes of which you've never heard, and before you ask, I have no idea of her name. Congratulations."

Bianca smiled. "Thanks, Angie!"

/

Dr. Abbott found the women smiling and laughing. "I see Angie gave you the good news. Congratulations, grandma and aunts!"

"Thank you." Erica nodded graciously.

The three younger women just sat there, eyes wide and slack-jawed. There was no way to hide their shock over Erica not correcting the doctor. She seemed to actually accept the title of 'grandma'.

Erica glanced at them. "What?"

"Uh … nothing." Bianca scrambled to cover as best she could before turning to the doctor. "And she said that both Kendall and the baby are good."

"They are great. You'll be able to see them as soon as we get them settled in their room."

"Greenlee?"

The woman in question glanced up to see a familiar but unexpected visitor. "Rafaela? What are you doing here?"

"I just got back in town, and Liz told me you had to leave the meeting because of Kendall going into labor. I thought I would stop by on my way to the hotel. Is she okay?"

"Oh, that's very nice of you. According to her doctor, both she and her daughter are doing great."

"A little girl! That is wonderful! What is her name?"

"We don't know yet. Although, Dr. Abbott might know."

"Oh no, I'm not saying a word. In fact, I'm going to cite doctor/patient confidentially on that one."

Bianca laughed. "Don't worry. We won't make you tell us. We can wait a little longer. Oh, where are my manners. Dr. Maura Abbott, this is Rafaela. Rafaela, Dr. Abbott."

The model smiled as she turned to the woman in hospital scrubs. She was struck by brilliant blue eyes, and a beautiful and intelligent face that was framed by curly auburn hair.

For the doctor, she found the raven haired woman before her captivating. She looked familiar, but she couldn't place the reason why.

Holding out a hand, the doctor introduced herself. "Maura Abbott. It's nice to meet you."

The model took the proffered hand and smiled. "Rafaela Alvaréz, and the pleasure is all mine."

Knowing smiles were exchanged by the four other women.

"Dr. Abbott, Mrs. Slater is back in her room and anxious to show off her, and I'm using her words, _little diva_."

Reluctantly pulling her eyes away from Rafaela, Maura turned to the nurse. "Thank you. If you'd like, I can take you back to meet the newest member of your family."

"Yes!" Bianca and Greenlee jumped to their feet.

Erica showed a little more restraint and stood slowly. Marissa wore an amused expression as she stood to join the others.

"Give Kendall and Zach my best."

"I will, and thank you for stopping by, Rafaela. I will be back in the office tomorrow."

"I'll let Liz and Ashley know." The model's gaze lingered on Maura who nodded before leading the others away.

As they followed Erica and Bianca, Marissa cracked quietly to Greenlee. "Even my gaydar picked that up."

Greenlee burst out laughing. "I'd be worried about you if it didn't."

/

Bianca knocked softly on the door of her sister's hospital room and waited for a response. When she heard Zach's voice telling them to come in, she opened the door, and the women went inside.

Smiles abounded in the room, but none were brighter than Kendall's as she held her newborn daughter. As much as they all wanted to hold the beautiful baby girl, the three younger women knew there would be hell to pay if Erica wasn't first. The diva stepped forward and happily took the baby from her oldest daughter.

"She is absolutely beautiful." Erica cooed and then raised an eyebrow when the baby seemed to make a noise sounding an awful lot like a scoff as if to say '_I know'_.

"The Kane force is strong in this one." Marissa chuckled and was quickly joined by Zach and Greenlee as the older Kane women each raised an eyebrow in perfect synchronicity.

"Now that is impressive." Greenlee cracked.

"I would like you to meet Lexie. Actually, it's Alexandra but Lexie for short." Kendall smiled brightly.

"After Zach?" Erica asked. Seeing Kendall nod, she continued. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

"Kendall insisted." They could all tell Zach was proud. "We have a question for you, Bianca, and you, Greenlee."

Bianca smiled as she finally got her turn to hold her niece when Erica handed the baby to her. "Okay. What is it?"

Zach continued. "Would you do us the honor of being Lexie's godmothers? Now, we know it's traditional to have one godmother and one godfather but since when has this family ever been traditional. Besides, no one will protect her better than the two of you. Anyone would be a complete idiot to take on either of you."

"Truer words were never spoken." Marissa agreed.

Bianca's smile got even bigger. "I would be honored." Giving her niece a gentle kiss, Bianca then gave her to her other newly-minted godmother.

Greenlee swallowed the boulder-sized lump that had formed in her throat as her eyes glistened. "Thank you, and yes, I'm honored to be her godmother. Oh, Lexie, we are going to have so much fun."

Kendall rolled her eyes but was still smiling. "I'm counting on you, Binx, to balance out Greenlee."

"I make no guarantees." Seeing the unasked question in her sister's eyes, Bianca nodded. While she didn't know about the godmother request, she did know about this one. Kendall and Zach had asked for her feedback a couple of weeks ago. Bianca thought it was a wonderful idea and was deeply touched.

"We should probably tell you the middle name we want to give her. It's contingent upon receiving someone's permission." Seeing the confusion on most of the others' faces, Kendall pressed forward. "We would like her full name to be Alexandra Marie Slater. Alexandra is, like Mom said earlier, after Zach. Marie, well, there are two reasons for Marie. The first, one of the meanings of Marie is 'wished for child', and she most definitely is that."

Marissa cocked her head. "Huh. That's one of the meanings of my name." The redhead saw the look in Kendall's and Zach's eyes, and she knew it was as true for them as it was for her parents.

"And that brings us to our second reason. The name Marie is related to the name Marissa. Red, you have done so much for us. I can't even list everything you've done. The latest, though, had you volunteering to babysit me these last couple of weeks. I know I can be handful, but you never complained. You also somehow managed to make a stressful and difficult time so much better, and dare I say a little fun. Today pretty much sealed it for us."

Zach nodded. "I knew Kendall was in good hands with you here."

"You didn't leave my side, and I knew they would have to drug you and drag you away kicking and screaming if they had said you couldn't stay."

Dr. Abbott smiled seeing the pointed stare her patient directed her way. "Me too. That's why I didn't even consider it."

"Marissa, we love you, and would could consider it a privilege if you allowed us to borrow part of your name for Lexie."

By this time, tears were streaming down the redhead's face. The thought had never crossed her mind, and to say she was touched beyond words would be a gross understatement. In fact, Marissa was finding it hard to speak. She could only nod.

Greenlee handed Lexie to Marissa. "Wow, I do believe you've rendered her speechless. That's something I thought only Bianca could do."

Marissa managed to choke out a chuckle and glanced at her wife whose eyes were filled with tears as well. She could tell Bianca wasn't surprised by the request. The redhead finally found her voice. "I would be honored. Thank you. I can't even tell you how much this means to me. I love both of you too." Marissa glanced back down at her niece and placed a kiss on her head. "And you too, Lexie."

Erica discreetly wiped away a tear and nodded her approval of the name. Bianca mouthed 'thank you' to Kendall and Zach.

Greenlee broke the silence. "Alexandra Marie. I like it. I guess Alexandra Marissa is a mouthful, and I'm not too sure about the rhyming."

Marissa laughed and gave Lexie to her proud father. "I have to agree with Greenlee."

/

The group was soon joined by Dr. Chambers. "How is everyone?"

"You tell me, doctor. Actually, could you tell them? I think they'll feel a lot better if they hear it from you."

"I can do that. Kendall's heart is just fine. We had no problems. The pacemaker did its job, and she came through just great. Made my job a lot easier."

"Thank you, Dr. Chambers." Erica shook the doctor's hand although she really wanted to hug her, image be damned.

"You're welcome. We're going to keep her here for a day or two just to be on the safe side, and Lexie will safe here with her. Now, I know you're not going to like hearing this, but Kendall needs rest which means you need to leave. Sorry."

They nodded and began to say their goodbyes.

"Thanks for keeping the boys, Greenlee. Tell Ryan thanks too.

"It's no problem. Just call when you're ready to talk to them tonight, and we'll bring them by tomorrow like you want."

Erica hugged her oldest daughter. "She is beautiful, just like her mother. I love you and will check on you later. Zach, take care of our girls, and nicely done."

Marissa was the next to say goodbye. "Thank you. What you did means so much."

"You're welcome. We meant every word. Thank you for today."

"I'm glad I could help, but you did the hard part. Like the others have said Lexie is beautiful. You two do good work."

It was finally Bianca's turn. "I think you're going to have your hands full with Lexie if she's anything like you, and judging from earlier, she is. You can handle her though. You're a Kane woman after all and one heck of a mom. I promise to be the best aunt and godmother ever."

"I have no doubt that you will be. You already are the best sister, Binx."

"You're pretty great yourself. I'm so happy for both of you, and I'm even happier that you are okay, Kendall. I need to have my big sister around. I love you. If you need anything, just call. Oh, remind me to tell you about something that happened earlier with Mom. You are not going to believe it."

"I can't wait to hear that. I love you too, Binx."

/

Greenlee looked at the others once they had left Kendall's room. "Does anyone have to get back right away?"

"Carol told me to take my time so I'm good for a little while longer. Not too late though. I don't want to take advantage."

"Jan cleared my schedule for the rest of the day for me since we didn't know how long I would be. I'm up for doing something. Mom?"

Erica nodded. "My calendar is free as well."

"What do you have in mind, Greenlee?" Bianca asked.

"Well, there is a new little girl in there, and her mom hasn't been able to get out and do much of anything to prep for her arrival."

"Especially since she didn't want to jinx anything." Bianca added. Kendall had been reluctant to buy anything just in case there were more complications.

"Exactly! You know what that means, don't you?"

Erica smiled. "Of course I do. We need to go shopping."

With that said, the four came up with a quick plan on where to start their shopping spree.

**/**

**A/N: Sorry for the late post. The day started off okay, but then, someone hit my car while it was in a parking lot and just left it. I now have a nice dent, a police report on it and get to deal with getting it fixed. Fun. **

**I would like to thank a few of you for some of the input you gave me that inspired the 'Kendall themed' storyline. **_**Huskermania**_** and a Guest reviewer gave me the idea of Kendall being pregnant, and there were two Guest reviewers who suggested naming the baby after Zach (Alexander is his real name). Also, thank you to everyone else who gave me suggestions for the baby's name. I was pretty set on Alexandra for the first name but wasn't sure on the middle name. Thanks to Google, I started checking on the meanings of different names. When I typed in 'Marissa' just for the fun of it, I found that it was related to 'Marie'. Like Greenlee, I wasn't too keen on the rhyming of names (I'm speaking from personal experience on that one). When I saw the connection between the two names, that sealed it for me. Hope you liked it. See you soon!**


	195. Back to Work

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. Sorry for the late post. This week has been a killer. As a result, this is a little on the shorter side, but I wanted to get something up for all of you today. This chapter picks up a few days after the last one. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Erica, Bianca, Marissa and Greenlee had the best time during their shopping spree and filled Marissa's SUV with their purchases. It had been a while since they had a baby girl to shop for, and this was really fun for all of them so they probably did go a bit overboard. None of them could make themselves feel guilty about it though. The one thing they didn't need to buy was an outfit for Kendall and Zach to bring Lexie home in. Kendall did make that one concession and had bought her daughter something prior to her going on maternity leave, and she asked Bianca if she could bring it along with a few other items that Kendall needed for herself to the hospital which Bianca happily agreed to do.

The next few days were quiet for members of the Tasker-Montgomery and Slater families. Kendall and Lexie were released from the hospital after two days. Dr. Chambers had wanted to run additional tests on Kendall to make sure her heart and pacemaker were performing properly which they were. Spike and Ian were thrilled to have their mom home and were warming up to their new baby sister. The Tasker-Montgomery children liked their newest cousin very much, and AJ could be heard giving his cousins advice on having a sister. Now that she knew Lexie's name, Carol was able to finish the baby blanket she had been working on for Kendall for a little while. Kendall had told her how much she liked the one the older woman had made for Danny which resulted in Carol offering to make one for Kendall. The blanket was laundered and waiting for Pine Valley's newest little diva when she came home.

With her babysitting services for Kendall no longer needed, Marissa was able to take full advantage of her last remaining days of maternity leave with Danny. They were able to branch out and explore more of Pine Valley such as going to the park and just taking a stroll along Main Street. They even surprised Bianca and dropped by the Center for lunch. When Danny went down for a nap, Marissa was also able to get herself ready for her return to work. She reviewed a few cases that had come in while she was gone along with various memos and paperwork that needed her attention as a partner. By taking care of those things during Danny's naptime, it allowed Marissa to spend her weekend before returning to work focused entirely on her family, and they all enjoyed their time together.

/

Monday rolled around before they all knew it. Marissa would be heading back to the office, Danny to daycare, and the older Tasker-Montgomery children to day camp now that they were done with school until August. As for Bianca, she would be going into the Center a little later than normal. Since it was Danny's first day in daycare, Marissa would take Danny in her car with Bianca following in hers. They would meet in the firm's parking lot and take him in together. Once he was settled, Marissa would head up to her office and Bianca to the Center. The couple didn't have to take AJ, Miranda and Gabby to camp that day because Susan offered to take them since she worked there during the summer. She also knew that both mothers wanted to be with Danny on that first day. Leaving him for an entire day was going to be tough on them, but it was something that needed to be done.

Bianca had set her alarm earlier than normal that day. She wanted to surprise Marissa with a nice breakfast just like the redhead had done for Bianca when she went back to work. When it went off, Bianca silenced it right away, not wanting to wake her wife. The brunette smiled softly as she took a moment to gaze at her sleeping wife. She sighed as she reluctantly pulled her eyes away and carefully got out of bed. Bianca headed upstairs and checked on their youngest child who was still sound asleep. Thankfully, Danny appeared to fall into the habit of sleeping through the night so neither of his mothers were as sleep deprived as they had been in the weeks following his birth. Bianca headed downstairs to the kitchen after giving the sleeping boy a soft kiss.

/

Marissa was woken up by her alarm for the first time in two months. She immediately noticed she was alone and that her wife was nowhere to be found. The redhead got out of bed and started to head upstairs to check on the kids when she heard laughter coming from the kitchen. Deciding to investigate, Marissa changed course.

Opening up the kitchen door, Marissa was greeted by the sight of her family cooking breakfast. Each member, with the exception of Danny, was assigned a specific task. Bianca was obviously in charge of the cooking, and it looked like she was making the family favorite of chocolate chip pancakes and bacon. Miranda was keeping an eye on the coffee maker like her mothers had taught her. While his birthday twin handled the drinks for their mothers, AJ was in charge of drinks for the kids and was getting them milk and orange juice. Gabby was setting the table in between playing peek-a-boo with her little brother. Now that Marissa thought about it, she supposed that Danny's job was just to be cute and bring a smile to everyone's face. He was doing a bang up job of it from where she stood.

Danny was the first one to see her and lit up, giggling, waving his arms and kicking his legs. This drew Gabby's attention.

"Morning, Mommy! Surprise! We're making breakfast!" The little girl raced over and hugged Marissa who placed a kiss on the top of her youngest daughter's head.

"Good morning, Monkey. I can see that."

Miranda greeted her redheaded mother next. "Morning, Ma! Your coffee is almost done."

"Good morning, Mimo. Thank you! You make it even better than your mom."

Miranda giggled.

"Hey, I heard that!" Bianca glared playfully at her wife before turning back to the oven and flipping the pancakes.

"Morning, Ma. Do you want orange juice too?" AJ asked.

"Good morning, AJ. That would be wonderful. Thank you."

Marissa stopped and gave Danny a kiss and a tickle before making her final stop, Bianca. She wrapped her arms around her wife's waist placed a kiss on her shoulder. "Morning, beautiful."

Bianca leaned back into the embrace. "Morning. You ready for today?"

"As ready as I can be. I'm a little anxious though, especially about Danny in daycare."

Turning around to face her wife, Bianca draped her arms around Marissa's neck. "I know, but you know that he'll be in good hands and just a floor away."

"True. I can do this."

"Yes, you can. Now, breakfast is almost ready so …"

"Let me make a quick trip to the bathroom, and I'll be right back." Marissa gave her wife a quick peck and headed out of the kitchen.

/

Marissa was wading her way through her email inbox. Ellie had kept it manageable for her, but there were still a lot of emails she needed to read. The redhead was finally starting to get into a groove after a little bit of a rocky start. It had been tough leaving Danny, but she and Bianca had managed to get through it, together. A knock on the door had Marissa glancing up.

"Come in."

Brian poked his head inside. "Welcome back."

Marissa smiled and waved him inside. "Thanks. Have a seat. What's that you got there?"

With a knowing grin, Brian placed a cup on the redhead's desk. "It's your favorite coffee, decaf though. I wasn't sure if you were still watching your caffeine intake."

"Thank you!" Marissa took a sip and sighed. "That's good. Yeah, I'm still just doing one cup a day since I'm still breastfeeding for a few more weeks. You know, I think I'm going to keep my caffeine intake on the lower side when I'm done. I've gone this long and survived. I might as well keep going if I can."

"Stef did the same thing after having Jamie. How did it go with Danny earlier?"

"Eh. It was tough, but Bianca was there and helped me get through it."

"It will get easier, eventually. When you think about it, we're lucky because we can pop in downstairs and see them. Bianca and Stef don't have that luxury."

Marissa nodded. "I suppose you're right."

"But yeah, it's still tough. I wish there was something more I could say to help."

"Don't worry. You've helped more than you know."

"I'm glad. How's the first day back going otherwise?"

"It's going. Ellie was able to keep my inbox from exploding. Most of my day is meetings. I've got one with Claudia to get me up to speed on what all of you have been up to. Then, we have our team staff meeting and one this afternoon with the partners that will last awhile. Thankfully, the firm's staff meeting is tomorrow."

"I know how much you love all of those meetings. You'll be back in the courtroom soon though. I'll go so you can get back to work. If you need anything, let me know."

"I will, and thanks for the coffee."

As Brian headed out, he almost ran into Claudia. "Whoa! Sorry!"

"It's okay. I didn't spill any coffee so we're good. How is she doing?" Claudia asked as she nodded in Marissa's direction.

"Hanging in there. I just fortified her with some coffee. Decaf but …"

"Best you can do for her right now."

"Just so you know, I can hear you both." Marissa smirked as she observed the two from her desk.

Claudia chuckled. "Sorry. I forgot about your killer hearing."

"I'm out of here. See you both in our meeting later." Brian waved and headed out.

"Are you ready for me?" Claudia asked.

"Yep. Come on in and have a seat."

/

Marissa's morning was a bit of a blur as she slowly but surely made her way through her emails and meeting after meeting. She had just wrapped up her team's staff meeting and was headed back to her office to pump, something she desperately needed to do. As Marissa walked through the firm's lobby with Ellie at her side, she maneuvered through a small crowd gathered there.

"Ellie, please hold any visitors for half an hour."

"No problem. I'll take care of it."

"Marissa?"

The redhead stopped and turned when she heard her name. "Rafaela? It's good to see you. What are you doing here?"

Rafaela hugged Marissa and smiled. "Thanks to you, I am here to officially meet my new lawyer."

"Oh, you decided to switch to Sandra. I'm happy to hear that."

"Yes, I did. Liz and Ashley have met her, and while I've spoken to her at length a few times, this is my first face-to-face meeting with her. You're back to work?"

"Yes, it's my first day back."

"That's good to hear. I'm meeting with Sandra now, but I would like to talk with you if you have a few minutes later?"

Marissa glanced at Ellie. She had an idea of what her schedule was like today but needed confirmation.

The secretary pulled up her boss's schedule. "You have some time in an hour."

"Does that work for you?" Marissa asked.

"That would be perfect. Thank you." Rafaela smiled.

"Great. Stop by then. Oh, Sandra will be able to you where my office is."

"I'll see you soon."

As the women parted, several lawyers and paralegals who had been standing by the receptionist desk and had witnessed their exchange were left stunned.

"Was that really Rafaela?!"

"Wow, she's even more beautiful in person."

"Beautiful, hell, she's drop dead gorgeous."

"Damn."

"Wait! Our firm represents her? When did that happen?"

"You got me, but Marissa seems to know something about it."

"Do you think we might meet some of Rafaela's model friends?"

Lisa just rolled her eyes. She couldn't remember the man's name but knew he was in their tax department. She had heard him make several comments boasting about his various so-called conquests and didn't believe any of them. "Give me a break. Close your mouths. You're drooling. Remember, she's a client."

/

"You have a delivery." Ellie smiled as placed an extremely familiar looking box on her boss's desk. "I'll be back with a vase."

Marissa set down her cellphone after having just finished a text to Bianca giving her an update on Danny. The redhead had just returned from a quick trip to the daycare center to check on him. He seemed to like it and had adjusted quickly. It also helped that Jamie was there. Danny recognized him and smiled when he saw him. Jamie saw Marissa when she came in and told her he would keep an eye on Danny for her. The redhead knew the boy would make a great big brother and hoped that Brian and Stef's recent efforts to give him a sibling would be successful.

Opening the box and revealing a perfect red rose, Marissa smiled brightly. It wasn't a surprise because of course Bianca would send her a rose today. Marissa had done the same when Bianca had gone back to work. Between the two of them, they were keeping the florist busy and were a big reason their bottom line was so healthy. The redhead chuckled at the thought as she plucked the card out to read.

_Rissa,  
>J is for just. Just to tell you that you are brilliant and beautiful. Just to thank you for being you. Just to say I adore you, and I love you.<br>Always,  
>B<em>

Marissa sighed happily. She was lucky, and she damn well knew it. The redhead pulled out her cellphone and sent off a quick text to her wife. It was only three words, but they were ones she meant with every fiber of her being. _"I love you."_

Ellie reappeared with a vase filled with water.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome. Rafaela is here if you are ready for her."

"I am. Please send her in."

Rafaela entered and smiled. "Hello again."

"Hi. Please, have a seat. Would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you. What a lovely rose."

"It's from Bianca." Marissa couldn't hide her dreamy smile if she wanted to. It was like a Pavlovian response whenever she thought about her wife.

Rafaela raised an eyebrow. During breaks in the final negotiations with Greenlee, they had discussed the couple some. Rafaela had witnessed a bit of their closeness when they had all had dinner together, and looking back, she knew she never had a chance. The model was good with that. She had never set out to hurt anyone or break up a happy relationship. In short, she was no home-wrecker. It was a part of her reputation she didn't deserve. Having gotten to know Bianca and Marissa and having received their help, Rafaela had joined their chorus of fans. She had laughed when Greenlee had told her about the looks the couple got on their faces when they thought about the other one, and now, she was witnessing it firsthand. It was definitely a sight to see and something she found she wanted for herself.

"How are Bianca and the kids?"

"Good. They're really good."

"And Kendall and her daughter?"

"Ah, they are great. The newest little diva is beautiful. She's almost as beautiful as my daughters, almost. How have you been?"

"I've been well. Sandra is a godsend. I can never thank you enough for recommending her. She has severed my ties with my now former lawyer and is really looking forward to dealing with my hopefully soon-to-be former agency."

"There's no need to thank me. I'm glad to help. Sandy loves a good fight. They're not going to know what hit them."

"That is something I cannot wait to see." Rafaela paused. "I was hoping you could help me with two other things."

"If I can, I will. What's up?"

**/**

**A/N: This was kind of a filler chapter. I have plans for the next chapter which will put me over one million words. I'll warn you now that my evil side is itching to come out and play so buckle up!**


	196. Being Summoned

**A/N: Thanks as always for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. This chapter puts me firmly over one million words for this story. It's really hard for me to imagine that I've written over 1,000,000 words for a story that I thought would only be a few chapters. I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would get to this point. I would like to just take a moment to thank all of you again. Without you, this story would've ended a long time ago. So with that in mind, if you keep it coming, I will too. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Bianca put her cellphone down when she had finished reading Marissa's text reporting on how their son was doing at daycare. She was relieved to hear that everything was going well with Danny. The brunette knew how hard it had been for Marissa to leave him there. It was hard on her too, but she had previous experience to prepare her for today. Knowing that, Bianca knew that actually seeing that their son was okay and doing well was a huge relief for her wife, as well as herself.

The brunette turned back to her laptop and focused on the report she had received from the Center's New York office. Things seemed to be going well there which meant her upcoming trip there would only have to be for the day, something that made Bianca very happy. She really didn't want to have to spend more than that short period away from her family right now. Danny seemed to be changing every day learning and doing something new, and she didn't want to miss a minute of it if she could help it.

Bianca heard a beep from her cellphone notifying her that she had a new text. The brunette picked it up and smiled when she saw who it was from. Bianca opened the text up and read the three words from Marissa that always had her heart skipping a beat. She knew her rose had been delivered and had received the reaction from her wife that she had hoped for. With an even bigger smile on her face, Bianca put the device down and got back to work.

/

Rafaela paused. "I was hoping you could help me with two other things."

"I won't promise anything, but if I can, I will. What's up?"

"Fair enough. The first is that I would like to make a donation to the Miranda Center."

"Oh, that should be easy enough to take care of. All you have to do is call Bianca and tell her. She's always happy to hear about donations."

"Given the nature of what she does and the need for it, I'm sure she is."

"Could I ask why you felt you needed to ask me?"

"I didn't want you or anyone else to get the wrong idea. After all, we didn't exactly get off on the right foot, no thanks to me."

Marissa waved her off. "That's water under bridge."

Rafaela smiled, clearly relieved. "Good. I would like to make the donation in honor of my aunt. She had been in an abusive relationship and wasn't able to get out of it before she was almost…" The model paused. "Before she was almost killed. She was in a coma for over a week."

"I'm sorry. How is she?"

"Now? She's … okay. She's permanently blind in one eye, but her other injuries have healed though. It took her a long time to get where she is now, and I am so proud of her."

"I'm sure having you helped her a great deal."

"I tried my best. My mother has been amazing and deserves more credit than I do. So, what do you think?"

"I think it's a wonderful idea, and Bianca would be honored to accept your donation. Call her whenever you're ready."

"I will. Thank you."

"So, that's one. What's the other thing?" Marissa could swear the model blushed.

Rafaela could feel her cheeks grow warm and was sure her face was beet red. This feeling was something new to her. Gone was the confident supermodel, and in her place was a shy, vulnerable young woman. "Um. When … um … when I saw you … at the hospital, you … you were talking to … to a doctor. Uh … she had auburn hair …"

Marissa smiled knowing exactly who Rafaela was talking about, and decided to take pity on the woman and help her out. "Oh, you mean Dr. Abbott, Maura Abbott. She delivered Lexie, Kendall's daughter. She also delivered Danny."

"She did?"

"Yeah, she did. She's a brilliant doctor and funny, very kind and caring and pretty."

"Beautiful. She's very beautiful."

The redhead noted the look in Rafaela's eyes. She had it bad. "What about her?"

"What?" Rafaela jolted out of her mini daydream.

"What did you want to know about Maura?"

"Oh, um. Do you know … do you know if she is seeing anyone?"

"Well, our relationship for the most part was doctor/patient, but we talked a little. As far as I know, she's not seeing anyone."

"Do … do you know … do you know if she …"

"Is she interested in women?"

"Yes. I googled her, but everything I found about her only dealt with her professional life." Rafaela blushed at her admission. This was definitely new territory for her.

"I suppose that's understandable since she's not a public figure. I'm not 100% sure, mind you, but …"

"But?" Rafaela asked hopefully.

"Something tells me you should give her a call. I just have a good feeling about it."

"You do?"

"I do." There was no way Marissa was going to tell her the reason for her good feeling was the fact that she and Maura had had a very similar conversation when Marissa had gone to visit Kendall and Lexie while they were still in the hospital. The good doctor had been there examining her sister-in-law and asked to speak with Marissa privately when her visit was over. Maura quizzed Marissa about Rafaela. Talking to the model now confirmed that the interest was definitely mutual.

"Would you, by chance, have a number for her?"

Marissa grinned. Maura had given her permission to pass on her number to Rafaela on the off chance that the model happened to ask for it. "I can give you her office number."

Rafaela's smile lit up the room. "I would like that very much. Thank you."

Marissa found the number on her cellphone and jotted it down while doing her best to keep her poker face. _I can't wait to tell Bianca about this._ The redhead noted a hesitation in Rafaela after taking the slip of paper. "What's wrong?"

"It was something you said before. Maura isn't a public figure, but I am. The paparazzi loves to follow me around, and my pictures are constantly in the tabloids. If Maura was to go out with me, there is a very good chance that she would lose her privacy. I mean you would be amazed at the lengths some people go to for a story."

"Oh no, I wouldn't be. You forget who I'm married to. Bianca has been in the headlines for her own right. There is also the fact that my wife is Erica Kane's daughter. My mother-in-law is the consummate professional when it comes to dealing with all of that."

"I suppose she is."

"When things changed between us and turned romantic, Bianca and I talked about what it would mean for me to be involved with someone who was famous. It can be hard, and she wanted me to know that upfront. There have definitely been some not so pleasant incidents. We even had someone try to crash our wedding."

"Oh no!"

"She wasn't successful, thanks in large part to Kendall and Greenlee. That's a long story, and I'll tell you some other time. What I'm trying to say is talk to Maura, and if you both feel there is something worth pursuing, then make that decision together. Don't make that decision for Maura. For me, Bianca has most definitely been worth it all. I don't regret a thing."

Rafaela took Marissa's words to heart. "Thank you. I appreciate that more than you know."

/

Bianca opened the door for her sister, brother-in-law and their children. It was only fitting that Lexie's first outing be to her aunts' home. "Come on in. Mom and Uncle Jack aren't here yet."

"Aunt Bianca, where're AJ, Miranda and Gabby?"

"They are downstairs with Max, Spike."

The boys turned to their parents expectantly.

Zach smiled. "Go on down."

With permission given, the boys dashed off in search of their cousins.

Marissa entered the family room carrying a freshly changed Danny. "Hey, good to see you. Boys are downstairs already, huh?"

"Yeah, it didn't take them long to ditch us." Zach grinned when he saw his nephew. "I knew that Flyers jersey would look good on you, Danny!"

"Judging by the amount of drool he produces when he wears it, I think it's his favorite." Marissa chuckled.

"He's a very smart boy."

"I couldn't agree more." Bianca added proudly before turning to her niece. "And how is Pine Valley's newest little diva?"

Kendall sighed as she took a seat. "She's good. Me, on the other hand, I miss sleep." She glanced at her daughter. "Oh, of course she sleeps now."

"Oh, we can relate. I'm so glad Danny got the hang of sleeping at night. I have to tell you that I was so scared the first time Danny slept through the night." Marissa shook her head.

Bianca chuckled. "I was too, but I didn't want to say anything."

"So, do you have any idea what Mom wants to talk to us about, Binx?"

"No clue. She just asked if everyone could meet here for dinner. We said sure."

"Yeah, you really don't turn down Erica if you don't have a good reason. Of course, it's hard to refuse a Kane woman in general." Marissa winked at her wife.

"You can say that again, Marissa, especially if you know what's good for you." Zach grinned.

"And don't you forget that, my dear husband."

A knock on the door had Bianca walking over to answer it. "Any bets on who it is?"

"My money is on Greenlee and Ryan. It's still too early for Mom's grand entrance."

Bianca opened the door. "Oh look, it's the Laverys. Come on in."

Greenlee raised an eyebrow seeing the others laughing. "Do I want to know?"

"We were taking bets if it would be you or Mom and Uncle Jack."

"Ha! It's still too early for Erica to be here."

"That's what I said."

"Hi, Emma." Marissa noticed the girl looking around. "They're downstairs."

"Is it okay if I go downstairs?"

Ryan nodded. "Yes, it is."

Emma raced downstairs to where the kids were.

Greenlee took a seat next to Kendall. "So, why were we summoned?"

"We don't know, but it gives us a chance to get together."

"Alright. Well, while we're waiting, what's the latest on Rafaela and Maura?" Greenlee grinned as she looked at Marissa.

"Why do you think I know anything about that?"

"Oh please, we all know you gave them both the nudge they needed, Red."

"Kendall's right. Spill it, Rocky."

Marissa chuckled. "I honestly don't know much. Rafaela's been working to sever ties with that agency."

"Liz told me it's going pretty well. That lawyer you recommended has been having a good time kicking their butts."

"Sandy loves those kind of fights. She can't stand scum like them. They took advantage of a young girl so damn straight they deserve to have their asses handed to them." Marissa glanced down at Danny. "You didn't hear Mama say any of those bad words."

Bianca raised an amused eyebrow at her wife. "You know …"

"I know. It slipped out. Anyway, Rafaela has been working on that, and it's been taking up a lot of her time. I do know though that they've gone out once."

"And?"

"From what Rafaela said, it went really well, and they've made plans to see each other again when she's back in town next week."

"Yes! I knew it. There were sparks flying between them when they met." Greenlee smiled.

"I would've liked to have seen that."

"You were a little busy at the time, Kendall." Bianca laughed.

"Yes, I was. I heard it was pretty obvious since Red's gaydar picked up on it."

Marissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know I don't have the best gaydar. Whatever. I've made up for it."

Bianca gave her wife a quick kiss. "Yes, you definitely have."

Kendall and Greenlee glanced over at each and simply shook their heads as Marissa and Bianca were momentarily lost in each other, again.

Danny made a noise, and Marissa gazed down at their son and saw he was asleep. "Kendall, I'm going to put Danny down for a nap. His crib is big enough for two if you want to put Lexie down for one too."

"Sounds like a great idea to me. You know we're going to have to get a picture of them, right?"

"Duh!"

After their other parents gave their youngest children a kiss, the two women padded down the hallway.

/

With all of the kids otherwise occupied, the adults were able to speak freely and did. Finally, a long overdue topic came up.

"Binx, you never did tell me about Mom."

"What about her?"

"I don't know. When I was in the hospital, you said you had something to tell me about her."

It finally dawned on Bianca. "Oh wow, I can't believe I forgot to tell you. Sorry. When Maura came out to tell us how you were doing and get us so we could go back to see you, she called Mom 'grandma'."

"No! Get out! Oh my god! What did Mom say?! I bet she blew a fuse!"

"Nope!"

Marissa and Greenlee started to laugh.

"Mom didn't correct her. She just thanked her and let her continue talking. It kind of seemed like she accepted the title and even liked it."

"You can't be serious! Mom acknowledging being a grandmother?"

Marissa nodded happily. "Yep! I swear Bianca's telling the truth. I honestly think I saw the tiniest of smiles on Erica's face."

"You saw that too?!" Greenlee asked surprised. "I thought it was just me."

"Nope. I saw it too. It took everything we had not to say anything." Bianca added.

"I'll be damned. Who would've ever thought that?" Zach shook his head in wonder. "I would have loved to have seen that."

"You and me both. Wow. She almost slipped with Danny not too long ago. So, are you going to have the kids start calling her grandma?" Kendall asked her sister and sister-in-law. She had a good idea of what their answer would be.

"Nope. No way, no how. We don't think Mom would say or do anything to them if they did, but we're not going to put them in that situation."

"Bianca's right. Besides, at this point, it might be too weird for them to start calling her that."

"You have a valid point, Red. Wow. I can't believe you forgot to tell me that, Binx."

"Sorry. There was a lot going on at the time."

A knock on the door had all three couples glance at the door.

"I guess it's time for Erica's entrance." Marissa grinned as she went to answer the door.

/

Once everyone was settled, including the kids, the floor was Erica's.

"First of all, we would like to thank Bianca and Marissa for agreeing to host everyone today on such short notice. Jack and I would have had it at our place, but it seems that it's gotten too small for our growing family. So, thank you both."

"You're welcome."

"We're happy to do it."

"Second, we would like to thank all of you for coming today. Like I stated before, it was short notice so thank you for finding the time to come. As you know, Jack and I have been engaged for a short time."

"Seriously? A short time? Guinness Book has called and is looking to add you to the newest edition for longest engagement." Kendall smirked.

Erica eyed her oldest daughter. "Be that as it may, that will be changing. Jack and I have set a date."

Eyes grew wide as Erica's words sunk in. Kendall and Bianca jumped out of their seats and embraced their mother while Greenlee did the same to Jack. Congratulations were then shared with the others. When things calmed down, the questions started pouring forth.

Jack held up his hands. "Erica and I will be happy to answer all of your questions, but first, we have some for all of you. My beautiful fiancée will go first."

"Thank you. Kendall, Bianca, would you do me the honor of being my matrons of honor?"

"Of course, Mom!"

"Mom, you don't even have to ask! Yes!"

"Thank you. Greenlee, I know we have had our issues in the past, but they are, I strongly believe just that, in the past. I would like nothing more than for you to be part of the bridal party as well. Would you be a bridesmaid?"

Greenlee glanced at her father and saw the hopeful expression on his face. There was no way she could refuse and dash those hopes. At the same time, she also had to admit that Erica was right. The two were getting along much better now. It was as if they had come to a mutual understanding that they were stuck with each other and would be in the other's life no matter what. Erica was the love of Jack's life, come hell or high water, and she was also her best friend's mother. Greenlee had come to accept both of those truths just as Erica had accepted that not only was Greenlee Jack's daughter but she was also Kendall's best friend and wasn't going anywhere. Greenlee also played an important role in Bianca's and Marissa's lives, and again, Erica couldn't see that changing anytime soon.

"It would be my pleasure, Erica. Thank you." Greenlee then turned to Kendall, Bianca and Marissa and smirked. "What do you think? Should we take her to Shamokin for her bachelorette party?"

The women answered in unison. "No!"

"You know, one of these days, I'm going to find out exactly what happened there." Ryan state. He had tried to pry information out of his wife, but she never broke.

"Yeah, that's not happening." Greenlee stated confidently.

"Now, it's my turn." Jack addressed Zach and Ryan. "Would the two of you stand up with me?"

Ryan nodded. "I'd be honored."

"Most definitely. I have a feeling we won't have to worry about you running." Zach smiled and shook Jack's hand.

"Not a chance. Marissa, you are just like a daughter to Erica and myself."

Erica nodded. "Jack is right. We couldn't love you more, and we honestly believe that we've grown closer as a family since you've become part of ours."

Marissa was deeply touched by her mother-in-law's statement. "Thank you both. That means more than you know."

"I'm hoping you'll do me the honor of being my grooms-woman. I know it's not exactly traditional, but as Zach has stated before, since when have we been traditional?"

"I would love to be your grooms-woman, Jack. Thank you. One question. Will I be needing a tux?"

Bianca leaned forward and whispered in her wife's ear so no one else could hear. "I think you would be pretty hot in a tux."

Marissa chuckled.

"Thank you, and I believe Erica has an idea on that."

"I do, and I think you'll like it very much. We'll be getting back to that." The diva then turned to the children. "Jack and I want all of you to have a part in this as well. Miranda, I would like you to be a junior bridesmaid if you would be okay with that."

"Really?! I'd really like that! Thank you!"

"You're welcome, sweetheart. Gabby, Emma, I need some flower girls. What do you think?"

The two girls in question smiled brightly and nodded quickly, thrilled to be included.

"AJ, Spike, we need two ushers so you would be in charge of showing the guests to their seats. It's very important. Do you think you could do that?"

The two boys puffed out their chests and nodded.

"Spike and me …" AJ quickly corrected himself before either of his mothers could. "Spike and I will have it covered." The boys then shared a fist bump.

"Thank you. Ian, we need a ring bearer. Do you think you could do that for us?"

Ian grinned. "Uh huh!"

"Thank you. Danny and Lexie, you just need to look as handsome and beautiful as you do right now."

"Oh, that's easy." Marissa grinned.

"So, Mom, what about Opal?" Bianca asked. She knew the woman would be crushed if she wasn't part of her 'best gal pal's' big day.

"Oh, don't worry about her. She will most definitely be a part of this wedding. We have something special in mind for Opal."

"When's the big day, Mom? And where?" Kendall asked curious for details.

"Jack and I reserved the Yacht Club, and we have set the date for July 4th."

"The 4th of July?! You reserved the Yacht Club for the 4th of July? Wow." Kendall didn't even want to think about how much that cost. She knew they could afford it, but still. That was usually the Yacht Club's busiest day. How her mother pulled this off was beyond her.

"Wait! That's only in a couple of weeks!" Greenlee looked at her father and soon-to-be step-mother in shock. "How are we going to get everything done in that short period of time?"

Erica simply smiled. "I've made quite a few calls already, and things are well in hand. Vera will be handling dressing the bridal party and has come up with designs for everyone. She is sending someone to Pine Valley on Monday to take our measurements and has assured me that everything will be done in plenty of time. I was thinking she could start off with the children then since their schedules are more open compared to everyone else's."

"What time are you thinking, Mom? Miranda has a birthday party for her friend Paige, and I believe Emma was invited too. I have a meeting with a major new donor, and Rissa has court."

"Oh, that's right. It's your first case since you've been back. How is that going?" Jack asked.

"Yes, it is. It's the Donaldson case, it's turned into a nasty custody dispute. Neither one of them wants to budge no matter what their legal counsel advises. I'm going to try one more time with my client before court starts on Monday."

"I could take the girls. Like you said, Bianca, Emma's going too so I could just drop them off after they've been measured." Greenlee volunteered.

"Can I come with you too, Aunt G?" Gabby asked with her best puppy dog eyes.

Greenlee had to admit the girl was good and turned to Bianca and Marissa. "What do you say, Moms?"

"Are you sure it's not a problem?" Bianca asked after her brief, silent conversation with Marissa.

"I'm positive, and I like hanging out with Gabby. I'm sure we'll come up with something to do after we drop off Miranda and Emma."

"Alright."

Gabby smiled brightly. She loved hanging out with her Aunt Greenlee. She thought she was really funny. "Thanks, Mommies! Thanks, Aunt G!"

Arrangements were made for everyone else, and the other wedding plans were shared with the group.

While the others were talking, Erica pulled Marissa aside. "I wanted to ask if it was alright with you if I invited Jessica and Jo. I'd really like for them to be there."

"Really?"

Erica nodded. "Yes. They are a part of your family, and I see it as only right that they be included. Plus, Jessica and I have become friends."

Marissa smiled. "Thank you. You don't need my permission. It is _your_ day after all, but thank you for asking. You can most definitely ask them."

"Thank you, dear."

"You're welcome. Oh, are you alright if Jessica brings Caleb? I'm pretty sure she'll want to."

Erica chuckled. "Of course I am. Jessica has said they've grown closer."

It was Marissa's turn to chuckle this time. "Yes, they have. Jo can attest to that."

/

"Come on, girls. It's time to go." Greenlee called up the stairs. They were going to be late if they didn't leave soon.

"Coming, Aunt G." Miranda called back.

"Are you ready, Gabby?"

"Yep!"

"Carol, are you sure you're okay watching the boys?"

The seamstress commissioned for Erica's wedding was doing the measurements for the kids at Minx Manor. With all the juggling of schedules that day, Carol Walker had volunteered to come over and watch the boys while Greenlee took Miranda and Emma to the birthday party. "I'm positive. As soon as they are done getting their measurements taken, we're going outside so they can burn off some of that excess energy. We'll be just fine."

"Alright. Thanks again."

"Ready, Greenlee."

"Ready, Aunt G."

"Let's go then. Go on out to the car. Boys, I know your moms already told you, but I'm going to say it again. Be good for Carol. See you soon."

/

Greenlee pulled up to the Davies' home, and the girls scrambled out of the car. The four were greeted at the door by Judy Davies, Paige's mother.

"Hello, Greenlee, girls."

"Hi."

"Hello, Judy. Oh, I wanted to let you know that Ryan will be picking up the girls."

"Okay. Thanks for letting me know."

"Alright, girls. Go have fun. I know Gabby and I are going to."

With a wave, Miranda and Emma were off to join their friends.

Gabby skipped back to the car and stopped before getting back in.

Greenlee noticed the girl's frown. "What's wrong, Gabby?"

"I wish I didn't have to sit in the back in a booster seat and could sit in front with you. It's boring back there when it's just me."

"Oh, I know it is, Sweetie, but you have to. See, you have to at least weigh a certain amount and be a certain height to sit in front. If you're not, you have to sit in a booster seat. It's the law, and if we don't follow it, we could get in trouble. You don't want that, do you?"

Gabby shook her head. "No, I don't want that, Aunt G. I'll be okay in back."

Greenlee smiled. "I know you will be. I have an idea. How about we go get some ice cream?"

"I'd like that a lot!" Gabby's eyes lit up.

"I thought you might. Let's get you in your seat and buckled up."

With Gabby settled and safely in her seat, Greenlee got into the driver's seat and fastened her seatbelt. "Ready?"

"Yep! Let's go, Aunt G!"

Greenlee chuckled, turned on the radio to a pop station and then pulled out onto the road. As the two drove, Greenlee quickly glanced into the rearview mirror before moving her eyes back to the road. "Are you excited about being a flower girl for Erica and my Dad?"

"Yep! I'm gonna be one for Aya and Kate too. So is Miranda. AJ's going to be a ring bearer for them too."

"That's cool. When are they getting married?"

Gabby thought for a moment. "Close to Halloween. Aya said that's her favorite holiday."

"I like it too."

"Are you happy that Erica and Uncle Jack are getting married, Aunt G?"

"Yeah, I am. My Dad's really happy, and that's what matters the most to me. You know what I think, Gabby?"

"What?"

"You are going to be a very pretty flower girl."

Gabby beamed. "Thanks! Aunt G?"

"What, Sweetie?"

"Could I get a sundae?"

Greenlee laughed. "Sure. Why not? That's sounds really good. You know, I think I'm going to get one ..."

She saw a flash on the right in her peripheral vision, but it was too late for Greenlee to react. A car ran through the light and slammed into the side of the car flipping it over once sending it across the road and into ditch where it came to a rest on its side.

**/**

**A/N: How much do you all hate me right now? I warned you in the last chapter that my evil side was wanting to come out and play, and well, she did. I couldn't stop her. Trust me and try not to hate me too much. See you soon! **


	197. Necessary Interruptions

**A/N: As always, thanks for reading, reviewing and following! I appreciate it. I thought you might not be too happy with me because of that cliffhanger, but as some of you said, you knew it was coming. My evil side can only be held down for so long. I have to say this. I'm not a doctor. Anything medical related that you read here is the result of Google. It makes you wonder what we did before it was around. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

Gabby beamed. "Aunt G?"

"What, Sweetie?"

"Could I get a sundae?"

Greenlee laughed. "Sure. Why not? That's sounds really good. You know, I think I'm going to get one ..."

She saw a flash on the right in her peripheral vision, but it was too late for Greenlee to react. A car ran through the light and slammed into the side of the car flipping it over once before it skidded across the road and into ditch where it came to a rest on its side.

Witnesses watched in horror as one car rolled and finally came to a stop while the other stopped short of hitting a telephone pole. Suddenly, they sprang into action. Cellphones were pulled out and calls frantically placed to 911 desperately pleading for help. People raced towards the cars to offer assistance to the victims with the majority running to help the car in the ditch. Inside the car near the telephone pole was a man who looked to be in his late 20's or early 30's. He was slowly looking around and gaining his bearings, and he didn't appear to be seriously hurt. As for the other group of people, their hearts sunk when they looked inside the car and found a woman and a young girl, both unconscious and trapped. The side the girl was on looked to have suffered the brunt of the damage, and it was her side that was on the bottom. The driver's window had been shattered by the woman's head hitting it. From what they could tell, it could have been worse had she not been wearing her seatbelt and had the airbag not deployed. Someone tried to open the door and soon found that it wouldn't budge. It would have to be pried open.

"Hey! Where are you going?!" A woman shouted when she saw the other driver trying to leave the scene on foot.

"I … I uh was going to get some help."

She saw the look in his eyes and wasn't buying his explanation for one second. He looked like he was going to run. "People have already called for help, and it's on the way. You should probably get checked out. Plus, you'll need to talk to the police."

"Oh, I don't think …"

One of the burly looking men who had tried to pry open the door to Greenlee's car stepped in. "The lady's right. You shouldn't be going anywhere. The police are going to want to talk to you."

"Yeah, but …"

"That wasn't a question or even a suggestion. You're staying."

The driver gulped. He desperately wanted to get out of there but could tell the other man wasn't going to budge. He could hear sirens approaching at breakneck speed, and he knew he was stuck so he simply gave up and nodded.

Police dispersed and began taking statements from witnesses and were soon pointed in the direction of the other driver. An officer walked over to him accompanied by a paramedic who began to check the man out. While this was going on, firefighters began working on freeing Greenlee and Gabby with paramedics standing by so they could begin administering aid as soon as possible.

/

"Hey, Lisa." Marissa glanced around the courtroom and saw no sign of her client. "Holly's not here yet?"

"Hey. No, not yet. Do you still want to talk to her?" Lisa asked. She was assisting Marissa in court today and was really looking forward to it.

"Yes, I want to give it one more shot. Hopefully, I can get her to calm down some and see another side to this. I know Dana is going to try the same with Vince. The only ones who are going to get hurt if they continue with what they're doing are the kids."

"You're right. There she is now."

"Hi, Holly."

"Hello, Marissa."

"Have you had a chance to think about what we discussed Friday?" Marissa asked.

Lisa couldn't help but admire her boss. She wasn't afraid to call clients out if she disagreed with them or their behavior. This was one of those times. Their client's husband had been having an affair for a couple of years when Holly had found out about it. She was understandably hurt and angry, and had every right to be. The problem was that the couple's children were in the middle of this conflict and were the ones being hurt the most from the implosion of their parents' marriage. This was something both parents were responsible for. There was no doubt that they both loved their children. Unfortunately, this didn't prevent them from unintentionally using the kids to hurt the other. This was something all too familiar in divorce cases. So while Holly and Vince Donaldson were successful in causing each other pain, they were blind to the fact that their children were actually the ones being hurt the most. Marissa saw this and was trying to get through to their client, have her realize what they were doing and hopefully put a stop to it. Lisa knew Marissa had spoken to the opposing counsel off the record. Dana agreed with her and was trying to talk some sense into Vince as well.

/

"Hi, Jan."

"Hi, Bianca. I've got everything set up in the conference room for your meeting."

"Great. Thank you for taking care of all of that. I'm going to go on in. I want to read through my notes again."

"I'll let you know when they are here."

"Perfect, and please …"

"I know. Hold all of your calls, unless it's an emergency." Jan smiled. She knew her boss's routine down pat.

"Thank you." Bianca chuckled. It was force of habit to add the last part. She trusted Jan to handle whatever might come up. Bianca pulled out her cellphone and fired off a quick text to Marissa to wish her good luck in court today.

/

Marissa glanced down at her cellphone and smiled as she read Bianca's text. She then put the device on silent and handed it to Lisa. The young lawyer would monitor it while court was in session. Marissa didn't like to be disturbed by it going off while in court. Plus, judges frowned on cellphones in their courtroom, especially those belonging to the lawyers arguing before them. Marissa then returned her focus to their client.

/

Brot pulled up to the accident scene. He was already on his way there when he'd heard that a child was involved. There was nothing he hated more than an accident involving a child. As he got out of his cruiser, Brot spotted firefighters attaching the 'jaws of life' to pry open the driver's side door. He started to make his way over to get an update on the victims and the progress being made to free them when he heard someone calling him.

"Sarge."

"Johnson. What do you got?"

"Witnesses are all saying that car ran the light and plowed into the one in the ditch. According to those two, the driver of that car, one Neil Lawson, was trying to leave before anyone got here. They were able to stop him. Oh, and he hasn't bothered asking about the woman and child that are injured."

"Could be in shock. What's that?" Brot noted the evidence bag Officer Johnson was holding.

"It's Lawson's cellphone."

Brot started to shake his head. "Don't tell me."

"Sorry, Sarge, but it looks like Lawson was texting while he was driving. We found a partial text on the phone that wasn't sent. According to the witnesses, it fits the timeframe."

"Dammit all to hell. Have the paramedics checked him out yet?"

"Yeah, they have. He just has some bruises, nothing serious."

"Of course he does."

A firefighter could be heard shouting. "Someone get a gurney and a backboard over here! We're ready to remove the woman."

Brot turned his attention to the other vehicle and watched as the injured woman was slowly removed. It was then he caught sight of her, and his stomach sunk. He approached a paramedic standing nearby. "I know her. Her name is Greenlee Lavery. Husband's name is Ryan Lavery."

The paramedic nodded and jotted the information down. "What about the girl?"

"My guess is that it's her step-daughter Emma Lavery. How is she?"

"Hard to say at this point. She's lucky she was in her booster seat."

"Wait! Booster seat? Emma's too big for that. How old is the girl? What's she look like?"

"A brunette, about five or six years old."

"No! Oh no! It can't be."

"Okay, we're ready for the girl!" Another firefighter could be heard shouting.

Brot closed his eyes and took a deep breath to compose himself after seeing the girl being rushed to the ambulance. "She's Gabby Tasker-Montgomery. Her mothers are Bianca and Marissa Tasker-Montgomery. The hospital will know how to get in touch with her parents as well as Greenlee's husband."

Nodding, the paramedic made a note of the information before climbing into the driver's seat of the ambulance carrying Gabby. With their patients on board, the ambulances raced off to the hospital.

"Johnson!" Brot barked out.

"Yeah, Sarge?"

"Get the Chief. He needs to know about this." Brot then pointed to Lawson. "And cuff that son of a bitch. He better pray that they make it. Because if they don't, he's going to wish he was never born."

/

"Good afternoon, Joe."

"Good afternoon, Angie. How's your day going so far?"

"I can't complain. How are y …"

"Dr. Hubbard, we have two coming in, a woman in her 30's and a girl around six. Car accident. The girl is critical, and the woman is stable. ETA is five minutes." An ER nurse informed the doctor.

Angie nodded. "Page Dr. Parrish for the girl, and I'll take the woman."

"Do you want a hand?"

"If you're offering, Joe, I'll definitely take it. I don't think there is anything I hate more than critical cases involving children."

"That makes two of us."

The doctors proceeded to grab a surgical gown and prep for their patients' arrival. Dr. Erin Parrish quickly joined them.

"What do we have, Angie?"

"Good to have you here, Erin. We have a six year girl involved in a car accident in critical condition." Before she could continue, two ambulances pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance.

A paramedic jumped out of the first one and started giving his patient's vital signs. "Six year old, breathing is shallow, and she's been unconscious since we arrived on the scene." He completed his rundown as they wheeled the girl into the hospital.

Erin stopped when she saw who the girl was, her heart breaking seeing the little girl like this. "Dammit. I know who she is."

"Officer on the scene said she was …"

"Gabby Tasker-Montgomery. She's one of my patients. Let's move people! I am not losing her."

Angie and Joe glanced at each other overhearing the other doctor as she passed them. Neither was sure who the other victim was but thought it could be one of Gabby's mothers. When the other victim was unloaded from the ambulance, they were shocked to see who it actually was.

"Greenlee." Joe looked at Angie again.

She seemed to know what he was thinking. "Go ahead. It's better if they hear this from you than anyone else. I'll take care of Greenlee."

Joe nodded and watched as Angie led Greenlee's gurney to a curtained area to begin her examination. He dreaded having to make either of these calls and said a silent prayer that Gabby and Greenlee would be okay before walking over to the nurses' station. Joe knew which call needed to be made first. As he looked up the numbers he needed, Joe overheard a conversation between two of the paramedics and a nurse.

"_The girl was trapped inside because the car was flipped on its side. Thank god she was in the backseat and strapped into her booster seat. Otherwise, who knows? As it was, they had to cut them out of the car."_

"_It looked ugly."_

"_What happened?"_

"_I heard an officer say that the son of a bitch that hit them ran straight through a red light. It looked like that he was texting and driving."_

"_Yeah, and there's barely a scratch on him. Isn't that usually the case? He tried to leave the scene before the police got there, but some witnesses stopped him. He'll be here soon. The police are bringing him over." _

/

"Did you girls have a good time?" Ryan asked as Miranda and Gabby settled in the backseat of the car and fastened their seatbelts.

"Yeah, we did." Emma smiled at her father before glancing at her friend.

Miranda got the hint. "Ryan, do you think Emma could stay at my house for a little while and go swimming?"

Ryan shook his head. He should have seen this coming. "Well, Miranda, we'll need to ask your moms if it's okay with them. I'll also need to check with Greenlee to see what plans she might have made for later. Okay?"

Both girls sighed and nodded, expecting no less of an answer.

"Okay."

/

"The Miranda Center, Bianca Montgomery's office. This is Jan. How many I help you?"

"_Hello, Jan. This is Joe Martin."_

"Oh, hello, Dr. Martin. What can I do for you?"

"_I need to speak with Bianca."_

"I'm sorry, but she's in a meeting right now and has asked not to be disturbed unless …" A horrible feeling struck Jan immediately. There was something in the kindly doctor's tone that told her something had happened, something bad.

"_I need you to get her for me and have her take this call in private."_

"I'll get her right now."

"_And Jan."_

"Yes?"

"_Have someone drive her."_

"Yes, sir."

/

Jan hurried down the hallway that led to the conference room where Bianca was. She took a breath and knocked on the door before entering. All eyes were immediately on her, but her focus was only on her boss. Jan bent down and whispered to Bianca.

"You have a call from Joe Martin."

Bianca's head snapped up. "I'm sorry, but I need to take this. I'll be back as soon as I can." The brunette swiftly walked out of the room with Jan right behind her.

"Did he give you any details?"

"No. He only said that he needed to talk to you and that you would want to take the call in private. He's on line 1."

Bianca nodded and increased her pace.

Aya had witnessed the exchange and approached Jan. "What's up?"

"I don't know exactly, but I'm going to need you to cover for Bianca and me."

/

Alone in her office, every possible worst case scenario swirled in Bianca's head. With a shaky hand, she picked up her office phone. "Joe, what's happened?"

Joe knew Bianca well. She was one of the strongest people that he knew, and he knew she wouldn't want him to sugarcoat anything or beat around the bush. _"There's been an accident, and Gabby's been hurt."_

Bianca inhaled sharply, and her knees almost gave out on her. Her baby girl was hurt. She couldn't break down. She had to be strong. "How … how is she?"

"_It's honestly too soon to say for sure. She was just brought in, and Dr. Parrish is examining her right now."_

"Okay. I'm on my way. I need to call Marissa."

"_That's being taken care of as we speak."_

"Thank you. Make sure someone drives her to the hos … hospital."

"_I can do that."_

"Thank … thank … you. Tell Gabby I love her, and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"_I will."_ With that, the call ended.

/

Bianca raced out of her office and found Jan waiting for her.

"What happened?" One look at Bianca's face told Jane that whatever emergency has arisen was bad.

"It's … it's Gabby. She's been in an accident. I need to get to the hospital." Bianca was barely able to speak.

"I'm driving you, and Aya will cover everything here."

Bianca merely nodded as she wiped away a few tears that had escaped and followed her assistant out the door. The brunette was grateful Jan was driving. With everything she was thinking and feeling in that moment, there was not a chance in hell Bianca would've been able to focus on the road. Gabby had to be okay. She couldn't lose her baby girl. She just couldn't.

/

Joe was able to quickly find Marissa's cellphone number and placed the next call.

/

Lisa watched as her boss led Holly through her testimony. Marissa seemed to have made some progress with their client in getting her to see that her children were the ones being hurt the most right now. Lisa couldn't tell if Dana had been as successful with her client. Marissa made the call to proceed with their case and talk to opposing counsel during a recess. Lisa was making a note when she heard Marissa's cellphone buzz. She glanced at the display and didn't recognize the number. The blonde considered ignoring it for a moment but something was telling her not to do that. Lisa picked up the phone and walked out of the courtroom as discreetly as possible.

"Hello?"

"_Yes, this is Dr. Joe Martin at Pine Valley Hospital. Who am I speaking with?"_

"This is Lisa Walsh. Are you looking for Marissa Tasker?"

"_Yes, I am. I need to speak with her."_

"She's in court right now. Is this an emergency?" Lisa asked dreading the answer.

"_I'm afraid it is."_

"Alright. Hold on a moment, and I'll get her."

"_Ms. Walsh?"_

"Yes, doctor."

"_Is there someone there that would be able to drive her to the hospital?"_

"I can do it." Lisa knew better than to ask the doctor for details.

"_Good."_

"Let me get her."

/

When she walked back into the courtroom, Lisa motioned for Marissa to come over to her.

"Your honor, if I could have just a moment please?"

Judge Nathan Taylor nodded. "Go ahead."

"What is it, Lisa?"

Lowering her voice and holding out the cellphone for her boss, Lisa answered. "It's the hospital. A Dr. Joe Martin said he needs to talk with you."

Marissa felt a chill run down her spine. Taking the cellphone, the redhead turned to the judge. "Your honor, could I have a brief recess? It seems that something has come up."

The judge sighed. He did not like trials interrupted. Most of the time, the 'emergencies' were anything but that. There was something in the redhead's expression though that told him that this wasn't the case. Something was indeed wrong. "Make it quick, counselor."

Marissa nodded and exited the courtroom. "Joe? What's wrong?"

"_There's been an accident, and Gabby's been hurt."_

Choking back a sob, Marissa braced herself against a wall. "How is she?"

"_It's too soon to know for sure. She was just brought in, and Dr. Parrish is examining her now."_

"Have … have you called Bianca?"

"_I have, and she is on her way here. Jan is driving her."_

"Good. Good. She shouldn't be driving. I'm on my way. Tell Gabby I love her."

"_I will."_

Marissa tried to pull herself together as best and as quickly as she could before going back inside the courtroom.

/

"Your honor, I … I apologize, but I need to re … request a continuance."

Everyone present could tell something was wrong. The poker face Marissa had sported only minutes before was gone. Now, she was pale, her eyes red-rimmed, looked to be holding back tears, and struggling to maintain her composure.

Judge Taylor knew the lawyer and had never seen her like this in a courtroom. "Is everything alright, Ms. Tasker?"

"My youngest daugh … daughter has been in an accident and has been taken to the hospital."

_Dammit._ Lisa knew it was bad, but she was not expecting this.

The judge turned to the other lawyer who was already standing. "Any objection, Ms. Reeves?"

"No, your honor." Dana hated to see Marissa like this. While they might be adversaries in the courtroom, the two were friendly outside.

"I will look for a new date on the court docket. Ms. Walsh …"

Lisa nodded and briefly paused in her gathering of their things. She knew what the judge would be asking. "I'm driving her, your honor."

"Good. My thoughts are with you and your family, Ms. Tasker."

"Thank you, your honor." Marissa turned to her client. "Holly …"

"Go. Let me know how she is."

Dana glanced at Marissa as she passed her. "Please let me know if you need anything."

Marissa simply nodded as she quickly left with Lisa right behind her.

The Donaldsons looked at each other and knew the redhead was experiencing their worst nightmare.

Holly was the first to speak. "Vince, we need to talk."

He nodded. "You're right, we do."

/

Jan pulled up to the Emergency Room entrance. The car barely came to a stop before Bianca jumped out and raced inside. In her rearview mirror, Jan could see Marissa arriving just after them, quickly following suit and darting inside the hospital.

Lisa saw Jan in the car ahead of her and nodded in acknowledgement before both women went to find a place to park. While Bianca and Marissa would have each other to lean on right now, neither Jan nor Lisa were going anywhere anytime soon. They had made up their minds as soon they had found out about Gabby to be there for however long they would be needed and to do whatever the couple might need done.

/

Bianca had caught a glimpse of her wife in her periphery and held out a hand which was immediately grasped. Their eyes scanned the room until they saw Joe Martin. They ran over to him just as he was finishing up a call.

"I'll see you soon, Ryan." Joe hung up and was met by the two near-frantic mothers.

"Joe, where's Gabby?"

"How is she? Can we see her?"

"If you go to the waiting room, I'll go check on her."

The couple nodded numbly and did as asked.

/

"Rissa, she has to be okay. We can't lose her. Oh god, I don't think I can go through this again." Bianca took a shaky breath.

Marissa wrapped her arms around Bianca. She knew her wife was reliving the nightmare of when she had thought she had lost Miranda. As for Marissa, she was being plagued by the memories of when she had lost her parents. The redhead shook those thoughts from her mind. She had to be there for Bianca. "Don't go there, B. You have to believe that she's going to be okay. Gabby is a fighter and is tough. After all, she's a Kane woman."

Bianca gave her wife a weak smile. She knew exactly what Marissa was doing and loved her even more for it.

/

"Alright. Let's get that blood tested. I want an arterial blood gas test, a chest X-ray, a head CT and one of her abdomen." Dr. Parrish barked out the orders as the others rushed to take care of them. She glanced over and saw Joe.

"Erin, her mothers are here and are in the waiting room."

"I'll go talk to them." The doctor turned to a nurse. "Page me as soon as you get those results."

"Yes, doctor."

/

Erin Parrish found the couple right away. They were huddled together in the waiting room, drawing strength and comfort from each other.

"Bianca, Marissa."

Both women jumped hearing their names, worry was etched on their faces.

"Dr. Parrish, how's Gabby?"

"Please have a seat." When they were all settled, she continued. "Gabby is in critical but stable condition."

"What … what are her injuries?"

"The impact of the car hitting the one she was in." The doctor saw the puzzled expressions on the couple's faces.

"It was a car accident?"

"You didn't know."

"No, we were just told she was in an accident and got here as fast as we could."

"From what I've been told, a car ran a red light and hit the one Gabby was in. The car flipped, and Gabby's side was on the bottom. She had to be cut from the car. As to her injuries, Gabby has a punctured lung and an injury to her spleen. I don't believe she suffered a head injury, but I'm getting a scan to be positive that everything is okay. I'm also getting a scan of her abdomen to determine the severity of the injury to her spleen. We're running some tests on her lung to see if there is any fluid or obstruction."

Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand hearing the litany of their daughter's injuries. It took every ounce of strength she had not to break down, and she knew the same was true for her wife.

"Fortunately, Gabby was in her booster seat. While her injuries are severe, they could have been worse. I believe that seat saved her life."

"Is she awake? Can we see her?"

"Is she in any pain? What about surgery?"

"She is unconscious, but given the trauma she's suffered, that's understandable. The head CT will tell me if it's anything more. As for pain, I don't believe she is in any, but we will give her something to help with any pain she may have when she wakes. I'm sorry, but you can't see her just yet. They've taken her for those tests. We need those run as soon as possible so we can determine the best course of treatment which may or may not include surgery. I'll have someone come get you the second you can see her. I'm going to see how those tests are going right now. Please know that I'm going to do everything I can for her."

"Thank you." Bianca swallowed thickly.

Something clicked in Marissa's head. She remembered hearing Joe talking on the phone to someone named Ryan when she and Bianca had gotten there. It was too much of a coincidence. "Dr. Parrish, was the driver of Gabby's car hurt?"

"Oh my god, Greenlee!"

"I can't speak to her injuries, but I believe they are not as severe as Gabby's. Angie Hubbard was treating her. Let me go check on Gabby."

The couple both nodded as they held each other, said a silent prayer for their daughter and began the hardest part, waiting.

**/**

**A/N: Sorry, but I had to end it there if it you wanted a post for today. See you soon!**


	198. Word Gets Out

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it. Yeah, I know the car accident was foreshadowed, and it was intentional. I didn't want it to be completely out of the blue since Gabby was involved. I wanted to brace you all a little. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The couple both nodded as they held each other, said a silent prayer for their daughter and began the hardest part, waiting.

Lisa carefully approached the couple with Jan by her side. "Is there you need us to do?"

Marissa glanced up. "Uh. Kendall and Erica. Could you call them? Their numbers are in my phone." The redhead handed her cellphone to Lisa.

"We'll take care of it." Jan assured the couple before she and Lisa went to make the requested calls.

Bianca let out a shuddering breath. She was hanging on by a thread. Everything she had gone through, all of those feelings she had experienced when she had been told Miranda was dead were now flooding back. The brunette kept trying to shake those thoughts away, to stop her mind from going to that dark place. Bianca had to believe the words Marissa kept whispering to her. _Gabby would be okay. She may be little, but she was a fighter._

/

Ryan had just come to a stop and put the car in park in front of Minx manor when his cellphone rang. He glanced down and didn't recognize the number. "Why don't you girls go on inside? I'll be there in a minute."

The girls nodded, and Miranda led her friend inside the house.

"Hello?"

"_Ryan, it's Joe Martin."_

"Joe is everything alright?"

The doctor sighed slightly. _"There has been an accident, and Greenlee's been injured."_

"How bad, Joe?"

"_Angie is examining her now, but her injuries don't look to be severe."_

"Thank god. Was anyone else hurt?"

Joe paused. He had to very careful about what he told Ryan. _"I'm not at liberty to give you any specific details, but I can tell you that the passenger in her car was also injured."_

"Passenger?" Ryan paused a moment and remembered who else Greenlee was going to be driving today besides Miranda and Emma. "No, not Gabby." The doctor's silence confirmed Ryan's worst suspicions. "I just got to Bianca and Marissa's. Let me make sure that Carol is okay with watching them, and then, I'll be right there."

"_Ryan, you have to be very careful what you say."_

"I understand, Joe."

With the call disconnected, Ryan went inside the house. He found Carol and the kids in the kitchen having a snack.

"Carol, could I talk to you for a minute?"

"Of course, Ryan."

When the two were safely out of earshot of the kids, Carol began to question Ryan. She could easily tell something had happened. "What's wrong?"

"I just got a call from Joe Martin. Greenlee was involved in an accident."

"Is she okay?"

"He doesn't think her injuries are severe, but I want to get over there and see how she is."

"Of course. Emma can stay here for as long as you need. I know Marissa and Bianca won't mind."

"Thank you, but there's something else. Joe said a passenger in Greenlee's car was injured. While he couldn't confirm who it was …"

Carol put a hand over her mouth suddenly feeling ill hearing this latest information. "Oh no, Gabby was with her!"

"Exactly. If that's the case, Bianca and Marissa will be at the hospital, probably for some time. Are you okay watching all the kids for a while?"

"Yes, I am. They'll need me here, and I'll stay as long as they need me. The same goes for you. I'll call Sam and Gail, and ask them to come over and help. I won't say anything to the children."

"Thank you. I'm going to say goodbye to Emma and then head over to the hospital."

While Ryan was talking to his daughter, Carol made a quick call to her daughter-in-law.

/

As Ryan was getting ready to leave after telling Emma she was going to be staying there a little bit, Carol stopped him.

"Tell Marissa and Bianca that I love them and will be praying for Gabby and for them as well. If they need anything, they just have to ask. Also, tell them to try not to worry about things here. One more thing, I know Kendall is still on maternity leave with Lexie, but I have a feeling that she and Zach will be at the hospital as well before too long. If they need someone to watch Lexie, tell them they can drop her off here, and the boys can stay as long as they need. I called Gail, and she and Sam will be over in about twenty minutes to help."

"I will, and thank you again for everything."

/

Kendall had just gotten off the phone with Zach letting him know about Gabby and Greenlee. Unfortunately, she didn't have many details to give him because she really didn't have any. Her heart was breaking for Bianca and Marissa. Not knowing if your child was okay, how badly they were hurt, if they would survive, and feeling useless because there was not a damn thing about any of it. It was a parent's worst nightmare, and it was nothing short of torture. For Bianca to be going through this with Gabby after what she had gone through with Miranda was almost soul-crushing. Kendall thanked god that Bianca had Marissa and the kids now. She knew they would keep her sister from somehow slipping into the abyss if something did happen to Gabby. Kendall shook her head to clear those thoughts away. She couldn't let herself go there. Gabby would be okay just like Greenlee would be okay. Kendall couldn't imagine her life without either of them in it.

She was going to call her mother, but Lisa assured her that Jan was calling Erica, something she was grateful for. Given the connection he had with Gabby, telling Zach had been hard enough. Kendall couldn't imagine what telling her mother would've been like. She needed to get to the hospital, now. Kendall glanced around. Lexie was in her carrier, and Kendall had gathered everything she needed to take with her. She was hoping she wasn't presuming too much with what she had planned. It was a lot to ask, but something told her it would be alright. Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her cellphone.

"Ryan."

"_Hi, Kendall. Judging by your tone, I'm guessing you know what's happened."_

"I do. I just got off the phone with Lisa. She told me that she and Marissa were in court when Joe called. Lisa drove her to the hospital, and Jan drove Bianca. Jan was also talking to Mom and letting her know what was going on."

"_Did Lisa say how Gabby was? Joe couldn't tell me anything."_

"All Lisa knew was that Gabby was in critical condition." Kendall's voice cracked with emotion thinking about her niece.

"_Dammit."_

"What about Greenlee? Lisa couldn't tell me anything about her."

"_Joe said Angie was still examining her but that her injuries weren't severe. I'm on my way there now. I had picked up Miranda and Emma from the birthday party and took them back to Bianca and Marissa's. Carol's going to watch them. They don't know anything yet."_

"That's good. There's no sense in getting them upset until we know something."

"_I was thinking the same thing. Carol wanted me to tell you that she would watch Lexie if you wanted, and the boys can stay for as long as you need. Gail and Sam are going over to help her."_

"Oh, that would be great. I was hoping she would do something like that. Okay, I'm going to head over there now. Tell Bianca and Marissa I'll be there as soon as I can. The same goes for Greenlee."

"_I will. Drive safe."_

/

To say Jesse Hubbard was pissed off would be a huge understatement. As Brot drove him to the hospital, Jesse was reading over the initial witness statements taken at the scene of the accident along with a preliminary report from the officers. The more he read, the angrier he got. Someone who couldn't wait a couple of minutes or just pull over to respond to a text put two people, one being a child, in the hospital. The fact that he knew them was beside the point. Jesse would have felt this anger no matter who had been involved. He was praying for their recovery as Brot navigated the police cruiser through the afternoon traffic. The suspect was being transported to the hospital to be checked out and have any injuries he might have received treated. Jesse had instructed the officers transporting Lawson to stay with him and not leave him for one second. The man had already tried to flee once, and the chief wouldn't put it past him to try something like that again. After reading the reports, Jesse was fairly certain he would be filing against Lawson very soon, but the chief needed to speak to the District Attorney first. There was another reason Jesse was having his officers watch the suspect before he was formally charged. As much as it pained him, he was doing it for the man's safety. Jesse knew that when Erica found out what happened, all bets would be off because god only knew what the diva would do.

"We're here, Jesse."

The chief glanced up and saw they had arrived at the hospital. "I'm going to see if I can get update on Gabby and Greenlee. Check on Lawson, make sure the officers don't leave him alone and read him his rights."

Brot nodded and followed Jesse inside.

/

Ryan arrived and quickly checked in with a nurse for a status on Greenlee. The nurse told him that she would tell his wife's doctor he was there and directed him to the waiting room. He nodded and headed to the waiting room where he found Bianca and Marissa.

"Hi. Is there any word on Gabby?"

Bianca shook her head. "Not yet. They're running several tests on her. It feels like we've been waiting forever, and we haven't even gotten a chance to see her yet."

"We will soon, B. You know that Dr. Parrish is one of the best there is and is taking good care of our little girl." Marissa was doing her best to reassure Bianca as well as herself. "What about Greenlee?"

"Joe wasn't able to tell me much when he called. A nurse is getting Angie for me. Oh, I dropped Emma and Miranda off at your house, and Carol said she will watch the kids for as long as you need her to."

"We need to call her. That's way too much for her." Bianca said.

"She told me to tell you not to worry about that because she had Gail and Sam coming over to help. She also wanted me to tell you that she's not going to say anything to the kids about what's happening. Most importantly, Carol wanted me to tell you both that she loves you."

"Thanks, Ryan."

A nurse came over. "Bianca and Marissa Tasker-Montgomery?"

"That's us."

"If you'll follow me please. Dr. Parrish has said you can see Gabby."

The women leapt to their feet and quickly followed the nurse.

/

"Ryan." The man jumped up hearing his name.

"Angie! How's Greenlee?"

"Have a seat." When Ryan was sitting back down, Angie continued. "Greenlee has a grade 3 or a severe concussion. She lost consciousness which is why we are listing it as severe, but she is awake now. It seems her head hit the driver's window pretty hard and shattered it. We've done a head CT, and have not found any bleeding or other injury. She is experiencing some confusion, but it is better than when she first woke up. Besides the confusion, she has some nausea and sensitivity to light which is common with concussions. Greenlee has some cuts and bruises as well and is going to be extremely sore for a few days, but that's pretty much the extent of her injuries."

"Thank god. Can I see her?"

"We're getting her settled in a room right now, but after that, you can see her. We want to keep her here a couple of days just to keep an eye on her. I want to make sure she's not showing any other symptoms and that she takes it easy. Greenlee's going to need to rest her brain so it can recover. I know she's not going to like it, but it's what she needs to do."

Ryan exhaled. "You're right, she's not going to like it, but I'll make sure she does it."

"I thought you would."

"Is there any word on Gabby?"

Angie shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't know anything since I've been treating Greenlee. She was asking about Gabby as well."

/

Lisa hung back as Angie talked to Ryan. The lawyer was relieved that it sounded like Greenlee would be okay. Now, she just needed to hear how Gabby was. Lisa couldn't deny she was worried. She loved Gabby, everybody did. The little girl had to be okay. Lisa didn't know what the couple would do if she wasn't. The lawyer needed to do something that could help them out. She had an idea but wasn't sure if she should do it. Lisa glanced down at Marissa's cellphone, which she still had, and made up her mind. _I'm going to do it. Bianca has her family around, and while they love Marissa and consider her family as well, it's just not quite the same._ She scrolled through the contacts and found the one she was looking for.

"_Hey, Marissa. How's it going? I was just thinking about you and was going to call tonight to see how court went."_

"Hey, Jo. It's not Marissa. It's Lisa."

"_Lisa? Why do you have Marissa's cellphone? What's wrong? What happened?"_

"There's been an accident, and Gabby's been hurt."

Jo stumbled back to her chair. _"Oh my god! How is she?"_

"She's in critical condition."

"_What happened?"_

"I don't know all the details. There was a car accident. Gabby was with Greenlee, and someone hit them."

"_How's Greenlee?"_

"It sounds like she's going to be okay."

"_But Gabby …"_ Jo's voice trailed off. She was already making plans. Jo could only imagine the hell her friend was going through right now. Not only was her daughter hurt, but she was injured in a car accident of all things. Marissa had lost her parents in one, and Jo knew that her friend would be reliving that nightmare.

"Yeah. Marissa and Bianca just went back to see her. I thought you would want to know."

"_I do. Thank you for calling me. Look, I'm going to call my Mom and tell her. We'll be on the road in about an hour and there as soon as we can. You tell Marissa we're on our way, and that we love her. Tell Bianca that too. If anything changes, call me right away. Alright?"_

"I will. You're driving?"

"_Yeah, it will be the fastest for us. I don't know when we would be able to get a flight there."_

"Alright, I'll call as soon as I hear something. Drive safely."

/

Jo grabbed her purse and computer bag before calling Jessica as she made her way to the parking lot.

"_Hello, Jo. What's up?"_

"Mom, I'm on my way home right now. I need you to pack us both a bag and be ready to leave as soon as I get there."

"_What's going on, Josephine?"_ Jessica was on immediate alert just from the tone of her daughter's voice, but to hear her asking to pack them both a bag and that they would be going somewhere raised all kinds of alarm bells for her.

"I just got off the phone with Lisa Walsh."

"_One of the lawyers that works for Marissa?"_

"That's her. Gabby's been in a car accident and is in critical condition."

"_Oh no. Marissa, Bianca, the other kids?"_

"She wasn't with them. She was with Greenlee. She was hurt too but not as bad as Gabby."

"_Lydia and Roy."_ Jessica whispered.

"Yeah. You know she's gotta be thinking of them right now."

"_I do. I'll be ready. Be safe getting here, and Jo, I love you."_

"I love you too, Mom." Jo reached her car just as the call finished.

/

There was one more call Lisa knew she had to make, and she wasn't looking for to it either. She knew that Marissa would want her to make it though.

"_Marissa Tasker's office. How may I help you?"_

"Hi, Ellie. It's Lisa."

"_Hey, Lisa. What's up? How's court going?"_

"The case was continued. Is anyone around?"

"_Let's see. Brandon is taking a deposition. Claudia is with a client. Sofia and Brian are free."_

"Can you have them go to Marissa's office and then put me on speaker with you and them?"

Ellie could tell something was up. _"Sure. Is everything alright?"_

"I'd rather tell the three of you at one time."

"_Alright. I'll put you on hold while I get them."_

Lisa waited patiently while she was hold. Jan had told her that Erica was going to call Jack so she didn't have to worry about him, but Marissa would want to make sure that her team was covered and didn't skip a beat in her absence. Work was the last thing Marissa needed to worry about right now. So, Lisa was going to do whatever she could to make sure things were taken care of so Marissa could devote her focus onto what was most important at this time, Gabby and her family.

"_Alright, Lisa. I've got Sofia and Brian here, and no one else is listening."_

"Thanks, Ellie. I'll get right to the point. While we were in court, Marissa got a call. There was a car accident involving Gabby and Greenlee. They were taken to the hospital. Greenlee's injuries weren't severe, but Gabby's in critical condition. Bianca and Marissa were finally able to go back and see her. I don't know anything else."

"_No!"_

"_Son of a bitch."_

"_Dammit."_ Sofia struggled to think rationally. _"Okay. What about your case?"_

"Judge Taylor continued it."

"_Alright. Ellie will go over Marissa's calendar and clear it for at least the rest of the week. When we know more about Gabby's condition, we'll regroup. Ellie, I'll need you to also set up an emergency staff meeting so we can sort through her cases and split them up as well as let the others know."_

"I'd like to stay here at the hospital if it's alright. I want to be available for her if she needs anything, if either of them need anything."

"_That's a good idea. We can catch you up tomorrow. I'm guessing Jack knows?"_

"Erica was going to tell him."

"_Okay. If anything changes …"_

"I'll let you know."

"_Tell Marissa we love them and are thinking of them." _Brian added, his heart breaking for his friend.

"I will."

/

Dr. Parrish greeted Bianca and Marissa outside the door to Gabby's hospital room. There were a few things she needed to talk to them about before they saw their daughter.

"I want to go over a couple of things before you go in. She's still in critical condition, but her test results have me hopeful that I'll be able to upgrade it soon. First, her head CT came back clean. There is no sign of head trauma."

"Thank god."

"There is minimal fluid in her lungs, and I don't see any obstructions or other underlying problems. Blood results look good, and there are no signs of infections. As for her spleen, we see no signs of bleeding, and it appears to only be bruised."

"So, no surgery?" Bianca asked.

"No surgery, at this time. That could change if her condition does, but at this time, I see no need for surgery. I know in the past, her spleen would've been removed, but the thinking has changed on that. It's better, if possible, that we let it heal on its own. While she could be fine without it, the spleen plays an important role in fighting infections. So, it's better if she can keep it. The next 24 hours will be the most critical for her, and we're going to monitor it very closely."

"Okay, can we see her now?"

"There's one more thing. She's sedated, and I want to keep her that way for at least 24 hours. It's because I have her on oxygen. More precisely, she's on a ventilator."

"Oh …"

"Don't go there yet. She's on the ventilator so we can get her more oxygen, and that will help her lung heal faster. I've got her sedated because it can be frightening for anyone to wake up and having a tube help you breathe. For a child, it would be even more frightening, and she could try and take it out. That would not be good. Like I said, I only want to keep her on it for a short period of time. We are going to monitor that as well. I just want you to be prepared for when you see her. Are you ready?"

The couple glanced at each other and took several deep breaths to brace themselves before nodding.

/

Bianca's knees began to buckle when she first saw her youngest daughter. Only Marissa's strong arms around her prevented Bianca from collapsing onto the floor. Gabby looked so small and frail lying in the hospital bed. Besides the ventilator, the little girl was hooked up to various monitors as well as an IV. It cut both women to the core seeing her like this, and although Dr. Parrish had done her best to warn them, nothing could have prepared them enough to see Gabby like this. Gabby was always smiling and so full of life. Seeing her like this was heartrending. With Marissa steadying Bianca, the couple went to their daughter's bedside. Each placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. A nurse pulled up two chairs for them, and they took a seat with Bianca taking the one closest to the head of the bed and Marissa right beside her.

Dr. Parrish looked at the couple. "We'll give you some time alone with her." With that, the doctor and nurses left them alone.

/

The two women were sitting in silence for several minutes with only the sounds of the machines filling the room when a slight shiver ran through Bianca's body. Marissa pulled her wife close and wrapped her arms around her tightly. A small whimper followed by a stray tear escaped from Bianca, and then, the dam broke. Tears streamed down her face as soul-wrenching sobs racked her body. Marissa's heart broke seeing her wife like this, and the redhead did the only thing she could do at that moment, she held Bianca even tighter. Marissa knew Bianca was reliving the horror of what she had gone through with Miranda. The redhead was all too familiar with the nightmares Bianca had surrounding not only the time during which she thought Miranda was dead but also her rape. Bianca had told her that they weren't nearly as bad now as they used to be, but the smallest of things could still be a trigger for those memories even after all of these years. Seeing Gabby like this was most definitely one hell of a trigger. Marissa wanted nothing more in this moment than for Bianca's pain to be taken away and for Gabby to recover.

Marissa knew all too well about triggers having her own surrounding her parents' deaths. She had had nightmares for months following the car accident that had almost claimed her own life. It would have been so easy for her to never get behind the wheel of a car again after that, but knowing it wouldn't have solved anything, the redhead had done it, thanks in large part to Bianca's love and support. She was her rock during that time. Now, it was Marissa's turn to support her wife, to be her rock, and she was going to do it.

After several long minutes, Bianca's sobs began to subside. The brunette lifted her head, and just when Marissa thought her heart couldn't break anymore, she saw Bianca's tear-streaked face. The redhead gently wiped away her wife's tears.

"I'm sorry."

Marissa shook her head. "For what? You don't have anything to be sorry about, B."

"It doesn't do any good to break down like I just did."

"It doesn't do any good to keep it all in either. I think it's actually worse to bottle it up. Look, you don't have to be the strong one all the time. I'm here and not going anywhere. We'll get through this together, and Gabby's going to be alright."

Bianca knew Marissa was just as worried as she was about Gabby. Her wife adored their youngest daughter, and Gabby was just as much Marissa's daughter as she was Bianca's. Seeing her belief that their little girl was going to be okay buoyed Bianca and gave her the strength she needed. "You're right. She will be. She has to be."

/

A dopy smile crossed Greenlee's face when she first saw Ryan. The pain medication was definitely doing its job. "Hey."

"Hey." Ryan kissed her softly. "You had me worried."

"Sorry. I really don't know what happened."

"What do you remember?"

"Um … Gabby and I were going to get ice cream …" Greenlee's voice trailed off. "Oh no! Gabby! How is she? Was she hurt? Is she alright? Please tell me she's alright." Greenlee pleaded as she struggled to sit up.

"Greenlee, I need you to calm down, okay? Please?"

She sighed seeming to have lost all of her strength suddenly. "Please tell me how Gabby is."

"Gabby was hurt, but I don't know how badly. Bianca and Marissa are with her right now."

"This is my fault. This is all my fault. They must hate me, and I don't blame them one bit."

"Greenlee, none of this is your fault. Someone hit you. You didn't do anything wrong."

"It's still my fault. If something happens to Gabby, I'll never forgive myself."

/

"This is absolutely ridiculous! Is there anyone here who can tell me how my granddaughter is doing?!" Erica's voice had steadily gotten louder with each non-answer she was getting from the nurse. The diva was ready to throttle the woman.

"I'm sorry, ma'am, but hospital policy states that …"

"I don't give a damn what hospital policy states! I demand someone tell me how she is! Do you know who I am?!"

The nurse cowered as she faced the woman's full wrath. The diva was small in stature, but damn if she wasn't more frightening than someone five times her size.

"I'll help Ms. Kane, Mary." Angie stepped in to save nurse who gave her an extremely grateful smile before rushing off.

Angie had only seen Erica this furious a handful of times before, and each time, it had to do with her family's well-being. Kendall was at her mother's side and could usually be expected to help rein her in. That wasn't the case this time though, and Angie knew it was because this time it involved one of the kids. The doctor couldn't really blame either of them.

"Erica, Kendall, please have a seat, and I'll tell you what I know." Angie had spoken with Erin Parrish not long ago for an update and felt comfortable talking to Erica and Kendall.

"How is she, Angie?" Erica asked the moment they had all sat down.

Angie then began to give them the details of Gabby's injuries. After that had sunken in, Kendall asked about Greenlee, and Angie detailed those injuries as well.

"How did this happen?" Kendall asked.

No sooner had her daughter asked that question than Erica spotted Pine Valley's Police Chief. "Jesse!"

The man in question cursed himself silently for not being fast enough to get out of the waiting room before Erica saw him. Jesse was hoping he would've had more time before having to speak with them, but it was too late for that now.


	199. Progress

**A/N: Thanks for continuing to read, review and follow! I appreciate it and all of you. I wanted to give a shout out to **_**Huskermania**_** for giving me the idea for that spawned this particular storyline. They had suggested AJ be injured in some sort of accident. I obviously tweaked it since Gabby was hurt in a car accident along with Greenlee. I also wanted to give a shout out to **_**Sammytyler **_**for reminding of Erica and Jack's never ending engagement. That will be revisited. For **_**AMCGL7**_**, while it may have been a slip of the tongue for Erica to refer to Gabby as her granddaughter, it wasn't for me. Our favorite diva is slowly making progress in her acceptance of the title of 'grandma'. How long that will take remains to be seen. In case any of you were wondering why I chose to have the guilty driver being distracted by texting, I have a work commute of close to 50 miles roundtrip each day I go into the office. I see many things that distract drivers every day on the roads. Texting, however, is probably the most prevalent, and that text really can wait. Okay, I'm off my soapbox. This chapter picks up where the last one left off. Hope you enjoy this update! **

**/**

The couple heard a commotion of some sort occurring outside Gabby's room. If they had to hazard a guess, both would say that Erica was somehow behind it.

"You stay here. I'll go see what's going on."

Bianca gave Marissa a grateful smile. She wasn't ready to leave Gabby's side just yet, and her wife knew that.

Marissa gave Bianca a soft kiss. The redhead then stood and leaned over to place a gentle kiss on Gabby's forehead before leaving the room to find out what was going on.

/

"Jesse, what happened? Who is responsible for this? Have there been any arrests? This will not go unpunished!"

The beleaguered police chief glanced at Angie who gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Erica, I'm not at liberty to give you any details of the case at this time." Jesse held up a hand to stop Erica's protest. "I'm sorry, but …"

"Does that apply to me, Jesse? Does it apply to Bianca?"

"Marissa …"

"No, don't even start. You owe me. My daughter is lying in a hospital bed in critical condition, struggling to breathe. Greenlee is in another bed, and I have no idea how she is. You know something, and I want to know what it is. I demand to know what it is. If you won't tell me, I won't be held responsible for my actions, and if you think Erica is bad, you haven't seen anything yet."

Jesse had only seen the redhead this angry with him once before, and if he was being honest with himself, he deserved it. Marissa was right. He did owe her. Besides, he had spoken with Mike Jensen not long ago, and the District Attorney had given him the go ahead to charge the suspect and book him as soon as he was released from the hospital. Jesse nodded. "Let's all go have a seat, and I'll tell you everything I know."

Marissa turned to Angie. "Would you please get Bianca and ask her to join us? She'll want to know what's going on."

Angie nodded. "Of course. I'll be right back."

"Thank you."

Erica looked at her daughter-in-law. "Are you sure about this, about you both being ready? Wouldn't it be better to wait, at least for Bianca?"

Marissa shook her head. "No, I'm not sure, but I honestly don't think there will ever be a good time to hear this. I just know that I'm not going to keep anything from Bianca."

Kendall took in her sister-in-law's appearance. Quite frankly, it looked like she had been to hell and back, and Kendall sympathized with her and knew that was exactly what she felt like. "How's Gabby?"

"She's resting. She … she's on a ventilator to help her breathe and heal. They have her sedated to make sure she doesn't try and pull it out." God how Marissa wanted to breakdown in that moment, but she couldn't just yet. The redhead believed what she had told Bianca earlier about not keeping things bottled up, and Marissa wouldn't much longer. It's just that right now she needed to be strong for Bianca. Her wife was barely holding it together.

Just imagining Gabby in that state had the others ill. They couldn't even begin to know exactly how it made her mothers feel.

"How is Bianca?" Erica asked.

"About how you would expect. Your youngest daughter is probably the strongest person I know."

"How about you, Red? How are you doing?"

Marissa looked at her sister-in-law. "I'm hanging in there. How's Greenlee?"

Ryan joined the group at that moment and was able to give them an update. "She has a pretty bad concussion and some cuts and bruises. She's resting now though. She asked about Gabby."

Jack, who had immediately gone to Greenlee's room upon arriving at the hospital, followed his son-in-law into the waiting room. He found Erica and gave her a quick kiss before wrapping his arms around her, giving her all of the comfort, love and support that he could. Jack then glanced at Marissa. "How's Gabby?"

"She has a punctured lung and a bruised spleen. They have her on a ventilator to help with her breathing and healing. She's sedated. Dr. Parrish is hoping remove her from the ventilator tomorrow and ease her off the sedatives."

"I am so sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

"Pray."

"You've got it." Ryan offered while Jack nodded.

"Thank you. I'm glad both of you are here. Jesse was just going to tell us what he knows. Angie went back to get Bianca." Marissa nodded at Zach who had arrived and was getting an update from Kendall, and he returned the nod. The redhead knew this was tearing her brother-in-law up inside.

"Angie said Jesse was going to tell us something?" Bianca took a seat next to Marissa, and the couple's hands were quickly entwined. Erica took the seat next to her youngest daughter and simply rubbed her back to comfort her.

"Yes, I am."

/

Jesse took a deep breath and began. "First, Ryan, does Greenlee remember anything?"

"No, she's doesn't. I asked, and she said the last thing she remembered was her and Gabby talking about getting ice cream."

"Would it be alright if I talk with her?"

Angie stepped in. "Not until at least tomorrow, Jesse. I can't allow it. She needs to rest, and that includes her remaining calm."

"I understand and can wait. From what we've determined from witness statements and evidence gathered at the scene, a car ran a red light and hit Greenlee's car." The chief saw Bianca and Marissa tense up. "How much detail do you want?"

Bianca squeezed Marissa's hand tighter. "Tell us everything."

"Alright. If it gets to be too much, just me tell me and I'll stop." Jesse advised before beginning with what the witnesses had told officers and of the same witnesses' efforts to help Gabby and Greenlee. Marissa and Bianca inhaled sharply when they heard the details of how Gabby had to be cut from the vehicle. After a brief pause, they motioned for Jesse to continue. No matter how difficult it was, they needed to hear it.

By the time Jesse had finished, those present were left feeling a mix of emotions ranging from the horror of what their loved ones had gone through to the outrage of the cause behind the accident and that the person behind it tried to flee. It was obvious that several members of the group were clearly plotting their revenge on the man, and Jesse honestly couldn't blame them. He had a job to do however and couldn't condone them forming a lynch mob.

It was Marissa that broke the tension and redirected their focus. "Has he been arrested?" Her abiding faith in the law had her ask Jesse this question, and he admired her for it.

The chief shook his head. "Not yet. He's being examined right now, but we have guards with him. I've spoken with the D.A. and have been given the go ahead to arrest him. Mike's going to handle the arraignment himself and ask for no bail or at the very least a high one."

Marissa nodded and looked at Bianca to explain. "If he doesn't haven't any priors, it's unlikely that a judge would deny bail, but given the fact that he tried to flee the scene, Mike should be able to get a high bond set. If it's high enough, he might not be able to make it and will end up staying in jail."

Bianca nodded at her wife's explanation. "And it's good that Mike's handling this."

"Yes, it is. He'll make sure everything is done right." Marissa turned back to Jesse. "Has he been read his rights?"

"I instructed Brot to take care of that, and I'll do again myself when I start questioning him."

"Thank you." Marissa said gratefully.

"Is there anything else?" Bianca asked. When Jesse shook his head, she turned to her wife. "Rissa, I want to go back to Gabby's room."

"Me too."

Bianca turned to her mother. "Dr. Parrish has said Gabby really can't have any visitors until tomorrow at the earliest. You should go home. All of you should. If anything changes, we'll call you right away."

"I'm going to stay for a little while longer, sweetheart, in case you need anything."

"Same goes for me too, Binx."

"Alright. Thanks."

"Go on back, B. I'll be there in a minute."

Bianca nodded and headed back to Gabby's room.

Marissa turned to the others. "Bianca and I talked earlier. She's going to stay here tonight, and I'm going to go home and stay with Miranda, AJ and Danny tonight. We'll do a Skype session and talk to them together, and will alternate staying here at night with Gabby until she can come home. I don't have my car though since Lisa drove me. Thank you for doing that by the way."

"You're welcome."

"Is it back at the courthouse?" Zach asked.

"Yes, it is."

"What about Bianca's?"

"It's back at the Miranda Center. I drove her over."

"Thank you so much for doing that, Jan. I know she was in no condition to drive over here herself." Marissa said gratefully.

"You're welcome. I couldn't let her drive in good conscience."

"Alright. We'll take care of getting your cars here. It's one less thing for you to worry about. You can just focus on Gabby and the rest of your family." Zach told her.

"Thank you, Zach. I really appreciate it."

"Red, have either of you had anything to eat?" Kendall eyed her sister-in-law. She already knew the answer.

"To be honest, that's the last thing either of us have thought about."

"I know, but you both need to eat something. You have to keep your strength up so you can take care of Gabby as well as AJ, Miranda and Danny."

Marissa glanced back at Gabby's room. "I don't want to be away from Gabby or Bianca longer than I have to."

"I understand that. How about this, we'll get you and Bianca something to eat and bring it here. You won't have to leave Gabby. The same goes for you, Ryan."

With a sigh, Marissa conceded. "Alright."

"Thanks, Kendall. I appreciate that. I was hoping to stay here with Greenlee for a little while longer before I pick up Emma. Is it okay if she stays at your place for another hour or so, Marissa?"

"It's fine." Marissa assured Ryan.

"I know Kendall is going to want to stay here for a while so I'll pick up our three after we get the cars situated."

Marissa nodded. "I really want to get back in there."

"Before you go, we're taking care of everything at work. So, don't worry about that." Lisa stated.

"Thanks. I was going to call Ellie later and have her clear my schedule."

"She's already on it. I … uh … I called Jo. She and Jessica are on their way. I hope that's okay."

Tears of gratitude filled hazel eyes. That was exactly what she needed to hear. "That's more than okay. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Oh, here's your phone." Lisa handed over the redhead's cellphone to her.

"I should probably give you Bianca's too. Tell her to not even worry about the Center. If either of you need anything, you just have to call." Jan added earnestly.

"We will, and we'll let you know how Gabby's doing." Marissa said before heading back to her daughter's room.

"I'm going to go back and see Greenlee. Kendall, you can come back whenever you want."

"Thanks, Ryan. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Once Marissa was gone, Zach looked at Lisa and Jan. "I'll drive you both to their cars if you're okay driving them here."

"Sounds good. I've got Bianca's keys."

"And I've got Marissa's."

"Alright. Let's go." Zach gave his wife a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon."

"Drive safely." Kendall squeezed her husband's hand before he left. "I'm going to call Krystal and see if she can bring them something over, and maybe take dinner over to their house."

"I think that's an excellent idea, and one they would greatly appreciate." Erica added. While Kendall made her call, the diva turned to her fiancée. "How are you, darling?"

Jack sighed and took the seat next to Erica. "Better now that I know that Greenlee is okay, but I'm still worried about Gabby. I'm worried about Bianca and Marissa as well. Bianca has to be going through hell right now. You know that this has to remind her about what happened with Miranda."

Erica nodded. "Yes, it does. She knows she's not alone this time however. Besides us, she has a strong partner in Marissa. You saw how she's there for Bianca."

"That's very true, but I'm sure Marissa is struggling too, Mom." Kendall added as she had ended her call to Krystal. Seeing the confused looks on Erica's and Jack's faces, she clarified her statement. "Her parents were killed in a car accident and …"

"Oh, and she almost died in one herself. How on earth could I forget that?" Erica shook her head, dismayed at herself. "She seems to be handling it well though."

"I have a feeling the reason for that is Bianca. Red knows what Bianca is going through right now and probably feels that she needs to be the strong one. I have to say that I'm really glad that Lisa called Jo and that she and Jessica are coming."

Jack nodded. "You're right. They're going to need all the support they can get."

"And they will have it." Erica added assuredly.

/

Krystal brought over enough food for a small army and left without having the chance to see Marissa or Bianca. She understood though and headed back to the restaurant to work on dinner for everyone at Minx Manor.

Somehow, Erica and Kendall had managed to convince Bianca, Marissa and Ryan to take a brief break to eat something, reminding them again they needed to keep their strength up.

While her daughter and daughter-in-law ate, Erica sat with Gabby. Dr. Parrish finally relented when she realized that the mothers were steadfast in their refusal to leave Gabby alone. Erica steeled herself before entering her granddaughter's room and gasped when she first saw her. Now was not the time for her to show any fear she might have for the little girl's condition. The diva quickly gathered herself, took a seat at Gabby's side and began talking to her.

/

While Erica was with Gabby, Kendall went to visit her best friend. Ryan had told her that Greenlee was blaming herself for the accident and Gabby being injured. He also told her that his wife was sure everyone, especially Bianca and Marissa, were blaming her and probably hated her. Kendall promised to do what she could to help her best friend see just how wrong she was about all of that.

Greenlee was dozing when Kendall took a seat next to her bed. The chair creaked slightly and caused her friend to wake up.

"Hey. I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you."

"It's okay." Greenlee croaked. "How's Gabby? Nobody's telling me anything."

"She's resting, and Mom's with her right now so Bianca and Marissa can eat something." Kendall knew it would be a huge mistake to lie to or soften things for her friend. "They have her sedated and on a ventilator. It's just to help her heal though. Dr. Parrish thinks she will make a full recovery. Gabby's a Kane woman after all, and we're tough."

Greenlee released a shaky and relieved breath, and a tear ran down her cheek. "Thank god. I … I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For Gabby being hurt. She wouldn't have been in the car with me if I hadn't let her come when I dropped off Emma and Miranda."

"Bianca and Marissa gave her permission. With your thinking, shouldn't they take some of the blame?"

"That's ridiculous. I could've said 'no' to her."

Kendall scoffed. "Right, like anyone could say 'no' to her when she gives those puppy dog eyes. Give me a break."

"It still doesn't matter. Gabby was in my car, and I was driving. I'm responsible. If she wasn't with me …"

"Stop it, right now." Kendall's tone was more harsh than she had intended but maybe it's what her friend needed right now. "You are not to blame for what happened. Some idiot who was texting while he was driving is to blame. Not you. You had Gabby in her car seat, and from what Jesse told us, that saved her life."

"What? He was what?"

"He was texting while he was driving, ran a red light and hit you. You didn't do anything wrong."

Greenlee was feeling confused, tired and under the influence of pain medication as well as feeling a host of other emotions at the moment. It was all a bit overwhelming and making it difficult for her to grasp what Kendall was telling her let alone believe her. "They still must hate me. My injuries are nothing compared to Gabby's."

"The guy who hit you, the one responsible for all of this, walked away with barely a scratch. You can hardly say the same."

"Still …"

"I need you to listen to me, okay? Bianca and Marissa don't blame you for this. Nobody blames you for this. Trust me, and believe me."

Greenlee's eyes started to close. She couldn't fight sleep any longer.

Kendall saw this and encouraged her friend to get some sleep and hoped that some of what she said got through to her. "Get some sleep. You're my best friend, and I love you and need you to get better. Things around here would be boring without you to help me get in and out of trouble. Besides, who is Batman without Robin?"

/

By the time Marissa got home, the other kids had been picked up by their parents. Krystal was just leaving after having dropped off dinner for the family. She expressed how sorry she was to hear about Gabby and told her to call her if the family needed anything. Marissa thanked her and promised she would and that she would call her with an update when they knew something more. The redhead insisted Carol, Gail and Sam join them for dinner as a small way of thanking them for watching the kids even though she was assured it wasn't needed. While the others ate, Marissa picked at her food. The combination of an extremely late lunch and worry about Gabby left her with little to no appetite. Carol and Gail noticed but didn't say anything.

After dinner, Marissa called Bianca so they could talk to AJ and Miranda together about what had happened to Gabby. Before Marissa left the hospital, the couple had discussed what they would and wouldn't tell the kids. Sam offered to clean up the kitchen while Carol and Gail hung back to listen. The older Walker women had already discussed what they could do to help and had plans on standby to watch the three Tasker-Montgomery children at home for however long they needed.

It was no surprise to either Bianca or Marissa that AJ and Miranda were pretty upset hearing that their little sister was hurt, and they begged to see her. Their mothers told them the hospital had a policy against children under a certain age visiting patients. Even if that hadn't been true, there was no way in hell Bianca and Marissa would allow them to see Gabby while she was on a ventilator. It was hard enough for the couple to see that so they knew it would traumatize their children. The mothers then explained that they would be taking turns staying with Gabby while she was in the hospital. While they would miss having both of their moms at home at the same time, they understood and didn't want their little sister to be all alone while she was away from home. They knew she would be scared, and that was something AJ and Miranda didn't want for the world.

When the call was over, AJ and Miranda went upstairs to Gabby's room to pick out some things they thought she would want for her hopefully short hospital stay. Marissa held Danny and gently rocked him as she talked to Carol and Gail. Holding her youngest son had a calming effect on her, and that was something she desperately needed right now. Marissa explained Gabby's injuries to the shocked and heartbroken women. When the redhead was done, Carol extended her offer to watch the kids for the couple for however long they needed. It had pretty much been established that AJ and Miranda were not going to day camp while Gabby was in the hospital. They were adamant about that because neither child could imagine running around having fun while their little sister was sick. Bianca and Marissa didn't want their two older children to just stop having fun altogether. It wasn't fair to them, but the thoughtfulness of their offer had their mothers love them even more, if that was possible. They would revisit the decision in a day or two when they knew more about Gabby's condition, but for now, they let it go. Marissa thanked the three women for helping today, and she gratefully accepted Carol's offer. Knowing that the kids were taken care of was a tremendous relief for the redhead and would be for Bianca as well.

After finally getting AJ, Miranda and Danny settled in their beds, Marissa packed a small bag for Gabby. She smiled when she saw what AJ and Miranda had picked out for their sister. They had several of her favorite storybooks, a coloring book and crayons along with some blank paper so she could do her own drawings, her favorite pajamas, and lastly the blanket Marissa had made for her. The redhead added a few other personal items along with her hairbrush and toothbrush. Before leaving her daughter's bedroom, Marissa grabbed Minx. She almost broke down when she saw the beloved stuffed monkey sitting on Gabby's bed all by his lonesome. Marissa knew Gabby would want him, would need him when she woke up. That's why he was at the top of her list of things to take back with her to the hospital. Seeing the room without Gabby, Marissa released a shuddering breath and told herself that her daughter would be home soon as she turned off the light and headed downstairs.

Marissa left Gabby's bag in the family room and checked the locks. She patted Max who seemed to be looking for the two missing family members. "You'll see Bianca tomorrow, and Gabby will be home soon." Max headed upstairs and settled himself in Gabby's room. Marissa turned out the lights in the room and padded down the hallway to the master bedroom. She packed a change of clothes and some toiletries for both Bianca and herself. Marissa had told her wife she would run home and bring her some clothes back tonight, but Bianca had told her she would be fine. The brunette could tell her wife was tired and didn't want her driving back and forth unnecessarily. Bianca also knew it was better if Marissa stayed with AJ, Miranda and Danny once they were told about Gabby. Marissa agreed but made Bianca promise that she would lay down on the cot Dr. Parrish had arranged for them to have in Gabby's room.

With their bags packed, Marissa changed her clothes and got ready for bed. She thought about calling Bianca, but a quick glance at the clock told her how late it was. She opted to send her wife a text in the hopes that Bianca was sleeping. With the text sent, the redhead plugged her cellphone into its charger and started to pull the covers up. It was then that Marissa saw Minx. She hadn't realized that she had brought him into the bedroom with her. That's when everything hit her. Marissa pulled Minx into a tight hug and cried herself to sleep.

/

Marissa was back at the hospital bright and early the next morning even though she had only slept for a few hours the previous night. It had been a long one without Bianca and Gabby home. Carol came over to the house early bringing breakfast with her. After eating with the kids, Marissa poured two large travel mugs with coffee and wrapped up a few of the muffins Carol had brought. The redhead was going to make sure Bianca ate something. Marissa took everything out to the car before returning for hugs and kisses with the kids and a promise to call them to let them know how Gabby was doing.

The redhead had put Minx in Bianca's bag and grabbed it along their coffee and her wife's breakfast before heading inside the hospital. She would make a second trip back to her car later to retrieve her and Gabby's bags. Marissa quietly opened the door to her daughter's room and found Bianca curled up on the cot asleep, and Gabby still on the ventilator. Dr. Parrish would be by in an hour or so to hopefully remove it.

Marissa carefully made her way to Gabby's side, kissed her forehead gently and place Minx next to her before sitting down. Her gaze drifted back and forth between her wife and daughter. It was when her eyes were focused on Gabby that she heard her name.

"Rissa." Bianca said as she slowly stood and stretched.

"Hey. Did you get any sleep?"

"Some. What about you?" Bianca asked. Seeing the dark circles under hazel eyes, she already knew the answer.

"Some. The kids send their love, and I come with coffee and some of Carol's homemade muffins which you have to eat at least one." Marissa ordered lovingly.

"Yes, dear." Bianca answered with a tired smile before kissing her wife.

"Any change?"

Bianca shook her head. "No. They checked on her several times during the night, and her condition was still the same, like Dr. Parrish said it probably would be." The brunette groaned as she took her first sip of coffee. "I really need that. Thank you."

"You're welcome. Now, eat."

While Bianca ate, Marissa caught her up on what was going on outside the hospital. The redhead had fielded several calls and texts from friends inquiring about Gabby and her condition. Marissa also told her about the conversation she had with Jo. Jessica had made them stop somewhere overnight on their way to Pine Valley to rest. She had noticed how tired her daughter was getting during the drive and made her stop deeming it something Marissa would insist on them doing. Jessica was right. As much as she wanted them there, Marissa wanted them there safely even more.

Bianca agreed as well, and was glad they were coming. She knew how much it meant to her wife to have them there. They were her family, a tie to her childhood and parents. Bianca could see hazel eyes staring off into the distance once or twice the previous day and knew she was thinking about Roy and Lydia. A quick squeeze of her hand had jolted her from those painful memories and brought her back to the present while also providing a measure of comfort. They didn't discuss it at the time, but they would.

"I told them they could stay at the house. Jessica said they didn't want to impose."

"They are in no way an imposition."

"That's what I told them, and they finally agreed to stay. Jo is going to drop Jessica off at the house and then stop over here. They should get here later this afternoon or early evening at the latest. She said if we need anything to let them know. Jo also called Cory, and I talked to her as well. She sends her love."

When Bianca finished eating, she grabbed her bag and went to wash up and change in the restroom that was in Gabby's room. The brunette was feeling a little better with Marissa there as well as having eaten. By the time she returned, Dr. Parrish was just entering the room.

/

"Morning. We've run additional tests on the blood we took from Gabby earlier this morning. The oxygen level in her blood is good, and there is also no sign of infection."

Both mothers released a huge sigh of relief hearing this news.

"I'm ready to remove her from the ventilator. Once that is done, we will lower the amount of sedatives that she is receiving. If all goes as expected, Gabby should begin to wake up in around two hours. Do you have any questions?"

"What about pain? How much will she be in?"

"I can't really say. I'll have something ready to give her. Unfortunately, we have to wait to see how responsive she is before I can give her anything. I wish I could do it sooner, but I can't. I promise that I'll give her something though as soon as I possibly can."

Bianca and Marissa winced hearing that but understood. They hated seeing their children in pain of any kind, but knew it couldn't be avoided in this instance.

"Are you ready?"

The couple nodded and watched as Dr. Parrish began the process of removing the ventilator. They held their breath until they could see Gabby breathing on her own.

Checking the girl's respirations with her stethoscope, the doctor smiled at what she was hearing. She stood as she removed the stethoscope and addressed the women. "All clear. There are no signs of fluid, and I'm hearing nice, strong breaths. I'm going to upgrade her condition from critical to serious. When Gabby wakes up, I'll examine her again and will hopefully be able to upgrade it further at that time or soon after. Alright. Let me know if you need anything or have any other questions."

"Thank you, doctor."

/

Bianca and Marissa had been sitting in silence on and off for some time. Even they were both lost in their own thoughts, the presence of the other comforted them.

"Have you talked to Kendall anymore?" Marissa asked.

Bianca nodded. "We talked last night after everyone in her house was in bed."

"Did she say how Greenlee was?"

"She said she was doing okay, but I had this feeling that something was off, like she was keeping something from me."

"Hmmm."

"What?"

"I overhead Kendall talking with Ryan before she went back to Greenlee's room yesterday. They stopped talking when they saw me, but from what I did hear, I got the impression that Greenlee is blaming herself for Gabby being hurt."

"Well, that's not true. The other driver was the one at fault."

"I know. I think we may need to …" Marissa didn't get to finish her thought.

"Mommies". Gabby rasped as she slowly opened her eyes.


End file.
